HOW TEXAS VOTED

WASHINGTON — How the Texas congressional delegation voted on major issues last week:

Senate

1. $716 billion for military in 2019: Voted, 81-15, to advance a bill that would authorize a $715.6 billion military budget (HR 5515) for fiscal 2019, including $68.5 billion for war-fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other hot spots, $57 billion for active-duty and retiree health care and funding for a 2.6 percent pay raise for uniformed personnel. A final vote on the bill was expected June 18.

A yes vote was to advance the bill.

2. Rights of U.S. terrorism suspects: Voted, during debate on HR 5515 (above), to repeal a sevenyear-old law permitting indefinite detention without trial of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents seized in the United States as terrorism suspects. The tally on a motion to kill the amendment was 30 for and 68 against. The measure did not address the rights of foreign terrorism suspects captured outside this country and detained at U.S. facilities including the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Whether the Senate will include the repeal measure in the bill’s final version was to be determined.

A yes vote was in opposition to adding the repeal amendment to the military budget.

3. Congressional control over nuclear arms: Voted, during debate June 13 on HR 5515 (above), to uphold a 15year-old requirement that Congress must explicitly authorize actions by the departments of defense and energy to develop or change U.S. nuclear weapons. The underlying bill sought to end or weaken this area of congressional authority. The tally on a motion to kill the amendment was 47 for and 50 against. Whether the amendment would be included in the bill’s final version was to be determined.

A yes vote was to relax congressional oversight of the nation’s nuclear arsenal.

House

1. Opioid recovery, housing vouchers: Passed, 230-173, a bill (HR 5735) establishing a pilot program that would make a small percentage of federal “Section 8” housing vouchers available to indi- viduals in recovery from substance abuse including opioid addiction. Administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development under a 1974 law, the Section 8 program pays the rent and in some cases utility costs of 2.2 million low-income households in the United States, providing shelter and improving their chances of escaping poverty. Because this bill expands eligibility without providing additional funding, critics said it would penalize poor families now on lengthy Section 8 waiting lists. Under the bill, up to 10,000 Section 8 vouchers — less than 1 percent of the available supply — would be distributed through nonprofit organizations to recovering drug addicts and combined with mandatory skills training.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. 2. Opioid detection by Postal Service: Passed, 353-52, a bill (HR 5788) that would require the United States Postal Service to develop technology by 2020 for detecting the presence illicit synthetic opioids such as fentanyl in packages arriving from other countries. The USPS would promptly relay the information to U.S. customs officials for enforcement action. The bill would put USPS detection capabilities on a par with those of FedEx, UPS and other private services that already are required by federal law to track three pieces of information on international packages — point of origin, destination and contents.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.