Roll-call votes in Congress, March 25, 2012

Here's how local members of Congress voted on major issues in the week that ended Friday:

House

Medicare cost controls: Voting 223 for and 181 against, the House on Thursday sent the Senate a bill (HR 5) to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board established by the 2010 health law to use expert advice from outside government to slow the growth of Medicare costs. Starting in 2015, this panel will have power to restrain any annual Medicare spending increases that exceed official per-capita projections tied to such factors as inflation and the gross domestic product. Congress cannot reduce the sum of the panel's proposed cuts but can change individual parts after clearing high parliamentary hurdles. President Barack Obama has not yet named any of the 15 panel members, who will serve full time and need Senate confirmation for their six-year terms. House and Senate leaders of both parties will recommend 12 of the 15 nominees; Obama will unilaterally select the others.

The bill limits medical-malpractice awards (which should be a states issue), in part, by capping punitive damages at $250,000; shortening statutes of limitation for filing suits; making it easier for judges to cap attorneys' contingency fees; and requiring plaintiffs seeking punitive damages to prove the defendant acted with "malicious intent" and deliberate negligence in causing the injury. 

A yes vote was to pass the bill.  Voting yes: Renee Ellmers, R-2nd, Walter Jones, R-3rd, Virginia Foxx, R-5th, Howard Coble, R-6th, Larry Kissell, D-8th, Sue Myrick, R-9th, Patrick McHenry, R-10th.

Voting no: G.K. Butterfield, D-1st, David Price, D-4th, Heath Shuler, D-11th, Mel Watt, D-12th, Brad Miller, D-13th.
Not voting: Mike McIntyre, D-7th.

Dispute over Medicare: Voting 180 for and 229 against, the House on Thursday defeated a bid by Democrats to prevent the Republicans' bill on Medicare cost controls (HR 5, above) from contributing to any these outcomes: rationing health care; adding a voucher system that would partially privatize Medicare; ending guaranteed Medicare benefits for seniors or younger people who are disabled; or raising Medicare premiums, deductibles, coinsurance or copayments. 

A yes vote backed the Democratic motion. 
Voting yes: Butterfield, Jones, Price, Kissell, Watt, Miller.
Voting no: Ellmers, Foxx, Coble, Myrick, McHenry, Shuler.
Not voting: McIntyre.

Senate

Relaxing rules, raising capital: Voting 73 for and 26 against, the Senate on Thursday passed a bill (HR 3606) to relax major financial-reform laws of the past 10 years to help small and mid-size businesses rapidly enter capital markets, attract investors and create jobs. The bill defines a new category of firms with annual revenues under $1 billion that could float IPOs without first having to meet SEC requirements in such areas as auditing and transparency. For these companies, the bill would waive several investor-protection and corporate-governance rules set by the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley and 2010 Dodd-Frank financial-regulation laws.

This bill lowers standards for providing investors with audited financial statements; eases reporting requirements on executive compensation; lets companies "crowd-fund" by using social media and the Internet to solicit large pools of small investors; increases the amount of capital a company can raise and the number of shareholders it can have without registering with the SEC; and raises from 500 to 2,000 the maximum number of shareholders in community banks.

Additionally, the bill reauthorizes the Export-Import Bank through mid-2016 while gradually increasing its lending authority to $140 billion. It extends a Small Business Administration program that provides companies with long-term financing for purchasing real estate and other fixed assets. 
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting yes: Kay Hagan, D, Richard Burr, R.

Internet stock touts: Voting 64 for and 35 against, the Senate on Thursday added requirements to HR 3606 (above) for stricter auditing and transparency on the part of start-up companies seeking to raise capital from large pools of small investors over the Internet — a practice known as crowd-funding. For example, the amendment requires an officer of the company to stand behind the touts of the public offering, places caps on the amount individuals can invest as a proportion of their incomes, and sets up third-party intermediate portals as buffer zones between the company and solicited investors.

A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
Voting yes: Hagan, Voting no: Burr

Key votes ahead

In the week starting Monday, the House will take up a temporary extension of surface-transportation programs, a proposed Republican budget for fiscal 2013 and later years and several competing budget plans. The Senate will consider bills to improve the U.S. Postal Service and repeal taxpayer subsidies for oil companies. Congress will begin a two-week recess at week's end.

Source:  Thomas Voting Reports Inc.
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2012/mar/25/wsmet07-roll-call-votes-in-congress-ar-2084633/