Next Step for Space Station: Senate Floor Vote
The next step for space station funding is a full Senate floor vote on H.R. 4624, the VA, HUD, Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill. A Senate staffer reported this morning that a floor date has not been scheduled, saying that it could be “next week possibly.”
The House version of H.R. 4624 provides $2,120,900,000 for the space station program. An amendment offered on the House floor to terminate the station lost by a vote of 278 to 155.
The Senate version of this legislation provides $2,111,100,000 for the station (see FYI #108.) An amendment will be offered during the full Senate’s floor consideration of H.R. 4624 to terminate station funding. Previous similar Senate amendments have been unsuccessful. Last year’s termination amendment lost on a procedural vote of 59-40. In 1992, the vote was 63-34. In 1991, the termination amendment lost by a vote of 64-35.
The overwhelming House rejection of the termination amendment gives the station important momentum as it heads to the Senate floor. Rep. George Brown (D-California), citing a conversation with Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland), reported “She was just telling me how tough it was going to be in the Senate. But this [the House vote] will make it easier.”
A good indication of how a Member of Congress will vote is to look back at similar votes. The 1993 Senate procedural vote which preserved station funding is provided below. A YES vote was in favor of the space station, a NO vote was against it.
*** YES(59) ******** |
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DEMOCRATS (23) |
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Biden J (DE) |
Feinstein D (CA) |
Mikulski B (MD) |
Bingaman J (NM) |
Glenn J (OH) |
Moseley-Braun C (IL) |
Boxer B (CA) |
Graham B (FL) |
Murray P (WA) |
Breaux J (LA) |
Harkin T (IA) |
Riegle D (MI) |
Byrd R (WV) |
Heflin H (AL) |
Robb C (VA) |
Campbell B (CO) |
Inouye D (HI) |
Sarbanes P (MD) |
Daschle T (SD) |
Johnston J (LA) |
Shelby R (AL) |
Dodd C (CT) |
Lieberman J (CT) |
|
REPUBLICANS (36) |
||
Bennett R (UT) |
Grassley C (IA) |
McCain J (AZ) |
Bond C (MO) |
Gregg J (NH) |
McConnell M (KY) |
Burns C (MT) |
Hatch O (UT) |
Murkowski F (AK) |
Cochran T (MS) |
Hatfield M (OR) |
Nickles D (OK) |
Coverdell P (GA) |
Helms J (NC) |
Packwood B (OR) |
Craig L (ID) |
Hutchison K (TX) |
Pressler L (SD) |
Danforth J (MO) |
Jeffords J (VT) |
Roth W (DE) |
Dole B (KS) |
Kassebaum N (KS) |
Simpson A (WY) |
Domenici P (NM) |
Kempthorne D (ID) |
Smith R (NH) |
Durenberger D (MN) |
Lott T (MS) |
Stevens T (AK) |
Gorton S (WA) |
Lugar R (IN) |
Thurmond S (SC) |
Gramm P (TX) |
Mack C (FL) |
Wallop M (WY) |
*** NO (40) ******** |
********************* |
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DEMOCRATS (32) |
||
Akaka D (HI) |
Ford W (KY) |
Mitchell G (ME) |
Baucus M (MT) |
Hollings E (SC) |
Moynihan D (NY) |
Boren D (OK) |
Kennedy E (MA) |
Nunn S (GA) |
Bradley B (NJ) |
Kerrey B (NE) |
Pell C (RI) |
Bryan R (NV) |
Kerry J (MA) |
Pryor D (AR) |
Bumpers D (AR) |
Kohl H (WI) |
Reid H (NV) |
Conrad K (ND) |
Lautenberg F (NJ) |
Sasser J (TN) |
DeConcini D (AZ) |
Leahy P (VT) |
Simon P (IL) |
Dorgan B (ND) |
Levin C (MI) |
Wellstone P (MN) |
Exon J (NE) |
Mathews H (TN) |
Wofford H (PA) |
Feingold R (WI) |
Metzenbaum H (OH) |
|
REPUBLICANS (8) |
||
Brown H (CO) |
Cohen W (ME) |
Specter A (PA) |
Chafee J (RI) |
D’Amato A (NY) |
Warner J (VA) |
Coats D (IN) |
Faircloth L (NC) |
|
*** NOT VOTING (1)** |
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DEMOCRATS (1) |
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Rockefeller J (WV) |
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