WASHINGTON — Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.

House votes

House vote 1

Increasing intelligence community diversity: The House approved an amendment, sponsored by Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., to the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2701) that would require the Director of National Intelligence to submit a report on plans to increase diversity in the intelligence community. Proponents said diversity was "a mission imperative" because the intelligence community needed people who could blend in, speak the languages, and understand the cultures and the countries that would be targeted. The vote, on Feb. 26, was 401 yeas to 11 nays.

Yeas: Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. (1st); Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M. (3rd); Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M. (2nd)

House vote 2

Report on attempted airplane attack over Detroit: The House approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Mich., to the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2701) that would require the Director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress a report on the attempted attack on Northwest flight 253 over Detroit on Dec. 25, 2009. Proponents said "it is imperative that Congress be fully informed" of measures taken to prevent similar intelligence failures in the future "so that it may conduct rigorous oversight on this important national security concern." The vote, on Feb. 26, was 410 yeas to 1 nay.

Yeas: Heinrich, Luján, Teague

House vote 3

Funding intelligence agencies in fiscal 2010: The House approved the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2701), sponsored by Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, to fund intelligence activities in fiscal 2010. Proponents said the bill "will provide the resources and the tools that the intelligence community needs to do its important work in keeping our Nation safe." Opponents criticized a provision "that creates new crimes only for the intelligence community when they try to elicit information from a terrorist that can prevent future terrorist attacks." The vote, on Feb. 26, was 235 yeas to 168 nays.

Yeas: Heinrich, Luján, Teague

House vote 4

Recognizing challenges faced by black veterans: The House approved a resolution (H.Con.Res. 238) sponsored by Rep. Larry Kissell, D-N.C., to recognize the difficulties faced by black veterans following military service and their sacrifices in war. Proponents said the resolution "recognizes the accomplishes" of black veterans and "calls upon the VA to always try to make sure that the inequities in terms of benefits and in terms of how illnesses are treated are ironed out and are made equal as we move forward." The vote, on Feb. 26, was a unanimous 383 yeas.

Yeas: Heinrich, Luján, Teague

House vote 5

Hazard mitigation funding: The House approved the Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act (H.R. 3820), sponsored by Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., to reauthorize programs that would help prevent and limit damage from earthquakes and windstorms by addressing areas with the potential for the most damage. Proponents said the programs would "help secure our communities against earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural phenomena" through mitigation efforts that would prove crucial to preventing loss and injury. The vote, on March 2, was 335 yeas to 50 nays.

Yeas: Heinrich, Luján, Teague

House vote 6

Competitive bidding for grants: The House approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., to the Keeping All Students Safe Act (H.R. 4247) that would require the awarding of competitive, merit-based grants under the bill. Proponents said that in other programs, earmarks had undercut the goal of having competitive bidding "for the agencies to assess on a merit-based basis" in determining how to distribute grants. The vote, on March 3, was 391 yeas to 24 nays.

Yeas: Heinrich, Luján, Teague

House vote 7

Keeping All Students Safe Act: The House approved the Keeping All Students Safe Act (H.R. 4247), sponsored by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., to restrict the use of physical restraint and seclusion in schools. Proponents said that "without a Federal standard" children would be vulnerable because of widely variable "state policies and oversight" of the issue. Opponents said that "we do not need a change in Federal law for such behavior to be condemned." The vote, on March 3, was 262 yeas to 153 nays.

Yeas: Heinrich, Luján, Teague

House vote 8

Supporting national school lunch programs: The House passed a resolution (H.R. 362), sponsored by Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., to express a sense of support for the goals of the National School Lunch Program. The House recognized "that America's pupils deserve access to high-quality, safe, nutritious meals available in the school setting." According to the resolution, "the National School Lunch Program is declared to be the policy of the United States Congress, as a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food, by assisting the States, through grants-in-aid and other means, in providing an adequate supply of food and other facilities for the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion of nonprofit school lunch programs." The vote, on March 4, was 403 yeas to 13 nays.

Yeas: Heinrich, Luján, Teague

House vote 9

Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies: The House passed a Senate-amended version of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2847), sponsored by Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., to make appropriations for the Commerce, Justice and Science Departments and related agencies for fiscal 2010. The legislation will supply $6 billion for NASA space operations, $6 billion for the Federal Prison System, $3.1 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, $2 billion for the Drug Enforcement Administration, $1.1 billion for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and $31,000,000 for minority business development. Proponents said "[this legislation] is about our three most important priorities in this Congress: jobs, jobs, and jobs." Opponents said, "Simply put, you cannot create jobs by dumping a trillion dollars into Federal agencies". The vote, on March 4, was 217 yeas to 201 nays.

Yeas: Heinrich, Luján, Teague

Senate votes

Senate vote 1

Temporary extension of unemployment benefits: The Senate approved the Temporary Extension Act (H.R. 4691), sponsored by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., to temporarily extend unemployment benefits, health plans under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, poverty guidelines and Medicare caps. Proponents said the extensions provided would only be short-term in duration to aid the 1.2 million Americans whose benefits will soon run out. Opponents pointed to the $10 billion of debt spending authorized by the legislation and said "we cannot solve a debt problem by spending more" and therefore should find a way to offset the spending. The vote, on March 2, was 78 yeas to 19 nays.

Yeas: Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.; Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M.

Senate vote 2

Small business tax incentives blocked: The Senate rejected an amendment proposed by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to the Tax Extenders Act (H.R. 42133) that would have redirected funds in the economic stimulus package to provide tax incentives for small business. Proponents said the amendment would "create incentives for small businesses to hire new people, to put people back to work, and to make capital investments." Opponents said it would prevent the stimulus package from "making wise investments in America and putting our people back to work." The vote, on March 3, was 38 yeas to 61 nays.

Nays: Bingaman, Udall

Senate vote 3

Offsetting medicare spending: The Senate rejected an amendment proposed by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, to the Tax Extenders Act (H.R. 42133) that would have offset spending on the extension of Medicare programs. Proponents said "we need to pass this critically needed and fiscally responsible amendment now." Opponents said "we do need those dollars to help make sure we can pay for the underlying health care reform bill." The vote, on March 3, was 54 yeas to 45 nays, with the amendment being tabled for insufficient support.

Yeas: Udall

Nays: Bingaman

Senate vote 4

Providing payments to retirees, others: The Senate rejected an amendment, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to the Tax Extenders Act (H.R. 4213) that would have provided a $250 payment to Social Security recipients and others. Proponents said "that we cannot, in the midst of this recession, turn our backs on disabled veterans and seniors." Opponents said "this amendment would add billions of dollars to the deficit which would have to be paid for by our children." The vote, on March 3, was 47 yeas to 50 nays.

Yeas: Bingaman, Udall

Senate vote 5

Offsetting tax extenders spending: The Senate tabled an amendment, sponsored by Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., to the Tax Extenders Act (H.R. 42133) that would have offset spending in the legislation by cutting funding for other programs. Proponents said the amendment would cut "wasteful and duplicative government programs." Opponents said the amendment would cause harm to national and international security and to the U.S. economy by cutting billions in funding that Congress had already voted on and had agreed to provide several months ago. The vote, on March 3, which tabled the amendment, was 56 yeas to 41 nays.

Yeas: Bingaman, Udall

Senate vote 6

Cobra benefits proceed: The Senate used a parliamentary maneuver on a point of order to an amendment proposed by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., to the Tax Extenders Act (H.R. 4213) to allow the legislation to carry provisions allowing COBRA benefits and unemployment checks to continue despite a conflicting federal budget provision. Those voting 'yea' supported allowing a waiver of the budget provision that would have blocked COBRA and unemployment benefits unless the expenditure was offset with new revenue. The vote, on March 3, was 60 yeas to 37 nays.

Yeas: Bingaman, Udall