National votes

June 16, 2009|By Thomas Voting Reports

(Page 2 of 2)

Voting 164 for and 245 against, the House on June 11 defeated a Republican motion to strip HR 1886 of its conditions on military aid to Pakistan. Those benchmarks link the aid to Pakistan's progress in areas such as turning back the Taliban offensive and securing its nuclear arsenal. The bill places no benchmarks on its $6 billion in nonmilitary aid.

A yes vote backed the GOP motion.

Maryland

Bartlett, yes

Pennsylvania

Shuster, yes

West Virginia

Capito, yes

SENATE

Tobacco regulation

Voting 79 for and 17 against, the Senate on June 11 passed a bill (HR 1256) to begin federal regulation of tobacco products. Under the bill (HR 1256), the Food and Drug Administration would regulate cigarette ingredients; require public disclosure of those ingredients; restrain cigarette marketing to children; require health warnings to cover at least half of each side of a cigarette package; and require manufacturers to verify health claims. The bill would pre-empt state tobacco laws, require compliance by tribal governments and pay for itself with new fees on tobacco manufacturers and importers.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Maryland

Barbara Mikulski, D, yes

Benjamin Cardin, D, yes

Pennsylvania

Arlen Specter, D, yes

Robert Casey Jr., D, yes

West Virginia

Robert Byrd, D, not voting

John Rockefeller, D, yes

Substitute tobacco plan

Voting 36 for and 60 against, the Senate on June 9 defeated an alternative to HR 1256 that sought to locate federal tobacco regulation in the Department of Health and Human Services rather than the Food and Drug Administration. The HHS agency would not have the FDA's authority to ban carcinogens from tobacco products, but could regulate tobacco advertising. The agency would promote less harmful nicotine delivery devices, such as smokeless tobacco, as a means of lessening addiction.

A yes vote backed the alternative.

Maryland

Mikulski, no

Cardin, no

Pennsylvania

Specter, no

Casey, no

West Virginia

Byrd, not voting

Rockefeller, no

Key votes ahead

In the week of June 15, the House will take up fiscal 2010 appropriations bills, while the Senate will debate a government apology to African-Americans for slavery and racial segregation and a bill promoting foreign travel to the U.S. Both chambers will vote on a bill to fund war and foreign affairs through Sept. 30.

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