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

Medicaid funds dispute

By a vote of 349-62, the House on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 5613) placing a hold until next April on new administration rules that would cut the federal share of Medicaid by $13 billion over five years and leave it up to the states to replace the funds or cut health services to the poor. President Bush has threatened to veto this bill.

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.

Coast Guard budget

By a vote of 395-7, the House on Thursday approved an $8.4 billion fiscal 2008 budget (HR 2830) for the Coast Guard that funds the agency's traditional marine-safety mission along with post-Sept. 11 national-security duties.

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

Senate

Payday equality

By a vote of 56-42, the Senate on Wednesday failed to get 60 votes needed to advance a bill (HR 2831) making it easier for plaintiffs to file lawsuits alleging pay bias based on gender, race or disability. The vote affirmed a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., that the 1964 Civil Rights Act requires such suits be filed within 180 days of the first act of discrimination even if the employee was unaware of the infraction. This bill (HR 2831) sought to start counting the 180-day filing period on the date of the most recent paycheck.

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

Veterans benefits

By a vote of 96-1, the Senate on Thursday voted to authorize $1 billion through fiscal 2012 to expand veterans benefits such as disability compensation, pensions, burial payments, life insurance and job training. In part, the bill (S 1315) would increase burial allowances from $300 to $1,200 for veterans who are without next of kin and from $2,000 to $4,100 for survivors of veterans who die of a service-connected ailment — and begin indexing all burial benefits for inflation.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Filipino vets benefits

By a vote of 41-56, the Senate on Thursday defeated an amendment to strip S 1315 (above) of provisions to award pensions and survivors benefits to some 13,000 Filipino veterans who fought under U.S. command in World War II. The individuals are citizens of the Philippines, do not have service-related disabilities and already receive pensions from their government. The U.S. benefits would cost $221 million over 10 years. The issue is now before the House.

Voting no: Cantwell, Murray.

Genetic-testing bias

By a vote of 95-1, the Senate on Thursday passed a bill (HR 493) that would make it illegal for parties such as employers or insurance firms to penalize individuals on the basis of genetic-testing results. The bill also would prevent employers from requiring gene tests, which are used to predict a person's likelihood of contracting certain illnesses.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Roll Call Report Syndicate