HOW YOUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATES VOTED
For the week ending March 2
Contact your legislators at the U.S. Capitol Zip codes: House 20515, Senate 20510 Capitol operator: (202) 224-3121
By Voterama In Congress
© 2018 Thomas Reports Inc.
POST-PARKLAND DISPUTE OVER GUN BILLS: On a vote of 228 for and 184 against, the House on Feb. 27 blocked a Democratic resolution calling on the House to debate two gun-safety bills. One (HR 3464) would prevent a firearms dealer from selling a weapon before completion of a federal background check. The second bill (HR 4240) would incentivize reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background System and expand criminal and mental-health background checks to cover all firearms transactions except those among family members, friends and hunting partners. The latter provision would eliminate exemptions for purchases occurring at gun shows, over the Internet and through classified ads. This vote was conducted after Republican leaders, who control the House agenda, declined to immediately bring gun legislation to the floor following a Feb. 14 mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school.
The Democratic resolution was quashed by the presiding officer’s ruling that it did not qualify under House rules as a ”privileged question” entitled to floor action. On the vote reported here, Republicans upheld that ruling after it was appealed by Democrats.
A yes vote was in opposition to allowing floor debate on the two bills.
NO: LUJAN GRISHAM, LUJÁN NOT VOTING: PEARCE
BILL TO COMBAT ONLINE SEX TRAFFICKING: Voting 388 for and 25 against, the House on Feb. 27 passed a bill (HR 1865) stipulating that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act can be used to prosecute websites that facilitate prostitution and sex trafficking. Congress enacted the CDA in 1996 to regulate pornographic material on the Internet. Section 230 protects Internet service providers and third-party platforms such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook against a wide range of laws that apply to originators of pornographic content. This bill would deny such protection in federal, state and local courts to websites such as Backpage whose business model is to advance the sex trade. But critics including the Department of Justice said it has an overly broad “reason to know” standard that would imperil the free speech of innocent third parties, and therefore make prosecution of sex traffickers more difficult.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. YES: LUJAN GRISHAM, LUJÁN NOT VOTING: PEARCE
CAPITAL RESERVES FOR MEGABANKS: Voting 245 for and 169 against, the House on Feb. 27 passed a bill (HR 4296) that would direct federal banking regulators to redefine rules under which America’s 10 largest banks hold capital as a cushion against future losses that could seriously damage the economy. At present, the “operational risk” for determining the megabanks’ reserves is based largely on past performance. This bill would base risk instead on current and projected performance, disregarding previous management mistakes. The change would free up hundreds of billions of dollars that the banks could use for purposes such as lending, paying dividends or buying back stock. But critics said it could potentially lead to failures and taxpayer bailouts of banks deemed too big to fail.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. NO: LUJAN GRISHAM, LUJÁN NOT VOTING: PEARCE
WELLS FARGO EXCLUSION: Voting 185 for and 228 against, the House on Feb. 27 defeated a bid by Democrats to deny benefits under HR 4296 (above) to any bank that has engaged in the past 10 years “in a pattern or practice of unsafe or unsound banking practices.” The amendment was directed mainly at Wells Fargo, which paid fines and is under Federal Reserve sanctions after having admitted systematically defrauding millions of its customers in recent years.
A yes vote was to adopt the Democratic motion. YES: LUJAN GRISHAM, LUJÁN NOT VOTING: PEARCE
RUSSELL VOUGHT, DEPUTY BUDGET DIRECTOR: By a vote of 50 for and 49 against, with Vice President Pence casting the deciding vote, the Senate on Feb. 28 confirmed Russell Vought as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought held Republican staff positions in the House, including one under Pence when he was a congressman, and served for seven years as vice president of Heritage Action, the political arm of the Heritage Foundation.
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee. NO: UDALL, HEINRICH