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

Combustible-dust rules

By a vote of 247-165, the House on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 5522) directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to adopt rules for controlling combustible dust at factories. The regulations would pre-empt any state rules that do less to protect workers from dust explosions and fires. The federal rules would be in addition to existing OSHA regulations for grain silos. The bill would require interim rules within 90 days of enactment and final ones within 18 months. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill, which is now before the Senate.

Voting yes: Jay Inslee, D-1; Rick Larsen, D-2; Brian Baird, D-3; Jim McDermott, D-7; Adam Smith, D-9.

Voting no: Doc Hastings, R-4; Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-5; Dave Reichert, R-8.

Not voting: Norm Dicks, D-6.

Regulations delay

By a vote of 178-237, the House on Wednesday refused to delay action on new federal dust regulations until after completion of an ongoing government probe into causes of an explosion Feb. 7 at the Imperial Sugar refinery near Savannah, Ga., that killed 13 workers. The amendment was offered to HR 5522 (above).

Voting yes: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert.

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

Genetic-testing bias

By a vote of 414-1, the House on Thursday sent President Bush a bill (HR 493) making it illegal for employers or health-insurance firms to penalize individuals on the basis of genetic-testing results or family medical histories. The bill also would prevent employers from requiring gene tests, which are used to predict one's likelihood of contracting certain illnesses.

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

Roads, transit spending

By a vote of 358-51, the House on Wednesday sent President Bush a bill (HR 1195) that would hasten the release of billions of dollars previously authorized for highway and transit projects. The bill would give a green light to hundreds of earmarked projects and make technical changes to expedite spending on other projects.

The bill also would call for a Justice Department probe of a $10 million earmark sponsored in 2005 by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, for developing an interchange on Interstate 75 near Naples, Fla., a project opposed by local authorities and never built.

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

Not voting: Hastings.

Senate

Federal aviation budget

By a vote of 88-1, the Senate on Monday took a preliminary step toward debating a bill (HR 2881) authorizing $51 billion for Federal Aviation Administration programs through fiscal 2012. A threatened GOP filibuster rooted in disputes over amendments then delayed the bill. The Senate conducted no other votes during the week.

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

Roll Call Report Syndicate