Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s United States Senators voted on major issues during the legislative week ending May 3rd, 2024.
In the United States House of Representatives
FORCING DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC REFUGE: The House on May 1st passed the Alaska’s Right to Produce Act (H.R. 6285), sponsored by Representative Pete Stauber, R‑Minnesota, to require the Interior Department to hold sales of leases for oil and natural gas drilling in sections of the Arctic Refuge. Stauber said preventing fossil fuel production in Alaska was hurting “hardworking Alaskans who stood to benefit from the jobs, opportunities, and revenue that the responsible production of these resources would create.” An opponent, Representative Jared Huffman, D‑California, said: “Exploiting these sensitive areas is equivalent to sacrificing those on the front lines of the climate crisis as martyrs in order to temporarily quench the insatiable thirst of Big Oil for money.” The vote was 214 yeas to 199 nays, with 2 voting present.
 | Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
 | Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Voting Nay (4): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas |
 | Voting Yea (3): Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers 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, 11 nay votes
MOTION TO RECOMMIT — REVISING MINING REGULATIONS BILL: The House on May 1st agreed to a motion sponsored by Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez, D‑New Mexico, to recommit the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act (H.R. 2925) to the House Natural Resources Committee and have the committee add a provision barring mining operations on federal land by companies that are controlled by a nation, such as China, deemed an adversary to the U.S. Leger Fernandez said the companies “shouldn’t be allowed to exploit American resources and pollute our public lands and to take those resources back to China for free.”
An opponent, Representative Bruce Westerman, R‑Arkansas, argued that the motion was irrelevant because under the Biden administration’s regulatory regime, “nobody is going to be mining in the United States.”
The vote to recommit was 210 yeas to 204 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
REGULATING USE OF FEDERAL LANDS: The House on April 30th passed the Western Economic Security Today Act (H.R. 3397), sponsored by Representative John R. Curtis, R‑Utah, to require the withdrawal of a proposed Bureau of Land Management rule regarding conservation and landscape health that was published in April 2023. Curtis said the rule was preventing responsible use of federal lands by the public, including farmers and ranchers. A bill opponent, Representative Melanie A. Stansbury, D‑New Mexico, said the rule was needed to “protect our public lands, wildlife, and cultural sites and access to the outdoors.” The vote was 212 yeas to 202 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, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer |
| Voting Yea (3): Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers 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
OVERTURNING RESTRICTIONS ON LEAD AMMUNITION USE ON FEDERAL LANDS: The House on April 30th passed the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (H.R. 615), sponsored by Representative Robert J. Wittman, R‑Virginia, to bar, except for certain exceptions, the Agriculture and Interior Departments from restricting the use of lead ammunition or fishing tackle on federal lands underthe two agencies’ jurisdiction. Wittman said a broad ban on using lead to fish or hunt on the lands would hurt sportsmen by forcing them to use higher-cost alternative metals. An opponent, Representative Debbie Dingell, D‑Michigan, said the bill would likely lead to less access to hunting and fishing by prompting litigation under the Endangered Species Act that will result in no use of lead on the federal lands. The vote was 214 yeas to 201 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, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer |
| Voting Yea (3): Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers 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
FORCING THE DELISTING OF THE GRAY WOLF FROM THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LISTING: The House on April 30th passed the Orwellian-named Trust the Science Act (H.R. 764), sponsored by Representative Lauren Boebert, R‑Colorado, to direct the Interior Department to reissue a November 2020 rule to remove the gray wolf from the list of endangered species. The rule was vacated by a federal court in February 2022. Boebert cited examples, dating to 2009, of federal intent to delist the gray wolf because the species had fully recovered, and said the bill would “focus scarce taxpayer funding on endangered species that actually need help being recovered.” A bill opponent, Representative Jared Huffman, D‑California, said: “The gray wolf is one of America’s most iconic species. While it is making a comeback, the science and the facts on the ground tell us that it still needs help.” The vote was 209 yeas to 205 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, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer |
| Voting Yea (3): Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers 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
ALLOWING MINING ON FEDERAL LANDS IN MINNESOTA: The House has passed the Superior National Forest Restoration Act (H.R. 3195), sponsored by Representative Pete Stauber, R‑Minnesota, to direct the U.S. Forest Service to issue leases and permits for mining to take place on agency lands in northern Minnesota. Stauber said allowing the mining “would revitalize an essential pillar of northern Minnesota’s economy, provide for the production of critical minerals, secure our supply chain, strengthen our national security, and bolster the entire domestic mining industry.” An opponent, Representative Katie Porter, D‑California, said the bill “seeks to destroy now and deal with the ramifications not later but not at all.”
The vote was 212 yeas to 203 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, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer |
| Voting Yea (3): Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers 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
WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT COLLABORATIONS: The House on April 29th passed the Fire Weather Development Act (H.R. 4866), sponsored by Representative Mike Garcia, R‑California, to take several measures for improving inter-government collaboration on wildfire management at the federal, state, and local levels. Garcia said the bill “invests in fuel mapping, unmanned vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, wildfire behavior models and more, and all the steps to make 1 firefighter fight like 10 and to minimize the need to put them in danger.” The vote was 341 yeas to 48 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
| Voting Yea (5): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas; Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer |
| 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: 17 yea votes, 1 not voting
TECHNOLOGIES TO INCREASE PRIVACY: The House on April 29th passed the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act (H.R. 4755), sponsored by Representative Haley M. Stevens, D‑Michigan. The bill would require several federal government agencies to fund the development of technologies to decrease exposure of private information from data processing. Stevens said the research could produce “the necessary tools to fully implement privacy legislation without stifling innovation” in areas such as artificial intelligence. The vote was 354 yeas to 36 nays.
| Voting Yea (1): Republican Representative Mike Simpson Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Russ Fulcher |
| Voting Yea (5): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas; Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer |
| 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: 16 yea votes, 1 nay vote, 1 not voting
CARBON DIOXIDE SEQUESTRATION: The House on April 30th passed the Carbon Sequestration Collaboration Act (H.R. 4824), sponsored by Representative Jim Baird, R‑Indiana, to require the Energy Department to include geological and terrestrial, plant-based sequestration of carbon dioxide in its carbon storage research and development program. Baird said the expanded research areas would help give Americans “the best information that is available when making informed decisions about their land and their community.” The vote was 364 yeas to 44 nays.
| Voting Yea (1): Republican Representative Mike Simpson Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Russ Fulcher |
| Voting Yea (5): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas; Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer |
| 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: 16 yea votes, 1 nay vote, 1 not voting
ADDRESSING PROBLEMATIC OLD OIL AND GAS WELLS: The House on April 30th passed the Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act (H.R. 4877), sponsored by Representative Summer Lee, D‑Pennyslvania, to require the Energy Department to institute a research program for handling abandoned oil and natural gas wells and reducing environmental harms caused by the wells. Lee said the roughly 3 million abandoned oil and gas wells nationwide “expose our families to cancer-causing toxins like benzene, leave our homes vulnerable to explosive gases, and lower property values making it tougher for families to maintain and sell their homes.” The vote was 333 yeas to 75 nays.
| Voting Yea (1): Republican Representative Mike Simpson Voting Nay (1): Republican Representative Russ Fulcher |
| Voting Yea (5): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas; Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Not Voting (1): Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer |
| 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: 16 yea votes, 1 nay vote, 1 not voting
INCREASING AWARENESS OF ANTISEMITISM IN HIGHER EDUCATION: The House on May 1st passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act (H.R. 6090), sponsored by Representative Mike Lawler, R‑New York, to declare the need to increase awareness of anti-Semitism, take measures against it and seek to improve security for Jewish communities, and have the Education Department use a specific definition of anti-Semitism when investigating allegations of discrimination based on Jewish ethnicity.
Lawler said the specific definition “will help the Department of Education and school administrators, who have been feckless, clearly identify instances of anti-Semitism and protect the safety of all students, including Jewish students.” An opponent, Representative Jerrold Nadler, D‑New York, criticized the definition because it “may include protected speech in some contexts, particularly with respect to criticism of the State of Israel.”
The vote was 320 yeas to 91 nays.
| Voting Yea (2): Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson |
| Voting Yea (3): Democratic Representative Andrea Salinas; Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer Voting Nay (3): Democratic Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, and Val Hoyle |
| Voting Yea (9): Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Derek Kilmer, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Voting Nay (1): Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal |
Cascadia total: 12 yea votes, 4 nay votes
ADDITIONAL VOTES BY VOICE: Along with roll call votes this week, the House also passed these measures: the Investing in All of America Act (H.R. 5333), to exclude from the limit on leverage certain amounts invested in smaller enterprises located in rural or low-income areas and small businesses in critical technology areas; the Plain Language in Contracting Act (H.R. 7987), to require plain language and the inclusion of key words in covered notices that are clear, concise, and accessible to small business concerns; and the Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act (H.R. 1069), to require reporting regarding clean energy demonstration projects.
In the United States Senate
GEORGIA ALEXAKIS, U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE: The Senate on May 1st confirmed the nomination of Georgia Alexakis to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Over the past two decades Alexakis has variously been a federal prosecutor in the district and a private practice attorney at two different law firms. A supporter, Senator Dick Durbin, D‑Illinois, said her “courtroom experience, management credentials, and knowledge of the Northern District make her well-positioned to serve on the bench with distinction.” The vote was 54 yeas to 44 nays.
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Yea (2): |
| Voting Yea (2): |
ADDITIONAL VOTES BY VOICE: The Senate also passed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act (H.R. 1042), to prohibit the importation of unirradiated low-enriched uranium produced in Russia; and the Strengthening Support for American Manufacturing Act (S. 2116), to require the Commerce Department to produce a report that provides recommendations to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of Commerce programs related to supply chain resilience and manufacturing and industrial innovation.
Key votes ahead
The House will take up a large set of Republican “messaging” bills, including the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2024, the Equal Representation Act, and the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act. It will also consider a smaller number of Democratic bills, including Senator Jon Ossoff’s Eliminate Useless Reports Act of 2024.
On Tuesday, following Leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination of Donna Welton to be Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. Following disposition of the Welton nomination, the Senate will resume consideration of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill.
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