Washington, D.C., Roll Call

Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.

House

HOME VISITS FOR EXPECTANT PARENTS: The House has passed the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act (H.R. 8876), sponsored by Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., to reauthorize through fiscal 2027, and make changes, including an increase in funding, for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Davis said the bill, by increasing home visit resources for expectant parents at risk for poor maternal and child health, would “make a real difference for children and families across America.” The vote, on Dec. 2, was 390 yeas to 26 nays.

YEAS

Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-3rd

MILITARY VETERANS AND CITIZENSHIP: The House has passed the Veteran Service Recognition Act (H.R. 7946), sponsored by Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., to provide citizenship and legal residency opportunities to veterans who were not U.S. citizens when they joined the military. Takano said: “We want veterans to be able to apply for green cards to return home, excluding the most egregious cases, and codify an administrative program for immediate family members of veterans to also obtain green cards consistent with existing administrative policy.” A bill opponent, Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., said it was unnecessary because “we already have a pathway for individuals who are serving our country in uniform to stay here in the U.S. and become citizens.” The vote, on Dec. 6, was 220 yeas to 208 nays.

NAYS

Herrera Beutler

PASSING LEGISLATION: The House has passed a motion sponsored by Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., to pass three bills en bloc, without a separate roll call vote for each bill. The bills covered government aid to small businesses for foreign trade, cybersecurity training for small businesses, and mapping maternal health outcomes. The vote, on Dec. 6, was 380 yeas to 46 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

NATURAL HAZARDS MAPS: The House has passed the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act (S. 3875), sponsored by Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich., to require the executive branch to designate community disaster resilience zones identifying those parts of the country at greatest risk from natural hazards. A supporter, Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., said: “Establishing these zones will help communities, states, and the private sector better plan investments in mitigation.” The vote, on Dec. 6, was 333 yeas to 92 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

PATENTS COMPETITION: The House has agreed to the Senate amendment to the Patents for Humanity Act (H.R. 5796), sponsored by Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries, D-N.Y., to legally authorize a Patents and Trademark Office program for giving awards to entities that are seeking patents for inventions that address humanitarian problems. The vote, on Dec. 6, was 396 yeas to 24 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

STATE MARRIAGE LAWS: The House has agreed to the Senate amendment to the Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404), sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and instead federally recognize any marriage authorized under a state’s marriage laws, and require states to similarly recognize marriages in other states. Nadler said the amended bill “will provide stability and reassurance to the millions of LGBTQ and interracial families that have come to rely on the constitutional right to marry.” The vote, on Dec. 8, was 258 yeas to 169 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

MILITARY SPENDING: The House has agreed to the Senate amendment to the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 7776), sponsored by Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Ore., to authorize Army Corps of Engineers water resources projects and about $858 billion of fiscal 2023 spending on the military. The military part of the bill would authorize funding for new aircraft and ships, increase pay for service members by 4.6 percent and increase their benefits, and repeal the military’s Covid vaccination requirement. A supporter, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., called it “laser-focused on preparing our military to counter threats from China and our other adversaries.” The vote, on Dec. 8, was 350 yeas to 80 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

DISASTER AID IN RURAL AREAS: The House has passed the Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act (S. 1617), sponsored by Sen. James E. Risch, R-Idaho, to authorize the Small Business Administration to provide economic injury aid to businesses and people in rural areas following natural disasters. The vote, on Dec. 8, was 406 yeas to 8 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

OPIOIDS IN RURAL AREAS: The House has passed the Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act (S. 2796), sponsored by Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., to authorize Justice Department grants for community programs in rural areas that combat opioid abuse. A supporter, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said codifying the existing grants initiative into law would help hard-hit rural communities, as drug overdose deaths nationwide increase to new highs. The vote, on Dec. 6, was 408 yeas to 11 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

Senate

APPEALS COURT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Doris L. Pryor to be a judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Pryor, a federal magistrate judge in Indiana since 2017, was previously a federal prosecutor and a public defender. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said: “Judge Pryor has significant federal experience and a proven track record of neutral decision-making on the bench.” The vote, on Dec. 5, was 60 yeas to 31 nays.

YEAS

Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Patty Murray, D-Wash.

MICHIGAN JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Frances Kay Behm to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the eastern district of Michigan. Behm has been a county Circuit Court judge in Michigan since 2009; previously, she was a private practice lawyer. A supporter, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said of Behm: “During her time as a judge, she has never forgotten her humble roots, and she has worked hard to ensure that everyone who appears before her is truly seen and heard.” The vote, on Dec. 6, was 49 yeas to 47 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kelley Brisbon Hodge to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the eastern district of Pennsylvania. Hodge has variously been a private practice lawyer, city district attorney in Philadelphia and Richmond, Va., and policy official for Pennsylvania’s government. The vote, on Dec. 6, was 52 yeas to 44 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

SECOND PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Mia Roberts Perez to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the eastern district of Pennsylvania. Currently a trial court judge in Philadelphia County, Perez was previously a public defender and a private practice lawyer. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 52 yeas to 43 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

THIRD PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kai N. Scott to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the eastern district of Pennsylvania. Since 2016, Scott has been a trial court judge in Philadelphia County; prior to that, she was a federal public defender. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 50 yeas to 42 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

FOURTH PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of John Frank Murphy to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the eastern district of Pennsylvania. Murphy has been a private practice lawyer in Philadelphia, specializing in intellectual property law, since 2008. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Murphy’s “technical expertise and strong background in IP and patent law will be an asset to the District Court.” The vote, on Dec. 7, was 63 yeas to 28 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

MINNESOTA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Jerry W. Blackwell to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Minnesota. Blackwell has been a private practice lawyer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for more than three decades. A supporter, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., cited Blackwell’s broad support from the state’s legal professionals, and his having been named the state’s attorney of the year five times. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 51 yeas to 43 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

OHIO JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Jeffery Paul Hopkins to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the southern district of Ohio. Hopkins has been a bankruptcy judge in the district for 25 years, including seven years as the chief judge of its bankruptcy court. The vote, on Dec. 8, was 64 yeas to 32 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray