What Congress Did Last week

This are the issues that Congress dealt with...some good...some not so.....

House

1. Strategic oil reserve (HR 6022): The House voted 385-25 to require the administration to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the rest of the year or until the price of crude oil drops below $75 per barrel. The Senate passed the measure 97-1. A yes vote supported the bill.

2. Farm bill (HR 2419): Voting 318-106, the House approved a five-year farm bill, providing farm subsidies and funding nutrition programs. A yes vote supported the bill.

3. War funding defeat (HR 2642): Voting 141-149, the House defeated an amendment to appropriate $162.5 billion for additional war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many Republican members voted present — officially tallied as not voting — to protest being frozen out of deliberations. A yes vote supported the funding.

4. Iraq troop withdrawals (HR 2642): Voting 227-196, the House approved an amendment requiring the administration to start withdrawing troops from Iraq within 30 days of enactment, but setting no deadline for finishing the pullout. A yes vote backed the amendment.

5. New GI Bill (HR 2642): The House voted 256-166 to establish a GI Bill to pay post-9/11 veterans’ college costs and use tax increases to pay for the program. A yes vote supported the bill.

Senate

6. Farm bill (HR 2419): The Senate voted 81-15 in favor of a five-year farm bill. A yes vote supported the bill.

7. Republican energy plan (S 2284): Voting 42-56, the Senate rejected a Republican plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling, as well as take other steps to increase energy production. A yes vote supported the plan.

8. Police and firefighter unions (HR 980): The Senate voted 69-29 to take up a bill granting limited union rights to police, firefighters and other public safety personnel in all states. A yes vote was to take up the bill.