Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s United States Senators voted on major issues during the legislative week ending Friday, January 29th, 2021. (The House of Representatives was in recess, and did not hold any recorded votes.)
In the United States Senate
ALLOWING SECOND TRUMP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: Voting 55 for and 45 against, the Senate on January 26th set aside an objection by Rand Paul, R‑Kentucky, to the constitutionality of the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Paul said the Constitution provides for impeachment of sitting officials, but not former officeholders. Democrats pointed to the precedent of Secretary of War William Belknap’s impeachment and conviction in 1876 despite his last-minute resignation in an effort to avoid those penalties.
They also noted constitutional language allowing impeached and convicted officials to be disqualified from holding future office. Five Republicans joined all of the Senate’s Democrats and independents in voting to table Paul’s point of order. The Republicans were Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D‑New York, said:
“The theory that the impeachment of a former official is unconstitutional is flat-out wrong by every frame of analysis: constitutional text, historical practice, precedent, and basic common sense. It has been completely debunked by constitutional scholars from all across the political spectrum.”
Paul argued:
“As of noon last Wednesday, Donald Trump holds none of the positions listed in the Constitution. He is a private citizen… Therefore, I make a point of order that this proceeding, which would try a private citizen and not a president, a vice president, or civil officer, violates the Constitution and is not in order.”
A yes vote was to table a point of order so that the impeachment trial can begin.
Voting Aye (1): Republican Senator Jim Risch Not Voting (1): Republican Senator Mike Crapo | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 5 aye votes, 1 not voting
CONFIRMING JANET YELLEN, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: Voting 84 for and 15 against, the Senate on Jan. 25 confirmed Janet L. Yellen, seventy-four as the seventy-eight secretary of the Treasury and first woman to lead the department in its two hundred and thirty-two-year history.
She served on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors between 1994–1997 and 2010–2018, and from 2014 to 2018 she was the first woman to chair the Fed, having been nominated by President Barack Obama. During her confirmation hearing, Yellen expressed support for expanded economic stimulus as a response to COVID-19 as well as a $15-per-hour minimum wage, environmental regulation and raising taxes on those making more than $400,000 per year.
Ron Wyden, D‑Oregon, said: “At the Federal Reserve Chair Yellen changed decades of conventional economic wisdom that put too much focus on inflation and deficits. She was correct that policy makers should focus more on wages, employment, and inequality and that the economy safely could run a little hotter.”
Dan Sullivan, R‑Alaska, said: “I certainly intended to vote for Secretary Yellen, but I was a no vote.…Despite a long robust discussion, it was very difficult to get her to commit to being a strong advocate for a robust all-of-the-above energy sector for the U.S. economy.”
A yes vote was to confirm Yellen.
Voting Aye (1): Republican Senator Mike Crapo Voting Nay (1): Republican Senator Jim Risch | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 5 aye votes, 1 nay vote
ENDING FILIBUSTER AGAINST MAYORKAS: Voting 55 for and 42 against, the Senate on January 28th defeated a Republican filibuster against the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of Homeland Security, clearing the way for a February 1st final confirmation vote.
Josh Hawley, R‑Missouri., had blocked the nomination for eight days with arguments that Mayorkas is soft on securing the southern border.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D‑New York, said:
“Our government recently suffered an unprecedented cyberattack. In the wake of January 6th, the threat of violence and domestic terrorism remains of great concern. But because of the tactics of some Republican members… [the] nomination is being needlessly stalled.”
Senator Charles (Chuck) Grassley, R‑Iowa, contended that Mayorkas politicized the EB‑5 Investment Visa Program while heading U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services between 2009–2013. Under that program, qualified foreign investors can obtain permanent U.S. residence by investing at least $900,000 in enterprises that create a specified number of new jobs.
A yes vote was to advance the nomination.
Voting Nay (2): Republican Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
Key votes ahead
The Senate will debate more of President Joe Biden’s nominees and a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package in the week of February 1st, while the House of Representatives’ schedule was to be announced.
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 Civic Impulse, LLC. 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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