Posted on: Sunday, March 20, 2005

Washington Week

Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON — Here are roll calls of key votes in the Senate and House in the past week.

Key House votes

1. Iraq Spending

The House voted 388-43 Wednesday for an $81.4 billion emergency spending package for Iraq and Afghanistan. A yes vote was a vote for the emergency money.

Hawai'i votes: Neil Abercrombie (D) NAY; Ed Case (D) YEA

2. House Budget

The House voted Thursday 218-214 for a budget resolution for fiscal year 2006. A yes vote was for the budget blueprint, which helps guide lawmakers when they go through the appropriations process.

Hawai'i votes: Neil Abercrombie (D) NAY; Ed Case (D) NAY

Key Senate votes

1. Alaska drilling

On Wednesday, the Senate, by a vote of 49-51, rejected an attempt to remove a provision in next year's budget calling for opening the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. A yes vote was a vote to remove the drilling provision from the budget, and therefore was a vote against drilling in ANWR.

Hawai'i votes: Daniel Akaka (D) NAY; Dan Inouye (D) NAY

2. Medicaid cuts

On Thursday, the Senate voted 52-48 to strip all proposed Medicaid cuts from the fiscal year 2006 budget, contrary to President Bush's wishes, and instead form a panel to study how to change Medicaid. A yes vote was a vote to remove the Medicaid cuts and form a commission.

Hawai'i votes: Daniel Akaka (D) YEA; Dan Inouye (D) YEA

3. Farm program cuts

Thursday, the Senate rejected, 46-54, an attempt by farm-state lawmakers to protect agriculture programs from budget cuts. Now the Senate budget resolution directs the Agriculture Committee to cut $2.8 billion from farm programs over the next five years. A yes vote was a vote for the amendment to take farm program cuts off the table.

Hawai'i votes: Daniel Akaka (D) YEA; Dan Inouye (D) YEA

4. Family planning

An amendment by Sens. Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton that would have added $100 million to the budget for family planning services and teen pregnancy prevention programs failed by a vote of 47-53 Thursday.

Hawai'i votes: Daniel Akaka (D) YEA; Dan Inouye (D) YEA

What's ahead:

The House and Senate will be in session tomorrow to step into the case of Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman in a vegetative state since 1990, and whether her feeding tube can be removed. Lawmakers will be on a two-week spring recess after that.

Learn more:

• www.thomas.loc.gov, Library of Congress, to search for specific votes

• www.house.gov, the House of Representatives.

• www.senate.gov, the U.S. Senate.