Area Votes in Congress
WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week: House U.S. water policy. Members voted 413-10 to improve the work of the 20-plus agencies concerned with ensuring that the United States has adequate water supplies and clean drinking water.
WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week:
House
U.S. water policy. Members voted 413-10 to improve the work of the 20-plus agencies concerned with ensuring that the United States has adequate water supplies and clean drinking water.
A yes vote was to pass a bill (HR 1145) that creates a White House office to streamline and focus U.S. water policy.
Voting yes: John Adler (D., N.J.), Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.), Joe Sestak (D., Pa.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).
Community police funds. Members passed, 342-78, a bill (HR 1139) to expand the Clinton-era COPS program, which provides U.S. grants for the hiring of local police officers.
A yes vote was to authorize grants for purposes such as hiring prosecutors and helping schools fight drugs and gangs.
Voting yes: Adler, Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Murphy, Schwartz, Sestak, and Smith.
Voting no: Pitts.
Senate
Ambassador to Iraq. Senators voted, 73-23, to confirm Christopher Hill as U.S. ambassador to Iraq. Backers praised his Foreign Service career of 32 years, while critics said he was not tough enough as the Bush administration's chief negotiator with North Korea.
A yes vote was to confirm Hill.
Voting yes: Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Bob Casey (D., Pa.), Ted Kaufman (D., Del.), Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), and Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).
Whistleblower rewards. Senators refused, 31-61, to cap at $50 million the reward for whistle-blowers who use the False Claims Act to help the Treasury recover funds lost to fraud.
A yes vote on the bill (S 386) was to retain rules that allow successful plaintiffs to receive up to 30 percent of recovered U.S. funds.
Voting yes: Specter.
Voting no: Carper, Casey, Kaufman and Menendez.
Not voting: Lautenberg.
This week. The House will take up a bill to curb arbitrary practices by credit-card firms, while the Senate will resume debate on a bill to combat securities and home-mortgage fraud.