How they voted

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Updated: January 19, 2012 11:00AM

WASHINGTON — Here’s how Reps. Joe Donnelly and Peter Visclosky, Democrats, and Sens. Richard Lugar and Daniel Coats, Republicans, voted last week.

House

STAMPS TO FUND BREAST CANCER RESEARCH: The House passed a bill (S. 384), sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that would extend the postal service’s authority to sell semipostal stamps to raise funds for breast cancer research until 2015. The first class mail stamps sell at a rate above that normally charged for regular service, allowing some of the funds to be donated to the research. The vote, on Dec. 13, was 417 yeas to 1 nay.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, yea

PAYROLL TAX CUT EXTENSION: The House passed the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (H.R. 3630), sponsored by Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich. The bill would extend the 4.2 percent payroll tax rate for one year, extend a freeze on pay for federal workers through 2013, require the Obama administration to issue a decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline within 60 days, and extend unemployment benefits. The vote, on Dec. 13, was 234 yeas to 193 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, nay

SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN: The House passed the Iran Threat Reduction Act (H.R. 1905), sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla. The bill would expand sanctions against Iran and authorize assistance to groups opposed to Iran’s government. The vote, on Dec. 14, was 410 yeas to 11 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, yea

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, yea

MILITARY SPENDING: The House agreed to the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1540), a bill originally sponsored by Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif. The compromise legislation provided $554 billion of funding for military programs and $115.5 billion for overseas combat operations, and gave the president authority to indefinitely detain suspected terrorists, who would be tried before military commissions. The vote, on Dec. 14, was 283 yeas to 136 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, yea

Senate

EL SALVADOR AMBASSADOR: The Senate rejected cloture for debate on the nomination of Mari Carmen Aponte to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador. The vote, on Dec. 12, was 49 yeas to 37 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.

Votes: Coats, nay; Lugar, nay

DEMOCRATIC BALANCED BUDGET PLAN: The Senate rejected a joint resolution (S.J. Res. 24), sponsored by Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo. The resolution sought to add to the Constitution an amendment requiring balanced budgets unless a three-fifths majority of Congress voted to override the requirement, while exempting Social Security and disability insurance trust funds from the annual budgeting process. The vote, on Dec. 14, was 21 yeas to 79 nays.

Votes: Coats, nay; Lugar, nay

REPUBLICAN BALANCED BUDGET PLAN: The Senate rejected a joint resolution (S.J. Res. 10), sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. The resolution sought to add to the Constitution an amendment requiring balanced budgets and capping federal spending at 18 percent of gross domestic product unless a two-thirds majority of Congress voted to override the requirements. The vote, on Dec. 14, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.

Votes: Coats, yea; Lugar, yea

— Targeted News Service