Congress will return April 4 from a two-week Easter recess. Here's how Arizona members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week. IRAQ WAR COSTS The House voted 388-42 on Wednesday to send the Senate a bill (HR 1268) appropriating $76.8 billion for U.S. military operations this fiscal year in Iraq and Afghanistan. For Iraq, the bill raises total appropriations for combat and reconstruction to at least $212 billion since early 2003. For Afghanistan, military actions and reconstruction have received at least $65 billion in appropriations since late 2001. Almost all of HR 1268 is deficit spending. Among the bill's other large items are $656 million for victims of last December's Asian tsunami and $558 million for international peacekeeping, mainly in the Sudan. A yes vote was to pass the bill. ● Yes: Rick Renzi, R-1; Trent Franks, R-2; John Shadegg, R-3; Ed Pastor, D-4; J.D. Hayworth, R-5; Jeff Flake, R-6; Jim Kolbe, R-8 ● No: Raul Grijalva, D-7 WAR VETERANS On Wednesday the House, voting 200 for and 229 against, defeated a bid by Democrats to add $150 million in deficit spending to HR 1268 (above) for health-care and employment programs for service personnel leaving active duty. A yes vote backed the additional spending. ● Yes: Pastor, Grijalva ● No: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Hayworth, Flake, Kolbe BAGHDAD EMBASSY The House voted 258-170 on Tuesday to strip HR 1268 (above) of $592 million for a new U.S. embassy in Iraq. At issue was whether the long-planned embassy should be funded by this "emergency" bill or through the normal budget process, which is subject to more fiscal control. A yes vote backed the amendment. ● Yes: Franks, Shadegg, Pastor, Hayworth, Flake, Grijalva ● No: Renzi, Kolbe WAR CONTRACTS PROBE On Tuesday the House, voting 191 for and 236 against, refused to appropriate $5 million in HR 1268 (above) for establishing a special congressional committee to probe how private contractors have spent taxpayer funds in Iraq and Afghanistan. The $5 million was to have been transferred from Pentagon funds to the congressional budget. A yes vote was to open a congressional probe of war contracts. ● Yes: Pastor, Grijalva ● No: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Hayworth, Flake, Kolbe SAUDI ARABIA On Tuesday the House, voting 196 for and 231 against, defeated an amendment to prevent funds in HR 1268 (above) from going to Saudi Arabia. Although no money in the bill was earmarked for Saudi Arabia, critics said funds could later be redirected to it. A yes vote backed the amendment. ● Yes: Hayworth, Grijalva ● No: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Pastor, Flake, Kolbe 2006-2010 FEDERAL BUDGET The House voted 218-214 on Thursday to approve a budget (H Con Res 95) that projects $2.6 trillion in spending and a $376 billion deficit for fiscal 2006, which begins Oct. 1. The GOP budget authorizes tax cuts of $106 billion through 2010 along with cuts of $69 billion over five years in entitlement programs, such as farm subsidies and Medicaid. Between 2006-2010, the budget would increase spending for defense and homeland security while freezing or cutting most other areas of domestic spending, including environmental protection, housing, education and veterans' programs. The budget is headed to House-Senate conference. A yes vote supported the GOP budget. ● Yes: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Hayworth, Flake, Kolbe ● No: Pastor, Grijalva SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNTS The House voted 230-202 on Wednesday to block a Democratic bid to ban the diversion of Social Security payroll taxes to private investment accounts. Had Democrats won this procedural vote during debate on H Con Res 95 (above), they would have forced a direct vote on banning personal accounts, such as those advocated by President Bush. A yes vote opposed the Democratic motion. ● Yes: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Hayworth, Flake, Kolbe ● No: Pastor, Grijalva ARCTIC DRILLING On Wednesday the Senate, voting 49 for and 51 against, rejected a plan by Democrats requiring a higher hurdle for the Senate to approve oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). This occurred during debate on the congressional budget blueprint (S Con Res 18) . The vote makes any bill to launch drilling filibuster-proof by allowing the Senate to approve it on a simple majority vote. In previous years, supporters needed 60 votes to authorize drilling. The project would directly affect about 2,000 coastal acres in the pristine region of northeastern Alaska. A yes vote opposed ANWR drilling. ● Yes: John McCain, R ● No: Jon Kyl, R 2006-2010 BUDGET PLAN The Senate voted 51-49 on Thursday to approve a five-year budget (S Con Res 18) that sets Republican revenue and spending policies through fiscal 2010. For 2006, the blueprint envisions nearly $2.6 trillion in spending and a deficit of $362 billion. Over five years, it assumes tax cuts of $134 billion; a halving of annual deficits; spending hikes for defense and homeland security, and freezes or cuts for nearly all other areas of discretionary spending. The plan reduces entitlement spending by nearly $20 billion over five years but repudiates Medicaid cuts sought by President Bush (next issue). The budget is headed to House-Senate conference. A yes vote backed the GOP budget. ● Yes: McCain, Kyl MEDICAID The Senate voted 52-48 on Thursday to block $15 billion in proposed five-year cuts in Medicaid, the federal and state health-care program for the poor. The vote during debate on S Con Res 18 (above) set up a commission to study curbs on Medicaid costs. A yes vote opposed Medicaid cuts. ● No: McCain, Kyl AMTRAK PRESERVATION On Wednesday the Senate, voting 46 for and 52 against, refused to preserve Amtrak, the nationwide rail passenger system, in S Con Res 18 (above). President Bush's budget, as well as the Senate and House fiscal plans, would scale Amtrak back to its few profitable routes, such as those in the Northeast Corridor and California, and let the rest of the system wither. On this vote, senators rejected $1.4 billion to keep Amtrak fully operational next year, leaving intact Bush's request for $360 million for intercity rail service. A yes vote was to preserve Amtrak. ● No: McCain, Kyl TAX CUTS, SOCIAL SECURITY On Tuesday the Senate, voting 45 for and 55 against, defeated a Democratic amendment to S Con Res 18 (above) requiring new tax cuts or entitlement spending hikes to be paid for, or offset, elsewhere in the budget, or subject to approval by 60-vote majorities. However, if Congress were to assure the long-term solvency of Social Security, this "pay as you go" rule would cease. A yes vote backed the amendment. ● No: McCain, Kyl