House votes

Democratic Reps. Michael Michaud and Tom Allen

Vote 1: Improving Communications for Homeland Security (H.R. 5865): The House on July 25 approved legislation under expedited and streamlined procedures requiring a 2/3 affirmative vote to enhance the communications systems available to those involved in Homeland Security. The 21st Century Emergency Communications Act would set up an Office of Emergency Communications headed by an assistant secretary. The bill would empower the office to “conduct extensive, nationwide outreach and foster the development of interoperable emergency communications capabilities by state, regional, local, and tribal governments and public safety agencies” and to “provide technical assistance to state, regional, local, and tribal officials with respect to use of interoperable emergency communications capabilities.” The vote was 414 yeas to 2 nays.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 2: Personal Firearms Protect Act (H.R. 5013): The House on July 25 narrowly approved the Disaster Recovery and Personal Protect Act, introduced by Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-La., that would prohibit authorities from seizing personal firearms from individuals who may be in areas of tension. Rep. Kuhl, R-N.Y., said the bill was designed to ensure “that law-abiding citizens can continue to protect themselves, their loved ones, their businesses and their property as guaranteed by the Second Amendment during disasters when law enforcement is most likely to be overwhelmed and unable to fulfill the safety needs of the citizens they serve. It prevents agencies from arbitrarily depriving law-abiding citizens of their private property and means of protecting themselves during a disaster.” The Major Cities Chiefs Association and the National Association of Government Employees, among others, opposed the bill. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., said the primary objection to the legislation was that it moved to the floor under expedited procedures and without congressional hearings to vet the contentious issues about its specific language. The vote was 324 yeas to 99 nays, with a two-thirds majority required for passage.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 3: U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation Act (H.R. 5682): The House on July 26 cleared legislation opening up India to commercial nuclear collaboration with U.S. companies to improve its power generation situation. The landmark legislation, a key Bush administration foreign policy initiative, was designed to continue enhancing relations with a critical U.S. ally in Southern Asia. The impact of the bill would be to allow nuclear assistance by U.S. firms to flow into India for the first time. Critics said that India was not a signatory to the nonproliferation pact and was unlikely to destroy its existing nuclear weaponry, effectively making this legislation a reward for noncompliance. The vote was 359 yeas to 68 nays.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Senate votes

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins

Vote 1: Judicial Nomination in Oklahoma: The Senate on July 25 approved the nomination of Jerome A. Holmes of Oklahoma to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the 10th Circuit. Proponents, led by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., called Holmes a man of integrity and accomplishment who would become the first African-American to sit on the 10th Circuit. Opponents, such as Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Holmes had written controversial letters and columns “on such topics as juror racial bias, affirmative action, discrimination, and school vouchers. In these writings, Mr. Holmes derided opposing points of view and those who held them.” The vote was 67 yeas to 30 nays.

YEAS: Snowe, Collins

Vote 2: Reducing Teen Pregnancies Amendment: The Senate on July 25 rejected an amendment to the Child Custody Protect Act (S. 403) by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., which was focused on “dramatically reducing teen pregnancy rates” by assisting “efforts by nonprofit organizations, schools, and public health agencies to reduce teen pregnancy through awareness, education and abstinence programs.” Lautenberg said during floor debate: “The root problem we are talking about today is not abortion; it is teen pregnancy. If we do nothing about teen pregnancy, yet pass this punitive bill, then it proves that this exercise is only a political charade and not a serious effort to combat the problem.” Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who was managing the underlying bill, said the Lautenberg effort was a “misguided attempt” at reducing teen pregnancies by using $100 million in federal assistance “to override the parents’ and local community’s decisions about how to raise their children. These grants would require recipients to conduct sex education programs and would prohibit the recipients from providing abstinence-only education. The vote on the amendment was 49 yeas to 51 nays.

YEAS: Snowe, Collins

Vote 3: Child Custody Protection Act (S. 403): The Senate on July 25 passed a bill sponsored by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., that makes it a federal offense to knowingly transport a minor across a state line for the purpose of an abortion in order to circumvent a state’s parental consent or notification law. It specifies that neither the minor transported nor her parent may be prosecuted for a violation of this act. Ensign said that “an overwhelming number of states have recognized that a young girl’s parents are the best source of guidance and knowledge when making decisions regarding serious surgical procedures such as abortion. Forty-five states have adopted some form of parental notification or consent, proving the widespread support for protecting the rights of parents across America.” Sen. Barbara A. Boxer, D-Calif., said the bill – as written – would have the impact of protecting fathers who commit incest. During the deliberations, she was able to have an amendment added – on a 98-0 vote – to tighten up on that section. The vote on the Child Custody Protection bill was 65 yeas to 34 nays.

NAYS: Snowe, Collins

Compiled by Targeted News Service for the Bangor Daily News.