Where The Rubber Meets The Road (11/02/07)

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

House

Children's health insurance: In a 265-142 vote, the House passed a revised version of the State Children's Health Insurance Program bill that President Bush vetoed Oct. 3. The new measure would limit enrollment to children from families earning up to three times the poverty level, or nearly $62,000 for a family of four.

A yes vote was to send the bill (H.R. 3963) to the Senate.

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.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.), Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.), Joe Sestak (D., Pa.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).

Voting no: Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.).

And once again, Pitts and Saxton, this young man has a message for you.

Native Hawaiian sovereignty: In a 261-153 vote, the House sent the Senate a bill that would empower native Hawaiians to form a sovereign government comparable to the American Indian and Native Alaskan nations in the United States. If certified by the secretary of the interior, the Hawaiian entity would have standing to negotiate for the control of land and other assets that once belonged to indigenous Hawaiians.

A yes vote was to pass the bill (H.R. 505).

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

Voting no: Castle, Dent, Gerlach and Pitts.

This was sponsored by Dem Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, coming fresh off his No vote opposing tougher railroad safety standards and mandating a 12-hour maximum work day for train and signal personnel (guess they don’t have many choo-choos in the Aloha state…the Senate version of this is referred to as the “Akaka Bill” ).

This bill is a result of the Supreme Court ruling here that disallowed the racial diversity preferences in the Seattle and Louisville, KY school systems; so-called “ethnic preferences” also came into play and were thus ruled unconstitutional also.

Well, with Hawaiians no longer able to use the defense of ethnic preferences to settle land disputes and manage other assets, they’re seeking the legal status of American Indian tribes for purposes of self-government (this bill, as noted from the link, is an extension of the so-called “apology resolution” signed into law in November 1993 which, in part, extended an apology on behalf of the United States to the native people of Hawaii for the United States' role in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

So, of course, you know that, for all these reasons, the Repugs simply had to say no to it (LoBiondo, Saxton and Smith notwithstanding…and add native Hawaiians to the looooong list of constituencies opposed by Joe Pitts).

The “party of states rights” strikes again.

Senate

Illegal immigrants' children: In a 52-44 vote, the Senate failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a bill (S.B. 2205) that would put children of illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship if they first serve in the U.S. military or complete two years of higher education.

A yes vote was to advance the bill.

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

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

Not even if they serve in the military or pursue an advanced degree, Senator Funny Bones?

As always, screw you, Arlen.

Amtrak subsidy caps: In a 28-66 vote, the Senate refused to limit taxpayer subsidies of Amtrak to $200 per passenger in fiscal 2008, with the cap to be reduced by $25 per passenger in each succeeding year. The amendment was offered to an Amtrak funding bill (S.B. 294).

A yes vote backed the subsidy cap.

All Philadelphia-area senators voted no (good job).

This week, the House considered aid to U.S. workers displaced by trade (I've got a post on that coming up in a few minutes) and a rewrite of the Mining Act of 1872. The Senate was scheduled to vote on a revised State Children's Health Insurance bill.