Another Vote for the List

In keeping with the spirit of my most recent In These Times column that tracks congressional votes people should know about for the 2004 election, check out this one:

"Republicans Wednesday blocked an effort by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Judiciary ranking member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., to create stiffer criminal penalties for war profiteering. The Leahy/Daschle amendment to the fiscal 2005 defense authorization bill would have created new penalties -- including up to 20 years in jail -- for government contractors convicted of inflating the cost of goods or services. It was defeated 52-46...A clearly uncomfortable Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., rallied Republicans against the amendment."
- CongressDaily, 6/17/04

See how your Senator voted here.

Remember, this vote comes just days after "new testimony by congressional auditors and former Halliburton workers revealed millions of dollars worth of wasteful practices, major over billing and virtually no oversight of the company's work."