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Sunday, September 10th, 2023
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (September 5th-8th)
Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s United States Senators voted on major issues during the legislative week ending September 8th, 2023.
The House of Representatives was in recess.
In the United States Senate
The Senate chamber (U.S. Congress photo)
PHILIP JEFFERSON, FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD: The Senate on September 6th confirmed the nomination of Philip Jefferson to be vice chairman of the Federal Reserve System’s board of governors. Jefferson became a board member last year; previously, he had been an economics professor at two private colleges and a Federal Reserve economist. A supporter, Senator Sherrod Brown, D‑Ohio, said Jefferson “brings to the Fed outstanding academic credentials and years of strong leadership experience. He is a renowned scholar, and he is a leading expert in monetary policy and the economics of poverty.”
The vote was 88 yeas to 10 nays.
Voting Yea (2):
Republican Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray
Cascadia total: 6 yea votes
GWYNNE WILCOX, NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD: The Senate on September 6th confirmed the nomination of Gwynne Wilcox to be on the National Labor Relations Board for a five-year term ending in late August of 2028. Wilcox has been on the Board since August 2021; she had been a labor lawyer in New York City, and previously was an attorney for the Board. An opponent, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R‑Kentucky, denigrated Wilcox as a committed partisan who would “run roughshod over American employers, stack the deck for Democrats’ Big Labor allies, and keep corrupt and failing unions on life support with a tangled mess of regulations.” The vote was 51 yeas to 48 nays.
Voting Nay (2):
Republican Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray
Cascadia total: 4 yea votes, 2 nay votes
LISA DENEIL COOK, FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD OF GOVERNORS: The Senate on September 6th confirmed the nomination of Lisa DeNell Cook to be a member of the Federal Reserve System’s board of governors for a fourteen-year term ending in 2038. Cook had joined the board of governors last year, after having been an economics professor at Michigan State University and a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration. A supporter, Senator Sherrod Brown, D‑Ohio, said her “expertise in international economics has immense value as we continue in our economic recovery amidst global inflation.” The vote was 51 yeas to 47 nays.
Voting Nay (2):
Republican Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray
Cascadia total: 4 yea votes, 2 nay votes
ADRIANA KUGLER, FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD OF GOVERNORS: The Senate on September 7th confirmed the nomination of Adriana Kugler to be a member of the Federal Reserve System’s board of governors for a term ending in 2026. Kugler is currently the World Bank’s executive director for the U.S., with prior stints as a Labor Department economist and professor at Georgetown University. A supporter, Senator Sherrod Brown, D‑Ohio, said Kugler “is unquestionably qualified. She possesses bipartisan support from top economists and civil rights organizations.” The vote was 53 yeas to 45 nays.
Voting Nay (2):
Republican Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray
Cascadia total: 4 yea votes, 2 nay votes
ANNA GOMEZ, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION: The Senate on September 7th confirmed the nomination of Anna Gomez to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Gomez is a former lawyer and official at the FCC, and has been a senior official at Sprint Nextel and, more recently, a telecommunications attorney at a private law firm.
A supporter, Senator Ben Ray Lujan, D‑New Mexico, said: “Protecting the public interest and advancing universal service for broadband and broadcast services is a passion for Ms. Gomez.” The vote was 55 yeas to 43 nays.
Voting Nay (2):
Republican Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
Voting Yea (2):
Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray
Cascadia total: 4 yea votes, 2 nay votes
Key votes ahead
The House of Representatives will return from a lengthy recess and take up slew of Republican bills, including Fight CRIME Act, the MAHSA Act, the ACRES Act, and the Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2023. The “Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act” may also be considered.
The Senate will consider the nominations of Tanya J. Bradsher to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Jeffrey Irvine Cummings to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. The Senate will also take up H.R. 4366, an act making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for Fiscal Year 2024.
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 :: 9:30 AM
Categories: Legislative Advocacy, Series & Special Reports
Tags: Last Week In Congress, U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes
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