WASHINGTON – Here’s how Maine’s members of Congress were recorded on major roll call votes in the week ending June 27.

HOUSE Homeland Security

Voting 425 for and two against, the House on June 24 approved the first annual budget for the new, 170,000-employee Department of Homeland Security. The $29.4 billion appropriations bill (HR 2555) is now before the Senate. Reps. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Ron Paul, R-Tex., cast the dissenting votes.

In part, the bill provides $5.2 billion for the Transportation Security Administration; $4.4 billion for first responders on the local level; $894 million to develop antidotes to bioterrorism; $350 million for new technologies to track foreign visitors and $100 million to improve security at U.S. ports. The bill also includes tens of millions of dollars for pork barrel projects unrelated to homeland security.

Harold Rogers, R-Ky., said: “While some might suggest that we are not doing enough, I would say we are making tremendous progress in our war on terror.”

Neither opponent spoke against the bill.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Rep. Tom Allen, D, voted yes. Rep. Michael Michaud, D, voted yes.

Cargo screening

Voting 278 for and 146 against, the House on June 24 amended HR 2555 (above) to require that cargo on commercial flights be physically inspected as closely as passengers and carry-on luggage are checked. At present, as low as five percent of cargo pieces are screened for explosives.

Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said: “Terrorists do not have to hijack our airplanes any more to wreak chaos….They just have to blow a plane out of the sky.”

Harold Rogers, R-Ky., said that while the bill provides increased spending for cargo screening, “it is not humanly possible to inspect every piece of cargo that goes into the aircraft.”

A yes vote backed total cargo screening.

Allen and Michaud voted yes.

Homeland vs. tax cuts

Voting 222 for and 200 against, the House on June 24 blocked consideration of a Democratic amendment to HR 2555 (above) that sought to shift $1.1 billion from tax cuts for the wealthy to homeland security programs. The banned amendment sought to reduce tax cuts in fiscal 2004 for those earning more than $1 million from an average of $88,000 per taxpayer to $83,000, freeing up $1.1 billion for functions such as seaport security, container inspection, aviation security, Coast Guard tracking of vessels and tightening the U.S.-Canada border.

Harold Rogers, R-Ky., said the amendment violated the House rule against using appropriations bills to change existing laws.

David Obey, D-Wis., said administration tax cuts have left “only table scraps” for homeland security, healthcare and education.

A yes vote upheld a parliamentary ruling that blocked the amendment.

Allen and Michaud voted no.

Israel solidarity

The House on June 25 passed, 399 for and five against, a non-binding resolution (H Res 294) expressing U.S. solidarity with Israel and condemning recent Palestinian terrorism against Israeli civilians. Critics said it was wrong for the House to tilt in favor of Israel while President Bush and other leaders were trying to launch a balanced “road map” to peace in the Middle East.

Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Tex., said: “A vote for this resolution reaffirms the House’s commitment to Israel and to the moral clarity of our war on terror. So I just urge all members to cast that vote and join Israel’s heroic stand against evil.”

Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said: “This resolution, unfortunately, points only to obligations of Palestinians and insinuates they are not fulfilling those obligations. There are obligations by the Israelis as well….”

A yes vote backed the resolution.

Allen and Michaud voted yes.

SENATE

Coverage gap

The Senate on June 24 voted, 54 for and 42 against, to retain a coverage gap in S 1 (above) that obligates Medicare participants to pay the full cost of annual drug purchases between $4,501 and $5,800. This vote tabled (killed) an amendment requiring the government to continue subsidizing purchases up to $5,800, at which point the bill’s 90 percent catastrophic share would take effect.

Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said that because of the gap, “a lot of our senior citizens would get a better drug benefit if they went to Canada and bought their drugs.”

Rick Santorum, R-Pa., said the amendment “would bust the agreement, which is to stay within the budget of $400 billion.”

A yes vote was to keep the coverage gap.

Sen. Susan Collins, R, voted yes. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R, voted yes.

Lawmakers’ drug plan

The Senate on June 24 voted, 93 for and three against, to reduce prescription drug benefits for members of Congress to the level available to their Medicare constituents in S 1 (above). The Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan provides lawmakers with drug benefits about twice as generous as those provided to constituents in the bill. If the House goes along, the equalization of benefits would take effect next year.

Mark Dayton, D-Minn., said: “If you calculate the total benefits provided, the value of this bill is about half of what members of Congress get…as part of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan system.”

No senator spoke against the amendment.

A yes vote backed equal benefits.

Collins and Snowe voted yes.