HOW TEXANS VOTED
WASHINGTON – How the Texas congressional delegation voted on major issues last week:
Senate
1. To end debt filibuster: Voted, 67-31, to advance a bill (S 540) that would suspend the national-debt ceiling until March 16, 2015, allowing the Treasury to pay bills already incurred and keep the U.S. out of default. This was the decisive vote on the bill. Twelve Republicans joined 53 Democrats and two independents to push the bill over a 60-vote threshold, end a tea partyled filibuster and move toward final passage (next issue). A yes vote was to advance the debt-limit bill.
2. To suspend debt limit: Passed, 55-43, and sent to the White House a bill (S 540, above) to suspend the statutory debt limit until March 16, 2015, allowing the Treasury to borrow above the current $17.2 trillion cap over the next 13 months and avert U.S. default. The borrowing is necessary to accommodate spending already approved by the executive and legislative branches. The bill was passed without floor debate. A yes vote was to send the bill to President Barack Obama.
3. Military retirement payments: Passed, 95-3, a bill (S 25) that would restore a one-percentage- point cut in cost-of-living adjustments for military retirees younger than 62 to be phased in over three years starting in January 2015. The bill’s $6 billion cost over 10 years would be “paid for” by curbing Medicare payments to doctors. The bill was passed without floor debate. A yes vote was to send the bill to President Obama.
House
1. To suspend debt limit: Voted, 221-201, to suspend the current $17.2 trillion national-debt limit until March 16, 2015, enabling the Treasury to borrow to pay bills already incurred by Congress and the executive branch. The bill (S 540) was supported by 99 percent of Democrats who voted and opposed by 88 percent of Republicans who voted. Unlike other debt-limit increases in recent years, this is a “clean” measure free of conditions such as policy changes and spending cuts. No member spoke against the bill. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
2. Military retirement payments: Voted, 326-90, to undo a cut in cost-ofliving adjustments for military retirees younger than 62 that was enacted in December as part of a two-year budget deal. This sent the bill (S 25) to the Senate. Set to take effect next year, the cut would result in working-age military retirees receiving annual adjustments one percentage point below inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. At age 62, they would once again receive COLAs that keep pace with inflation. The cut would raise about $6 billion over 10 years to be used to soften the impact of sequestration on military and non-military discretionary budgets. To offset that revenue loss, the bill would curb Medicare reimbursements to doctors. The bill was passed without floor debate. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.