SWMissourian

Present

Yea

Name: Andrew Clarke (D-MO)

Media/Outlet: MSNBC

Topic: Affordable Drugs and Healthcare

• The way our healthcare system is structured is still unfair to consumers, especially those who are chronic sufferers or are a part of marginalized communities. For instance, there are many anti-competitive practices that big pharma companies engage in to drive up the prices for their products, even if they are life-saving products that people can't afford because of the high costs. One way they do this is to use their legal and capital power to prevent or delay the introduction of generic versions of their drugs to the markets. We've all seen how much cheaper generic products can be on the shelves than their name brand counterparts--often, despite being the same quality-wise.
• Senate Democrats led on this by passing my bill to ban such practices. It is now on the President's desk, and I fully expect him to sign it. We believe in free and fair markets; we stand up for the 'little guy' when we put a stop to unfair, dishonest business practices that, in this case, are likely costing lives. That's what our party is about.
• Right now, House Republicans are sitting on a bill that overwhelmingly passed the Senate with bipartisan support; that bill would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices to lower costs for the government and consumers, giving a fair price to everyone so no one is being screwed over. I mean, when you look at the price of insulin and absolute ghouls like Martin Shkreli, it is hard to argue that this isn't necessary. But House Republicans still refuse to act. The people have spoken, and the overwhelming margin it received in the Senate should be proof at where the momentum is. They must pass it so we can get it to the President's Desk and get it signed into law.

Nay

Yea

Madam President,

Pending the outcomes of these votes, I move for cloture and yield.

Name: Andrew Clarke (D-MO)

Media/Outlet: Fox News

Topic: Investing in Tomorrow's Workforce Act Passage & Apprenticeships and Jobs Training Act in Senate

• College isn't right for everyone. For years now, our country has made the mistake of telling every kid from kindergarten to senior year of high school that college was the only path, or at least the only likely path, to a solid middle-class or upper-class life. That wasn't true, and it isn't true, but as a result, the demand and cost of college nationwide is out of control. We need to prioritize other paths for people for whom college is not the answer.
• At the same time, we are facing challenges to traditional jobs threatened by increasing automation and artificial intelligence. We have seen the devastating effects that automation can have on communities when jobs just disappear and the rug is pulled out from under working families.
• That's why Senate Democrats have led the charge to protect and expand opportunity for working Americans. Earlier this year, we passed my Investing in Tomorrow's Workforce Act, aimed at addressing the threat that automation presents to jobs that support working class people that can't just move to San Francisco and learn to code. We can prepare ourselves and our workers for the future so that, when it gets here, we won't get caught flat-footed, and we won't see communities hollowed out even further.
• We are also very close to passing the Apprenticeships and Jobs Training Act of 2017 through the Senate. This bill aims to expand opportunity for jobs training beyond a commitment to a four-year degree at an expensive college. By expanding access to apprenticeships, folks can pick up specialized skills and contribute to good, meaningful labor that pays well and can support a family. They can fulfill the American Dream and satisfy the demand for countless jobs that require more training after high school but don't exactly require people to come up with tens of thousands of dollars out of nowhere to attend college for a few years.
• If college isn't right for you, we believe you should absolutely have the option to pursue the American Dream through another path. And at the same time, we'll make sure that workers aren't displaced in a few years when they should be settling down, succeeding in their careers, and forming families.

23 hours ago, jakeakins said:

House of Representatives Michigan 5th Congressional Senate General Election - 2006

Reginald Michaels (D) - 54.5%

Bob Hugin (R) - 42.0%

Others - 2.7%

House of Representatives Michigan 5th Congressional General Election - 2008

Reginald Michaels (D) - 54.5%

Bob Hugin (R) - 42.0%

Others - 2.7%

House of Representatives Michigan 5th Congressional General Election - 2010

Reginald Michaels (D) - 54.5%

Bob Hugin (R) - 42.0%

Others - 2.7%

Senate Class 1 Senate General Election - 2012

Reginald Michaels (D) - 54.5%

Bob Hugin (R) - 42.0%

Others - 2.7%

You and Bob Hugin seem to have quite the rivalry! (and consistent performance too!)

Yea

Nay

Nay

Nay

26 minutes ago, Jack said:

Madam President,

 

I would like to propose a common sense amendment to this bill if yall could hold off on moving for cloture. 

 

I yield 

I: Nay

II: Nay 

III: Yea

Yea

Yea

Yea

Aye

Your Senators aren’t a part of this minigame, which is separate from the larger govsim. 

8 minutes ago, Aurora International LLC said:

Who will they be monitored by?

Ask somewhere else, generally good to keep these threads from being flooded outside Senate debate. The best place to discuss the game is on our Discord, so I highly recommend joining that. 
 

11 minutes ago, The Senator said:

Thanks for your help! May i suggest improving the game rules so new players don't make the same mistakes I made?

You don’t have to put Sanders as introducing the bill in game, just say Senator Whatever, with thanks to Sen. Sanders, introduced the following bill or whatever. Good example linked on my bill here: 

4 minutes ago, Aurora International LLC said:

Um hold it this occured in 2018? It is 2017. And the 115th Congress? It is currently the 119th congress. A little bit suspicious...

Presumably because he copy and pasted from Congress.gov. This is allowed in the game, so long as you give credit to the original. You should also make sure to change dates and such to fit the game ideally. 

This one also needs credit to its IRL sponsor, and you need a better Plain English summary than this: 

17 minutes ago, The Senator said:

Basically, antitrust

Antitrust can mean a lot of things. 

Please give credit to the Senator or Representative this comes from IRL. For an example, you can review one of my bills here: 

Yea

Yea