Congressional votes for the week of Dec. 11-17

House votes

REQUIRING AUDITS BY PUBLIC COMPANIES: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Pa., to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) that would have struck provisions in the bill exempting some public companies from a requirement to submit to external audits of internal controls. The vote, on Dec. 11, was 153 yeas to 271 nays.

YEAS: Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th)

NAYS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

REPAYING TARP SHORTFALLS: The House has approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Gary Peters, D-Mich., to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) that would authorize the FDIC to make assessments of financial institutions to repay shortfalls in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The vote, on Dec. 11, was 228 yeas to 198 nays.

YEAS: Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

NAYS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th)

HELPING FAMILIES AVOID FORECLOSURE: The House rejected an amendment, sponsored by Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) that would have adjusted the principal balance of mortgages to fair market value and would have facilitated mortgage modifications with the help of federal agencies. The vote, on Dec. 11, was 188 ayes to 241 nays.

YEAS: Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th)

NAYS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

REGULATING REVERSE MORTGAGES: The House has approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) that would authorize the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to regulate reverse mortgages. The vote, on Dec. 11, was 277 yeas to 149 nays.

YEAS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

NAYS: Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th)

CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION COUNCIL: The House rejected an amendment, sponsored by Rep. Walter Minnick, D-Idaho, to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) that would have created a new Consumer Financial Protection Council to ensure safety and soundness of financial institutions and consumer protections for all financial products. The vote, on Dec. 11, was 208 ayes and 223 noes.

YEAS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

NAYS: Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th)

FINANCIAL REFORM PROPOSAL: The House rejected an amendment, sponsored by Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., that proposed alternative ways to reach the same goals as the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173). The vote, on Dec. 11, was 175 ayes to 251 nays.

YEAS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th)

NAYS: Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

FINANCIAL REGULATORY REFORM: The House has approved the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173), sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., to regulate the over-the-counter derivatives market and make other financial regulatory reforms. The vote, on Dec. 11, was 223 yeas to 202 nays.

YEAS: Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th)

NAYS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS: The House agreed to the Senate version of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act (H.R. 3326), sponsored by Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., that allowed for $636.3 billion in appropriations for the Defense Department for fiscal 2010. The legislation, as amended by the Senate, included $29.2 billion for the Defense Department Health Program, $5 billion for defense personnel to perform departmental functions, rather than outside contractors, and $472.4 million for Family Advocacy programs to help provide support to military families through quality child care, job training for spouses and expanded counseling and outreach to families after the separation and stress of war. Under the legislation servicemembers would also receive a 3.4 percent pay raise. The vote, on Dec. 16, was 395 yeas to 34 nays.

YEAS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS FINANCED: The House passed legislation (H.R. 4314), sponsored by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., to permit continued financing of governmental operations by raising the debt limit by $290 billion, to last through Feb. 11, 2010. The vote, on Dec. 16 was 218 yeas to 214 nays.

YEAS: Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

NAYS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th)

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS: The House passed the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act (H.R. 3714), sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include information about freedom of the press in foreign countries in the Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices such as what initiatives are being taken to preserve, improve or support press freedoms and identifying which countries violate freedom of the press. The legislation would also establish a grant program to promote freedom of the press worldwide. The vote, on Dec. 16, was 403 yeas to 12 nays.

YEAS: Rep. W. Todd Akin R-MO (2nd), Rep. Roy Blunt R-MO (7th), Rep. Russ Carnahan D-MO (3rd), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. D-MO (1st), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver D-MO (5th), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson R-MO (8th), Rep. Sam Graves R-MO (6th), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-MO (9th), Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO (4th)

Senate votes

CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT: The Senate approved the conference report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288), sponsored by Rep. John Olver, D-Mass., to fund various government agencies. The vote, on Dec. 13, was 57 yeas to 35 nays.

NAYS: Sen. Claire McCaskill D-MO

NOT VOTING: Sen. Kit Bond R-MO

PREVENTING TAX INCREASES ON MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES: The Senate approved an amendment, sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., to the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act (H.R. 3590) to express the sense of the Senate that it will reject procedural measures to the legislation that would raise taxes on middle class families. The vote, on Dec. 15, was 97 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS: Sen. Kit Bond R-MO, Sen. Claire McCaskill D-MO

IMPORTING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., to the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act (H.R. 3590), that would have authorized the importation of prescription drugs. The vote, on Dec. 15, was 51 yeas to 48 nays, and the amendment was withdrawn because it failed to receive a 60-vote majority.

YEAS: Sen. Kit Bond R-MO, Sen. Claire McCaskill D-MO

IMPORTING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., to the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act (H.R. 3590), that would have authorized the importation of prescription drugs from other countries. The vote, on Dec. 15, was 56 yeas to 43 nays, and the amendment was withdrawn because it failed to receive a 60-vote majority.

YEAS: Sen. Kit Bond R-MO

NAYS: Sen. Claire McCaskill D-MO