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Sunday, January 23rd, 2022
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (January 17th-21st)
Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s Members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending Friday, January 21st, 2022.
In the United States House of Representatives
The House chamber (U.S. Congress photo)
EASIER ACCESS TO BENEFITS FOR VETERANS: The House on January 20th passed the Ensuring Veterans’ Smooth Transition Act (H.R. 4673), sponsored by Representative Mark Takano, D‑California, to have the Department of Veterans Affairs automatically enroll eligible veterans, with the veterans’ consent, into the agency’s health care system. Takano said automatic enrollment “helps simplify the process and prevents veterans from potentially missing out on lifesaving care.”
A bill opponent, Representative Mike Bost, R‑Illinois, cited an estimated $3.1 billion cost, and said the program could take away from other VA services.
The vote was 265 yeas to 163 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 (8): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler
Voting Nay (2): Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Cascadia total: 12 aye votes, 5 nay votes
AID TO K‑12 SCHOOLS: The House on January 18th passed the Supplemental Impact Aid Flexibility Act (S. 2959), sponsored by Sen. John Thune, R‑South Dakota, to change procedures for local educational agencies to apply for federal Impact Aid funds in fiscal 2023. The vote was 414 yeas to 6 nays.
Voting Aye (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson
Voting Aye (5): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, and Kurt Schrader; Republican Representative Cliff Bentz
Voting Aye (10): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler, Dan Newhouse, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Cascadia total: 17 aye votes
RECOGNIZING BLACK HOCKEY PLAYER: The House on January 19th passed the Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act (S. 452), sponsored by Senator Debbie Stabenow, D‑Michigan, to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Willie O’Ree, the first black National Hockey League player.
The vote was unanimous with 426 yeas.
Voting Aye (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson
Voting Aye (5): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, and Kurt Schrader; Republican Representative Cliff Bentz
Voting Aye (10): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler, Dan Newhouse, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Cascadia total: 17 aye votes
In the United States Senate
The Senate chamber (U.S. Congress photo)
REPUBLICANS DEFEAT FILIBUSTER REFORM WITH MANCHIN AND SINEMA: The Senate on January 19th agreed to uphold a ruling by the Senate President Pro Tempore that allowed senators to offer amendments and raise points of order regarding the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act (H.R. 5746).
Rejecting the ruling could have resulted in senators being required to engage in a talking filibuster in order to avoid a vote on the bill.
A supporter of the ruling, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R‑Kentucky, claimed it was needed to foil “a direct assault on the core identity of the Senate” by ending the need for super-majority approval to bring legislation to a vote.
An opponent, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D‑New York, claimed that Republican senators were taking part in a “reactionary backlash” against expanded voting and trying to make it harder for Americans to participate in elections. The vote was 52 yeas to 48 nays.
(Prior to this vote, the Senate had voted fifty to fifty to end debate on H.R. 5746, which was ten votes short of the sixty vote threshold required to successfully invoke cloture, with Vice President Kamala Harris presiding.)
Voting Aye (2):
Republican Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo
Voting Nay (2):
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
Voting Nay (2):
Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray
Cascadia total: 2 aye votes, 4 nay votes
HOLLY THOMAS, NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE: The Senate on January 20th confirmed the nomination of Holly Thomas to serve as a judge on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Thomas, a California Superior Court judge for Los Angeles County since 2018, previously worked for the Justice Department and was a lawyer for the government of New York.
A supporter, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D‑California) said: “Judge Thomas has a breadth of experience and knowledge that would make her well-suited to sit on the Ninth Circuit.” An opponent, Senator Dan Sullivan, R‑Alaska, said senators were being denied the chance to meet with Thomas and other judicial nominees to evaluate them before a confirmation vote. The vote was 48 yeas to 40 nays.
Voting Nay (2):
Republican Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo
Voting Aye (2):
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
Voting Aye (2):
Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
Key votes ahead
The House will be in recess this week; no floor votes are planned.
The Senate is slated to vote on more than half a dozen judicial nominations, including several judges for the northern Ohio bench and the lower courts of the District of Columbia. Executive nominations will also be considered for military positions and ambassadorships in the Biden administration.
Editor’s Note: The information in NPI’s weekly How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted feature is provided by Targeted News Service. 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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# Written by Targeted News Service :: 7:30 AM
Categories: Legislative Advocacy, Series & Special Reports
Tags: Last Week In Congress, U.S. House Roll Call Votes, U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes
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