YEAS
Herrera Beutler
SHORT-TERM GOVERNMENT FUNDING: The House has agreed to the Senate amendment to the Further Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act (H.R. 1437), sponsored by Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., to extend funding for the federal government through Dec. 23. A supporter, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., called the extension “a simple date change that keeps the government up and running as we negotiate the details of final spending bills and complete the work of funding the government programs that meet the needs of hardworking Americans.” An opponent, Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, said: “We should be passing a continuing resolution into next year instead of buying more time to rush through a massive spending package.” The vote, on Dec. 14, was 224 yeas to 201 nays.
YEAS
Herrera Beutler
GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT: The House has passed the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act (S. 3905), sponsored by Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich. The bill would require changes in federal government acquisition regulations regarding both agency and personal conflicts of interest with potential contractors to the government. A supporter, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., said of the need for changes: “If we do not take steps to prevent conflicts of interest, and thereby safeguard the integrity of government decision-making and operations, then we risk potentially serious breaches in the public trust.” A bill opponent, Rep. Fred Keller, R-Pa., said adding to existing conflicts of interest rules “will burden businesses and shrink the pool of eligible contractors, not reduce conflicts of interest.” The vote, on Dec. 14, was 219 yeas to 205 nays.
NAYS
Herrera Beutler
LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING: The House has passed the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act (S. 4003), sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. The bill would have the Justice Department develop training and grant programs for law enforcement departments to adopt alternative responses to individuals in a mental, behavioral health, or suicidal crisis. A supporter, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., called it an effort “to not only improve policing practices through increased training, but also to make our communities safer by ensuring individuals in crisis receive the help they need.” An opponent, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said it would wastefully spend $133 million on duplicative programs and “advances a soft-on-crime approach” to policing that increases crime. The vote, on Dec. 14, was 264 yeas to 162 nays.
YEAS
Herrera Beutler
PUERTO RICO: The House has passed the Puerto Rico Status Act (H.R. 8393), sponsored by Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., to hold a plebiscite in Puerto Rico in November 2023, in which voters will be asked to choose between independence, statehood, or free association with the U.S. for Puerto Rico. Free association would be limited independence, and include the loss of guaranteed U.S. citizenship for Puerto Ricans. Grijalva said Puerto Rico’s “territory status is no longer viable and is incapable of providing either adequate political or economic benefits” for Puerto Ricans. An opponent, Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said it was an error to require the plebiscite without first allowing Congress and its committees to hold hearings evaluating the impact of changing Puerto Rico’s status. The vote, on Dec. 15, was 233 yeas to 191 nays.