How your U.S. lawmaker voted

WASHINGTON — Here's how the state's members of Congress voted on major roll calls in the week ending Friday.

House

Police, firefighter unions

By a vote of 314-97, the House on Tuesday sent the Senate a bill (HR 980) granting limited union rights to police, firefighters, corrections officers and other public-safety personnel in all states. At least 20 states now deny collective-bargaining rights to public employees. The bill empowers state and local first responders to bargain over wages, benefits and working conditions but prohibits strikes by unions and lockouts by employers.

Voting yes: Jay Inslee, D-1; Rick Larsen, D-2; Brian Baird, D-3; Norm Dicks, D-6; Jim McDermott, D-7; Dave Reichert, R-8; Adam Smith, D-9.

Voting no: Doc Hastings, R-4; Cathy McMorris Rodgers; R-5.

Planned Parenthood

By a vote of 189-231, the House on Thursday refused to block funding for Planned Parenthood in the fiscal 2008 Department of Health and Human Services budget (HR 3043) because the organization supports abortion. Planned Parenthood is one of many organizations that receive federal funds for family-planning services but which are banned by law from using the money to promote or perform abortions.

Voting yes: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert.

Voting no: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Smith.

Social Security chief

By a vote of 231-199, the House on Wednesday blocked salary payments to Andrew Biggs, the new deputy commissioner of Social Security and an advocate of privatizing Social Security. President Bush installed Biggs with a recess appointment to avert Senate confirmation hearings that would examine his views on privatization. This amendment to HR 3043 (above) would nullify Biggs' salary until he receives Senate confirmation.

Voting yes: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Smith.

Voting no: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert.

Senate

Iraq withdrawal

By a vote of 52-47, the Senate on Wednesday failed to advance a mandate that President Bush start withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq within 120 days of enactment and complete the pullout of all but a residual force by April 30. Democrats needed 60 votes to defeat Republican blockage of the amendment to a $649 billion military budget for fiscal 2008 (HR 1585). The bill awaits further Senate debate.

Voting yes: Maria Cantwell, D, Patty Murray, D.

Student loans

By a vote of 78-18, the Senate on Friday passed a bill (HR 2669) to cut taxpayer subsidies of firms that provide student loans, by $18 billion over five years and allocate most of the savings to programs directly benefiting students. The savings would be used mainly to increase Pell Grants for low-income students by 26 percent, to $5,400 by 2012.

The bill also would grant loan forgiveness to first responders and students preparing to teach in disadvantaged neighborhoods; cap loan repayments at 15 percent of discretionary income and increase to $30,500 the federally backed loan limit for undergraduates. About $1 billion of the $18 billion would be allocated to deficit reduction.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Bankers' loan plan

By a vote of 35-62, the Senate on Thursday defeated an alternative to HR 2669 (above) that was favored by bankers' groups but opposed by student organizations. The amendment sought to reduce lenders' subsidies by $15.65 billion, compared to $18 billion in the underlying bill, and to provide lesser increases than in the base bill in Pell Grants for poor students.

Voting no: Cantwell, Murray.

Roll Call Report Syndicate