How your U.S. lawmaker voted last week

WASHINGTON — Here's how the state's members of Congress voted last week.

HOUSE

Ethics, lobbyist rules: By a vote of 217-213, the House on Wednesday passed a Republican bill (HR 4975) in response to ethics and lobbying scandals on Capitol Hill. The bill would require members to get approval from the House ethics committee for privately financed travel, subject the secretive appropriations known as earmarks to public disclosure and require lobbyists to post quarterly Internet reports on their campaign contributions and gifts to lawmakers and staff. The bill, which also limits individual contributions to "Section 527" nonprofit advocacy groups, must be combined with a tougher Senate measure.

Voting yes: Doc Hastings, R-4, Cathy McMorris, R-5, Dave Reichert, R-8.

Voting no: Jay Inslee, D-1, Rick Larsen, D-2, Brian Baird, D-3, Norm Dicks, D-6, Jim McDermott, D-7, Adam Smith, D-9.

Democrats' ethics bill: By a vote of 213-216, the House on Wednesday defeated a Democratic bid for stricter ethics and lobbying rules than those offered by Republicans in HR 4975 (above). The substitute sought to make it a felony for lawmakers to influence hiring decisions within lobbyist firms, and to require House-Senate conference committees to vote openly on secretly added changes to bills. Democrats also sought to bar members and staff from accepting travel on corporate aircraft and gifts and meals from lobbyists.

Voting yes: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Smith.

Voting no: Hastings, McMorris, Reichert.

Gasoline price gouging: By a vote of 389-34, the House on Wednesday sent the Senate a bill (HR 5253) directing the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and prosecute price gouging by sellers of gasoline, home-heating oil, diesel fuel and crude oil. The bill would leave it up to the FTC to define price gouging.

Voting yes: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Hastings, McMorris, Dicks, McDermott, Reichert, Smith.

Oil-refinery construction: By a vote of 237-188, the House on Wednesday failed to reach a two-thirds majority needed to pass a bill (HR 5254) that would expand the government's power to coordinate the approval of federal and nonfederal permits for new oil refineries and pipelines.

Voting yes: Hastings, McMorris, Reichert.

Voting no: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Smith.

U.S. port security: By a vote of 421-2, the House on Thursday passed a bill (HR 4954) that would authorize $7.4 billion over five years to strengthen security at U.S. ports.

Voting yes: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Hastings, McMorris, Dicks, McDermott, Reichert, Smith.

100% overseas screening: By a vote of 202-222, the House on Thursday defeated a Democratic bid to require electronic screening of all U.S.-bound containers at foreign ports.

Voting yes: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Smith.

Voting no: Hastings, McMorris, Reichert.

SENATE

Northrop Grumman earmark: By a vote of 48-51, the Senate on Tuesday rejected an amendment to remove $200 million earmarked for Northrop Grumman from a $108 billion appropriations bill (HR 4939). The earmark would cover uninsured losses from Hurricane Katrina at the company's Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard.

Voting yes: Maria Cantwell, D.

Voting no: Patty Murray, D.

War, Katrina spending: By a vote of 77-21, the Senate on Thursday approved nearly $109 billion in deficit spending for the current fiscal year, including $70.9 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and $28.9 billion for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery. The bill (HR 4939) was sent to conference with a $91.9 billion House measure. President Bush said he would veto any final bill costlier than about $94 billion.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Veterans vs. disaster workers: By a vote of 39-59, the Senate on Thursday refused to transfer $20 million in HR 4939 (above) from AmeriCorps, the federal community-service agency, to veterans' health care.

Voting no: Cantwell, Murray.

Roll Call Report Syndicate