HOW THEY VOTED: MAINE’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, JAN. 18-24, 2008 Children’s health, defense in spotlight

House votes

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

Vote 1: Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007-Presidential Veto Override (HR 3963): The House on Jan. 23 voted to uphold President Bush’s veto of legislation to amend the Social Security Act by extending and improving the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The legislation was designed to advance health care provisions to 10 million children in families whose parents had lost jobs or no longer had health insurance. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., who was the floor manager of the override, said: “This is not lip service. This is health coverage.” Opponents, however, led by Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, said the legislation covered too many adults who should be on Medicaid, individuals who earned more than 200 percent of the level of poverty, and afforded benefits to noncitizens. The vote was 260 yeas to 152 nays with two-thirds of those present not voting to override.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Senate votes

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins

Vote 1: National Defense Authorization Act (HR 4986): The Senate on Jan. 22 approved modified legislation that initially had cleared the Senate a month ago that would clarify the foreign sovereign immunities provisions of federal law associated with the attachment of property in certain judgments against Iraq, the “lapse of statutory authority for the payment of bonuses, special pays, and similar benefits for members of the uniformed services,” and other major provisions pertaining to national defense. The bill gives the uniformed services a 3.5 percent pay raise and includes the Wounded Warrior Act, a significant reform of federal provisions providing medical care for troops, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the floor manager of the bill, said. The legislation also includes the Acquisition Improvement and Accountability Act, reforming some military procurement systems and revamping the manner in which private security contractors are hired and managed when they operate in a war zone. The vote was 91 yeas and 3 nays.

YEAS: Collins, Snowe

Compiled by Targeted News Service for the Bangor Daily News