How your U.S. lawmaker voted

WASHINGTON — Here's how state members of Congress voted in the week ended Friday. Congress is in Memorial Day recess until the week of June 1.

House

Federal aviation budget

By a vote of 277-136, the House on Thursday passed a bill (HR 915) authorizing $70 billion for federal aviation programs through fiscal 2012. In part, the bill provides $39.3 billion for operating the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), $16.2 billion for airport improvements and $13.4 billion for modernizing the air traffic control system.

The bill directs the FAA to negotiate a new contract with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association , and requires binding arbitration if an agreement is not reached within 45 days.

Additionally, the bill gives airports authority to increase taxes on passengers, raises taxes on aviation fuel and requires foreign stations that service U.S. aircraft to meet U.S. standards for criminal background checks on employees and drug and alcohol testing

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

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.

Tobacco commerce

By a vote of 397-11, the House on Thursday passed a bill (HR 1676) requiring sellers of large quantities of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in interstate commerce to comply with state tax laws and register with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Under the bill, the bureau could inspect the premises of those using the Internet, phone or mail to distribute or sell more than 10,000 cigarettes or 500 cans of smokeless tobacco per month. The bill awaits Senate action.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

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

Credit-card rules

By a vote of 361-64, the House on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 627) changing a wide range of credit-card practices in ways that benefit consumers. The bill freezes interest rates on new accounts for one year and locks in promotional rates for six months. Credit-card firms would have to give 45 days' notice of rate increases and could apply new rates retroactively only to balances at least 60 days in arrears. President Obama signed the bill Friday. The bill's rate-notice rules will take effect in August and the other changes in February 2010.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

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

Voting no: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers.

Guns in parks

By a vote of 279-147, the House on Wednesday approved language in HR 627 ensuring the right to bear loaded guns in the National Park System and National Wildlife Refuge System if the bearer is otherwise qualified to carry weapons. The provision seeks to counter a federal judge's recent ruling against Bush administration rules that permit loaded weapons in federal parks and refuges.

A yes vote backed the gun amendment.

Voting yes: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert, Smith.

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

At-risk mortgages

By a vote of 367-54, the House on Tuesday passed a bill (S 896) revamping the 2008 Hope for Homeowners Program, which encourages lenders to refinance at-risk mortgages into 30-year, fixed-interest loans in return for Federal Housing Administration backing of the new loans. President Obama signed the bill into law Wednesday.

The bill softens eligibility terms for borrowers and increases federal incentives for lenders, with $2.3 billion of its cost covered by the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). The bill also extends FDIC insurance on bank deposits to $250,000 per person per institution through 2013.

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

Voting no: None

Financial crimes

By a vote of 338-52, the House on Monday passed a bill (S 386) toughening federal laws against mortgage and securities fraud and nearly doubling federal personnel for investigating and prosecuting financial crimes. The bill also would establish a commission of six Democratic appointees and four Republican appointees, armed with subpoena power, to investigate the economic crisis and recommend preventive steps. President Obama signed the bill into law Wednesday.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

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

Voting no: None

Not voting: Smith.

Senate

War appropriations

By a vote of 86-3, the Senate on Thursday passed a bill (HR 2346) to appropriate $91.3 billion through Sept. 30 to pay for U.S. war actions and international programs and respond to natural disasters at home.

The bill provides $76 billion for the Pentagon, two-thirds of which would pay for combat in Afghanistan and Iraq; $11.9 billion for international programs run mainly by the Department of State; $1.5 billion for addressing pandemic flu epidemics; $1.2 billion for recovery from U.S. natural disasters such as wildfires, floods and hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and $700 million for international food aid.

Additionally, the bill helps finance Pakistani counterinsurgency efforts; sends aid to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon; pays for economic development and rule-of-law institutions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and funds global efforts against AIDS and malaria.

The bill must be reconciled with a $96.7 billion House version.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Maria Cantwell, D

Not voting: Patty Murray, D

Guantánamo Bay

By a vote of 90-6, the Senate on Wednesday stripped HR 2346 of $80 million requested by the Obama administration for closing the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The bill contains language preventing the release of any of the approximately 240 Guantánamo prisoners into the United States for trials.

A yes vote was to remove the funding.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Credit-card rules

By a vote of 90-5, the Senate on Tuesday voted to impose pro-consumer rules on credit-card firms. In addition to provisions noted in the House item, the bill (HR 627) requires credit-card companies to apply payments to the highest-interest portion of cardholder debt, limits the issuance of subprime "fee harvester" cards to those with poor credit ratings and requires statements to be mailed 21 days in advance of the due date.

The bill bars changes in contract terms until renewal; bans due-date gimmickry; allows cardholders to set personal credit limits above which transactions cannot be processed; and sets 21 as the minimum age for obtaining a card in most circumstances.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Gary Gensler confirmation

By a vote of 88-6, the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Gary Gensler, 51, as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees futures trading in oil, natural gas and farm products and may be called on to regulate derivatives.

A yes vote was to confirm Gensler.

Voting no: Cantwell, Murray.

Roll Call Report Syndicate

Information in this article published May 24, 2009 was corrected June 8, 2009. The new contract is not with PATCO but with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.