Copyright 1999 The Seattle Times Company
The
Seattle Times
September 19, 1999, Sunday Final Edition
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A5; HOW YOUR U.S. LAWMAKER VOTED
LENGTH: 769 words
HEADLINE:
HOW YOUR U.S. LAWMAKER VOTED
BYLINE: ROLL CALL REPORT
SYNDICATE
BODY:
WASHINGTON - Here's how Washington
state's members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week.
House
Election money: Voting 252 for and 177
against, the House on Tuesday passed a bill (HR 417) to ban "soft money" from
federal elections and begin regulating the so-called "issue ads" that outside
groups air during the closing weeks of congressional and presidential campaigns.
The bill would limit what is spent during campaigns and illuminate the
source of contributions.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting
yes: Jay Inslee, D-1, Jack Metcalf, R-2, Brian Baird, D-3, Norman Dicks, D-6,
Jim McDermott, D-7, Adam Smith, D-9.
Voting no: Richard "Doc" Hastings,
R-4, George Nethercutt, R-5, Jennifer Dunn, R-8.
Campaign-finance
repeal: Voting 117 for and 306 against, the House refused to repeal limits on
what individuals and political-action committees may contribute to federal
candidates. The proposal by John Doolittle, R-Calif., required candidates to
file daily finance reports with the Federal Election Commission during the final
90 days of campaigns, for immediate posting on the Internet. It sought to also
repeal taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns. The vote occurred
Tuesday.
A yes vote was to deregulate campaign finances and require
speedy Internet disclosure of contributions.
Voting yes: Hastings,
Nethercutt, Dunn.
Voting no: Inslee, Metcalf, Baird, Dicks, McDermott,
Smith.
Nuclear agency: Voting 139 for and 281 against, the House
on Wednesday defeated a motion aimed at giving the secretary of energy more
control over a new agency being created to tighten security at U.S. nuclear
labs. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is a response to
findings that China obtained U.S. atomic secrets during the Reagan, Bush and
Clinton administrations. At issue on this vote was language in the 2000 defense
budget (S 1059) that helps set up the agency within the Department of Energy.
The motion sought to bolster the energy secretary's power in areas such as
environmental protection, worker safety and public accountability.
A yes
vote was to bolster the energy secretary's authority over the NNSA.
Voting yes: Inslee, Baird, McDermott.
Voting no: Metcalf,
Hastings, Nethercutt, Dicks, Dunn, Smith.
Senate
Sport-utility vehicles: Voting 40 for and 55 against, the Senate on
Wednesday rejected an amendment on the issue of whether to require better fuel
economy of sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), minivans and light trucks. The
nonbinding amendment called upon the Department of Transportation to study the
possibility of requiring those vehicles to produce more miles per gallon of gas.
Under U.S. fuel standards known as "CAFE,"
they now produce about 20.7 mpg, compared to 27.5 mpg for passenger cars. The
House version of the bill bans spending that could lead to stricter fuel
standards for SUVs, minivans and light trucks.
A yes vote advocated a
fuel-efficiency study of SUVs, minivans and light trucks.
Voting yes:
Slade Gorton, R, Patty Murray, D.
Oil royalties: Voting 55 for
and 40 against, the Senate failed to advance a measure that would block new
rules for computing royalties on oil pumped on federal land. Foes of the
Interior Department rules are seeking to block them for the fourth consecutive
year. Companies pay 12.5 percent royalties on the fair market value of oil
extracted from the Outer Continental shelf. At issue was whether the oil should
be valued at the wellhead, as oil companies prefer, or later in the marketing
chain as the government advocates. The new rules would significantly increase
royalties, which are split between the U.S. Treasury and the state where the
drilling occurs. The vote occurred Monday.
A yes vote was to move toward
blocking new oil-pricing rules.
Voting yes: Gorton.
Voting no:
Murray.
Clemency dispute: Voting 95 for and two against, the
Senate on Sept. 14 approved a measure (SJ Res 33) rebuking President Clinton for
having offered clemency to 16 Puerto Rican nationalists imprisoned for crimes
committed as members of the Armed Forces for National Liberation. Known as FALN,
the terrorist organization admits to about 130 bombings in the 1970s and 1980s
in seeking independence for Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth. None of those
offered pardons was convicted of crimes shown to have caused death or injury.
Their crimes were felonies such as weapons possession, robbery and sedition.
A yes vote was to rebuke the president.
Voting yes: Gorton,
Murray.
(Copyright 1999, Thomas Reports Inc.)
LOAD-DATE: September 20, 1999
