Rep. Mel Watt elected head of black Dems (Click here to read story)
The CBC is pushing themselves into further irrelevance by not electing a leader that is at least a moderate. They have completely ignored the slight uptick of blacks that voted for Bush this past election.
Here is his voting record (from http://www.activoteamerica.com–another good reference site)
Democratic Representative (NC-12):
Mel Watt on the Issues
Mel Watt on Abortion
* Voted NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)
* Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life. (Oct 2003)
* Voted NO on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)
* Voted NO on funding for health providers who don’t provide abortion info. (Sep 2002)
* Voted NO on banning human cloning, including medical research. (Jul 2001)
* Voted NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad. (May 2001)
* Voted NO on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes. (Apr 2001)
* Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortions. (Apr 2000)
* Voted NO on barring transporting minors to get an abortion. (Jun 1999)
* by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Budget & Economy
* Voted NO on restricting bankruptcy rules. (Jan 2004)
* Get minorities into home ownership & global marketplace. (Jan 2001)
Mel Watt on Civil Rights
* Voted NO on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on Constitutional amendment prohibiting Flag Desecration. (Jul 2001)
* Voted NO on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
* Voted NO on Amendment to prohibit burning the US flag. (Jun 1999)
* Voted NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions. (May 1998)
* Ending racial profiling is part of fight for justice. (Jan 2001)
* Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender. (Mar 2001)
* by the ACLU, indicating a pro-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
Mel Watt on Corporations
* Voted YES on replacing illegal export tax breaks with $140B in new breaks. (Jun 2004)
* Voted NO on Bankruptcy Overhaul requiring partial debt repayment. (Mar 2001)
* by the US COC, indicating an anti-business voting record. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Crime
* Voted YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime. (Jun 1999)
* Voted YES on maintaining right of habeus corpus in Death Penalty Appeals. (Mar 1996)
* Voted NO on making federal death penalty appeals harder. (Feb 1995)
* Voted YES on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment. (Apr 1994)
* by CURE, indicating pro-rehabilitation crime votes. (Dec 2000)
* Moratorium on death penalty; more DNA testing. (Mar 2001)
* Require DNA testing for all federal executions. (Mar 2001)
Mel Watt on Drugs
* Voted NO on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism. (Sep 2001)
* Voted NO on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC. (Oct 1999)
* Voted NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests. (Sep 1998)
Mel Watt on Education
* Voted NO on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror. (Nov 2001)
* Voted NO on requiring states to test students. (May 2001)
* Voted NO on allowing vouchers in DC schools. (Aug 1998)
* Voted NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools. (Nov 1997)
* Voted NO on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer. (Mar 1994)
* by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Energy & Oil
* Voted NO on passage of the Bush Administration national energy policy. (Jun 2004)
* Voted NO on implementing Bush-Cheney national energy policy. (Nov 2003)
* Voted YES on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels. (Aug 2001)
* Voted YES on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR. (Aug 2001)
* Voted YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol. (Jun 2000)
* Regulate wholesale electricity & gas prices. (Mar 2001)
* Preserve Alaska’s ANWR instead of drilling it. (Feb 2001)
Mel Watt on Environment
* Voted NO on speeding up approval of forest thinning projects. (Nov 2003)
* by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Families & Children
* Voted NO on establishing nationwide AMBER alert system for missing kids. (Apr 2003)
* Voted NO on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years. (Mar 2001)
* by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Foreign Policy
* Voted YES on keeping Cuba travel ban until political prisoners released. (Jul 2001)
* Voted NO on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction. (Jul 2000)
* Voted NO on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. (May 2000)
* Voted YES on $15.2 billion for foreign operations. (Nov 1999)
* Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine. (Apr 2001)
Mel Watt on Free Trade
* Voted NO on implementing the US-Singapore free trade agreement. (Jul 2003)
* Voted NO on implementing free trade agreement with Chile. (Jul 2003)
* Voted NO on withdrawing from the WTO. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on ‘Fast Track’ authority for trade agreements. (Sep 1998)
* by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues. (Dec 2002)
* No MFN for China; condition trade on human rights. (Nov 1999)
Mel Watt on Government Reform
* Voted YES on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions. (Feb 2002)
* Voted NO on banning soft money donations to national political parties. (Jul 2001)
* Voted YES on banning soft money and issue ads. (Sep 1999)
* Election reform is #1 priority to prevent disenfranchisement. (Jan 2001)
Mel Watt on Gun Control
* Voted NO on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse. (Apr 2003)
* Voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. (Jun 1999)
* by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Health Care
* Voted NO on limiting medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000 damages. (May 2004)
* Voted NO on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients. (Nov 2003)
* Voted YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs. (Jul 2003)
* Voted NO on small business associations for buying health insurance. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on capping damages and setting time limits in medical lawsuits. (Mar 2003)
* Voted NO on allowing suing HMOs, but under federal rules & limited award. (Aug 2001)
* Voted NO on Prescription Drug Coverage under Medicare. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on banning physician-assisted suicide. (Oct 1999)
* Voted NO on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts. (Oct 1999)
* Increase funding for AIDS treatment & prevention. (Jan 2001)
* More funding for Rx benefits, community health, CHIPs. (Jan 2001)
* MEDS Plan: Cover senior Rx under Medicare. (Jan 2001)
* by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record. (Dec 2003)
* Make health care a right, not a privilege. (Nov 1999)
Mel Watt on Homeland Security
* Voted YES on emergency $78B for war in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Apr 2003)
* Voted NO on permitting commercial airline pilots to carry guns. (Jul 2002)
* Voted YES on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill. (Jul 1999)
* Voted NO on deploying SDI. (Mar 1999)
* End the use of anti-personnel mines. (Mar 2001)
* by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Immigration
* Voted NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment. (May 2004)
* Voted YES on extending Immigrant Residency rules. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers. (Sep 1998)
* by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Jobs
* Voted YES on $167B over 10 years for farm price supports. (Oct 2001)
* Voted NO on zero-funding OSHA’s Ergonomics Rules instead of $4.5B. (Mar 2001)
* by the AFL-CIO, indicating a pro-labor voting record. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Principles & Values
* Religious affiliation: Presbyterian. (Nov 2000)
* Member of Congressional Black Caucus. (Jan 2001)
* Reject Bush’s Florida electors due to election fraud. (Jan 2001)
* Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. (Oct 2001)
Mel Watt on Social Security
* Voted YES on raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable. (May 2001)
* Voted NO on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits. (Jul 2000)
* Voted YES on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox. (May 1999)
* by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on Tax Reform
* Voted NO on making permanent an increase in the child tax credit. (May 2004)
* Voted NO on permanently eliminating the so-called marriage penalty. (Apr 2004)
* Voted NO on making the Bush tax cuts permanent. (Apr 2002)
* Voted NO on $99.5B economic stimulus: capital gains & income tax cuts. (Oct 2001)
* Voted NO on Tax Cut Package of $958B over 10 years. (May 2001)
* Voted NO on eliminating the Estate Tax. (Apr 2001)
* Voted NO on eliminating the “marriage penalty”. (Jul 2000)
* Voted NO on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business. (Mar 2000)
* American People’s Dividend: Give $300 to every person. (Feb 2001)
* by NTU, indicating a “Big Spender” on tax votes. (Dec 2003)
Mel Watt on War & Peace
* Voted NO on approving removal of Saddam & valiant service of US troops. (Mar 2004)
* Voted NO on authorizing military force in Iraq. (Oct 2002)
* Voted NO on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo. (May 1999)
Mel Watt on Welfare & Poverty
* Voted NO on promoting work and marriage among TANF recipients. (Feb 2003)
* Voted NO on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks. (Jul 2001)
* Voted NO on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations. (Nov 1999)
* Reduce the concentration of wealth & wage inequality. (Nov 1999)
