HOW LEHIGH VALLEY-AREA LAWMAKERS VOTED LAST WEEK Votes in the U.S. House
HR 23: To rescind certain balances made available to the Internal Revenue Service.
Voting 221 for and 210 against, the House on Monday passed a bill that rescinds certain unobligated amounts made available to the Internal Revenue Service by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 for its enforcement activities and operations support, the efile tax return system, and funding the U.S. Tax Court and certain Department of the Treasury tax agencies.
Yes: Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st (Bucks, parts of Montgomery and Philadelphia); Dan Meuser, R-9th (Schuylkill, parts of Carbon and Berks)
No: Madeleine Dean, D-4th (Montgomery, parts of Berks); Susan Wild, D-7th (Lehigh, Northampton, parts of Monroe); Matt Cartwright, D-8th (most of Monroe)
HRes 11: Establishing the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
Voting 365 for and 65 against, the House on Tuesday passed a resolution that establishes in the House of Representatives the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, which is comprised of not more than 16 members appointed by the speaker (seven of whom shall be appointed in consultation with the minority leader).
The resolution authorizes the committee to investigate and submit policy recommendations concerning the status of the economic, technological, and security progress of the Chinese Communist Party and its competition with the United States.
Yes: Fitzpatrick, Dean, Wild, Cartwright, Meuser
HRes.12: Establishing a Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government as a select investigative subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary.
Voting 221 for and 211 against, the House on Tuesday passed a resolution that temporarily establishes in the House of Representatives the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which is comprised of not more than 13 members appointed by the speaker (five of whom shall be appointed in consultation with the minority leader).
The subcommittee must investigate matters related to the collection, analysis, dissemination and use of information on U.S. citizens by executive branch agencies, including whether such efforts are illegal, unconstitutional, or otherwise unethical. The subcommittee must make a final report of its findings by January 2, 2025, and terminates 30 days after filing that report.
Yes: Fitzpatrick, Meuser
No: Dean, Wild, Cartwright
HR 26: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act Voting 220 for and 210 against,
the House on Wednesday that establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion.
Specifically, a health care practitioner who is present must exercise the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. Additionally, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree-of-care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement.
A health care practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care, or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure, is subject to criminal penalties — a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.
An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder.
The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violations.
Yes: Fitzpatrick, Meuser
No: Dean, Wild, Cartwright
HCon.Res.3: Expressing the sense of Congress condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches. Voting 222 for and 209 against,
the House on Wednesday agreed on this concurrent resolution that condemns recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups and churches and calls on the current presidential administration to use appropriate law enforcement authorities to support their safety. Yes: Fitzpatrick, Meuser
No: Dean, Wild, Cartwright
HR 22: Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act Voting 331 for and 97 against,
the House on Thursday passed a bill that prohibits the sale and export of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. Specifically, the bill prohibits the Department of Energy from selling petroleum products (e.g., crude oil) from the reserve to any entity that is under the ownership, control or influence of the Chinese Communist Party. Further, the Department of Energy must require as a condition of any sale of crude oil from the reserve that the oil not be exported to China.
Yes: Fitzpatrick, Meuser, Dean, Wild, Cartwright