How They Voted

How Your Lawmakers Voted in the 106th Congress
2nd Session, U.S. House of Representatives

The National Association of Manufacturers has issued its annual report card on the voting records of members of Congress, including North Carolina's 12 members of the House of Representatives. The NAM scored the lawmakers on how they voted on 15 big issues that were at the top of national association's legislative agenda. NCCBI is the state affiliate of the NAM.

Cong. Cass Ballenger of Hickory (left) had a perfect score on the NAM issues. The other Republican members of the delegation also had very high scores. Among the six Democrats in the delegation, Cong. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton (right) had the best NAM voting record, backing the position of manufacturers and small businesses on 9 of 15 key votes. The scores of the entire delegation are shown below, and further down is a brief description of each legislative issue.

North Carolina

1. Eva Clayton (D)

2. Bob Etheridge (D)

3. Walter Jones (R)

4. David Price (D)

5. Richard Burr (R)

6. Howard Coble (R)

7. Mike McIntyre (D)

8. Robin Hayes (R)

9. Sue Myrick (R)

10. Cass Ballenger (R)

11. Charles Taylor (R)

12. Melvin Watt (D)

See how North Carolina's two members of the U.S. Senate voted.

Below is a short summary of the 15 legislative issues on which House members were scored and the NAM's position on each one. In the chart, a plus means the member voted for the NAM on that issue, a negative sign means a no vote. The numbers in the top line of the chart correspond to the issues below:

1. Product Liability Statute of Repose (H.R. 2005), a bill to set a national, uniform 18-year statue of repose for workplace durable goods covered under federal worker compensation law. Approved 222-194 on Feb. 2, 2000. NAM POSITION: Yes.

2. Small Business Product Liability (H.R. 2366), a bill to establish national standards for punitive damages in product liability suits affecting small businesses. Key provisions would: cap punitive damages for small firms (fewer than 25 workers); raise the standard of proof for awarding punitive damages to “clear and convincing” evidence; discourage trial lawyer forum shopping; and more. Approved 221-193 on Feb. 16, 2000. NAM POSITION: Yes.

3. Small Business Tax Incentives (H.R. 3081), legislation that included key pro-growth tax incentives, including: simplified pension rules; estate tax relief; and a repeal of the 1999 tax increase on those who sell their firms on an installment plan. Approved 257-169 on March 9, 2000. NAM POSITION: Yes.

4. Minimum Wage Increase (Traficant Amendment to H.R. 3846), an amendment to increase the minimum wage by $1 over two years. Approved 246-179 on March 9, 2000. Concerned that a wage increase would reduce the growth of entry-level jobs and impede the transition from welfare to work, the NAM opposed the amendment. NAM POSITION: No.

5. Nuclear Waste Storage (S. 1287), legislation that would provide for the storage of spent nuclear fuel pending completion of the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, NV. Approved 253-167 on March 22, 2000. NAM POSITION: Yes.

6. FY 2001 Budget Resolution (H.Con. Res. 290), the non-binding FY 2001 budget resolution, which sets broad spending and revenue targets for the next five years. Approved 211-207 on March 23, 2000. NAM POSITION: Yes.

7. Tax Limitation Constitutional Amendment (H.J. Res. 94), proposing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would require a two-thirds majority in Congress to raise taxes. The vote was 234-192, 50 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment, on April 12, 2000. NAM POSITION: Yes.

8. China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (H.R. 4444), legislation granting permanent normal trade relations to China, significantly reducing tariffs on U.S. exports and opening key new markets to U.S. companies. Approved 237-197 on May 25, 2000. NAM POSITION: Yes.

9. OSHA Ergonomics Regulation (Traficant Amendment to H.R. 4577). Amendment sought to strike NAM-supported Northup (R-KY) language prohibiting OSHA funding for purposes of advancing or finalizing its ergonomics regulation in FY 2001. Rejected 220-203 on June 8, 2000. NAM POSITION: No.

10. Death Tax Repeal (H.R. 8), legislation to phase out estate taxes. Estate tax rates as high as 55 percent force the sale of many family-owned small manufacturing companies upon the owner’s death. Approved 279-136 on June 9, 2000. NAM POSITION: Yes.

11. Blocking EPA Non-Attainment Designations (Collins Amendment to H.R. 4635), an amendment to the VA-HUD appropriations bill that would prevent EPA from forcing states to declare more than 600 U.S. counties in violation of EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standard's (NAAQS) 8-hour ozone rule until the Supreme Court rules on the issue. Approved 226-199 on June 21, 2000. The NAM, which challenged the NAAQS in federal court, supported the amendment. NAM POSITION: Yes.

12. Climate Change Regulations (Olver Kyoto Protocol Amendment to C-J-S Appropriations Bill). Amendment would essentially nullify bill's NAM-supported Knollenberg (R-MI) language, which would prevent agencies from implementing via regulations the flawed 1997 Kyoto climate change treaty before it has been ratified by the Senate. Approved 217-181 on June 26, 2000. NAM POSITION. No.

13. Doctors' Cartels (H.R. 1304), legislation that would give collective-bargaining rights to physicians who contract with health plans. Approved 276-136 (2 voting present) on June 30, 2000. The NAM and the Administration opposed the scheme, which could result in price fixing, group boycotts of health-plan networks and higher health premiums. NAM POSITION: No.

14. Pension Reform (H.R. 1102), a pension reform bill easing top-heavy rules and eliminating user fees that prevent many small companies from offering pension benefits. Approved 401-25 on July 19, 2000. NAM POSITION: Yes.

15. Blacklisting (Amendment to Treasury/Postal Spending Bill), amendment to the Treasury/Postal spending bill that would block implementation of the Administration's contractor blacklisting regulations until a GAO study on whether they're justified can be completed. Approved 228-190 on July 20, 2000.

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