Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s Members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending October 6th, 2023.
REMOVING KEVIN MCCARTHY AS HOUSE SPEAKER: The House on October 3rd approved a resolution (H. Res. 757), sponsored by Representative Matt Gaetz, R‑Florida, to vacate the role of Speaker held by Representative Kevin McCarthy, R‑California. Representative Patrick McHenry, R‑North Carolina, was appointed as the temporary Speaker in McCarthy’s place.
Gaetz criticized McCarthy for failing to keep “an agreement to fulfill certain commitments to make” the House’s work on the federal budget an open and honest process when he was elected Speaker, including appropriations bills to fund separate government departments.
A resolution opponent, Representative Tom McClintock, R‑California, said: “If this motion carries, the House will be paralyzed. We can expect week after week of fruitless ballots while no other business can be conducted.”
The vote to vacate the Speakership was 216 yeas to 210 nays.
Voting Nay (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson | |
Voting Yea (4): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas Voting Nay (2): Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer | |
Voting Yea (8): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland Voting Nay (2): Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
Cascadia total: 12 yea votes, 6 nay votes
CYBERSECURITY JOB REQUIREMENTS: The House on October 2nd passed the Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act (H.R. 4502), sponsored by Representative Nancy Mace, R‑South Carolina, to remove minimum educational requirements for applicants for cybersecurity jobs in the federal government. Mace said current college degree requirements for the jobs meant that “we are missing out on a tremendous amount of talent” potential from non-graduates with the skills to secure technology systems and hack into enemy countries’ systems. The vote was 394 yeas to 1 nay.
Voting Yea (1): Republican Representative Russ Fulcher Not Voting (1): Republican Representative 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 (8): Democratic Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Not Voting (2): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene and Rick Larsen |
Cascadia total: 17 yea votes, 3 not voting
In the United States Senate
CONFIRMATION VOTES BY VOICE: This week, the Senate confirmed, by voice vote, the nominations of Geoffrey Adam Starks and Brenden Carr to serve five-year terms on the Federal Communications Commission.
Key votes ahead
The House is mostly paralyzed until it elects a new Speaker. House Republicans are anticipating holding an initial vote or set of voters for Speaker this week.
The Senate is expected to hold only pro forma sessions this week, with no legislative business expected until October 16th at the earliest.
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.