October Capitol Report - How They Voted

How did your elected officials vote on the most important bills in Congress and the California Legislature? Find out here!

Congress weighed in on bills to fund the border fence, bring accountability to the commodities market, allocate money for the Defense budget including a pay raise for military personnel, protect consumers from credit card companies, allow offshore drilling and expand tax credits for renewable energy.

In California, the Legislature finally passed a budget and sent bills to the Governor to reduce global warming, provide universal healthcare for all Californians, and protect consumers from dangerous recalled products.  As of press deadline, the Governor has signed the budget bill and 63 other bills, vetoed 131 measures, and has not yet taken action on many others.  Deadline to sign or veto bills is midnight Sept. 30th. Details and updates on the Governor’s actions will be posted here: gov.ca.gov/archive/press-releases  Then check to see how your representatives voted in our CAPITOL REPORT. 

OCTOBER 2008 CAPITOL REPORT:  KEY VOTES IN THE PAST MONTH

For more information on these and other bills, visit www.vote-smart.org or www.govtrack.us. To find out who your elected representatives are, visit our Citizens Action Center.

FEDERAL BILLS (CONGRESS)            

HR 3997:  ECONOMIC STABILIZATION/BAILOUT BILL

Status:   Failed

Description:  The bailout plan would have allowed for the U.S. government to purchase devalued mortgage backed securities resulting from the subprime mortgage crisis from troubled financial institutions. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has said that the plan could cost up to $700 billion.

Vote:   Representative Davis: Yes

            Representatives Bilbray, Filner, Hunter, and Issa: No

H.R. 6604: Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act

Status: Passed House

Description: To amend the Commodity Exchange Act to bring greater transparency and accountability to commodity markets and stop oil speculation.

Votes:  Representatives Bilbray, Davis and Filner: Yes

            Representative Hunter: No

            Representative Issa: Did not vote

S. Amendment 2480 (to HR 2638, the Homeland Security Appropriations Act): Border Fence and Customs Appropriations

Status: Passed Senate

Description: Appropriates $3 billion to place border fences and customs requirements along the United States and Mexico land border

Votes:  Senators Boxer and Feinstein: Yes

S. Amendment 2405 (to HR 2638): Real I.D. Funding

Status:  Amendment Tabled

Description:  To make $300,000,000 available for grants to States to carry out the REAL ID Act of 2005.

Votes:  Senators Boxer and Feinstein: No

S. 3001:  Defense Authorization Act

Status:  Passed House and Senate, on President’s desk

Description:  Authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.  Includes 3.9% pay raise for military personnel.

Votes:  Senators Boxer and Feinstein: Yes 

            Representatives Bilbray, Davis, Issa, Filner, and Hunter: Yes

HR 6604: Commodity Markets Speculation Bill

Status:  Passed House

Description:  To amend the Commodity Exchange Act to bring greater transparency and accountability to commodity markets, and for other purposes.

Votes:  Representatives Hunter and Issa:  Did not vote

            Representatives Bilbray, Davis, and Filner: Yes

HR 5244: Credit Card Bill

Status:  Passed House

Description:  To amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish fair and transparent practices relating to the extension of credit under an open end consumer credit plan, and for other purposes.

Votes:  Representatives Davis, Filner and Hunter: Yes

            Representatives Bilbray and Issa: No

HR 6899: COMPREHENSIVE AMERICAN ENERGY SECURITY AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

Status: Passed House

Description:  Reduces dependency on oil through renewable and clean, alternative fuel technologies as well as offshore drilling.  Expands and extends tax credits for renewable energy including solar and wind, provides incentives for plug-in hybrid cars, energy-efficient buildings and transportation, requires utility companies to produce 15% of electricity from renewable energy resources by 2020, allows limited offshore drilling if states opt in to allow, makes oil companies pay royalties for drilling on public lands, increases domestic oil production in Alaska, and more.

Votes:  Representative Davis: Yes

            Representatives Bilbray, Filner, Issa, Hunter: No

STATE BILLS (CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE)

AB 1781:  2008-2009 STATE BUDGET

Status:  Signed by Governor with a line-item veto

Description:  An act making appropriations for the support of the government of the State of California and for several public purposes in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 of Article IV of the Constitution of the State of California, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

Votes:  Senators Ducheny and Kehoe: Yes

            Senators Hollingsworth and Wyland: No

            Assemblymembers Salas and Saldaña: Yes

            Assemblymembers Anderson and Jeffries: No

            Assemblymembers Garrick, Horton and Plescia: Did not vote

SB 840: California Universal Healthcare Agency

Status:  Vetoed by Governor

Description:  Establish universal healthcare to assure access to healthcare for all Californians including medical, dental, eye care and mental health care. 

Votes:   Senators Ducheny and Kehoe: Yes

            Senators Hollingsworth and Wyland: No

            Assemblymembers Salas and Saldaña: Yes

            Assemblymembers Anderson, Garrick, Jeffries and Plescia: No

SB 375:  Global Warming and Land Use Policy

Status: Signed into law by Governor

Description:  Reduce global warming pollution by providing incentives to local government to provide more compact development and transportation.  This has been called the most significant land use bill since the Coast Act 32 years ago.

Votes:  Senators Ducheny and Kehoe: Yes

            Senators Hollingsworth and Wyland: No

            Assemblymembers Horton, Plescia and Salas: Yes

            Assemblymembers Anderson, Garrick and Jeffries: No

            Assemblymember Saldaña: Did not vote

AB 1860: Ban Resale of Recalled Products

Status:  Signed into law by Governor

Description: Protect consumers by prohibiting resale or export of dangerous recalled products and increase penalties on companies that violate the law.

Votes:  Senators Ducheny and Kehoe: Yes

            Senators Hollingsworth and Wyland: No

            Assemblymembers Salas and Saldaña: Yes

            Assemblymembers Anderson, Garrick, Horton, Jeffries and Plescia: No

For last month's votes visit www.eastcountymagazine.org/?q=0809capitol.