House votes

Democratic Reps. Michael Michaud and Tom Allen

Vote 1: FBI Mortgage Fraud Task Force Creation: The House passed the Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Task Force Act (HR 6853) sponsored by Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, D-Fla., to create a task force at the FBI that would investigate crime in the mortgage financing industry. Supporters said the bill will help the FBI collaborate with local police to prevent fraud and contain fallout from the subprime lending crisis. There were no speakers in opposition. However, there was some skepticism expressed regarding the effectiveness of the bill to aid in the bigger financial crises. The vote, on Sept. 22, was 350 yeas to 23 nays.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 2: Restricting Abusive Practices By Credit Card Issuers: The House passed the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act (HR 5244) sponsored by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., to establish regulations on the ability of credit card issuers to impose certain fees and rate increases on their consumers. Supporters said the bill would protect all cardholders, but especially the impoverished, from abusive practices by credit card issuers and lighten the burden of consumer indebtedness. Opponents said it interfered with a law that directed the Federal Reserve to enact regulations against fraudulent practices by card issuers and could exacerbate the credit crisis. The vote, on Sept. 23, was 312 yeas to 112 nays.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 3: Requiring Mental Illness And Addiction Parity For Health Insurers: The House passed the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (HR 6983) sponsored by Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., to require group health plans to cover mental health and substance abuse as they would physical illnesses. Supporters said that by helping treat mental illnesses and chemical addictions, the bill would improve public health and aid economic productivity. Opponents said using a government mandate to enforce mental health parity would not work and was a matter that should be left to the marketplace for resolution. The vote, on Sept. 23, was 376 yeas to 47 nays.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 4: Creating Programs To Combat Elder Abuse: The House passed the Elder Abuse Victims Act (HR 5352) sponsored by Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., to establish federal aid programs for the conviction of those who abuse the elderly, to support services for abused elderly, and to reform laws to prevent elder abuse. Supporters said the bill would combat a growing and typically underestimated problem. The vote, on Sept. 23, was 387 yeas to 28 nays.

YEAS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 5: Funding Military Programs For Fiscal 2009: The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (S 3001) sponsored by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., to fund the Defense Department in fiscal 2009. Supporters said the bill was needed to ensure the effectiveness of military operations, especially the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and enhance the military’s ability to respond to threats. Opponents criticized its lack of a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq and its wasteful funding of outdated military programs. The vote, on Sept. 24, was 392 yeas to 39 nays.

YEAS: Allen

NAYS: Michaud

Senate votes

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins

Vote 1: Alternative Minimum Tax Relief: The Senate rejected an amendment to the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act sponsored by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., that would have prevented 26 million taxpayers from having to pay the alternative minimum tax in 2008 and offset the resulting lost tax revenue through several policy measures. Supporters said the amendment would help taxpayers without raising U.S. indebtedness. Opponents said the offsets were not needed and would involve permanent tax increases to offset temporary tax relief. The vote, on Sept. 23, was 53 yeas to 42 nays, and a unanimous-consent agreement determined that the amendment was to be withdrawn because it lacked 60 affirmative votes.

YEAS: Snowe, Collins

Vote 2: Extending Renewable Energy Tax Credits: The Senate passed the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act (HR 6049) sponsored by Rep. Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., to extend federal tax credits for renewable power generation, to provide for a tax credit for the purchase of plug-in hybrid cars and institute a smart meters incentive. Supporters said the bill would help the economy and energy security by promoting good energy policies while using revenue offsets to minimize harm to the federal budget. The vote, on Sept. 23, was 93 yeas to 2 nays.

YEAS: Snowe, Collins

Compiled for the Bangor Daily News by Targeted News Service.