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

Homeland Security budget

By a vote of 268-150, the House on Friday passed a bill (HR 2638) appropriating $36.3 billion for the Department of Homeland Security in fiscal 2008, up 17 percent over 2007 levels.

In part, the bill would require companies receiving federal contracts to pay prevailing wages and benefits to workers; would restore civil-service job protections that many DHS employees lost under Republican control of Congress and would impose uniform federal rules for chemical-plant safety.

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, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-5.

Homeland Security overhead

By a vote of 201-221, the House on Tuesday refused to freeze administrative costs in support of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the fiscal 2007 level. The amendment sought to cut the proposed 2008 budget for Chertoff's executive operations by $9.97 million, or 11 percent. The vote occurred during debate on a bill (HR 2638), later passed, that would appropriate $36.3 billion for the Department of Homeland Security in 2008.

Voting yes: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert.

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

Local immigration enforcement

By a vote of 286-127, the House on Friday increased by $9.1 million the fiscal 2008 budget for a voluntary program in which state and local police agencies enforce federal immigration laws. The funds were added to HR 2638 (above). The $9.1 million was taken from an account for relocating Department of Homeland Security headquarters to a more secure location in Washington. While backers said the program has proved successful in several communities, opponents said it was disliked by local police departments.

Voting yes: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert.

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

Senate

Alberto Gonzales

By a vote of 53-38, the Senate on Monday failed to advance a "no-confidence" measure (SJ Res 14) against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Backers needed 60 votes to end a Republican filibuster against the symbolic resolution.

The vote followed allegations that the Justice Department under Gonzales has politicized the administration of justice in the United States, in part by hiring and firing U.S. attorneys and other law-enforcement officials to achieve partisan ends. Gonzales avows no direct role in the department's dismissal last year of nine of the 93 U.S. attorneys.

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

Virginia coastal drilling

By a vote of 43-44, the Senate on Thursday defeated an amendment to a pending energy bill (HR 6) that sought to allow natural-gas exploration off the Virginia coast if the state government approves. The amendment sought to breach the 27-year-old federal moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Offshore energy drilling is permitted in the Gulf of Mexico.

Voting no: Cantwell, Murray.

Nuclear energy

By a vote of 56-39, the Senate on Thursday tabled (killed) an amendment that sought to enable utilities to count nuclear-generated electricity in meeting federal requirements that they produce a large share of their electricity from renewable sources. This amendment to HR 6 (above) also sought to permit states to "opt out" of any new federal mandate on renewable fuels.

A competing amendment would require power companies by 2020 to provide 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources such as the wind, sun, ocean tides, crops, landfills and geothermal forces.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Roll Call Report Syndicate