Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s Members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending Friday, January 14th, 2022.
PROTECTING VOTING RIGHTS AND ELECTION INTEGRITY: The House on January 13th passed the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act (H.R. 5746), sponsored by Representative Donald S. Beyer Jr., D‑Virginia.
The bill would make numerous changes to voting and election procedures for federal offices, including making the November election day a legal holiday and requiring that formerly imprisoned criminals be able to vote.
Beyer called the bill a “stand against efforts to manipulate voting rules in favor of the few and take our essential democratic privilege away from all Americans.”
An opponent, Representative Byron Donalds, R‑Florida, said that giving Congress direct control of elections administered by the states was a violation of the Constitution. The vote was 220 yeas to 203 nays.
Voting Nay (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson | |
Voting Aye (4): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, and Kurt Schrader Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Cliff Bentz | |
Voting Aye (7): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland Voting Nay (3): Republican Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler, Dan Newhouse, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
Cascadia total: 11 aye votes, 6 nay votes
GUARD AND RESERVE GI BILL PARITY ACT: The House on January 12th passed the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act (H.R. 1836), sponsored by Representative Mike Levin, D‑California. The bill would include service time in the National Guard or the military’s reserves as counting toward a military member’s eligibility to receive funds to help pay for the member’s education.
Levin said the change would work “to deliver some basic fairness in the way we provide GI Bill benefits for the men and women who serve our nation.”
The vote was 287 yeas to 135 nays.
Voting Nay (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson | |
Voting Aye (4): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, and Kurt Schrader Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Cliff Bentz | |
Voting Aye (9): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler, and Dan Newhouse Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
Cascadia total: 13 aye votes, 4 nay votes
ALAN DAVIDSON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE: The Senate on January 11th confirmed the nomination of Alan Davidson to serve as the Commerce Department’s assistant secretary for communications and information.
Davidson was a lobbyist for Google from 2005 to 2012, then was a senior official at the Commerce Department and at the Mozilla Foundation.
A supporter, Senator Maria Cantwell, D‑Washington, said Davidson had abundant experience in the public and private sectors, and he would “help effectively and speedily to get broadband deployed to both sectors of our economy.”
The vote was 60 yeas to 31 nays.
Voting Nay (2): | |
Voting Aye (1): Democratic Senator Ron Wyden Not Voting (1): Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley | |
Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 3 aye votes, 2 nay votes, 1 not voting
AMITABHA BOSE, FRA ADMINISTRATOR: The Senate on January 12th confirmed the nomination of Amitabha Bose to serve as administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Bose has been a senior official at the FRA and the Transportation Department, and before that, the New Jersey government.
The vote was 68 yeas to 29 nays.
Voting Nay (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
GABRIEL SANCHEZ, NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE: The Senate on January 12th confirmed the nomination of Gabriel Sanchez to serve as a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. A California state appeals court judge since 2018, Sanchez was previously a legal affairs official in that state’s gubernatorial branch and a private practice lawyer. A supporter, Sen. Alex Padilla, D‑California, said Sanchez “has long been held in high esteem in California’s legal circles. He brings thoughtfulness and empathy to every decision that he makes.”
The vote was 52 yeas to 47 nays.
Voting Nay (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
REJECTING CRUZ’S PROPOSED NORDSTREAM PIPELINE SANCTIONS: The Senate on January 13th rejected the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Implementation Act (S. 3436), sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz, R‑Texas. The bill would have required the imposition of sanctions against entities building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would carry gas from Russia to Germany.
Cruz said that by helping block the pipeline, the sanctions would aid Ukraine in its struggle to prevent domination and possible invasion by Russia.
An opponent, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D‑New Hampshire, said that by cutting off talks with Europe on how to oppose Russia, the sanctions “would drive a wedge between us and our allies, particularly between the United States and Germany, at a time that we cannot afford it.” The vote was 55 yeas to 44 nays, with a three-fifths threshold (sixty votes out of one hundred) required for approval.
Voting Aye (2): | |
Voting Nay (2): | |
Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 aye votes, 4 nay votes
This week, the House plans to take up the Supplemental Impact Aid Flexibility Act, the Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act of 2021, and the EVEST Act, plus the Ghost Army and Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Acts. The Senate is expected to vote on Holly Thomas’ nomination to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with additional floor action to be announced.
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