How they voted: Molinaro, Ryan on illegal immigration, crime
WASHINGTON >> Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.
House
Childhood Diseases
The House voted March 5 384-4 in favor of passing the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 (H.R. 3391), sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., to reauthorize through fiscal 2028 a National Institutes of Health program for research into pediatric cancer and diseases. Wexton said the reauthorization was needed because “there is still a long fight ahead to better understand, treat, and ultimately cure childhood cancer.”
U.S. Rep, March Molnaro, R-Catskill; and U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, D-Catskill, voted yes.
Maternal Deaths
The House on March voted 382-12 in favor of passing the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3838), sponsored by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, R-Texas, to reauthorize federal programs that fund state maternal health care programs. Burgess said the bill “will help to ensure that resources are directed where they will have the most positive impact.” The vote, on March 5, was 382 yeas to 12 nays.
Molinaro and Ryan voted yes.
Consolidated Government Spending
The House on March 6 voted 339-85 in favor of passing an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366), sponsored by Rep. John R. Carter, R-Texas, to provide fiscal 2024 funding for various federal departments, including Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs. A supporter, Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, said the bill “honors our commitment to our veterans, strengthens our energy security, holds agencies accountable, supports our farmers and ranchers, and makes our transportation systems safer.” An opponent, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, criticized the bill for excessive spending that went beyond previously legislated limits for 2024, and for failing to secure the border with Mexico.
Ryan and Molinaro voted yes.
Cancer and Firefighters
The House on March 6 voted 413-7 in favor of passing the Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3821), sponsored by Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., to reauthorize through fiscal 2028 the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health’s registry of nationwide information about firefighters and cancer. Pascrell said the registry could lead to more knowledge of “the ties between career-long exposure to dangerous fumes and toxins and the incidence of firefighter cancer.”
Ryan and Molinaro voted yes.
Illegal Immigration and Crime
The House on March 7 voted 251-70 in favor of passing the Laken Riley Act (H.R. 7511), sponsored by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., to require the Homeland Security Department to apprehend immigrants in the country illegally who are facing charges for theft in the U.S. Collins called the requirement “a key piece in our fight to restore the rule of law and get criminal illegal aliens off our street” by removing such persons from the U.S. before they commit worse crimes than theft. An opponent, Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., said Congress did not have the authority to set such a requirement.
Molinaro voted yes. Ryan voted no.
Expanding Dental Workforce
The House on March 7 voted 391-32 in favor of passing the Action for Dental Health Act (H.R. 3843), sponsored by Rep. Robin L. Kelly, D-Ill., to reauthorize, through fiscal 2028, a program for issuing grants to states for resolving local shortages of dental health providers. Kelly said: “By prioritizing early diagnosis, intervention, and preventive dental treatments, we can significantly improve the well-being of patients and alleviate strain on our healthcare system.” The vote, on March 7, was 391 yeas to 32 nays.
Molinaro and Ryan voted yes.
Senate
Military Staffing
The Senate on March 6 voted 69-30 in favor of confirming the nomination of Ronald Keohane to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Keohane, currently a partner at the veterans-focused Blue Rose consultancy, was previously a Clinton and Obama administration official in the Defense Department and the National Guard. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Keohane “understands the value of caring for our servicemembers and their families.”
U.S. Sen Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., voted yes.
Regulating Coal, Other Mines
The Senate on March 6 voted 50-40 in favor of confirming the nomination of Moshe Z. Marvit to be a member of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission for a term ending in 2028. Marvit has been a lawyer at the Commission for a decade, and has been a law professor and a private practice lawyer representing the United Steelworkers union and other workers. A supporter, Sen. Bernie Sanders, ID-Vt., called Marvit “a well-qualified nominee strongly supported by the United Mine Workers of America and the United Steelworkers.”
Schumer and Gillibrand voted yes.
Merit Systems for Government Workers
The Senate on March 6 voted 51-48 in favor of confirming the nomination of Cathy Harris to be chairman of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Harris is a lawyer at a private practice law firm in Washington, D.C., specializing in federal government employment law.
Schumer and Gillibrand voted yes.
Nuclear Radiation Compensation
The Senate on March 7 voted 69-30 in favor of passing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act (S. 3853), sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. The bill would extend the deadline for filing compensation claims for exposure to radioactive waste from the 1940s Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear bomb and from working in uranium mines. Hawley said the extension “is about doing basic justice for the working people of this nation whom their own government has poisoned.”
Gillibrand and Schumer voted yes.
Washington, D.C., Judge
The Senate on March 7 voted 51-45 in favor of confirming the nomination of Adrienne Jennings Noti to be a judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Noti has been a magistrate judge on the Superior Court for a decade, and before that was a law professor and a lawyer specializing in family law. A supporter, Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich., said Noti “has proven herself to be fair and effective and has shown a deep commitment to the local community.”
Schumer voted yes. Gillibrand did not vote.