[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 158 (Tuesday, November 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 4, 2003

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, had I been present for the following 
votes on October 30, 2003, I would have voted as follows:
  Rollcall vote 594; I would have voted ``yea'' on a motion to recommit 
H.R. 2691, the Interior Appropriations Conference Report.
  Rollcall vote 595; I would have voted ``nay'' on final passage of 
H.R. 2691, the Interior Appropriations Conference Report. While I 
appreciate the hard work of the Committee and the funding in this bill 
that went to important projects in Oregon, I am disappointed that the 
bill contained significant cuts in the Conservation Trust Fund. I am 
also opposed to the anti-environmental riders in the bill, especially 
limits of judicial review in the Tongass and Chugach National Forests 
in Alaska.
  Rollcall vote 596; I would have voted ``yea'' on H. Con. Res. 302, 
expressing the sense of Congress welcoming President Chen Shui-bian of 
Taiwan to the United States on October 31, 2003.
  Rollcall vote 597; I would have voted ``nay'' on the martial law rule 
allowing for the same day consideration of the Iraq supplemental 
appropriations bill. House rules require a one day layover requirement 
so members have a minimum amount of time to review the final report 
before voting on it. It is a travesty that the Republican leadership 
put this Congress in a position to vote on a bill that spends $87 
billion without adequate review.
  Rollcall vote 598; I would have voted ``yea'' on this motion to 
instruct conferees on H.R. 6, the Energy Bill. The motion to instruct 
would call on the conferees to abandon a provision allowing the EPA to 
extend smog standard deadlines for cities beyond the extension already 
provided for under the Clean Air Act. This provision is outside of the 
scope of the Conference Report and will result in dirtier air for 
communities around the country.
  Rollcall vote 599; I would have voted ``yea'' on this motion to 
instruct conferees on H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit 
Bill, to reject premium support.
  Rollcall vote 600; I would have voted ``yea'' on the motion to 
recommit H.R. 3289, the Conference Report for the Iraq and Afghanistan 
Supplemental Appropriations Act.
  Rollcall vote 601; I would have voted ``nay'' on final passage of 
H.R. 3289, the Conference Report for the Iraq and Afghanistan 
Supplemental Appropriations Act. I voted against this legislation when 
it first came before the House and this final conference report still 
does too little for our troops, too little for Afghanistan, and does 
not address the problems we are facing in Iraq.

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