Where The Rubber Meets The Road (7/28)

Sorry it's late this week - too damn much posting on the Middle East...

As reported in the Inquirer last Sunday, here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll call votes last week:

House

• Embryonic stem cells. The House on Wednesday failed, 235-193, to reach the two-thirds majority needed to override President Bush's veto of a bill (HR 810) to expand federal financing of embryonic stem-cell research beyond limits he set in 2001.

A yes vote was to enact the bill.

Voting yes: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Allyson Schwartz (D., Pa.) and Curt Weldon (R., Pa.).

Voting no: Michael G. Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.) and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).

• Non-embryonic stem cells. Voting 273-154, the House on Tuesday failed to reach a two-thirds majority needed to send President Bush a bill (S 2754) directing the Department of Health and Human Services to fund stem-cell research that excludes the use of human embryos and develop a detailed plan for such funding. A supermajority was required for passage.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Brady, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton, Schwartz, Smith and Weldon.

Voting no: Andrews and Castle.

Castle’s “no” vote was expected since he co-sponsored the legislation to support embryonic stem cell research. And I have a feeling that Rob Andrews saw S 2754 as the Trojan Horse of a bill that it truly was, giving Mikey and others who opposed the Castle bill political cover to make it look like they’re actually doing something.

Dr. Dean called it in this correspondence.

What a disgrace.

• Same-sex marriage ban. Voting 236-187, the House on Tuesday failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to advance a proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriages (HJ Res 88). The Senate had already defeated it.

A yes vote was to pass the resolution.

Voting yes: Dent, Holden, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton, Smith and Weldon.

Voting no: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach and Schwartz.

“Crazy Curt” gives Admiral Joe another issue with his one (and can someone explain to me again how Tim Holden ended up as a Democrat?).

I also find it interesting how Mikey can side with the Catholic Church on stem cell research, but split with them on this and the proposed immigration “reform” that would have punished Catholics aiding illegal/undocumented immigrants. I also have to grudgingly admit that this is a shrewd vote on his part, recognizing that this issue hits home to people with gay and lesbian friends or family members.

An amendment outlawing same-sex marriages will NEVER pass the U.S. Congress – mark my words. I should point out, though, that I support same-sex unions, but I’m sorry…I will never support same-sex marriage, and to me, there’s a difference.

• Pledge of Allegiance. Voting 260-167, the House on Wednesday sent the Senate a bill (HR 2389) stripping federal courts of jurisdiction over the Pledge of Allegiance. The bill would give state courts sole authority to judge whether the words under God in organized pledge recitals at schools violate the separation of church and state.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Voting yes: Castle, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton, Smith and Weldon.

Voting no: Andrews, Brady, Fattah and Schwartz.

I did some checking on this, and I must share this story from The Boston Globe (dumb vote for Mikey and Crazy Curt, and Holden looks more and more like a Repug to me).

I also want to highlight this quote from the story by a guy named Zach “No, I’m Not A Redneck…Not Much” Wamp:

``We should not and cannot rewrite history to ignore our spiritual heritage," said Representative Zach Wamp, a Tennessee Republican. ``It surrounds us. It cries out for our country to honor God."

Uh, I’d say we have a ways to go in this country right now when it comes to “honoring God” in terms of respecting our fellow citizens and our families. I’d say we need to do a much better job of promoting educational opportunity, good jobs, good wages, health care benefits, ensuring environmental protection and workplace safety, as well as domestic security, on behalf of everyone (and no, I’m not going to go look for individual links on this stuff, since they’re everywhere online). I’d say that’s part of the whole “love thy neighbor” thing that the Fundies seem to have a lot of trouble remembering from time to time when it suits them (and of course, I don’t recall reading anything in the New Testament about blowing up countries and killing people for their oil either).

Tell the states to lump it. I think Michael Newdow is an idiot for trying to get “under God” out of the pledge and removed from recital in public schools, but it’s his right to go ahead with his wrong headed legal action if he wants to, and Congress shouldn’t be wasting its time with this issue.

• Oman trade agreement. Voting 221-205, the House on Thursday sent President Bush a bill (HR 5684) to implement a free-trade accord with Oman. Backers said the pact would benefit the U.S. economy and reward a Middle Eastern ally. Critics said it lacks tough environmental and labor standards and gives terrorists an opening to work at U.S. ports.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Castle, Dent, Pitts and Saxton.

Voting no: Andrews, Brady, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Schwartz, Smith and Weldon.

This was an interesting “yes” vote for Castle as far as I’m concerned. Maybe he’s just recognizing the reality that foreign nationals and overseas-based corporations, mainly China, have a lot to do with our port operations anyway.

I don’t like the fact that this “Dubai Ports World II” legislation was the inevitable result when DPW was stonewalled earlier, and we should oppose it in principle. But if the majority of voters knew how porous our ports are now, they’d be calling out for comprehensive reform as opposed to raising their hackles over this issue with one company (treating the symptom instead of the disease, if you will).

• Support for Israel. The House on Thursday adopted, 410-8, a measure (H Res 921) supporting Israel in its military campaign against Hezbollah and Hamas. The resolution affirms Israel's right to self-defense and says Iran and Syria should be held accountable for their sponsorship of Hezbollah and Hamas.

A yes vote backed the resolution.

All Philadelphia-area representatives voted yes.

Of course they did; they’re not crazy (I should find out who the eight brave souls are who actually voted no).

Senate

• Embryonic stem cells. Voting 63-37, the Senate on Tuesday sent the White House a bill (HR 810) to extend federal financing of embryonic stem-cell research beyond limits set by President Bush in 2001. The expanded research would have access to thousands of embryos that otherwise would be frozen or discarded by fertility clinics.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

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

Voting no: Rick Santorum (R., Pa.).

Little Ricky stays true to “the base”; I’ll give him that and absolutely no more.

• Non-embryonic stem cells. Voting 100-0, the Senate on Tuesday sent the House a bill (S 2754) directing HHS to provide financial support of stem-cell research that does not involve human embryos. The bill authorizes funding for three years and requires development of a specific plan to fund such research.

No senator spoke against the bill. All Philadelphia-area senators voted yes.

• Ban on "fetus farms." Voting 100-0, the Senate on Tuesday sent the House a bill (S 3504) making it illegal for one to solicit or accept fetal tissue generated specifically for embryonic stem-cell research.

No senator spoke against the bill. All Philadelphia-area senators voted yes.

“Fetus farms”? Sounds like something out of a Michael Crichton novel.

• Voting Rights Act. Voting 98-0, the Senate on Thursday sent President Bush a bill (HR 9) to extend the 1965 Voting Rights Act for 25 years beyond its scheduled 2007 expiration. The bill would continue a requirement that certain states and localities with a history of systematic voting discrimination clear changes in their voting laws in advance with the Justice Department.

A yes vote was to pass the bill. All Philadelphia-area senators voted yes.

Like I said last week when the House passed it, it’s about freakin’ time (though they waited until after Dubya gave his first NAACP speech and showed “leadership” by calling for the bill’s passage…such clever boys and girls).

• Corps of Engineers oversight. Voting 54-46, the Senate on Wednesday approved an amendment requiring outside review of Army Corps of Engineers projects when the cost is more than $40 million, a state governor requests special oversight, another federal agency challenges the project, or the Army secretary declares the project to be controversial. It was an amendment to a water-projects funding bill (HR 2864).

A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Biden, Carper, Lautenberg and Menendez.

Voting no: Santorum and Specter.

Passage of this bill, on balance, is good news, and here’s why (though I can see where it would create more bureaucracy that didn't exist before...another contribution to Little Ricky’s absolutely putrid voting record, and I guess Our Man Arlen was too busy trying to help get approval for Dubya’s secret FISA court to cast the right vote here).

As noted in the Inquirer, this week the House took up a proposed civilian nuclear agreement with India and a bill to abolish outdated federal agencies. Both chambers debated (?) a bill to bolster private-sector pensions, and the Senate considered (?) 2007 appropriations bills.