Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s Members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending Friday, January 1st, 2021.
In the United States House of Representatives
INCREASING RELIEF CHECKS TO $2,000: Voting 275 for and 134 against, the House on December 28th passed a bill (H.R. 9051) that would increase the latest round of COVID-19 economic relief payments from $600 to $2,000 for individuals and from $1,200 to $4,000 for couples, plus $600 per child.
Under both this bill and a $900 billion coronavirus relief package recently enacted into law, individuals with 2019 adjusted gross incomes up to $75,000 and couples jointly earning up to $150,000 would be eligible for full payments.
Individuals earning between $75,000 and $87,000 and couples in the $150,000-to-$174,000 range would receive gradually reduced sums.
Full payments also would go to seniors receiving income only from Social Security, railroad retirees and veterans dependent on disability payments. The bill would add $464 billion to the cost of the previously enacted $900 billion package.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D‑California, said:
“The Republicans have a choice — vote for this legislation or vote to deny the American people the bigger paychecks they need. To reject this would be a denial of the economic challenges that people are facing.”
Glenn Grothman, R‑Wisconsin, said: “Last time, when we sent out $1,200 checks, I stopped by my local Walmart, and the people in charge of the electronics section said they had never seen such sales in their life. Is that really going to improve the lot of Americans, to go over and buy some more electronic junk from China?”
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it was blocked by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R‑Kentucky.
 | Voting Nay (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
 | Voting Aye (4): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, and Peter DeFazio; Republican Representative Greg Walden Voting Nay (1): Democratic Representative Kurt Schrader |
 | Voting Aye (8): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Denny Heck; Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler Voting Nay (2): Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
Cascadia total: 12 aye votes, 5 nay votes
OVERRIDING TRUMP VETO OF MILITARY BUDGET: Voting 322 for and 87 against, the House on December 28th surpassed the two-thirds majority required to override President Trump’s veto of a bill (H.R. 6395) authorizing $740.5 billion for the U.S. military in fiscal 2021. In his veto message, Trump disputed the bill’s removal of the names of Confederate generals from American military bases, calling that a move to “wash away history.” He also faulted the bill for ignoring his call for an end to liability protections for tech companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, among other objections.
Our own Adam Smith, D‑Washington, said it is “enormously important to give our troops the support that they need to carry out the job that we all are asking them to do. That is… one of our minimum obligations as members of Congress.”
No member spoke in support of the veto.
A yes vote was to override the veto and enact the bill into law.
| Voting Aye (1): Republican Representative Mike Simpson Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Russ Fulcher |
| Voting Aye (3): Democratic Representatives Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader; Republican Representative Greg Walden Voting Nay (2): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer |
| Voting Aye (9): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Denny Heck; Republican Representatives Jaime Herrera-Beutler, Dan Newhouse, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Voting Nay (1): Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal |
Cascadia total: 13 aye votes, 4 nay votes
In the United States Senate
JOINING HOUSE IN VETO OVERRIDE: Voting 81 for and 13 against, the Senate on January 1st joined the House (above) in overriding President Trump’s veto of the $740.5 billion military budget for fiscal 2021 (H.R. 6395). This was the first of Trump’s nine vetoes to meet with congressional disapproval.
Jim Inhofe, R‑Oklahoma, said: “We have kids that are overseas, and they deserve the pay that… would be increased when this bill is passed. Right now, we have critical areas like pilots and engineers, doctors, that are in short supply” because of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.
Richard Durbin, D‑Illinois, the Senate Democratic Whip, said the bill “does get tough on China. It creates a new Pacific Deterrence Initiative that puts America back in the seat of leadership in that region.… the administration could have started this initiative on its own, but it did not, so Congress stepped up… because the White House was asleep at the wheel.”
No senator spoke in support of the veto.
A yes vote was to rebuke Trump and enact the military budget.
| Voting Aye (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
OPENING DEBATE ON VETO OVERRIDE: Voting 80 for and 12 against, the Senate on December 30th opened debate on whether to pass the $740.5 billion 2021 military budget (H.R. 6395, above) over Donald Trump’s veto.
A yes vote was to open the override debate.
| Voting Aye (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
Key votes ahead
The 117th Congress convenes today, Sunday January 3rd, 2021, at noon Eastern.
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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