Edited sentence: 1409, Introduced 3/10/09) to try and reach a “compromise”.800, CQ Vote #118: Passed 241-185: R 13-183; D 228-2, 3/1/07, Melancon Voted Yea) to take away the secret ballot before he decided to coauthor it again (H.According to CQ politics, U.At a St.Congressman, Charlie Melancon, votes with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-California, nearly %90 of the time.In late 2007 and early 2008, Melancon and his wife went on an eleven day fact-finding mission to study global warming with nine other congressmen, five other Democrats and four Republicans.Mary's Parish event, "an aide to Melancon said the Blue Dog Democrat stuck by the bill at the business leader meeting and did not distance himself from it.Melancon and his wife spent New Years' Eve in Christchurch, New Zealand.Melancon coauthored and voted (H.Melancon is a co-sponser of EFCA, also known as "Card Check".Melancon said "I am on this bill to make it better, trying to make a bad bill better,".Melancon voted for EFCA in 2007 when it was approved by the House.Melancon's office, when questioned about his wife's participation, stated that she provided "insight and perspective" that "only amplified the educational benefit he gained as a lawmaker.On January 2, the congressmen visited Antarctica studying wildlife and developments for future missions to the Moon.The Congressmen also visited the South Pole.The congressmen and their wives then visited Australia and its Great Barrier Reef to talk to scientists and view the first-hand impact of climate change on this popular tourist destination.The congressmen valued the trip as costing taxpayers $103,000.00, not including free use of Air Force jets, pushing the trip up to $500,000.00.The trip ended with a layover in Hawaii.“We do consider him an ally.” said Julie Cherry, secretary-treasurer of the Louisiana AFL-CIO