163. H.R. 100, to update the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1940 to clarify and strengthen the rights and protections it provides to active-duty military personnel including servicemembers’ financial obligations and liabilities, such as rent, mortgages, installment contracts and leases; civil (but not criminal) legal proceedings; life insurance; taxes; and rights in public lands. Yes. Passed 425-0, under suspension of rules. 5/7/03.

204. H.R. 1911, to establish a Department of Veterans Affairs–Department of Defense Joint Executive Committee to improve collaboration in providing health care services and resources to veterans, service members, military retirees and their families. Yes. Passed 426-0, under suspension of rules. 5/21/03.

205. H.R. 1588, FY 2004 defense authorization. Amendment to make technical changes and clarify that no employee of the DoD Inspector General who was transferred to a Special Court of the United Nations shall be subject to Hatch Act enforcement; strike language changing the designation of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act, and restrict the definition of "harassment" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to "military readiness activity." Yes. Passed 252-175. 5/21/03.

206. H.R. 1588. Amendment to authorize the secretary of Defense to assign members of the armed forces to assist the Department of Homeland Security in the performance of border protection functions. Yes. Passed 250-179. 5/21/03.

209. H.R. 1683, to provide a cost-of-living adjustment, effective December 1, for disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and for dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans with the percentage increase equal to the increase for benefits allowed under the Social Security Act. Yes. Passed 426-0, under suspension of rules. 5/22/03.

210. H.R. 1257, to make permanent the VA home loan program for members of the reserve and reduce loan fees under the program to provide that reservists and active duty military members are changed the same amount. Yes. Passed 428-0, under suspension of rules. 5/22/03.

215. H.R. 1588. Amendment to allow U.S. military facilities located abroad to perform privately funded abortions. No. Failed 201-227. 5/22/03.

216. H.R. 1588. Amendment to transfer $21 million to study the feasibility of developing new nuclear weapons, including an earth penetrating weapon, to conventional weapons research programs. No. Failed 199-226. 5/22/03.

217. H.R. 1588. Amendment to require the secretary of Defense to report on how the department should respond to nation that attempt to bring legal proceedings against current or former U.S. employees or officials relating to performance of official duties. Yes. Passed 412-11. 5/22/03.

218. H.R. 1588. Amendment to repeal the statutory requirement that the military officer serving as defense attache to France must hold the rank of, or be on the list for promotion to, the grade of brigadier general or rear admiral, lower half. Yes. Passed 302-123. 5/22/03.

219. H.R. 1588. Amendment to repeal 120 days after the bill’s enactment “million theoretical operations per second” (MTOPS) regulations as the standard for approving computer exports and require the president to consult congressional committees in implementing new computer-export rules. No. Failed 207-217. 5/22/03.

220. H.R. 1588. Motion to recommit the bill to the Armed Services Committee with instructions to add language that would establish an Employee Bill of Rights that would call for additional civil service protections for civilian employees of the Defense Department. No. Failed 204-224. 5/22/03.

221. H.R. 1588. On passage of the bill to authorize $400.5 billion in FY 2004 for defense programs including readiness and training for day-to-day military operations; weapons and equipment modernization; programs to fight the global war on terrorism; missile defense systems; health, pay and other benefits for armed forces personnel including guard and reserve members, and military construction projects. Yes. Passed 361-68. 5/22/03.

304. H.R. 1460, Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2003 to allow military veterans to use Veterans Affairs Department education assistance to enroll in non-credit entrepreneurial programs offered by small business development centers; allow disabled service members to apply for handicapped-accessible housing prior to discharge; establish a four-year pilot program in the Veterans Affairs Department in which service-disabled veteran owned and controlled small businesses would have the same contracting priority as the small business 8(a) program for socially and disadvantaged firms, and renew a loan program that helps veterans purchase foreclosed homes. Yes. Passed 421-0, under suspension of rules. 6/24/03.

318. H.R. 2417, FY 2004 intelligence authorization act. Amendment to require the CIA director to establish a pilot program aimed at increasing diversity within the intelligence community by recruiting more ethnic and cultural minorities and women. Yes. Passed 418-0. 6/26/03.

319. H.R. 2417. Amendment to direct the inspector general of the CIA to conduct an audit of all telephone and electronic communications between the CIA and the Office of the Vice President that relate to weapons of mass destruction obtained or developed by Iraq preceding Operation Iraqi Freedom. No. Failed 76-347. 6/26/03.

320. H.R. 2417. Amendment to require the comptroller general of the United States to conduct a study to determine the extent of intelligence sharing by the Department of Defense and intelligence community with United Nations inspectors searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom. No. Failed 185-239. 6/26/03.

325. H.R. 2559, to provide $9.2 billion in FY 2004 appropriations for military construction projects including family housing and barracks construction and modernization. Yes. Passed 428-0. 6/26/03.

333. H.R. 2417. On passage of the bill to authorize classified amounts in FY 2004 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the U.S. government. Yes. Passed 410-9. 6/26/03.

334. H.R. 2658, FY 2004 defense appropriations. Amendment to block funds from being used in FY 2004 to carry out the round of base closures and realignments scheduled for 2005. No. Failed 57-358. 7/8/03.

335. H.R. 2658. On passage of the bill to provide $369 billion in FY 2004 appropriations for the Department of Defense and defense-related programs. Yes. Passed 399-19. 7/8/03.

375. H.R. 1588. Motion to close portions of the conference on the bill to authorize defense programs when classified national security information is being discussed. Yes. Passed 398-23. 7/16/03.

399. H.R. 1516, to direct the secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish, not later than four years after the date of enactment, six new national cemeteries in the following areas: southeastern Pennsylvania; Birmingham, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; Bakersfield, California; Greenville/Columbia, South Carolina; and Sarasota, Florida. Yes. Passed 408-0, under suspension of rules. 7/21/03.

500. H.R. 1588. Motion to instruct House conferees to accept provisions of the Senate bill that would make permanent an increase from $100 to $250 the monthly separation allowance for military personnel stationed away from their families, and make permanent an increase from $150 to $225 the supplemental hostile fire and imminent danger special pay given to military personnel in combat areas. Yes. Passed 406-0. 9/10/03.

503. H.R. 1588. Motion to close portions of the conference on the defense authorization bill when classified national security information is being discussed. Yes. Passed 424-0. 9/16/03.

511. H.R. 1588. Motion to instruct House conferees to accept the provisions in the Senate bill to make it easier for non-citizens serving in the military to obtain U.S. citizenship, and extend immigration benefits to the families of immigrant soldiers who die in the line of duty. Yes. Passed 298-118. 9/23/03.

513. H.R. 2658. To adopt the conference report to the bill to provide $368.2 billion in FY 2004 appropriations for the Department of Defense and defense and national security related programs. Yes. Passed 407-15. 9/24/03.

523. H.R. 1588. Motion to instruct House conferees to accept the Senate provision to authorize Defense Department subsidies to help pay health insurance costs for the families of National Guard and Reserves members called to active duty. Yes. Passed 356-67. 9/25/03.

536. H.R. 2297, Veterans Benefits Act to extend the period for which survivors and dependents of a National Guard member who is ordered to full-time duty are eligible for education benefits; allow spouses who remarry after a veteran’s death to be buried in military cemeteries, and increase the assistance to disabled veterans who need adaptive equipment for their homes or vehicles. Yes. Passed 399-0, under suspension of rules. 10/8/03.

537. H.R. 2998, to exempt retired enlisted personnel and officers and enlisted personnel hospitalized as a result of combat or combat related injuries from the payment of meals while they are hospitalized. Yes. Passed 399-0, under suspension of rules. 10/8/03.

576. H.R. 1720, Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act to authorize $1.1 billion through FY 2005 for construction and renovation projects at VA facilities. Yes. Passed 417-0, under suspension of rules. 10/29/03.

577. H.R. 1516, to agree with Senate amendments to the bill to authorize the construction of veterans’ cemeteries in southeastern Pennsylvania; Birmingham, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; Bakersfield, California; Greenville/Columbia, South Carolina; and Sarasota, Florida. Yes. Passed 412-0, under suspension of rules. 10/29/03.

606. H.R. 2559. To adopt the conference to provide $9.3 billion in FY 2004 appropriations for military construction projects including family housing and barracks construction and modernization. Yes. Passed 417-5. 11/5/03.

616. H.R. 1588. Motion to recommit the conference report to the conference committee with instructions to report it back with provisions to allow all veterans to immediately receive full disability and retirement benefits simultaneously. No. Failed 188-217. 11/7/03.

617. H.R. 1588. To adopt the conference report to the bill to authorize $401 billion in FY 2004 for defense and national security programs. Yes. Passed 362-40. 11/7/03.

633. H.R. 2417. Motion to instruct House conferees to insist on the House provision in the bill to require the CIA to submit a report to Congress on lessons learned from military operations in Iraq as soon as possible within the scope of the conference. Yes. Passed 404-12. 11/18/03.

649. H.R. 2417. To adopt the conference report to authorize a classified amount in FY 2004 for 14 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities of the U.S. government including the CIA and the National Security Agency as well as foreign intelligence activities of the Defense Department, FBI, State Department, Homeland Security Department among other agencies. Yes. Passed 264-163. 11/20/03.

658. S. 1156, to amend veterans’ health programs and eliminate the 90-day requirement for former prisoners of war to qualify for VA outpatient dental care, increase annual funding for specialized mental health care services for severely and chronically disabled veterans, and authorize medical construction projects. Yes. Passed 423-2, under suspension of rules. 11/21/03.