How your lawmakers voted

By Thomas Voting Reports

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WASHINGTON — Here's how area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes in the week ending Friday:

House

House succession plan: By a vote of 63-353, the House on Wednesday defeated a constitutional amendment (HJ Res 83) that would have allowed governors to appoint replacements if at least half the House members were killed or incapacitated in a terrorist attack or other catastrophe. Governors were to make their appointments from names submitted in advance by the incumbent.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Jay Inslee, D-1; Rick Larsen, D-2; Brian Baird, D-3; Norman Dicks, D-6; Adam Smith, D-9.

Voting no: Doc Hastings, R-4, George Nethercutt, R-5, Jim McDermott, D-7, Jennifer Dunn, R-8.

Steroid trafficking: By a vote of 408-3, the House on Thursday passed a bill (HR 3866) that would outlaw over-the-counter sales of drugs known as steroid precursors. These performance-enhancing substances become steroids in the body when ingested directly or with dietary supplements. This bill, which awaits Senate action, would require prescriptions for obtaining about two dozen precursors, one of which is androstenedione, or "andro." Steroid use has been illegal in the United States since 1990.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

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

Senate
 
Iraq war costs: By a vote of 95-0, the Senate on Wednesday added $25 billion for actions in Iraq and Afghanistan to a $422 billion fiscal 2005 defense budget (S 2400) that remains in debate. This would increase to about $200 billion the cost of war and nation-building in the two countries in recent years. The $25 billion would be made available immediately to the Pentagon with Congress closely monitoring how it is spent.

A yes vote backed $25 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan.

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

Guard, Reserve health care: By a vote of 70-25, the Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would make all National Guard and Army Reserve members and their families eligible for TRICARE, the military health plan.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Nuclear waste: On a 48-48 tie, the Senate on Thursday decided to allow the Department of Energy to reclassify nuclear waste in a way that will permit permanent burial in concrete-protected tanks at a federal plant in South Carolina and possibly also at plants in Washington state and Idaho. This occurred during debate on S 2400 (above). The vote defeated a bid to continue applying the more strict storage requirements of the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act to the federal weapons sites.

A yes vote was to prevent Energy Department reclassification of nuclear waste so as to permit on-site disposal.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Copyright 2004,

Roll Call Report Syndicate