VITTER, DAVID (a Representative from Louisiana)

Amendments

Transportation: Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs funding (H.R. 3550), H1991 [1AP]

Appointments

Conferee: H.R. 4818, foreign operations, export financing, and related programs appropriations, H9699 [16NO]

———H.R. 4837, Dept. of Defense appropriations for military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure, H8851 [7OC]

Bills and resolutions cosponsored

Abortion: ensure that women seeking an abortion are fully informed relative to pain experienced by the unborn child (see H.R. 4420), H6707 [22JY]

———protect lives of born and unborn persons (see H.R. 3069), H6706 [22JY]

Animal Welfare Act: strengthen enforcement of animal fighting provisions (see H.R. 1532), H6557 [21JY]

Armed Forces: rectify deficiencies in military postal system to ensure that members overseas can receive and send mail in a timely manner, including election ballots, in time for 2004 elections (see H. Res. 608), H2816 [11MY]

———restore health care coverage to retired members of the uniformed services (see H.R. 3474), H128 [27JA]

Atchafalaya National Heritage Area: establish (see H.R. 5348), H9049 [8OC]

Aviation: provide for recruiting, training, and deputizing persons for the Federal flight deck officer program (see H.R. 4126), H5151 [25JN]

Aznar, Jose M.: award Congressional Gold Medal (see H.R. 2131), H393 [4FE]

Business and industry: require mandatory expensing of stock options granted to executive officers (see H.R. 3574), H1593 [25MR]

Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA): renegotiate provisions on access to U.S. sugar markets and prevent inclusion of sugar as an element of negotiations in free trade agreements (see H. Res. 510), H435 [10FE]

Children and youth: establish a grant program to provide comprehensive eye examinations (see H.R. 2173), H6706 [22JY]

Collective bargaining: clarify the illegality of the use of violence to achieve objectives during a strike (see H.R. 1870), H927 [9MR]

Contracts: prohibit discrimination in awarding Federal contracts on the basis of labor policies (see H.R. 106), H1740 [30MR]

Courts: increase minimum and maximum rates of basic pay payable to administrative law judges (see H.R. 3737), H831 [3MR]

———limit jurisdiction of Federal courts in certain cases and promote federalism (see H.R. 3799), H4171 [15JN]

Crime: provide incentives for States to enact mandatory minimum sentences for certain firearms offenses (see H.R. 54), H6706 [22JY]

———strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting (see H.R. 4264), H3392 [19MY]

Davis-Bacon Act: create additional category of construction workers called ``helpers'' (see H.R. 2283), H4766 [22JN]

DeBakey, Michael E.: award Congressional Gold Medal (see H.R. 2868), H6706 [22JY]

Dept. of State: require annual reports on acts of anti-Semitism around the world (see H.R. 4214), H5151 [25JN]

Dept. of the Treasury: extend Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (see H.R. 4634), H5151 [25JN]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: require congressional notification prior to implementation of the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services initiative (see H.R. 2808), H5150 [25JN]

———restrict the performance of eye surgery at a facility, or under a contract with the Dept., to only licensed medical doctors and licensed doctors of osteopathy (see H.R. 3473), H9051 [8OC]

Diseases: extend issuance of special postage stamps to fund breast cancer research (see H.R. 1385), H128 [27JA]

Education: improve access to printed instructional materials used by blind or other print-disabled persons in elementary and secondary schools (see H.R. 490), H393 [4FE]

———improve graduation rates by making grants to improve adolescent literacy (see H.R. 3085), H4894 [23JN]

———increase student loan forgiveness to highly-qualified teachers in mathematics, science, and special education, and for reading specialists (see H.R. 4410), H4287 [16JN]

Elections: assert that terrorists will never cause the date of a Presidential election to be postponed and that no individual or agency will have the authority to postpone a Presidential election (see H. Res. 728), H6127 [20JY]

Families and domestic relations: constitutional amendment relative to definition of marriage (see H.J. Res. 106), H7736 [28SE]

FCC: provide for punishment of certain profane broadcasts (see H.R. 3687), H927 [9MR]

FDA: uniform food safety warning notification requirements (see H.R. 2699), H1593 [25MR]

Firearms: protect and enforce the right to obtain and use firearms for security, self-defense, and other legitimate purposes (see H.R. 648), H6706 [22JY]

———update certain procedures applicable to commerce and remove certain Federal restrictions on interstate firearms transactions (see H.R. 4048), H5151 [25JN]

Firefighters: expand definition of firefighter to include apprentices and trainees, regardless of age or duty limitations (see H.R. 4472), H4766 [22JN]

Fish and fishing: protect the public's ability to fish for sport (see H.R. 2890), H1322 [18MR]

Flag—U.S.: request that the flag flown over the Capitol should be lowered to half-mast one day each month in honor of U.S. citizens killed in military action (see H. Con. Res. 400), H3230 [18MY]

Freedom of religion: safeguard religious liberties (see H.R. 3190), H37 [20JA]

Girl Scouts: anniversary (see H. Res. 560), H2550 [4MY]

Government: preserve open competition and neutrality towards the labor relations of Federal contractors on Federal and federally funded construction projects (see H.R. 2269), H1593 [25MR]

Health: establish a program to assist family caregivers in accessing affordable and high-quality respite care (see H.R. 1083), H6706 [22JY]

———increase supply of pancreatic islet cells for research and coordinate efforts and information on transplantation (see H.R. 3858), H872 [4MR]

———provide individuals of health disparity populations prevention, detection, treatment, and follow-up care services for cancer and chronic diseases, and patient navigators to assist in receiving such services (see H.R. 918), H7575 [23SE]

Higher Education Act: incorporate results from the Fed Up Initiative which identifies outdated or burdensome regulations (see H.R. 12), H128 [27JA]

Hong Kong: support freedom (see H. Res. 667), H4581 [18JN]

Insurance: establish a Federal program to provide reinsurance to improve the availability of homeowners' insurance (see H.R. 1552), H2373 [22AP]

Iran: urge compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency resolutions on nuclear weapons program and call for international cooperation with such compliance (see H. Con. Res. 332), H435 [10FE]

Israel: support construction of security fence and condemn U.N. General Assembly for requesting the International Court of Justice to rule on legality of the security fence (see H. Con. Res. 371), H707 [1MR]

Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: make reduction in capital gains rates for individuals permanent (see H.R. 2635), H2154 [2AP]

Labor unions: protect the free choice of individual employees relative to participation in labor organizations (see H.R. 391), H927 [9MR]

Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act: enhance the notification of democratic rights of union members (see H.R. 992, 994), H1643 [29MR]

———provide for civil monetary penalties in certain cases (see H.R. 993), H1643 [29MR]

Louisiana State University: tribute to football team (see H. Res. 496), H89 [21JA]

Medicare: improve patient access to, and utilization of, the colorectal cancer screening benefit (see H.R. 1422), H6706 [22JY]

———reimbursement for services provided to eligible veterans by certain Dept. of Veterans Affairs facilities (see H.R. 2664), H2019 [1AP]

Members of Congress: prevent automatic salary adjustments following a fiscal year in which there is a Federal budget deficit (see H.R. 3791), H576 [24FE]

———reduce pay following any fiscal year in which there is a Federal deficit (see H.R. 3736), H701 [26FE]

Mental health: increase number of well-trained mental health service professionals providing clinical mental health care to children and adolescents (see H.R. 1359), H4391 (see H.R. 1359), H4507 [17JN]

———provide for research on, and services for individuals with, post-abortion depression and psychosis (see H.R. 4543), H8409 [6OC]

National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record: provide an amnesty period during which veterans and their families can register certain firearms (see H.R. 3807), H1594 [25MR]

National Guard Challenge Program: rename and revise matching funds requirements for participating States (see H.R. 4217), H2484 [28AP]

National Labor Relations Act: ensure that certain prevailing parties receive attorneys' fees (see H.R. 4499), H3821 [8JN]

———ensure the right of employees to a secret-ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (see H.R. 4343), H2917 [12MY]

———protect employer rights (see H.R. 1793), H1791 [31MR]

NLRB: expand statutory authority relative to employees and labor organizations engaged in or encouraging violent and other potentially injurious conduct (see H.R. 1656), H1593 [25MR]

Occupational Safety and Health Act: amend enforcement provisions (see H.R. 4712), H6707 [22JY]

POW: provide special compensation for former POWs (see H.R. 850), H2199 [20AP]

Reagan, Ronald: tribute (see H.J. Res. 84), H35 [20JA]

Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: improve and make technical corrections (see H.R. 4658), H6707 [22JY]

Shipping industry: suspend temporarily new shipper bonding privileges (see H.R. 5211), H9051 [8OC]

Social Security: authorize waivers of certain waiting periods for benefits based on disability in cases in which such waiting period would cause undue hardship to terminally ill beneficiaries (see H.R. 2598), H4287 [16JN]

———eliminate the waiting period in the disability insurance program for disabled individuals suffering from a terminal illness (see H.R. 976), H304 [3FE]

Southern University and A&M College: tribute to football team (see H. Res. 496), H89 [21JA]

Space policy: mint coins in commemoration of the anniversaries of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (see H.R. 4881), H6555 [21JY]

Taxation: allow a business credit for donations for vocational educational purposes (see H.R. 2763), H6756 [7SE]

———allow a credit for businesses who employ military reservists (see H.R. 5079), H7245 [17SE]

———allow a deduction for amounts paid for health insurance and prescription drug costs of individuals (see H.R. 198), H128 [27JA]

———allow a deduction for premiums on mortgage insurance (see H.R. 1336), H1370 [23MR]

———allow a U.S. independent film and television production wage credit (see H.R. 715), H6706 [22JY]

———allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums (see H.R. 1231), H1011 [10MR]

———allow penalty-free withdrawals from individual retirement plans for adoption expenses (see H.R. 584), H128 [27JA]

———allow seniors with Social Security and pension income to file income tax form 1040S without regard to amount of interest or taxable income (see H.R. 4109), H3606 [1JN]

———allow tax credit for contributions for scholarships to attend elementary and secondary schools, upgrading school facilities, and certain technology expenses (see H.R. 120), H128 [27JA]

———allow tax credit for contributions for the benefit of elementary and secondary schools (see H.R. 282), H128 [27JA]

———constitutional amendment on tax limitations (see H.J. Res. 50), H6707 [22JY]

———exclude from gross income certain hazard mitigation assistance (see H.R. 5206), H9746 [16NO]

———expand bonus depreciation to expensing (see H.R. 771), H6706 [22JY]

———permanently extend certain income tax rate brackets (see H.R. 4275), H2656 [5MY]

———permanently extend the increased standard deduction and certain income tax rate bracket expansions for married taxpayers filing joint returns (see H.R. 4181), H2264 [21AP]

———provide a tax credit to businesses whose employees teach at community colleges (see H.R. 4983), H6704 [22JY]

———provide that distributions from certain retirement plans are not included in gross income if used to pay long-term care insurance premiums (see H.R. 4502), H6707 [22JY]

———repeal sunset of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act and repeal scheduled reductions in tax benefits provided by the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (see H.R. 3773), H1011 [10MR]

———restore equity and complete transfer of motor fuel excise taxes on motorboat and small engine fuels into the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund (see H.R. 2839), H5471 [9JY]

———simplify the taxation of businesses (see H.R. 4840), H6557 [21JY]

———treatment of flexible spending arrangements relative to long-term care insurance (see H.R. 2096), H128 [27JA]

Terrorism: anniversary of terrorist attacks (see H. Res. 757), H6998 [9SE]

Veterans: enhance burial benefits (see H.R. 2217), H5150 [25JN]

———improve benefits for former POWs (see H.R. 348), H2266 [21AP]

———increase the minimum Survivor Benefit Plan basic annuity for certain surviving spouses and provide for a one-year open season under that plan (see H.R. 3763), H391 [4FE]

Vocational and Technical Education Act: strengthen and improve programs (see H.R. 4496), H6707 [22JY]

Women: provide for educational activities and research relative to women's pelvic floor health through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NIH (see H.R. 4979), H6704 [22JY]

Bills and resolutions introduced

Bridges: establish a demonstration project to begin correcting structural bridge deficiencies (see H.R. 4050), H1643 [29MR]

Education: tribute to Catholic schools (see H. Res. 492), H35 [20JA]

Federal Water Pollution Control Act: extend authorization of appropriations for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program (see H.R. 4470), H3604 [1JN]

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: observance (see H. Con. Res. 504), H7864 [29SE]

National Volunteer Blood Donor Month: support goals and ideals (see H. Con. Res. 493), H7137 [14SE]

Petroleum: enable increased gasoline supplies and otherwise ensure lower gasoline prices in the U.S. (see H.R. 4611), H4391 (see H.R. 4611), H4506 [17JN]

Tariff Act: amend to allow for improved administration of new shipper administrative reviews (see H.R. 5359), H9184 [9OC]

Taxation: provide a refundable tax credit to public safety volunteers (see H.R. 4216), H2372 [22AP]

Wildlife refuges: affirm allowance of hunting and fishing and declare that the purpose of reserving certain lands as public lands is to make them available to the public for reasonable uses (see H. Con. Res. 382), H1072 [11MR]

Remarks

Agriculture, rural development, FDA, and related agencies programs: making appropriations (H.R. 4766), H5612 [13JY]

Dept. of Defense: authorizing appropriations for military activities and prescribing personnel strengths (H.R. 4200), H3410 [20MY]

———repeal delay on implementing recommendations on military installation closures and realignments and require a report to Congress on future closures and realignments, H3410 [20MY]

Dept. of Transportation: priority consideration of the Interstate 49 corridor under the National Corridor Infrastructure Improvement Program, H1991 [1AP]

Education: tribute to Catholic schools (H. Res. 492), H42 [21JA]

Families and domestic relations: constitutional amendment relative to definition of marriage (H.J. Res. 106), H7932 [30SE]

Federal Water Pollution Control Act: extend authorization of appropriations for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program (H.R. 4470), H8338 [6OC]

Habitat for Humanity International: anniversary of Rapides Parish, LA, chapter, E1718 [28SE]

Louisiana State University: tribute to football team (H. Res. 496), H481 [11FE]

Noriea, Dorothy: Louisiana Breast Cancer Task Force Board Member of the Year award recipient, E669 [27AP]

Northrop Grumman Corp.: Lake Charles, LA, Manufacturing Center Louisiana Performance Excellence Award recipient, E81 [30JA]

Southern University and A&M College: tribute to football team (H. Res. 496), H481 [11FE]

Supreme Court: anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education decision (H. Con. Res. 414), H2931 [13MY]

Transportation: Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs funding (H.R. 3550), H1991 [1AP]

Votes: correction, H3411 [20MY]

———position on missed, H5615 [13JY]

World Maritime Day: observance, E1775 [1OC]

Tributes

Briant, George and Germaine, E667 [27AP]

Moriarty, Imelda, E670 [27AP]

Smith, Courtney and Chloe, E110 [4FE]