Here's how some major bills fared recently in Congress and how local congressional members voted, as provided by Thomas' Roll Call Report Syndicate. NV means Not Voting.
HOUSE VOTES
SCHOOL VOUCHERS
For: 166 / Against: 257
The House declined to pass an amendment establishing a voucher program enabling some students in poorly performing or dangerous public schools to transfer to a private, parochial or public school. The amendment was offered to a bill reauthorizing Title I of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which the House passed.
MARYLAND
Bartlett (R): YES
Cardin (D): NO
Ehrlich (R): YES
Gilchrest (R): YES
Hoyer (D): NO
Cummings (D): NO
Morella (R): NO
Wynn (D) NO
VIRGINIA
Davis (R): NO
Moran (D): NO
Wolf (R): YES
Bateman (R): YES
Bliley (R): YES
EDUCATION EQUALITY PROGRAM
For: 311 / Against: 111
The House voted to retain a 25-year-old program to counter bias against girls in school curricula. The vote would continue the Women's Educational Equity Act in fiscal 2000 at a $3 million budget level. The act has funded about 700 programs for teachers and administrators. The vote occurred during debate on the bill above.
MARYLAND
Bartlett (R): YES
Cardin (D): YES
Ehrlich (R): YES
Gilchrest (R): YES
Hoyer (D): YES
Cummings (D): YES
Morella (R): YES
Wynn (D): YES
VIRGINIA
Davis (R): YES
Moran (D): YES
Wolf (R): YES
Bateman (R): NO
Bliley (R): N0
EDUCATION FUNDING
For: 213 / Against: 208
The House passed a bill that would give 10 not-yet-selected states more freedom in spending education funds, including Title I money for poor districts. The bill originally was designed as a GOP makeover of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. But bipartisan opposition scaled it down to a pilot program in which certain narrowly defined education grants would be converted to block grants to the selected states.
MARYLAND
Bartlett (R): YES
Cardin (D): NO
Ehrlich (R): YES
Gilchrest (R): YES
Hoyer (D): NO
Cummings (D): NO
Morella (R): NO
Wynn (D): NO
VIRGINIA
Davis (R): YES
Moran (D): NO
Wolf (R): YES
Bateman (R): YES
Bliley (R): YES
THE WORKING DISABLED
For: 412 / Against: 9
The House passed a bill that would make it easier for recipients of Social Security disability benefits to take jobs without losing Medicaid or Medicare. But the promised benefits will materialize only if Congress provides funds for the plan, which has a projected cost of at least $565 million over five years. Under the bill, Supplemental Security Income recipients who begin earning wages and then face loss of Medicaid eligibility would be able to retain coverage by paying their own way in part or full.
MARYLAND
Bartlett (R): YES
Cardin (D): YES
Ehrlich (R): YES
Gilchrest (R): YES
Hoyer (D): YES
Cummings (D): YES
Morella (R): YES
Wynn (D): YES
VIRGINIA
Davis (R): YES
Moran (D): YES
Wolf (R): YES
Bateman (R): YES
Bliley (R): YES
SENATE VOTES
MONEY IN POLITICS
For: 53 / Against: 47
The Senate shelved a bill to ban "soft money" from federal campaigns. Supporters failed to get the 60 votes needed to end a GOP filibuster and advance to a vote.
The bill would have put limits on "soft money"--unregulated funds given to political parties rather than directly to candidates. These donations are supposed to be used for party-building purposes but are increasingly being used to benefit specific candidates.
MARYLAND
Mikulski (D): YES
Sarbanes (D): YES
VIRGINIA
Robb (D): YES
Warner (R) NO
'PARTIAL BIRTH' ABORTION BAN
For: 63 / Against: 34
The Senate passed a bill that would make it a federal crime for doctors to perform a late-term abortion in which they partially extract the fetus feet first, then terminate it and complete its removal. Labeled "partial birth" abortion by critics, the procedure would be allowed under the bill only to save the mother's life.
MARYLAND
NO NV
Mikulski (D): NO
Sarbanes (D): NO
VIRGINIA
Robb (D): NO
Warner (R): YES
ROE V. WADE
For: 51 / Against: 47
The Senate voted in support of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that abortion is a constitutionally protected procedure. The nonbinding vote occurred during debate on the bill above.
A yes vote was to express support of Roe v. Wade.
MARYLAND
Mikulski (D): YES
Sarbanes (D): YES
VIRGINIA
Robb (D): YES
Warner (R): YES
