Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s United States Senators voted on major issues during the legislative week ending Friday, June 5th, 2020.
The House was in recess.
In the United States Senate
CONFIRMING VOICE OF AMERICA CHIEF: Voting 53 for and 38 against, the Senate on June 4th confirmed conservative documentary filmmaker Michael Pack to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia and other services that report news about America and global developments to foreign audiences.
Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the VOA for its coverage of China, Russia and his administration, prompting Democrats to warn that Pack will seek to infuse propaganda into the VOA’s typically independent and unbiased coverage.
Formerly named the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the global media agency has an annual budget of $750 million. Pack’s nomination also proved controversial over dealings between a nonprofit he runs, Public Media Lab, and a for-profit film company, Manifold Productions, operated by his wife.
Democrats said in debate the nonprofit improperly channeled $4 million over many years to the for-profit company in transfers he failed to accurately report to the Internal Revenue Service and later acknowledged to be “oversights.” The office of the District of Columbia attorney general office is investigating the transactions.
Jim Risch, R‑Idaho, said debate over Pack reflected “the difference of political philosophy between the two parties. Regardless of the breast-beating and the rending of garments over what an awful person [he] is, and how awful his businesses have been, keep in mind, this is all politics. If you see the kind of work that he has done, he makes America proud when he makes a documentary.”
Jeff Merkley, D‑Oregon, said Pack’s IRS filings in 2011 through 2018 “did not accurately disclose a relationship between his nonprofit and his for-profit.”
“When he was asked if, in fact, there were common officers between the two, he answered no when the answer was clearly yes,” Senator Merkley stated. “He did not disclose that his for-profit benefited from the setup of the nonprofit. Mr. Pack did admit to the [Senate] that he made oversights; that is the term he used, ‘oversights.’ But he has refused to correct his tax filings.”
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
 | Voting Aye (2): |
 | Voting Nay (2): |
 | Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 aye votes, 4 nay votes
CONFIRMING CORONAVIRUS INSPECTOR GENERAL: Voting 51 for and 40 against, the Senate on June 2nd confirmed associate White House counsel Brian D. Miller as the chief watchdog over the administration’s distribution of trillions of dollars in coronavirus relief funds. Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D‑New York said in a letter that Miller’s closeness to President Trump disqualifies him to oversee huge pandemic expenditures under White House control.
But the Senate conducted no floor debate on his nomination to become special inspector general for pandemic recovery.
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
| Voting Aye (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 aye votes, 4 nay votes
CONFIRMING DEPUTY UNDERSCRETARY AT PENTAGON: Voting 78 for and 18 against, the Senate on June 3rd confirmed Dr. James H. Anderson as deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, a civilian post that involves helping to devise and execute national-security, nuclear-deterrence and missile-defense strategies, among other duties. He had been an assistant defense secretary overseeing several areas military policy.
No senator spoke in support of Anderson the Senate floor.
Chris Van Hollen, D‑Maryland, said he voted against the nominee because of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper’s comment that the U.S. military needs to ”dominate the battlespace” to quell protests and rioting on American streets. Van Hollen said he had “lost confidence that any nominee can be trusted to stand up to the president’s attempts to weaponize the Defense Department for his personal and political ends.”
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
| Voting Aye (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 aye votes, 4 nay votes
Key votes ahead
In the week of June 8th, the Senate plans to take up a bill renewing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, while the House will be in recess.
Editor’s Note: The information in NPI’s weekly How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted feature is provided by Voterama in Congress, a service of Thomas Voting Reports. All rights are reserved. Reproduction of this post is not permitted, not even with attribution. Use the permanent link to this post to share it… thanks!
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