THE HOUSE : To Reject Budget Plan

By a vote of 179 to 254, the House rejected the fiscal plan forged by President Bush and congressional leaders to cut deficit spending by $500 billion over five years through tax hikes and spending restraint. Republicans voted 71 for and 105 against and Democrats 108 to 149, sending government leaders in search of more politically acceptable fiscal solutions.

The measure sought to raise the Medicare payroll tax as well as taxes on tobacco, alcoholic beverages, gasoline, luxury items, plane tickets and other items, and to curb or cut spending in the defense budget, Medicare, farm subsidies, civil service retirement and scores of other federal programs.

Conservatives directed much of their criticism at the tax increases, while liberals said the plan favored the wealthy at the expense of people in poverty and on fixed incomes. Moderates also found much in it they disliked.

A yes vote was to side with the President and bipartisan Capitol Hill leadership and support the deficit-reduction plan. How They Voted Rep. Moorhead (R): Nay Rep. Roybal (D): Nay Rep. Waxman (D): Nay

To Back the President By a vote of 380 to 39, the House approved a resolution (HJ Res 658) endorsing President Bush’s military and diplomatic response to Iraq’s takeover of Kuwait. Although far outnumbered by backers of the President, critics argued that both he and Congress have disregarded the War Powers Act.

That post-Vietnam law requires Capitol Hill approval, within 60 days of deployment, of military actions in which combat appears imminent. The troops are to be brought home if Congress fails to provide a green light.

A yes vote endorsed Bush’s policies against Iraq. How They Voted Rep. Moorhead (R): Yea Rep. Roybal (D): Nay Rep. Waxman (D): Yea

To Accept More Immigrants By a vote of 231 to 192, the House passed a bill (HR 4300) increasing from 540,000 to at least 775,000 the number of legal immigrants the United States will let in each year. This sent the bill to conference with a Senate bill raising the ceiling to 630,000.

The bill is most favorable to foreigners with needed job skills, more than tripling the cap on employment-based visas. Most of the bill’s other new slots would go to foreigners with family members in the United States and immigrants from European and African countries that in recent decades have had comparatively low quotas.

A yes vote was to pass the bill. How They Voted Rep. Moorhead (R): Nay Rep. Roybal (D): Yea Rep. Waxman (D): Yea