ROLL CALL
THE SUMTER ITEM WASHINGTON (AP) — Here’s how area members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending Jan. 30.
HOUSE EXPEDITED NATURAL-GAS EXPORTS Voting 277 for and 133 against, the House on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 351) requiring prompt Department of Energy action on applications from U.S. firms to export liquefied natural gas to countries with which America does not have free-trade agreements. The bill requires the department to issue a final decision within 30 days after environmental reviews have been completed. Critics said this would weaken DOE reviews of whether applications are in the public interest in terms of assuring adequate, affordable domestic supplies of natural gas. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it may face a 60-vote hurdle. VOTE H-1 slugged EXPORTS SOUTH CAROLINA Voting yes: Mark Sanford, R-1, Joe Wilson, R-2, Jeff Duncan, R-3, Trey Gowdy, R-4, Mick Mulvaney, R-5, Tom Rice, R-7 Voting no: James Clyburn, D-6 Not voting: None
EXPORT BAN TO STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM Voting 175 for and 237 against, the House on Wednesday defeated a Democratic motion to deny the export of U.S. natural gas under HR 351 (above) to state sponsors of terrorism or to countries or firms that use cyber attacks to steal U.S. intellectual property
and military technology. The motion also required the gas to be exported in ships and shipping containers that are built in the U.S. and fly under the American flag. John Garamendi, D-Calif., said, “Is there one among the 435 of us who wants the jobs to be in China or Korea or Japan? I don’t think so. This is an American-made amendment ... for American workers, American shipyards.” A yes vote was to adopt the motion, which, had it prevailed, would have immediately amended the bill. VOTE H-2 slugged BAN SOUTH CAROLINA Voting yes: Clyburn Voting no: Sanford, Wilson (SC), Duncan (SC), Gowdy, Mulvaney, Rice (SC) Not voting: None
SENATE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE Voting 62 for and 36 against, the Senate on Thursday passed a bill (S 1) to force federal approval of a Keystone XL Pipeline leg reaching more than 900 miles from the Canadian border through Montana and South Dakota to Steele City, Nebraska. Under the bill, Congress would usurp authority over the international project from the Department of State and White House. The bill “deems” that environmental and safety hurdles have been cleared and that U.S. permits for construction, operation and maintenance must be issued. This would be the final link in a nearly 4,000-mile Keystone network for shipping tarsands crude from Hardisty, Alberta, to refineries in Texas and the Midwest and ports on the Texas Gulf Coast. TransCanada Corp. is the pipeline owner.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the bill is about jobs and reliable energy costs and “not really a debate about the environment. President Obama’s own State Department has previously said that Keystone’s impact on the environment would basically be negligible.” A yes vote was to pass the bill. It will be reconciled with a similar House-passed measure. President Obama has threatened a veto. VOTE S-1 slugged KEYSTONE SOUTH CAROLINA Voting yes: Lindsey Graham, R, Tim Scott, R Voting no: None Not voting: None
CAMPAIGN-FINANCE DISCLOSURES Voting 44 for and 52 against, the Senate on Thursday defeated an amendment to S 1 (above) that sought to require corporations that make profits of $1 million or more from the Keystone XL Pipeline to publicly disclose their campaign donations aimed at influencing U.S. elections. Under the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling of 2010, businesses, unions and interest groups can make anonymous donations of unlimited sums to advocate the election or defeat of congressional candidates.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2015 Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said the history of earmarks shows “that when you have a project that benefits specific investors and specific corporations ... there is a valuable premium on having the public know about the campaign contributions relative to that project.” A yes vote was to adopt the amendment. VOTE S-2 slugged CAMPAIGN SOUTH CAROLINA Voting yes: None Voting no: Graham, Scott Not voting: None
PRAIRIE CHICKEN, THREATENED SPECIES Voting 54 for and 44 against, the Senate on Wednesday failed to reach 60 votes needed to pass an amendment to S 1 (above) that would remove the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species under Endangered Species Act. The bird inhabits areas of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas in declining numbers. Critics say the federal designation crimps farming and other commercial activities. Sponsor Jerry Moran, R-Kan., attributed the bird’s decline to prolonged drought, adding that with the return of rainfall and snow this year, “We will have increasing wild-
ALASKA WILDERNESS DESIGNATION By a vote of 50 for and 48 against, the Senate on Wednesday defeated an amendment to nullify President Obama’s recent designation of 12.3 million acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as permanent wilderness. Needing 60 votes for passage, the amendment also sought to negate the administration’s recent prohibition of oil and gas drilling in 9.8 million acres of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas off Alaska. A yes vote was to nullify recent administration decisions to protect federal land and seas from oil and gas exploration. VOTE S-4 slugged WILDERNESS SOUTH CAROLINA Voting yes: Graham, Scott Voting no: None Not voting: None © 2015, Thomas Voting Reports Inc.
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life habitat for the lesser prairie chicken and a large number of birds.” A yes vote was to end protection of the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species. VOTE S-3 slugged CHICKEN SOUTH CAROLINA Voting yes: Graham, Scott Voting no: None Not voting: None
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35 N. Brooks St. Manning
PROPOSED BISHOPVILLE BYPASS PROJECT LEE COUNTY PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING MEETING: Thursday, February 19, 2015, between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm in the SC Cotton Museum at 121 W. Cedar Lane, Bishopville SC 29010 in Lee County. Purpose: To gather public input and discuss with representatives from the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) the current purpose and need with respect to the proposed alignment. The meeting will also be used to gather information on historic or cultural resources in the area.
Join us February 13th at 7:00PM for a romantic evening of fine dining and delightful company as the Lou-Von Family Foundation sponsors its annual
A formal dining experience that will include live entertainment, a gourmet meal and full service wait staff to ensure that your Valentine’s Day is one to remember.
Format: From 5:00 pm until 5:30 pm, the meeting format will be informal. Large aerial displays of the entire project will be available for viewing, and project team members from SCDOT will be present to discuss the project with interested citizens, on an individual basis. At 5:30 pm, SCDOT will make a brief formal presentation, and the informal portion of the meeting will continue after the presentation until 7:00 pm. Process: Project details, including environmental documentation of the project’s effects, will be provided. Maps and drawings of the proposed improvements will be available, and citizens may ask questions and provide comments regarding the possible social, economic and environmental effects of the project. Property owners and business owners on or near the project area are urged to attend and fill out the SCDOT provided comment forms. Review: A hard copy of the environmental document, which is an environmental assessment (EA), will be available for public viewing at least 15 days prior to and 15 days after the meeting at the SCDOT Maintenance Office, 703 E. Church Street, Bishopville, SC 29010. In addition, an electronic copy of the EA is available online at http://www.scdot.org/inside/public_hearings.aspx. Further information concerning the project may be obtained by contacting Assistant Program Manager Kenneth Johnson at 803-737-1489, in Columbia. Persons with disabilities who may require special accommodations at the meeting should contact Ms. Heather Robbins at 803-737-1399.
South Carolina Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration
~Menu~ Garden Salad Steak and Shrimp Garden Potatoes Vegetable Medley
The Imperial Restaurant 451 Broad St. Sumter, SC 29150 Date: February 13, 2015
Sweetheart Dessert Buffet (Consists of a variety of delectable desserts)
Time: 7:00PM
Email or call TODAY to reserve your section. Email: nowens@ubimf.com or fgeddis@ubimf.com Or Call: 803-773-1838