The House this afternoon passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act — the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill — on a 219-212 vote; the bill now heads to the U.S. Senate. Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, was the only Bay Area member to oppose the bill, complaining it’s too watered down.

“We have the opportunity and the responsibility to confront catastrophic global warming with bold action. Congress should seize that opportunity by passing legislation that would end our addiction to fossil fuels, prove our leadership to the world, and build a foundation for long-term prosperity. This legislation falls short of these goals,” Stark — who in January introduced the Save Our Climate Act, which would impose a tax on carbon-based fossil fuels to slow climate change — said in his floor statement today. “Many have said that this vote is a historic one that we will be judged by. In my view, history will judge this legislation as a missed opportunity.”

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, is a House Energy and Commerce Committee member who authored four of the bill’s provisions: to spur development of a more effective electric grid; to encourage electric vehicle use; to fund clean energy job training programs; and to promote water efficiency and reduce energy consumption by codifying the WaterSense program, which promotes voluntary labeling of water-efficient products and services. He was proud as a papa Friday.

“With the passage of this legislation we are one step closer to revitalizing our nation’s economy and cutting our dependence on foreign oil,” he said in a news release. “I am proud to support this groundbreaking bill that will benefit generations of Americans and lay the foundation for our country’s long-term economic prosperity.”

McNerney said he spent more than two decades working on clean energy technology before going to Congress, and this bill will help ensure that clean-energy jobs will stay in America. The bill also is “crucial to our national security,” he said. “For too long, we’ve been dependent on energy from foreign and sometimes hostile countries. When we’re developing new energy technologies here at home, we’ll be safer for it. We’ll also ensure cleaner, healthier air for our children and grandchildren by leading the world in addressing the threat of climate change.”

More reactions to the vote, after the jump…
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As I reported Monday, Bay Area House members were being pressed by anti-war progressives on one side and by President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the other about how to vote on the $106 billion supplemental spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The House passed the bill late Tuesday on a 226-202 vote. Here’s how the Bay Area delegation voted:

No: Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; Pete Stark, D-Fremont; Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough; Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma; Mike Honda, D-San Jose; Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose

Yes: George Miller, D-Martinez; Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo; Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton; Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco

The 32 Democrats voting against the bill did so mainly for anti-war reasons, while most of the 170 Republicans who opposed it did so because the bill included more than $5 billion for the International Monetary Fund. The bill passed overwhelmingly last month, but changes in conference committee led to an intense battle to get it through again.

Here’s what Lee had to say about it:

“I cannot support any funding for Iraq that was not dedicated solely for the redeployment of our troops and military contractors. I am also unable to support the open ended military escalation in Afghanistan. We need a better balance between humanitarian and military spending in Afghanistan and we need an exit strategy. The supplemental appropriations bill does not reflect a fundamental shift in direction. Therefore, I cannot support it.”

And here’s what Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said:

“Our men and women in uniform deserve far, far better than to be treated like this. Republicans supported a troop funding bill last month, and we are prepared to do so once again. But this is a politically-motivated stunt that uses troop funding as bait for a global bailout that should be judged on its own merits in its own legislation. Let’s give our troops the resources they need for victory in a real troop funding bill free of a costly global bailout.”

Strange bedfellows indeed.

Some liberal bloggers are singling Miller out for heat, because he’s among Democrats who voted against the war funding last month “when their votes stood no chance of actually blocking the funding” but voted for it Tuesday, as AfterDowningStreet.org’s David Swanson put it. Swanson described this group as “the Hall of Shame. These Congress members voted No for show when it didn’t matter, and voted Yes to fund wars when it came to crunch time.”

Elsewhere, the Down With Tyranny blog called Miller “another progressive who let pressure get to him and has now jumped the fence and is voting for more war.”

Miller, a close political ally of Pelosi, explained his shifting vote to the Chronicle:

“I understand the deep frustrations regarding this bill; I’ve voiced them myself and have consistently voted against the war,” Miller said. “I don’t support the war in Iraq, and I want to bring it to a close. I registered my concern, but now it is time to give President Obama what he believes he needs to make progress. This bill is part of the price of cleaning up the mess of the failed policies from the previous administration.”

It’s worth noting that the progressive community was split on this: Although lots of left-leaning groups opposed the bill, some significant heavyweights – including the Campaign for America’s Future, the Center for American Progress, Democracy for America, Moveon.org, Talking Points Memo, and True Majority – didn’t.

The House of Representatives this afternoon passed the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act – $96.7 billion in military spending, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan, through Sept. 30 – on a 368-60 vote; the U.S. Senate continues working on its own version.

Most Bay Area House members, unsurprisingly, opposed it: Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; George Miller, D-Martinez; Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough; Mike Honda, D-San Jose; Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose; and Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma. Voting for the bill were Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo; Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton; and Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, while Pete Stark, D-Fremont, was absent.

I spoke a few minutes ago with McNerney, who said that as far as Iraq goes, he supports the additional funding so long as President Obama follows through with his timeline for drawing down troops there.

Afghanistan, McNerney said, is “a little bit more complicated, a little more difficult – I’m very concerned about what’s happening over there. … The president has a good team over there and I want to see him have an opportunity to carry out an acceptable outcome.”

More commentary, after the jump…
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The House today voted 357-70 to pass H.R. 627, the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights, which will require credit-card companies to give 45 days notice of all interest rate increases and significant fee changes; prevent credit-card companies from unfairly increasing interest rates on existing balances; end unfair “double cycle” billing practices; require card companies to mail billing statements 21 days before the due date; and prohibit companies from charging a fee when customers pay their bills.

From Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton:

“I’ve heard from many people that have had their credit card interest rate sky-rocket without due notice or explanation. At a time when Americans are struggling to make ends meet, they shouldn’t have the additional worry of a sudden hike in their interest rate or unexpected fees without notice. This bill will help protect Americans from these unfair practices.”

More from the Bay Area delegation, after the jump…
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Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, whose district includes Stanford University, has made a friendly wager with Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., on Sunday’s NCAA Final Four women’s basketbatll matchup between Stanford and the University of Connecticut.

“Stanford has come really close a few times during the NCAA tournament over the past decade, but the word ‘close’ doesn’t translate to ‘champion’ in any language,” Courtney smack-talked. “The UConn Huskies women are five-time champions with the hunger for another big win, and this is certainly their year after another undefeated season.”

“As a Connecticut native, I have a soft spot for the UConn Huskies, but the Stanford women have my 1000% support and confidence,” Eshoo retorted. “Just as in last year’s tournament, Stanford will be the victor in this game. Stanford always finishes strong and this is their year to take the championship.”

If Stanford wins, Courtney will provide a gift basket of salami from Rein’s Deli in Vernon, Conn.; lemonade from The Farmer’s Cow; wine from the Colchester Vineyard; maple syrup from Hebron, Conn.; Munson’s Chocolate UConn Husky chocolate bars; locally farmed honey; and cigars from Jarmoc Farms in Enfield, Conn.

If UConn wins, Eshoo is on the hook for a gift basket of 14th Congressional District wine and Coastside artichokes.

The House today voted 233-196 to pass President Barack Obama’s budget proposal, which sets guidelines for how much Congress and the President can spend over the next five years in all areas of government services; now it goes to the Senate. Unsurprisingly, all Bay Area House members voted in favor of the budget plan, and several issued statements on it.

From Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont:

“This budget clearly distinguishes the priorities of the new Congress and President Obama—jobs, universal health care, and a first rate education system—from the misplaced priorities of past Republican budgets—tax cuts for the wealthy, war, and an eviscerated safety net. I urge all of my colleagues to embrace priorities that put the health and wellbeing of people ahead of the narrow interests of the well connected and support this budget.”

From Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez:

“We have taken a critical step in approving President Obama’s historic economic plan, a plan that paves the way for historic investments in education, health care, and clean energy. The President’s budget would have a dramatic impact on Bay Area families and working people throughout our country who are not only struggling in today’s deep recession, but who are yearning for a new direction in America.

“I am proud of what this economic plan would do for our youngest children and students of all ages. We’re building on the historic investments we just provided America’s schools in the recovery bill intended to stave of layoffs and improve education. This budget goes the next step to provide sufficient funds for education to really achieve greatness in our public education system.

“We finally have real leadership in the White House, and if Congress goes along with this plan, the President will lead our nation to prosperity, security and greatness.”

More after the jump…
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Reps. Anna Eshoo, D–Palo Alto, and Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, met this week with San Mateo County officials and House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., to discuss the use of Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds to buy up troubled assets held by local governments.

“I’m grateful that Chairman Barney Frank committed to a public hearing on the issue of public funds lost due to the collapse of Lehman Brothers,” Eshoo said in a news reelase. “This is progress and I’m hopeful that San Mateo County and other public entities will be able to recover some of the dollars invested in conservative instruments. Our schools, public safety, and social services will suffer if we cannot return a portion of these dollars back to our local governments.”

Speier noted Lehman Brothers was the only large financial institution allowed to fail, and its failure cost state and local governments more than $2 billion. “I’m grateful that Chairman Frank has agreed to hold hearings on this important matter and I look forward to finding a solution that returns some of these taxpayer funds back to the public entities where they belong.”

San Mateo County officials in the meeting included Supervisor Rich Gordon, Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson and Deputy County Manager Mary McMillan. County officials also met with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and House and Senate finance committee members.

New Democrat Coalition chairwoman Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo, has been getting no love from the liberal netroots – see here, here and here for examples – over her role in H.R. 1106, the foreclosure-prevention legislation. That didn’t stop her from expressing joy as the bill passed the House today on a 234-191 vote.

“I am pleased that the House approved the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act. This is one component of a very large effort to stabilize the housing market and limit the number of home foreclosures in California and across the country,” she said in a statement issued this afternoon. “Accessible and sustainable loan modifications are essential to getting millions of families the tools they need to stay in their homes.”

Her news release said she “played a leading role in improving the bill, which is a key part of President Obama’s Making Home Affordable program, so that homeowners can first and foremost access a loan modification plan and, allowing homeowners in the most dire of circumstances, to seek relief through bankruptcy as a last resort.” She also “inserted language into the bill to prevent homeowners who can afford their loans from abusing the system by filing for bankruptcy just to capitalize on falling real estate prices,” the release said.

Other, more liberal Bay Area House members gave the bill similarly rosy reviews. Read ‘em, plus the GOP’s take, after the jump…
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Now that the economic stimulus package has been signed into law, members of Congress are turning their attention to more niche-oriented legislation.

Take for example Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, who today introduced the Alopecia Areata Medicaid Improvement and Parity Act to improve Medicaid coverage for those affected by alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder resulting in loss of body hair.

Most Americans suffer from mild forms of the condition, but Eshoo says about 30,000 have alopecia areata totalis — loss of all scalp hair — or alopecia areata universalis — a complete loss of all body hair. There’s no known cure, and very few treatments are successful.

“This legislation will improve the quality of life for the thousands of people who suffer from alopecia. We can’t allow Americans who are suffering from the disease to continue enduring harassment and mistreatment because of the inadequate coverage by Medicaid,” Eshoo said in her news release.

She says H.R. 1142 will improve Medicaid coverage for those with the disease by reimbursing for one hair prosthesis — a custom-made wig — per year; an estimated 5,000 out of nearly 50 million Medicaid beneficiaries will qualify.

Joke you might, but I know someone who had a bout with alopecia, and it was no laughing matter for him. That said, this seems like the kind of thing which could spark debate over what Medicaid should and shouldn’t cover.

Bay Area House members sound mostly happy about today’s 246-183 vote to pass H.R. 1, the $789 billion economic stimulus legislation approved by House and Senate conferees yesterday.

All Bay Area members voted for it; those expressing misgivings fear it wasn’t big enough, and/or that too much of it is in the form of tax cuts rather than spending. Lots of numbers are being thrown around concerning what it means for California: how much money, how many jobs, and so on. I guess we’ll all believe it when we see it.

Some had very specific areas of praise for the bill.

“When H.R. 1 is signed into law, the 111th Congress and President Obama will have done more to advance health care in America in less than two months, than was done over the entire two terms of the Bush Administration,” said Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, who chairs the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee. “This legislation provides real help for working families who are hurting, and makes critical investments to improve our health care system.”

Stark cited the bill’s investments in interoperable health-information technology that he says will imrpove quality of care while reducing costs; comparitive effectiveness research to determine which medical treatments are most effective; a 65 percent subsidy for up to nine months for COBRA continuation health insurance for workers who’ve lost their jobs, and for their families; and a boost in the health care tax credit making care more affordable for workers who lose their jobs as a result of trade.

Some spoke more broadly.

“Today, Congress took an important first step towards getting America’s economy back on track. The recovery package will help save or create over 3 million jobs by modernizing schools, investing in renewable energy, transportation, and by streamlining our healthcare system,” said House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, D-Martinez. “This recovery package is not a silver bullet. We must also unfreeze the credit market and help homeowners. I am not done and President Obama is not done with the effort to help families and workers throughout California and the country.”

More reactions from those people you sent to Congress, after the jump…
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