HOW LEHIGH VALLEY-AREA LAWMAKERS VOTED LAST WEEK VOTES IN THE U.S. HOUSE
HRes.90: Demanding that the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party immediately release Mark Swidan. Voting 418 for and 0 against,
the House on Tuesday passed a resolution that demands that the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China (CPC) immediately release Mark Swidan. The resolution also condemns the Chinese government and the CPC for denying Swidan access to U.S. diplomats and independent and competent medical care.
Swidan is a U.S. citizen who was convicted of drug-related charges in China and sentenced to death. A U.N. working group on arbitrary detention considers Swidan’s detention arbitrary and in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Yes: Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st (Bucks, parts of Montgomery); Dan Meuser, R-9th (Schuylkill, parts of Berks); Matt Cartwright, D-8th (most of Monroe); Susan Wild, D-7th (Lehigh, Northampton, parts of Monroe and Carbon); Madeleine Dean, D-4th (Montgomery, parts of Berks)
HRes.311: Encouraging the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords to urge other nations to normalize relations with Israel and ensure that existing agreements reap tangible security and economic benefits for the citizens of those countries and all peoples in the region. Voting 401 for and 19 against,
the House on Tuesday passed a resolution that encourages the United States and Israel to continue deepening and expanding cooperation on economic, security, and civilian issues. The resolution also encourages the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords are agreements to normalize or improve relations between Israel and four members of the Arab League: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
Yes: Fitzpatrick, Meuser, Cartwright, Dean, Wild
HR.1353: Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act Voting 422 for and 1 against,
the House on Wednesday passed a bill that requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to facilitate the provision of emergency communication services (e.g., 9-1-1 calls and emergency alerts) in unserved areas. An unserved area is one that has no commercial mobile service capable of providing emergency services because of a lack of infrastructure, destruction of infrastructure, a power outage, or other reason.
The FCC must establish a process for companies to apply for approval to access the electromagnetic spectrum in order to provide emergency services in unserved areas. To obtain approval, a company must certify that it has a technical proposal for providing services, will not use the spectrum to provide additional services, and has the capability to provide the services rapidly. The company must also certify that the services can withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, and other major disasters. The FCC must publish a list of approved providers online.
Additionally, the bill provides protections for authorized users of the spectrum. For example, a provider with FCC approval to provide emergency services to an area under this bill may only access the spectrum if the entity that is typically authorized to use it expressly consents in writing to the approved provider’s use, and the approved provider’s use does not interfere with the authorized entity’s use.
The bill also limits the liability of an approved provider for certain harms resulting from the transmission of (or failure to transmit) emergency alerts or the release of subscriber information when delivering an alert.
Yes: Fitzpatrick, Meuser, Cartwright, Dean, Wild
HR 2811: Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 Voting 217 for and 215 against,
the House on Wednesday passed a bill that increases the federal debt limit and decreases spending. It also repeals several energy tax credits, modifies the permitting process and other requirements for energy projects, expands work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other programs, and nullifies regulations for the cancellation of federal student loan debt. Specifically, the bill suspends the debt limit through March 31, 2024, or until the debt increases by $1.5 trillion, whichever occurs first; establishes discretionary spending limits for FY2024-FY2033 that include decreases in discretionary spending; rescinds certain unobligated funds that were provided to address COVID-19 and to the Internal Revenue Service; nullifies certain executive actions and regulations for cancelling federal student loan debt and implementing an income-driven repayment plan for student loans; repeals or modifies tax credits for renewable and clean energy, energy efficient property, alternative fuels, and electric vehicles; establishes new work requirements for Medicaid and expands the work requirements for SNAP and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program; and requires major federal rules (e.g., rules likely to result in an annual economic effect of at least $100 million) to be approved by Congress before they take effect.
The bill also includes various provisions related to the development of energy resources such as oil, natural gas, and minerals. For example, the bill requires additional federal oil and gas leasing, reduces or eliminates certain royalties and fees, and expedites the permitting process for various energy projects.
Yes: Fitzpatrick, Meuser
No: Cartwright, Dean, Wild
HR.1339: Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act
Voting 409 for and 11 against, the House passed a bill that requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review, and recommend changes to, its rules for fixed, mobile, and earth exploration satellites to promote precision agriculture (an information- and technology-based management system used to identify, analyze, and manage variability in agricultural production for optimum profitability, sustainability, and environmental protection).
In conducting its review, the FCC must consult with a task force that advises the FCC on ways to assess and advance broadband internet on unserved agricultural land and promote precision agriculture.
Yes: Fitzpatrick, Meuser, Cartwright, Dean, Wild