Area Votes in Congress

WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress voted on major issues last week:

House

Health-care repeal. Voting 245-189, the House passed a Republican bill (HR 2) to repeal the health-care overhaul signed into law March 23 by President Obama. All 242 GOP House members voted to repeal the law. All but three of the 192 Democrats who voted were opposed to repeal. The bill is expected to die in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

A yes vote was to repeal the health-care law.

Voting yes: Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Michael Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Pat Meehan (R., Pa.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), Jon Runyan (R., N.J.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).

Voting no: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), John Carney (D., Del.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), and Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.).

Congressional health care. Voting 185-245, the House defeated a Democratic bid to prevent lawmakers from keeping their congressional health insurance if they repeal the new health-care law for their constituents. Under this motion to HR 2 (above), repeal could not occur until a majority of members in both chambers were dismissed from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

Sponsor Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.) said: "Members who support the repeal should live with its consequences."

A yes vote backed the motion.

Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Carney, Fattah, Holden, and Schwartz.

Voting no: Dent, Gerlach, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, Meehan, Pitts, Runyan, and Smith.

Health-law replacement. Voting 253-175, the House directed four of its committees to draft a health-care law to replace the one Republicans seek to repeal with HR 2 (above). The measure (H Res 9) sets no deadlines for the panels to report back to the full House.

A yes vote backed the resolution.

Voting yes: Dent, Gerlach, Fitzpatrick, Holden, LoBiondo, Meehan, Pitts, Runyan, and Smith.

Voting no: Andrews, Brady, Carney, Fattah, and Schwartz.

Medicare fix. Voting 428-1, the House amended H Res 9 (above) to require the Republicans' proposed new health-care law to permanently change the outdated formula for paying doctors for their treatment of Medicare patients. Such a fix is expected to cost $250 billion or more over 10 years. The two parties have disagreed in recent years over how to pay that cost.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Carney, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Meehan, Pitts, Runyan, Schwartz, and Smith.

Government printing office. Voting 399-0, the House passed a bill (HR 292) to end the practice of the Government Printing Office providing members of Congress with paper copies of each bill or resolution introduced in their chamber. Members and staff would continue to rely on electronic copies.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Andrews, Carney, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, LoBiondo, Meehan, Pitts, Runyan, Schwartz, and Smith.

Not voting: Brady and Holden.

This week. The House will vote on whether to cut nonsecurity spending in the current fiscal year, and it will take up a bill ending the system of voluntary taxpayer check-offs to fund presidential campaigns. The Senate will debate changes in filibuster rules.