Copyright 2000 Phoenix Newspapers, Inc.
THE ARIZONA
REPUBLIC
May 28, 2000 Sunday, Final Chaser
SECTION: FRONT; Pg. A9
LENGTH: 472 words
HEADLINE:
ARIZONA CONGRESSIONAL VOTES
BYLINE: Roll Call Report
Syndicate
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY:
Here's
how Arizona members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call
votes last
week.
House
Telephone tax
repeal: Voting 420-2, the House on Thursday passed a bill
(House Resolution
3916) to repeal the 3 percent federal tax on long-distance
telephone
service. Enacted in 1898 to help finance the Spanish-American War,
the levy
would be phased out by October 2002. This would cost the Treasury an
estimated $19.8 billion in lost revenue over the first five years.
A "yes" vote was to pass the bill.
Voting yes: Republicans Matt Salmon, Bob Stump, John
Shadegg, Jim Kolbe,
J.D. Hayworth and Democrat Ed Pastor.
Campaign finance dispute: Voting 208-214, the House on
Thursday refused to
close the so-called "Section 527" loophole that enables
anonymous political
committees to raise unlimited sums for influencing
federal elections without
having to identify donors. The vote occurred
during debate on HR 3916 (above).
It was the first House vote this year on a
campaign finance issue.
The political groups at issue
typically use their secretly raised funds to
sponsor TV attack ads that stop
short of urging the defeat or election of a
specific candidate. They exist
under Section 527 of the U.S. tax code and are
not covered by the Federal
Election Campaign Act.
A "yes" vote was to apply the
federal campaign finance law to "Section
527" political committees.
Voting yes: Pastor.
Voting no:
Salmon, Stump, Shadegg, Kolbe and Hayworth.
Spy budget:
Voting 175-225, the House on Tuesday rejected an amendment that
sought to
make public the total U.S. intelligence budget for fiscal 1999. This
occurred as the House passed a classified fiscal 2001 funding bill (HR 4392)
for U.S. spy agencies such as the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency and
National Security Agency. Although an official secret, U.S. intelligence
spending is often reported to be about $30 billion annually.
A "yes" vote backed the amendment.
Voting yes: Pastor.
Voting no:
Salmon, Stump, Shadegg, Kolbe and Hayworth.
Senate
Farm bailout: Voting 91-4, the Senate on Thursday sent to
President Clinton
a $15.3 billion agricultural bailout package to help
farmers cope with
adversity such as drought, declining commodity prices and
sagging exports. The
bill (HR 2559) was approved earlier by the House on a
non-record vote.
About $8.2 billion is to be spent over
five years to extend crop insurance
to livestock producers and growers of
certain specialty crops and to further
subsidize the cost of insurance
premiums for all eligible farmers. About $7.1
billion is earmarked for
direct payments to farmers this year.
A "yes" vote was to
pass the bill.
Voting no: Republicans Jon Kyl and John
McCain.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: May 30, 2000 
