KOS Action!
Voting Summaries 1999 - 2000

Kentucky's Delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives

ANTI = Anti-environment vote
PRO = Pro-environment vote
--- = Did not vote

1 - On February 10, 1999, the House passed H.R. 350, the Mandates Information Act, that creates new opportunities to block critical health and safety protections. This bill could impede important legislation such as the proposal to expand the public's right to know about toxics in their communities or efforts to address polluted runoff into our lakes and rivers. During consideration of the bill, two amendments were offered to prevent H.R. 350 from becoming yet another avenue for attacks on environmental laws. One that would have ensured a full and open debate on important new environmental legislation was defeated 210 - 216.

2 - The second would have put in place new safeguards requiring an open debate and an independent vote on the House floor on legislative efforts to weaken or rollback America's environmental protections. This amendment was defeated 203 - 216.

3 - H.R. 350 passed the House by a vote of 274 - 149.

4 - On February 11, 1999, the House passed the Small Business Paperwork Reduction Act (H.R. 391) by a vote of 274-151. This bill would waive penalties for first-time violators of vital reporting requirements in health, safety, and environmental laws. The bill would give a green light to "small" businesses (up to 1,500 employees in some instances) to ignore reporting requirements for toxic releases, food adulterations, oil spills, nuclear safety incidents, and drinking water contamination, to name a few examples. A NO vote was the pro-environment vote. ALL SIX MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FROM KENTUCKY (Whitfield, Lewis, Northup, Lucas, Rogers, & Fletcher) VOTED YES.

5 - On February 11, 1999, Rep. Kucinich (D-OH) offered an amendment to H.R. 391, which was defeated 210-214, that would have preserved federal agencies' discretion to impose penalties for violations of important reporting and disclosure requirements. A YES vote was the pro-environment vote. FIVE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FROM KENTUCKY (Whitfield, Lewis, Northup, Rogers, & Fletcher) VOTED NO; ONE MEMBER (Lucas) VOTED YES.

6 - On May 18, the House rejected an effort to recommit H.R. 1141, the FY 1999 Supplemental Appropriations Conference Report by a 243 to 182 vote. The House rejected a motion by Rep. David Obey (D-WI) to recommit the funding measure for Kosovo and relief to Hurricane Mitch victims back to the Conference Committee. The emergency spending bill contained anti-environment riders, as well as numerous "special interest" provisions. An important anti-environment rider allowed mining proponents to discard open policy debate about environmental reform of the antiquated mining law. Sen Gorton (R-WA) successfully piggy-backed a provision which allowed the Crown Jewel mine, an open pit, cyanide-leach mine in Washington state to proceed even though the Departments of Agriculture and Interior had denied the mine by enforcing a provision of the 1872 Mining Law that limits the size and number of hard rock mining waste sites on public lands. Several other anti-environment riders dealing with hard rock mining regulations, oil royalties and tax provisions benefiting oil producers were also passed on the funding measure.

7 - Once the motion to recommit the Conference Report failed, the bill passed 269 to 158.

8 - The House passed by a voice vote (so we have no idea who voted for or against this bill) on Thursday, May 20, the American Land Sovereignty Act, H.R. 883. The U.S. has been a leader in protecting natural and cultural resources through its participation in the World Heritage Convention and the U.S. Man and Biosphere Program. World Heritage sites are places that have been recognized as world class natural and cultural areas. Biosphere Reserves are established to represent the world’s varied ecosystem and provide opportunities for scientific research and sustainable economic development. H.R. 883 will severely hinder the ability of the U.S. to exercise its leadership in the global conservation movement by restricting U.S. participation in these programs. The bill requires that any new World Heritage site be authorized by a specific act of Congress, ends U.S. participation in the Man and Biosphere, and rescinds the existing 47 Biosphere Reserve designations unless each site is individually authorized by Congress before 2001. Rep. Bruce Vento (D-MN) offered an amendment to require congressional approval for federal lands to be used for commercial use or development through agreements with international or foreign entities or their U.S. subsidiaries. The amendment was adopted 262-158. The amendment required specific congressional approval prior to exploiting lands for their mining and timber resources. Since Congress was voting to require congressional approval in order to designate additional protective status, Rep. Vento reasoned that it ought to be equally difficult to exploit the designated areas.

9 - On July 13, 1999, the House approved HR 2466: Conservation Fund by a 213 to 202 vote. Rep. McGovern (D-MA) sponsored the amendment, which cuts fossil energy research and development by $30 million and increases the state-side matching grant program of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Under this amendment, each state is eligible for up to $2 million to protect and preserve open space and recreation areas.

10 - On July 14 the House considered three environment-related amendments. The first, HR 2466: Weatherization, was approved by a 243 to 180 vote. Rep. Sanders (I-VT) introduced the measure, which increases funding for the weatherization program designed to help low-income homeowners to purchase energy efficient materials, such as insulation.

11 - The second measure was HR 2466: Mining Waste which limits toxic mining waste disposal on public lands. Introduced by Rep. Rahall (D-WV), the amendment was approved by a 273 to 151 vote.

12 - The third measure was HR 2466: Fisheries Management. Rep. Wu (D-OR) spronsored the amendment which would have cut taxpayer subsidized clearcutting in national forests, and directed funding toward water quality programs and wildlife and fisheries habitats. The amendment was rejected by a 174 to 250 vote.

13 - On July 19, 1999, the House passed the Campbell Amendment in support of UNFPA funding by a vote of 221 - 198. The greatest threat to wildlife today is the destruction of habitat, such as wetlands and forests. Rapid human population growth is a driving factor behind much of the destruction of this habitat. Whether it's the tiger in India, the red panda in China, or the Florida panther here in the United States, all are seriously threatened by population-driven habitat loss. The population assistance supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in over 160 countries is key to slowing rapid population growth. UNFPA's work in the rapidly growing countries of Asia is essential to preservation of wildlife such as the tiger, red panda, and the Chinese river dolphin. In Central and South America, UNFPA works in several countries where the biological treasures of the rainforests and critical wintering grounds for migratory birds are threatened by unsustainable growth.

14 - Voting 192 for and 217 against, the House on July 26, 1999, refused to require a public accounting of what 'corporate welfare' costs taxpayers. The occurred as the House passed a bill (HR 1074) requiring the government to disclose the cost of its regulations on the private sector. The defeated amendment sought to broaden the disclosure to also include government benefits such as use of public land at below-market costs. A pro-environment vote backed public disclosure of the cost of corporate welfare.

15 - Two harmful wetlands riders were added by Rep. Packard (R-CA) to an Energy and Water Spending bill (H.R. 2605) that was subsequently passed by the House on 7/27/99. One of the riders would provide developers with a new way to sue the government when it asserts jurisdiction over wetlands. The other would delay implementation of revised nationwide permits that the Army Corps of Engineers has been developing for over two years. Although the Corps of Engineers' extensive permit review process has incorporated comments from more than 10,000 interested citizens, this rider requires the Corps to undertake and complete an expensive new study before phasing in new permits. The House rejected, by a vote of 183-245, an amendment (H.ADMT. 347) offered by Reps. Visclosky (D-IN), Oberstar (D-IN), and Borski (D-PA) to strike these two damaging riders.

16 - On October 4, during consideration of the Interior Appropriations bill (H.R. 2466), Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA) led a motion instructing the House members of the Conference Committee on the Interior Appropriations bill to reject the 17 anti-environment "riders" in the Senate version of the Interior bill. The motion also instructs the Conferees to agree with the higher Senate funding levels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The motion was agreed to by a vote of 218-199. A "YES" vote on this motion was the pro-environment vote. All six members of the House from Kentucky voted no.

17 - On October 21, the House/Senate Conference Report on HR 2466, the Department of Interior Appropriations bill for FY2000, was passed by a vote of 225 - 200. The Conference Report contains at least 72 anti-environment riders from both the House and Senate versions of the bill. The anti-environmental provisions in the Interior Conference Report would reduce protections for our nation's public health and natural resources, continue environmentally harmful subsidies, and prevent the implementation of much-needed reforms in the management of public lands. A 'NO' vote on this report was the pro-environment vote. ALL SIX MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FROM KENTUCKY (Whitfield, Lewis, Northup, Lucas, Rogers, & Fletcher) VOTED YES.

18 - On November 3, 1999, the House of Representatives passed HR 2389, the County Schools Revitalization Act of 1999, by a margin of 274-153. This bill would change a bill enacted in 1908 by increasing funding for logging on National Forests. The 1908 original law, known as "25% Fund," gives counties with National Forests in their boundaries one-quarter of all receipts from National Forest logging sales. The counties then have to use the funds for roads and schools. HR2389 would take 20% of the school funds and put them in an off-budget account to be used, not for education, but for more timber sales. Clearly, this is the wrong way to go. Thanks to Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Rep. Bruce Vento (D-MN) and Rep. George Miller (D-CA) who valiantly fought this wrongheaded piece of legislation. A No vote on this bill was the pro-environment vote. ALL SIX MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FROM KENTUCKY (Whitfield, Lewis, Northup, Lucas, Rogers, & Fletcher) VOTED YES.

19 - On November 3, 1999, the House rejected an amendment to H.R. 2389 offered by Rep. Mark Udall (D -CO). H.R. 2389 requires that counties use 20 percent of federal payments for community-based projects in national forests that may include commercial timber sales. Rep. Udall's (D-CO) amendment would have made optional the requirement that 20 percent of a county's forest lands payments be used for certain community-based projects, thereby ensuring that all funds would go to pay for schools and not for new timber sales. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 186-241. Yes was the pro-environment vote. ALL SIX MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FROM KENTUCKY (Whitfield, Lewis, Northup, Lucas, Rogers, & Fletcher) VOTED NO.

20 - On February 16, 2000, the House passed H.R. 2366, the "Small Business Liability Reform Act," by a vote of 221-193. The bill, introduced by Rep. Rogan (R-CA), would limit the liability of small businesses for punitive damage claims. The bill's language is sufficiently broad that it could restrict environmental enforcement actions, delay hazardous waste site cleanups under the Superfund law, and limit the rights of individuals to collect damages for injuries caused by small businesses. No is the pro-environment vote. All six members of the House from Kentucky  (Whitfield, Lewis, Northup, Lucas, Rogers, & Fletcher) voted Yes.

21 - On March 16, 2000, the House of Representatives approved by a vote of 226 - 182 a measure (The Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2000 -- H.R. 2372), drafted by the National Home Builders Association, which would allow developers to appeal local planning and zoning decisions directly to federal court. The bill would undercut local zoning judgments, including environmental protections and smart growth plans, by allowing wealthy developers to intimidate localities with the threat of expensive federal litigation. A 'No' vote was the pro-environment vote. FIVE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FROM KENTUCKY (Lewis, Northup, Lucas, Rogers, & Fletcher) VOTED YES; the sixth member (Whitfield) did not vote.

22 - On March 16, 2000, the House also rejected a substitute amendment to H.R. 2372 offered by Representatives Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and William Delahunt (D-MA) to remove the worst portions of the bill by a vote of 179-234. YES was the pro-environment vote. FIVE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FROM KENTUCKY (Lewis, Northup, Lucas, Rogers, & Fletcher) VOTED NO; the sixth member (Whitfield) did not vote.

23 - On March 22, 2000, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 253-167 to approve legislation to send high-level nuclear waste to a permanent repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. This legislation (S. 1287, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2000) would mandate the premature shipment of nuclear waste to Nevada as early as 2006. Specifically, the legislation threatens the construction of a safe permanent nuclear waste facility by delaying the setting of standards for radiation exposure from the facility and puts communities across the nation at risk from a transport accident. In fact, the legislation would mandate up to 100,000 shipments of nuclear waste, traveling through 43 states and within half a mile of 50 million Americans over 25 years. NO is the pro-environment vote. ALL SIX MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FROM KENTUCKY (Whitfield, Lewis, Northup, Lucas, Rogers, & Fletcher) VOTED YES.

24 - The Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA; HR 701) represents the best opportunity for full and permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a program to allow federal and state open space protection and land acquisition. CARA would provide money to federal agencies for the purchase of open space for conservation and to states for open space protection and to improve opportunities for recreation through the creation of ballparks and the construction of hiking trails. CARA will also provide funding to states and federal agencies for wildlife conservation. Each year, $900 million from offshore oil and gas drilling is earmarked for expanding and preserving national parks, forests and wildlife refuges through LWCF. Instead, Congress has diverted more than $11 billion from LWCF over the last 15 years. CARA, introduced by Representatives Don Young (R-AK) and George Miller (D-CA), would prevent Congress from diverting funds away from public lands programs.

Beginning on May 10, 2000, those opposing this important legislation began to offer amendments to weaken the bill. These amendments included:

H. AMDT. 683. To allow those states which currently allow offshore drilling to receive the majority of the funding under Title I of the bill. The amendment was defeated by a vot of 317 - 109. NO was the pro-environment vote. Lewis, Fletcher, & Whitfield voted YES; Rogers, Northup, & Lucas voted NO.

H. AMDT. 687. To condition the annual transfer of funds to the CARA Trust Fund on the following: certification that Congress is on track to eliminate all publicly held debt by 2013; certification that there is not an on-budget deficit; certification that Social Security is not scheduled to run a deficit within the next 5 years; and certification that Medicare is not scheduled to run a deficit within the next 5 years. The amendment passed by a vote of 216 - 208. NO was the pro-environment vote. All Kentucky Representatives (Fletcher, Northup, Lewis, Lucas, Rogers, and Whitfield) voted YES.

H. AMDT. 688. To prohibit funds from being used in the Act for the establishment or management of a national monument designated after 1995 under the Antiquities Act. This amendment failed by a vote of 265 - 160. NO was the pro-environment voted. Rogers, Lewis, Northup, & Fletcher voted YES: Lucas & Whitfield voted NO.

H. AMDT. 689. To prevent non-federal landowners, who become neighbors of the federal government resulting from an action authorized under the bill, from having those rights that allow the use and enjoyment of their property diminished. This amendment failed by a vote of 253 - 171. NO was the pro-environment vote. Rogers, Lewis, Fletcher, Northup, & Lucas voted YES; Whitfield voted NO.

H. AMDT. 705. To strengthen private property rights and PILT programs; address public maintenance problems in public parks; and to make funding discretionary for the first 5 years that the bill is enacted. The amendment failed by a voted of 291 - 126. NO was the pro-environment vote. Northup voted YES; Lewis, Lucas, Fletcher, Whitfield, and Rogers voted NO.

CARA (HR 701) passed the House on May 11 by a vote of 315 - 102. YES was the pro-environment vote. All Kentucky Representatives (Lewis, Lucas, Whitfield, Northup, Rogers, & Fletcher) voted YES.

25 - On 6/7, the House began consideration of H.R. 3605, introduced by Rep. Cannon (R-UT), to establish the San Rafael Western Legacy District and Conservation Area in a unique and starkly beautiful area in southern Utah known as the San Rafael Swell. During the debate on HR 3605, Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) offered an amendment to protect the wilderness characteristics of the spectacular San Rafeal Swell area in Utah. Unfortunately, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) offered a replacement amendment that undercut real protection efforts. Rep. Boehlert's amendment offered weaker and unenforceable protection for the San Rafael Swell. Those who voted in favor of the Boehlert amendment voted to allow degradation of Utah's pristine wildlands. The Boehlert amendment to H.R. 3605 passed the House 212 to 211 on June 7, 2000. A NO vote was the pro-environment vote. Fletcher, Northup, Lewis, Rogers, and Whitfield voted YES; Lucas voted NO.

26 - On June 14, Rep. David Wu (D-OR) offered an amendment to the Department of Interior funding bill (HR 4578) for fiscal year 2001. His amendment would have increased funding for the Forest Service's wildlife and fish habitat management program by $15 million and offset the increase by reducing the Forest Service's forest products account. The environmental community supported this amendment. It was defeated 173-249. A YES vote was the pro-environment vote. All Kentucky Representatives (Lewis, Lucas, Whitfield, Northup, Rogers, & Fletcher) voted NO.

27 - On June 15, 2000 Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash, offered an amendment to the Department of Interior funding bill for fiscal year 2001. His amendment would remove the bill's provision prohibiting the Interior Department from planning or managing national monuments and the provision preventing them from finishing the Columbia basin ecosystem management plan. After two efforts to weaken it, the Dicks' Amendment eventually passed by a vote of 243-177. YES was the pro-environment vote. Fletcher, Northup, Lewis, Rogers, and Whitfield voted NO; Lucas voted YES.

28 - On June 21, 2000 Representative Hinchey (D-NY) offered an amendment to the VA-HUD-Independent Agency Funding Bill, which contains Environmental Protection Agency funding for fiscal year 2001. His amendment would have struck three anti-clean water riders. One rider would prevent EPA from completing regulations to reduce levels of arsenic in drinking water. A second rider would stop EPA from issuing a new standard for drinking water containing radon. The amendment would also remove a third rider that is designed to halt EPA's cleanup of contaminated sediments in waterways until the completion of a report, delaying action that could endanger the environment and public health. The Hinchey amendment to H.R. 4635 was defeated in the House 216-208 on June 21, 2000. YES was the pro-environmental vote. All Kentucky Representatives (Lewis, Lucas, Whitfield, Northup, Rogers, & Fletcher) voted NO.

29 - On June 21, 2000, Representatives Collins (R-GA) and Linder (R-GA) offered a rider to the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies funding bill that would delay designation of regions not in attainment with more protective clean-air smog standards. This rider would put people who live in smog areas at higher risk for respiratory diseases and keep information about health risks from the public. The Collins rider to H.R. 4635 passed the House 226 to 199 on June 21, 2000. The pro-environmental vote was NO. All Kentucky Representatives (Lewis, Lucas, Whitfield, Northup, Rogers, & Fletcher) voted YES.

30 - On July 11, 2000, the House of Representative defeated an amendment (H. AMDT. 973) to HR 4461 offered by Rep. DeFazio (D-OR) by a vote of 190 - 228. DeFazio's amendment would have prohibited the use of funds (made available for Wildlife Services Program operations) for campaigns to kill wild animals (such as mountain lions, coyotes, wolves, and foxes) for the purpose of protecting livestock. YES was the pro-environment vote. Northup and Whitfield voted YES; Fletcher, Lewis, Lucas, and Rogers voted NO.

31 - On July 20, 2000, Rep. Davis (R-VA) offered a rider to the U.S. Treasury appropriations bill, H.R. 4871, that would block a proposal to simply reaffirm that compliance with federal laws, including environmental law, is part of the test for determining whether a contractor can be eligible for federal contracts. Existing standards that guide how the government buys everything from fax paper to cars to steel requires government contracts be awarded only to "responsible contractors," which one would assume means a contractor that obeys federal law. This rider would kill a proposal that would simply spell out that a "responsible contractor" must comply with U.S. tax, labor, environmental and consumer-protection laws. The Davis rider passed the House by a 228 to 190 vote. NO was the pro-environmental vote. All Kentucky Representatives (Fletcher, Whitfield, Northup, Rogers, Lucas, & Lewis) vote YES.

32 - On July 13, 2000, the House of Representatives defeated an amendment (H. AMDT. 997) offered by Reps. Jim Greenwood (R-PA) and Nita Lowey (D-NY) to remove the Global Gag Rule from the Fiscal Year 2001 Foreign Operations bill (H.R. 4811).The Global Gag Rule disqualifies overseas family planning associations from receiving U.S. funds if they, with their own money, lobby to change laws on abortion or provide abortion services in their own countries where it is legal to do so. By a narrow margin of 206-221, the House voted to maintain the restrictions. YES was the pro-environment vote. All Kentucky Representatives (Fletcher, Whitfield, Northup, Rogers, Lucas, & Lewis ) voted NO.

33 - On September 27, 2000, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on H.R. 5175 (the "Small Business Liability Relief Act), a bill that would exempt small businesses that contributed waste to Superfund sites from paying their share of the cost of cleaning up these waste sites. Exempting these businesses would have required taxpayers or other businesses to pay the cleanup costs, and it would have removed an incentive for all businesses to reduce their pollution. The bill also would have shifted U.S. law by requiring the government to demonstrate that the businesses were not exempt from liability. The bill failed to achieve the two-thirds majority to pass, on a vote of 253 -161. The pro-environmental vote was NO. All Kentucky Representatives (Fletcher, Whitfield, Northup, Rogers, Lucas, & Lewis) vote YES.

34 - On October 11, 2000, the House voted 315 - 98 to override President Clinton's veto of a $24 billion dollar spending bill (HR 4733) that would be detrimental to three endangered species: the Pallid Sturgeon, Piping Plover and Least Tern. A NO vote was the pro-environment vote. All Kentucky Representatives (Fletcher, Whitfield, Northup, Rogers, Lucas, & Lewis) voted YES.

% Pro-environment votes during this and previous sessions of Congress
(as compiled by the League of Conservation Voters)

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