HOW THEY VOTED: MAINE’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, SEPT. 5-11, 2008 Veterans benefits, Mexican trucks in spotlight

House votes

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

Vote 1: KEEPING MEXICAN TRUCKS OFF U.S. ROADS: The House passed a bill (HR 6630) sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., that would bar the secretary of transportation from allowing Mexican truckers to operate beyond areas near the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization from Congress. Supporters said allowing Mexican truckers on U.S. roads would harm public safety because of poor regulation of the trucking industry by Mexico. They also criticized the Bush administration for instituting a pilot program to allow Mexican truckers across the border a year ago and said that action was taken in opposition to the will of Congress. The vote, on Sept. 9, was 395 yeas to 18 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 2: VETERANS OPTIONS FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE: The House passed the Rural Veterans Access to Care Act (HR 1527) sponsored by Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., that would authorize a pilot project allowing veterans living in areas far from Veteran Affairs health centers to receive treatment from providers at local facilities. Supporters said the bill would make it easier for veterans in remote areas to receive health care locally rather than be forced to travel up to several hundred miles to a specific facility to receive care. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 417 yeas to 0 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 3: PROVIDING COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE IN VETERANS BENEFITS: The House passed a bill sponsored by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, amending the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act (S 2617) to authorize cost of living increases in payments to disabled veterans and their survivors. Supporters said quickly approving the bill, which had previously passed the Senate, would ensure that veterans received the compensation increases they deserved in return for past sacrifices in service to the country. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 418 yeas to 0 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Vote 4: CROSS-STATE CIGARETTE SMUGGLING RESTRICTED: The House passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Anthony D. Weiner, D-N.Y, amending the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (HR 4081) to prevent cross-state smuggling of cigarettes by barring the use of the U.S. mail to ship cigarettes, making smuggling a felony rather than a misdemeanor and requiring commercial shippers to report their shipments of cigarettes to the government. Supporters said the bill would raise government revenue, discourage smoking by children and curtail cigarette smuggling. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 379 yeas to 12 nays.

YEAS: Allen, Michaud

Senate votes

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins

Vote 1: REJECTING ADDED FUNDING FOR MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS: The Senate rejected an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (S 3001) sponsored by Sen. David Vitter., R-La., that would have provided $271 million of funding for the research and purchase of missile defense systems. Supporters said the amendment would restore most of a budgetary cut in defense systems at a time when they are increasingly needed to protect against the growing threat of missiles being launched by Iran and other hostile nations. Opponents said the amendment would provide excessive funding for missile defense and would give the secretary of defense too much authority over budgeting duties properly delegated to Congress. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 39 yeas to 57 nays.

NAYS: Collins, Snowe

Vote 2: BENEFITS FOR SURVIVORS OF MILITARY CASUALTIES: The Senate passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (S 3001) sponsored by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., that would repeal a required deduction of benefits for survivors of military casualties receiving insurance annuities that corresponded to the amount of Veterans Affairs benefits received by the survivors. Supporters said the amendment redressed a situation in which widows and children of deceased veterans were not receiving the full benefits they deserved because of government rules. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 94 yeas to 2 nays.

YEAS: Collins, Snowe

Compiled by Targeted News Service for the Bangor Daily News.