Creation of the National Endowment for the Oceans would not increase taxes. Instead, money for the endowment would come from oil drilling revenues and fines for violation of offshore drilling safety regulations.

Just before Thanksgiving in the House of Representatives, Rep. Ted Deutsch of Florida introduced H.J.Res. 90, and a few days later Bernie Sanders followed suit with a Senate counterpart, S.J.Res. 33. The two bills, which contain identical text, are a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment reads: Section 1. The rights protected by [...]

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed S. 1867, a military authorization bill with a special provision granting the U.S. military the power to put people into detention without charges and without any time limit. All classes of people are subject to detention without charge: Americans citizens and noncitizens, people living inside the borders of the [...]

In November 2011, 24 Senate Democrats refused to revoke the Iraq War authorization, thus repeating the great mistake of 2002.

The Udall Amendment would have removed the legislation’s unconstitutional power of imprisonment without criminal charge. This afternoon, that amendment failed to pass. It was rejected by a coalition of Republicans and Democrats who have become comfortable with the existence of totalitarian government powers. The vote wasn’t even close: 37 for Udall’s protection of American freedom, 61 opposed to the Udall amendment, and 2 senators who didn’t show up to vote.

In a 10-8 vote today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of overturning the Defense of Marriage Act. Click here to view a webcast of the proceedings. S. 598, the Respect for Marriage Act, would reinstate the Full Faith and Credit clause of the United States Constitution as it applies to marriage, granting recognition [...]

S. 968, the Protect IP Act, allows the government or a corporation to enforce a takedown of a website if a judge determines it is an “ISDIA” (Internet site dedicated to infringing activities). Two very different stories about the Protect IP Act are being told. Artists opposing the PROTECT-IP / SOPA Act has one take: [...]

Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand refused to take a stand for Americans’ constitutional rights this year, but they’re working hard to defend the integrity of pancake syrup. Seriously, they think that distinguishing between Aunt Jemima and maple syrup is more important than protecting the privacy of American citizens.

A roll call of the names of 47 senators who voted to protect accused terrorists from being put on trial for their crimes is presented in this article.

S. 1738 provides a 3.8 tax cut, but only for households with an income of over $250,000 per year. It’s a special tax deal for the 1 percent most wealthy Americans. It provides no benefit whatsoever to the 99 percent.