HOW TEXAS VOTED

WASHINGTON — How the Texas congressional delegation voted on major issues last week:

Senate

1. Total withdrawal from Afghanistan: Voted, 60-33, to table (kill) an amendment to the fiscal 2021 military budget (S 4049) requiring a complete withdrawal over one year of the 8,600 U.S. combat troops in Afghanistan. The underlying bill, which remained in debate, opposes any “precipitous” ending of America’s 20year military involvement there, and President Donald Trump has called for reducing the troop level to 4,500 by year’s end but has not set a withdrawal date.

A yes vote was in opposition to the troop withdrawal amendment.

House

1. Improving access to credit data: Passed, 234179, a bill (HR 5332) that would require credit bureaus Experian, TransUnion and Equifax to establish a joint online portal giving consumers free anytime access to information on their credit scores and reports, dispute histories and sale of personal data to third parties. Consumers now must deal separately with the bureaus and are allowed a limited number of free views. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would oversee the portal.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

2. Expanding Affordable Care Act: Passed, 234-179, a Democratic bill (HR 1425) that would reshape the Affordable Care Act by steps such as broadening its Medicaid expansion, capping medical expenditures for certain coverage levels and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. The bill would raise the national debt by at least $50 billion over 10 years while extending coverage to 4 million Americans in addition to the 23 million already using the law to cover a large share of their medical expenses.

The bill would require states that have not joined the ACA’s Medicaid expansion to do so or face a cut in the federally paid share of their basic Medicaid program. For newly joining states, the federal government would cover 100 percent of added costs for three years and 90 percent thereafter. In addition, the bill stipulates that enrollees in ACA Silver plans could not be charged more than 8.5 percent of their annual income for premiums, deductibles and related charges. The bill also would require pharmaceutical companies to negotiate with the federal government the prices of about 250 top-selling prescription drugs offered in Medicare Part D and employer plans.

Further, the bill would nullify an executive order by President Donald Trump that allows the sale of plans that do not meet ACA requirements such as coverage of pre-existing conditions and the provision of “essential health benefits” including maternity and pediatric care.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

3. Advancing COVID-19 medicines: Defeated, 223-187, a Republican bid to keep HR 1425 (above) from taking effect until after federal health officials certify that its lowering of drug prices would not delay the development of COVID-19 vaccines or therapies by crimping pharmaceutical companies’ research budgets.

A yes vote was to adopt the motion.

4. Approving $1.5 trillion for infrastructure: Approved, 233-188, a $1.5 trillion infrastructure package, with one-third allocated to improving roads, bridges, mass transit and interstate railways over five years. The bill (HR 2) contains numerous green provisions to address the climate crisis. Funding also would be used to upgrade municipal drinking water systems, dredge harbors, add electric vehicles to the postal fleet, improve rural and inner-city broadband, build affordable housing and improve public facilities ranging from utilities to hospitals to disadvantaged schools. While the bill would derive much of its revenue from the Highway Trust Fund, which is supported by fuel taxes, it would rely heavily of deficit spending.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

5. Barring help for China: Adopted, 224-193, a Republican motion that would prohibit funding in HR 2 (above) from being used to line the pockets of state-owned Chinese companies or build prison camps for China’s population of Muslim Uighurs.

A yes vote was to adopt the motion.

6. Extending evictions freeze: Passed, 232-180, a bill (HR 7301) that would extend until mid-2021 a freeze on evictions and foreclosures linked to financial hardship caused by the coronavirus. The current moratorium will expire July 25. The bill also would create a $100 billion fund to help tenants pay rent and utility bills during the pandemic.

A yes vote was to extend the moratorium.

7. Barring help for unauthorized immigrants: Defeated, 219-191, a Republican bid to amend HR 7301 (above) in order to increase oversight of the Housing and Urban Development Department and prohibit immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from receiving benefits.

A yes vote was to adopt the motion.