Copyright 2000 The Washington Post
The Washington
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May 18, 2000, Thursday, Final Edition
SECTION: WEEKLY - VA; Pg. V06
LENGTH: 1096 words
HEADLINE:
For the Record
BODY:
Here's how some major
bills fared recently in Congress and how local members of Congress voted, as
provided by Thomas's Roll Call Report Syndicate. NV means Not Voting.
HOUSE VOTES
INTERNET TAX BAN
For: 352 /
Against: 75
The House added five years to an existing ban on new state
or local taxes aimed solely at Internet users, such as taxes on monthly Internet
access. The bill (HR 3709) extends the moratorium until October 2006 and repeals
a grandfather clause under which 10 states now are permitted to tax Internet
users. When Congress enacted the ban in 1998, it exempted those states because
their Internet taxes already were in effect. This legislation does not directly
affect sales taxes on electronic commerce. Under a Supreme Court decision, those
taxes can be collected only in states where an Internet vendor has a physical
presence.
Foes argued (see next issue) that it pushes too far into the
future a decision by Congress on how to provide equal treatment between
brick-and-mortar stores, which must pay state and local sales taxes, and
Internet transactions, which generally are exempt from sales taxes.
A
yes vote was to pass the bill.
MARYLAND
Bartlett
(R): Yes
Cardin (D): Yes
Ehrlich (R): Yes
Gilchrest (R):
Yes
Hoyer (D): Yes
Cummings (D): Yes
Morella (R): Yes
Wynn (D): Yes
VIRGINIA
Davis (R): Yes
Moran (D): NV
Wolf (R): Yes
Bateman (R): Yes
Bliley (R): Yes
TWO-YEAR EXTENSION
For: 208 /
Against: 219
The House refused to extend the current ban on new Internet
taxes for two years, to October 2003, rather than five years to October 2006, as
called for in HR 3709 (above). The amendment also sought to preserve a
grandfather clause that enables 10 states to continue collecting Internet taxes
they had in place before October 1998.
Most state governors backed the
amendment. They said a five-year extension delays for too long their chance to
solve the worsening problem of electronic commerce depriving state and local
governments of vital sales tax revenue. States are exploring responses such as
tax code uniformity and reciprocal collection arrangements that would enable
them to receive tax revenue from Internet transactions.
A yes vote
backed a two-year extension of the Internet tax ban.
MARYLAND
Bartlett (R): No
Cardin (D): Yes
Ehrlich (R): No
Gilchrest (R): No
Hoyer (D): Yes
Cummings (D): Yes
Morella (R): No
Wynn (D): Yes
VIRGINIA
Davis (R): No
Moran (D): NV
Wolf (R): No
Bateman
(R): No
Bliley (R): No
CONSERVATION ENTITLEMENT
For: 315 / Against: 102
The House passed a bill (HR 701) using
fees collected on Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas drilling to establish a
nearly $ 3 billion annual entitlement that would fund a variety of conservation,
recreation and land acquisition programs. In good fiscal times and bad, the "off
budget" funding would occur outside of the discipline of the congressional
appropriations process. The $ 3 billion is about seven times the amount now
appropriated for the same programs.
The bill's automatic annual spending
consists mainly of $ 1 billion to help coastal states repair environmental
damage caused by offshore drilling; $ 900 million for federal and state land
acquisition; $ 350 million for wildlife conservation and education; $ 225
million for historic preservation and urban parks; $ 200 million for restoring
Indian lands and $ 150 million to help landowners protect endangered species.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
MARYLAND
Bartlett (R): No
Cardin (D): Yes
Ehrlich (R): Yes
Gilchrest (R): Yes
Hoyer (D): No
Cummings (D): Yes
Morella (R): Yes
Wynn (D): Yes
VIRGINIA
Davis (R): Yes
Moran (D): Yes
Wolf (R): No
Bateman (R): Yes
Bliley (R): No
SOCIAL SECURITY
For: 216 / Against: 208
The House voted to make it more
difficult for a new $ 3 billion conservation entitlement (HR 701, above) to
drain Social Security and Medicare in years when there is no budget surplus. The
amendment directs the Treasury secretary to certify each year that Social
Security and Medicare have met certain tests of fiscal soundness and that the
national debt is being reduced on schedule. If the secretary cannot vouch for
that, the $ 3 billion outlay would cease to be automatic. Congress then would
have to vote to release the money as part of the normal appropriations process.
A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
MARYLAND
Bartlett (R): Yes
Cardin (D): No
Ehrlich (R): Yes
Gilchrest (R): No
Hoyer (D): No
Cummings (D): No
Morella (R): No
Wynn (D): No
VIRGINIA
Davis (R): Yes
Moran (D): No
Wolf (R): Yes
Bateman (R): NV
Bliley (R): Yes
SENATE VOTES
TRADE WITH AFRICA
For: 77 / Against: 19
The
Senate sent President Clinton a bill (HR 434) reducing or eliminating trade
barriers to clothing and certain other imports from more than 70 countries in
sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and Central America.
In part, the bill
allows apparel manufacturers to receive duty-free and quota-free access to U.S.
markets, with the principal benefits going to products made with American
textiles. The bill is expected to increase African clothing exports to the
United States by seventeen-fold over the next eight years, to $ 4.2 billion
annually.
A yes vote was to enact the bill.
MARYLAND
Mikulski (D): Yes
Sarbanes (D): Yes
VIRGINIA
Robb (D): Yes
Warner (R): Yes
EDUCATION ISSUE
For: 13 / Against: 84
The Senate defeated a plan offered by
moderate Democrats as a middle ground between a GOP bill (S 2) for revamping the
Elementary and Secondary Act and the traditional Democratic policies that have
shaped the ESEA throughout its 35 years.
The amendment
increased Title I spending, which is directed at disadvantaged students, by $ 35
billion over the next five years -- a 50 percent increase.
To
accommodate the GOP, it reduced federal red tape and required schools to meet
academic goals set by local and state officials. It consolidated many
categorical grants but stopped short of the GOP-favored block grant approach for
distributing federal education funds.
To appeal to Democrats, the
amendment increased Title I spending by half- again and gave districts with the
worst poverty the largest share of the additional funding.
A yes vote
backed the amendment.
MARYLAND
Mikulski (D): No
Sarbanes (D): No
VIRGINIA
Robb (D): Yes
Warner (R): No
LOAD-DATE: May 18, 2000
