110th Congress / Senate / 1st session / Vote 307

• Question: On Passage of the Bill
• Bill: H R 976
• Vote description: H.R.976 As Amended; Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007
• Vote type: 1/2 (Help)
  A simple majority of those present and voting is required for approval or passage.
• Result: Passed, 68-31, with 1 not voting.
• Date/time: August 2, 2007, 10:18 p.m.
• Republican majority opinion: No (Help)
  The position of more than 50 percent of voting Republicans. "None" means an equal split between "Yes" and "No."
• Democrat majority opinion: Yes (Help)
  The position of more than 50 percent of voting Democrats. "None" means an equal split between "Yes" and "No."

Key Vote Analysis

In this 68 to 31 vote the Senate passed an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The bill also passed the House by a vote of 265 to 159.

The bill increases total funding for the program to $60 billion over the next five years and provides health insurance for 9 million currently uninsured American children.

The $7 billion yearly expansions were a major sticking point for the White House and ultimately lead to the fourth presidential veto from the Bush administration.

The measure is a key agenda item for the Democratic majority in Congress, and Democratic leaders have vowed to push for a veto override, which would require a two-thirds vote.

White House press secretary Dana Perino criticized Democrats for sending the president a bill she said they knew would be dead on arrival.

“They made their political point,” Perino said.

The White House contended that the 61-cent increase in the federal tobacco tax would not be able to recoup the required funds needed to fund the bill. White House officials also argued the measure would push millions of children already covered by private health insurance into publicly financed health care program

See other key votes in the 110th Congress

Vote totals