A Reminder: 11 more votes on Background Checks

Update: With the recent D.C. shooting, here's a reminder that elections have consequences down the road that nobody can foresee.

The Senate rejected background checks amendment, pushed by Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA), today by a 54-46 margin.  6 more votes.  That's all that was needed.

I can find 11 votes for the Background Checks Amendment from 11 states where 1 Senator voted yes and 1 Senator voted no.

Useless Senate Trivia 6

The composition of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee.  Purple states have 2 members on the committee.

Some notable chairmen of this committee in the past: Edmund Muskie, Fritz Hollings, & Lawton Chiles.

The committee has recently been in the spotlight after it passed a budget, with the Tea Party Republican Senators objecting to a conference committee and then being orally spanked by fellow Republican Sen. John McCain (AZ).

Useless Senate Trivia 5

The membership of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. It's jurisdiction:

1. The following standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of each Congress and shall continue and have the power to act until their successors are appointed, with leave to report by bill or otherwise on matters within their jurisdictions:

(d)(1) Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, to which committee shall by referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials and other matters relating to the following subjects:

• Banks, banking, and financial institutions.
• Control of prices of commodities, rents and services.
• Deposit insurance.
• Economic stabilization and defense production.
• Export and foreign trade promotion.
• Export controls.
• Federal monetary policy, including the Federal Reserve System.
• Financial aid to commerce and industry.
• Issuance and redemption of notes.
• Money and credit, including currency and coinage.
• Nursing home construction.
• Public and private housing (including veterans housing).
• Renegotiation of Government contracts.
• Urban development and urban mass transit.

(2) Such Committee shall also study and review on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to international economic policy as it affects United States monetary affairs, credit, and financial institutions; economic growth, urban affairs, and credit, and report thereon from time to time.

According to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council the Top 50 U.S. holding companies as of 3/31/13 are located in the following states (bold represented on the committee):
Alabama
California
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Iowa
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Nevada
New Jersey
New York (home to 14 holding companies)
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
Texas
Utah
Virginia

Useless Senate Trivia 4

The composition of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.  Green = 1 Senator.  Purple = 2 Senators. This is the most Southern-dominated committee.  All but 2 states of the Confederacy are represented on this committee.  From the Committee's website:

As specified in Rule XXV, 1(c)(1) of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee on Armed Services' has the following jurisdiction:
1. Aeronautical and space activities peculiar to or primarily associated with the development of weapons systems or military operations.
2. Common defense.
3. Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force, generally.
4. Maintenance and operation of the Panama Canal, including administration, sanitation, and government of the Canal Zone.
5. Military research and development.
6. National security aspects of nuclear energy.
7. Naval petroleum reserves, except those in Alaska.
8. Pay, promotion, retirement, and other benefits and privileges of members of the Armed Forces, including overseas education of civilian and military dependents.
9. Selective service system.
10. Strategic and critical materials necessary for the common defense.
The Senate has also given the committee the authority to study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to the common defense policy of the United States, and report thereon from time to time.

Top 10 States with the most military bases (including Coast Guard. Technically the Coast Guard falls under the jurisdiction of the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee):

1. California - 33
2. Virginia - 27
3. Florida - 21
4. Texas - 15
5. Georgia - 12
6. Hawaii - 11
7. Maryland - 11
8. D.C. - 10
9. Alaska - 9
10. New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina - 8 each

States on the committee are bolded.  Funny, New Hampshire has 1 military base, but 2 Senators on the committee versus California with 33 and no Senators.

Useless Senate Trivia 3

Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations.  Purple states have both Senators on the Committee.  Interestingly, all 3 of those purple states have 1 Democrat and 1 Republican.

From the Committee site:

The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committee in the U.S. Senate, consisting of 30 members in the 111th Congress. Its role is defined by the U.S. Constitution, which requires "appropriations made by law" prior to the expenditure of any money from the Federal treasury. The Committee, chaired by Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland), writes the legislation that allocates federal funds to the numerous government agencies, departments, and organizations on an annual basis. Appropriations are limited to the levels set by a Budget Resolution, drafted by the Senate Budget Committee.

12 subcommittees are tasked with drafting legislation to allocate funds to government agencies within their jurisdictions. These subcommittees are responsible for reviewing the President's budget request, hearing testimony from government officials, and drafting the spending plans for the coming fiscal year. Their work is passed on to the full Senate Appropriations Committee, which may review and modify the bills and forward them to the full Senate for consideration.

The Committee is also responsible for supplemental spending bills, which are sometimes needed in the middle of a fiscal year to compensate for emergency expenses.

Most people might think, the larger your state is in terms of population, the more money a state would need.

The top 10 most populous states: California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina.  Bold states are on the Appropriations Committee.

The 10 least populous states: Wyoming, Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine.  Bold states are on the committee.

Useless Senate Trivia 2

The state composition of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.  Green equals one Senator, purple equals 2 Senators.

According to the USDA (Agriculture Dept.), the top 10 agricultural producing states (in terms of cash receipts) are: California, Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas, North Carolina, Indiana, & Missouri.

What all does the Agriculture Committee have responsibility for?  From the Committee website:

1. The following standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of each Congress, and shall continue and have the power to act until their successors are appointed, with leave to report by bill or otherwise on matters within their respective jurisdictions:
(a)(1) Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, to which committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating primarily to the following subjects:
1. Agricultural economics and research.
2. Agricultural extension services and experiment stations.
3. Agricultural production, marketing, and stabilization of prices.
4. Agriculture and agricultural commodities.
5. Animal industry and diseases.
6. Crop insurance and soil conservation.
7. Farm credit and farm security.
8. Food from fresh waters.
9. Food stamp programs.
10. Forestry, and forest reserves and wilderness areas other than those created from the public domain.
11. Home economics.
12. Human nutrition.
13. Inspection of livestock, meat, and agricultural products.
14. Pests and pesticides.
15. Plant industry, soils, and agricultural engineering.
16. Rural development, rural electrification, and watersheds.
17. School nutrition programs.
(2) Such committee shall also study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to food, nutrition, and hunger, both in the United States and in foreign countries, and rural affairs, and report thereon from time to time.

Useless Senate Trivia

This is the current state composition of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.  From the Committee's website:

While special committees have no legislative authority, they can study issues, conduct oversight of programs, and investigate reports of fraud and waste.

Throughout its existence, the Special Committee on Aging has served as a focal point in the Senate for discussion and debate on matters relating to older Americans. Often, the Committee will submit its findings and recommendations for legislation to the Senate. In addition, the Committee publishes materials of assistance to those interested in public policies which relate to the elderly. 

The average age of all the members of the committee: 57

The oldest member: Orrin Hatch (R-UT), 79

The youngest member: Ted Cruz (R-TX), 42

Sadler Moves to Become Democratic Nominee

Former State Rep. Paul Sadler's path to the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate just become virtually guaranteed today.

His most significant rival, Jason Gibson, has dropped out and endorsed Sadler.

This came quickly on the heels of several endorsements for Sadler, namely:

Texas AFL-CIO
State Senator Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio
State Senator Mario Gallegos of Houston
State Representative and State Democratic Executive Committee member Roberto Alonzo of Dallas
State Representative Rafael Anchia of Dallas
State Representative Lon Burnam of Dallas
State Representative and Democratic National Committee Member Yvonne Davis of Dallas
State Representative Joe Deshotel of Beaumont
State Representative Dawnna Dukes of Austin
Former House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam of Waco
State Representative Craig Eiland of Galveston
House Democratic Leader Jessica Farrar of Houston
State Representative Pete P. Gallego of Alpine
State Representative Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio
State Representative Scott Hochberg of Houston
State Representative Ruth Jones McClendon of San Antonio
State Representative Elliott Naishtat of Austin
State Representative Rene Oliveira of Brownsville
State Representative Joe Pickett of El Paso
State Representative Richard Pena Raymond of Laredo
State Representative Mark Strama of Austin
Former State Representative Allen Vaught of Dallas
State Representative Marc Veasey of Fort Worth DNC Vice-Chair and labor leader Linda Chavez-Thompson.