Congressional roll call

Voterama in Congress

Here’s how area members of Congress voted on major issues during the week ending March 24.

HOUSE

HEALTH INSURANCE, STATE LINES: Voting 236175, the House on March 22 passed a bill (HR 1101) that would allow small businesses to band together to form “association health plans” qualified to sell policies across state lines free of Affordable Care Act requirements. Supporters said the bill would give small firms more scale for competing against large corporations. Critics said that by pre-empting state laws, the bill would result in skimpy health plans from states with low standards flooding markets in well regulated states. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

John Faso, R-Kinderhook: Yes Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford: Yes Sean Patrick Maloney, DCold Spring: No OPIOID TREATMENTS:

Voting 179 in favor and 233 opposed, the House on March 22 defeated a Democratic motion requiring that association health plans established under HR 1101 (above) cover opioid abuse and other forms of drug addiction. The Affordable Care Act requires health policies sold in the U.S. to offer 10 “essential health benefits,” one of which is coverage of drug abuse. The association health plans that are the focus of this bill have no such requirements. A yes vote was to adopt the motion in behalf of opioid coverage. Faso: No Tenney: No Maloney: Yes

ANTITRUST EXEMPTION: Voting 416-7, the House on March 22 passed a bill (HR 372) that would end the health insurance industry’s 72-year exemption from federal antitrust laws under the McCarran-Ferguson Act. Health insurers are now regulated by the state where they are based and subject to that state’s antitrust laws. Under this bill, the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission would provide another layer of enforcement against monopolistic practices such as collusion in setting premium rates, allocating market shares and rigging bids on contracts. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. Faso: Yes Tenney: Yes Maloney: Yes

SENATE

INTERNET ACTIVITY: Voting 50-48 against, the Senate on March 23 nullified a Federal Communications Commission rule that Internet service providers such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon must obtain customer consent before they share sensitive user information such as browsing and app activity with advertisers and other parties. The requirement was published in October but has not yet taken effect. A yes vote was to send the nullification measure (SJ Res 34) to the House.

Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.:

No Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.: No

AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: Voting 52-46, the Senate on March 23 confirmed David M. Friedman, 65, a lawyer who has represented The Trump Organization and President Trump in bankruptcy litigation, as U.S. ambassador to Israel. Friedman supports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expansion of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories and advocates moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A yes vote was to confirm Friedman.

Gillibrand: No Schumer: No

INJURY RECORDS: Voting 50-48, the Senate on March 22 nullified an Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule on 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 is nullified, the liability span likely would be reduced to six months from the date of the incident. A yes vote was to send the nullification measure (HJ Res 83) to President Trump. Gillibrand: No Schumer: No PREDATOR CONTROL: The Senate on March 21 voted 52-47 to nullify a Department of the Interior rule that would prohibit inhumane methods of killing bears, wolves and coyotes on the 16 federal wildlife refuges covering 77 million acres in Alaska. Overriding state laws, the rule outlaws practices such as shooting grizzlies from aircraft and gassing wolves in their dens. The rule requires predator control to be undertaken only for conservation purposes or to provide subsistence to indigenous populations. Denouncing the rule as a federal overstep, critics said Alaska has responsible practices for managing its wildlife population. A yes vote was to send the nullification measure (HJ Res 69) to President Trump. Gillibrand: No Schumer: No

COMING UP

The House this week will take up a measure to roll back certain privacy protections for Internet users. The Senate will conduct confirmation votes on nominees to serve in the Trump administration.