HOW TEXAS VOTED

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

Senate

1. Renewing Domestic Surveillance Authority: Approved, 80-16, a five-year extension (HR 6172) of three sections of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that require periodic congressional renewal because of their direct clash with Americans’ civil liberties.

A yes vote was to send the bill back to the House.

2. Expanding Civil Liberties Safeguards: Voted, 77-19, to amend HR 6172 (above) to expand civil liberties’ protections for religious institutions, public officials, news organizations and other parties targeted or innocently swept up in probes conducted under Section 215 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The amendment would give judges in the secret FISA courts more authority to order independent “amicus curiae’ legal reviews by outside counsel of government actions in such cases.

No senator spoke against the amendment.

A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.

3. Requiring Warrants for Browser Searches: Voted, 59-37, to reject an amendment to HR 6172 (above) that sought to prohibit federal investigators from conducting warrantless searches of Internet browser and search-engine

histories under Section 215 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Supporters needed 60 votes to gain approval of their amendment.

A yes vote was to adopt the amendment. ....................................................... 1 2 3 Cornyn (R) San Antonio ..................... Y N N Cruz (R) Houston .............................. Y Y Y

House

1. Conducting House Business By Remote Voting: Voted, 217-189, to change House rules to allow members to vote remotely in floor proceedings for the first time in the 231-year history of the institution. The measure (H Res 965) also permits House committees to conduct business by remote connections including video links. A response to the coronavirus pandemic, the rules would be up for renewal in 45 days. For voting on the House floor, each physically-present member would be authorized to vote by proxy for up to 10 absent colleagues whose voting instructions, filed electronically with the clerk’s office, he or she would be obligated to follow.

A yes vote was to adopt the resolution.

2. Approving $3 Trillion for Coronavirus Relief: Approved, 208-199, $3 trillion coronavirus relief package (HR 6800) that includes nearly $1 trillion for state, local, tribal and territorial governments; $200 billion to fund hazard pay for essential workers including medical personnel and first responders; $100 billion for hospitals serving poor communities;

$100 billion to help tenants pay rent; $75 billion in homeowner mortgage aid; $75 billion for testing for all and free coronavirus treatments for those without health insurance; $25 billion to sustain the Postal Service; $10 billion in disaster aid to businesses and non-profits shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program; $3.6 billion to boost ballot security and voter participation in this year’s elections, $600 million to help local police departments meet payroll and equipment costs; $600 million to address virus spread in state and federal prisons, and unspecified sums to cover $600 per week in enhanced unemployment benefits through January and a second round of stimulus payments of $1,200 to individuals and $2,400 to couples up to certain income levels plus expanded child tax credits.

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

3. Rejecting GOP Change to Stimulus ID: Defeated, 198-209, a Republican motion to strip HR 6800 (above) of a provision that would broaden ID requirements for receiving coronavirus stimulus checks. The disputed provision is intended to benefit, among others, those who do not have a Social Security number and do not file a federal tax return because of low income. It allows them to use an IRS Taxpayer Identification Number to obtain a stimulus check to which they are entitled by law. The first stimulus round of $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for couples up to certain income levels was approved by Congress

in late March, and the second round is funded in the current bill (HR 6800).

A yes vote was to adopt the GOP motion. ....................................................... 1 2 3 Gohmert (R) Tyler ............................ N N Y Crenshaw (R) Spring ......................... N N Y Taylor (R) Plano ............................... N N Y Ratcliffe (R) Heath ........................... A A A Gooden (R)T errell ............................ N N Y Wright (R) Arlington ......................... A A A Fletcher (D) Houston ......................... Y Y N Brady (R) The Woodlands .................. N N Y Al Green (D) Houston ........................ Y Y N McCaul (R) Austin ............................ N N Y Conaway (R) Midland ........................ N N Y Granger (R) Fort Worth ...................... A A A Thornberry (R) Clarendon ................... N N Y Weber (R) Alvin ............................... N N Y Gonzalez (D) McAllen ........................ A A A Escobar (D) El Paso .......................... Y Y N Flores (R) Bryan ............................... N N Y Jackson-Lee (D) Houston .................... Y Y N Arrington (R) Lubbock ....................... N N Y Castro (D) San Antonio ...................... Y Y N Roy (R) Austin ................................. N N Y Olson (R) Sugar Land ........................ N N Y Hurd (R) Helotes .............................. N N Y Marchant (R) Coppell ........................ A A A Williams (R) Austin .......................... N N Y Burgess (R) Flower Mound ................. N N Y Cloud (R) Corpus Christi ..................... N N Y Cuellar (D) Laredo ............................ Y Y N Garcia (D) Houston ........................... Y Y N Johnson (D) Dallas ........................... A A A Carter (R) Round Rock ....................... A A A Allred (D) Dallas .............................. Y Y N Veasey (D) Fort Worth ....................... Y Y N Vela Jr. (D) Brownsville ...................... Y Y N Doggett (D) Austin ........................... Y Y N Babin (R) Woodville .......................... N N Y

Y = Yea, N = Nay, A = Not voting, P = Answered “Present”