tax provisions, unemployment insurance benefits, federal Medicaid assistance to states, increased payments to doctors that see Medicare patients, federal flood insurance and other programs. [Vote 188, 6/15/10] XXXX Voted To Allow Exploration of Off Shore Drilling. In June 2005, XXXX voted against an amendment to strike language in the Energy bill that instructed the Department of Interior to conduct a comprehensive inventory of Outer Continental Shelf oil and natural gas resources. [Vote 143, 6/21/05; Sun-Sentinel, 6/22/05] XXXX Voted Against Eliminating Survey of Possible Off-Shore Oil and Gas Deposits. In 2003, XXXX voted against an amendment introduced by Bob Graham that would strike a provision requiring a survey and inventory of possible off-shore oil and natural gas deposits by the Interior secretary. Environmentalists feared the inventory would bolster attempts to open protected coastal waters to oil and gas exploration, reversing long-standing moratoria on drilling. [Vote 221, 6/12/03; Green wire, 6/13/03] XXXX Voted for Amortization For Oil Or Gas Leases. In 2002, XXXX voted to provide for amortization over 2 years of delay rental payments for oil or gas leases. Such payments refer to amounts paid for the privilege of deferring development of an oil or gas well under an oil or gas lease. Such delays are often necessary due to cost considerations or due to political or other obstructions that have prevented development. The motion to table was agreed to, 73-26. [S 517, Vote 92, 4/25/02] XXXX Supported Drilling for Oil in the Gulf of Mexico. XXXX, on July 12, 2001, voted against the Nelson [FL] amendment to H.R.2217, which was an amendment to prohibit oil drilling in a 1.5 million acre region in the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida coast. Opponents of the amendment pointed out that the area in question is technically not in Florida waters. [HR 2217, Vote 231, 7/12/01] XXXX Did Not Vote On Bill to Allow Drilling in National Monuments. On a vote of 42-57, thirty-eight Republicans, including XXXX did not vote on a bill to support drilling in National Monuments. Senate Democrats, led by Senator Durbin (D-IL), offered an amendment to prohibit the use of federal funds to pay for exploration or drilling within lands designated as National Monuments. [HR 2217, Vote 229, 7/11/2001] XXXX Did Not Vote On Bill to Drill in Gulf of Mexico. In 1995, XXXX did not vote against a motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to permit consideration of the Wellstone amendment to S.1357, which was an amendment to eliminate the deep water royalty relief provision in the bill. This was a provision to encourage, through federal subsidies, oil drilling in the central part of the Gulf of Mexico. [Vote 553, 10/27/95] GLOBAL WARMING / CLIMATE CHANGE XXXX Voted Against Carbon Pollution Fee. In March 2013, XXXX voted against Whitehouse, D-R.I., amendment no. 646 that would establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to allow for legislation that would provide for a fee on carbon pollution and use revenues collected to reduce the deficit. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 41-58 (D 39-13; R 0-45; I 2-0). [Vote 58, 3/22/13] XXXX Voted Against EPA Regulation Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under The Clean Air Act. In June 2010, XXXX voted for a Murkowski, R-Alaska, motion to proceed to consideration of a joint resolution that would provide for congressional disapproval of an EPA endangerment finding that greenhouse gases qualify as dangerous pollutants under the Clean Air Act. [Vote 184, 6/10/10] XXXX Voted to Block Climate Change Bill. In June 2008, XXXX voted against considering a sweeping climate change bill, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act that would cap the production of heat-trapping gases and force polluters to buy permits to emit carbon dioxide. Although the bill enjoyed bipartisan support, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) charged that Republicans were "refusing to address one of the most important issues of our time." He said Democrats "have tried to curb global warming, lower gas prices and invest in renewable energy, but Republicans have squandered each opportunity." [Washington Post, 6/07/08; New York Times, 6/07/08; Vote 145, 6/06/08] 104