Tulsa World: Roll Call

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Roll Call

By Targeted News Services
Published: 11/22/2009 2:28 AM
Last Modified: 11/22/2009 5:16 AM

WASHINGTON — Here's how Oklahoma senators and House of Representatives members voted on key bills and amendments last week. A "Y" means the member voted for the measure; an "N" means the member voted against the measure; a "?" means the member did not vote.

HOUSE

Vote 1: Requiring crime reporting by cruise vessels: The House approved the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (H.R. 3360), sponsored by Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., to create crime reporting and safety requirements for cruise vessels. The vote Tuesday was 416 yeas to 4 nays.

Vote 2: Firefighter safety standard compliance: The House passed an amendment, sponsored by Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., to the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3791), to authorize a nationwide survey to assess compliance of fire departments with best practices on firefighter safety, and to establish a task force to recommend to Congress ways to increase compliance with firefighter safety standards. The vote Wednesday was 358 yeas to 75 nays.

Vote 3: Firefighting assistance grants: The House passed the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3791), sponsored by Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., to reauthorize and improve the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974. The legislation reauthorizes funding for the Assistance to Firefighters grant program, which provides funding for local fire departments to purchase equipment, vehicles and training, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program, which provides assistance to keep local fire departments prepared and able to respond to the needs of their communities. The vote Wednesday was 395 yeas to 31 nays.

Vote 4: Medicare physician payment reform: The House passed the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (H.R. 3961), sponsored by Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., to reform the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate payment system for physicians. The program would provide for a repayment schedule for doctors providing medical care and being reimbursed under Medicaid. Proponents said the legislation "fulfills a promise to our doctors that they're going to be appropriately paid for their services, and it assures that Medicare will continue to be available to provide services for our seniors." Opponents expressed concerns that the recently passed health-care legislation removed $500 billion from the Medicare program and said the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act "does not fix our physician reimbursement problem. It simply replaces one system of cuts with another" and that it would add more than $200 billion to the federal deficit. The vote Thursday was 243 yeas to 183 nays.

Vote 5: Native American business development: The House passed the Native American Business Development Enhancement Act (H.R. 1834), sponsored by Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., to amend the Small Business Act and improve assistance provided to Native American tribal members, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. The vote Thursday was 343 yeas to 55 nays.

DB: Dan Boren (D)
TC: Tom Cole (R)
MF: Mary Fallin (R)
FL: Frank Lucas (R)
JS: John Sullivan (R)

HOUSE VOTE

Issue	DB	TC	MF	FL	JS
Vote 1	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Vote 2	Y	Y	Y	Y	N
Vote 3	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Vote 4	N	N	N	N	N
Vote 5	Y	Y	?	Y	Y

SENATE

Vote 1: Funds to house homeless veterans: The Senate approved an amendment, sponsored by Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 3082), to provide $50 million to convert unused agency buildings into housing for homeless veterans. Proponents said "this amendment will allow the VA to put to good use buildings on VHA campuses currently sitting empty" by housing veterans in close proximity to the medical and mental health services veterans need to help them rebuild their lives. The vote Tuesday was 98 yeas to 1 nay.

Vote 2: Guantanamo detainee housed in U.S.: The Senate tabled an amendment, sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 3082), that would have barred funding to hold in the U.S. individuals currently held at the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba. Proponents said the amendment was a second chance "to try to keep terrorists from coming into the United States." Opponents said it "would prevent law enforcement officials from taking the steps that are necessary to improve security in local communities and that it would put [U.S.] security at risk." The vote to table the amendment Tuesday was 57 yeas to 43 nays.

Vote 3: Veterans affairs, military construction funding: The Senate approved the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 3082), sponsored by Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, to provide fiscal 2010 funding for the Veterans Affairs Department and military construction programs. The bill provides for $19.2 million to increase the role of the VA Office of Inspector General in oversight of the VA to see that tax dollars are spent appropriately, $4.6 billion for the VA to continue improvements in post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health care for veterans, $2.8 billion for new military hospitals, $1.4 billion for military construction to support troops in Afghanistan, $1 billion for new child care centers, $570 million in additional funding for barracks, $450 million to build new troop housing for Army trainees, $200 million for the Guard and Reserve Construction Initiative and funding to provide for 1,200 new claims processors to reduce the backlog of veterans receiving the benefits. The vote Tuesday was unanimous with 100 yeas.

JI: Jim Inhofe (R)
TC: Tom Coburn (R)

SENATE VOTE

Issue	JI	TC
Vote 1	Y	N
Vote 2	N	N
Vote 3	Y	Y

By Targeted News Services

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	Report Comment justiceawaits, Claremore (11/22/2009 8:52:55 AM) The one vote to deny medical aid to our vets. Tom Coburn. What a tool.
	Report Comment Few Clothes, America (11/22/2009 11:19:07 AM) Sir, Yes Sir! All present and accounted for Sir!
	Report Comment Skeptic, Tulsa (11/22/2009 11:25:36 PM) Senate Vote 1 seems like a prudent us of empty buildings. I wonder what Dr. No knew that the other 98 senators, including Jim Inhofe didn't? justiceawaits, good one. tool sounds a lot like "fool".
	Report Comment Get out of my bidness!, The Republic of the United States of America (11/23/2009 7:33:11 AM) I would guess that the doc, as every other senator does, knows that the number of homeless vets is far over-reported. And that to get more than a handful to use such facilities, the feds would have to lock them in. It's a feel-good toss-away of $50 million.
	Report Comment Skeptic, Tulsa (11/23/2009 6:26:14 PM) I doubt it G o o m b.

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