Tar Heel Tally

HOUSE

* TERRORISM INSURANCE: Voting 312 for and 110 against, the House on Wednesday sent the Senate a bill (HR 2761) renewing for 15 years a taxpayer-backed program to help the insurance industry meet the catastrophic costs of any future terrorist attacks. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) obligates the Treasury to cover a high percentage -- 85 percent this year -- of industry losses above varying deductible levels, with an overall cap of $100 billion. This bill adds group life insurance to TRIA and expands the law to cover nuclear, biological, radiological and chemical attacks as well as domestic acts of terrorism.

The bill includes a promise but no specific financial commitment to offset TRIA's projected cost of $3.5 billion over five years and $8.4 billion over 10 years.

VOTING YES: G.K. Butterfield, D-1, Bob Etheridge, D-2, Walter Jones, R-3, David Price, D-4, Howard Coble, R-6, Mike McIntyre, D-7, Robin Hayes, R-8, Patrick McHenry, R-10, Heath Shuler , D-11, Melvin Watt, D-12, Brad Miller, D-13

VOTING NO: Virginia Foxx, R-5, Sue Myrick, R-9

* FOOD AND DRUG SAFETY: Voting 405 for and seven against, the House on Wednesday sent the Senate a bill giving the Food and Drug Administration new authority to protect consumers against unsafe food, drugs and medical devices. The bill (HR 3580) empowers the FDA for the first time to continually review drugs after they go on the market and order quick corrective action when harmful side effects come to light.

The bill imposes stricter labeling requirements and higher user fees on drug companies, seeks to reduce conflicts of interest on the FDA advisory panels that judge drug safety and requires drug firms to publish the results of clinical trials on the Internet. The bill replaces similar FDA measures approved earlier this year by the House and Senate.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

VOTING YES: Butterfield, Etheridge, Jones, Price, Foxx, Coble, McIntyre, Hayes, Myrick, McHenry, Shuler, Watt, Miller

* HOME MORTGAGES: Voting 348 for and 72 against, the House on Tuesday granted the Federal Housing Administration new authority to stimulate the residential housing market, including measures to help holders of shaky subprime mortgages avert default.

In part, the bill (HR 1852) raises by at least 30 percent the maximum value of loans eligible for FHA mortgage insurance, with the actual increase varying by region; makes it easier for qualified holders of problem loans to refinance into FHA-backed mortgages; doubles federal funding of mortgage-counseling services; redirects up to $300 million annually in FHA surpluses from the Treasury general fund to a new affordable housing program and broadens the availability of FHA-backed loans for rental housing.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

VOTING YES: Butterfield, Etheridge, Jones, Price, Coble, McIntyre, Hayes, Shuler, Watt, Miller

VOTING NO: Foxx, Myrick, McHenry

* FEDERAL AVIATION BUDGET: Voting 267 for and 151 against, the House on Thursday passed a bill (HR 2881) authorizing $68 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration over four years, including $37.2 billion for air traffic control and other general operations, $15.8 billion for airport improvements and $13 billion to upgrade technology for controlling air traffic. The bill codifies a passengers' bill of rights, increases levies including fuel taxes on corporate aircraft and requires the FAA to renegotiate its labor contract with air traffic controllers.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

VOTING YES: Butterfield, Etheridge, Price, McIntyre, Hayes, Shuler, Watt, Miller