The votes selected cover a full spectrum of domestic, foreign, economic, military, environmental and social issues. We tried to select votes which display sharp liberal/conservative contrasts. In many instances we have chosen procedural votes: amendments, motions to table, or votes on rules for debate. Often these votes reveal true attitudes frequently obscured in the final votes.
houseA data frame with the following variables:
Party: R = Republican, D = Democrat, I = Independent.
V1: HR 333. Bankruptcy Overhaul. Jackson-Lee (D-TX) amendment to allow debtors to deduct additional medical and child-care expenses before determining their eligibility for Chapter 7 bankruptcy status. The amendment also expands the definition of family farmer, changes the standards for calculating median income, and includes debtor privacy provisions. Rejected 160-258. March 1, 2001. A yes vote is a +.
V2: SJ Res 6. Ergonomics Rule Disapproval. Passage of the joint resolution to reverse the ergonomics workplace safety rule submitted by the Clinton Administration's Labor Department. Passed 223-206. March 7, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V3: HR 3. Income Tax Reduction. Passage of the White House's bill to lower federal income taxes by restructuring the five existing tax brackets into four - 10 percent, 15 percent, 25 percent and 33 percent. The benefits of this tax cut go disproportionately to the wealthy and to major corporations. The large cost of the legislation would jeopardize domestic spending programs aimed at middle- and low-income Americans. Passed 230-198. March 8, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V4: HR 6. Marriage Tax Reduction. Rangel (D-NY) substitute amendment to reduce taxes by $585.5 billion through 2011. This tax cut would be considerably less regressive and more equitable than the Republican version. The Rangel plan would create a new 12 percent bracket for the first $20,000 of a couple's taxable income and $10,000 for single taxpayers. It also would increase the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly to twice that of individuals filing singly. Additionally, the amendment would simplify and expand the earned-income tax credit for low-income earners. Rejected 196-231. March 29, 2001. A yes vote is a +.
V5: HR 8. Estate Tax Relief. Rangel (D-NY) substitute amendment to increase the estate tax exemption from $675,000 to $2 million ($4 million for married couples) in 2002, rising to $2.5 million by 2010. This legislation serves as an alternative to the drastic Republican abolition of the progressive estate tax. The Rangel tax cut would lower federal revenue by $39.2 billion over ten years. The amendment would retain current-law step-up basis provisions, and replace the credit for estate taxes paid to a state with a deduction. Rejected 201-227. April 4, 2001. A yes vote is a +.
V6: HR 503. Fetal Protection. Passage of the bill to make it a criminal offense to injure or kill a fetus during the commission of a violent federal crime. The measure would establish criminal penalties equal to those that would apply if the injury or death occurred to a pregnant woman, regardless of the perpetrator's knowledge of the pregnancy or intent to harm the fetus. The bill states that its provisions should not be interpreted to apply to consensual abortion or to a woman's actions with respect to her pregnancy. The death penalty could not be imposed under this bill. Passed 252-172. April 26, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V7: HR 1. School Vouchers. Armey (R-TX) amendment to provide federal funding for students to attend private schools, including religious schools, if they are currently enrolled in schools that are dangerous or have been low-performing for three years. Crime victims also would be provided with funding to attend alternative private schools. Rejected 155-273. May 23, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V8: HR 1836. Tax Cut Reconciliation Bill. Adoption of the conference report on the bill to reduce taxes by $1.35 trillion through fiscal 2011 via income tax rate cuts, relief of the marriage penalty, phaseout of the federal estate tax, doubling of the child tax credit, and new incentives for retirement savings. A new 10 percent tax rate would be created retroactive to January 1. The bill would: double the $500-per-child tax credit by 2010 and make it refundable; raise the estate tax exemption to $1 million in 2002 and repeal the tax in 2010; increase the standard deduction for married couples to double that of singles over five years, beginning in 2005; and increase annual contributions limits for Individual Retirement Accounts. The bill's provisions would expire December 31, 2010. Adopted 240-154. May 26, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V9: HR 2356. Campaign Finance Reform. Adoption of the rule to allow the House to consider a ban on soft money donations to national political parties. This rule was crafted by campaign finance reform foes to disallow amendments which fine-tune the bill and, thus, keep reform advocates from gathering more votes in support of final passage. Beyond banning soft money, the original reform legislation would allow up to $10,000 in soft-money donations to state and local parties for voter registration and get-out-the vote activity. The reform bill would prevent issue ads from targeting specific candidates within 60 days of a general election or 30 days of a primary. Additionally, the legislation would maintain the current individual contribution limit of $1,000 per election for House candidates but raise it to $2,000 for Senate candidates, both of which would be indexed for inflation. Rejected 203-228. July 12, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V10: HJ Res 36. Flag Desecration. Passage of the joint resolution proposing a Constitutional amendment to prohibit physical desecration of the U. S. flag. Passed 298-125. (A two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting - 282 in this case - is required to pass a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution.) July 17, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V11: HR 7. Faith-Based Initiative. Conyers (D-MI) motion to recommit the bill to the Judiciary Committee with instructions to add language stating that federally-funded religious service providers cannot discriminate based on religion and that no provision supercedes state or local civil rights laws. Motion rejected 195-234. July 19, 2001. A yes vote is a +.
V12: HJ Res 50. China Normalized Trade Relations. Passage of a joint resolution to deny the President's request to provide normal trade relations (formerly known as most-favored-nation trade status) for items produced in China from July 2001 through July 2002. Rejected 169-259. July 19, 2001. A yes vote is a +.
V13: HR 4. ANWR Drilling Ban. Markey (D-MA) amendment to maintain the current prohibition on oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Rejected 206-223. August 1, 2001. A yes vote is a +.
V14: HR 2563. Patients' Rights/HMO Liability. Norwood (R-GA) amendment to limit liability and damage awards when a patient is harmed by denial of health care. This amendment was offered after patients' rights opponents in the White House exerted pressure on Rep. Norwood to abandon a stronger bill. The legislation would allow a patient to sue a health maintenance organization (HMO) in state court but with federal, not state, law governing. An employer could remove cases to federal court. The bill would limit non-economic damages to $1.5 million. Punitive damages would be limited to the same amount and only allowed when a decisionmaker fails to abide by a grant of benefits by an independent medical reviewer. Adopted 218-213. August 2, 1001. A no vote is a +.
V15: HR 2563. Patients' Bill of Rights. Passage of the bill to provide federal health care protections, such as access to specialty and emergency room care, and require that health maintenance organizations (HMOs) have an appeals process for patients who are denied care. This weakened legislation was offered to head off consideration of a stronger version. A patient denied care could sue an HMO in state and federal court but first must exhaust internal and external appeals processes. Passed 226-203. August 2, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V16: HR 2944. Domestic Partner Benefits. Weldon (R-FL) amendment to the FY 2002 District of Columbia Appropriations Bill that would prohibit the use of local, as well as federal, funds to extend city employees' health benefits to unmarried domestic partners. Rejected 194-226. September 25, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V17: HR 2586. U.S. Military Personnel Overseas/Abortions. Sanchez (DCA) amendment to the FY 2002 Defense Authorization Bill which allows female military personnel stationed at U.S. bases overseas to undergo an abortion at medical facilities there provided they pay for it themselves and a doctor consents to perform the operation. Rejected 199-217. September 25, 2001. A yes vote is a +.
V18: HR 2975. Anti-Terrorism Authority. Adoption of the rule to provide for House consideration of the bill that would expand law enforcement's power to investigate suspected terrorists and beef up domestic surveillance. The legislation threatens the civil liberties, civil rights, and due process protections guaranteed individuals in the United States. Adopted 214-208. October 12, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V19: HR 3090. Economic Stimulus. Passage of the Republican version of the post- September 11 economic stimulus package. The bill would grant businesses and individuals $99.5 billion in federal tax cuts in fiscal 2002, and a total of $159.4 billion in reductions over 10 years. Additionally, the bill would allow more individuals to receive tax rebates for 2000, accelerate a reduction of the 27 percent tax bracket to 25 percent, lower the capital gains tax rate from 20 percent to 18 percent and eliminate the corporate alternative minimum tax. Also, the legislation would provide $3 billion to states for health insurance for the unemployed. Passed 216-214. October 24, 2001. A no vote is a +.
V20: HR 3000. Trade Promotion Authority/Fast Track. Passage of the bill to allow expedited negotiation and implementation of trade agreements between the executive branch and foreign countries. The bill includes provisions requiring increased consultations with Congress on any proposed changes of tariffs for imports of sensitive agriculture products and on trade disparities for textile products. Passed 215-214. December 6, 2001. A no is a +.
Ada (2002). 2001 Voting Record: Shattered Promise of Liberal Progress. ADA Today, 57(1), 1-17.
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