Area Votes in Congress
WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week. House Congressional pay raise. The House affirmed, 244-181, a pay increase for members of Congress set for January 2008. The vote, which occurred during debate on a federal budget bill (HR 2829), cleared the way for an approximately 2.7 percent raise that will hike rank-and-file salaries to nearly $170,000.
WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week.
House
Congressional pay raise.
The House affirmed, 244-181, a pay increase for members of Congress set for January 2008. The vote, which occurred during debate on a federal budget bill (HR 2829), cleared the way for an approximately 2.7 percent raise that will hike rank-and-file salaries to nearly $170,000.
A yes vote was to raise congressional pay.
Voting yes: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.) and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).
Voting no: Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), Allyson Schwartz (D., Pa.) and Joe Sestak (D., Pa.).
Vice president's budget. Members refused, 217-209, to eliminate Vice President Cheney's budget, following his claim to be separate from the executive branch and therefore not covered by a presidential order on the archiving of secret papers.
A yes vote backed the amendment to HR 2829 (above).
Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Fattah, Holden, LoBiondo, Murphy and Schwartz.
Voting no: Castle, Dent, Gerlach, Pitts, Saxton, Sestak and Smith.
Global warming. Members rejected, 274-153, a proposal to strip an Interior Department appropriations bill (HR 2643) of a nonbinding call for regulations to limit the emissions that help cause global warming.
A yes vote was to remove the global-warming section.
Voting yes: Pitts.
Voting no: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Murphy, Saxton, Sestak and Smith.
Not voting: Schwartz.
Offshore drilling. Members rejected, 233-196, a proposal to end the 26-year-old ban on Atlantic and Pacific offshore energy drilling. The vote occurred during debate on HR 2643 (above).
A yes vote was to repeal the ban.
Voting yes: Dent, Gerlach, Holden and Pitts.
Voting no: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Fattah, LoBiondo, Murphy, Saxton, Schwartz, Sestak and Smith.
Clean air. The House voted, 252-178, to block a proposed EPA easing of the rule that all smokestack industries install the best available antipollution technology when upgrading units.
A yes vote backed the amendment to HR 2643 (above).
Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Gerlach, LoBiondo, Murphy, Saxton, Schwartz, Sestak and Smith.
Voting no: Holden and Pitts.
Senate
Immigration overhaul.
Senators failed, 46-53, to reach the 60 votes needed to advance a bill that would crack down on employers of illegal immigrants, tighten U.S. borders, start a new guest-worker program, and set a long path to legality for undocumented aliens.
All Philadelphia-area senators voted to advance the bill (S 1639).
Union elections. The Senate failed, 51-48, to reach the 60 votes needed to advance a bill enabling workers to vote for union shops by signing cards, in place of the existing secret-ballot process.
All Philadelphia-area senators voted to begin full debate on the bill (HR 800).
Ahead. Congress is in recess until July 9.