31.   The bill would prevent states from enforcing consumer protections or regulating the new entities to guarantee their ability to pay claims, the officials said.

32.   The federal Controlled Substances Act says the government does not intend to prevent states from legislating in this area.

33.   The First Amendment prevents the state from curtailing speech that expresses specific viewpoints, such as opposition to abortion, the state said.

34.   The Northeastern states would be prevented from pursuing tighter standards on cars and small light trucks.

35.   The nursing home and hospital industries argue the Boren law prevents states from cutting Medicaid reimbursements to solve their budget problems or pay for other services.

36.   The panel also passed an amendment that prevents states from limiting the number of managed-care plans that can participate in their Medicaid programs.

37.   The securities industry is also pressing lawmakers to look at ways to prevent states from passing laws eroding the securities litigation limits Congress passed last year.

38.   The Supreme Court did not say that it would prevent states from collecting sales taxes from out-of-state companies forever.

39.   The state of California appealed a lower-court decision, which said federal law prevents a state from imposing its own prevailing-wage regulations on apprenticeship programs.

40.   The vote may have helped prevent the state AFL-CIO, usually a Democratic bastion, from endorsing Schumer this year, union officials said.