H.R. 6983 – Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 – This bill would require equity in mental health benefits if an insurance company provides medical and surgical benefits; the bill does not does not codify mental health diseases. It contains an opt-out provision for small business with less than 50 employees. I voted for this bill as it is compromise legislation that will provide insurance for mental health related services. - YES

H.R. 5352 – Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2008 - This bill would require a new study and report to Congress on state laws relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; will create several new grant programs, Cost: $173 million - YES

H.R. 642 – Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act - This bill establishes a demonstration program to promote installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified student housing and dorms; Cost $400 million. - YES

H.R. 2638 - The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 - The legislation includes the FY2009 Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, and enacts a continuing resolution (CR) for the remaining spending bills , funding the basic operations of the federal government through March 6, 2009. The 2008 fiscal year ends next week, and this bill provides the federal government the resources it needs to continue functioning. I am pleased that the House responded quickly to the need for disaster relief in the areas damaged by Ike. The spending bill provides Texas with nearly $22.8 billion in relief funding that will serve as an immediate infusion of emergency assistance to families and businesses affected by the hurricane. The total cost of Ike will not be known for many months, but this relief package will help Texans rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the storm. - YES

H.R. 5265 - Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education Amendments of 2008 - This bill designates centers of excellence for research on various forms of muscular dystrophy and authorizes such sums as necessary to carry out the research. As an ardent supporter of scientific and medical research, I supported this bill. - YES

H.Res. 1451 - Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Establishment Resolution - This bill establishes the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission within the House of Representatives, which would promote and advocate internationally recognized human rights norms as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Authorizes “such sums” as necessary; expands the scope of government by creating the Commission in the House; which would have the authority to use the staff and resources of the Foreign Affairs - YES

H.R. 758 - Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act – This bill requires health insurance plans to cover inpatient and radiation therapy for breast cancer treatment; mandates that anyone undergoing a mastectomy or lumpectomy have an automatic 48 hour stay, 24 hours for lymph node dissection; requires plans to cover secondary consultations for ALL cancers, even if a negative diagnosis has been made. - YES

H.Con.Res. 255 – Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the U.S. commitment to preservation of religious and cultural sites and condemning instances where sites are desecrated. - YES

H.R. 1014 - Heart Disease Education, Analysis Research, and Treatment for Women Act - This bill requires any application for the approval of or investigation of a drug, device, or biological product to include information concerning sex, race, and ethnicity and any related differences in safety and effectiveness. It also requires HHS to develop an educational campaign regarding heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases in older women, as they are the most susceptible to heart disease without knowing it. - YES

H.R. 6950 - Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal Act of 2008 - This bil establishes the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life bronze medal for organ donors and the family of organ donors. It allows organ donor networks to collect funds to offset the cost of producing and awarding the medal. - YES

H.Res. 1421 - Solemnly commemorating the 25th anniversary of the tragic October 1983 terrorist bombing of the United States Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon and remembering those who lost their lives and those who were injured - YES

H.R. 6045 - Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2008 - This bill extends the bulletproof vest program until 2012, which provides federal grants for armored vests to our state and local law enforcement to purchase bulletproof vests - YES

H.R. 7060 - Renewable Energy and Job Creation Tax Act of 2008 - This bill temporarily extends renewable tax credits, and popular tax deductions, including the R&D; Tax credit, state sales tax deduction, and teacher supplies. But this bill also includes $60 billion worth of permanent tax increase, most of which comes from the top 5 oil and gas companies by denying them the U.S. manufacturing tax credit. I have never voted for a tax increase and am not going to punish hard work.- NO

S. 1382 - ALS Registry Act - This bill establishes at the Centers for Disease Control a registry of ASL to improve research that would be publically accessible to all researchers. As an ardent supporter of medical and scientific researcher, I am proud to have voted for this bill. - YES

S. 2932 - The Poison Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act of 2008 This bill provides grants for the state and local poison control centers and assists in the national 1-800 hotline number. - YES

S. 1046 - Senior Professional Performance Act of 2008 - This bill would raise the pay ceiling for federal employees classified as senior-level (SL) or scientific and professional personnel (ST) to match the maximum pay level allowed for member of the Senior Executive Service (SES). According to CBO, raising the pay cap for these employees would cost $7 million over five years. - YES

H.R. 7110 - Providing for Appropriations for Job Creation and Preservation, Infrastructure Investment, and Economic and Energy Assistance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009 – This bill provides $60.8 billion in provisions are that are not timely, or targeted, or temporary. The bulk of the funding is for infrastructure, which does not immediately stimulate our economy. I voted against this bill because I do not believe our children and grandchildren should be saddled with additional debt. - NO

Amendment to S. 3001 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 - I voted in favor of this comprehensive reauthorization bill, which provides funding for the Global War on Terror; requires the Secretary of Defense to revise its regulations to prohibit the use of private contractors to interrogate detainees, and contains a prohibition against permanent bases in Iraq. Cost: $531 billion for FY '09 + $68.6 billion for Global War on Terror. - YES

H.R. 6460 - Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act of 2008 - I voted in favor of this bill, which would reauthorize programs in the Great Lakes Legacy Act for five years to provide federal funding to combat toxic substances that contaminate the sediment in the bottom of rivers and bays that feed in the Great Lakes. Cost: $775 million over 5 years. - YES

1) H.R. 928 - Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 - This bill revamps the Inspector General system within the executive branch. It limits the reasons for dismissing an inspector general, allows IGs to submit budget request directly to Congress, and establishes a Council of Inspector General on Integrity and Efficiency. Cost is $73 million. - YES

H.R. 7081 - United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act - Approves the U.S-India Agreement for Cooperation on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement that would allow civilian nuclear trade between the U.S. and India. Declares that the provisions of the agreement have the meanings conveyed by the President's authoritative statements. States that the U.S. would suspend civilian nuclear trade with India if India conducts a nuclear test. - YES

H.R. 6707 - Taking Responsible Action for Community Safety Act– This bill retroactively increases the regulatory burden on railroad mergers and retroactively adds a new environmental review process. - NO

S. 3325 - The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property (PRO-IP) Act of 2008 - This bill provides for the Attorney General to bring actions seeking civil damages in United States district court for certain IP and copyright infringement activities. The bill would also enhance civil IP laws, increasing damages for instances of counterfeiting claims, and providing for treble damages in intentional cases; includes provisions regarding criminal IP enforcement, creating new forfeiture penalties in copyright and IP violation cases; I have supported similar bills in the past. Cost $57 annually for 5 years. - YES

Castle Motion to Recommit on H.R. 5244 - the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act - This Motion to Recommit states that no provision of the bill will take effect until the Fed certifies that the act will not reduce credit available to small businesses, veterans, and minorities. YES

H.R. 5244 - the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act - I voted for this bill in order to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices. The bill prohibits credit card issuers from increasing the annual % rate (APR) on an existing balance unless the increase is due to an expiration of a promotional rate or if the consumer is late on his payment. It requires banks to notify consumers of rate hikes within 45 days and prohibits APR increases on one card if the consumer misses a payment on another card or if his credit score drops. It also ends “double-cycle” billing in which consumers are charged during the billing cycle unless the last bill was paid in full. – YES

H.R. 6897 - Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2008 -This bill authorizes the VA to make $198 million in direct payments to Filipino Veterans who served in the Philippines during World War II. Each eligible Filipino service member will receive $15,000. - YES