Where The Rubber Meets The Road (1/23/09)

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 (and I also posted over here).

House

Children's health insurance. Voting 289-139, the House sent the Senate a bill (HR 3963) expanding State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) coverage from 6.6 million children to about 11 million children.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: John Adler (D., N.J.), 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.).

For those keeping score at home, by the way, this is the FIFTH time that Pancake Joe has voted against funding SCHIP (the other four times are noted here).

Pathetic…

Bailout oversight. Voting 151-274, the House defeated a bid to block federal access to the boardrooms of firms receiving taxpayer bailouts under the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). This amendment, which was proposed to a bill (HR 384) tightening federal control of TARP expenditures, sought to delete a proposal giving the Treasury authority to send observers to the board meetings of certain companies. The bill remained in debate.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Castle, LoBiondo, Pitts and Smith.

Voting no: Adler, Andrews, Brady, Dent, Fattah, Gerlach, Holden, Murphy and Schwartz.

So just remember that Castle, LoBiondo, Pitts and Chris Smith (and I promise not to treat Smith with kid gloves as I have in the past, as noted here) all oppose overseeing the actions of financial services companies benefitting from TARP funds, so that misconduct such as this would be utterly invisible if they had their way.

And speaking of TARP, I meant to note earlier that Patrick Murphy sponsored an amendment that seeks to “disclose more information about four firms that will administer a key portion of the government's bailout plan,” as noted here; the amendment passed unanimously.

Senate

$700 billion bailout. Voting 42-52, the Senate refused to block the release of $350 billion not yet disbursed from the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program that Congress and President Bush enacted in October to rescue the economy. This vote on SJ Res 5 cleared the way for the Obama administration to spend the $350 billion for what it says will be purposes such as further shoring up financial institutions, averting home foreclosures, and aiding small businesses.

A yes vote opposed release of the $350 billion.

Voting yes: Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).

Voting no: 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.).

As always, screw you, Arlen – have fun playing games with the Eric Holder AG nomination.

Update 1/27/09: And by the way, don’t think this doesn’t have anything to do with this, which, after all, is just a part of this.

Pay-bias suits. Voting 72-23, senators opened debate on a bill (S 181) giving plaintiffs greater standing to file suits alleging pay discrimination. The bill would permit claims to be filed within 180 days of the latest infraction. This would nullify a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., that requires pay-bias suits to be filed within 180 days of the first infraction.

A yes vote was to advance the bill.

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

And for the record, as noted here, here are the 23 idiot Repugs (redundant?) who voted against bringing this to the Senate floor for debate (it eventually passed).

Barrasso, John [R]
Brownback, Samuel [R]
Chambliss, C. [R]
Coburn, Thomas [R]
Cochran, Thad [R]
Cornyn, John [R]
Crapo, Michael [R]
DeMint, Jim [R]
Ensign, John [R]
Enzi, Michael [R]
Graham, Lindsey [R]
Hatch, Orrin [R]
Inhofe, James [R]
Isakson, John [R]
Johanns, Mike [R]
Kyl, Jon [R]
Lugar, Richard [R] – he should know better
Risch, James [R]
Roberts, Pat [R]
Sessions, Jefferson [R]
Shelby, Richard [R]
Thune, John [R]
Vitter, David [R] - Spitzer, Edwards and Craig gone, but he remains

This week, the House considered tighter controls on the continuing $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program bailout. The Senate debated bills on children's health coverage and pay bias, and began confirmation voting on Obama administration appointees.