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By Kent Larsen
Politics: Political Feature Resumes
NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- The political tracking feature that Mormon News
introduced in August resumes today, as we attempt to track the
legislative activities of the 17 Mormons serving in the US Congress.
The weekly message looks at how these Mormon politicians vote on
major legislation, legislation most in the news, legislation
introduced by Mormons and legislation that is otherwise Mormon. and
tracks the legislation that Mormon politicians have introduced.
Activity in the US House last week focused on the Farm Security Act,
funding agricultural programs meant to protect farmers from economic
swings. The bill passed the House on Friday, with a very split vote
by the Mormon legislators in the House. The body also voted,
unanimously, to honor fallen firefighters.
Meanwhile, Arizona congressman Jeff Flake introduced a new bill that
would make the tax cut passed earlier this year apply to tax returns
covering 2001 (instead of 2002) and make the cuts permanent. New
Mexico's Tom Udall also introduced new legislation, to deal with the
difficulty of recruiting nurses for the Veterans Hospitals. Utah
Congressman Jim Hansen's bill to designate Utah's Pilot Range as
wilderness passed the House, as did his bill to give St. George, Utah
certain paleontological resources and Tom Udall's bill to make the
Navajo Long Walk to Bosque Redondo a national historic trail.
In the Senate, the Defense appropriations bill passed easily with an
amendment supplied by LDS Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. Senator
Hatch, meanwhile, introduced a bill similar to Congressman Hansen's
giving St. George rare paleontological resources to provide for their
protection and preservation.
Recent Votes and Legislation by Mormons in the US Congress;
Roll Call Votes
US House
2-Oct
H J RES 42 - Memorializing fallen firefighters by lowering the
American flag to half-staff in honor of the National Fallen
Firefighters Memorial Service in Emittsburg, Maryland.
Passed 420-0 Mormons: Yea: 10 Nay: 0
Yea: Cannon, Doolittle, Flake, Hansen, Herger, Istook, Matheson,
McKeon, Mark Udall, Tom Udall
H R 2646 - Farm Security Act (major): Continues agricultural programs through
fiscal year 2011.
3-Oct
Boswell of Iowa Amendment (H.AMDT.320): adds new section creating a
renewable reserve of agricultural commodities.
Failed 100-323 Mormons: Yea: 2 Nay: 9
Yea: Herger, Tom Udall
Nay: Cannon, Doolittle, Flake, Hansen, Istook, Matheson, McKeon,
Simpson, Mark Udall
3-Oct
Traficant of Ohio Amendment (H.AMDT.324): adds Buy American
provisions to the bill.
Agreed 418-5 Mormons: Yea: 11 Nay: 0
Yea: Cannon, Doolittle, Flake, Hansen, Herger, Istook, Matheson,
McKeon, Simpson, Mark Udall, Tom Udall
3-Oct
Smith of Michigan Amendment (H.AMDT.325): adds a new paragraph
providing payment limitations regarding marketing assistance
loans to cover all producer gains.
Failed 187-238 Mormons: Yea: 4 Nay: 7
Yea: Flake, Istook, Mark Udall, Tom Udall
Nay: Cannon, Doolittle, Hansen, Herger, Matheson, McKeon, Simpson
4-Oct
Boehlert of New York Amendment (H.AMDT.340): reallocates funding from
farming counter-cyclical programs to various conservation
programs including farmland protection, environmental quality
incentives, wildlife habitat, wetlands and grassland reserves,
organic farming, and watershed forestry initiatives.
Failed 200-226 Mormons: Yea: 2 Nay: 9
Yea: Mark Udall, Tom Udall
Nay: Cannon, Doolittle, Flake, Hansen, Herger, Istook, Matheson,
McKeon, Simpson
4-Oct
Miller of Florida Amendment (H.AMDT.343): adds section extending the
sugar program at reduced loan rates.
Failed 177-239 Mormons: Yea: 2 Nay: 7
Yea: Flake, Matheson
Nay: Cannon, Doolittle, Herger, McKeon, Simpson, Mark Udall, Tom Udall
4-Oct
Sanders of Vermont Amendment as Amended (H.AMDT.354): establishes a
new voluntary national counter-cyclical income support program
for dairy producers.
Failed 194-224 Mormons: Yea: 0 Nay: 11
Nay: Cannon, Doolittle, Flake, Hansen, Herger, Istook, Matheson,
McKeon, Simpson, Mark Udall, Tom Udall
4-Oct
Clayton of North Carolina Amendment (H.AMDT.350): increases funding
for rural strategic planning initiatives by $45 million
annually; community water assistance grants by $45 million
annually; and value-added agricultural product market
development grants by $10 million annually.
Agreed to: 235-183 Mormons: Yea: 5 Nay: 6
Yea: Herger, Istook, Matheson, Mark Udall, Tom Udall
Nay: Cannon, Doolittle, Flake, Hansen, McKeon, Simpson
4-Oct
Bono of California Amendment (H.AMDT.351): adds new section requiring
country of origin lableling of perishable agricultural commodities.
Agreed to: 296-121 Mormons: Yea: 6 Nay: 5
Yea: Hansen, Herger, Istook, Matheson, Mark Udall, Tom Udall
Nay: Cannon, Doolittle, Flake, McKeon, Simpson
5-Oct
Vote on bill passed 291-120; Mormons: Yea: 6 Nay: 5
Yea: Cannon, Hansen, Herger, Matheson, McKeon, Simpson
Nay: Doolittle, Flake, Istook, Mark Udall, Tom Udall
US Senate
S. 1438 (major) - Defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2002.
2-Oct
Cloture Motion Agreed to 100-0 Mormons: Yea: 5 Nea: 0
Yea: Bennett, Crapo, Hatch, Reid, Smith
2-Oct
Vote on bill passed 99-0 Mormons: Yea: 5 Nea: 0
Yea: Bennett, Crapo, Hatch, Reid, Smith
Progress of Legislation by Mormons
US House
Chris Cannon (R-UT):
(none this week)
John Doolittle (R-CA):
(none this week)
Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS):
(none this week)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ):
H.R.3050 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make
individual income tax rate reductions effective as of January 1,
2001, and to amend the Economic Growth and Tax Relief
Reconciliation Act of 2001 to repeal the sunset of such rate reductions.
10/5/01 Introduced
10/5/01 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Jim Hansen (R-UT):
H.R.2488 - To designate certain lands in the Pilot Range in the State
of Utah as wilderness.
10/3/01 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
10/3/01 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
10/3/01 Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Discharged.
H.R.2385 - To convey certain property to the city of St. George,
Utah, in order to provide for the protection and preservation of
certain rare paleontological resources on that property.
10/2/01 Mr. Hansen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
10/2/01 Considered under suspension of the rules.
10/2/01 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended
Agreed to by voice vote.
10/2/01 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
10/3/01 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Wally Herger (R-CA):
(none this week)
Ernest Istook (R-OK):
HR2590 - Appropriations bill - Treasury, USPS, Executive Office of
the President &etc.
10/5/01 Mr. Istook asked unanimous consent that the House disagree to
the Senate amendment, and agree to a conference.
10/5/01 On motion that the House disagree to the Senate amendment,
and agree to a conference Agreed to without objection.
10/5/01 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
10/5/01 The Speaker appointed conferees: Istook, Wolf, Northup,
Sununu, Peterson (PA), Tiahrt, Sweeney, Sherwood, Young (FL),
Hoyer, Meek (FL), Price (NC), Rothman, Visclosky, and Obey.
Jim Matheson (D-UT):
(none this week)
Buck McKeon (R-CA):
(none this week)
Mike Simpson (R-ID):
(none this week)
Mark Udall (D-CO) (MH):
HR1576 - Designates James Peak Wilderness and Protection Area (CO)
10/3/01 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
10/3/01 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
10/3/01 Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Discharged.
Tom Udall (D-NM):
H.R.1384 - Designates the Navajo Long Walk to Bosque Redondo as a
national historic trail.
10/2/01 Mr. Radanovich moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill,
as amended.
10/2/01 Considered under suspension of the rules.
10/2/01 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended
Agreed to by voice vote.
10/2/01 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
10/2/01 The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
10/3/01 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
H.R.3017 - Enhances the authority of the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to recruit and retain qualified nurses for the Veterans
Health Administration.
10/3/01 Introduced
10/3/01 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
US Senate
Bob Bennett (R-UT):
S.1456 - Facilitates the security of the critical infrastructure of
the United States.
10/9/01 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
Mike Crapo (R-ID):
(none this week)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT):
S.1497 - To convey certain property to the city of St. George,
Utah, in order to provide for the protection and preservation of
certain rare paleontological resources on that property.
10/3/01 introduced
10/3/01 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources.
Harry Reid (D-NV):
S.AMDT.1760 to S.1438 - To strike the condition precedent for the
effectiveness of the dual compensation authority provided in
section 651 in S.1438 - Defense appropriations for fiscal year 2002.
10/2/01 Amendment SA 1760 proposed by Senator Reid.
10/2/01 Amendment SA 1760 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
S.AMDT.1790 to S.1438 - Adds additional appropriations to S.1438 -
Defense appropriations for fiscal year 2002.
10/1/01 submitted
Gordon Smith (R-OR):
(none this week)
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