WASHINGTON – Here’s how Maine’s members of Congress were recorded on major roll call votes in the week ending July 9.

HOUSE Gifts to Cubans

The House on July 7 voted, 221 for and 194 against, to block new Bush administration limits on gifts by Americans to family members in Cuba. The rules ban the sending of goods such as clothing, personal hygiene items and soap-making equipment; cap the number of parcels that a single family can send, and limit the weight of packages hand-carried to Cuba.

The vote occurred during debate on a bill (HR 4754) appropriating $39.8 billion in fiscal 2005 for the departments of State, Justice and Commerce and related agencies. The measure is now before the Senate.

Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said of the rules: “It is hard to think of an economic sanction that does more harm to the welfare of families in Cuba or does more to make the United States seem mean-spirited towards families who already have the misfortune to live under Communism.”

A yes vote was to block the rules.

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

Medical marijuana

Voting 148 for and 268 against, the House on July 7 rejected the supremacy of state laws that legalize marijuana smoking for pain relief and other medicinal purposes. The amendment to HR 4754 (above) affirms federal prosecutorial authority in ten states with such laws: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., said “it is time for the federal government to respect the rights of individual states to determine their own health and criminal justice policies on this matter.”

Mark Souder, R-Ind., said the amendment sends “the wrong message to our youth…our law enforcement…the people in the streets trying to reclaim their often crime-ridden neighborhoods from drug dealers and addicts….”

A yes vote was to end federal override of state medical-marijuana laws.

Allen and Michaud voted yes.

COPS funding

Voting 206 for and 212 against, the House on July 7 refused to shift $107 million from the Census Bureau budget to the COPS program, which provides grants to help local police departments add officers and equipment. The amendment to HR 4754 (above) sought to keep 2005 COPS funding at its 2004 level of $219 million. COPS was begun in the Clinton administration to put 100,000 additional officers on the street.

Frank Wolf, R-Va., said the amendment “would debilitate the 2010 Census,” causing the elimination of more than 1,000 jobs.

A yes vote was to increase COPS funding.

Allen and Michaud voted yes.

Short-form census

Voting 71 for and 342 against, the House on July 7 refused to strip HR 4754 (above) of $174 million for a redesign of the 2010 Census short form. This left intact a $774 million overall budget for the Census Bureau in fiscal 2005. Critics called the redesign wasteful, while foes of the proposed cut said it would imperil census accuracy.

Joel Hefley, R-Colo., said “if we do not have people at the Census Bureau that have the ability to redesign a form for a whole lot less than $174 million, then we need some new people.”

Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said “it takes years of planning for a census” and that the proposed cut would “result in a more costly or less accurate census or both.”

A yes vote backed the cut.

Allen and Michaud voted no.

SENATE

Judge J. Leon Holmes

Senators on July 6 confirmed, 51 for and 46 against, J. Leon Holmes as a federal judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Holmes was criticized for making extreme comments on social issues, such as his written statement in 1980 that women almost never are impregnated by rape. Supporters noted he has publicly apologized for that remark and predicted he would serve as a fair and impartial judge.

A yes vote was to confirm Holmes.

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

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