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Feb 20, 2005
Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week.
Class-action suits. The House passed, 279-149, a bill (S 5) that shifts most class-action suits seeking more than
$5 million in damages from state courts to federal courts. The bill, which was signed into law by President Bush, does not
apply to strictly local or statewide disputes. It is not retroactive and places no caps on legal fees or damages.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting yes: Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Michael G. Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R.,
Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.), Christopher
H. Smith (R., N.J.) and Curt Weldon (R., Pa.).
Voting no: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.) and Allyson Schwartz (D., Pa.).
Broadcast indecency. The House passed, 389-38, and sent to the Senate a bill (HR 310) that would increase fines from
$32,500 to $500,000 per incident on TV and radio stations found to have aired indecent material. The bill requires license
hearings for serial violators, but does not define indecency.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton, Schwartz, Smith,
Weldon.
Voting no: Fattah.
Feb 6, 2005
Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes in the last week.
Military recruiters. The House adopted, 327-84, a nonbinding resolution (H Con Res 3) affirming support
of the Solomon Amendment, a 1995 law that denies federal funds to colleges that bar military recruiters from their campuses.
A yes vote backed the resolution.
Voting yes: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Michael G. Fitzpatrick
(R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James
Saxton (R., N.J.) and Allyson Schwartz (D., Pa.).
Voting no: Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.) and Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.).
Not voting: Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.) and Curt Weldon (R., Pa.).
Jan 30, 2005
Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major
roll-call votes last week.
Congressional Gold Medals.The House on Wednesday passed, 231-173, a bill (HR 54) tightening
rules for awarding the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress.
The bill caps the award at two recipients a year, limits posthumous awards, and specifies that only individuals
may receive the medal. The bill awaits Senate action.
While about 300 medals have been conferred since 1776, a recent upsurge
has prompted criticism that the award is losing distinction.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting yes: Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles
W. Dent (R., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Michael G. Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.),
Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.), Allyson Y. Schwartz
(D., Pa.), Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.) and Curt Weldon (R., Pa.).
Voting no: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.).
Party equity. Voting 182-211, the House on Wednesday rejected
an amendment that sought to split sponsorship of Congressional Gold Medals equally between Democrats and Republicans.
The underlying bill (HR 54) requires no such equality but stipulates that
two-thirds of the membership must approve of nominees for the award.
A yes vote backed the amendment.
Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Fattah, Holden, Schwartz.
Voting no: Castle, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton,
Smith, Weldon.
Jan 9, 2005
Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress
were recorded on major roll-call votes last week.
House rules, ethics. The House approved, 220-195, its operating
rules for the 109th Congress. The GOP-backed package (H Res 5) was disputed by Democrats over its weakening of the House's
power to probe corrupt or unethical acts by its members.
A yes vote was to adopt the operating rules.
Voting yes: Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Michael
G. Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James Saxton
(R., N.J.), Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.) and Curt Weldon (R., Pa.).
Voting no: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Chaka
Fattah (D., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.) and Allyson Schwartz (D., Pa.).
Ethics probes. Members adopted, 222-196, a rules change in
H Res 5 (above) making it harder for the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to investigate alleged misconduct by members.
Sponsored by Republicans, the new rule requires a majority vote by the committee to begin a formal probe. It replaces a rule
that allowed investigations to go forward on a tie vote. The committee is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.
A yes vote supported the new rule.
Voting yes: Castle, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton,
Smith and Weldon.
Voting no: Andrews, Brady, Fattah, Holden and Schwartz.
Conflict-of-interest rule. The House rejected, 219-196, a
Democratic proposal for H Res 5 (above) to ban members' discussion of future jobs with organizations over which they legislate.
The proposed rule also would have required a three-day waiting period for members to read bills before they vote on them.
A yes vote was to adopt the proposal.
Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Fattah, Holden and Schwartz.
Voting no: Castle, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton,
Smith and Weldon.
Electoral challenge. The House rejected, 267-31, a challenge
to the awarding of Ohio's 20 electoral votes to President Bush in the 2004 election. Challengers said that Bush's 118,000-vote
win in Ohio was tainted by irregularities such as a shortage of voting machines in some Democratic precincts, improper handling
of provisional ballots and partisan administration of election laws by Ohio's Republican secretary of state.
A yes vote backed the challenge.
Voting no: Andrews, Castle, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, LoBiondo, Pitts,
Saxton, Schwartz, Smith and Weldon.
Not voting: Brady, Fattah and Holden...
Roll Call Report Syndicate,
Philly.com
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