HOW THEY VOTED: MAINE’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, MAY 18-24, 2007 Iraq war funding, gasoline price gouging in spotlight

House votes

Democratic Reps. Michael Michaud (2nd District) and Tom Allen (1st District)

Vote 1: Federal Housing Finance Reform Act (HR 1427): The House on May 22 passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., that creates a Federal Housing Finance Agency to oversee Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the federal home loan banks. The bill also establishes an affordable housing fund for $500 million annually for five years. Proponents argued that reform has been attempted for several years and that the bill increases the power of the regulator. Opponents argued that the programs funded duplicated existing efforts and Congress should determine why those are not working before embarking on another effort. The vote was 313 yeas to 104 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 2: Federal Price Gouging Protection Act (HR 1252): The House on May 23 passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., that allows the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to investigate claims of gasoline and other fuel price gouging. Proponents said consumers should be provided protection against unscrupulous companies and merchants who seek unfair profits. Opponents said the bill was an effort to impose price controls on the market. The vote was 284 yeas to 141 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 3: Emergency Spending Bill for Iraq and Afghanistan, House Amendment 1 to Conference Report (HR 2206): The House on May 24 added an amendment to the House-Senate conference report on a bill to provide $120 billion primarily for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The amendment includes a domestic spending package with aid to hurricane victims and farmers, aid to small businesses and an increase to the minimum wage. The vote was 348 yeas to 73 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 4: Emergency Spending Bill for Iraq and Afghanistan, House Amendment 2 to Conference Report (HR 2206): The House on May 24 added an amendment to the House-Senate conference report on a bill to provide $120 billion primarily for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill includes benchmarks for continued economic aid, but not a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq. Proponents said while setting a date for a withdrawal was preferred, there were not sufficient votes to override the president’s veto. They argued that the troops could not be left in the field without funding. Opponents argued that an overwhelming majority of Americans wanted the troops withdrawn from Iraq. The vote was 280 yeas to 142 nays.

NAYS: Allen, Michaud

Senate votes

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins

Vote 1: Eliminating Guest Worker Program: The Senate on May 22 rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., to the immigration reform bill (S 1348) that would have eliminated the Y-1 temporary worker visa program, the so-called guest worker program. Seasonal, agricultural and technical visas would not have been affected. Proponents said the program would allow companies to hire cheap labor and circumvent immigration programs. They argued that real wages for working families in the U.S. have declined. Opponents said that in some industries, such as landscaping and construction, there are not enough workers to meet demand. The vote was 31 yeas to 64 nays.

NAYS: Collins, Snowe

Vote 2: Reducing Temporary Workers: The Senate on May 23 accepted an amendment sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., to the immigration reform bill (S 1348) that reduces the number of Y-1 temporary work visas issued to 200,000 from 400,000 annually. Seasonal, agricultural and technical work visas were not included. Proponents said the bill would allow an escalation to 600,000 annual visas. They said since it is a new program, the annual limit should be lowered until the program could be evaluated. Opponents said that 400,000 was an estimate and a commission would evaluate and recommend the appropriate number. The vote was 74 yeas to 24 nays.

YEAS: Collins, Snowe

Vote 3: Information on Immigration Status: The Senate on May 24 rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., to the immigration reform bill (S 1348) that would have prohibited municipal policies that ban officials from asking individuals for their immigration status. Proponents said such policies tie the hands of police and hamper national security. Opponents said the amendment would infringe on state and local governments’ rights to determine the policies that best serve public welfare. They added that the amendment did not have guidance on who would be asked to prove immigration status. The vote was 48 yeas to 49 nays.

YEAS: Collins

NAYS: Snowe

Vote 4: Setting an Expiration for the Guest Worker Program: The Senate on May 24 rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., to the immigration reform bill (S 1348) that would have set a five-year term on the Y-1 temporary worker program, the so-called guest worker program. Proponents said a five-year sunset for the provision would allow Congress to evaluate the program and its impact on U.S. workers. Opponents said the program had already been cut to 200,000 visas. They argued that the program would reduce sweatshop-style operations that decreased wages. The vote was 48 yeas to 49 nays.

NAYS: Collins, Snowe

Vote 5: Establishing the American Competitiveness Scholarship Program: The Senate on May 24 accepted an amendment sponsored by Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., that creates a merit-based scholarship program through the National Science Foundation for students in nursing, math, science, engineering and medicine. It also raises the H-1B visa fee from $1,500 to $5,000. Proponents said the scholarship would help offset some of the impact of the H1-B visa on the middle class. They also argued that raising the fee would help deter some companies seeking to save money by hiring foreigners. The vote was 59 yeas to 35 nays.

YEAS: Snowe

NAYS: Collins

Vote 6: Emergency Spending Bill for Iraq and Afghanistan, House Amendments to Conference Report: The Senate on May 24 accepted the House amendments to the House-Senate Conference report on a bill that provides for $120 billion in spending primarily for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill does not include a timetable for troop withdrawal, but includes benchmarks and a promise to withdraw from Iraq at that government’s request. The bill also includes a raise in the federal minimum wage by $2.10 to $7.25 by mid-2009. Proponents said that it was necessary to provide support to the troops fighting in Iraq. Opponents said the benchmarks in the bill were toothless. They argued it was giving the president a blank check to continue failed policies. The vote was 80 yeas to 14 nays.

YEAS: Collins, Snowe

Compiled by Targeted News Service for the Bangor Daily News