Where The Rubber Meets The Road (6/13/08)

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 (returning after a one-week absence).

House

2009-2013 federal budget. Voting 214-210, the House approved the conference report on a five-year Democratic budget (S Con Res 70) that for 2009 projects $3.06 trillion in spending, a $340.4 billion deficit, and $216.8 billion in interest payments on the national debt. Over five years the measure would fully fund President Bush's defense and national security requests, spend more than he seeks for domestic and entitlement programs, allow his tax cuts for the wealthiest filers to expire after 2010, and extend his middle-class tax cuts if Congress finds a way to offset the lost revenue.

A yes vote was to approve the budget plan.

Voting yes: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.) and Joe Sestak (D., Pa.).

Voting no: Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.) and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).

Not voting: Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.).

I think it’s safe to say that the $340.4 billion deficit was the reason Patrick Murphy voted no; his “Blue Dog” bona fides are without question on spending, and I say that with respect. Of course, the Repugs he voted with on this occasion would have no such qualms, but as the minority party, they can only “throw stones” when it comes to legislation like this.

By the way, on a totally unrelated matter, Patrick will appear tomorrow morning at 10:30 at the Lower Makefield, PA municipal building in Bucks County to discuss “green-collar” employment opportunities. It should be interesting.

Public-school renovations. Voting 250-164, the House passed a bill (HR 3021) establishing a federal program that would authorize $33.2 billion in fiscal years 2009-2013 for grants to renovate and modernize public schools.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

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

Voting no: Castle and Pitts.

Not voting: Andrews

Surprised so many Repugs went along with this because, as we know, the only thing Repugs think that public schools can do is “fail.”

Chesapeake Bay watershed. Voting 321-86, the House passed a bill (HR 5540) renewing for five years a federal-state program that promotes citizen involvement in restoring the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York. The bill authorizes about $1 million annually for the program to help restore the nation's largest estuary.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

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

Voting no: Pitts.

Not voting: Fattah.

This week’s stupid “No” vote by Joe Pitts; as we know, there are no estuaries in PA’s 16th Congressional district (and to help Bruce Slater, click here).

Senate

2009-2013 federal budget. Voting 48-45, the Senate approved the conference report on a five-year Democratic budget (S Con Res 70, above) that raises the national-debt ceiling by $800 billion to about $10.5 trillion. The budget projects $3.06 trillion in spending and a $340.4 billion deficit in 2009.

A yes vote was to approve the Democratic budget.

Voting yes: 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.).

Not voting: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.).

(By the way, kudos to Sen. Lautenberg for staving off the challenge of Rob Andrews.)

You know, I actually admire Specter for this “No” vote –call me crazy if you will, but it sounds like he’s the only one who recognizes how outrageous these dollar amounts truly are.

This week, the House took up the space budget, rail-passenger improvements, and possibly a war-funding bill, while the Senate debated an energy bill.