Roll Call

WASHINGTON — Here’s how area members of Congress voted in the week ending July 31.

U.S. House

2010 military appropriations: On a 400-30 vote, the House approved $636.3 billion in military appropriations for fiscal 2010, including $128.2 billion for war in Iraq and Afghanistan and $29.9 billion for service members’ health care. The bill (HR 3326) funds a 3.4 percent military pay raise; bars the military’s use of torture and prohibits permanent U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, while omitting the administration’s request for funds to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The bill grants the administration’s request to cap production of the F-22 Raptor fighter jets at 187 planes but funds other large weapons programs targeted by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, such as a new VH-71 presidential helicopter fleet, an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and production of three more C-17 cargo jets.

Voting yes: Jay Inslee, D-1; Rick Larsen, D-2; Brian Baird, D-3; Doc Hastings, R-4; Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-5; Norm Dicks, D-6; Dave Reichert, R-8; Adam Smith, D-9

Voting no: Jim McDermott, D-7

Food-safety regulation: Voting 283-142, the House passed a bill greatly expanding the Food and Drug Administration’s authority over firms that handle raw and processed foods, including certain farms. The bill (HR 2749) would require an estimated hundreds of thousands of domestic and foreign facilities to pay $500 annual registration fees to the FDA, subject them to periodic inspections and require measures to prevent contamination. The bill gives the FDA power to recall contaminated foods and quarantine areas that produced them. The bill would be financed by registration and inspection fees along with congressional appropriations projected at $2 billion over five years.

Voting yes: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Dicks, Reichert, Smith

Voting no: McDermott

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Republican food motion: On a 240-186 vote, the House rejected a Republican motion to HR 2749 (above). The measure required half of the funds raised from the food-processing industry to be spent on food inspections and half on indemnifying companies against government errors such as erroneous product recalls.

Voting yes: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert

Voting no: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Smith

Highway trust fund: Voting 363-68, the House passed a bill (HR 3357) shifting $7 billion from general revenues to keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent for the next few months. Supported by the federal gasoline tax, the fund pays for congressionally approved road projects, but it is running low as Americans drive less to cope with recession and high fuel prices.

Voting yes: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Reichert, Smith

Voting no: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers

President Obama’s birthplace: Voting 378-0, the House adopted a measure (HR 593) recognizing Aug. 21, 2009, as Hawaii’s 50th anniversary of statehood and noting that President Obama was born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961. The vote drew attention because at least 10 House Republicans have sponsored a bill (HR 1503) casting doubt on Obama’s U.S. citizenship.

Voting yes: Inslee, Baird, Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Dicks, McDermott, Reichert

Voting no: None

Not voting: Larsen, Smith

Executive compensation: On a 237-185 vote, the House passed a bill (HR 3269) giving federal regulators power to curb the payment of lucrative executive bonuses by financial institutions. The bill also requires public corporations to give shareholders a nonbinding vote on executive compensation, including “golden parachute” packages, and stipulates that corporate directors who set executive-compensation levels cannot be employed by the company.

Voting yes: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Smith

Voting no: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert

U.S. Senate

Energy, water appropriations: Voting 85-9, the Senate passed a bill (HR 3183) to appropriate $34.3 billion for energy, water and nuclear programs in fiscal 2010 with $6.5 billion for maintaining the U.S. nuclear stockpile; $5.4 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers; $4.9 billion for the Department of Energy’s scientific research; $2.2 billion for developing renewable energy and energy efficiencies; $1.1 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation; and $160 million for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Voting yes: Maria Cantwell, D; Patty Murray, D

GM, Chrysler Ownership: Voting 59-38, the Senate defeated a plan to require the Treasury to distribute the government’s stock in General Motors and Chrysler to U.S. taxpayers. The amendment to HR 3183 (above) also sought to bar the Treasury from investing any more Troubled Asset Relief Corp. funds in the automakers, both of which recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy reduced in size, stripped of excessive debt and under new managements.

Voting no: Cantwell, Murray

Highway Trust Fund: Voting 79-17, the Senate sent President Obama a bill (HR 3357, above) that would allocate billions of dollars in Treasury funds to keeping the Highway Trust Fund and federal and state unemployment funds solvent. Because the bill requires repayment to the Treasury, among other offsets, the Congressional Budget Office has ruled it deficit-neutral.

Voting yes: Cantwell, D; Murray, D

Economic Stimulus: On a 56-41 vote, the Senate rejected an amendment to HR 3357 (above) that sought to use economic-stimulus appropriations rather than Treasury funds to replenish federal and state funds that pay jobless benefits. To date, the administration has spent about 25 percent of the $787 billion stimulus program, which was enacted in February to spur economic recovery and has about two years to run.

Voting no: Cantwell, Murray

Key votes ahead

In the week of Aug. 3, the Senate will debate agriculture appropriations bills and Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court. The House is in recess until the week of Sept. 7.

Votes in Congress Service

Thomas Voting Reports Inc.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Cars drive along Cathcart Way next to the site of the proposed Eastview Village development that borders Little Cedars Elementary on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in unincorporated Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Former engineer: Snohomish County rushed plans for Eastview development

David Irwin cited red flags from the developers. After he resigned, the county approved the development that’s now stalled with an appeal

Outside of the Madrona School on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sewer district notifies Edmonds schools of intent to sue

The letter of intent alleges the school district has failed to address long-standing “water pollution issues” at Madrona K-8 School.

Everett
Man stabbed in face outside Everett IHOP, may lose eye

Police say the suspect fled in the victim’s car, leading officers on a 6-mile chase before his arrest.

A person walks up 20th Street Southeast to look at the damage that closed the road on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
WA delegation urges Trump to reconsider request for bomb cyclone aid

The Washington state congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump on… Continue reading

Aaron Weinstock uses an x-ray machine toy inside the Imagine Children Museum on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Imagine Children’s Museum $250k grant reinstated following federal court order

The federal grant supports a program that brings free science lessons to children throughout rural Snohomish County.

Snohomish County 911 Executive Director Kurt Mills talks about the improvements made in the new call center space during a tour of the building on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New 911 center in Everett built to survive disaster

The $67.5 million facility brings all emergency staff under one roof with seismic upgrades, wellness features and space to expand.

Everett
Five arrested in connection with Everett toddler’s 2024 overdose death

More than a year after 13-month-old died, Everett police make arrests in overdose case.

Madison Family Shelter Family Support Specialist Dan Blizard talks about one of the pallet homes on Monday, May 19, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Madison Family Shelter reopens after hiatus

The Pallet shelter village, formerly Faith Family Village, provides housing for up to eight families for 90 days.

Searchers recover submerged shrimp boat, two bodies from Possession Sound

Everett police failed to locate a third person reported missing after the boat sank in Possession Sound on May 21.

The Everett Municipal Building on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Everett Municipal Building to close for two weeks

The closure is part of the building’s $36 million repair project. City staff will be accessible by phone and email during business hours.

Help Washington manage European green crabs with citizen science events

Washington State University and Washington Sea Grant will hold a training at Willis Tucker Park on June 2.

Emilee Swenson pulls kids around in a wagon at HopeWorks' child care center Tomorrow’s Hope, a job training program for people interested in child care, on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021 in Everett, Washington. HopeWorks is one of the organizations reciving funding from the ARPA $4.3 million stipend. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
Early learning group presents countywide survey findings

The survey highlighted the largest issues parents and providers are facing amid the county’s child care crisis.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.