Report card on South Hampton Roads legislators

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News

Represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Norfolk and Portsmouth and stretches up to Richmond.

First elected in 1992.

Committees: Judiciary, Budget, Education and Labor.

Voted with the Democratic Party majority 98 percent of the time.*

Equalizing sentencing laws for cocaine Scott was instrumental in changing a 24-year-old law that required much harsher prison sentences for crack cocaine possession than for powder cocaine. The stiffer penalty for crack, which is a cheaper form of the drug, has been criticized because it has disproportionately affected poor and black drug users. Under the old law, someone possessing 5 grams of crack automatically faced a minimum of five years in prison, while someone would have to be holding at least 500 grams of powder cocaine to get the same sentence. Under the new law, which President Barack Obama signed this summer, the mandatory five years in prison would apply to someone convicted of having 28 grams of crack. Scott said he's still seeking equality in sentencing. The measure doesn't affect anyone already convicted and serving time.

Youth crime prevention bill Scott's proposal to spend $2 billion over five years for what he calls "evidence-based prevention programs" to reach high-risk youths before they turn to gangs was passed by the House Judiciary Committee but has not been taken up by other key committees. Scott expects to try again in the 112th Congress. The Youth PROMISE Act - an acronym for Prison Reduction through Opportunity, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education - would steer federal grants to local agencies or groups that can demonstrate they use proven methods to prevent young people from joining gangs or turning to crime.

Ethics panel inquiry into U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel With little public comment, Scott spent considerable time the past two years as a member of a subcommittee of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct that investigated Rangel. The New York Democrat, who stepped down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, was charged in late July by Scott and other committee members with 13 ethics violations, including failing to report and pay taxes on vacation property, improper use of a New York rent-controlled apartment for campaign work and using government mailing services to solicit private funds for a college center bearing his name. Rangel might stand trial before the full House committee this fall.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

First elected in 2008 to a six-year term.

Committees: Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Rules and Administration; Joint Economic; and Budget.

Voted with the Democratic majority 92 percent of the time.*

Overhaul of bank regulations Warner and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., developed key provisions of a complex bill written in response to financial institution failures that threatened to bring down the national economy. The legislation was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama. The two senators' contributions included developing new regulations for handling a large failing institution without resorting to federal bailouts. Instead, large firms teetering on collapse would be dismantled, with the shareholders and executives losing everything and taxpayers left relatively unscathed. The two senators also endorsed setting up a Financial Stability Oversight Council to identify and react to activities by financial institutions that could threaten the economy.

Health care accountability Warner and 10 other first-term senators developed a series of health care amendments intended to create new methods for collecting and comparing information on costs, treatments and outcomes. They would require Medicare, for example, to switch to a pay-for-performance method, rather than simply paying for services rendered. The amendments call for simplifying health care billing and information sharing by creating more universal standards and forms. The amendments were included into the legislation signed into law by Obama this year.

Arlington Cemetery help Warner brokered a deal last month between the Army and a group of Virginia high-tech firms so the companies can provide free assistance in sorting out a record-keeping scandal at Arlington National Cemetery. Investigators have found that thousands of graves might be unmarked or mislabeled. The firms will work with cemetery officials to digitize paper records and maps and will provide recommendations for updating the cemetery's record system.

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.

First elected in 2006 to a six-year term.

Committees: Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Veterans Affairs and Joint Economic.

Voted with the Democratic majority 86 percent of the time.*

Overhaul of criminal justice system Webb proposed setting up a national commission to review all areas of criminal justice, including courts, prisons, penalties and costs. Webb argues that the overcrowded correctional system is failing. The justice system is not effectively protecting citizens from violent criminals and is spending too much money jailing nonviolent offenders, he said. He notes that while the United States has 5 percent of the world's population, it has 25 percent of the world's prison inmates. The bill requires the panel to make recommendations for reducing the number of people behind bars and diminishing prison violence. The legislation has the support of Senate Democratic leaders and was approved by the Judiciary Committee but has been awaiting Senate action since May. An identical bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., was approved by the U.S. House in July. If the legislation dies for lack of a Senate vote this year, Webb is expected to reintroduce it next year.

Tax on bank executive bonuses Webb and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., proposed that a hefty tax be levied on some large bonuses paid to executives of 13 financial institutions that received more than $5 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The measure would require a one-time tax that amounts to half of any bonus above $400,000. The tax could collect as much as $10 billion, Webb has said. The bill has stalled in the Senate Finance Committee.

Funding for nuclear and alternative energy Webb and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., proposed a $20 billion energy bill that includes $10 billion in federal money to leverage up to $100 billion in government-backed loans for "carbon-free" energy projects. The legislation also would spend billions to bring on line smaller nuclear power plants, research new technologies to reduce nuclear waste, and develop lower-cost solar technology, low-carbon coal, biofuels and battery technology. The bill has stalled in a Senate committee. U.S. Rep.

Glenn Nye, D-Virginia Beach

Represents the 2nd Congressional District, which includes Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore and parts of Norfolk and Hampton.

First elected in 2008.

Committees: Armed Services, Small Business and Veterans Affairs.

Voted with the Democratic majority almost 83 percent of the time.*

Small-business centers for vets Nye introduced legislation that would establish business centers nationwide to assist veterans with training, access to capital and information about becoming a government contractor. The centers would be located in areas such as Hampton Roads that have large veteran populations. The measure passed the House but was not acted on in the Senate.

Capital for small businesses A bill introduced by Nye to make more venture-capital money available for emerging small companies was approved by the House but stalled in the Senate. The measure would make available tens of millions in government grants to investment companies that would use the money to assist small businesses.

Open HOV lanes to military Nye's bill would give each state the option of opening high-occupancy-vehicle lanes for use at any time by members of the military, law enforcement officials and emergency response personnel as a way to ease congestion on other roads and to help the military. Congress did not act on the measure.

U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake

Represents the 4th Congressional District, which includes Chesapeake and Suffolk and stretches to rural areas west of Richmond.

First elected in 2001.

Committees: Armed Services and Judiciary.

Voted with the Republican Party almost 95 percent of the time.*

Enshrining "In God We Trust" Forbes proposed a House resolution reaffirming "In God We Trust" as the national motto and urging its display on all public buildings and public schools. The resolution states that Congress "rejects the notion that the laws and Constitution of the United States require the exclusion of God from matters of government and public life." Congress didn't act on the measure.

Energy research grants Forbes pushed for "New Manhattan Project" legislation that would offer billions of dollars in prizes and grants to encourage development and deployment of more efficient cars, make greater use of solar power, make biofuel prices competitive and develop safer methods for storage or disposal of nuclear waste and coal plant emissions. His goal is to make the United States completely independent of foreign oil in 20 years. The proposal is modeled after the Manhattan Project during World War II, which collected some of the nation's most knowledgeable scientists to develop the atomic bomb. The bill was offered by Republicans as an alternative to the Democrats' climate control bill but was rejected by the House. Forbes said he will try again next session.

Health care alternative As part of an alternative to the Democrats' health care overhaul, Forbes proposed legislation that would greatly increase National Institutes of Health grants for research in cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and heart disease. He argued that the grants would cut health care costs by producing new treatments or cures for the diseases. The measure saw no action.

* According to analysis by The Washington Post.