Changes

*Kept the government going with two temporary spending bills, completed one appropriations bill which was vetoed, redesignated five Eastern European countries (Albania, Macedonia, Croatia, Georgia and Ukraine) for security aid, and passed a bill on penalties for animal fighting that had passed in the Republican Congress last year.  

*Kept the government going with two temporary spending bills, completed one appropriations bill which was vetoed, redesignated five Eastern European countries (Albania, Macedonia, Croatia, Georgia and Ukraine) for security aid, and passed a bill on penalties for animal fighting that had passed in the Republican Congress last year.  

*Voted to kill lobbying reforms that were part of the 2006 [[Honest Leadership and Open Government Act]] Democratic candidates made a centerpiece of their campaign message in 2006.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/panel-softens-lobbying-bill-provisions-2007-05-17.html Panel softens lobbying bill provisions], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', May 17, 2007.</ref>

*Voted to kill lobbying reforms that were part of the 2006 [[Honest Leadership and Open Government Act]] Democratic candidates made a centerpiece of their campaign message in 2006.<ref>[https://thehill.com/leading-the-news/panel-softens-lobbying-bill-provisions-2007-05-17.html Panel softens lobbying bill provisions], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', May 17, 2007.</ref>

*Passed a bill to allow [[federal funding]] of stem cell research on lines of stem cells derived from discarded human embryos created for fertility treatments.  The bill caused the first veto of Bush's presidency.

*Passed a bill to allow [[federal funding]] of stem cell research on lines of stem cells derived from discarded human embryos created for fertility treatments.  The bill caused the first veto of Bush's presidency.

*Passed the appropriations bill to fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for 2008.  It was vetoed by the President and did not pass an override.

*Passed the appropriations bill to fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for 2008.  It was vetoed by the President and did not pass an override.

By mid June 2007, Congressional Approval ratings had hit a new low, with only 23% of the American people expressing approval, worse than [[President George W. Bush]] had experienced.<ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070617-115222-5077r.htm Democratic Congress shows cracks], By Donald Lambro, ''The Washington Times'', June 18, 2007.</ref>  The ''L.A. Times'' reported Congressional Approval ratings were the lowest in a decade—since the [[Bill Clinton#Impeachment|Clinton Impeachment]] trial.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-pelosi12jun12,1,2398539.story?coll=la-headlines-politics&ctrack=1&cset=true Approval of Congress lowest in a decade], By Noam N. Levey, ''L.A. Times'', June 12, 2007.</ref>

By mid June 2007, Congressional Approval ratings had hit a new low, with only 23% of the American people expressing approval, worse than [[President George W. Bush]] had experienced.<ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070617-115222-5077r.htm Democratic Congress shows cracks], By Donald Lambro, ''The Washington Times'', June 18, 2007.</ref>  The ''L.A. Times'' reported Congressional Approval ratings were the lowest in a decade—since the [[Bill Clinton#Impeachment|Clinton Impeachment]] trial.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-pelosi12jun12,1,2398539.story?coll=la-headlines-politics&ctrack=1&cset=true Approval of Congress lowest in a decade], By Noam N. Levey, ''L.A. Times'', June 12, 2007.</ref>

==Earmark reform==

==Earmark reform==

“Chairman Obey wanted to stay behind closed doors and play ‘God’ with earmarks, but the taxpayers won this battle for transparency and accountability.” <ref>[http://www.cagw.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10818 Obey Lost - Taxpayers Won!], Citizens Against Waste in Government Press Release June 15, 2007.</ref>

“Chairman Obey wanted to stay behind closed doors and play ‘God’ with earmarks, but the taxpayers won this battle for transparency and accountability.” <ref>[http://www.cagw.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10818 Obey Lost - Taxpayers Won!], Citizens Against Waste in Government Press Release June 15, 2007.</ref>

The legislative journal, ''The Hill'', reported Sen. [[Carl Levin]] and Sen. [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] were the two top Senatorial [[Pork#Government Budgets|pork barrel]]  reciepients via the earmark process in 2007.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-can-boast-wealth-of-earmarks-2007-06-13.html Clinton can boast wealth of earmarks], By Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, ''The Hill'', June 13, 2007.</ref>

The legislative journal, ''The Hill'', reported Sen. [[Carl Levin]] and Sen. [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] were the two top Senatorial [[Pork#Government Budgets|pork barrel]]  reciepients via the earmark process in 2007.<ref>[https://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-can-boast-wealth-of-earmarks-2007-06-13.html Clinton can boast wealth of earmarks], By Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, ''The Hill'', June 13, 2007.</ref>

==Tax increases==

==Tax increases==

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman [[John Dingell]] of Michigan announced a proposal for a new carbon tax that would increase the gasoline tax by 50 cents.  In addition to raising the gasoline tax, Dingell’s new proposal would institute a “double digit” tax on each ton of carbon dioxide emitted.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dingell-to-propose-50-cent-gasoline-tax-increase-2007-07-07.html Dingell to propose 50 cent gasoline tax increase], By Chris Good, ''The Hill'', July 07, 2007.</ref>

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman [[John Dingell]] of Michigan announced a proposal for a new carbon tax that would increase the gasoline tax by 50 cents.  In addition to raising the gasoline tax, Dingell’s new proposal would institute a “double digit” tax on each ton of carbon dioxide emitted.<ref>[https://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dingell-to-propose-50-cent-gasoline-tax-increase-2007-07-07.html Dingell to propose 50 cent gasoline tax increase], By Chris Good, ''The Hill'', July 07, 2007.</ref>

The ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' reported in April House Ways and Means Chairman [[Charlie Rangel]] effectively declared the death of [[Reaganomics]] in America.  Democrats have come up with an idea to slow the 17 million middle class Americans subject [[Alternative Minimum Tax]] (AMT).  Changes in the AMT rate, and the treatment of dividends and capital gains, still leaves the budget at least $600 billion short of paying for the AMT fix. House Democrats have acknowledged that to close this final gap, they will have to consider raising  personal income taxes.

The ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' reported in April House Ways and Means Chairman [[Charlie Rangel]] effectively declared the death of [[Reaganomics]] in America.  Democrats have come up with an idea to slow the 17 million middle class Americans subject [[Alternative Minimum Tax]] (AMT).  Changes in the AMT rate, and the treatment of dividends and capital gains, still leaves the budget at least $600 billion short of paying for the AMT fix. House Democrats have acknowledged that to close this final gap, they will have to consider raising  personal income taxes.