Congressional roll call

Voterama in Congress Here’s how area members of Congress voted on major issues during the week ending March 3. HOUSE TRUMP’S TAX RETURNS: Voting 229-185, the House on Feb. 27 blocked a push by Democrats for the Ways and Means Committee to review President Trump’s tax returns for 2006 through 2015 and report its findings to the full House. The resolution stated, in part, that such a review would reveal whether Trump “is operating under conflicts of interest related to international affairs, tax reform, government contracts” and “could help those investigating Russian influence in the 2016 election understand the president’s financial ties to the Russian Federation and Russian citizens .... ” A yes vote was to kill a Democratic bid for public disclosure of the president’s tax returns.

John Faso, R-Kinderhook:

Yes

Sean Maloney, D-Cold Spring: No REGULATIONS COMMISSION: Voting 240-185, the House on March 1 passed a bill (HR 998) that would establish a nine-member outside commission with a $6 million annual budget and subpoena powers to review masses of federal regulations

and target for repeal those judged to be outdated or overly costly to the economy. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. Faso: Yes

Maloney: No CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:

Voting 190 in favor and 235 opposed, the House on March 1 refused to exempt from HR 998 (above) any regulation aimed at preventing conflicts of interest by employees and officers of the executive branch, including the president. Sponsored by Democrats, the motion also sought to fence off regulations concerning financial disclosures and bribery in the executive branch. A yes vote was to adopt the Democratic motion. Faso: No Maloney: Yes REGULATIONS CLAMPDOWN: Voting 246-176, the House on March 2 passed a GOP-sponsored bill (HR 1004) that would impose additional transparency and disclosure requirements on agencies, including Internet postings, as they gather comments from stakeholders and the general public on proposed regulations. The bill would affect the hundreds of major rules agencies put into effect each year to implement the broadly worded laws passed by Congress. A yes vote was to send the bill

to the Senate. Faso: Yes Maloney: No PRESIDENTIAL FINANCES:

Voting 189 in favor and 232 opposed, the House on March 2 defeated an attempt by Democrats to hold President Trump to the same transparency and disclosure standards in his personal finances as HR 1004 (above) would require of federal agencies in their rulemaking processes. A yes vote was to adopt the motion.

Faso: No Maloney: Yes CONTROL OVER AGENCIES: Voting 241-184, the House on March 1 passed a bill (HR 1009) that would require independent agencies, for the first time, to submit proposed regulations to review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which reports to the White House. The bill would potentially affect rules proposed by agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Federal Communications Commission and Commodities Futures Trading Commission. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. Faso: Yes

Maloney: No GOVERNMENT ETHICS:

Voting 193 in favor and 234 opposed, the House on March

1 defeated a Democratic motion to exempt the Office of Government Ethics, an independent agency, from the reach HR 1009 (above). The office was established in 1978 in response to the Watergate scandal, and in 1988 it was given independent status. Presidents appoint its director to a five-year term subject to Senate confirmation. A yes vote was to keep the Office of Government Ethics independent of the White House.

Faso: No Maloney: Yes

INJURY RECORDS: Voting 231-191, the House on March 1 nullified an Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule concerning the obligation of employers to keep updated records of employee injuries and illnesses. Under the rule, employers could be fined for recordkeeping infractions for up to five years after the date of the incident. If the rule were to be nullified, the liability span likely would be reduced to six months from the date of the incident. A yes vote as to send the nullification measure (HJ Res 83) to the Senate. Faso: Yes

Maloney: No SENATE

WILBUR ROSS: Voting 72-27, the Senate on Feb. 27 confirmed billionaire investor Wilbur L. Ross as the 40th secretary of the Department of Commerce. Ross, 79, a specialist in restructuring troubled companies in fields such as textiles and auto parts, will help lead administration efforts to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement. Democrats criticized the nominee over his existing business ties with associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin at entities such as the Bank of Cyprus, which Ross controls, and for his failure to divest his interests in shipping firms partially owned by the state-owned China Investment Co. A yes vote was to confirm Ross.

Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.:

No Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.: No RYAN ZINKE: The Senate voted 68-31 on March 1 to confirm Ryan Zinke, 55, a Republican congressman from Montana, as the 52nd secretary of the Department of the Interior. Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, drew Democratic criticism over his anti-environment voting record and support of expanded oil and gas drilling on federal lands. A yes vote was to confirm Zinke.

Gillibrand: No Schumer: No BEN CARSON: Voting 5841, the Senate on March 2 confirmed Ben Carson, 65, a retired neurosurgeon and onetime GOP presidential candidate, as the 17th secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Democrats objected to putting a nominee with no governmental experience who questions the social safety net in charge of HUD’s $47 billion annual budget and 8,300 employees. A yes vote was to confirm Carson.

Gillibrand: No Schumer: No

RICK PERRY: Voting 6237, the Senate on March 2 confirmed former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 67, as the 14th secretary of the Department of Energy. He now leads a department he proposed to eliminate when he ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. A yes vote was to confirm Perry.

Gillibrand: No Schumer: No

COMING UP

The House this week will debate the 2017 military budget and could take up a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, while the Senate will vote on appointees to President Trump’s cabinet.