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Area Votes in Congress

WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress voted on major issues last week: House Sanctuary cities Voting 241-179, the House on Thursday voted to deny certain law-enforcement grants to so-called sanctuary cities that decline to act as an arm of federal immigration enforcement. The GOP-drafted bill is a response to a recent murder in San Francisco, a sa

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

House

Sanctuary cities

Voting 241-179, the House on Thursday voted to deny certain law-enforcement grants to so-called sanctuary cities that decline to act as an arm of federal immigration enforcement. The GOP-drafted bill is a response to a recent murder in San Francisco, a sanctuary city, for which an illegal immigrant was charged. Officials in sanctuary cities say that to assist with federal immigration enforcement would undercut community-policing efforts that depend on rapport with immigrant populations. Backers of the bill said cities are required by law to comply with federal requests that they detain illegal immigrants.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Voting yes: Ryan Costello (R., Pa.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Michael Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Tom MacArthur (R., N.J.), Pat Meehan (R., Pa.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).

Voting no: John Carney (D., Del.), Matt Cartwright (D., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Donald Norcross (D., N.J.).

Not voting: Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.)

Regulating coal ash

Voting 258-166, the House on Wednesday passed a GOP-drafted bill that would give states rather than the Environmental Protection Agency primary authority to regulate the coal ash discharged as waste by the nation's 500-plus coal-fired power plants. The bill would put states in charge of permitting and enforcement under a new EPA rule for regulating coal ash impounded in ponds or landfills near these plants. The federal rule takes effect Oct. 19. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Voting yes: Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Meehan, Pitts, and Smith.

Voting no: Boyle, Carney, Cartwright, Fattah, Norcross.

Not voting: Brady

Labeling of GMO foods Voting 275-150, the House on Thursday passed a bill that would establish a system of voluntary, state-administered labeling requirements for foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In addition, the bill would preempt any existing or future state or local laws that establish mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. At present, there are no federal requirements for GMO labeling.

A yes vote favored a voluntary state-by-state approach to labeling GMO foods.

Voting yes: Carney, Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Meehan, Norcross, Pitts.

Voting no: Boyle, Cartwright, Fattah, Smith.

Not voting: Brady.

Senate

Transportation bill

Voting 62-36, the Senate on Wednesday agreed to start debate on a bill that would authorize $317 billion over six years for highway and mass-transit construction projects. Because the Highway Trust Fund is projected to raise only $240 billion over the next six years to finance these projects, the bill faces a shortfall of $77 billion that would be funded by revenue increases or spending cuts yet to be fully determined. If the bill clears the Senate, it would have to be reconciled with a House-passed measure to fund transportation programs only through Dec. 18. A yes vote was to advance the transportation bill.

Voting yes: None

Voting no: Cory Booker (D., N.J.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Bob Casey (D., Pa.), Chris Coons (D., Del.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), and Pat Toomey (R., Pa.).

This week. The House will take up bills on federal regulations and veterans' programs, while the Senate will resume work on a six-year funding bill for highway and mass-transit construction projects.