Jack Fields

[Congressional biography]

Born: February 3, 1952 in Humble, TX

Education:

Career:

Key House Vote Data for Jack Fields in 1983

Date	Subject	Result	Conserv. Position	Fields Voted
1983-03-22	Jobs and Unemployment Bill [HR1718]	Agreed To (329-86)
Adoption of the conference report on the pork-barrel bill to provide $15,589,034,000 in fiscal 1983 supplemental appropriations, including $4.6 billion for "emergency" jobs and recession relief.
1983-04-21	Freeze Missile Deployment [HJR13]	Agreed To (221-195)
Zablocki (D-WI) substitute for the Carney (R-NY) amendment, to provide that, unless a freeze agreement were negotiated, nothing in the resolution would impede U.S. compliance with the 1979 NATO decision to deploy new missiles in Europe. The Carney amendment provided that the freeze would not impede U.S. compliance with the 1979 agreement. This permits the U.S. to withdraw from its responsibilites under the 1979 NATO decision to deploy new missiles if the U.S. and Soviets reach a "freeze" agreement, and thus undermines confidence in American deterrence.
1983-05-04	Nuclear Freeze [HJR13]	Passed (278-149)
Passage of the joint resolution calling for a "mutual and verifiable" freeze on and reduction in nuclear weapons.
1983-05-11	Homeowner Foreclosure Loans [HR1983]	Passed (216-196)
Passage of the bill to authorize $760 million in fiscal 1983 for a temporary loan program to help unemployed homeowners make their mortgage payments, and $100 million in fiscal 1984 for emergency shelters for the homeless.
1983-06-08	Federal Employee Abortions [HR3191]	Agreed To (226-182)
Smith (R-NJ) amendment to prohibit the use of federal health benefit funds to pay for abortions unless the life of the mother is endangered.
1983-06-23	1984 Budget Resolution [HCON91]	Agreed To (239-186)
Jones (D-OK) motion to approve the substitute resolution, agreed to by House-Senate conferees but reported in technical disagreement, to set budget targets for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1984 as follows (totals including reserve fund items in parentheses): budget authority, $919.5 billion ($928.725 billion); outlays, $849.5 billion ($858.925 billion); revenues, $679.6 billion; deficit, $169.9 billion ($179.325 billion). The resolution also set preliminary goals for fiscal 1985-86, revised budget levels for fiscal 1983, and included reconciliation instructions requiring House and Senate committees to recommend legislative savings to meet the budget targets. This resolution increased taxes and domestic spending while cutting the defense hikes proposed by the President.
1983-06-23	Limit Reagan Tax Cuts [HR1183]	Passed (229-191)
Passage of the bill to place a $720 per family "cap" on the 10 percent individual income tax cut on the third year of the Reagan tax cut scheduled for 1983.
1983-07-28	"Contras" Support [HR2760]	Rejected (203-223)
Bloomfield (R-MI) amendment to permit U.S. covert action in Nicaragua to continue if the President submitted to Congress a new plan for interdiction of arms being shipped from or through Nicaragua to anti-government forces in El Salvador. This would allow continued U.S. support for the Contras as long as the Sandinista regime continues sending arms to the Salvadoran guerrillas.
1983-08-02	King Federal Holiday [HR3706]	Agreed To (338-90)
Hall (D-IN) motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill to designate the third Monday of every January as a federal holiday in honor of the controversial civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
1983-08-03	Unemployed Health Insurance [HR3021]	Passed (252-174)
Passage of the bill to authorize $4 billion in fiscal 1983-85 for block grants to states for health insurance plans for the unemployed, and for grants to hospitals caring for needy, uninsured people. The bill also required certain changes in employment-based private group health insurance plans to continue coverage for laid-off workers. The bill created, in effect, a brand new entitlement program.
1983-08-03	Loans to Communist Dictatorships [HR2957]	Agreed To (242-185)
Gramm (R-TX) amendment to instruct the U.S. representative to the International Money Fund to oppose loans to Communist dictatorships.
1983-09-15	Weapons Systems Funding [S675]	Agreed To (266-152)
Adoption of the conference report on the bill to authorize $187.5 billion for weapons procurement, military research and operations and maintenance of the Department of Defense in fiscal 1984. This bill contained funding for critically needed weapons systems such as the B-1 bomber and MX missile.
1983-09-21	Democrat Jobs Bill [HR1036]	Passed (246-178)
Passage of the bill to authorize $3.5 billion in fiscal 1984, and funds in future years according to a formula based on levels of unemployment, to provide grants to local governments to finance repairs and renovation of community facilities and public schools for the purpose of creating jobs.
1983-09-22	Federal Job Training [HR3913]	Agreed To (302-111)
Wright (D-TX) amendment to add $300 million to the bill for job training and education programs. Wright originally tried to get an additional $400 million for these programs such as job corps, Pell grants and bilingual education.
1983-10-20	Covert Aid to "Contras" [HR2968]	Agreed To (227-194)
Boland (D-MA) amendment to prohibit, at a classified date specified by the House Intelligence Committee, support by U.S. intelligence agencies for military or paramilitary operations in Nicaragua; to authorize $50 million in fiscal 1984 to help friendly countries in Central America interdict cross-border shipments of arms to anti-government forces in the region; and to direct the President to seek action by the Organization of American States to resolve the conflicts in Central America and to seek an agreement by the government of Nicaragua to halt its support for anti-government forces in the region. This would prohibit aid to the Contras, authorizing instead a relatively useless $50 million fund for friendly countries to interdict arms shipments to Communist guerrillas.
1983-10-27	Control High-Tech Exports [HR3231]	Rejected (188-223)
Roth (R-WI) amendment, as amended, to allow the President to continue to require licenses for exports to the Coordinating Committee nations. This would permit the President to control high-tech exports to our allies, whose weak controls have allowed the Soviet bloc to loot U.S. technology.
1983-11-01	MX Missile [HR4185]	Rejected (208-217)
Addabbo (D-NY) amendment to delete all funds -- $2.1 billion -- for procurement of 21 MX missiles.
1983-11-03	Domestic Auto Content [HR1234]	Passed (219-199)
Passage of the bill to require fixed levels of U.S. labor and parts in automobiles sold in the United States by foreign car manufacturers. The bill would phase in domestic content levels beginning in 1985 and reach maximum levels in 1987. This was an extreme protectionist measure mandating high-cost American labor and parts.
1983-11-15	Equal Rights Amendment [HJRES1]	Failed (278-147)
Rodino (D-NJ) motion to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution to propose an amendment to the Constitution declaring, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex". A two-thirds vote was necessary under House rules.
1983-11-17	Rostenkowski "Gag Rule" [HR4170]	Rejected (204-214)
Adoption of the rule providing for House floor consideration of the bill to raise $8 billion in revenues over fiscal 1984-86 through a variety of changes in tax law. The main elements of the bill dealt with mortgage revenue bonds, industrial development bonds, fringe benefits, tax simplification, curbs on sales/lease-back schemes by non-profit groups and the taxation of life insurance companies. The bill also made substantial savings in the Medicare program and revised administration of the Social Security Disability Insurance program. This rule would have allowed debate on numerous tax increases, including a "cap" on the third year of the 1981 tax cuts.
1983-11-17	IMF Bailout [HR3959]	Agreed To (226-186)
Adoption of the rule that, when adopted, had the effect of providing House approval to the Senate amendment adding a $15.6 billion reauthorization of housing programs, an $8.4 billion reauthorization and appropriation for the International Monetary Fund and a reauthorization of U.S. participation in international development banks.

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).