Washington, D.C., Roll Call

WASHINGTON — Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the week ending May 5.

Along with roll call votes this week, the Senate also confirmed the two following nominees by voice vote: Amanda K. Brailsford, to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Idaho; and Damien M. Diggs, to be the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas for a four-year term.

House

DUTIES ON SOLAR PANEL IMPORTS: The House has passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 39), sponsored by Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., to disapprove of and void a Commerce Department rule that would suspend duties on imports of solar panels that were assembled in Southeast Asia and used components made in China. Posey said canceling the rule and preserving duties on the panels would “support American solar manufacturers and workers and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for dodging our trade laws” by having panels assembled in nearby countries instead of China. An opponent, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said keeping the rule was necessary because it gave “American companies a reasonable time to adjust their supply chains away from China” before the rule expires in one year. The vote, on April 28, was 221 yeas to 202 nays.

YEAS: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-3rd

Senate

APPEALS COURT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Anthony Devos Johnstone to be a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Johnstone was a lawyer in New York from 1999 to 2004, then became successively a lawyer in the Montana Attorney General’s Office, the state’s solicitor, and a law professor at the University of Montana. A supporter, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., cited broad, bipartisan support for the nomination from Montana officials, and called Johnstone “an excellent and impartial legal mind.” The vote, on May 1, was 49 yeas to 45 nays.

YEAS: Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Patty Murray, D-Wash.

NEW JERSEY JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Michael Farbiarz to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for New Jersey. General counsel for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey since 2016, Farbiarz was previously a New York City private practice lawyer, federal prosecutor, and fellow at New York University’s law school. A supporter, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said of Farbiarz: “Whether serving in the leadership roles that he has had, enforcing our laws as a federal prosecutor, or providing legal counsel to those who serve on the Port Authority commission, his breadth and depth of legal experience prepare him well to continue his service to the Garden State as a fair and effective federal judge.” The vote, on May 2, was 65 yeas to 34 nays.

YEAS: Cantwell, Murray

SECOND NEW JERSEY JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Robert Kirsch to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for New Jersey. Kirsch has been a county Superior Court judge in New Jersey since 2010, and before that was a federal prosecutor for the New Jersey district. A supporter, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said: “Throughout his tenure, Judge Kirsch has consistently earned bipartisan support in his long and impressive career in public service.” The vote, on May 2, was 57 yeas to 42 nays.

YEAS: Cantwell, Murray

NEW YORK JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Orelia Eleta Merchant to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Merchant was a federal prosecutor in the district from 2002 to 2019, then became New York’s chief deputy attorney general. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called Merchant “a seasoned litigator whose expertise will be an asset to the Eastern District of New York.” An opponent, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., questioned whether Merchant had an adequate understanding of judicial philosophy. The vote, on May 3, was 51 yeas to 48 nays.

YEAS: Cantwell, Murray

DUTIES ON SOLAR PANEL IMPORTS: The Senate has passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 39), sponsored by Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., to disapprove of and void a Commerce Department rule that would suspend duties on imports of solar panels that were assembled in Southeast Asia and used components made in China. A supporter, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said American solar panel manufacturers “need a level playing field” and not allowing Chinese manufacturers to circumvent duties by assembling panels in nearby countries would protect them from illegally subsidized imports from China. A resolution opponent, Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said suspending the duties was “a bridge that allows us to do both: keep our domestic solar industry alive while we invest and bolster our domestic manufacturing so that we can be competitive with China.” The vote, on May 3, was 56 yeas to 41 nays.

NAYS: Cantwell, Murray

LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN RULE: The Senate has passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 9), sponsored by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., to disapprove of and void a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule putting populations of the lesser prairie-chicken on threatened and endangered species lists, with accompanying environmental regulations for chicken habitat. Marshall said the listing was unnecessary because years of partnerships with Fish and Wildlife have created millions of acres of habitat for the lesser prairie-chicken, and the listing would increase “the regulatory burden on our farmers and ranchers, ultimately, increasing the cost of food.” A resolution opponent, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said: “Overturning this listing may well mean the permanent loss of an iconic American species. That would harm our planet.” The vote, on May 3, was 50 yeas to 48 nays.

NAYS: Cantwell, Murray

CALIFORNIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Wesley L. Hsu to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Hsu, a federal prosecutor in the district from 2000 to 2017, then became a judge on Los Angeles County’s superior court. The vote, on May 3, was 53 yeas to 43 nays.

YEAS: Cantwell, Murray

ILLINOIS JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of LaShonda A. Hunt to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. A bankruptcy judge in the district since 2017, Hunt was previously a civil law lawyer in the U.S. attorney’s office for the district. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., cited “her extensive experience, dedication to public service and deep knowledge of the Northern District of Illinois.” The vote, on May 4, was 56 yeas to 41 nays.

YEAS: Cantwell, Murray