WASHINGTON – Major roll call votes in the week ending Oct. 24.

HOUSE Loan to Iraq

Members on Oct. 21 recommended, 277 for and 139 against, that the final version of $87 billion in emergency funding for Iraq includes three disputed provisions that have been approved by the Senate but rejected by the House. The vote gave non-binding instructions to House conferees who are negotiating the bill (HR 3289) with senators. One provision requires Iraq to repay $10 billion in nation-building funds, another bolsters medical and dental benefits for military personnel in Iraq, and the third provides funds to hold down drug costs and insurance deductibles for all veterans.

A yes vote backed the non-binding motion.

Rep. Tom Allen, D-1, voted yes. Rep. Michael Michaud, D-2, voted yes.

SENATE

Congressional pay raise

Senators on Oct. 23 voted, 60 for and 34 against, to approve an approximately $3,300 pay raise in 2004. The House previously accepted the increase without conducting a record vote on it. Rank-and-file members will see their pay rise on Jan. 1 from $154,700 to about $158,000. Congressional leaders, Vice President Richard Cheney also will receive the increase as a result of this vote.

A yes vote backed a congressional pay raise.

Sen. Susan Collins, R, voted no. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R, voted no.

Abortion crime

Voting 64 for and 34 against, the Senate on Oct. 21 sent the White House the conference report on a bill (S 3) making it a federal crime for doctors to perform a type of second- or third-trimester abortion in which they partly extract the fetus, terminate it by piercing its skull and remove it. Critics call this “partial-birth abortion,” while defenders say that however gruesome, it is sometimes necessary to protect the health of the mother. The bill allows an exception to save the life of the mother but contains no health exception.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Collins and Snowe voted no.

Spam crackdown

Voting 97 for and none against, the Senate on Oct. 22 passed a bill (S 877) that would begin federal regulation of the unwanted deluge of commercial email known as spam. The bill, now awaiting House action, sets penalties of up to $3 million in fines and one year in prison. It authorizes a Federal Trade Commission do-not-email list similar to the FTC’s do-not-call list for telemarketers.

The bill gives the benefit of doubt to spammers by requiring consumers to “opt out” of unwanted messaging. Critics favored an “opt in” approach requiring spammers to obtain permission before sending mail.

Under the bill, spam messages would be required to state the sender’s identity, physical address and return Internet address.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Collins and Snowe voted yes.

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