Congressional roll call

Here’s how area members of Congress voted on major issues during the week ending Sept. 28.

HOUSE

SAVINGS ACCOUNTS: Voting 240-177, the House on Sept. 27 passed a bill (HR 6757) that would create a new type of tax-favored savings account — Universal Savings Accounts, or USAs — to which individuals could contribute up to $2,500 annually. USAs would be similar to Roth IRAs in that contributions would not be taxdeductible. But withdrawals would be tax-free, as would growth in account balances from dividends, capital gains and interest. There would be no income limits for USA participation, tax-free withdrawals could be made before retirement, and the “required minimum distribution” for seniors would be waived for accounts below certain balances. The bill also would loosen rules governing Section 529 tax-advantaged education accounts and employerprovided retirement plans. The legislation is projected to cost the Treasury $21 billion in lost revenue over 10 years. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

John Faso, R-Kinderhook:

Yes

Sean Maloney, D-Cold Spring: No

VIOLENCE AGAINST

WOMEN ACT: Voting 230188 against, the House on Sept. 26 blocked a Democratic bid to call up for debate a bill (HR 6545), now in committee, that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act through fiscal 2023. The vote occurred during consideration of ground rules for debating an appropriations bill (HR 6157, below) that would, in part, extend the law until Dec. 7, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate a long-term extension. The 1994 law is designed to prevent domestic and dating violence, stalking and sexual assaults, and to help victims repair their lives after those crimes occur. The Democratic bill would increase the law’s funding while giving it more teeth to address a wide range of offenses, including ones against immigrants and tribal members. A yes vote was to oppose allowing debate of the Democratic bill. Faso: Yes

Maloney: No SPENDING BILL: Voting 361 -61, the House on Sept. 26 agreed to the conference report on a bill (HR 6157) that would appropriate $854 billion for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Education and Labor in fiscal 2019. In addition, the bill would fund stopgap budgets through Dec. 7 for departments and agencies that

await regular 2019 appropriations. The bill would fund a 2.6 percent pay raise for those in uniform while providing $68.1 billion for combat operations abroad. In addition, it would appropriate $3.7 billion for addressing opioid addiction, $2.3 billion for Alzheimer’s research, $445 million for charter schools and $95 million in grants to help K-12 schools prevent and recover from classroom shootings. A yes vote was to send the conference report to President Trump. Faso: Yes

Maloney: Yes AVIATION PROGRAMS, DISASTER AID, FEMA: Voting 398-23, the House on Sept. 26 passed a measure (H Res 1082) that would authorize federal aviation programs and the Federal Emergency Management Agency through September 2023 while requiring FEMA to allocate a larger share of its resources to mitigating damage from disasters. The bill would authorize $1.68 billion in disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Florence and Western wildfires this year. In addition, the bill would fund capital improvements at airports; subsidize passenger service to smaller cities; require minimal leg room and width dimensions for passenger seats; prohibit the bumping of passengers who have already boarded; bar the use of cell phones for in-flight calls; and upgrade in-fight accommodations for handicapped

passengers. A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Faso: Yes Maloney: Yes REPUBLICAN TAX CUTS

2.0: Voting 220-191, the House on Sept. 28 passed a bill (HR 6760) that would make permanent several key elements of the 2017 GOP tax-cut law that would otherwise expire after 2025. The provisions include the law’s tax rates for individuals, increased standard deduction, expanded child tax credit, caps on deductions of state and local tax payments and increased deductions for pass-through entities such as limitedliability and S corporations. The legislation would cost the Treasury $631 billion in foregone revenue over its first 10 years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. That would be on top of more than $1.5 trillion in new debt over 10 years attributable to the 2017 round of individual and business cuts. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Faso: No Maloney: No MUELLER PROBE: Voting 227-189, the House on Sept. 27 blocked a Democratic bid to call up for debate a bill (HR 5476), now in committee, that would prohibit President Trump from arbitrarily firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller III. The bill stipulates that special counsels can be removed only for “misconduct,

dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest or other good cause” by the attorney general or other, most-senior Senateconfirmed Department of Justice officials. In addition, the special counsel must receive written notice that states the reasons for the removal and be allowed up to 10 days to challenge the action in court. The vote occurred during consideration of ground rules for debating HR 6760 (above). A yes vote was in opposition to debating a Democratic bill to protect Mueller. Faso: Yes

Maloney: No

OPIOIDS SCOURGE: Voting 393-8, the House on Sept. 28 approved a package of 70 bills that would authorize $500 million over three years for state and local programs to fight the nation’s growing addiction to illicit drugs including opioids. In part, the bill would increase the number of recovery facilities for drug addicts; expand government and private research into nonaddictive pain therapies; expand telemedicine care in rural areas; allow Medicaid reimbursement for treating infants born with addictions; and set uniform hospital standards for spotting opiate addiction. In addition, the bill would require the U.S. Postal Service to develop technology for detecting substances including fentanyl in packages from abroad, just as private carriers such as UPS and FedEx must do. A yes vote was to send HR 6 to President Trump. Faso: Yes

Maloney: Yes

SENATE

CONSUMER PRODUCT

REGULATOR: Voting 5149, the Senate on Sept. 26 confirmed Peter A. Feldman, a staff member on the Senate Commerce Committee, for a seven-year term on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, starting Oct. 27, 2019. The nomination proved controversial because Feldman has been separately confirmed to fill out the unexpired term of a commissioner who resigned this year. Democrats called it wrong to confirm a sitting commissioner for a future vacancy. The commission is charged with regulating the manufacture and safety of everyday products for infants, youths and adults. The addition of Feldman gives it a 3-2 Republican majority. A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.

Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.:

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

COMING UP

The House will be in recess this week. The Senate schedule is to be announced.