House votes

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

Vote 1: Gas Drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf: The House, on June 26, rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., to the bill (H.R. 2643) to fund the Interior Department that would have opened the Outer Continental Shelf 25 miles from shore to leasing for the development of natural gas wells. Proponents argued that the price of natural gas domestically is driving jobs overseas and that natural gas development would not harm beaches. Opponents argued that there is no way to drill for only natural gas and that the bulk of the reserves are located in the Gulf of Mexico, which is already open for exploration. The vote was 196 yeas to 233 nays.

NAYS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 2: Prohibiting Oil Shale Leases: The House, on June 27, accepted an amendment sponsored by Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., to the bill (H.R. 2643) to fund the Interior Department that prohibits the use of funds to publish final regulations on oil shale leases. Proponents said an energy bill passed in 2005 requires a fast track for such leases. A proposed bill (H.R. 2337) would alter the energy act and slow down the development process. They argued that rushing to development could be harmful to the environment and may damage future oil shale production. Opponents said there are potentially 2 trillion barrels of oil in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. They said the sands were capable of producing 2 million barrels of oil daily and 100,000 jobs by 2011. The vote was 216 yeas to 210 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 3: Department of the Interior and Environmental Protection Agency Appropriations, Fiscal 2008 (H.R. 2643): The House, on June 27, passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Norman Dicks, D-Wash., that provides $27.6 billion in funding for fiscal 2008 for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Forest Service. Included in the $8 billion for the EPA is $3.4 billion for state and tribal assistance funds, $1.3 billion for cleanup and evaluation of contaminated sites, $1.1 billion for a state clean water fund, $788 million for science and technology, and $569 million for enforcement. The Interior Department is funded at $10.2 billion with $2.8 billion to combat wildfires, $2.5 billion for national parks, $2.3 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, $1.4 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $1 billion for the Bureau of Land Management, and $1 billion for the U.S. Geological Survey. Also included in the bill was $3.4 billion for the Indian Health Service, $2.6 billion for the U.S. Forest Service, and $652 million for the Smithsonian Institution. The White House has said it will veto the bill because it is $2 billion over the requested funding level. The vote was 272 yeas to 155 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 4: Removing Funding for the Vice President’s Office: The House, on June 28, rejected an amendment, sponsored by Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., to the financial services appropriations bill (H.R. 2829) that would have removed executive branch funding for the Office of the Vice President. Proponents said that since Vice President Dick Cheney claimed he was not part of the executive branch and hence did not have to comply with an executive order on document disclosure issued by President Bush, his office there should not be funded. Opponents argued that to remove funding for the vice president’s office was disrespectful to the Constitution and the office, whether or not proponents liked the occupant. The vote was 209 yeas to 217 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 5: Financial Services and General Appropriations, Fiscal 2008 (H.R. 2829): The House, on June 28, passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., that provides $21.4 billion in funding for the Treasury Department, the Executive Office of the President, the judiciary, Washington, D.C., and independent federal agencies. The General Services Administration was funded at $7.9 billion for the Federal Buildings Fund; federal courts were funded at $5.9 billion. The bulk of Treasury Department funding went to the Internal Revenue Service with $3.6 billion for improving taxpayer services and $7.2 billion for enforcement. The Executive Office of the President was funded at $722 million. The Washington, D.C., courts were funded at $532 million. The bill also includes a 3.5 percent pay raise for civilian federal workers. The vote was 240 yeas to 179 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Senate votes

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins

Vote 1: Immigration Reform Bill (S. 1639): The Senate, on June 28, rejected a cloture motion, a parliamentary procedure to prevent a filibuster, on a bill sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., that would have reformed immigration laws. Among the controversial provisions of the bill were a guest worker program and eventual citizenship for those in the country illegally. Proponents said there are 12 million people in the country illegally and identifying them is vital to national security. Opponents said the bill is unenforceable and will result in additional undocumented aliens coming into the country hoping for amnesty. The vote was 46 yeas to 53 nays.

YEAS: Snowe

NAYS: Collins

Compiled by Targeted News Service for the Bangor Daily News.