Good morning! Here’s how Cascadia’s United States Senators voted on major issues during the legislative week ending Friday, October 23rd.
In the United States Senate
SCALING BACK ANTI-POVERTY INVESTMENTS BY BANKS: Voting 43 for and 48 against, the Senate on October 19th cleared the way for a Trump administration regulatory rollback that would allow banks to skirt anti-poverty objectives of the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).
A civil rights law, the CRA gives banks incentives to issue loans for economic development and affordable housing in low- and moderate-income communities where they have branches.
In part, the rollback would allow banks to comply with the law by meeting broad criteria rather than specific social and economic obligations in poor communities. On this vote, the Senate turned back a Democratic-sponsored measure (HJ Res 90) to block the new rule, which has not yet taken effect.
Chris Coons, D‑Delaware, said the CRA “is a landmark civil rights and anti-redlining law created to improve the welfare of low- and moderate-income Americans,” and which has “resulted in trillions of dollars invested in low- and moderate-income communities.”
Michael Crapo, R‑Idaho, said the CRA has “failed to improve economic outcomes for underserved groups, including minorities and low- and moderate income communities.…Importantly, the [Trump] rule does not change” the federal “obligation to fight discrimination and illegal practices.”
A yes vote opposed a weakening of the Community Reinvestment Act.
 | Voting Nay (2): |
 | Voting Aye (2): |
 | Voting Aye (1): Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell Not Voting (1): Democratic Senator Patty Murray |
Cascadia total: 3 aye votes, 2 nay votes, 1 not voting
BLOCKING REPUBLICAN CORONAVIRUS PACKAGE: Voting 51 for and 44 against, the Senate on Oct. 21 failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a Republican-sponsored $500 billion coronavirus-relief package (S 178).
The measure included funds to expand unemployment benefits, extend the Paycheck Protection Program for businesses, build protective features at K‑12 schools, expand COVID-19 testing, advance vaccine development and take other steps to deal with the pandemic. Democrats called the bill small-bore compared to a $2.2 trillion measure (the Revised HEROES Act) recently passed by the House, noting that it omitted benefits including $1,200 stimulus payments to individuals, aid for renters and homeowners, expanded child tax credits and funding for postal operations, election security and the 2020 Census.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R‑Ky., said the package would provide “half a trillion dollars of good that Congress can do right now through programs that Democrats do not even say they oppose. American families deserve for us to agree where we can, make law and push huge amounts of money out the door while Washington continues arguing over the rest.”
Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D‑New York, said “emaciated” bill “fails to include robust unemployment insurance, enough funding for schools and universities, or funding for rental, housing, or nutrition assistance. It does nothing for the census or our elections” and is “totally inadequate when it comes to funding for testing and tracing, especially given the new spike in cases and… that a second wave may be upon us.”
A yes vote was to advance the Republican bill.
| Voting Aye (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
| Voting Nay (2): |
Cascadia total: 2 aye votes, 4 nay votes
Key votes ahead
The Senate will vote on the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett in the week of October 26th, while the House is likely to be in recess.
Editor’s Note: The information in NPI’s weekly How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted feature is provided by Voterama in Congress, a service of Thomas Voting Reports. 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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