How your U.S. lawmaker voted

WASHINGTON — Here's how the state's members of Congress voted on major roll calls in the week ending Friday.

House

Gasoline prices

By a vote of 284-141, the House on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 1252) giving the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general added tools for prosecuting energy companies suspected of charging "unconscionably excessive" wholesale or retail prices. The bill awaits Senate action.

Voting yes: Jay Inslee, D-1, Rick Larsen, D-2, Brian Baird, D-3, Norm Dicks, D-6, Jim McDermott, D-7, Dave Reichert, R-8, Adam Smith, D-9.

Voting no: Doc Hastings, R-4.

Not voting: Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-5.

U.S. attorney appointments

By a vote of 306-114, the House on Tuesday sent President Bush a bill (S 214) to repeal a USA Patriot Act provision used by the administration to appoint U.S. attorneys without Senate confirmation.

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

Not voting: Baird, McMorris Rodgers.

Fannie Mae oversight

By a vote of 313-104, the House on Tuesday passed a bill (HR 1427) to create the Federal Housing Finance Agency to oversee the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Mortgage Corp. (Freddie Mac). The two federally backed corporations, which dominate the nation's secondary mortgage market, have been tarred in recent years by accounting scandals.

The bill awaits Senate action.

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

Voting no: Hastings.

Not voting: Baird, McMorris Rodgers.

John Murtha dispute

By a vote of 219-189, the House on Tuesday tabled a Republican bid for a reprimand of Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., for allegedly vowing improper legislative action against a GOP member who had publicly challenged an earmark of funds for Murtha's congressional district.

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

Voting no: Reichert.

Not voting: Baird, Hastings, McMorris Rodgers.

War appropriations

By a vote of 280-142, the House on Thursday approved $94.5 billion in Iraq-Afghanistan war appropriations through Sept. 30. The bill (HR 2206) imposes 18 benchmarks on which the Iraqi government must show progress if it is to avoid cuts in U.S. reconstruction aid. The bill was combined with a $17 billion nonwar appropriations measure (below) and sent to the Senate.

Voting yes: Larsen, Baird, Hastings, Dicks, Reichert.

Voting no: Inslee, McDermott, Smith.

Not voting: McMorris Rodgers.

Minimum wage, domestic spending

By a vote of 348-73, the House on Thursday passed a bill to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour over 26 months and provide $17 billion in nonwar emergency appropriations. The bill was combined with HR 2206 (above) and sent to the Senate.

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

Not voting: McMorris Rodgers.

Lobbyist oversight

By a vote of 396-22, the House on Thursday passed a bill (HR 2316) to increase regulation and public scrutiny of lobbyists on Capitol Hill. Lobbyists would be required to file quarterly reports on the Internet detailing fundraising for members of Congress. The bill, headed to a House-Senate conference committee, would subject violators to prison sentences and fines of up to $100,000. If retirement-bound lawmakers plan to take jobs as lobbyists, they would be required to recuse themselves from official business related to the new position.

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

Not voting: McMorris Rodgers.

"Bundling" by lobbyists

By a vote of 382-37, the House on Thursday passed a bill (HR 2317) requiring lobbyists to disclose "bundling" activities in their quarterly reports on the Internet. Bundling is the secretive practice of collecting scores or hundreds of individual donations for aggregation into large campaign contributions to specific lawmakers from whom they may seek favors.

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

Not voting: McMorris Rodgers.

Senate

Guest-worker program

By a vote of 74-24, the Senate on Wednesday passed an amendment that would scale back the guest-worker program in a pending immigration bill (S 1348). The amendment capped guest-worker visas at 200,000 annually, down from 400,000 or more in the original bill.

Voting yes: Maria Cantwell, D; Patty Murray, D.

War, domestic spending

By a vote of 80-14, the Senate on Thursday sent President Bush a bill (HR 2206, above) appropriating about $94.5 billion through Sept. 30 for war in Iraq and Afghanistan and billions more for military health care and a variety of domestic programs and nonmilitary programs overseas. The bill also raises the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour over 26 months.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Immigrant legalization

By a vote of 29-66, the Senate on Thursday refused to strip a pending immigration bill (S 1348) of its section providing America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants with legal status and a lengthy path to citizenship if they pay heavy fines, clear criminal background checks and meet other requirements.

Voting no: Cantwell, Murray.

Roll Call Report Syndicate