House votes
Democratic Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree
Vote 1: LAND TRANSFER FOR NEW MEXICO AIRPORT: The House has rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., to the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act (HR 658). The amendment would have authorized Dona Ana County in New Mexico to transfer land to a private investor in return for other land and a road providing access to a county airport. Pearce said the exchange was mutually agreed upon and unopposed by the FAA. An opponent, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said the amendment was an earmark and was not in compliance with House financial disclosure rules to ensure “that neither the Member nor his spouse has a financial interest in the earmark.” The vote, on April 1, was 207 yeas to 215 nays.
NAYS: Michaud, Pingree
Vote 2: FAA REAUTHORIZATION: The House has passed the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act (HR 658), sponsored by Rep. John Mica, R-Fla. The bill would authorize appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration from fiscal 2011 through fiscal 2014. Mica said it reduced unnecessary deficit spending, supported development of the NextGen system of advanced air traffic control, and improved flexibility for shifting air traffic controllers to those airports at which they were most needed. An opponent, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said it would cut tens of thousands of jobs by reducing FAA funding, diminish safety protections, cut vital air service to rural areas provided by the Essential Air Service program and unfairly discriminate against unionization. The vote, on April 1, was 223 yeas to 196 nays.
NAYS: Michaud, Pingree
Vote 3: PREVENTING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: The House has passed the Government Shutdown Prevention Act (HR 1255), sponsored by Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ariz. The bill would enact into law the House-passed 2011 budget in the event that the Senate fails to pass legislation funding the government for the remainder of 2011. Womack said it would remove “uncertainty for small business and job creators by cutting spending and shrinking the size and reach of government.” An opponent, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the bill was unconstitutional and in violation of the traditional rules of the House and Senate. The action was relatively inconsequential partisan politicking because of subsequent events that left the government at the edge of a shutdown on Friday. The vote, on April 1, was 221 yeas to 202 nays.
NAYS: Michaud, Pingree
Vote 4: STUDYING GHG EMISSIONS RULES: The House has rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, to the Energy Tax Prevention Act (HR 910). The amendment would have required EPA to study the long-term impact of a block of the agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Jackson Lee said the study would provide information on energy policy and resources that would be needed in the absence of the regulations. An opponent, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, said the study was unnecessary because carbon dioxide “is not a pollutant under the definitions of the Clean Air Act,” and therefore EPA should not regulate it and other greenhouse gases. The vote, on April 6, was 161 yeas to 259 nays.
YEAS: Michaud
NOT VOTING: Pingree
Vote 5: EMERGENCY EPA REGULATORY POWERS: The House has rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., to the Energy Tax Prevention Act (HR 910). The amendment would have authorized the EPA to establish regulations for greenhouse gas emissions in the event of a public health emergency justifying such regulations. Polis said such a provision was critical to allow EPA to respond to “a clear and present danger to the health of the American people.” An opponent, Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., called the amendment unnecessary “because it seeks to give a duplicative authority to the EPA.” The vote, on April 6, was 168 yeas to 257 nays.
YEAS: Michaud
NOT VOTING: Pingree
Vote 6: CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS: The House has passed the Department of Defense and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act (HR 11363), sponsored by Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky. The bill would provide a one-week extension of funding for government operations, as well as funding for the military for the remainder of fiscal 2011, while also cutting spending by $12 billion. Rogers said the extension was needed to allow added time for negotiations on funding for the rest of fiscal 2011 and also provide members of the military with “the financial security we promised them while we continue to work towards a final budget agreement.” An opponent, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., called the bill “a transparent political ploy that’s an insult to our men and women in uniform and their families.” The vote, on April 7, was 247 yeas to 181 nays.
NAYS: Michaud, Pingree
Vote 7: REGULATING GHG EMISSIONS: The House has passed the Energy Tax Prevention Act (HR 910), sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich. The bill would block the EPA from issuing regulations under the Clean Air Act to restrict greenhouse gas emissions. Upton said “this legislation will remove the biggest regulatory threat to the American economy” by preventing regulations that would increase energy costs and hurt domestic manufacturers. An opponent, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., called the bill “a distraction from the imperative of developing new sources of energy that will break our dependence on foreign oil, protect our health and preserve our environment.” The vote, on April 7, was 255 yeas to 172 nays.
NAYS: Michaud, Pingree
Senate votes
Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe
Vote 1: CONFIRMING DISTRICT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Mae A. D’Agostino to serve as U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of New York. A supporter, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said D’Agostino had won numerous awards for her work as a trial lawyer in the Albany area, and said that she “has earned the distinction of being one of the most well respected and revered trial attorneys in the State of New York.” The vote, on March 28, was unanimous with 88 yeas.
YEAS: Collins, Snowe
Vote 2: FEDERAL CIRCUIT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Jimmie V. Reyna to serve as a United States judge for the Federal Circuit. A supporter, Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., said Reyna had 23 years of experience as a leading international trade lawyer for a Washington law firm, and that experience “would bring important expertise to the Federal circuit, a unique court with nationwide jurisdiction that deals with many trade law issues and yet currently lacks a trade specialist.” The vote, on April 4, was unanimous with 86 yeas.
YEAS: Collins, Snowe
Vote 3: HEALTH CARE REPORTING REQUIREMENT: The Senate has passed the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act (HR 4), sponsored by Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif. The bill would repeal a requirement included in the health care reform law for businesses to report to the government their payments of $600 or more for services and goods sold by other companies. A supporter, Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., said approval would “put to an end the looming 1099 paperwork mandate” that many small businesses said would impose a substantial burden on their operations. An opponent, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., criticized a provision to offset the repeal by eliminating a health care subsidy for taxpayers in families with incomes 400 percent above the poverty line. The vote, on April 5, was 87 yeas to 12 nays.
YEAS: Collins, Snowe
Vote 4: BARRING GHG EMISSIONS RESTRICTIONS: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act (S 493). The amendment would have barred the EPA from issuing regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions. A supporter, Sen. Tom Barasso, R-Wyo., said the regulations would “increase energy costs on American families” at a time when consumers were already struggling with rising prices. An opponent, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said it “would hurt our environment and harm our national security by increasing our dependence on foreign oil.” The vote, on April 6, was 50 yeas to 50 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.
YEAS: Snowe
NAYS: Collins
Vote 5: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ELIGIBILITY: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act (S 493). The amendment would make households with at least $1 million of annual income ineligible to receive unemployment insurance. Coburn said the insurance was intended to ensure that “those who are truly dependent on it can survive,” and extending the insurance to wealthy households was wasting at least $20 million annually. The vote, on April 6, was unanimous with 100 yeas.
YEAS: Collins, Snowe
Vote 6: DUPLICATIVE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, to the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act (S 493). The amendment would have directed the Office of Management and Budget to submit to Congress recommendations for eliminating duplicative government programs for efforts such as job training, food regulation and financial literacy. Inouye said the measure would cut wasteful spending on programs while giving Congress its proper authority over appropriations. An opponent, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said the delays created by the process of reviewing the recommendations meant “we won’t have any savings at all until we are well into fiscal year 2013.” The vote, on April 6, was 57 yeas to 43 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.
YEAS: Collins
NAYS: Snowe
Vote 7: WASTEFUL GOVERNMENT SPENDING: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act (S 493). The amendment would direct the Office of Management and Budget to conduct a study to identify the estimated $5 billion of government spending that went toward duplicative programs for efforts such as job training, food regulation and financial literacy. Coburn said the wasteful spending on overlapping programs was the result of the government’s failure to effectively manage and oversee its budget. An opponent, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, said the amendment would remove the legal authority of Congress to oversee appropriations for the programs that would be eliminated. The vote, on April 6, was 64 yeas to 36 nays.
YEAS: Collins, Snowe
Compiled by Targeted News Service for the Bangor Daily News