1	MINIMUM WAGE—(H.R. 3846)—As introduced by Rep. John Shimkus, the bill provided for a $1 increase in the current $5.15-an-hour minimum wage over three years. But the House adopted a Democratic amendment to the bill providing the $1 increase in the minimum wage over two years. The amendment passed by a vote of 246-179 on March 9, 2000. Y=R; N=W. (DEM: 203-5; REP: 42-173; IND: 1-1)
2	MINIMUM WAGE/FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT—(H.R. 3846)—The House rejected a Democratic motion that would have eliminated the provisions in the minimum wage bill to deny large segments of the computer industry, certain sales employees and funeral directors overtime protections currently provided by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The measure also would have extended the minimum wage to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The motion was rejected 181-243 on March 9, 2000. Y=R; N=W. (DEM: 180-28; REP: 0-214; IND: 1-1)
3	TRADE/CHINA TRADE—(H.R. 4444)—The House passed a bill to give the People's Republic of China permanent normal trade relations status. The bill solidifies China's entry into the World Trade Organization and effectively eliminates the U.S. government's ability to impose trade sanctions on China for human rights or workers' rights violations. The bill passed by a vote of 237-197 on May 24, 2000. Y=W; N=R. (DEM: 73-138; REP: 164-57; IND: 0-2)
4	ERGONOMICS/WORKER PROTECTIONS/EDUCATION—(H.R. 4577)—The fiscal year 2001 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill would have cut funding below the previous year's effort level for the principal worker protection programs. This bill also included an extreme legislative rider to prohibit OSHA from moving forward with its ergonomics standard to protect the safety and health of our nation's workers.* Such a workplace ergonomics standard will reduce or prevent the musculoskeletal disorders—such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and back injuries—that hit some 1.8 million workers a year. Finally, the bill provided no funds for proposals to help reduce class size and repair public school buildings and reduced funding for employment training programs. The bill passed 217-214 on June 14, 2000. Y=W; N=R. (DEM: 3-206; REP: 213-7; IND: 1-1) *NOTE: Rep. Jim Traficant (D-Ohio) offered an amendment to remove the anti-ergonomics standard provision from the bill. However, since the move was intended only to give political cover to representatives who would ultimately vote for the overall bill, the AFL-CIO is not scoring that vote and is using the final passage vote instead.
5	HEALTH CARE/PRESCRIPTION DRUGS—(H.R. 4680)—Prescription drug prices are rising at twice the rate of inflation. Most at risk in the drug price free-for-all are seniors, because Medicare does not pay for outpatient prescription medicines. But siding with insurers and the pharmaceutical industry, the House passed a sham prescription drug plan that would not give seniors a guaranteed drug benefit in Medicare, but instead would give private insurers big subsidies to offer drug-only policies. Working families support legislation for a universal, voluntary and affordable prescription drug benefit in the Medicare program for seniors and people with disabilities. The House bill passed 217-214 on June 28, 2000. Y=W; N=R. (DEM: 5-203; REP: 211-10; IND: 1-1)
6	COLLECTIVE BARGAININ/RIGHT TO WORK—(H.R. 1304)—More and more physicians and other health care professionals are finding a voice at work by joining unions to improve both patient care and working conditions. H.R. 1304 would have granted physicians and other health care professionals the same rights as other employees to collectively bargain without being subject to suits under U.S. antitrust law. In an effort to weaken the bill, a right to work amendment was rejected 201-214 on June 30, 2000. Y=W; N=R. (DEM: 15-186; REP: 185-27; IND: 1-1)
7	DEBT RELIEF—(H.R. 4811)—Many developing countries are unable to implement necessary economic, social and political reforms because they are being forced to shift more and more of their limited resources from health care, education and other vital services to debt repayments. The House passed an amendment to the fiscal year 2001 Foreign Operations appropriations bill that funded the administration's request of $225 million for foreign debt relief. The amendment passed 216-211 on July 13, 2000. Y=R; N=W. (DEM: 189-16; REP: 26-194; IND: 1-1)
8	PROCURMENT REFORM—(H.R. 4871)—Environmental, consumer, civil rights, union and women's organizations, as well as a number of contractors, supported new responsible federal contractor rules proposed by the Clinton-Gore administration. The rules would make clear that a relevant factor in determining whether a federal contractor meets the responsibility test is the contractor's record of complying with the law, including environmental, labor, consumer, employment and other federal laws. An amendment to the fiscal year 2001 Treasury-Postal appropriations bill would have blocked changes to the federal regulations that made clear a business potentially can be denied a federal contract if they have a history of violating those basic federal laws. The amendment passed 228-190 on July 20, 2000. Y=W; N=R. (DEM: 24-179; REP: 203-10; IND: 1-1)
9	ESTATE TAX REPEAL/VETO OVERRIDE—(H.R. 8)—The House tried to override President Clinton's veto of the irresponsible tax bill that would have used $105 billion of the non-Social Security surpluses over the next 10 years to repeal the estate tax, which only affects the wealthiest 2 percent of the taxpayers, rather than use these surpluses to strengthen Social Security and Medicare and add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. The AFL-CIO supports tax relief that is targeted to those who deserve it the most—the nation's working families. The override failed 274-157 (a two-thirds majority of those present and voting is required to override a veto) on Sept. 7, 2000. Y=W; N=R. (DEM: 53-155; REP: 220-1; IND: 1-1)
10	TAX CUT/CONFERENCE REPORT—(H.R. 2614)—Despite strong bipartisan support, Republican congressional leaders blocked efforts to include the bipartisan Johnson-Rangel school construction bill in this tax bill. Instead, they added three school construction tax mechanisms, all without local prevailing wage protections. The bill's backers claimed it would provide health care coverage to the uninsured through a tax deduction for those who pay at least 50 percent of the cost of their health insurance, but that would be of no value to those without tax liability and little help to those in the 15 percent bracket. In addition, the Republican tax bill threw billions of dollars at managed health care companies at the expense of Medicare beneficiaries, hospitals, nursing homes and home health care providers who suffered from cuts made to Medicare in 1997. Republican leaders who had long opposed a $1-an-hour increase in the minimum wage over two years did include the raise in their tax bill, but the dozens of other partisan tax provisions in the bill in effect held the wage hike hostage. The bill passed 237-174 on Oct. 26, 2000. Y=W; N=R. (DEM: 33-167; REP 203-6; IND: 1-1)
Voting records compiled and provided by the National AFL-CIO.