HOW YOUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATES VOTED
For the week ending July 21
Contact your legislators at the U.S. Capitol Zip codes: House 20515, Senate 20510 Capitol operator: (202) 224-3121
HOUSE
GOP STATEMENT AGAINST CARBON TAX: Voting 229 for and 180 against, the House on July 19 adopted a nonbinding GOP statement of opposition to proposals that would put a new tax on the use of coal, natural gas and petroleum products in order to discourage their use and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide. The measure (H Con Res 119) asserted that a carbon tax “would be detrimental to American families and businesses and is not in the best interest of the United States.” Critics defended such a tax as a cost-efficient and equitable way to reduce toxic emissions while generating revenue to help those most affected by the higher cost of using fossil fuels.
A yes vote was to adopt the resolution.
YES: PEARCE NO: LUJÁN NOT VOTING: LUJAN GRISHAM
RESTORING ELECTION-SECURITY FUNDS FOR
STATES: Voting 182 for and 232 against, the House on July 19 defeated a Democratic attempt to add funding for Election Assistance Commission (EAC) grants for states to a 2019 spending bill (HR 6147, below). The underlying bill “zeroed out” funding in the new fiscal year for these grants, which have been used since 2003 to help states upgrade voting machines and fortify electoral systems. On this vote, Democrats sought to restore funding to the 2018 level of $380 million. At least 40 states use outdated voting machines and 13 states employ machines that fail to generate paper backups to electronic voting files, according to debate.
YES: LUJAN GRISHAM, LUJÁN NO: PEARCE
2019 BUDGET FOR ENVIRONMENT, TREASURY, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Voting 217 for and 199 against, the House on July 19 approved a $58.7 billion appropriations bill (HR 6147) for the Treasury and Interior departments, federal judiciary, District of Columbia and numerous related agencies in fiscal 2019. In part, the bill would cut the Environmental Protection Administration budget by $100 million to $7.96 billion; put Congress in control of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau budget; set aside $585 billion that could not be spent until Congress eliminates annual deficits; increase the Internal Revenue Service budget by $186 million to $11.6 billion; prohibit the Securities and Exchange Commission from requiring disclosure of political contributions to shareholders and appropriate $3.9 billion for fighting and preventing forest fires.
In addition, the bill would fund a $751 million federal payment to the District of Columbia while repealing the federal city’s Death With Dignity Act and providing $45 million for vouchers used by some D.C. students to transfer to private and parochial schools. The bill also would raise the Indian Health Service budget by $370 million to $5.9 billion; prohibit regulation of the lead content of ammunition and fishing tackle; scale back certain Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act regulations and
provide $21 million for developing an early warning system for West Coast earthquakes.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
YES: PEARCE NO: LUJAN GRISHAM, LUJÁN
AGREEMENT WITH SPEAKER ON RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE: Voting 230 for and 183 against, the House on July 17 blocked a Democratic bid for floor debate on a measure (H Res 999) that would formally enshrine Speaker Paul Ryan’s written statement that there is “no question” that Russia intervened in the 2016 presidential campaign and continues to interfere with U.S. elections. Ryan commented after President Trump, in a news conference in Helsinki, sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies when asked about Russian interference in his contest against Hillary Clinton. Had Democrats prevailed on this vote, they would have had standing to call the resolution up for debate.
A yes vote was in opposition to calling the measure up for debate.
YES: PEARCE NO: LUJÁN NOT VOTING: LUJAN GRISHAM
BILL TO EXPAND BALLOT ACCESS: Voting 226 for and 186 against, the House on July 18 blocked a Democratic attempt to call up for debate a bill (HR 12) that would streamline and promote voter registration in the states, upgrade software and technology at polling places, fortify ballot security and combat obstacles to equal access to the ballot. Had Democrats prevailed on this vote, they would been able to bring the bill to the floor for debate.
A yes vote was in opposition to calling the measure up for debate.
YES: PEARCE NO: LUJAN GRISHAM, LUJÁN
GOP SUPPORT OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT: Voting 244 for and 35 against, the House on July 18 adopted a nonbinding GOP-sponsored measure (H Res 990) expressing support of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Thirty-five Democrats voted no, while another 133 answered “present,” which is the equivalent of not voting. Some Democrats and progressives have recently criticized the agency’s stepped-up arrests of undocumented immigrants and its role in separating migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border as part of the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy.
A yes vote was to adopt the resolution.
YES: PEARCE NOT VOTING: LUJAN GRISHAM, LUJÁN
SENATE
RUSSIAN REQUEST TO INTERROGATE AMERICANS: Voting 98 for and none against, the Senate on July 19 stated its opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s request for President Trump to submit 11 American citizens — including current and former diplomats — to interrogation by Russian prosecutors probing U.S. economic sanctions against their country. Trump weighed the request for three days, then rejected it at about the time of this vote, which adopted a nonbinding “sense of the Senate” resolution (S Res 584).
A yes vote was to adopt the resolution.
YES: UDALL, HEINRICH