CONGRESSIONAL ROLL CALL
Voterama in Congress
Here’s how area members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending Aug. 7.
SENATE
CONFIRMING DEPUTY SECRETARY OF ENERGY: Voting 79 for and 16 against, the Senate on Aug. 4 confirmed Mark W. Menezes as deputy secretary of energy. His duties will include overseeing the $35 billion Department of Energy budget and helping to manage the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Menezes had served as an under secretary of energy since 2017, and before that he was chief counsel on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and worked for the American Electric Power Company and Berkshire Hathaway Energy. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Menezes has been a leader in advancing renewable and nuclear energy and defending America’s energy infrastructure against cybersecurity threats, and is well qualified to guide the department through the Covid-19 pandemic. No senator spoke against Menezes.
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.:
No
Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.:
No
BARRING TIKTOK FROM GOVERNMENT DEVICES:
On a non-record vote, the Senate on Aug. 6 passed a bill (S 3455) that would require federal agencies to remove the Chinese social messaging app TikTok from government-issued smart phones and computers, as the Department of Defense already has done. TikTok, which is used to make music videos, resides on more than 80 million devices in America including some operated by federal workers. Critics say TikTok collects voluminous personal data on users for potential or actual sharing with the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party. The company is exploring the possible sale of its operations in the United States and certain other countries to Microsoft.
Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said TikTok “is currently a major security risk, both to our data security and to our national security...at a time when we need to be clear-eyed about the threat from the Chinese Communist Party.” No senator spoke against the bill, which is now before the House.
COMING UP
The House and Senate are in recess while awaiting the outcome of negotiations between Democratic leaders and the White House on a new round of coronavirus relief for recipients including the unemployed, renters, schools, medical providers and state and local governments.