WASHINGTON – Here’s how Maine’s members of Congress were recorded on major roll call votes in the week ending July 25.
HOUSE Patriot Act searches
The House on July 22 voted to repeal, 309 for and 118 against, a section of the post-Sept. 11 USA Patriot Act that permits the Justice Department and spy agencies such as the CIA to conduct searches of homes in the United States without telling occupants of the intrusion until later. The repeal was added to a fiscal 2004 appropriations bill (HR 2799) for the departments of State, Justice and Commerce and other agencies. More than 47 such searches have been conducted since nine-eleven, according to debate. If the Senate goes along, the repeal would last until the appropriations bill expires on Sept. 30, 2004.
A yes vote backed repeal.
Rep. Tom Allen, D, voted yes. Rep. Michael Michaud, D, voted yes.
TV networks
Voting 400 for and 21 against, the House on July 23 passed HR 2799 (above). In part, the appropriations bill blocks new FCC rules that would raise from 35 percent to 45 percent the share of U.S. households that a single media company can reach with its television stations. The move to block the FCC rules, and thus prevent networks such as Fox and CBS from adding stations, is now before the Senate. Other FCC media rules were unchanged by this bill (next issue).
David Obey, D-Wis., said: “We are in a terrible situation today, where five media conglomerates control a 70 percent share of homes that watch during prime time, 80 percent of the major cable owners are owned by the same media conglomerates, and we need to see to it that we do not allow that situation to get any worse.”
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Allen and Michaud voted yes.
Media ownership
Voting 174 for and 254 against, the House on July 22 rejected a bid to keep existing limits on media ownership in U.S. communities. While there are many exceptions, the limits generally ban a single company from owning both a newspaper and broadcast station in the same market. This amendment to HR 2799 (above) sought to block new FCC rules that would end the cross-ownership ban and also increase the number of TV stations one company could own in all but the smallest markets.
A yes vote was to retain current cross-ownership limits.
Allen and Michaud voted yes.
Child Tax credits
Voting 193 for and 212 against, the House on July 21 refused to endorse immediate payment of an expanded child tax credit to millions of low-income families – those earning between $10,500 to $26,625 per year – who were denied the benefit in a $350 billion tax cut that became law in May.
About 25 million Treasury checks worth $400 per child were to be mailed in late July to families covered by the May law. On this vote, the issue was whether House conferees on HR 1308 should accept a Senate bill that would enable the excluded low-income families to also receive $400-per-child checks in July.
The vote left the House and Senate gridlocked
over the issue.
J.C. Hayworth, R-Ariz., noted that low-income taxpayers already “can avail themselves of thousands of dollars” from programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.
A yes vote was to accept the Senate bill.
Allen and Michaud voted yes.
SENATE
Homeland Security
Voting 43 for and 50 against, the Senate on July 22 refused to increase the Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal 2004 budget (HR 2555) by $1.75 billion, to about $31 billion. The amendment sought to add $730 million for first responders; $602 million for transportation and port security; $238 million for tightening borders with Canada and Mexico; $100 million for screening air cargo and $80 million for dealing with chemical attacks. The proposed spending was not offset and thus would have enlarged the 2004 deficit.
A yes vote backed the budget increase.
Sen. Susan Collins, R, voted no. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R, voted no.
Grants to firefighters
Voting 48 for and 49 against, during debate on HR 2555 (above), the Senate on July 23 refused to raise fiscal 2004 grants to local fire departments by $150 million, to $900 million.
Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said departments “no longer can rely strictly on local funding to provide the sophisticated support they need to respond to the demands they are being asked to meet.”
A yes vote backed a 20 percent increase in grants to firefighters.
Collins and Snowe voted no.
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