House votes

Democratic Reps. Michael Michaud and Tom Allen

Vote 1: Protecting Nonprofit Sports Organizations from Lawsuits: The House on Dec. 5 failed to suspend the rules and pass a bill sponsored by Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind. The Nonprofit Athletic Organization Protection Act (HR 1176) would have prevented lawsuits for failure to enact rules against certain rulemaking athletic organizations. Proponents said the bill was narrowly drawn and would not prohibit claims for other reasons nor confer indemnity to equipment manufacturers or field owners. Opponents said the bill did not provide ample safeguards for claims by children who were molested while participating in sports sponsored by organizations without sufficient screening procedures. The National Federation of State High School Associations, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Council of Youth Sports, Amateur Athletic Union, and Little League Baseball were among the organizations supporting the bill. The vote was 219 yeas to 187 nays. (Two-thirds required for passage.)

NAYS: Michaud, Allen

Vote 2: Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (HR 6099): The House on Dec. 7 failed to suspend the rules and pass a bill sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act would have required that physicians give information on fetal pain to women seeking an abortion beyond 20 weeks into a pregnancy. It also required that women be offered an anesthetic for the fetus. Proponents said women seeking an abortion should know that it is possible that the fetus experiences pain and be allowed to ask for mitigating drugs. Opponents said there was no consensus in the medical community on fetal pain and that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said there were no legitimate studies on the issue. The bill, they said, was playing “politics with women’s health” since no studies had been done to assess the effects of such anesthesia on the mother. The vote was 250 yeas to 162 nays. (Two-thirds required for passage.)

YEAS: Michaud

NAYS: Allen

Senate votes

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins

Vote 1: Emergency Agricultural Aid: The Senate on Dec. 5 failed to waive budget constraints, thereby killing an amendment sponsored by Sen. Kent Conrad, R-N.D., to the agriculture appropriations bill (HR 5384) that would have provided $4.8 billion in disaster aid for farmers and ranchers who had suffered production losses in excess of 35 percent. Proponents said that odd weather patterns had caused flooding or drought primarily in Colorado, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Proponents said that while appropriations bills were not cleared before the end of the session, passage of the amendment would give farmers and ranchers an indication of whether aid was likely next year. Opponents said the amendment was fiscally irresponsible with many earmarks, did not require the purchase of crop insurance and that it rewarded poorly run operations. The vote was 56 yeas to 38 nays (Three-fifths required for waiver).

NAYS: Snowe, Collins

Vote 2: Confirmed Robert Gates as secretary of defense. The Senate on Dec. 6 confirmed Robert M. Gates of Texas as secretary of defense. Proponents said that Gates, a CIA director under the first President Bush, was willing to engage with Congress to find nonpartisan solutions to problems and had been forthright in his assessment of the war in Iraq. Opponents said that Gates favored discussions with Iran and Syria, nations that sponsor terrorism, and he had criticized the war effort without providing alternative solutions. The vote was 95 yeas to 2 nays.

YEAS: Snowe, Collins

Vote 3: Confirmed Andrew von Eschenbach as FDA commissioner. The Senate on Dec. 7 confirmed Andrew von Eschenbach of Texas to head the Food and Drug Administration. Von Eschenbach has been acting commissioner for more than a year. Proponents said the FDA had suffered the ill effects of having no permanent leadership. They said von Eschenbach, a cancer survivor and former National Institutes of Health director, was well qualified to lead the agency. Opponents cited Eschenbach’s failure to cooperate with congressional investigations and said he discouraged scientific dissent. The vote was 80 yeas to 11 nays.

YEAS: Collins

NAYS: Snowe

Compiled by Targeted News Service for the Bangor Daily News