WASHINGTON — Here's how Congress voted on major roll calls last week, excluding Saturday's votes.
House
CREDIT-CARD RULES
The House voted 312-112 on Tuesday to send the Senate a bill (HR 5244) setting pro-consumer rules for credit-card firms. In part, the bill allows cardholders to set their own limits above which transactions cannot be processed; sets 18 as the minimum age for obtaining a card in most circumstances; requires 45 days' notice of rate increases while allowing existing balances to be paid at the previous rate; and prohibits changes in contract terms until a card is up for renewal.
Additionally, the bill limits the use of outside credit information as a basis for increasing annual percentage rates; bans fees on balances attributable to accrued interest on debt that has been paid; bans interest charges on balances paid on time; and sets standards for issuing subprime, or "fee harvester," cards to those with poor credit ratings.
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A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Yes: Republican Rick Renzi and Democrats Ed Pastor, Harry Mitchell, Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords.
No: Republicans Trent Franks, John Shadegg and Jeff Flake.
GOP CREDIT-CARD PLAN
On Tuesday the House, voting 198 for and 219 against, defeated a Republican motion to delay the effects of HR 5244 (above) until the Federal Reserve studies the bill and certifies it would not shrink credit availability and damage the economy.
A yes vote backed the GOP plan.
Yes: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Mitchell, Flake, Giffords.
No: Pastor, Grijalva.
MENTAL-HEALTH PARITY
The House voted 376-47 on Tuesday to pass a bill (HR 6983) requiring private insurers to cover mental illness and chemical addiction at the same level and cost that they cover physical ailments in the same policy. Backers were hopeful the measure would become law this year because the Senate included a similar measure in HR 6049 (below).
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Yes: Renzi, Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva, Giffords.
No: Franks, Shadegg, Flake.
STOPGAP BUDGET, OFFSHORE DRILLING
The House voted 370-58 on Wednesday to approve a $630 billion bill (HR 2638) to provide regular 2009 appropriations for veterans programs and the departments of Defense and Homeland Security along with stopgap funding through March 6 for the remainder of the federal government. The bill also allows the congressional ban on offshore drilling to expire while providing $25 billion in loan guarantees to help U.S. automakers build hybrid and electric vehicles, $23 billion for recovery from natural disasters and billions of dollars for members' earmarks. Democratic leaders chose stopgap funding at 2008 levels in hopes that their spending priorities will fare better in the next administration.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Yes: Renzi, Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva, Giffords.
No: Franks, Shadegg, Flake.
2009 MILITARY BUDGET
The House voted 392-39 on Wednesday to join the Senate in authorizing $612.5 billion in military spending for 2009, including $70 billion to fund war in Afghanistan and Iraq for part of the fiscal year. The bill (S 3001) sets a 3.9 percent military pay raise, bars permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq, bans premium or copay increases in the military health plan known as TRICARE and provides billions of dollars in earmarks for lawmakers' pet projects.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Yes: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva, Giffords.
No: Flake.
FILIPINO VETERANS' BENEFITS
The House voted 392-23 on Tuesday to pass a bill (HR 6897) that would award payments to 13,000 Filipino veterans who fought under U.S. command in World War II but were denied veterans benefits by a 1946 act of Congress. The bill would provide one-time payments of $15,000 to Filipinos of U.S. citizenship living in the United States and $9,000 to those who are not U.S. citizens. The bill must be reconciled with a similar Senate measure.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Yes: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva, Giffords.
No: Flake.
ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX
The House voted 393-30 on Wednesday to join the Senate in approving a bill (HR 7005) enabling 22 million middle-income households to avoid the Alternative Minimum Tax in 2008, with the $64 billion-plus cost added to the national debt. The House voted in June to pay for the bill by closing loopholes that benefit oil and gas firms, investment partnerships and hedge funds. Senate Republicans (below) objected to that approach on grounds that spending cuts rather than tax increases should pay for the fix.
The AMT was enacted in 1969 to prevent a few wealthy filers from using deductions, exemptions and shelters to avoid income taxes. Not indexed for inflation, the levy has crept into middle-income brackets. Even with this fix, the AMT will add a projected $2,400 per return to the 2008 tax bills of 4 million middle-income filers.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Yes: Franks, Shadegg, Pastor, Mitchell, Flake, Grijalva, Giffords.
Not voting: Renzi.
Senate
TAX BREAK EXTENSIONS
The Senate voted 93-2 on Tuesday to pass a bill (HR 6049) to extend tens of billions of dollars in business, family, renewable-energy and education tax breaks due to expire at year's end. Most of the extensions would be for at least two years and would be offset elsewhere in the budget. But the bill contains a one-year fix of the Alternative Minimum Tax whose cost of at least $64 billion would be added to the national debt. The bill also requires parity between mental and physical health insurance coverage and extends deductions for state and local sales taxes in states without an income tax.
The bill's $18 billion in renewable-energy tax credits would promote fuel extraction from sources such as the sun, wind and crops and promote the manufacture of more energy-efficient homes, buildings and appliances.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Yes: Republican Jon Kyl.
Not voting: Republican John McCain.
PAY AS YOU GO
On Tuesday the Senate, voting 53 for and 42 against, failed to reach 60 votes for offsetting the $64 billion-plus cost of fixing the Alternative Minimum Tax in 2008. To keep the fix from adding to the national debt, the amendment to HR 6049 sought to close loopholes that concern the offshore compensation of hedge-fund managers and worldwide interest payments by multinational corporations. The amendment also sought to increase royalty payments on outer- continental-shelf energy production and crack down on non-substantive business transactions designed solely to evade taxes.
A yes vote backed pay-as-you-go.
No: Kyl.
Not voting: McCain.
Thomas Voting Reports
