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Christopher's
Votes - June, 2002
Arts,
Immigration, Social Services and other Domestic Issues
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(254) - HR4858: Doctor Visas - Passage
June 25, 2002 - Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., motion to suspend the
rules and pass the bill that would extend, retroactive to May
31, 2002, for two years a visa waiver program that allows foreign
doctors serving medically underserved areas in the United States
to remain in the country without going home after finishing
medical training. It also would raise the maximum number of
such waivers in each state from 20 to 30. Motion agreed to 407-7.
VOTE: Yea
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(260) HR4070: Social Security Fraud - Passage
June 26, 2002 - Shaw, R-Fla., motion to suspend the rules
and pass the bill that would require the Social Security Administration
to reissue benefits when a "representative payee,"
either an individual or an organization, misuses those funds.
It would require non-governmental organizations serving as
representative payees to be bonded and licensed if possible
in their state of residence and prohibit convicted felons
from serving as representatives. Any representative payee
misusing benefits would be liable for those funds and subjected
to a $5,000 fine per violation plus twice the amount of misused
benefits. The bill also would contain other anti-fraud provisions
that would include imposing fines on individuals who fail
to notify the Social Security Administration of circumstances
that could impact the amount of benefits received. Motion
agreed to 425-0.
VOTE: Yea
Budget, Taxes, and Economy
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(207) HR4823: Holocaust Payments - Passage
June 04, 2002 - Shaw, R-Fla., motion to suspend the rules
and pass the bill that would permanently extend a provision
in last year's $1.35 trillion tax cut package exempting from
taxable income restitution payments to Holocaust victims.
Motion agreed to 392-1. A "yea" was a vote in support
of the president's position.
VOTE: Yea
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(208) HR4800: Adoption Tax Credit - Passage
June 04, 2002 - Camp, R-Mich., motion to suspend the rules
and pass the bill that would permanently extend a provision
in last year's $1.35 trillion tax cut package increasing the
adoption tax credit from $5,000 ($6,000 for children with
special needs) to $10,000. It also would double to $10,000
the amount an employer may deduct for employee-adoption assistance.
Motion agreed to 391-1. A "yea" was a vote in support
of the president's position.
VOTE: Yea
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(216) HR2143: Estate Tax Repeal - Rule
June 06, 2002 - Adoption of the rule (H Res 435) to provide
for House floor consideration of the bill that would permanently
extend the repeal of the estate and gift tax contained in
last year's $1.35 trillion tax cut law. Adopted 227-195
VOTE: Yea
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(217) HR2143: Estate Tax Repeal - Democratic Substitute
June 06, 2002 - Pomeroy, D-N.D., substitute amendment that
would strike the measure's permanent repeal language and replace
it with provisions that would cap the maximum estate tax rate
at 50 percent but permanently raise from $1 million to $3
million the value of an estate exempt from taxation. It also
would reimpose a 5 percent surtax on estates worth more than
$10 million.
Rejected 197-231.
VOTE: Nay
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(218) HR2143: Estate Tax Repeal - Recommit
June 06, 2002 - Stenholm, D-Texas, motion to recommit the
bill to the House Ways and Means Committee with instructions
that it be reported back with language to add a new section
that would provide that the bill's tax reductions are contingent
on preserving Social Security.
Motion rejected 205-223.
VOTE: Nay
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(219) HR2143: Estate Tax Repeal - Passage
June 06, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would permanently
extend the repeal of the estate and gift tax contained in
last year's $1.35 trillion tax cut law. Passed 256-171. A
"yea" was a vote in support of the president's position.
VOTE: Yea
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(225) HJRES96: Tax Limitation Constitutional Amendment
- Passage
June 12, 2002 - Passage of the joint resolution that would
propose a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds
majority vote of both the House and Senate to pass legislation
that raises federal revenues by more than a "de minimus"
amount, except in times of war or military conflict threatening
national security. Rejected 227-178.
VOTE: Yea
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(226) HR4019: Married Couples Tax Relief - Rule
June 13, 2002 - Adoption of the rule (H Res 440) to provide
for House floor consideration of the bill that would permanently
extend breaks for married couples contained in last year's
$1.35 trillion tax cut law. Adopted 385-22.
VOTE: Yea
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(228) HR4019: Married Couples Tax Relief - Democratic Substitute
June 13, 2002 - Matsui, D-Calif., substitute amendment that
would permanently extend breaks for married couples contained
in last year's $1.35 trillion tax cut law but only if the
Office of Management and Budget certifies that there would
be no increase in the deficit in the non-Social Security portion
of the budget during the 10-year estimating period beginning
in fiscal 2011. Rejected 198-213.
VOTE: Nay
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(229) HR4019: Married Couples Tax Relief - Passage
June 13, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would permanently
extend breaks for married couples contained in last year's
$1.35 trillion tax cut law. It would indefinitely extend an
increase in married couples' standard deduction, and raise
their income subject to the 15 percent rate to double that
of individuals. The bill also would permanently allow married
couples to earn $3,000 more than single tax filers and continue
to qualify for the earned income tax credit. Passed 271-142.
A "yea" was a vote in support of the president's
position.
VOTE: Yea
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(247) HR4931: Pension Benefits - Recommit
June 21, 2002 - Neal, D-Mass., motion to recommit the bill
to the House Ways and Means Committee with instructions that
it be reported back with language that would prevent the practice
of "corporate inversion," under which a U.S. company
inverts its corporate structure so that the parent firm is
technically located in a tax-free nation and only a subsidiary
is located in the United States, for the purpose of escaping
federal taxes. Motion rejected 186-192.
VOTE: Nay
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(275) HR5011, S2578, HRES462: Fiscal 2003 Military Construction
Appropriations - Amendment to the Rule
June 27, 2002 - Myrick, R-N.C., amendment that would provide
for House floor consideration of the bill (S 2578) that would
increase the public debt limit by approximately $450 billion.
Adopted 219-211.
VOTE: Yea
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(278) S2578: Debt Limit - Recommit
June 27, 2002 - Moore, D-Kansas, motion to recommit the bill
to the House Ways and Means Committee with instructions that
it be reported back with language that would increase the
public debt limit by approximately $150 billion. Motion rejected
207-222.
VOTE: Nay
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(279) S2578: Debt Limit - Passage
June 27, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would increase the
public debt limit by approximately $450 billion.
Passed (thus cleared for the president) 215-214. A "yea"
was a vote in support of the president's position.
VOTE: Yea
Business, Trade, and Consumer Affairs
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(210) S1372: Export-Import Bank - Conference Report
June 05, 2002 - Adoption of the conference report on the bill
that would reauthorize the Export-Import Bank through fiscal
2006. The agreement would increase the bank's aggregate loan
limit from $75 billion to $100 billion over the next four
years and increase small business related activities including
doubling, to 20 percent, loans assisting those businesses.
It would allow the president to disapprove loans through the
Tied Aid Credit Fund that he determines would impede arrangements
restricting the use of tied aid. The agreement also would
extend the work of an advisory committee on Africa and continue
additional reports to Congress on increasing U.S. exports
to Africa.
Adopted (thus sent to the Senate) 344-78.
VOTE: Yea
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(257) HR4846: U.S. Mint Coins - Passage
June 25, 2002 - Oxley, R-Ohio, motion to suspend the rules
and pass the bill that would allow the U.S. Mint to continue
to produce Silver Eagle coins by authorizing the purchase
of silver on the open market. It also would require annual
and audited reports on the mint's financial position, including
details about the cost and revenue of coins that support its
operations. Motion agreed to 417-1.
VOTE: Yea
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(264) HR3009: Andean Trade - Rule for a Conference
June 26, 2002 - Adoption of the rule that would initiate a
motion to go to conference on the bill (HR 3009) that would
extend through 2006 the Andean Trade Preference Act, which
would grant duty-free status to about 6,000 products from
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The rule would amend
the bill to include language that would allow expedited negotiation
and implementation of trade agreements between the executive
branch and foreign countries, extend the Trade Adjustment
Assistance program through fiscal 2003, and extend the Generalized
Systems of Preferences, which offers developing countries
duty-free treatment to selected U.S. exports, through Dec.
31, 2002. It would authorize $9.1 billion for the U.S. Customs
Service through fiscal 2004. It would express the sense of
Congress that President Bush should maintain the U.S. ability
to strictly enforce its trade laws at World Trade Organization
negotiations and resist agreements that would reduce fair
trade regulations. The bill also would restrict certain textile
imports from the Caribbean and Africa.
Adopted 216-215.
VOTE: Yea
Crime, Drugs, and Judicial Affairs
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(255) HR4679: Sex Offender Supervision - Passage
June 25, 2002 - Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., motion to suspend the
rules and pass the bill that would increase from five years
to up to life the maximum amount of post-imprisonment supervision
time a judge may impose on an individual convicted of a sex
offense. Motion agreed to 409-3.
VOTE: Yea
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(256) HR4623: Virtual Pornography - Passage
June 25, 2002 - Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., motion to suspend the
rules and pass the bill that would forbid producing, trafficking
in, or possessing computer images and computer-generated images
of minors, or of images virtually indistinguishable from minors,
engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Motion agreed to 413-8: R 215-1; D 196-7 (ND 146-5, SD 50-2);
I 2-0.
Note: A two-thirds majority of those present (281 in this
case) is required for passage under suspension of the rules.
A "yea" was a vote in support of the president's
position.
VOTE: Yea
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(259) HR4477: Illicit Sexual Activity - Passage
June 26, 2002 - Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., motion to suspend the
rules and pass the bill that would criminalize traveling into
the United States or to a foreign country to engage in illicit
sexual conduct with a minor. Intent would not have to be proved
for individuals travelling abroad and engaging in illicit
activity. The bill also would criminalize facilitating or
conspiring in such activity. Violations would be punishable
for up to 15 years in prison. Motion agreed to 418-8.
VOTE: Yea
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(273) HRES459: Pledge of Allegiance - Adoption
June 27, 2002 - Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., motion to suspend the
rules and adopt the resolution that would express the sense
of the House that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals erred
in holding in Newdow v. U.S. Congress that having the Pledge
of Allegiance read in public schools is an unconstitutional
endorsement of religion because of the words "one nation,
under God." It also supports the current wording of the
pledge and urges the court to reverse its decision in the
case.
Motion agreed to 416-3.
VOTE: Yea
Defense and National Security
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(269) HR5010: Fiscal 2003 Defense Appropriations - Fort
Greeley Silos
June 27, 2002 - Tierney, D-Mass., amendment that would cut
$121.8 million for construction of silos at Fort Greeley,
Alaska. Rejected 112-314.
VOTE: Nay
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(270) HR5010: Fiscal 2003 Defense Appropriations - Passage
June 27, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would provide $354.7
billion for the Defense Department for fiscal 2003, about
11 percent more than fiscal 2002. The bill would include $7.4
billion for ballistic missile defense, meet the president's
request for several aircraft programs, including funding for
the new Joint Strike Fighter and 23 F-22 fighters, and increase
funding for counter-terrorism activities. The bill also would
fund several shipbuilding programs and fund a 4.1 percent
pay increase for military personnel. Passed 413-18.
VOTE: Yea
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(276) HR5011, HRES462, S2578: Fiscal 2003 Military Construction
Appropriations - Rule
June 27, 2002 - Adoption of the rule (H Res 462) to provide
for House floor consideration of the bill (HR 5011) that would
provide $10.1 billion in fiscal 2003 for military construction
projects and the bill (S 2578) that would increase the public
debt limit by approximately $450 billion. Adopted 269-160.
VOTE: Yea
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(277) HR5011: Fiscal 2003 Military Construction Appropriations
- Passage
June 27, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would provide $10.1
billion in fiscal 2003 for military construction projects,
including the building of barracks, family housing, and medical
facilities, $522 million less than the current level. The
bill includes $545 million to cover costs of prior base closures
and $673 million for anti-terrorism activities. It also includes
funds for child care centers, environmental clean up at closed
military facilities, and the U.S. contribution to North Atlantic
Treaty Organization security efforts. Passed 426-1.
VOTE: Yea
Education
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(266) HR3180: School Compact Consent - Passage
June 26, 2002 - Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., motion to suspend the
rules and pass the bill that would give congressional consent
to two school districts in the New Hampshire-Vermont Interstate
School Compact to change the way they vote on bond initiatives.
Motion agreed to 425-0.
VOTE: Yea
Environment, Energy, Science, and Technology
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(211) HR4664: National Science Foundation - Biosafety Research
June 05, 2002 - Woolsey, D-Calif., amendment that would authorize
$35 million to establish a Biosafety Research program that
would study the impact on biological systems of new variations
of plant and other species. Rejected 165-259.
VOTE: Nay
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(212) HR4664: National Science Foundation - Passage
June 05, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would reauthorize
the National Science Foundation (NSF) through fiscal 2005.
It would authorize $5.5 billion for the agency for fiscal
2003 and increase that amount by another 15 percent annually
over the next two years. The bill would set specific allocation
levels among the NSF's research, education and other accounts.
It would require the agency to prioritize funding requests
under the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction
account annually and to submit a report to Congress on the
list of priority items and their ranking justification. The
bill would set up a joint committee to facilitate work between
the NSF and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
It also would direct the NSF's inspector general to conduct
an annual audit on the agency's compliance with public meeting
requirements. Passed 397-25.
VOTE: Yea
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(223) HR4: Energy Plan - Motion to Instruct
June 12, 2002 - Markey, D-Mass., motion to instruct House
conferees to insist that no provisions in the bill create
a net annual deficit in the non-Social Security portion of
the budget during the 10-year estimating period. Motion agreed
to 412-1.
VOTE: Yea
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(249) HR3937: Cibola National Wildlife Refuge - Passage
June 24, 2002 - Cannon, R-Utah, motion to suspend the rules
and pass the bill that would revoke refuge designation for
the 140-acre parcel of land making up "Walter's Camp"
in California's Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. Motion agreed
to 375-0.
VOTE: Yea
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(250) HR3786: Glen Canyon Recreation Area - Passage
June 24, 2002 - Cannon, R-Utah, motion to suspend the rules
and pass the bill that would allow the Interior Department
to exchange 370 acres in Arizona's Glen Canyon National Recreation
Area for 152 acres located nearby and owned by Page One Corp.
Motion agreed to 374-0.
VOTE: Yea
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(251) HR3971: Wildfire Fatalities - Passage
June 24, 2002 - Goodlatte, R-Va., motion to suspend the rules
and pass the bill that would require the Agriculture Department's
inspector general to independently investigate any death of
a National Forest Service employee caused by wildfire entrapment
or burnover.
Motion agreed to 377-0.
VOTE: Yea
Executive Branch, Federal Buildings,
and District of Columbia
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(272) HR3034: Frank Sinatra Building - Passage
June 27, 2002 - Sullivan, R-Okla., motion to suspend the rules
and pass the bill that would name a post office in Hoboken,
N.J., after the late singer and entertainer Frank Sinatra.
Motion agreed to 427-0.
VOTE: Yea
Foreign Affairs
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(214) Question of Privilege - Ruling of the Chair
June 06, 2002 - Hyde, R-Ill., motion to table (kill) the Kucinich,
D-Ohio, appeal of the ruling of the chair that the Kucinich
resolution does not constitute a point of privilege under
Rule IX of the House. The Kucinich resolution would call for
congressional approval prior to the president's withdrawal
of the United States from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile
Treaty. Motion agreed to 254-169.
VOTE: Yea
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(221) HCONRES394: World Cup Hosts - Adoption
June 11, 2002 - Royce, R-Calif., motion to suspend the rules
and adopt the concurrent resolution that would pay tribute
to the Republic of Korea and Japan as hosts of the 2002 World
Cup soccer tournament and recognize the importance of those
two countries' relationship with the United States.
Motion agreed to 402-1.
VOTE: Yea
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(222) HCONRES213: North Korean Refugees - Adoption
June 11, 2002 - Leach, R-Iowa, motion to suspend the rules
and adopt the concurrent resolution that would urge China
to respect rights of asylum for North Korean refugees and
meet the requirements of the U.N. Convention on the Status
of Refugees of 1951. Motion agreed to 406-0.
VOTE: Yea
Health Care
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(220) - HRES438: Impact of Obesity - Adoption
June 11, 2002 - Fossella, R-N.Y., motion to suspend the rules
and adopt the resolution that would express the sense of the
House that obesity is a major health problem and urge efforts
to combat it.
Motion agreed to 400-2.
VOTE: Yea
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(280) HR4954: Prescription Drug Coverage - Rule
June 27, 2002 - Adoption of the rule (H Res 465) to provide
for House floor consideration of the bill that would allow
Medicare recipients to cover prescription drug costs through
private insurance policies beginning in 2005.Adopted 218-213.
VOTE: Yea
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(281) HR4954: Prescription Drug Coverage - Recommit
June 28, 2002 - Gephardt, D-Mo., motion to recommit the bill
to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce
Committee with instructions that it be reported back promptly
with language that would set up a prescription drug program
through Medicare. Patients would be charged $25 monthly and
would have to pay a $100 deductible. Patients would be required
to pay 20 percent of drug costs up to $2,000. Medicare would
cover all costs above $2,000.
Motion rejected 204-223.
VOTE: Nay
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(282) HR4954: Prescription Drug Coverage - Passage
June 28, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would allow Medicare
recipients to cover prescription drug costs through private
insurance policies beginning in 2005. The bill would cost
$350 billion over 10 years. Patients would pay a $33 monthly
premium and have a $250 annual deductible. Patients would
pay 20 percent of drug costs from $251 to $1,000 and 50 percent
of costs from $1,001 to $2,000. They would pay all costs from
$2,001 to $3,700, anything above that would be covered entirely
by insurers. Subsidies would be given to reduce premiums and
co-payments for low-income patients. The bill would include
subsidies for insurers that would equal 67 percent of the
cost of insurance coverage. It also would increase Medicare
payments to health-care providers at a 10-year cost of $34.5
billion.
Passed 221-208.
VOTE: Yea
Labor and Retirement
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(245) HR4931: Pension Benefits - Rule
June 21, 2002 - Adoption of the rule (H Res 451) to provide
for House floor consideration of the bill that would permanently
extend the additional incentives for pension and retirement
contributions contained in last year's $1.35 trillion tax
cut law. Adopted 344-52.
VOTE: Yea
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(246) HR4931: Pension Benefits - Democratic Substitute
June 21, 2002 - Neal, D-Mass., amendment that would permanently
extend the additional incentives for pension and retirement
contributions contained in last year's $1.35 trillion tax
cut law but include additional provisions that would provide
additional benefits for lower-level employees and place additional
constraints on top executives. It would include a non-refundable
tax credit for retirement plan contributions by middle and
low-income employees, disallow the $200,000 compensation limit
on plans that favor well-compensated employees over not-so-well
compensated employees, and alter "top heavy" requirements
so that employer matching contributions are not considered
when determining whether the minimum benefit requirement has
been met for non-key employees. It also would include other
restrictions on retirement plan tax breaks for corporate executives.
Rejected 182-204.
VOTE: Nay
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(248) HR4931: Pension Benefits - Passage
June 21, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would permanently
extend the additional incentives for pension and retirement
contributions contained in last year's $1.35 trillion tax
cut law. It would indefinitely extend the increase in annual
limits for individual retirement account and 401(k) contributions.
The bill would allow "catch-up" contributions for
individuals age 50 and older, allow quicker vesting and easier
rollovers of pension plans. It also would ease administrative
burdens on businesses to encourage them to create employee
pension plans. Passed 308-70. Note: A "yea" was
a vote in support of the president's position.
VOTE: Yea
Transportation
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(240) HR1979: Airport Control Towers - Rule
June 20, 2002 - Adoption of the rule (H Res 447) to provide
for House floor consideration of the bill that would allow
small airports to use funds from the federal Airport Improvement
Program to pay for the construction and equipment costs of
control towers operated by private companies under the contract
control tower program. Adopted 419-0.
VOTE: Yea
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(241) HR1979: Airport Control Towers - Reimbursement Funds
June 20, 2002 - Oberstar, D-Minn., amendment that would cut
provisions that would allow small airports to use funds to
reimburse themselves for the costs of already-constructed
towers.
Rejected 202-223.
VOTE: Nay
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(242) HR1979: Airport Control Towers - Cost Share Study
June 20, 2002 - Nethercutt, R-Wash., amendment that would
require a study of the impact of allowing airports to use
10 percent of their Airport Improvement Program funds to offset
a reduction in the mandatory local cost share portion of operating
control towers.
Adopted 415-12.
VOTE: Yea
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(243) HR1979: Airport Control Towers - Passage
June 20, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would allow small
airports to use funds from the federal Airport Improvement
Program to pay for the construction and equipment costs of
control towers operated by private companies under the contract
control tower program. Small airports could use funds to reimburse
themselves for the costs of towers built before Oct. 1, 1996.
Passed 284-143.
VOTE: Yea
Veterans
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(252) HJRES95: Medal of Honor Flag - Passage
June 24, 2002 - Schrock, R-Va., motion to suspend the rules
and pass the resolution that would designate an official Medal
of Honor flag to be presented to medal recipients.
Motion agreed to 380-0.
VOTE: Yea
War on Terrorism
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(224) HR4775: Fiscal 2002 Supplemental Appropriations -
Motion to Instruct
June 12, 2002 - Obey, D-Wis., motion to instruct House conferees
to insist that the conference report include the higher dollar
amount of the House or Senate-passed version of the bill for
items related to homeland security and the war on terrorism
and include no additional funds earmarked for items unrelated
to those efforts. Motion rejected 181-235.
VOTE: Nay
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(258) HR4598: Homeland Security Information - Passage
June 26, 2002 - Passage of the bill that would require federal
agencies to develop within six months procedures for sharing
both classified and non-classified information on homeland
security threats with law enforcement and other state and
local officials. Agencies also would have to share information
with the House and Senate intelligence and judiciary committees.
It also would lift prohibitions on the sharing of grand jury,
wiretap and foreign intelligence information.
Passed 422-2.
VOTE: Yea
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(271) HCONRES424: Pentagon Volunteer Roofers Tribute -
Adoption
June 27, 2002 - Sullivan, R-Okla., motion to suspend the rules
and adopt the concurrent resolution that would pay tribute
to the professional roofing contractors who volunteered their
time and work to repair the Pentagon after it was damaged
in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Motion agreed to 428-0.
VOTE: Yea
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