Oops! Senate voting on stimulus; Hutchison speaking in Richardson - misses six votes

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Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, missed six votes Friday night on the economic stimulus deal, instead fulfilling a promise to speak at the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. Hutchison, the state's senior senator, was one of only three senators who missed votes. Ther other two missing senators were Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H.,  who is not participating in Senate votes because he has been nominated to be secretary of commerce and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who is being treated for a brain tumor. Kennedy, who was resting in Florida, has now returned to Washington for a likely final vote on the bill Monday.

The votes on amendments to the stimulus bill came after a bipartisan group of senatros made a dramatic breakthrough deal that reduced the spending in the package but by about $100 billion to $827 billion.

Hutchison spokesman Jeff Sadosky said, "Senator Hutchison, after being informed that final votes would not occur until Saturday or Sunday, was pleased to be able to keep her commitment to the Richardson Chamber of Comerce. She continues to believe the stimulus bill, as it stands now, is the wrong approach and that we need to focus less on social spending programs and more on tax cuts for America's families and businesses."

-- Maria Recio

Comments

[JR]

So why in the world does Hutchison think that a speaking engagement at a chamber of commerce is more important that defeating this stimulus bill? Why does anyone think she would be even a acceptable governor? She sold us out on Bush's bailout and now she's sold us out on Obama's spending package! Looks like she was bought and paid for. Crap, I hope Kinky Friedman runs for governor because neither Perry nor Hutchison will get my vote!

[McGruber]

Senator Kay "AWOL" Hutchison. Where is the leadership? If she's already "over" that whole Senate thing, she needs to go ahead and just resign. Otherwise, she needs to get her act together and start fighting for Texans in DC. I am fuming that she put her misguided gubernatorial ambitions ahead of fighting against this bailout disaster. Especially because her best friend for life Susan Collins was one of the two or three cave-in Republicans. Missing votes is inexcusable, and avoiding tough issues is impossible if you're Governor.

[TexasCITIZEN]

C'mon, Kay. Get back to Washington and represent me. VOTE AGAINST THIS OBAMANATION OF A RIPPOFF!

[McGruber]

Hutchison, putting her campaign ahead of her constituents. AGAIN. Going MIA is not excusable on something so important as a trillion dollar spending bill.

[concerned]

I wish the Senator had stayed to vote, however, she has stated this weekend she is opposed, which means she would have voted now, presumably. As far as the article stating "bipartisan group" that is extremely misleading. That statement would have people believing that some sizable contingent of Republicans support this insanity.

[Perry was RIGHT about Kay BAILOUT]

She ignores important votes that could adversely affect Texans, instead of hiring a Texan to run her campaign. She hires some guy from WISCONSIN, whose expereince is working for failed Giuliani campaign(DOES Kay know ANY Texans??).

Perry is right Kay BAILOUT has spent too much time in DC, she can't even understand Texas and Texans

VOTE Perry in 2010

[BP]

As usual Hutchison, is putting her own self interest ahead of her constituents!
She belongs in Washington. That is what she was elected to do!!! I also think she and other members of Congress should wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers . . . so we can identify their corporate sponsors.

[Lizabeth]

Gee, as best as I can tell, the actual vote on the final draft won't be until either later today (Monday) or sometime tomorrow (Tuesday).
I just watched (on the CNN live feed) as Hutchinson voted "no" on the motion to proceed to a full vote on the stimulus bill.
So you folks might want to get all the facts before lambasting Hutchinson.

BTW, we HAVE to do some kind of stimulus bill-- unless of course, you would all like to find yourselves unemployed and in a bread line somewhere.

[JR]

@Lizabeth,
http://mises.org/story/3331

[JElliot]

This article really caught me by surprise. The fact that Senator Hutchison is getting flack for missing arbitrary amendment votes for attending the Richardson Chamber of Commerce event is absurd. I was in attendance of the event and everyone there was extremely pleased that she made the time to speak to us. The idea that she "wasn't doing her job" is laughable; what is more important to the state of Texas? Voting on a few meaningless amendments, or reaching out to more than four hundred of her constituents in the business community? Last time I checked, the small business community was the engine that drives our economy.

[JR]

@JEliot,
Well since we ALL are paying her and these meaningless amendments will affect the economy for many years to come.