The objection
might be raised that, when Congress Members (ÒMembersÓ) vote on immigration and freedom-of-choice
policies, they are not thinking of them as ÒenvironmentalÓ votes. True enough.
Our answer is that the purpose of the CUSP Scorecard is to get Members and
others to realize that votes that affect
future U.S. population numbers are in fact the most important environmental
votes. (Consider that it
took years for Members to realize that automobile and electric power station
fuel efficiency, over-use of agricultural chemicals, urban sprawl and many
other issues are ÒenvironmentalÓ issues.)
VOTE
DESCRIPTIONS - SENATE
CONSERVATION/CONSUMPTION
19
floor votes. See
<www.lcv.org>
1.
Energy Bill House-Senate Conference Report weakens key environmental
safeguards. Environmental vote NO lost 74-26. Roll call #213, July 29, 2005.
2.
Renewable Energy. Energy Bill, H.R. 6, Amendment 791 (Bingaman-Coleman) to
require electric utilities to oobtain 10% of their electricity from renewable
sources by 2020. Environmental vote YES won 52-48, but lost in Conference. Roll Call #141, June 16, 2005.
3.
Global Warming. Amendment 866 (Inhofe), a motion to table (kill) a vote
acknowledging that global warming is real and that greenhouse gas pollution
mandatory limits are necessary. #149. June 22, 2005. Environmental vote NO won
44-53.
4.
Natural Gas Facilities. Amendment 841 (Feinstein) to H.R. 6 to restore state
authority over siting of inherently dangerous liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals.
Move to table (kill) #146, June 22, 2005. Environmental vote NO lost 52-45.
5
& 6. Fuel Economy. Amendment 925 (Bond-Levin) to Senate Energy Bill,
S.10 # to make it harder to
improve automobile fuel economy (CAFƒ Standards). Environmental vote NO lost
64-31 #156, June 23, 2005.
Senate Amendment 902 (Durbin)
to raise CAFƒ Standards. #157, June 23, 2005. Environmental vote YES lost
28-67.
7,
8 & 9. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Amendment 168 (Cantwell) to the 2006 Budget Resolution to
discourage oil & gas drilling in the ANWR. #52, March 16, 2005.
Environmental vote YES lost 49-51,
Vote to adopt S. 1932, the
final budget reconciliation package, which contained language opening the ANWR
to oil & gas drilling. #303, Nov. 3, 2005. Environmental vote NO lost
52-47.
A provision was then added to
the Defense Appropriation Conference Report to open the ANWR to oil & gas
drilling. Senate vote to end debate (cloture) requiring 60 votes. #364, Dec. 21, 2005. Environmental vote
NO won 56-44.
10.
Human Pesticide Testing. Amendment 1023 (Boxer) to H.R. 2362, the Interior
Apprropriations bill, to declare a
one year moratorium. #162, June
29, 2005. Environmental vote YES won 60-37.
11.
Stormwater Cleanup. Amendment 592 (Bond) to H.R, 3, the Transportation bill, to
table (kill) a stormwater runoff pollution protection program championed by
Sens. Chafee, Jeffords and Warner. #113, April 8, 2995. Environmental vote YES
won 51-49 but the cleanup provision was removed in House-Senate Conference.
12.
Mercury Emissions from electric power plants. A resolution S.J.20 (Leahy
et.al.), to reduce mercury emission. #225, Sept. 13, 2005. Environmental vote
YES lost 47-51.
13.
Environmental Funding Cuts.
Budget resolution conference report for the 2006 fiscal year budget
includes cuts below needed expenditures including cuts in the Land and Water
Conservation Fund, water ckeanup, ocean coastal protection, farmland
conservation, etc. #114, April 28, 2005. Environmental vote NO lost 52-47.
14.
Heating Assistance. Amendment 2194 (Collins, Reed) to the Senate Budget
Resolution for a Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program to mitigate
the impact of rising heating cost. #270, Oct. 26, 2005. A two-third is required. The
environmental vote YES lost 54-43.
15.
Oil Company Tax Credits. Amendment 2609 (Feinstein) to S. 2020, the tax
reconciliation bill, to repeal tax break for ExxonMobil and other major
integrated oil companies. #332, Nov. 17, 2005.. Environmental vote YES lost
48-51.
16.
Tongass Logging Roads. Amendment 1026 (Bingaman-Sununu) to H.R. 2361, the
Interior Appropriations bill, to end money-losing subsidies for more logging
roads in the Tongass. #164, June 29, 2005. Environmental vote YES lost 39-59.
17.
Farm Conservation Programs. Amendment 2359 (Dorgan-Grassley) to S. 1932, Senate
budget reconciliation bill, to support farmersÕ conservation work, e.g.
wetlands, waters and wildlife. #290, Nov. 3, 2005, Environmental vote YES lost 46-53.
18.
CAFTA. Without environmental safeguards, the Central America Free Trade
Agreement promises to make degraded environments in the region worse. Vote on
S.1307, the CAFTA implementing
bill. #170, June 30, 2005. Environmental vote NO lost 54-45.
19.
Brown Nomination. Nomination of
anti-environmental protection Judge Janice Rogers Brown to a lifetime seat on
the U.S. court of appeals for the DC Circuit.#131, June 8, 2005. Environmental
vote NO lost 56-43.
IMMIGRATION
(Imm)
CUSP Immigration
scores are calculated from Roll Call votes selected by Americans for Better
Immigration.
See
<http://grades.betterimmigration.com>
SENATE
IMMIGRATION
8
Floor votes.
Border
Security. #105 S. Amendment 516 (Byrd) to H.R. 1268, Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Act of Defense, the Global War on Terror and Tsunami Relief,
2005) to increase funding for border security. April 20, 2005. Environmental
vote YES won 65-34.
Amnesty. #127 S. Amendment 3963 (Vitter) to
strip amnesty provisions for illegals from S. 2611, the Comprehensive
Immigration Reform Act of 2006, an
immigration increase bill. Environmental vote May 17, 2006. YES lost 33-66.
Social
Security Protection. #130. S. Amdt. 3985 to S. 2611. Motion to table (kill)
Ensign Amendment Òto preserve the integrity of the Social Security system by
ensuring that persons who receive an adjustment of status under this bill are not able to receive
Social Security benefits as a
result of unlawful activity.Ó
i.e. to deny Social Security benefits to illegal entries. May 18,
2006. Environmental vote NO lost
50-49.
Illegal
Benefit. #138 S. Amdt. 4087
Feinstein Amendment to S. 2611Ó to modify the conditions under which aliens who
are unlawfully present in the United States are granted legal status.Ó
Specifically to offer the benefits like a green card of an Òorange cardÓ to
illegal entries. May 23, 2006.
Environmental vote NO won 37-61.
Cloture
Vote. #144 Vote to impose cloture to end debate on S. 2611. May 24, 2006.
Environmental vote NO lost 73-25.
Guest
Worker Cap. #152. S. Smdt. 4131
(Bingaman) to S. 2611 Ò limit the total number of aliens, including spouses and
children, granted employment-based legal permanent resident status to 650,000
during any fiscal year.Ó
i.e. to limit numbers of guest workers. May 25, 2006. Environmental vote
YES won 51-47.
Immigration
Increase. #157. Final Passage of S. 2611, Comprehensive Immigration Act of
2006, an immigration increase bill.
Increases chain migration, imports workers and promotes amnesty of
illegal entries. May 25, 2006. Environmental vote NO lost 62-36.
More
Investigators. #201 Sessions Amendment 4660 to H.R. 5441 to provide funding in
the Department of Homeland Security Appropriation Act of 2007 for more
investigation of immigration laws violations. July 13, 2006. Environmental vote
YES lost 34-66.
Roll Call votes
selected by Population Connection which show CongressmembersÕ position on
legislation affecting future U.S. natural increase in population. Actions
include those indicating whether the Member is Pro-Choice, for comprehensive
sex education, for over-the counter emergency contraception and for other
policies which tend to make population reduction possible. For details see
Population Connection Ò2005 Congressional Report CardÓ published in PC
Reporter,1 Fall 2005,
<www.populationconnection.org>.
SENATE
NATURAL INCREASE
7
Floor votes
Prevention
First. #75. Amdt. (Clinton-Reid) to S. Con. Res. 18, the Fiscal 2006 Budget
Resolution, to expand efforts to prevent unintended pregnancies. The Amendment called for the Title X
domestic family planning program, required contraceptive equity in health
insurance plans, promoted greater public awareness of emergency contraceptives
and supported comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention efforts. March 17, 2005.
Environmental vote YES lost 47-53.
Repeal
of Global Gag Rule. #83. Amdt. (Boxer) to S. 600, the FY 2006-7 Foreign Affairs
Authorization Act, to repeal the
ÒGlobal Gag RuleÓ which imposes severe restrictions on womenÕs reproductive
health-care providers abroad that accept U.S. foreign aid. April 5, 2005.
Environment vote YES won 52-46.
Priscilla
Owen Judicial Nomination for appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th
Circuit. Judge OwenÕs legal interpretations in abortion cases demonstrate a
personal agenda identical to that of the extreme Christian Right. She has
repeatedly attempted to rewrite Texas law in order to deny young women their
right to choose. May 25, 2005. Environmental vote NO lost 55-43.
William
Pryor Judicial Nomination for appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th
Circuit. Judge PryorÕs record demonstrates a radically aggressive and
religiously-driven anti-choice agenda. He has stated that Roe v. Wade was Òthe
worst abomination in the history of constitutional law.Ó Pryor has also
attempted to undermine the federal governmentÕs right to protect the
environment and has taken a stand against the Endangered Species Act, federal
protection of wetlands and environmental justice. June 9, 2005. Environmental
vote NO lost 53-45.
John
Roberts Judicial Nomination. Vote to
confirm anti-choice nominee to the post of Chief Justice of the United States.
Sept. 9, 2005. Environmental vote NO lost 78-22.
Health
Insurance Gender Equity. Cloture
motion on committee amendment to S. 1955, Health Insurance Marketplace
Modernization and Affordability Act of 2005. #119, May 11, 2006. Environmental
vote NO lost 55-43.
Teen
Pregnancy Prevention. S. Amdt.
4689 (Lautenberg) to S. 403, Child Custody Protection Act. #214, July 25, 2006.
Environmental vote YES lost 48-51.
VOTE DESCRIPTIONS
- HOUSE
(Abbreviated for
space)
Several issues
and descriptions are similar to those in the Senate.
CONSERVATION/CONSUMPTION
18 floor
votes. See www.lcv.org
1. & 2.
Energy Bill and Energy Conference Report
Bush-Chaney
Energy Plan/ H.R. 6.
Environmental
vote NO lost 249-183 and NO lost 275-156.
3. Fuel Economy-
Raise CAFƒ standards.
Environmental
vote YES lost 177-121.
4. MTBE –
Lift liability shield
Environmental
vote YES lost 213-219
5.Natural Gas
Facilities - Lift liability shield
Environmental
vote YES lost 194-237.
6. Oil
Refineries –Defend from pollution
Environmental
vote YES lost 182-248
7. Environmental
Justice – Defend from pollution
Environmental
vote YES lost 185-243.
8. Air Pollution
& Oil Refineries – Reduce Safeguards
Environmental
vote NO lost 212-210.
9. Natural Gas
Drilling – Remove Safeguards
Environmental
vote NO won 157-262.
10, 11 & 12.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Environmental
votes YES lost 200-231,
NO lost
214-211and NO lost 214-201.
13.
Environmental Funding Cuts
Environmental
vote NO lost 218-214.
14. Endangered
Species - Remove protections
Environmental
vote NO lost 229-193.
15. Public Lands
Sell-Off
Environmental
vote NO lost 217-215.
16. CAFTA
Environmental
vote NO lost 217-215.
17. Border
Construction, No Exemptions
Environmental
vote YES lost 179-243.
18. Water
Projects – Justify need
Environmental
vote YES lost 105-325
HOUSE -
IMMIGRATION
6 floor
votes + Caucus membership
See http://grades.betterimmigration.com
Roll call # 28,
Feb. 10, 2005
To strip certain
immigration reduction
Environmental
vote NO won 185-236
#31, Feb. 10,
2005
To deny drivers
licenses to illegals.
Environmental
vote YES won 261-161
#443, 28 July,
2005.
CAFTA includes
worker importation.
Environmental
vote NO lost 217-215.
#653 Dec. 16,
2005.
To end visa
lottery.
Environmental
vote YES won 273-148.
# 661, Dec. 16,
2005.
Pass Border
Security bill, H.R. 4437.
Environmental
vote YES won 239-182
# 222, May
25,2006.
Increase numbers
(Temporary Protected Status).
Environmental vote
NO won 134-284
Immigration
Reform Caucus member
104 members
(8/9/2006)
http://tancredo.house.gov/irc/IRC%20Members%202005.htm
HOUSE - NATURAL
INCREASE
4 floor votes +
3 Co-Sponsorships See www.populationconnection.org
Aid to the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
June 16, 2005.
Environmental vote YES lost 182-233.
Denial of
contraceptives in Foreign Aid
July 19, 2005.
Environmental vote NO lost 223-205.
Access to
abortions to military service-women overseas.
May 25, 2005.
Environmental vote YES lost 194-233.
Abortion
Notification
To help young
women in crisis seeking abortions.
April 27, 2005.
Environmental vote YES lost 183-245.
Prevention First
Bill, H.R. 1709. 112 Co-Sponsors
Provides funding
for domestic family planning programs, etc.
Responsible Sex
Education, H.R. 2553. 95 Co-Spponsors.
Provides funding
to states for comprehensive sex education.
Pharmacist
Refusals. H.R. 1652. 118
Co-Sponsors
Establishes
measures to assure all lawful prescriptions filled.