House votes

Democratic Reps. Michael Michaud and Tom Allen

Vote 1: Disallowing Additional Grants to Businesses Affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma: The House on April 18 rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, which would have changed a section of a bill, HR 1361, designed to provide additional aid for victims of disasters. The amendment sought to remove the section that allows the Small Business Administration to award grants up to $100,000 to businesses effected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma that had been initially turned down. Proponents argued that the program would cost $180 million for grants to businesses the SBA did not consider viable. They said that the restrictions in the bill made it likely that the money would go almost exclusively to Louisiana firms and was an attempt to get around pay-go rules. Opponents argued that many small businesses on the Gulf Coast did not fit into the standard model of distressed businesses. If the agency was to effectively help disaster victims, it had to have the financial tools needed by the community. Less than 40 percent of the business loans were approved after the hurricanes as opposed to 60 percent after other disasters. The vote was 174 yeas to 252 nays.

NAYS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 2: Revamping SBA Disaster Relief Programs: The House on April 18 passed a bill, HR 1361, sponsored by Rep. Nydia Valazquez, D-N.Y., that allows the Small Business Administration to more quickly provide disaster relief to businesses. It provides for additional support for disaster planning and streamlines loan processing and provides relief for businesses affected by the three 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes. Debate centered on two sections of the bill that allowed grants to businesses that were refused loans and another that allowed recipients of other loans or grants to still receive SBA funding. Proponents said that the agency response after those hurricanes showed it was ill-prepared to deal with the disaster. Processing time after those hurricanes was more than three times longer than the goal and the rejection rate was higher than expected. Opponents said the grant programs would allow double dipping and that businesses that did not qualify for a loan should not be given a grant. The vote was 267 yeas to 158 nays.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 3: District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act: The House on April 19 passed a bill, HR 1905, sponsored by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., that establishes Washington, D.C., as a congressional district and changes the membership of the U.S. House of Representatives to 437 from the present 435. The bill also establishes what amounts to be a compensatory new at-large congressional seat in Utah. Proponents said the residents of the district were fed up with “taxation without representation.” Opponents said the bill was unconstitutional since only states could have elected representatives. The vote was 241 yeas to 177 nays.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 4: Water Resources Development Act: The House on April 19 passed a bill, HR 1495, sponsored by Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., that authorized $13.1 billion in water projects ranging from flood control to a 72-mile federal levee in Louisiana. Of the almost 700 projects included in the bill are additional funds for the restoration of the Everglades, dredging in the Great Lakes and extended locks for the Mississippi River system. The bill is opposed by the White House. Proponents said there has not been a water project bill since 2000. They argued that each year the projects that are left undone become more costly. The vote was 394 yeas to 25 nays.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Senate votes

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins

Vote 1: Tabled Offsetting New Spending Authorizations: The Senate on April 18 tabled, thereby killing, an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to a bill, S 378, that was designed to enhance court security. The amendment expressed the sense of Congress that new authorization bills should be offset by decreases in spending. Proponents said the government must learn to live within its means. Opponents said that position incorrectly argues that an authorization is an expenditure. Programs are often authorized, but not funded. The vote was 59 yeas to 38 nays.

YEAS: Snowe, Collins

Vote 2: Court Security Improvement Act: The Senate on April 19 passed a bill, S 378, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., that would increase security for judges and federal courts. It lifts the requirement that federal judges make public the names of their family members and their addresses; increases criminal penalties for crimes against witnesses and informants; and expands the witness protection program. Proponents argued that the bill was necessary to stem rising crimes against jurists and court employees. While no one spoke against the bill, Republicans said Democrats were stifling debate. Democrats said Republicans were holding up votes on bills, even those that were non-controversial. The vote was 97 yeas to 0 nays.

YEAS: Snowe, Collins

Compiled by Targeted News Service for the Bangor Daily News.