Brady

It's turned out I have zero time for this right now so I'm going to sign out. Miss y'all though and I hope to be back sometime when I have more time. Hope everyone has a good round

Basic Information

Character Name: Nathan Cohen

Avatar: Jacob Frey

Seat: Massachusetts (Class 2)

Party: Democratic

Major Caucus: Progressive Democrats

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Homosexual

Race/Ethnicity: Ashkenazi

Religious Affiliation: Jewish

Date of Birth: July 23, 1975

Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts

Place of Residence: Provincetown, Massachusetts

Family Information

Parents: David Cohen; Judith Cohen (née Hoffman)

Siblings: Rebecca Levy (née Cohen); Leah Friedman (née Cohen)

Spouse: Ezra Abrams

Educational History

Boston Latin School – Diploma (1993)

Boston University – Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (1997)

Harvard Law School – Juris Doctor (2000)

Occupational History

Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy (2000-2003)

United States Army (2003-2011)

• Rank of Captain at time of retirement

U.S. Representative from Massachusetts' 10th District (2009-2013)

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
  • Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
• Committee on Education and Labor
  • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber
  • Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism

U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (2013-)

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Airland
  • Subcommittee on Personnel
  • Subcommittee on SeaPower
• Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy
  • Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation
  • Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Key Votes

111th Congress

Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010: Nay

112th Congress

United States–Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Nay

113th Congress

Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization: Yea

Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013: Yea

114th Congress

Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015: Yea

Biography

Nathan Tobias Cohen was born on July 23, 1975, the youngest of David and Judith Cohen's three children and their only son. His father was a civil rights lawyer and his mother was a professor of philosophy and bioethics at Boston University. Though his family could afford private schooling, his parents believed strongly in the public school system so Nate and his two older sisters attended Boston Latin School. While in high school, Nate was on the soccer and swim teams as well as being on the debate team and the student council. Nate graduated valedictorian of his graduating class in 1993. After graduating high school, Nate attended Boston University where he studied political science. He was a member of the Mu chapter of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, active in the College Democrats, and served in the BU Senate, the representative branch of the BU Student Government. He graduated from Boston University with his BA in Political Science in 1997, then received his JD from Harvard in 2000.

Fresh out of law school, Nate decided to forego pursuit of any prestigious clerkships and followed his true passion for politics. He went to work as a legislative assistant to Senator Ted Kennedy, whom he'd personally met through the College Democrats while at Boston University. He had also interned in Kennedy's office during his time at Harvard Law. Nate worked in Kennedy's office for only a little over a year before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 occurred. By 2003, the war in Afghanistan was still ongoing and war with Iraq was imminent. Like Kennedy, Nate didn't agree with the Iraq War, but he felt called to serve alongside high school and college friends who had enlisted. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and progressed through Officer Candidate School, commissioned as a second lieutenant later that year. He went on to do two tours of duty in Iraq.

By the time Representative Bill Delahunt announced he wouldn't seek re-election to another House term in 2008, Nate had relocated to Provincetown after completing his active duty commitment and was finishing his service commitment in the Individual Ready Reserve. After consulting with family and friends, including political connections he'd made while working for Kennedy, he declared his candidacy to replace Delahunt in the House of Representatives. He ran an unabashedly progressive campaign in a district that had elected only Democrats since 1982, earning him victory in the Democratic primary. With 2008 being a very good year for Democrats thanks to the Obama wave, he coasted to victory with only token Republican opposition as expected in the reliably blue district.

It was during his freshman term in the House that he reconnected with Ezra Abrams, a fellow ZBT alumnus from Boston University, and the two began discreetly dating. Nate had been out to close family and friends for years, but thanks to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy he hadn't fully come out of the closet for the sake of maintaining his service in the Army. Nate publicly came out in 2010 during the debate over repealing DADT, despite the possibility he would be discharged. The discharge never came and DADT was repealed that year, a vote Nate has described as his proudest in Congress. Nate retired from the Army in 2011 and he and Ezra married later that year.

Incumbent U.S. Senator John Kerry was nominated to serve as U.S. Secretary of State in the Obama administration following President Obama's re-election, leaving a vacancy in the Senate pending his confirmation. Though progressive Representative Ed Markey was widely expected to run for the seat, he ultimately declined. Nate announced his candidacy after it was clear Markey wouldn't seek the seat, and faced off against fellow Representative Stephen Lynch, whose more conservative record on social issues — particularly abortion — galvanized grassroots progressive opposition against his primary candidacy. In the 2013 special election, Nate faced Republican businessman and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez, defeating him by a ten point margin on election day. He was easily re-elected to a full term in 2014.

Nate has been a consistently progressive voice in Congress since his election to the House in 2008, and an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights even before publicly coming out. He has supported public health care and voted in favor of the House health care reform bill that included a public option, though he ultimately cast his vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act despite omission of the public option from the final bill. Nate opposed the Iraq War and has called for a responsible withdrawal from Afghanistan, though he isn't as dovish as some of his fellow progressives in Congress. His overall record has trended even more progressive since his election to the Senate.

Nate and Ezra continue to reside in Provincetown. They're dog dads to a Fox Red Labrador Retriever named Rusty, but have put off child adoption for now due to their busy careers, with Ezra maintaining a pediatrics practice. They are active in Cape Cod Synagogue, a Reform Jewish congregation. Nate and Ezra are vegan, which Nate has called the easiest way to keep kosher, something they choose to do as a matter of personal choice even though Reform Judaism doesn't require it. They are also involved in community service projects, including running in the Boston Marathon for charity every year. Nate is a diehard New England Patriots fan and also casually follows other Boston teams.

Points

Gender: Male (0 points)

Age: 40-44 years old (10 points)

Sexuality: Openly Homosexual (25 points)

Race/Ancestry: Sephardic/Ashkenazi/Mizrahi (10 points)

Religion: Jewish (5 points)

Education:

• College Degree at Private University (5 points)
• JD at Top University (20 points)

Socioeconomic History: Top 5% (-10 points)

Career Information:

• Federal Political Staffer (10 points)
• Commissioned Officer, O-3 (10 points)

Political Experience:

• House of Representatives (3 points x 2 terms = 6 points)
• Senate (5 points)

Total: 96 points

Since there seems to be some question/concern over whether someone can act as PPT in my stead if I haven't explicitly resigned even though I signed out??? I resign as PPT thank you and goodnight.

Signing out and waiving the 24 hours. I don't want to even know a large chunk of you and I think it's going to be a while before that changes. This community badly needs actual moderation standards that precludes defending shit like genocide, ethnic cleansing, and terrorism.

Nay

Yea

Yea

The Senate will debate the nomination of Judd A. Gregg as Secretary of the Treasury. Debate will continue until cloture is invoked.

The Senate will debate the nomination of James M. Talent as Secretary of Defense. Debate will continue until cloture is invoked.

Yea

Having noted an objection, the Chair rules that acceptance of Zimmerman I and Mulligan I as friendly is not in order. The amendments, having been duly seconded, will instead proceed to a vote.

Casanova-Davis I and Storm I are noted, but delayed pending the outcome of Zimmerman I due to conflicting language.

Zimmerman I, Mulligan I, and Baker I are recognized. The Senate will vote on the amendments for a period of 24 hours.

Finally, Senators are reminded to observe the rules of proper decorum on the Senate floor at all times. There will be absolutely no hamsters allowed.

The Senate will vote on the following amendment to S.32, the Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2013, for a period of 24 hours.

Quote

 

Sec. 4:  Pass Through Business Tex Deduction:

A.  The owners of Sole proprietorships, S Corporations, Partnerships. and LLCs (pass-through entities) may claim up to a 20% deduction on their share of the business's income, up to $150,000 per individual return or $300,000 per joint return.

 

B.  This provision shall be in effect until the end of fiscal year 2016.

 

The Senate will vote on the following amendment to S.32, the Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2013, for a period of 24 hours.

Quote

 

SEC. X. INCREASED LIMITATIONS ON SBA LEVERAGE.

   Section 303(b)(2)(B) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 is amended by striking “$225,000,000” and inserting “$350,000,000”.

 

The Senate will vote on the following amendment to S.32, the Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2013, for a period of 24 hours.

Quote

 

SECTION 2. INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE.

(a) The minimum wage is increased to $8 $9 beginning 1/1/2014, and increased annually thereafter, rounded to the nearest $.05, to account for inflation according to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (United States city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted). 

 

The motion for cloture is recognized. The Senate will vote on the cloture motion for a period of 24 hours, here.

The Senate will vote on a cloture motion for S.5, the Increasing Access to Dental Insurance Act, for a period of 24 hours.

The Senate will debate S.32, the Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2013. Debate will continue until cloture is invoked.

The Senate will debate S.5, the Increasing Access to Dental Insurance Act. Debate will continue until cloture is invoked.

The Senate will debate S.Res.1, the Financial Accountability and Institutional Reform (FAIR) Resolution. Debate will continue until cloture is invoked.

The Vice President, as President of the Senate, may take up the gavel to preside over the Senate and relinquish the gavel to the President Pro Tempore here. The President Pro Tempore may also pass the gavel to their designated Acting President Pro Tempore here.

Any Senator may place a "hold" on a piece of legislation in an attempt to block it from coming to the floor. In the most basic terms, it is a threat to filibuster a piece of legislation should it be docketed. A public hold may be made by posting the name of and a link to the piece of legislation under hold. For an anonymous hold, the Senator who wants to do so must privately inform the AB of their intent.

I have no personal objection to confirming the nominees, however I think Senator Talent may raise some eyebrows due to his vocal and vehement support for the Iraq War. So while I will likely personally confirm him, I'm not sure we would be doing our due diligence with a hand wave.

Governor Jindal's vocal opposition to the Affordable Care Act raises a similar concern.

((OOC: In case this is unclear, all of this is to say I think we should challenge their nominations so there are hearings and votes. If we don't they just get hand waved)).

113th Congress

VOTING RECORD: MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS

YEA

Cloture on S.5 - Increasing Access to Dental Insurance Act

Mulligan I to S.32 - Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2013

Zimmerman I to S.32 - Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2013

NAY

Baker I to S.32 - Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2013

PRESENT

VOTING RECORD: LEGISLATION

YEA

NAY

PRESENT

SPONSORED LEGISLATION

COSPONSORED LEGISLATION

Cortland J. Carrington III

United States Senator from West Virginia

President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate

Press Releases

Q1 2013

TBA

Editorials

TBA

Yea