Congressional roll call
Here’s how area members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending April 16.
House EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN:
Voting 217-210, the House on April 15 passed a bill (HR 7) that would tighten current federal law against gender-based wage discrimination and prevent employers from paying women less than men for equivalent work.
Sponsors of the bill said fulltime female workers receive 82 cents for every dollar paid to male counterparts. The legislation would prohibit wage discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or childbirth. Employers challenged in court would have to show that wage disparities are based on factors other than sex — such as education, training or experience — and are a business necessity.
Civil penalties would be increased, punitive and compensatory damages would no longer be capped, class-action lawsuits would be facilitated, and retaliation would be prohibited against workers disclosing pay information or making inquiries or complaints. Salary history could not be used in the hiring process or in setting pay levels, so that pay gaps would not follow workers from one job to the next. Federal agencies would collect more pay information from employers. A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Antonio Delgado, DRhinebeck: Yes
Sean Patrick Maloney, DCold Spring: Yes
SELF-POLICING BY EMPLOYERS: Voting 183 in favor and 244 opposed, the House on April 15 rejected an amendment to HR 7 (above) that would have allowed employers accused of wage discrimination to avoid penalties if, during the previous three years, they had conducted a job and wage analysis and taken steps to remedy any disparities based on sex that the audit revealed.
The amendment would allow employers to put ground rules on disclosure and discussion of wages. The Government Accountability Office would be directed to study causes and effects of wage disparities among men and women, disparities in negotiating skills among men and women, and the extent to which decisions to leave the workforce for parenting reasons affect wages and opportunities.
A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
Delgado: No
Maloney: No
PROTECTING HEALTHCARE WORKERS: Voting 254-116, the House on
April 16 passed a bill (HR 1195) to order new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules protecting healthcare and social service employees from workplace violence. The bill’s Democratic sponsors said those workers need special protection because they are exposed to a particularly high risk of on-the-job violence from those they are working to assist. Opponents said the new rules would be rushed and overly rigid.
OSHA would have a year to issue an interim standard and 42 months to complete the rulemaking process. A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Delgado: Yes
Maloney: Yes
Senate DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE:
Voting 56-42, the Senate on April 13 confirmed the nomination of Wendy R. Sherman to the No. 2 position at the State Department.
Sherman, 71, was a highranking diplomat during the Obama administration and was the chief U.S. negotiator of the 2015 agreement that sought to restrict Iran’s nuclear activities. Former President Donald Trump scrapped that agreement, but President Biden has promised to try to renegotiate the multilateral pact. A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.: Yes
Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.: Yes
DEPUTY TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Voting 82-15, the Senate on April 13 confirmed the nomination of Polly E. Trottenberg, 57, to the second-ranking post at the Transportation Department.
Trottenberg was New York City’s transportation commissioner the past seven years and was a senior official at DOT during the Obama administration.
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
Schumer: Yes
Gillibrand: Yes
SEC CHAIRMAN: Voting 53-45, the Senate on April 14 confirmed the nomination of Gary Gensler as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the body that regulates Wall Street and publicly traded companies.
Gensler, 63, who chaired the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during the Obama administration and was an undersecretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration, is expected to promote tougher rules and enforcement.
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
Schumer: Yes
Gillibrand: Yes
Coming up
The House this week will take up a bill conferring statehood on the District of Columbia.
The Senate will debate a COVID-related hate crimes bill.