Area Votes in Congress
WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress voted on major roll calls last week. House War funds, Iraq pullout. The House passed, 218-203, and sent to the Senate a bill that paired $50 billion in war spending with a nonbinding call to pull most U.S. troops from Iraq by Dec. 15, 2008.
WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress voted on major roll calls last week.
House
War funds, Iraq pullout.
The House passed, 218-203, and sent to the Senate a bill that paired $50 billion in war spending with a nonbinding call to pull most U.S. troops from Iraq by Dec. 15, 2008.
A yes vote was to pass HR 4156.
Voting yes: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.), Allyson Schwartz (D., Pa.) and Joe Sestak (D., Pa.).
Voting no: Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.) and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).
Surveillance.
The House passed, 227-189, and sent to the Senate a bill that would give the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court the power to approve electronic spying on terrorism suspects. The bill requires probable-cause warrants for surveillance, except in dire emergencies.
A yes vote was to pass HR 3773.
Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Fattah, Holden, Murphy, Schwartz and Sestak.
Voting no: Castle, Dent, Gerlach, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton and Smith.
Mortgage oversight.
The House passed, 291-127, and sent to the Senate a bill to increase federal regulation of the lending practices now devastating the U.S. housing market. The bill, in part, curbs subprime lending and requires states to license all types of mortgage providers.
A yes vote was to pass HR 3915.
Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Murphy, Schwartz, Sestak and Smith.
Voting no: Pitts and Saxton.
Domestic spending veto.
In a 277-141 vote, the House failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to override President Bush's veto of a bill appropriating $606 billion in 2008 for the Departments of Education, Labor and Health and Human Services.
A yes vote was to override Bush's veto of HR 3043.
Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Murphy, Schwartz, Sestak and Smith.
Voting no: Pitts and Saxton.
Senate
War funds,
Iraq pullout.
The Senate failed, 53-45, to reach the 60 votes needed to advance a House-passed bill (HR 4156, above) appropriating an additional $50 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while setting a goal of pulling most troops out of Iraq by Dec. 15, 2008.
A yes vote was to advance the bill.
Voting yes: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Bob Casey (D., Pa.), Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.) and Robert Menendez (D., N.J.).
Voting no: Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).
Farming.
The Senate failed, 55-42, to reach the 60 votes needed to advance a new farm bill projected to cost $286 billion over five years. The bill would extend the current system of payments and subsidies for growers of major crops, such as cotton, corn, rice, wheat and soybeans; renew nutrition programs, such as Food Stamps; promote land conservation and rural development; and provide special funding for fruit and vegetable growers.
A yes vote was to advance HR 2419.
Voting yes: Biden, Carper, Casey, Lautenberg and Menendez.
Voting no: Specter.
Ahead.
Congress is in recess until Dec. 3.