U.S. Congress votes on mosquito control - HR 342

(This week, March 17-21, 2003,: Both chambers plan to take up the fiscal 2004 budget resolution, and the House may debate a bankruptcy bill. The schedule will change if war begins).

ROLL CALL REPORT SYNDICATE

    WASHINGTON — Here’s how area members of Congress were recorded on major roll call votes in the week ending Friday, March 14, 2003.

HOUSE     Organ donations: Members passed, 425-3, a bill authorizing up to $5 million annually for travel and living expenses of persons who make donations of their organs. A yes vote was to pass HR 399, which also funds public education to spur donations.
    Voting yes: Rep. Jeff Miller, R-1 st District, Alan Boyd, D-2 nd District.
    Medical malpractice: Members passed, 229-196, a GOP bill curbing medical malpractice suits. It limits the time for filing suits, caps damage awards other than for economic losses, limits lawyer fees and preempts some state laws. A yes vote was to pass HR5.     Voting yes: Miller, Boyd.
    Democratic plan: The House rejected, 234-191, a Democratic alternative to HR5 (above). It sought to weed out frivolous suits by requiring mediation as well as sworn statements of a suit’s merit from doctors and lawyers. A yes vote backed the plan.
    Voting yes: Boyd.
    Voting no: Miller.
    Medical errors: The House passed, 418-6, a bill to encourage health care providers to report medical errors to patient-safety organizations. The bill gives legal protection to the disclosed information. It awaits Senate action. A yes vote was to pass HR663.     Voting yes: Miller, Boyd.
    Mosquito control: The House passed, 416-9, a bill authorizing grants for mosquito control to combat the West Nile virus. The bill authorizes matching grants of up to $100,000 per county or parish. It awaits Senate action. A yes vote was to pass HR 342.
    Voting yes: Boyd.
    Voting no: Miller.
    SENATE     Abortion: Senators passed,     64-33, a bill making it a crime     for doctors to perform a late    term abortion in which they     partially extract a fetus, termi    nate it and remove it. A yes vote     was to approve the bill over     complaints it has no waiver to     protect the mother’s health.     (S3)     Voting no: Sens. Bob Gra    ham, D-Fla., Bill Nelson, D-Fla.     Contraception: Senators     failed, 49-47, to reach 60 votes     needed to add provisions on     contraceptives to a bill (S3,     above) that bans "partial-birth"     abortions. A yes vote was, in     part, to require health insurers     to cover the "morning-after"     pill just as they do Viagra.
    Voting yes: Nelson.
    Not voting: Graham.
    Health exemption: Voting 60-    38, senators tabled (killed) an     amendment to S3 (above) to     permit the disputed late-term     abortion in cases where two     doctors certify it necessary to     protect the mother’s health. A yes vote opposed the health waiver.
    Voting no: Graham, Nelson.
    Roe vs. Wade: The Senate voted, 52-46, to express support for Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that a woman’s decision to choose an abortion is a constitutionally protected freedom. A yes vote was to affirm support for Roe vs. Wade. (S3)     Voting yes: Graham, Nelson.
    Abortion definitions: Senators refused, 35-60, to base S3 (above) on doctors’ rather than politicians’ definitions of "partial birth" abortion. At issue was whether wording on the bill could lead to bans on other abortions. A yes vote backed the amendment.
    Voting yes: Graham, Nelson.
    Miguel Estrada: Senators failed, 55-42 to reach the 60 votes needed to end delay of the nomination of Miguel A. Estrada for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Democrats object to his refusal to reveal his views. A yes vote backed Estrada.
    Voting yes: Nelson.
    Voting no: Graham.