Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s United States Senators voted on major issues during the legislative week ending Friday, April 30th, 2021.
In the United States Senate
OIL & GAS INDUSTRY EMISSIONS: Voting 52 for and 42 against, the Senate on April 28th passed and sent to the House a measure (S J Res 14) to restore the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. The legislation would nullify a Trump administration action that scrapped regulations imposed by the Obama administration.
Methane, the principal component of natural gas, is a potent contributor to climate change that can escape into the atmosphere during oil and gas production, transmission and storage.
To restore the Obama policy and EPA’s authority to potentially write additional rules, Democrats are using the Congressional Review Act, which gives a new Congress and president a window of time to legislatively cancel regulations from the closing days of the previous administration.
Republican lawmakers and former President Trump used the procedure 14 times in 2017 to wipe out Obama administration actions.
Martin Heinrich, D‑New Mexico, said: “Restoring and strengthening national standards at the EPA will be one of the most powerful steps we can take… to confront the existential threat posed by greenhouse gas pollution and a warming planet.”
Shelley Moore Capito, R‑West Virginia, called the measure “nothing more than political posturing: that would “lay the groundwork for a planned regulatory war on oil and gas.”
A yes vote was to reinstate regulation of methane emissions.
Voting Nay (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (1): Democratic Senator Patty Murray Not Voting (1): Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell |
Cascadia total: 3 aye votes, 2 nay votes, 1 not voting
WATER SYSTEMS FUNDING: Voting 89 for and 2 against, the Senate on April 29th passed a bipartisan bill (S 914) that calls for spending roughly $35 billion over five years to improve drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, primarily by making EPA grants and loans to states, local communities and tribes to expand and upgrade outdated systems.
The legislation emphasizes improving water systems in rural and poor communities and would help water systems resist damage from the increase in severe weather attributed to climate change.
The measure includes $710 million to reduce lead in drinking water. Another $550 million annually is earmarked to help bring more households onto public water and sewer systems or to install or upgrade their own systems.
Tammy Duckworth, D‑Illinois, said: “Access to clean water is a human right, and every American deserves access to clean water, no matter their zip code, the color of their skin or their income. It’s long past time we turned that right into reality by investing in projects that would put Americans back to work rebuilding our crumbling water infrastructure.”
No senator spoke in opposition. A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Nay (2): | |
Voting Aye (1): Democratic Senator Patty Murray Not Voting (1): Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell |
Cascadia total: 5 aye votes, 1 not voting
COLIN KAHL, UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Voting 49 for and 45 against, the Senate on April 27th confirmed Colin Kahl to be under secretary for policy, the third-ranking civilian position in the Department of Defense.
Kahl, 49, was deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and later national security adviser to the vice president during the Obama administration. His nomination drew criticism from Republicans who argued that his postings on Twitter indicated he lacked the right temperament for a position of responsibility.
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
Voting Nay (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (1): Democratic Senator Patty Murray Not Voting (1): Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell |
Cascadia total: 3 aye votes, 2 nay votes, 1 not voting
JANET MCCABE, EPA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR: Voting 52 for and 42 against, the Senate on April 27th confirmed Janet McCabe as deputy administrator, the second-ranking position at the Environmental Protection Agency.
McCabe was an EPA official during the Obama administration, serving as acting assistant administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation, where she worked on the administration’s plan to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
Voting Nay (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
SAMANTHA POWER, USAID ADMINISTRATOR: By a vote of 68 for and 26 against, the Senate on April 28th confirmed the nomination of Samantha Power as administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.
Power, 51, is a former journalist and Harvard professor who was a National Security Council member and ambassador to the United Nations during the Obama administration.
A yes vote was to confirm the nomination.
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 6 aye votes
JASON MILLER, OMB DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR MANAGEMENT: Voting 81 for and 13 against, the Senate on April 27th confirmed the nomination of Jason Miller to be deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget. Miller was deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the National Economic Council during the Obama administration.
A yes vote was to confirm the nomination.
Voting Nay (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
LWIC will be on hiatus next week
No votes are scheduled in Congress during the week of May 3rd.
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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