The 110th Congress: Key votes taken by Tennessee representatives

The voting record of Tennessee representatives on key legislation in the early weeks of the 110th Congress:

Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act:
YEA: Lincoln Davis(D), Jim Cooper(D), Bart Gordon(D), John Tanner(D), Steve Cohen(D)
NAY: David Davis(R), Jimmy Duncan (R), Zach Wamp(R), Marsha Blackburn(R)

Straight party-line vote; no real surprises.

Fair Minimum Wage Act:
YEA: Duncan, Wamp, L.Davis, Cooper, Gordon, Tanner, Cohen
NAY: D. Davis, Blackburn

Large portions of Duncan's and Wamp's districts are Appalachian counties with high unemployment and mostly low-wage work. Although the same can be said of David Davis' 1st District. David Davis is one of two new members of the Tennessee delegation (Steve Cohen is the other) and I don't know a lot about him yet.

Marsha Blackburn, on the other hand, is hopeless.

Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act:
YEA: Cooper, Gordon, Tanner, Cohen
NAY: D. Davis, Duncan, Wamp, L. Davis, Blackburn

Lincoln Davis is a staunch pro-lifer and moral opportunist. Davis once proclaimed on the House floor that Congress should “outlaw divorce in this country” and “outlaw adultery and make it a felony". In the same speech he said that “we should also prevent those who commit adultery, or get a divorce, from running for office.” (The video is available at Think Progress.)

Another of the 16 Democrats opposed to the stem cell legislation was the representative from my old southern Illinois stomping grounds, Jerry Costello. Costello is one of those old-time slimy pols that gives the Democratic Party a bad name. He's a corrupt sack of shit who owes his political career to one of the last old-style Democratic machines functioning in the United States. You'll be hearing more about him in the weeks to come.

Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act:
YEA: Wamp, L. Davis, Cooper, Gordon, Tanner, Cohen
NAY: D. Davis, Duncan, Blackburn

What's up with Zach Wamp? He was part of Gingrich's Class Of '94 and has been reliably pro-business in the past.

College Student Relief Act:
YEA: D. Davis, Duncan, Wamp, L. Davis, Cooper, Gordon, Tanner, Cohen
NAY: Blackburn

Like I said, Marsha Blackburn is hopeless. She's why you should never give copies of Atlas Shrugged to real-estate agents.

Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act:
YEA: L. Davis, Gordon, Tanner, Cohen
NAY: D. Davis, Duncan, Wamp, Blackburn
NV: Cooper

Jim Cooper, the Nashville representative, did not vote. This vote was taken only a couple of hours ago, and I don't know what the story was on that yet.