Here is how members of Maryland's delegation on Capitol Hill were recorded on important roll-call votes last week:
Y: YES N: NO X: NOT VOTING
HOUSE: AID TO THE KURDS
By a vote of 384-25, the House sent the Senate a bill providing $572 million in aid to Kurdish refugees, victims of natural disaster in Bangladesh and other refugees abroad. The bill (HR 2251) also provides $16 million to families of U.S. military personnel having financial problems as a result of the Persian Gulf war.
Sponsors said the spending would not worsen the deficit because it would come from existing accounts and interest on funds pledged or delivered by allies to defray U.S. war costs.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Y N X Member
Y * * Bentley, Helen Delich, R-2nd
Y * * Byron, Beverly B., D-6th
Y * * Cardin, Benjamin L., D-3rd
Y * * Gilchrest, Wayne T., R-1st
Y * * Hoyer, Steny H., D-5th
Y * * McMillen, Tom, D-4th
Y * * Mfume, Kweisi, D-7th
* * X Morella, Constance A., R-8th
HOUSE: TO PASS GUN BILL
By a vote of 239-186, the House passed a bill (HR 7) requiring handgun buyers to wait a week before receiving the purchased weapon. This sent the so-called Brady bill, named after former presidential spokesman James S. Brady, to the Senate.
Police could use the waiting period to determine whether the buyer was a felon, mentally ill, an illegal alien, a drug addict or otherwise unqualified to possess the gun. The sale would go forward unless police objected within seven days. Gun dealers breaking the law would face criminal penalties.
A yes vote supported a seven-day wait for handgun purchases.
Y N X Member
Y * * Bentley, Helen Delich, R-2nd
* N * Byron, Beverly B., D-6th
Y * * Cardin, Benjamin L., D-3rd
Y * * Gilchrest, Wayne T., R-1st
Y * * Hoyer, Steny H., D-5th
Y * * McMillen, Tom, D-4th
Y * * Mfume, Kweisi, D-7th
Y * * Morella, Constance A., R-8th
HOUSE: TO DEFEAT NRA SUBSTITUTE
By a vote of 234-193, the House rejected a National Rifle Association-backed alternative to the Brady bill. Instead of the Brady bill's seven-day wait for police checks, the NRA had wanted dealers to call a proposed Justice Department hot line to determine the buyer's background. Buyers not found to be unqualified could have taken possession of the gun immediately. Dealers violating the law would have faced civil penalties.
Supporters said that the NRA plan respected the constitutional right to bear arms and that the Brady bill would not stop criminals bent on getting a gun. Opponents termed it ineffective because of the many years it would take the Justice Department to collect a national data base.
A yes vote supported the NRA "instant check" gun-control plan over the Brady bill.
Y N X Member
* N * Bentley, Helen Delich, R-2nd
Y * * Byron, Beverly B., D-6th
* N * Cardin, Benjamin L., D-3rd
* N * Gilchrest, Wayne T., R-1st
* N * Hoyer, Steny H., D-5th
* N * McMillen, Tom, D-4th
* N * Mfume, Kweisi, D-7th
* N * Morella, Constance A., R-8th
SENATE: PRICE FIXING ISSUE
The Senate voted 61-37 to end a filibuster against a bill (S 426) defining vertical price fixing, which can occur when a manufacturer and a non-discount retailer set a minimum product price that discounters must also honor.
The bill was passed later on a non-record vote. It was backed by the Consumer Federation of America and discounters such as Burlington Coat Factory. It was opposed by the Justice Department and business groups such as the National Association of Manufacturers.
The bill offsets Supreme Court decisions making it more difficult for discounters to win suits alleging they have been hurt by vertical price fixing. It eases standards of evidence they must meet to get their case to a jury.
A yes vote was to advance the bill supported by consumer groups and discount retailers.
Y N X Member
* N * Mikulski, Barbara A., D
Y * * Sarbanes, Paul S., D
WHERE TO CALL OR WRITE
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski.. .. .. .. .. Representative Wayne.. .. .. .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. T. Gilchrest
World Trade Center, Suite 253.. .. .. .20 W. Bel Air Ave.
Baltimore 21202, Tel. 962-4510.. .. .. Aberdeen, Md. 21001, Tel.. .
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 272-6820.. .. .. .. .. .. ..
320 Hart Senate Office Bldg.. .. .. .. 502 Cannon House Office
.. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510.. .. .. .. .. ..Washington, D.C. 20515
Tel. (202) 224-4654.. .. .. .. .. .. ..Tel. (202) 225-5311
Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes.. .. .. .. .. ..Representative Steny H. Hoyer
1518 Federal Office Bldg.. .. .. .. ..4351 Garden City Drive, Suite
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..625
31 Hopkins Plaza.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Landover 20785, Tel. 436-5510
Baltimore 21201, Tel. 962-4436.. .. ..1513 Longworth Bldg.
332 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.. .. ..Washington, D.C. 20515
Washington, D.C. 20510.. .. .. .. .. .Tel.: (202) 225-4131
Tel.: (202) 224-4524
Representative Helen Delich Bentley .. Representative Tom .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. McMillen
200 E. Joppa Road.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Arundel Center North
Towson 21204, Tel. 337-7222.. .. .. .. 101 Crain Highway N.W., .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. No. 509
1610 Longworth Office Bldg.. .. .. .. .Glen Burnie 21061, Tel.. .. .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 768-8050
Washington, D.C. 20515.. .. .. .. .. ..420 Cannon House Office.. .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Building
Tel.: (202) 225-3061.. .. .. .. .. .. ..Washington, D.C. 20515
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Tel.: (202) 225-8090
Representative Beverly B. Byron.. .. .. Representative Kweisi
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Mfume
10 E. Church St.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .3000 Druid Park Drive
Frederick 21701, Tel. 662-8622.. .. .. .Baltimore 21215, Tel.. .. .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .367-1900
2430 Rayburn Bldg.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..1107 Longworth Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515.. .. .. .. .. .. Washington, D.C. 20515
Tel. (202) 225-2721.. .. .. .. .. .. .. Tel. (202) 225-4741
Representative Benjamin L. Cardin.. .. Representative.. .. .. .. .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Constance A. Morella
540 E. Belvedere Ave. Suite 201.. .. ..11141 Georgia Ave., Suite ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 302
Baltimore 21212, Tel. 433-8886.. .. .. Wheaton 20902, Tel. 946-6801
507 Cannon Bldg.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1024 Longworth Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515.. .. .. .. .. ..Washington, D.C. 20515
Tel. (202) 225-4016.. .. .. .. .. .. ..Tel. (202) 225-5341