HOW TEXAS VOTED
WASHINGTON — How the Texas congressional delegation voted on major issues last week:
Senate
1. Peter Feldman, consumer product regulator: Confirmed, 51-49, 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 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.
House
1. Violence Against
Women Act: Voted, 230188, to block 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 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 in opposition to allowing debate on the Democratic bill. 2. $854 billion appropriations bill for 2019: Voted, 361-61, to agree 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.
A yes vote was to send the conference report to President Trump.
3. Republican tax cuts
2.0: Passed, 220-191, 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.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
4. Steps to protect
Robert Mueller: Voted, 227-189, to block 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.
A yes vote was in opposition to debating a Democratic bill to protect Mueller.
5. Programs to combat
opioids scourge: Approved, 393-8, 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.
A yes vote was to send HR 6 to President Trump. 6. Tax-favored savings accounts: Passed, 240-177, a bill (HR 6757) that would create a new type of taxfavored savings account — Universal Savings Accounts — to which individuals could contribute up to $2,500 annually. USAs would be similar to Roth IRAs in that contributions would not be tax deductible. But withdrawals would be tax-free, as would growth in account balances from dividends, capital gains and interest.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
7. Aviation, disaster
aid, FEMA: Passed, 39823, 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.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.