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1. Housing Bill
HR 3524 (Roll Call 18). The House passed a bill that authorized a 700% increase in spending on the HOPE VI Public Housing Program that has $2 billion in unspent funds and was recommended for elimination by the Bush Administration. ACU opposes this reckless spending but it passed January 17, 2008 by a vote of 271-130.
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2. Children’s Health Insurance Veto
HR 3963 (Roll Call 22). The House sustained the president’s veto of a bill to more than double spending on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for poor children but prohibited HHS from requiring poor children to be covered first. The bill included a 156% increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco. ACU opposed this effort to expand government-run health care. The veto was sustained January 23, 2008, by a vote of 260-152 (under the Constitution, two-thirds of those voting are needed to override a veto, in this case 275).
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3. Budget Resolution
H. Con. Res. 312 (Roll Call 140). The House rejected the Republican substitute for the Democratic Budget Resolution. The substitute would have made the Bush tax cuts permanent, capped discretionary spending at $973 billion, reduced mandatory spending by $12 billion over five years, and imposed a moratorium on pork barrel “earmarks.” ACU thinks both budgets were too high, but this one was clearly superior. Still, the House rejected it March 13, 2008 by a vote of 157-263.
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4. Illegal Immigration
HR 5719 (Roll Call 189). The House rejected an attempt to tighten up IRS procedures so that illegal aliens do not receive certain tax benefits, and to pressure state and local governments to report illegal immigrants to federal officials. ACU supports these efforts to combat illegal immigration and supported the motion, which was defeated April 15, 2008 on a tie vote, 210-210.
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5. Foreclosure Relief Restrictions
HR 5818 (Roll Call 298). The House rejected an effort to bar drug or sex offenders and mortgage fraud perpetrators from benefiting from the foreclosure relief funds contained in the bill. ACU supported these restrictions, but the motion was defeated May 8, 2008 by a vote of 210-216.31
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6. Mortgage Bailout Program
HR 3221 (Roll Call 301). The House adopted a bill expanding the government-sponsored housing authorities, guaranteeing loans made by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while reducing their capital by creating a $4 billion trust fund available to ACORN and other groups. ACU opposed the federal takeover of these entities but the bill was passed May 8, 2008 by a vote of 266-154.
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7. Oil and Gas Exploration
S. Con. Res. 70 (Roll Call 321).  The House rejected a motion designed to encourage expansion of federal leases for oil and gas exploration in the West, on the Outer Continental Shelf, and in a small portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ACU supports these efforts to encourage domestic energy production, but the motion failed May 14, 2008 by a vote of 185-229.
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8. Supplemental Appropriations
HR 2642 (Roll Call 330). The House passed additional appropriations for various agencies in three sections. This portion included an income tax surcharge as an offset for veterans’ benefits and prevented HHS from implementing Medicaid reforms already approved by Congress. ACU opposes this kind of “emergency” spending as well as tax increases, but the bill was adopted May 15, 2008 by a vote of 256-166.
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9. Tax Provision Extensions
HR 6049 (Roll Call 344). The House passed a bill extending expiring and expired tax provisions. The bill extended tax credits for so-called “renewable” and alternative energy sources for one year while permanently increasing some business taxes. ACU objects to this legislative sleight-of-hand, but the bill passed May 21, 2008 by a vote of 263-160.
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10. Missile Defense
HR 5658 (Roll Call 356). The House defeated an amendment to strengthen the nation’s immediate antiballistic missile program. ACU regards national defense as the first priority of the federal government and supported this amendment, which was rejected May 22, 2008 by a vote of 186-229.
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11. Farm Bill Veto Override
HR 6124 (Roll Call 417). The House passed, over the president’s veto, a bill that continues subsidies for farmers making up to $2 million annually and for crops that have increased in price. ACU opposes federal interference in the nation’s agriculture, but the bill was passed June 18, 2008 by a more than two-thirds Constitutional majority vote of 317-109.
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12. Paid Parental Leave
HR 5781 (Roll Call 428). The House passed a bill providing that four of the 12 weeks of parental leave provided by the federal government to its employees would be paid leave, and removing the requirement that employees demonstrate a medical need for sick leave used. ACU opposes liberalizing these federal leave provisions, but the bill passed June 19, 2008 by a vote of 278-146.
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13. Alternative Minimum Tax
HR 6275 (Roll Call 455). The House passed a bill extending for one year a provision to exempt 21 million middle-income taxpayers from the “millionaire’s tax” while permanently increasing taxes on domestic energy producers. ACU opposes the AMT in all its forms, but opposes tax increases. The bill passed June 25, 2008 by a vote of 233-189.
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14. Energy Producer Penalties
HR 6251 (Roll Call 469).  The House refused to pass a bill imposing new requirements and penalties on holders of federal oil and gas leases. ACU opposes these restrictions on energy providers, and the bill was defeated. Although it received a 223-195 vote majority June 26, 2008, under the House procedure being used, a two-thirds vote (279) was required.
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15. Mortgage Bailout
HR 3221 (Roll Call 519). The House adopted Senate amendments vastly expanding the federal government’s authority to interfere in the national housing markets, allowing higher limits on risky loans and changing regulations on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This version added another $4 billion grant program to be handed out by local governments. ACU opposes this interference in the housing market and further nationalization of the housing industry, but the bill was adopted July 23 by a vote of 272-152.33
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16. Paycheck Equality
HR 1338 (Roll Call 556). The House passed a bill shifting the burden of proof in pay discrimination cases from the employee to the employer. ACU opposes this kind of political interference in labor markets, but the bill passed July 31, 2008 by a vote of 247-178.
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17. Davis-Bacon Act
The House rejected an amendment eliminating the “prevailing wage,” or union wage requirements on military construction projects which adds billions to the project costs. ACU opposes this Davis-Bacon Act requirement, but the amendment was defeated August 1, 2008 by a vote of 143-275.
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18. Energy Policy
HR 6899 (Roll Call 598). The House defeated a motion designed to repeal the 125-mile moratorium on oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico and to allow states to permit production in their coastal waters. ACU supports these efforts to expand domestic energy production, but the measure was defeated September 16, 2008 by a vote of 191-226.
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19. 2nd Amendment Rights
HR 6842 (Roll Call 600). The House adopted an amendment permitting D.C. residents to own firearms, consistent with the recent Supreme Court decision. ACU favors applying the Second Amendment, even in the District of Columbia, and so supported this amendment, which was adopted September 17, 2008 by a vote of 260-160.
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20. Ethics Investigation
H. Res. 1460 (Roll Call 609). The House voted to kill an investigation into the failure of House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel’s to report rental income on property he owns in the Dominican Republic and remove him as Chairman during the investigation. ACU supports rigorous ethical investigations of members of Congress, and so supported the motion, which was defeated September 18, 2008 by a vote of 226-176.
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21. Tax Extensions
HR 7060 (Roll Call 649). The House passed a bill extending a number of expired and expiring energy-related and other business-targeted tax breaks for one year while permanently increasing taxes on domestic energy producers and others. ACU opposed this effort, which passed September 26, 2008 by a vote of 257-166.
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22. “Stimulus” Spending Bill
HR 7110 (Roll Call 660).  The House gave final passage to a bill providing additional spending for roads and bridges, energy development, housing and nutrition assistance, and water and sewer projects. The bill also added aid to states that were in financial difficulty due to overspending. ACU objects to this kind of “emergency” appropriating, since it gives too much leeway for “earmarked” pork barrel projects. The bill passed September 26, 2008 by a vote of 264-158.
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23. Financial Services Industry Bailout 
HR 3997 (Roll Call 674). The House refused to agree to Senate amendments bailing out the financial services industry by giving sole authority to the Secretary of the Treasury to disburse $700 billion “without restriction.” ACU opposes nationalization of an industry and the bill was temporarily defeated September 29, 2008 by a vote of 205-228.
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24. Financial Services Industry Bailout
HR 1424 (Roll Call 681). Following its first defeat of this bailout package, House leadership brought the bill back from the Senate that combined the original bill with the business tax extension bill (see #21) and a one-year modification to the Alternative Minimum Tax. ACU is opposed but in this form it passed the House October 3, 2008 by a vote of 263-171.
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25. Automobile Industry Bailout
HR 7321 (Roll Call 690).  The House voted to pass a bill bailing out the three Detroit-based auto manufacturers to the tune of more than $14 billion. ACU opposed this effort, but the House passed it December 10, 2008 by a vote of 237-170.
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