ASC 108th Congress Voting Index
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Votes of Interest - U.S. House
1. H.R. 3289. Roll Call Vote Number 522.
Fiscal 2004 Supplemental Appropriation for Iraq and Afghanistan / Military Construction. Amendment by Sanchez (D-CA) that would have stricken language in the bill to authorize the use of funds for unforeseen military construction projects in support of the war on terrorism.
Rejected 128-295: October 16, 2003.
The correct vote was NO.
This amendment would have prevented the Department of Defense from engaging in strategically important construction projects in the war on terrorism unless specifically approved by Congress.
2. H.R. 2417. Roll Call Vote Number 649.
Fiscal 2004 Intelligence Authorization. Adoption of the Conference Report on the bill that would authorize funding for fourteen (14) U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence related activities of the U.S. government.
Adopted 264-163: November 20, 2003.
The correct vote was YES.
This bill authorized spending vitally needed for intelligence related activities.
3. H.R. 3966. Roll Call Vote Number 101.
Access for Military Recruiters / Passage. Passage of the bill that would prohibit universities that bar access to Reserve Officer Training Corps or military recruiters from receiving federal funding. Schools that receive federal funding would be required to provide military recruiters the same access to students as they offer to other groups.
Passed 343-81: March 30, 2004.
The correct vote was YES.
Especially when America is at war, it is essential that military recruiters be allowed access to college campuses and that ROTC programs be allowed to train future officers. As a war protest, some colleges and universities set forth policies that do not permit ROTC or military recruiters on campus. Certainly there should be no federal funds going to institutions with such policies.
4. H.R. 4200. Roll Call Vote Number 196.
Fiscal 2005 Defense Authorization / Border Security. Amendment by Goode (R-VA) that would authorize the Secretary of Defense to assign military personnel to assist the Homeland Security Department with border security under certain circumstances such as a threat to national security.
Adopted 231-191: May 19, 2004.
The correct vote was YES.
In the wake of September 11, 2001, clearly American security requires the ability for U.S. military personnel to be assigned to assist in border security.
5. H.R. 4200. Roll Call Vote Number 203.
Fiscal 2005 Defense Authorization / Nuclear Bunker Busters. Amendment by Tauscher (D-CA) that would have transferred $36.6 million from the Energy Department's Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator “bunker-buster” and Advanced Concepts programs to various intelligence programs focusing on improving conventional bunker busting capabilities.
Rejected 204-214: May 20, 2004.
The correct vote was NO.
It is vital to America's security interests to develop a nuclear Earth penetrating device that could be used if necessary to destroy weapons sites or weapons development sites buried deep in mountains and massive rock formations such as could exist in Korea or Iran. This amendment would have removed the funding to develop such a weapon or device.
6. H.R. 4323. Roll Call Vote Number 234.
Emergency Defense Acquisitions / Passage. Passage of the bill that would authorize the Secretary of Defense to waive certain acquisition regulations in order to obtain equipment needed by a military commander to prevent combat fatalities.
Passed 285-97: June 14, 2004.
The correct vote was YES.
Acquisition regulations have their place, but in fighting the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism, some relaxation of those regulations is necessary to give military commanders flexibility to obtain military equipment to protect the soldiers under their command in much shorter order than otherwise would be the norm.
7. H.R. 4818. Roll Call Vote Number 387.
Fiscal 2005 Foreign Operations Appropriations / International Criminal Court. Amendment by Nethercutt (R-WA) that would prohibit Economic Support Fund assistance to the government of any country that is a party to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and has yet to pledge that it would not surrender U.S. nationals to the ICC.
Adopted 241-166: July 15, 2004.
The correct vote was YES.
The United States has never agreed to be a party to the ICC which is controlled by governments of countries which often do not agree with our foreign policies. Subjecting U.S. soldiers or other American nationals to the jurisdiction of the ICC on what might well be trumped up war crime charges is totally unacceptable. At our request, many countries have pledged not to surrender U.S. nationals to the ICC, and this amendment would have appropriately withheld U.S. economic assistance funds from those who have refused our request to make the pledge.
8. H.R. 10. Roll Call Vote Number 514.
Intelligence Overhaul / Punishment for Terrorist Acts. Amendment by Carter (R-TX) to change the federal criminal code to apply the death penalty or life imprisonment for a terrorist offense that results in a person's death.
Adopted 344-72: October 8, 2004.
The correct vote was YES.
Certainly the federal penalty should apply to those who commit terrorist crimes that result in someone's death.
9. H.R. 10. Roll Call Vote Number 516.
Intelligence Overhaul / Deportation Requirements. Amendment by Green (R-WI) that would bar from entry into the United States and deport others who have already entered who have attended terrorist training camps. The amendment would also provide that all terrorist related grounds of inadmissibility would also be grounds for deportation.
Adopted 283-132: October 8, 2004.
The correct vote was YES.
Anyone who has attended a terrorist training camp certainly should be prohibited from entering the United States, and if they have already entered should be deported. If somebody is prohibited from entering the United States in the first place because of terrorist related activities these grounds for inadmissibility should also be grounds for deportation of someone already here.
10. H.R. 10. Roll Call Vote Number 523.
Intelligence Overhaul / Passage. Passage of the bill that would reorganize fifteen (15) U.S. intelligence agencies and create a Director of National Intelligence. This House bill also would have doubled the number of border patrol agents over the next five (5) years and allowed certain aliens to be deported without judicial review.
Passed 282-134: October 8, 2004.
The correct vote was YES.
This bill created the new Director of National Intelligence and contained a number of needed immigration and border security measures that were later eliminated in a House / Senate Conference Committee.Votes of Interest - U.S. Senate
1. S 1050. Roll Call Vote Number 186.
Fiscal Year 2004 Defense Authorization / Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons. Allard (R-CO) motion to table (kill) the Feinstein (D-CA) amendment that would have stricken from the bill a provision allowing the resumption of research and development on low-yield nuclear weapons.
Motion agreed to 51-43: May 20, 2003.
The correct vote was YES.
Research and development on low-yield nuclear weapons is essential to America's security. The Feinstein amendment would have prohibited research and development on these weapons.
2. S 1050. Roll Call Vote Number 189.
Fiscal Year 2004 Defense Authorization / Nuclear Earth Penetrator Weapons. Warner (R-VA) motion to table (kill) the Dorgan (D-ND) amendment that would have prohibited the use of funds for the study, development, testing and engineering of nuclear Earth penetrator weapons.
Motion agreed to 56-41: May 21, 2003.
The correct vote was YES.
It is vital to America's security interests to develop a nuclear Earth penetrating device that could be used if necessary to destroy weapons sites or weapons development sites buried deep in mountains and massive rock formations such as could exist in Korea or Iran.
3. H.R. 2658. Roll Call Vote Number 277.
Fiscal 2004 Defense Appropriations / Troop Deployments. Stevens (R-AK) motion to table (kill) Byrd (D-WV) amendment that would have prohibited funds from being appropriated for a National Guard or military Reserve member to be deployed for more than 180 days or for more than one deployment in a 360 day period.
Motion agreed to 64-31: July 15, 2003.
The correct vote was YES.
Unfortunately, in order to win the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism, longer deployments than would normally be desirable are required. The Byrd amendment would have tied the hands of the President and our military in being able to provide the necessary troop strength to prevail in Iraq and in the war on terrorism.
4. H.R. 2658. Roll Call Vote Number 287.
Fiscal 2004 Defense Appropriations / Intelligence Funding. Stevens (R-AK) motion to table (kill) Durbin (D-IL) amendment that would have withheld $50 million in intelligence funding until the President submitted a report on the role played by the Executive Branch policymakers in the development and use of intelligence relating to the war in Iraq.
Motion agreed to 62-34: July 17, 2003.
The correct vote was YES.
Withholding vital intelligence funding in a time of war and when the intelligence community needs so much rebuilding and rework could have done serious harm to America's security interests and put American troops at risk.
5. H.R. 2658. Roll Call Vote Number 288.
Fiscal 2004 Defense Appropriations / Procurement / Research, Development and Testing Funding. Stevens (R-AK) motion to table (kill) the Byrd (D-WV) amendment that would have eliminated $1.1 billion in the appropriations bill designated for defense procurement, research, development and testing and would have reallocated that sum toward the treatment and prevention of global HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Motion agreed to 71-24: July 17, 2003.
The correct vote was YES.
The Byrd amendment would have taken away the enormous sum of $1.1 billion from vital defense needs and used the money for fighting deadly diseases around the world. However great the need and noble the cause of fighting HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, America's national security interests should not suffer in order to do so.
6. S 1689. Roll Call Vote Number 374.
Fiscal 2004 Supplemental Appropriation for Iraq and Afghanistan / Coalition Provisional Authority. Stevens (R-AK) motion to table (kill) Leahy (D-VT) amendment that would have removed the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq from Defense Department control and placed it under the jurisdiction of the State Department.
Motion agreed to 56-42: October 2, 2003.
The correct vote was YES.
The President had given the responsibility for the reconstruction of Iraq and the Coalition Provisional Authority to the Department of Defense. In conducting the war and the reconstruction effort, Congress should defer to the judgment of the President and his chief advisors. This is an executive, not a legislative, responsibility.
7. S 1689. Roll Call Vote Number 379.
Fiscal 2004 Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan / Domestic Spending. Stevens (R-AK) motion to table (kill) the Stabenow (D-MI) amendment that would have reduced the amount provided for Iraq reconstruction by $5.03 billion. It would have redirected that funding for domestic programs.
Motion agreed to 59-35: October 14, 2003.
The correct vote was YES.
The Stabenow amendment would have cut over $5 billion from the war and reconstruction effort in Iraq.
8. S 1689. Roll Call Vote Number 400.
Fiscal 2004 Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan / Passage. Passage of the bill to appropriate $86.5 billion in fiscal 2004 supplemental spending for military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Passed 87-12: October 17, 2003.
The correct vote was YES.
Clearly the funding in this bill was vital to America's security interests.
9. S 2400. Roll Call Vote Number 113.
Fiscal 2005 Defense Authorization / Nuclear Weapons. Kennedy (D-MA) amendment that would have prohibited the use of $36.6 million authorized in the underlying bill for two Energy Department programs: a study of Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator “bunker-buster” weapons and a Stockpile Services Advanced Concept Initiative which includes research into a “low-yield” nuclear weapon.
Rejected 42-55: June 15, 2004.
The correct vote was NO.
This Kennedy amendment would have prohibited spending necessary to develop an Earth penetrator weapon and a “low-yield” nuclear weapon. The development of both of these weapons is critical to America's security interests.
10. S 2400. Roll Call Vote Number 124.
Fiscal 2005 Defense Authorization / Missile Defense. Boxer (D-CA) amendment that would have provided that the ground-based midcourse defense element of the National Ballistic Missile Defense system could not be deployed for initial defensive operations until the Secretary of Defense certifies that the capabilities of the system to perform its defense mission have been confirmed by operationally realistic testing of the system.
Rejected 42-57: June 17, 2004.
The correct vote was NO.
This amendment would have effectively stopped the deployment of a ballistic missile defense system. Without deployment of at least a limited ballistic missile defense system, millions of Americans will remain vulnerable to the possibility of a single nuclear missile being fired at a U.S. city by a terrorist group, a rogue state, a mad man or accidentally. While it may be years, if ever, before a complete umbrella defense can be developed for multiple warheads or missiles being fired at the United States, most credible experts say that the system currently being deployed will provide a measure of protection from the most likely risk in coming years and that is of a single warhead being sent our way by missile.