James Collins

[Congressional biography]

Born: April 29, 1916 in Hallsville, TX
Died: July 21, 1989 in Dallas, TX

Education:

Military Service:

Career:

Key House Vote Data for James Collins in 1975

Date	Subject	Result	Conserv. Position	Collins Voted
1975-01-14	Abolish Internal Security Committee [HRES5]	Agreed To (247-172)
O'Neill (D-MA) motion to order the previous question (and thus end further debate and the possibility of amendment) on the House rules proposed by the Democratic caucus at its meetings in early December 1974 and mid January 1975. The effect of the motion was to prevent the Republicans from trying to amend the rules. The new rules abolished the House Committee on Internal Security, eliminating its investigation of extremist groups or terrorist activities in the United States. A "no" vote on the O'Neill motion would allow for changes to the rules, the necessary action to re-establish an Internal Security Committee.
1975-03-12	Emergency Employment Appropriations [HR4481]	Passed (313-113)
Passage of the bill to make "emergency" fiscal 1975 appropriations of $5,941,636,000 for several federal departments and agencies to stimulate the creation of jobs and to aid the depressed auto and construction industries. This measure increased government spending and bureaucracy.
1975-03-18	Strip Mining [HR25]	Passed (332-86)
Passage of the bill to provide minimum federal standards for the regulation of strip mining and the reclamation of strip-mined lands. Regulations in the bill would cause a reduction in coal production, thus a higher cost for consumers and increased dependence on foreign oil. Reducing production would also cause a decrease in the number of jobs.
1975-03-26	Tax Reduction Act [HR2166]	Agreed To (287-125)
Adoption of the conference report on the bill to provide $8.1 billion in rebates of 1974 income taxes, cut 1975 taxes $10 billion for individuals and $4.8 billion for business, repeal the oil depletion allowance for major oil companies and restrict tax credits for foreign oil taxes, and provide a $50 bonus payment to Social Security retirement, railroad retirement and supplemental security income (SSI) recipients. Adoption will drastically decrease federal revenue during a period of increased federal spending, thus causing heavy inflationary pressures.
1975-04-09	Science Foundation Cirriculum [HR4723]	Rejected (196-215)
Conlan (R-AZ) amendment to require Congress to specifically approve funding for the promotion and marketing of any foundation curriculum programs. A "No" vote is against congressional oversight of controversial materials such as MACOS: ''Man: A Course of Studies"
1975-04-23	Vietnam Evacuation [HR6096]	Passed (230-187)
Passage of the bill to authorize funds for humanitarian assistance and evacuation programs in Vietnam and to clarify the restrictions on the availability of funds for the use of U.S. Armed Forces in Indochina in an evacuation.
1975-05-13	Agricultural Act Veto [HR4296]	Veto Sustained (245-182)
Passage, over the President's May 1 veto, of the bill to raise target prices and loan rates for 1975 crops of wheat, cotton, corn and other feed grains and to set dairy price supports at 90 percent of parity with quarterly adjustments. This bill would increase federal spending, cost the consumer an estimated $500 million in higher food bills and increased subsidies to cotton growers, and result in higher costs for consumers, taxpayers and most farmers.
1975-05-19	B-1 Bomber [HR6674]	Rejected (164-227)
Aspin (D-WI) amendment to delete a $1.89 billion authorization in the bill for initial procurement of the B-1 bomber.
1975-05-20	Local Public Works [HR5247]	Passed (312-86)
Passage of the bill to authorize $5 billion in federal grants for local public works projects. This would further increase federal government control over local communities, will not significantly decrease unemployment and will be inflationary.
1975-05-20	Defense Spending [HR6674]	Rejected (183-216)
Aspin (D-WI) amendment to reduce the Armed Services Committee-approved authorization for procurement and development of new weapons systems to $24.65 billion from $26.54 billion. The amendment would have made a drastic cut of $1.89 billion for procurement and development of vitally needed new weapons systems, thus weakening U.S. military strength while the Soviets continue a massive arms buildup.
1975-06-25	Middle Income Housing Veto [HR4485]	Veto Sustained (268-157)
Passage, over the President's June 24 veto, of the bill to provide temporary subsidies for purchases of homes by middle-income families and to provide federal loans to unemployed homeowners unable to meet mortgage payments. The veto was sustained because 294 votes (two-thirds of those voting) were needed to override.
1975-07-18	P.E. Intergration by Sex [HR5901]	Agreed To (215-178)
Flood (D-PA) motion that the House concur with the Senate's deletion of a House-passed amendment that would prohibit the Department of Health, Education and Welfare from requiring schools to integrate by sex their physical education classes and from requiring professional fraternities and sororities to integrate their membership by sex. The Flood motion would force integration by sex.
1975-07-29	Jurisdiction Over Guns and Ammo [HR6844]	Rejected (80-339)
McClory (R-IL) amendment to allow the commission to regulate defective firearms and ammunition and labeling on firearms and ammunition. This would have empowered the Consumer Product Safety Cmmission to prevent the manufacture and sale of certain firearms.
1975-07-30	Congressional Pay Increase [HRES653]	Agreed To (214-213)
Adoption of the resolution to provide for agreement to the Senate amendments to the bill to authorize work safety programs for postal workers and provide for automatic yearly cost-of-living pay increases for members of Congress and top officials of the executive, legislative and judicial branches. This would make Congressmen and Senators further immune to the harsh realities of inflation and recession suffered by taxpayers.
1975-09-09	Education Appropriations Veto [HR5901]	Veto Overridden (379-41)
Passage, over the President's July 25 veto, of the bill making fiscal 1976 and advance fiscal 1977 appropriations of $7,480,312,952, plus $464,683,000 for the three-month transition period, for education programs operated by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and related agencies. This bill exceeded the Ford Administration's original request by $1.3 billion, would increase the federal debt and would be inflationary. Student test scores have been steadily declining as federal funding of new educational programs has increased.
1975-09-10	International Food Assistance [HR9005]	Passed (243-155)
Passage of the bill to authorize $2.9 billion for foreign economic and development assistance for fiscal 1976 and 1977. Many of the funds are wasted on inefficient, socialistic agricultural programs that usually do more harm than good.
1975-09-25	Rhodesian Chrome Imports [HR1287]	Defeated (187-209)
Passage of the bill to amend the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 and bring the United States into compliance with the U.N.-sponsored economic boycott of Rhodesia, thus halting the further importation of Rhodesian chrome. This would have forced the U.S. to import a higher-priced and inferior grade of chrome from the Soviet Union.
1975-10-07	Panama Canal Control [HR8121]	Agreed To (212-201)
Slack (D-WV) motion that the House recede from its disagreement to a Senate amendment to the bill that had deleted a House provision barring the use of funds for negotiating the transfer to Panama of any U.S. rights in the Canal Zone. The Slack motion said it was the sense of Congress that any new treaty must protect U.S. control of the Panama Canal, but this is not legally binding.
1975-10-21	Hatch Act Repeal [HR8617]	Passed (288-119)
Passage of the bill to give federal employees the right to participate in partisan political campaigns and to run for local, state or federal office. The bill would allow federal employees to run for political office while on public payroll and engage in other political activites, thus bringing about greater politicization of the federal bureaucracy and increasing the influence of federal and postal union bosses over Congress and government.
1975-10-22	Lawsuits Against CPSC [HR6844]	Rejected (166-230)
Ashbrook (R-OH) amendment to authorize private parties to bring civil suits against the Consumer Product Safety Commission during a two-year experimental period. This would make the federal government more accountable for arbitrary regulations that injure private parties by allowing them to file suits to recover damages.
1975-11-06	Consumer Protection Agency [HR7575]	Passed (208-199)
Passage of the bill to create an independent Agency for Consumer Protection to coordinate federal consumer protection activities and represent consumer interests before other federal agencies and the courts. This bill would create another agency to represent consumers' interests before federal agencies which were themselves created to protect and promote those interests. The added cost to consumers for the agency's actions could easily add billions of dollars each year, particularly affecting those with low or fixed incomes who will have to pay more for "better quality" goods.
1975-11-12	Deficit and Spending Reduction [HCR466]	Rejected (159-257)
Latta (R-OH) substitute to the O'Neill (D-MA) amendment, to lower new budget authority by $12.5 billion, and to lower budget outlays, the deficit and the public debt by $4.7 billion.
1975-11-13	Debt Limit Increase [HR10585]	Passed (213-198)
Passage of the bill to increase the "temporary" debt limit to $595 billion and extend it through March 15, 1976. This would increase the federal deficit and stimulate inflation.
1975-11-13	Food Stamps [HR10647]	Rejected (159-230)
Findley (R-IL) amendment to restrict eligibility for food stamp funds in the bill to those families whose aggregate household income was within the poverty level as set by the Office of Management and Budget. This would remove many of the non-needy food stamp recipients and save the taxpayers billions of dollars.
1975-12-02	New York City Bailout [HR10481]	Passed (213-203)
Passage of the bill to authorize federal loans of up to $2.3 billion a year to help New York City meet seasonal cash flow needs. The federal bailout for New York is a dangerous precedent that opens the way for other large cities to continue wild spending with hopes the federal government will come to the rescue.
1975-12-04	School Busing [HR8069]	Agreed To (260-146)
Question as to whether the House should concur in the Senate amendment to prohibit the Department of Health, Education and Welfare from using, directly or indirectly, any funds in the bill to require school districts to bus students beyond the school closest to their homes for the purposes of school integration.
1975-12-10	National Women's Conference [HR9924]	Passed (252-162)
Passage of the bill to authorize $5 million for the organization and convening of a national women's conference in 1976. This is an unethical and legally questionable use of taxpayers' money to fund a conference that is avowedly pro-ERA and will be used to further the goals of the ERA movement.
1975-12-11	Common Situs Picketing [HR5900]	Agreed To (229-189)
Adoption of the conference report to make it legal for a construction union with a grievance against one contractor to picket all other contractors on the same construction site and to establish a Construction Industry Collective Bargaining Committee. This would allow unions to carry out secondary boycotts against non-union companies by shutting down an entire construction site, thus forcing employers to hire union members only.
1975-12-15	Oil Price Controls [S622]	Agreed To (236-160)
Staggers (D-WV) motion to adopt the conference version of the bill without the provisions concerning advanced automotive technology and loan guarantees for expansion of existing low-sulphur coal mines. The conference version of the bill would maintain price controls on "new" and "old" oil with limited deregulation by 1979. The price controls will inhibit domestic production and increase U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
1975-12-18	Revenue Adjustment Act Veto [HR5559]	Veto Sustained (267-157)
Passage, over the President's Dec. 17 veto, of the bill to cut federal taxes approximately $8.4 billion in 1976 by extending 1975 tax reductions through June 30, 1976. This is another form of tax rebate without a similar reduction in federal spending, thus increasing the federal deficit and generating inflationary pressures.

Represents a "Yes" vote.   Represents a "No" vote.   Indicates that this member voted against the conservative position on a particular vote. "No vote" means that this member did not cast a vote (or voted 'Present' instead of Yes or No).