Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s Members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending March 31st, 2023.
In the United States House of Representatives
GIVEAWAY TO OIL COMPANIES LEGISLATION: The House on March 30th passed the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1), sponsored by Representative Steve Scalise, R‑La., to make a variety of changes to federal energy policies.
Changes include faster regulatory reviews of energy development projects, barring the president from banning hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of wells, removing some restrictions on oil and natural gas imports and exports, and ending several federal programs subsidizing measures such as building energy efficiency improvements.
Scalise said of the need for the bill: “A lot of the infrastructure that we need to make this country grow is being held up right now from a lot of radical regulations on the left and outside groups that don’t want American energy.”
A bill opponent, Representative Katherine M. Clark, D‑Mass., called it a move “to triple down on allegiance to Big Oil, give away more federal land, invite more offshore drilling, unleash more pollution into our water and our air and our land, and leave the taxpayers footing the bill.” The vote was 225 yeas to 204 nays.
 | Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
 | Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Voting Nay (3): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, and Andrea Salinas Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Val Hoyle |
 | Voting Yea (3): Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers; Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez Voting Nay (7): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland |
Cascadia total: 7 yea votes, 10 nay votes, 1 not voting
BACKING LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS EXPORT TERMINAL IN OREGON: The House has agreed to an amendment sponsored by Representative Lauren Boebert, R‑Colorado, to the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1, above), to express the sense of Congress as criticizing the denial of permits for the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal that would have been built on the Oregon coast. Boebert said: “A West Coast LNG export terminal would have shaved critical days and significant costs off exports to Asia, eliminated threats associated with hurricanes, and reduced our reliance on the Panama Canal, which causes significant uncertainty and delays.”
An opponent, Representative Frank Pallone Jr., D‑New Jersey, said it would be wrong for Congress to judge the decision made by Oregon’s government to reject the permit applications for Jordan Cove.
The vote, on March 29, was 221 yeas to 208 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Voting Nay (2): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Andrea Salinas Not Voting (2): Democratic Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Val Hoyle |
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Voting Nay (8): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland |
Cascadia total: 6 yea votes, 10 nay votes, 2 not voting
CRITICIZING PROPOSED FOSSIL FUEL TAX INCREASES: The House on March 29th agreed to an amendment sponsored by Representative Kevin Hern, R‑Oklahoma, to the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1, above), to express the sense of Congress as criticizing the tax increases on oil and natural gas proposed in President Biden’s fiscal 2024 budget request. Hern said the increases “will kill jobs, raise fuel prices, and leave America more dependent on foreign oil.”
An amendment opponent, Representative Frank Pallone Jr., D‑New Jersey, said the oil and natural gas industry could weather the tax increases because in 2022 six of the industry’s largest companies made $200 billion and spent “billions to enrich their shareholders with stock buybacks and dividends, all while gouging American drivers at the pump.”
The vote was 228 yeas to 206 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Voting Nay (3): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, and Andrea Salinas Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Val Hoyle |
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Voting Nay (8): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland |
Cascadia total: 6 yea votes, 11 nay votes, 1 not voting
KEEPING AMERICA WEDDED TO PETROLEUM GAS STOVES: The House om March 29th agreed to an amendment sponsored by Representative Gary J. Palmer, R‑Alabama, to the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1, above), to bar the Energy Department (DOE) from implementing regulations to block the sale of petroleum gas-fueled stoves to consumers.
Palmer said such restrictions would increase cooking costs and be “a direct attack on all natural gas use in the country and another example of the Biden administration’s desire to control every decision we make.”
An opponent, Representative Paul Tonko, D‑New York, said: “This amendment would bar DOE from finalizing any future efficiency standards for gas stoves, locking consumers into less efficient appliances that are certainly more costly to use.” The vote,was 251 yeas to 181 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Voting Nay (3): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, and Andrea Salinas Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Val Hoyle |
| Voting Yea (4): Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers; Democratic Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Kim Schrier Voting Nay (6): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland |
Cascadia total: 8 yea votes, 9 nay votes, 1 not voting
PROHIBITING CHINESE PURCHASES OF FARMLAND: The House on March 30th approved an amendment sponsored by Representative Bruce Westerman, R‑Arkansas, to the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1, above), that would bar China’s Communist Party from buying American farmland or land used to generate renewable energy. Westerman said: “Our country’s food security and energy independence are at stake, and we must take action to protect our critical resources.” The vote was 407 yeas to 26 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
| Voting Yea (4): Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer; Democratic Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Andrea Salinas Voting Nay (1): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Val Hoyle |
| Voting Yea (9): Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers; Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Derek Kilmer, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland Voting Nay (1): Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal |
Cascadia total: 15 yea votes, 2 nay votes, 1 not voting
STOPPING FORCED ORGAN HARVESTING: The House on March 27th passed the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act (H.R. 1154), sponsored by Representative Christopher H. Smith, R‑New Jersey, to direct the president to impose sanctions on foreigners who traffic in organs taken from people forcibly, and have the State Department revoke the passports of people convicted of forced organ trafficking crimes. Smith said China’s annual taking of organs from tens of thousands of young adults, including for transplantation into senior Communist Party officials, showed “no signs of abating, which is why we and the rest of the world need to step up” and punish such cruelty. The vote, on March 27, was 413 yeas to 2 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
| Voting Yea (6): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Earl Blumenauer, and Andrea Salinas; Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer |
| Voting Yea (10): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
Cascadia total: 18 yea votes
COUNTERING CHINA: The House has passed the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act (H.R. 1107), sponsored by Reresentative Young Kim, R‑California, to direct the State Department to advocate that international organizations stop classifying China (formally known as the PRC) as a developing country, which results in beneficial treatment by those organizations.
Kim said: “We cannot let the PRC continue exploiting countries in need and take unfair advantage of international treaties and organizations.”
The vote, on March 27, was unanimous with 415 yeas.
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
| Voting Yea (6): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Earl Blumenauer, and Andrea Salinas; Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer |
| Voting Yea (10): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
Cascadia total: 18 yea votes
ADDITIONAL VOTE, TAKEN BY VOICE: Along with the week’s roll call votes, the House also passed the following measure by voice vote: the Undersea Cable Control Act (H.R. 1189), to require the development of a strategy for eliminating the availability to foreign adversaries of products and technologies for deploying undersea telecommunications cables.
In the United States Senate
REPEALING AUTHORIZATIONS FOR USE OF FORCE IN IRAQ: The Senate on March 29th passed a bill (S. 316), sponsored by Senator Timothy Kaine, D‑Virginia, to repeal the 1991 and 2002 resolutions that authorized use of military force against Iraq. Kaine said the 2002 resolution in particular was rushed through the Senate without proper deliberation before embarking on a lengthy war.
An opponent, Senator James E. Risch, R‑Idaho, said keeping the resolutions would enhance Congressional oversight of military actions against Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The vote was 66 yeas to 30 nays.
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Yea (2): |
| Voting Yea (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 yea votes, 2 nay votes
RESTRICTIONS ON PANDEMIC RESPONSE TREATIES: The Senate on March 28th rejected an amendment sponsored by Senator Ron Johnson, R‑Wisconsin, to a bill (S. 316, above) that would have required Senate ratification before the U.S. joined any convention or agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response reached by the World Health Assembly, which is part of the World Health Organization. Johnson said Congress should “no longer allow the administration to go ahead and negotiate agreements that can have a dramatic impact on our sovereignty and bypass the Senate entirely.”
An opponent, Senator Timothy Kaine, D‑Virginia, said the bill should remain focused on the Iraq invasion authorizations and not include extraneous matter such as would be introduced by the amendment.
The vote was 47 yeas to 49 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 yea votes, 4 nay votes
CRUZ WARMONGERING AMENDMENT: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R‑Texas, to a bill (S. 316, above) that would have stated that the president retains authority to use military force against Iran’s military and its actions against U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. Cruz said the amendment was needed because “I don’t want to give an excuse for the Biden administration, the next time Iran attacks, to do nothing” in response.
An opponent, Senator Timothy Kaine, D‑Virginia, said it would be a mistake to authorize escalating action against Iran via a briefly considered amendment to an unrelated bill. The vote was 41 yeas to 55 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 yea votes, 4 nay votes
INVESTIGATION OF AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: The Senate on March 28th rejected an amendment sponsored by Senator Rick Scott, R‑Florida, to a bill (S. 316, above) that would have established a Joint Select Committee on Afghanistan in Congress to make an investigation into the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in summer 2021. Scott said the select committee was the best way to have accountability for the mistakes that created “America’s most stunning, unforced, and humiliating defeat in decades.” An amendment opponent, Sen. Todd Young, R‑Indiana, said the bill “is not the right venue for establishing a committee of this nature.” The vote was 33 yeas to 62 nays.
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 6 nay votes
UNNECESSARY OVERSIGHT OF UKRAINE AID: The Senate on March 28th rejected an amendment sponsored by Senator Josh Hawley, R‑Missouri, to a bill (S. 316, above) that would have established an Office of the Special Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance, to be charged with overseeing the use of aid sent to Ukraine in its war with Russia. Hawley said having a single government watchdog handle oversight would help avoid repeating the billions of dollars of waste that occurred during the war in Afghanistan. An opponent, Senator James E. Risch, R‑Idaho, said “there are already sixty-four ongoing or planned audits and reports on U.S. assistance to Ukraine,” making the amendment unnecessary.
The vote was 26 yeas to 68 nays.
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 6 nay votes
OVERTURNING WOTUS RULE: The Senate on March 29th passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 27), sponsored by Representative Sam Graves, R‑Missouri, to disapprove of and void an Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency rule issued this January that defines Waters of the United States (WOTUS). Such waters would be subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act. A supporter, Sen. Roger Marshall, R‑Kansas, said overturning the rule was needed to “ensure agricultural producers and other stakeholders have the regulatory certainty to take care of our nation’s land and water resources, the lands and waters that we love.” An opponent, Senator Benjamin Cardin, D‑Maryland, said of the WOTUS rule: “This commonsense, science-based approach recognizes that pollution upstream can have downstream impacts, so we must protect the system to safeguard downstream communities and our environment.”
The vote was 53 yeas to 43 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 yea votes, 4 nay votes
ENDING NATIONAL COVID EMERGENCY: The Senate on March 29th passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 7), sponsored by Representative Paul A. Gosar, R‑Arizona, to end the national emergency in response to COVID that was declared by President Trump on March 13, 2020. A supporter, Senator Roger Marshall, R‑Kansas, said: “It is time to end any and all authoritarian control and unilateral spending decisions without congressional consent.”
The vote was 68 yeas to 23 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 yea votes, 4 nay votes
RICHARD VERMA, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: The Senate on March 30th confirmed the nomination of Richard Verma to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Verma, U.S. ambassador to India during the Obama administration, is currently Mastercard’s chief legal officer and head of global public policy. A supporter, Senator Robert Menendez, D‑New Jersey, said Verma’s “long public sector career, which includes service in the Air Force, the Senate, and the State Department, will help him be an effective leader who can advance the Department’s modernization agenda.”
The vote was 67 yeas to 26 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): |
| Voting Yea (2): |
| Voting Yea (2): |
Cascadia total: 6 yea votes
LAURA TAYLOR-KALE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The Senate on March 30th confirmed the nomination of Laura Taylor-Kale to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. Taylor-Kale has been a senior official at the World Bank, an official in the second Obama administration, and most recently was a Council on Foreign Relations research fellow for innovation and economic competitiveness. The vote was 63 yeas to 27 nays.
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Yea (2): |
| Voting Yea (2): |
Cascadia total: 4 yea votes, 2 nay votes
ADDITIONAL VOTE, TAKEN BY VOICE: This week, the Senate also passed the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act (S. 777), to increase, effective December 1st, 2023, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans.
LWIC will be on hiatus during the Easter / Passover recess
The House and Senate are in recess until the second half of April.
Last Week In Congress will return on April 23rd.
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!
© 2023 Targeted News Service, LLC.