House Votes

House Votes

Sunday, May 20, 2007

For the Record

Here's how some major bills fared recently in Congress and how local congressional members voted, as provided by Thomas Voting Reports. NV means Not Voting.

House Votes

2008 DEFENSE BUDGET

For: 397 / Against: 27

The House approved a $645.6 billion military budget (HR 1585) for fiscal 2008. The bill authorizes $141.8 billion for 12 months of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, sets a 3.5 percent military pay raise and orders the most thorough reevaluation since 1947 of the military's core mission.

The bill also bans fee increases for the military's TRICARE health-care program; creates the office of inspector general to audit U.S. reconstruction spending in Afghanistan; provides $4.1 billion for developing blast-resistant combat vehicles; restores collective-bargaining rights to some Defense Department employees; adds 9,000 Marines and 36,000 active-duty Army troops; and provides at least $8.1 billion for national missile defense.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

MARYLAND

Bartlett (R)

Cummings (D)

Gilchrest (R)

Hoyer (D)

Ruppersberger (D)

Sarbanes (D)

Van Hollen (D)

Wynn (D)

VIRGINIA

Cantor (R)

J. Davis (R)

T. Davis (R)

Moran (D)

Wolf (R)

U.S.-ISRAELI MISSLE DEFENSE

For: 394 / Against: 30

The House voted to increase by $200 million the allocation in HR 1585 (above) for a project to fully integrate the U.S. and Israeli missile defense systems. The expenditure is in addition to at least $73 million already in the bill for Israel's Arrow missile defense system.

A yes vote backed the motion.

MARYLAND

Bartlett (R)

Cummings (D)

Gilchrest (R)

Hoyer (D)

Ruppersberger (D)

Sarbanes (D)

Van Hollen (D)

Wynn (D)

VIRGINIA

Cantor (R)

J. Davis (R)

T. Davis (R)

Moran (D)

Wolf (R)

ACTION AGAINST IRAQ

For: 136 / Against: 288

The House defeated an amendment clarifying that Congress has never authorized military action against Iran. The amendment also stipulated that no funds in HR 1585 (above) could be used for a strike against Iran unless Iran has first attacked the United States or its forces.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

MARYLAND

Bartlett (R)

Cummings (D)

Gilchrest (R)

Hoyer (D)

Ruppersberger (D)

Sarbanes (D)

Van Hollen (D)

Wynn (D)

VIRGINIA

Cantor (R)

J. Davis (R)

T. Davis (R)

Moran (D)

Wolf (R)

INTERROGATION VIDEOTAPES

For: 199 / Against: 229

The House rejected an amendment to require the U.S. military's prisoner interrogations to be videotaped and to guarantee that prisoners in U.S. custody have access to international humanitarian authorities. The amendment was offered to HR 1585 (above).

A yes vote backed the amendment.

MARYLAND

Bartlett (R)

Cummings (D)

Gilchrest (R)

Hoyer (D)

Ruppersberger (D)

Sarbanes (D)

Van Hollen (D)

Wynn (D)

VIRGINIA

Cantor (R)

J. Davis (R)

T. Davis (R)

Moran (D)

Wolf (R)

2008-12 FEDERAL BUDGET

For: 214 / Against: 209

The House approved the conference report on a five-year Democratic budget (S Con Res 21) that for 2008 projects $2.9 trillion in spending, a $252 billion deficit, a national debt of $9.5 trillion and debt-service payments of at least $250 billion. The fiscal blueprint provides full funding of President Bush's defense and national security requests, including $145 billion for war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and authorizes $452.3 billion for non-defense discretionary spending, about $23 billion more than the president had requested.

A yes vote backed the conference report.

MARYLAND

Bartlett (R)

Cummings (D)

Gilchrest (R)

Hoyer (D)

Ruppersberger (D)

Sarbanes (D)

Van Hollen (D)

Wynn (D)

VIRGINIA

Cantor (R)

J. Davis (R)

T. Davis (R)

Moran (D)

Wolf (R)

GUANTANAMO DETAINEES

For: 220 / Against: 208

The House voted to require the administration to provide within 60 days a plan for relocating all detainees from the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, military prison. The document also is to include data such as the number of prisoners being held without charges. The amendment was added to the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill (HR 1585).

A yes vote backed the amendment.

MARYLAND

Bartlett (R)

Cummings (D)

Gilchrest (R)

Hoyer (D)

Ruppersberger (D)

Sarbanes (D)

Van Hollen (D)

Wynn (D)

VIRGINIA

Cantor (R)

J. Davis (R)

T. Davis (R)

Moran (D)

Wolf (R)

COMMUNITY POLICING GRANTS

For: 381 / Against: 34

The House passed a bill (HR 1700) to expand Community Oriented Policing Services, a Democratic program from the 1990s that Republicans have scaled back in recent years. The bill authorizes nearly $6 billion over six years for grants to help departments put officers on the beat and upgrade crime-fighting technology. Funding levels would depend on later budget decisions. The bill is now before the Senate.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

MARYLAND

Bartlett (R)

Cummings (D)

Gilchrest (R)

Hoyer (D)

Ruppersberger (D)

Sarbanes (D)

Van Hollen (D)

Wynn (D)

VIRGINIA

Cantor (R)

J. Davis (R)

T. Davis (R)

Moran (D)

Wolf (R)

Senate Votes

IRAQ FUNDING CUTOFF

For: 29 / Against: 67

The Senate defeated an amendment to start a troop withdrawal from Iraq within 120 days of enactment and cut off war funding by March 31. The amendment was proposed to a water projects bill (HR 1495) later sent to conference with the House.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

MARYLAND

Cardin (D)

Mikulski (D)

VIRGINIA

Yes

Warner (R)

Webb (D)

BENCHMARKS FOR IRAQ

For: 52 / Against: 44

The Senate failed to get the 60 votes it needed to advance a proposed cutoff of non-military reconstruction funds for Iraq unless Iraq meets political and security benchmarks. The amendment was offered to HR 1495 (above).

A yes vote backed the amendment.

MARYLAND

Cardin (D)

Mikulski (D)

VIRGINIA

Yes

Warner (R)

Webb (D)

2008-12 FEDERAL BUDGET

For: 52 / Against: 40

The Senate joined the House (above) in approving a congressional budget plan for fiscal 2008-12. In addition to provisions cited above, the measure would restore the pay-as-you-go rule that requires new tax cuts or increases in entitlement spending to be offset elsewhere in the budget. Addressing Bush administration tax cuts, the budget would extend marriage-tax relief, expanded child-tax credits and cuts in middle-class and low-income marginal rates. But it would allow the expiration after 2010 of cuts in capital gains and dividend rates and in marginal rates for upper-income taxpayers.

The budget seeks to eliminate annual deficits by 2012 but relies on promises of future austerity rather than committed revenue to reach that goal. Additionally, the measure allows robust growth in entitlement spending between 2008 and 2012 and temporary relief to keep the alternative minimum tax from including more middle-class taxpayers.

A yes vote was to adopt the budget plan.

MARYLAND

Cardin (D)

Mikulski (D)

VIRGINIA

Yes

Warner (R)

Webb (D)

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

For: 51 / Against: 42

The Senate failed to reach the 60 votes for approving a requirement that the Army Corps of Engineers factor global climate change into its project analyses. The amendment was offered to a water resources bill (HR 1495) later sent to conference with the House.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

MARYLAND

Cardin (D)

Mikulski (D)

VIRGINIA

Yes

Warner (R)

Webb (D)

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