Congress votes on major issues in the week ending June 21

Published: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 2:03 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 2:03 p.m.

By Voterama in Congress

WASHINGTON — Here’s how North Carolina members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending June 21.

House

STRICTER ABORTION LIMITS: Voting 228 for and 196 against, the House on June 18 sent the Senate a bill (HR 1797) to outlaw abortions after 20 weeks of fertilization on grounds that the fetus can feel pain by then. This conflicts with the medical standard in the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which held that abortion is legal up to when the fetus reaches viability -- usually after 24-to-28 weeks of pregnancy -- and after viability if it is necessary to protect the health or life of the mother. Under Roe, viability occurs when the fetus can potentially survive outside the womb with or without artificial aid. This bill allows exceptions only for victims of rape or incest who report the crime to authorities within 48 hours of its occurrence. The bill subjects doctors found guilty to up to five years in prison but imposes no criminal penalty on their patients.

DEFEAT OF FARM BILL: Voting 195 for and 234 against, the House on June 20 defeated a bill (HR 1947) to renew federal agriculture and nutrition programs for five years at a projected cost of nearly $1 trillion over ten years, down $40 billion from current spending levels. About $744 billion of the outlay is for food stamps and other food and nutrition programs, with the remainder allocated to protecting farm income, subsidizing crop insurance, boosting exports, expanding domestic markets, promoting land conservation and funding rural development. The bill would cut food stamps — officially named the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — by $20.5 billion over ten years and impose work requirements and drug testing on recipients. The bill was opposed by 88 percent of Democrats who voted and 27 percent of Republicans who voted.

The bill ends the system of direct payments that has been sending $5 billion annually to farmers regardless of whether they grow crops. The bill offers most commodity producers a choice between two programs for stabilizing incomes — one a cushion against price drops and the other a floor under revenue losses. The two risk-management programs are projected to cost $23 billion over ten years.

The bill replaces dairy price supports with a Dairy Market Stabilization Program aimed at managing supplies; renews without change a federal sugar program that costs taxpayers nothing but adds to food and beverage costs; subsidizes growers’ export programs; renews overseas food-donation programs such as Food for Peace and renews the protectionist program for peanut growers essentially as is.

DISPUTE OVER FOOD STAMPS: Voting 188 for and 234 against, the House on June 19 refused to restore food-stamps cuts of $20.5 billion over ten years contained in HR 1947 (above). The cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would result in an estimated 2 million persons each year losing stamps. Backers said the cuts would wring waste, fraud and abuse out of food stamps, while opponents said they would result in qualified recipients, including families with children, going hungry. The cost of the amendment was to have been offset by cutting supports for commodity growers.

COMMODITY-PAYMENT CAPS: Voting 230 for and 194 against, the House on June 20 placed a cap of $250,000 on total payments to any single farm under commodity programs in HR 1947 (above). Consisting largely of income and price supports, these payments go primarily to growers of wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton, rice and peanuts. The amendment was supported family farms and seen as costly to agribusiness operations.

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER FENCING: Voting 39 for and 54 against, the Senate on June 18 refused to require 350 miles of reinforced, double-layered fencing on the U.S.-Mexico border to be built before any undocumented person could apply for “Registered Provisional Immigrant” status under a pending immigration bill (S 744). The amendment required another 350 miles of double-layered fencing to be completed in the ten years it will take for applicants to progress from RPI status to eligibility to apply for green cards. The border stretches nearly 2,000 miles from Texas to California.

Under a 1996 law, the Department of Homeland Security has built about 350 miles of pedestrian fencing along the border, only 40 miles of which is double-layered. The department has put in place another 350 miles of vehicle barriers plus impediments such as sensors, land-based cameras and aerial surveillance.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Republican Richard Burr

Voting no: Democrat Kay Hagan

IMMIGRATION SECURITY PLAN: Voting 61 for and 37 against, the Senate on June 19 tabled (killed) the strictest security plan yet considered during debate on S 744 (above). Before any undocumented immigrant could start on the 13-year path to legal status, the government would have to establish surveillance of the entire Southwest border, build hundreds of miles of double-layered fencing there, end its policy of releasing those caught in illegal crossings and establish total exit tracking of foreign visitors on temporary visas, among other security steps. Congressional votes would be required every five years to allow the legalization of immigrants to continue.

A yes vote opposed the amendment.

Voting yes: Hagan

Voting no: Burr

A look ahead

In the week of June 24, the House will take up a bill to expand offshore drilling, while the Senate will debate immigration policy. Both chambers may vote to avert a doubling of student-loan interest rates July 1. Congress begins its Independence Day recess at week’s end.

<p>By Voterama in Congress</p><p>WASHINGTON — Here's how North Carolina members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending June 21.</p><p>House</p><p>STRICTER ABORTION LIMITS: Voting 228 for and 196 against, the House on June 18 sent the Senate a bill (HR 1797) to outlaw abortions after 20 weeks of fertilization on grounds that the fetus can feel pain by then. This conflicts with the medical standard in the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which held that abortion is legal up to when the fetus reaches viability -- usually after 24-to-28 weeks of pregnancy -- and after viability if it is necessary to protect the health or life of the mother. Under Roe, viability occurs when the fetus can potentially survive outside the womb with or without artificial aid. This bill allows exceptions only for victims of rape or incest who report the crime to authorities within 48 hours of its occurrence. The bill subjects doctors found guilty to up to five years in prison but imposes no criminal penalty on their patients.</p><p>A yes vote was to pass the bill.</p><p>Voting yes: Republicans Renee Ellmers, Walter Jones, Virginia Foxx, Howard Coble, Richard Hudson, Robert Pittenger, Patrick McHenry, Mark Meadows and George Holding, and Democrat Mike McIntyre</p><p>Voting no: Democrats G.K. Butterfield, David Price and Melvin Watt</p><p>DEFEAT OF FARM BILL: Voting 195 for and 234 against, the House on June 20 defeated a bill (HR 1947) to renew federal agriculture and nutrition programs for five years at a projected cost of nearly $1 trillion over ten years, down $40 billion from current spending levels. About $744 billion of the outlay is for food stamps and other food and nutrition programs, with the remainder allocated to protecting farm income, subsidizing crop insurance, boosting exports, expanding domestic markets, promoting land conservation and funding rural development. The bill would cut food stamps — officially named the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — by $20.5 billion over ten years and impose work requirements and drug testing on recipients. The bill was opposed by 88 percent of Democrats who voted and 27 percent of Republicans who voted.</p><p>The bill ends the system of direct payments that has been sending $5 billion annually to farmers regardless of whether they grow crops. The bill offers most commodity producers a choice between two programs for stabilizing incomes — one a cushion against price drops and the other a floor under revenue losses. The two risk-management programs are projected to cost $23 billion over ten years.</p><p>The bill replaces dairy price supports with a Dairy Market Stabilization Program aimed at managing supplies; renews without change a federal sugar program that costs taxpayers nothing but adds to food and beverage costs; subsidizes growers' export programs; renews overseas food-donation programs such as Food for Peace and renews the protectionist program for peanut growers essentially as is.</p><p>A yes vote was to pass the bill.</p><p>Voting yes: Ellmers, Foxx, Coble, McIntyre, Hudson, McHenry, Meadows, Holding</p><p>Voting no: Butterfield, Jones, Price, Pittenger, Watt</p><p>DISPUTE OVER FOOD STAMPS: Voting 188 for and 234 against, the House on June 19 refused to restore food-stamps cuts of $20.5 billion over ten years contained in HR 1947 (above). The cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would result in an estimated 2 million persons each year losing stamps. Backers said the cuts would wring waste, fraud and abuse out of food stamps, while opponents said they would result in qualified recipients, including families with children, going hungry. The cost of the amendment was to have been offset by cutting supports for commodity growers.</p><p>A yes vote was to restore food-stamps funding.</p><p>Voting yes: Butterfield, Price, Watt </p><p>Voting no: Ellmers, Jones, Foxx, Coble, McIntyre, Hudson, Pittenger, McHenry, Meadows, Holding</p><p>COMMODITY-PAYMENT CAPS: Voting 230 for and 194 against, the House on June 20 placed a cap of $250,000 on total payments to any single farm under commodity programs in HR 1947 (above). Consisting largely of income and price supports, these payments go primarily to growers of wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton, rice and peanuts. The amendment was supported family farms and seen as costly to agribusiness operations.</p><p>A yes vote was to limit commodity payments.</p><p>Voting yes: Jones, Price, Foxx, Pittenger, McHenry, Meadows, Watt, Holding </p><p>Voting no: Butterfield, Ellmers, Coble, McIntyre, Hudson</p><p>Senate</p><p>U.S.-MEXICO BORDER FENCING: Voting 39 for and 54 against, the Senate on June 18 refused to require 350 miles of reinforced, double-layered fencing on the U.S.-Mexico border to be built before any undocumented person could apply for “Registered Provisional Immigrant” status under a pending immigration bill (S 744). The amendment required another 350 miles of double-layered fencing to be completed in the ten years it will take for applicants to progress from RPI status to eligibility to apply for green cards. The border stretches nearly 2,000 miles from Texas to California.</p><p>Under a 1996 law, the Department of Homeland Security has built about 350 miles of pedestrian fencing along the border, only 40 miles of which is double-layered. The department has put in place another 350 miles of vehicle barriers plus impediments such as sensors, land-based cameras and aerial surveillance.</p><p>A yes vote backed the amendment.</p><p>Voting yes: Republican Richard Burr</p><p>Voting no: Democrat Kay Hagan</p><p>IMMIGRATION SECURITY PLAN: Voting 61 for and 37 against, the Senate on June 19 tabled (killed) the strictest security plan yet considered during debate on S 744 (above). Before any undocumented immigrant could start on the 13-year path to legal status, the government would have to establish surveillance of the entire Southwest border, build hundreds of miles of double-layered fencing there, end its policy of releasing those caught in illegal crossings and establish total exit tracking of foreign visitors on temporary visas, among other security steps. Congressional votes would be required every five years to allow the legalization of immigrants to continue.</p><p>A yes vote opposed the amendment.</p><p>Voting yes: Hagan</p><p>Voting no: Burr </p><p>A look ahead</p><p>In the week of June 24, the House will take up a bill to expand offshore drilling, while the Senate will debate immigration policy. Both chambers may vote to avert a doubling of student-loan interest rates July 1. Congress begins its Independence Day recess at week's end.</p>