How Your U.S. Lawmaker Voted

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

House

Tobacco regulation

By a vote of 326-102, the House on Wednesday sent the Senate a bill (HR 1108) to begin Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of tobacco products. The bill empowers the FDA to regulate cigarette content, require disclosure of product ingredients, ban cigarette marketing to children and require more prominent health warnings.

Voting yes: Jay Inslee, D-1; Rick Larsen, D-2; Brian Baird, D-3; Doc Hastings, R-4; Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-5; Norm Dicks, D-6; Jim McDermott, D-7; Dave Reichert, R-8; Adam Smith, D-9.

Oil-market speculation

By a vote of 276-151, the House on Wednesday failed to reach a two-thirds majority needed to pass a bill (HR 6604) directing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to curb "excessive speculation" in the oil-futures market.

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

Voting no: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert.

Censure of Rangel

By a vote of 254-138, The House on Thursday tabled a Republican bid for the House to censure U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, over his personal and campaign use of rent-controlled apartment units in his district.

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

Voting no: McMorris Rodgers, Reichert.

Not voting: Hastings.

Product-safety commission

By 424-1, the House on Wednesday approved the conference report on a bill (HR 4040) to expand powers of the Consumer Product Safety Commission while nearly doubling the agency's annual budget over 10 years and beefing up its staff and testing capabilities. The bill would ban lead and chemicals known as phthalates from children's products.

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

Not voting: Dicks.

Higher-education act

By 380-49, the House on Thursday approved the conference report on a bill (HR 4137) renewing the Higher Education Act at a cost of at least $142 billion in discretionary spending through fiscal 2013. The bill would, among other things, expand federal aid to minorities, veterans, military families and the disabled.

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

Gender-based pay bias

By a vote of 247-178, the House on Thursday sent the Senate a bill (HR 1338) to bolster the federal law that bans pay discrimination based on gender.

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

Voting no: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers.

Pay-bias study

By a vote of 188-240, the House on Thursday defeated an amendment to HR 1338 requiring a Department of Labor study of whether the bill would hinder the ability of employers to recruit workers.

Voting yes: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert.

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

Senate

Journalists' shield law

By a vote of 51-43, the Senate on Wednesday failed to reach 60 votes needed to end GOP blockage of a House-passed bill (S 2035) to protect the confidentiality of journalists' sources in civil and criminal cases in federal court.

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

Renewable-energy tax credits

By a vote of 51-43, the Senate on Wednesday failed to reach 60 votes needed to end GOP blockage of a bill (S 3335) to extend renewable-energy tax credits due to expire at year's end.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

One senator's blockade

By a vote of 52-40, the Senate on Monday failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a $10 billion package (S 3297) of 35 noncontroversial bills that have been blocked by Tom Coburn, R-Okla., because spending is not offset. The package includes measures to combat child pornography; fund homeland-security in metropolitan D.C.; and investigate unsolved civil rights-era murders.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Product safety commission

By a vote of 89-3, the Senate on Thursday sent President Bush the conference report on a bill (HR 4040) to reauthorize the Consumer Product Safety Commission while expanding its powers, staff and budget.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Higher education act

By a vote of 83-8, the Senate on Thursday sent Bush the conference report on a bill (HR 4137) renewing the Higher Education Act at a cost of at least $142 billion in discretionary spending through fiscal 2013.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Roll Call Report Syndicate