Area Votes in Congress

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

House

Research tax credit. Voting 274-145, the House on Wednesday passed a Republican-drafted bill (HR 880) to expand the research-and-development tax credit for businesses and make it permanent instead of subject to periodic renewal as it is now. Because the bill would reduce tax revenue, it would increase annual budget deficits by $182 billion over 11 years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. The bill would expand the share of a company's expenses eligible for the credit and raise the credit from 14 percent to 20 percent of eligible expenses.

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: Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), John Carney (D., Del.), Matt Cartwright (D., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Donald Norcross (D., N.J.)

Patch of highway trust fund. Voting 387-35, the House on Tuesday passed a bipartisan bill to extend Highway Trust Fund financing authority from May 31 to July 31 so that it can continue to support road, bridge, and mass transit projects on a stopgap basis.

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

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

Voting no: Carney.

Not voting: Brady, Fattah.

Science, technology push. Voting 217-205, the House on Wednesday passed a GOP-drafted bill (HR 1806) authorizing $33 billion over five years for science and technology programs and ventures run by universities, the private sector, and federal agencies, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These initiatives are intended to help the United States maintain a global edge in technology and innovation.

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

Voting yes: Costello, Fitzpatrick, MacArthur, Pitts, and Smith.

Voting no: Boyle, Brady, Carney, Cartwright, Dent, Fattah, LoBiondo, Meehan, Norcross.

Steps against sex trafficking. Voting 420-3, the House on Tuesday sent President Obama a bill (S 178) that would strengthen federal laws and create others to combat human trafficking and help its victims to recover. The bill establishes a Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund financed by fines on those convicted of crimes involving sex trafficking, child abuse, and human smuggling.

A yes vote was to give final congressional approval to the bill.

Voting yes: Boyle, Carney, Cartwright, Costello, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Meehan, Norcross, Pitts, and Smith.

Not voting: Brady.

Senate

USA Patriot Act extension. Voting 54-45, the Senate on Saturday failed to reach 60 votes needed to start debate on a bill that would extend for 60 days the only sections of the post-9/11 USA Patriot Act that are not permanent law. Scheduled to expire June 1, these three sections permit roving wiretaps on non-citizen terrorist suspects on American soil, allow surveillance of "lone wolf" suspects not linked to terrorist organizations and permit the government to conduct secretive searches without probable cause of business, library, bookstore, tax, medical and other sensitive records during terrorism investigations. In each case, authorities would need Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approval to conduct the surveillance.

A yes vote was to extend three sections of the USA Patriot Act for 60 days.

Voting yes: Pat Toomey (R., Pa.).

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

Fast-track trade debate. Voting 62-37, the Senate on Friday passed a bill (HR 1314) that would enable trade agreements - including the proposed 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership - to move through Congress with up-or-down votes without amendments and without being subjected to Senate filibusters.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the House, where prompt action was expected.

Voting yes: Carper, Coons, and Toomey.

Voting no: Booker, Casey, Menendez.

This week. Congress is in a weeklong Memorial Day recess. The Senate will meet Sunday, May 31, to vote again on efforts to keep parts of the Patriot Act from lapsing.