HOW YOUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATES VOTED
For the week ending January 11
Contact your legislators at the U.S. Capitol Zip codes: House 20515, Senate 20510 Capitol operator: (202) 224-3121
WASHINGTON — Here’s how area members of Congress voted during the legislative week ending Jan. 11.
U.S. SUPPORT OF ISRAEL, JORDAN: Voting 56 for and 44 against, the Senate on Jan. 8 failed to reach 60 votes needed to end a Democratic filibuster against a bill (S 1) that would authorize $3.3 billion annually in U.S. military aid to Israel over 10 years, impose American financial sanctions on individuals and entities doing business with the Assad regime in Syria, authorize unspecified military aid to Jordan and vow to help Jordan secure its borders with Syria and Iraq. Democrats said they would delay the bill until the government has been fully reopened.
A yes vote was to advance the bill.
NO: Tom Udall, Martin Heinrich
BILL TO REOPEN TREASURY, IRS, OTHER AGENCIES: Voting 240 for and 188 against, the House on Jan. 9 passed a bill (HR 264) that would appropriate $23.7 billion in fiscal 2019 for the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission and other agencies partially closed since Dec. 22. The bill would fund a 1.9 percent pay raise for civil servants in 2019 while prohibiting scheduled raises for Vice President Pence and senior political appointees in the administration.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
YES: Deb Haaland, Xochitl Torres Small, Ben Ray Luján
ANTI-TERRORISM FUNDING BOOST: By a vote of 200 for and 227 against, the House on Jan. 9 rejected a GOP effort to boost spending in HR 264 (above) for the Treasury Departments Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, which combats terrorist financing in U.S. and international financial systems, enforces economic sanctions and polices global money laundering. Republicans sought to increase the offices’ 2019 budget by $2 million to $161 million.
NO: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
HOUSE DEFENSE OF 2010 HEALTH LAW: The House on Jan. 9 voted, 235 for and 192 against, to intervene in the defense of the Affordable Care Act in Texas v. United States. In that case, a federal judge held that the law became unconstitutional when Congress, in December 2017, repealed its individual-mandate tax penalty on those who fail to obtain health insurance. This invalidated the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that upheld the health law because of its roots in Congress’ taxing power, according to Judge Reed O’Connor of the Northern District of Texas. He stayed his decision while the case works its way through an appeals process expected to end at the Supreme Court. The vote adopted H Res 6.
A yes vote backed House intervention in Texas v. United States.
YES: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
$71 BILLION FOR TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING IN 2019: Voting 244 for and 180 against, the House on Jan. 10 passed a bill (HR 267) that would appropriate $26.6 billion for the Department of Transportation and $44.5 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development in fiscal 2019. This was one of four spending bills passed by the Democratic-led House during the week in an effort to reopen departments and agencies partially closed since Dec. 22. But the GOP-led Senate has refused to consider the bills until Democrats and President Trump resolve their dispute over funding the president’s proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
YES: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
FUNDING BOOST FOR DISABLED HOUSING: Voting 193 for and 228 against, the House on Jan. 10 defeated a Republican bid to add $71 million to a program that issues vouchers to help the severely disabled obtain housing in the private market. The measure sought to increase the program’s budget in HR 267 (above) to $390 million.
A yes vote backed an 18 percent increase in the bill’s budget for disability housing vouchers.
NO: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
$23.2 BILLION FOR FARM, FOOD, DRUG-SAFETY PROGRAMS: Voting 243 for and 183 against, the House on Jan. 10 passed a bill (HR 265) that would appropriate $23.2 billion in fiscal 2019 for the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies. The House sent this measure and three other appropriations bills to the Senate in an effort to reopen some of the departments and agencies that have been largely shut down since Dec. 22 due to expired funding. The move was also intended to put pressure on the Senate and the White House to end the partial shutdown or reduce its scope. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said his chamber will not consider spending bills until President Trump and House Democrats settle their dispute over border wall funding.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
YES: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
FUNDING BOOST FOR RURAL BROADBAND: Voting 197 for and 229 against, the House on Jan. 10 defeated a Republican motion that sought to increase funding in HR 265 (above) for rural-broadband programs by $125 million to a total of $565 million. The Department of Agriculture program provides communities and individuals in rural areas with grants and low-cost loans for obtaining high-speed internet connectivity.
A yes vote was to increase the bills rural-broadband budget by nearly 30 percent.
NO: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
BACK PAY ASSURANCE FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Voting 411 for and seven against, the House on Jan. 11 joined the Senate in passing a bill (S 24) stipulating that more than 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay in the current government shutdown will receive back pay when departments and agencies are fully reopened. In permanent language, the bill also guarantees back pay for civil servants after any future shutdowns of the federal government.
A yes vote was to send the bill to President Trump.
YES: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
$35.9 BILLION FOR DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, EPA, OTHER AGENCIES: Voting 240 for and 179 against, the House on Jan. 11 passed a bill (HR 266) that would appropriate $35.9 billion in fiscal 2019 for the Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service and other agencies. This was the fourth individual 2019 spending bill passed by the Democratic-led House in the third week of a partial government shutdown. The bills have been shelved by the GOP-led Senate pending a resolution of President Trump’s request for border wall funding.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
YES: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
FUNDING BOOST FOR WILDFIRE PREVENTION: Voting 190 for and 229 against, the House on Jan. 11 defeated a Republican bid to increase funding in HR 266 (above) for U.S. Forest Service wildfire-prevention programs by $30 million, to a total of $644 million. These efforts use methods such as thinning of unhealthy trees, prescribed burns and underbrush removal to reduce incendiary conditions in forests.
A yes vote was to increase the bill’s wildfire-prevention budget by nearly 5 percent.
NO: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján