Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s Members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending November 18th, 2022.
In the United States House of Representatives
DETERRING HORSE SORING: The House has passed the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act Act (H.R. 5441), sponsored by Rep. Steve Cohen, D‑Tenn., to have the Agriculture Department inspect horses at various public facilities for cases of soring, which is putting various restrictions on a horse’s legs in order to give the horse a higher gait. Cohen said: “The plague of soring has marred the Tennessee Walking Horse and related breeds for more than six decades. I am proud to lead the fight to end it.” An opponent, Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R‑Tenn., said the soring law would “place an undue ban on equipment making horse shows and events impossible to put on. Equine experts themselves have said these bans are not based on scientific evidence.” The vote, on Nov. 14, was 304 yeas to 111 nays.
 | Voting Aye (1): Republican Representative Russ Fulcher Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Mike Simpson |
 | Voting Aye (5): 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 Cathy McMorris Rodgers Not Voting (2): Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse |
Cascadia total: 13 aye votes, 2 nay votes, 2 not voting
COMBATING WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT: The House on November 16th passed the Speak Out Act (S. 4524), sponsored by Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D‑New York, to render unenforceable nondisclosure and nondisparagement clauses in employment contracts that apply to sexual harassment or sexual assault cases.
A supporter, Representative Jerrold Nadler, D‑New York, said: “These confidentiality clauses have contributed to the culture of silence in cases involving sexual misconduct. As such, they have routinely enabled sexual predators to evade accountability.” An opponent, Representative Jim Jordan, R‑Ohio, said the bill was “too broad and will affect contractual matters completely unrelated to sexual misconduct.” The vote was 315 yeas to 109 nays.
| Voting Aye (1): Republican Representative Mike Simpson Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Russ Fulcher |
| Voting Aye (5): 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 Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Not Voting (1): Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler |
Cascadia total: 14 aye votes, 2 nay votes, 1 not voting
MULTI-BILL PACKAGE: The House on November 17th approved a motion sponsored by Representative Troy A. Carter, D‑Louisiana, to pass 7 bills en bloc, without a separate vote on each bill. Subjects covered by the bills included research by Veterans Health Administration employees, cybersecurity at the VA, establishing the DisasterAssistance.gov website, and establishing recordkeeping requirements for Amazon and other online hosts of third-party retailers. Carter said the DisasterAssistance.gov bill “is designed to put survivors first and get them back on their feet after disasters faster.” The vote was 381 yeas to 39 nays.
| Voting Aye (1): Republican Representative Mike Simpson Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Russ Fulcher |
| Voting Aye (5): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, and Kurt Schrader; 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 Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Not Voting (1): Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler |
Cascadia total: 15 aye votes, 1 nay vote, 1 not voting
NAMING VA MEDICAL CENTER: The House on November 17th passed the Max Cleland VA Medical Center Act (S. 3369), sponsored by Senator Raphael G. Warnock, D‑Georgia, to name the Veterans Affairs Department’s Atlanta medical center after Joseph Maxwell Cleland. Cleland, who died in 2021, was a senator, VA administrator, and veteran of the Vietnam War. A supporter, Representative Jake Ellzey, R‑Texas, said of Cleland: “His spirit served as an inspiration, and that same spirit will continue to inspire excellence at the Atlanta VA Medical Center which should proudly bear his name.” The vote was 359 yeas to 62 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 (9): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Not Voting (1): Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler |
Cascadia total: 16 aye votes, 1 not voting
LYMPHEDEMA AND MEDICARE: The House on November 17th passed the Lymphedema Treatment Act (H.R. 3630), sponsored by Representative Janice D. Schakowsky, D‑Illinois, to authorize Medicare coverage for expenses for using gradient compression garments and other treatments for lymphedema, which is swelling in body tissues caused by the buildup of lymph fluid.
Schakowsky said Medicare coverage “will absolutely help the 3 million Americans who have lymphedema to be able to have some of the relief that they need at a cost that they can afford.” The vote was 402 yeas to 13 nays.
| Voting Aye (1): Republican Representative Russ Fulcher Not Voting (1): Republican Representative Mike Simpson |
| Voting Aye (4): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, and Peter DeFazio; Republican Representative Cliff Bentz Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Kurt Schrader |
| Voting Aye (9): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Not Voting (1): Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler |
Cascadia total: 14 aye votes, 3 not voting
In the United States Senate
RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT: The Senate on November 16th voted to invoke cloture on H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act, which the House of Representatives passed back in July. The vote cleared the way for the Senate to actually take up the legislation. It could see final passage in December. The bill would repeal the so-called “Defense of Marriage” Act and ensure federal recognition of marriages by same-sex couples. The vote to invoke cloture, which needed sixty votes, was 62–37; a subsequent vote to proceed passed 53–23 with 24 not voting; that vote only needed a simple majority to pass.
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Aye (2): |
| Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
MARIA DEL R. ANTONGIORGI-JORDAN, DISTRICT COURT JUDGE: The Senate on November 15th confirmed the nomination of Maria del R. Antongiorgi-Jordan to be a judge on the U.S. district court for Puerto Rico. The district court’s chief clerk since 2019, Antongiorgi-Jordan was, from 1995 to 2018, a lawyer at the McConnell Valde law firm in San Juan, specializing in employment cases. A supporter, Senator Dick Durbin, D‑Ill., called her “a dedicated public servant and accomplished litigator who will be a tremendous asset” on the court.
The vote was 55 yeas to 43 nays.
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Aye (2): |
| Voting Aye (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 aye votes, 2 nay votes
INCORRECTLY DECLARING THE PANDEMIC EMERGENCY OVER: The Senate on November 15th passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 63), sponsored by Senator Roger Marshall, R‑Kan., to declare an end to the national emergency regarding COVID-19 that Donald Trump began in March 2020.
Marshall said the resolution was needed because “this White House is more than willing and able to use this emergency declaration to advance as many of their inflationary giveaways as possible.” An opponent, Senator Ron Wyden, D‑Oregon, said that by cancelling various health care measures adopted under the declared emergency, the resolution would be “a recipe for chaos in American healthcare and serious headaches for millions of patients who would have their coverage and their care upended.” The vote was 61 yeas to 37 nays.
| Voting Aye (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 aye votes, 4 nay votes
LWIC will be on hiatus next Sunday
The House and Senate will be in recess this week for Thanksgiving.
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