Thomas Voting Reports

WASHINGTON -- Here's how area members of Congress voted on key roll calls in the week ending July 18.

REPRESENTATIVES: Mike Castle, R-Del.; Wayne Gilcrest, R. Md.; Joe Sestak, D-Pa.; Joseph R. Pitts, R-Pa.; Frank A. LoBiondo, R-N.J.

SENATORS: Joe Biden, D-Del.; Tom Carper, D-Del.; Ben Cardin, D-Md.; Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md.; Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; Bob Casey, D-Pa.; Robert Menendez, D-N.J.; Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.

HOUSE

'USE IT OR LOSE IT': Voting 244 for and 173 against, the House on July 17 failed to reach a two-thirds majority needed to pass a bill (HR 6515) giving oil companies a "use it or lose it" mandate to either drill on federal land they have leased or give up the right to do so. The bill was directed at dormant leases covering 68 million acres, including 33 million offshore acres. The bill also required expanded drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and called upon President Bush to gradually put on the market 10 percent of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve's 700 million barrels. The bill also urged the president to expedite construction of a proposed pipeline to deliver natural gas from Alaska to the lower 48 states.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said, "Sixty-eight million acres of American oil-producing land are sitting leased, available and idle. There is even more land available for drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Let's help the oil companies get that oil out of the ground."

Don Young, R-Alaska, called the bill "nothing more than a feeble attempt to fool the American people into believing that the Democratic leadership in Congress actually supports more drilling. They don't. The Democrats in Congress have a well-documented, 30-year history of opposing more drilling." A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Castle, LoBiondo, Sestak

Voting no: Pitts

Not voting: Gilchrest

INTELLIGENCE BUDGET, ENERGY: Voting 200 for and 225 against, the House on July 16 refused to send the 2009 intelligence budget (HR 5959) back to committee, where it would be changed to require a National Intelligence Estimate of the impact of global energy conditions on U.S. security. The Republican motion called for "promptly" adding the estimate. Democrats said they would accept the motion if it set a "forthwith," or immediate, timetable that did not delay the bill. The budget for the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies was then passed on a non-record vote. The classified sum is unofficially reported at $50 billion or higher.

Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., said of the GOP motion: "In an environment where we are dependent on foreign supplies of energy, and where there are no indications that there will be decisions made to increase U.S. production, it is absolutely essential and vital that our national intelligence community does this assessment."

Ike Skelton, D-Mo., said: "In matters of national security, we should be forthright and not engage in political back-and-forth. I just think (the motion) is a play on words. The word 'promptly' kills the bill. If it were to say 'forthwith,' it would be a more proper word and we could proceed."

A yes vote backed the GOP motion.

Voting yes: Castle, LoBiondo, Pitts

Voting no: Sestak

Not voting: Gilchrest

BUSH MEDICARE VETO: Voting 383 for and 41 against, the House on July 15 overrode President Bush's veto of a bill (HR 6331) that would cancel the administration's 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors. The bill's projected cost of $19.8 billion over six years would be offset mainly by cuts in the privately run, federally subsidized Medicare Advantage program. The bill would increase doctor payments by 1.1 percent in January, require equal copayment rates under Medicare for mental and physical coverage and delay a competitive-bidding process for durable medical equipment, among other provisions.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said President Bush "will have to explain to America's seniors why he was so willing to stand between them and their health care."

Joe Barton, R-Texas, said: "It's not politically popular to say we ought to stand on principle and do the right thing, but that's the position that I'm taking. I think that's the position the president is taking."

A yes vote was to override the veto.

Voting yes: Castle, Gilchrest, LoBiondo, Sestak, Pitts

Voting no: None

Not voting: None

BUSH IMPEACHMENT BID: Members on July 15 voted, 238 for and 180 against, to send to the Judiciary Committee one article of impeachment against President Bush related to the reasons he presented to the public for his decision to invade Iraq. Sponsored by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, the privileged resolution (H Res 1345) was not debatable. Democratic leaders said they will not seek to impeach Bush but may conduct broader committee hearings on his presidency.

A yes vote was to send the measure to committee.

Voting yes: Gilchrest, Sestak

Voting no: Castle, LoBiondo

Not voting: Pitts

BACKUP PAPER BALLOTS: Voting 248 for and 170 against, the House on July 15 failed to reach a two-thirds majority needed to pass a bill (HR 5803) authorizing $75 million in grants to help states and localities purchase backup paper ballots for use in this year's elections if electronic systems break down.

Charlie Gonzalez, D-Texas, said: "By supporting these backup paper ballots, we are supporting the right of every citizen to vote and to have his or her vote counted."

Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, said the bill "proposes to use federal taxpayer dollars to fund an activity that state and local election officials are already performing."

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Gilchrest, LoBiondo, Sestak

Voting no: Castle

Not voting: Pitts

SENATE

BUSH MEDICARE VETO: Voting 70 for and 26 against, the Senate on July 15 joined the House (above) in overriding President Bush's veto of a bill (HR 6331) to continue Medicare reimbursement rates to doctors at their current level this year and raise them by 1.1 percent in January. The bill then became law.

Presidential candidates John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., did not vote.

Patty Murray, D-Wash., said: "No doctor should have to choose between staying in business and taking care of their patients, but if we don't override this veto, that is exactly what will happen."

Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said about one-fourth of America's seniors participate in the Medicare Advantage "alternative to traditional Medicare. From the beginning, I know a lot of (Democrats) didn't like that. They wanted a one-size-fits-all program."

A yes vote was to enact the bill.

Voting yes: Carper, Biden, Cardin, Mikulski, Menendez, Lautenberg, Specter, Casey Jr.

Voting no: None

Not voting: None

GLOBAL AIDS FUNDS: Voting 80 for and 16 against, the Senate on July 16 passed a bill (HR 5501) authorizing $50 billion over five years for U.S. support of global programs to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean.

Presidential candidates John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., did not vote.

Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said President Bush "started an initiative to deal with the global AIDS crisis. I have disagreed with the president on so many things, but I certainly believe this was an inspired position which he took."

Jim DeMint, R-S.C, said the nation "is headed toward financial collapse. Yet this bill spends $50 billion, all borrowed money. It passes the bill on to our children and grandchildren. This is not generosity; I am afraid it is thievery."

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Carper, Biden, Cardin, Mikulski, Menendez, Lautenberg, Specter, Casey Jr.

Voting no: None

Not voting: None