HOW TEXAS VOTED
WASHINGTON — How the Texas congressional delegation voted on major issues last week:
Senate
1. Rachel Brand, associate attorney general: Confirmed, 52-46, Rachel L. Brand as associate attorney general for the Office of Legal Policy, where she will oversee the administration’s judicial appointments. Brand had been a faculty member at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
A yes vote was to confirm Brand for the Department of Justice position.
2. Jeffrey Rosen, deputy transportation secretary: Confirmed, 56-42, Jeffrey A. Rosen as deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), where he will oversee daily operations of the agency and its 55,000 employees. A partner in a Washington law firm, Rosen previously served in the George W. Bush administration as the top attorney at DOT and the Office of Management and Budget. Democrats said he has a weak regulatory record in areas such as enforcing autosafety and fuel-economy standards.
A yes vote was to confirm Rosen as the secondranking DOT official.
House
1. Russian election meddling: Voted, 230189, to block a Democratic bid to force floor consideration of a bill (HR 356) now in committee that would create an independent commission for probing Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election by electronic means such as hacking and spreading false information.
The bill has 197 Democratic sponsors along with Republican sponsors Walter Jones of North Carolina and Justin Amash of Michigan.
A yes vote was to keep the bill in committee.
2. Death penalty expansion: Passed, 271-143, a bill (HR 115) that would authorize federal courts deciding whether to impose the death penalty to treat as an “aggravating circumstance” the murder or attempted murder of non-federal police or first responders. This would raise from 16 to 17 the number of aggravating factors upon which federal judges and juries can base capital-punishment decisions.
A yes vote was to send the GOP-sponsored bill to the Senate.
3. Donald Trump’s tax returns: Voted, 226188, to block a parliamentary attempt by Democrats to force floor debate on a bill (HR 305) now in committee that would require President Trump and future presidential nominees to disclose their three most recent federal tax returns.
A yes vote opposed floor consideration of the disclosure bill.
4. Warrantless arrests by probation officers: Passed, 229-177, a GOP-sponsored bill (HR 1039) that would authorize federal probation officers to make on-the-spot arrests without warrants of hostile third parties they see as hampering their work with probationers.
While backers called this an important protective measure, critics said it could violate constitutional safeguards against unreasonable searches and seizures.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.