Area Votes in Congress

WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week:

House

Bush impeachment bid.

The House voted, 251-166, to send to committee, or shelve, a resolution (H Res 1258) sponsored by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D., Ohio) presenting 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush. As a privileged resolution, the measure was not debatable.

A yes vote was to shelve the impeachment bid.

Voting yes: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.), Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.), and Joe Sestak (D., Pa.).

Voting no: Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).

Extended jobless benefits.

Voting 274-137, the House passed a bill (HR 5749) providing 13 additional weeks of jobless checks for those who have used up their initial allotments, or 26 more weeks in states with at least a 6 percent unemployment rate.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Murphy, Schwartz, Sestak and Smith.

Voting no: Pitts and Saxton.

Amtrak spending boost.

Voting 311-104, the House authorized a $14.9 billion passenger-rail budget for fiscal 2009-2013. Now before the Senate, the bill (HR 6003) would provide nearly $10 billion for Amtrak, about twice the agency's pre-2007 rate of spending, and $5 billion for state intercity projects.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Murphy, Saxton, Schwartz, Sestak and Smith.

Voting no: Pitts.

Senate

Windfall profits.

Voting 51-43, the Senate failed to reach 60 votes to end GOP blockage of a bill (S 3044) that would levy a 25 percent tax on profits generated by the five largest oil companies that are judged unreasonable by historical standards and that are not invested in expanding refinery capacity or developing renewable sources of energy.

A yes vote was to advance the bill.

Voting yes: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Bob Casey (D., Pa.), Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), and Robert Menendez (D., N.J.).

Voting no: Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).

Energy and business tax breaks.

Voting 50-44, the Senate failed to reach 60 votes needed to end GOP blockage of a bill (HR 6049) providing $55.5 billion in business, education, personal and energy tax breaks.

A yes vote was to advance the bill.

Voting yes: Biden, Carper, Casey, Lautenberg and Menendez.

Voting no: Specter.

This week.

The House will take up the space budget, war funding, and a child-abuse measure. The Senate will debate tax breaks for developing renewable energy, paying college tuition, and other purposes.