WASHINGTON — Here's how members of the state's congressional delegation were recorded on major roll-call votes this month:
HOUSE
1. MEDICAID FUNDS DISPUTE: The House on April 23 passed, 349 for and 62 against, a bill (HR 5613) placing a hold until April 2009 on new administration rules that would cut the federal share of Medicaid by $13 billion over five years and leave it up to the states to replace the funds or cut health services to the poor. In part, the new rules concern hospital and nursing-home services, graduate medical education, the placing of retarded children in family settings and transportation for disabled children.
President Bush has threatened to veto this bill.
A yes vote was to block the Medicaid cuts.
Tierney — Yes
Tsongas — Yes
Olver — Yes
Neal — Yes
McGovern — Yes
Frank — Yes
Markey — Yes
Capuano — Yes
Lynch — Yes
Delahunt — Yes
2. COAST GUARD BUDGET: Voting 395 for and seven against, the House on April 24 approved an $8.4 billion fiscal 2008 budget (HR 2830) for the Coast Guard that funds the agency's traditional marine-safety mission along with post-9/11 national-security duties.
The bill establishes a pilot program to deploy gear for detecting nuclear and radiological cargo; adds 1,500 personnel slots for a total of 47,000; upgrades security for liquefied natural gas facilities; expands safety training for commercial fishing vessels; requires that by 2013 non-private vessels possess survivor craft in which individuals are not immersed in water; funds a pilot project in biometric identification; steps up the use of canine teams to detect narcotics and explosives, and requires cruise-ship crime statistics to be made publicly available.
Additionally, the bill requires new procedures to keep commercial vessels from discharging ballast water containing invasive species, requires vessels built after 2008 to contain systems for treating ballast water, gives the government subpoena power to investigate ballast-water violations and gives new protections to whistle-blowers who report such violations.
The bill funds procurement of Coast Guard cutters, small boats, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Tierney — Yes
Tsongas — Yes
Olver — Yes
Neal — Yes
McGovern — Yes
Frank — Yes
Markey — Yes
Capuano — Yes
Lynch — Yes
Delahunt — Yes
3. U.S.-COLOMBIA TRADE: Voting 224 for and 195 against, the House on April 10 delayed indefinitely a U.S.-Colombia free-trade agreement that President Bush had sent to Capitol Hill under "fast-track" legislative rules. This vote on H Res 1092 canceled a deadline in those rules for the House to approve or reject the trade pact. The deferral did not require Senate or presidential concurrence and took effect immediately.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Congress "should do more for our economy before we pass another trade agreement. It's all possible. But instead of having the president's timetable, we have the timetable of the House of Representatives, we have a timetable for America's working families."
Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said: "What does this say to Colombia? What does it say to South America? We're sending a very bad message for our partners around the world, all in the name of election-year politics. I think that it's regrettable, it's despicable."
A yes vote was to delay the trade agreement.
Tierney — Yes
Tsongas — Yes
Olver — Yes
Neal — Yes
McGovern — Yes
Frank — Yes
Markey — Yes
Capuano — Yes
Lynch — Yes
Delahunt — Yes
4. HIV/AIDS, MALARIA, TB: Voting 308 for and 116 against, the House on April 2 passed a bill (HR 5501) authorizing $50 billion over five years for U.S. support of global programs to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. The bill earmarks 80 percent of its funds for HIV/AIDS programs such as the distribution of anti-viral drugs. The bill discontinues a mandate that one-third of AIDS spending be allocated to abstinence programs.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Tierney — Yes
Tsongas — Yes
Olver — Yes
Neal — Yes
McGovern — Yes
Frank — Yes
Markey — Yes
Capuano — Yes
Lynch — Yes
Delahunt — Yes
SENATE
1. PAYDAY EQUALITY: Voting 56 for and 42 against, the Senate on April 23 failed to get 60 votes needed to advance a bill (HR 2831) making it easier for plaintiffs to file lawsuits alleging pay bias based on gender, race or disability. The vote affirmed a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., that the 1964 Civil Rights Act requires such suits be filed within 180 days of the first act of discrimination even if the employee was unaware of the infraction. This bill (HR 2831) sought to start counting the 180-day filing period on the date of the most recent paycheck.
A yes vote was to advance the bill.
Kennedy — Yes
Kerry — Yes
2. HOUSING RELIEF PACKAGE: Voting 84 for and 12 against, the Senate on April 10 sent the House a bill (HR 3221) to help mortgage holders, communities and businesses cope with the U.S. housing collapse at a projected cost of $15 billion over 10 years. The bill authorizes $6 billion in tax rebates to homebuilders and other businesses, $150 million for credit counseling to head off foreclosures and $4 billion for use by localities to buy empty houses.
Additionally, the bill provides a $7,000 tax credit to those who buy and occupy foreclosed properties, finances efforts by local government to help homeowners renegotiate adjustable-rate mortgages, establishes a temporary property-tax deduction of $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples and requires lenders to issue one-page truth-in-lending statements in plain English.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Kennedy — Yes
Kerry — Yes
3. RENEWABLE-ENERGY TAX CREDITS: Voting 88 for and eight against, the Senate on April 10 expanded HR 3221 (above) to extend renewable-energy tax credits due to expire at year's end. The amendment would add about $6 billion over 10 years to the national debt. The tax incentives are designed, in part, to promote energy from sources such as the sun, wind, earth and crops, and promote the manufacture of more energy-efficient homes, buildings and appliances.
A yes vote backed the amendment.
Kennedy — Yes
Kerry — Yes
4. MORTGAGE COUNSELING: Voting 44 for and 40 against, the Senate on April 3 failed to reach 60 votes needed to double funding in HR 3221 (above) for mortgage counseling by nonprofit agencies. The amendment sought to increase the outlay from $100 million to $200 million to extend counseling to an additional 250,000 holders of problem mortgages.
A yes vote backed the amendment.
Kennedy — DNV
Kerry — Yes
5. SUBPRIME LOANS, BANKRUPTCY: Voting 58 for and 36 against, the Senate on April 3 tabled (killed) a measure that sought to give bankruptcy judges authority to change the terms of subprime mortgages on primary residences. The proposal would give these loans the same protection that the bankruptcy code provides to vacation homes, farms, ranches and yachts.
A yes vote was to kill the amendment.
Kennedy — No
Kerry — No
6. CAPITAL GAINS INDEXING: Voting 41 for and 44 against, the Senate on April 3 defeated an amendment to HR 3221 (above) that sought to index for inflation the profits on home sales excluded from capital gains taxation. At present, single persons can exclude $250,000 and couples $500,000 from capital gains taxes, provided other conditions are met, but those ceilings do not rise with inflation.
A yes vote backed the amendment.
Kennedy — DNV
Kerry — No
