House votes

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

Vote 1: Farm Bill Extension Act (HR 2419): The House on July 27 passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., that extends farm programs though 2012. The bill ends subsidies to farmers earning over $1 million annually; requires labeling of imported fruits, vegetables and meat; and imposes a tax on some foreign-owned farms. The bill includes additional payments from certain oil and gas leases that were erroneously issued without a price escalation clause. Proponents said the bill provides increased subsidies for biofuels, protects the environment and provides help for farmers. Opponents said the bill will discourage foreign investment and violates some treaties. The vote was 231 yeas to 191 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 2: Implementing the Recommendations of the 9-11 Commission (HR 1): The House on July 27 accepted the House-Senate conference report on a bill that seeks to implement certain recommendations made by the 9-11 Commission. The bill establishes a risk-basis assessment for grants from the Department of Homeland Security; authorizes $4 billion for rail and transit security; includes $1.6 billion for equipment that allows better communication between first responders; requires the complete screening of cargo on passenger planes within three years; and requires the screening of U.S.-bound freight coming from foreign ports within five years. Proponents said the bill addresses deficits in security. Opponents said the bill did not strengthen congressional oversight, which was one of the primary recommendations of the commission. The vote was 371 yeas to 40 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 3: Ethics Reform (S 1): The House on July 31 passed an ethics reform bill that strengthens ethics rules on lobbying Congress. The bill requires disclosure to the Federal Elections Commission of contributions collected by a lobbyist of $15,000 or more within six months. The bill also bans meals and gifts from lobbyists, requires payment for air travel and provides for some disclosure of earmarks. Proponents said the bill provides for greater transparency in government. Opponents said the bill does not go far enough, especially in disclosure of earmarks. The vote was 411 yeas to 8 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 4: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (HR 2831): The House on July 31 passed a bill sponsored by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., that revises the time limitations for lawsuits for discrimination. The bill addresses a recent Supreme Court decision that nullified an award to a Goodyear employee because it had not been filed within 180 days of discrimination as required by law. The White House has threatened to veto the bill in its current form. Proponents said Lilly Ledbetter filed immediately upon discovering she was paid 20 percent less than male counterparts, but the court said the clock began when the company made the decision to pay her less. Calling the decision “absurd,” they argued the bill reaffirms the conventional practice since anti-discrimination laws were passed 35 years ago. Opponents argued the bill is poorly written and would eliminate any time limit on filing a discrimination suit. The vote was 225 yeas to 199 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 5: Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act (HR 3162): The House on Aug. 1 passed a bill sponsored by Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., that reauthorizes State Children’s Health Insurance Program. In addition to extending the program for medical coverage to children, it negates a cutback to doctors providing services and eliminates co-payments on some preventative care for senior citizens. The bill imposes an additional federal cigarette tax and cuts payments to Medicare providers. Among the supporters are the AARP and the National Governors Association. The White House said it would veto the bill in its current form. Proponents said the bill will provide coverage to an additional 6 million uninsured children and provide low-income seniors with preventative care and reduced drug costs. Proponents argued that payments to private Medicare plans are more than the cost of Medicare. Opponents said the bill was a sham and will only cover an additional 700,000 children. Dubbing the bill as government-provided “Hillary care,” they said that allowing states to decide the income cut-off was akin to socialized medicine. Cuts in payment to the Medicare Advantage providers will deprive seniors of needed benefits. The vote was 225 yeas to 204 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 6: Mandatory Rest Between Deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan (HR 3159): The House on Aug. 2 passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., that stops active military personnel from being redeployed in Afghanistan or Iraq without a home stay of at least the same duration as the deployment. It prohibits reserve personnel from such deployments if the unit has been in Iraq or Afghanistan within three years. The restriction can be waived in the case of an imminent threat to national security or if an individual requests the deployment. Proponents said troops must be given time to recover and retrain between deployments. Opponents said the military, not Congress, should manage the troops. The vote was 229 yeas to 194 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Senate votes

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins

Vote 1: Ethics Reform (S 1): The Senate on Aug. 2 agreed to an ethics reform bill as amended by the House that strengthens ethics rules on lobbying Congress. The bill requires disclosure to the Federal Elections Commission of contributions collected by a lobbyist of $15,000 or more within six months. The bill also bans meals and gifts from lobbyists, requires payment for air travel and provides for some disclosure of earmarks. Proponents said it would decrease lobbyists’ influence over Congress and shed light on special projects of members. Opponents said the bill dos not go far enough in restricting members’ pet projects. They added that restrictions on Senate staff members were far more severe than on their House counterparts. The vote was 83 yeas to 14 nays.

YEAS: Collins, Snowe

Vote 2: Children’s Health Insurance Program (HR 976): The Senate on Aug. 2 passed a bill that reauthorizes the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The bill seeks to add coverage for 4 million children who are currently uninsured or about to lose medical services due to underfunding in the program. The bill adds $35 billion to the program, bringing total costs to $60 billion over five years. The bill allows states to determine the income cutoff for the program up to 300 percent over the poverty line. The expansion would be funded by an increase in the federal tax on tobacco. Proponents said investment in the health of children is good for the country, and those not receiving routine care sometimes develop illnesses that are more expensive to treat. They added most programs are run by privately held companies. Opponents said the bill raises taxes and is a step toward government-run health care. The vote was 68 yeas to 31 nays.

YEAS: Collins, Snowe

Compiled by Targeted News Service for the Bangor Daily News.