Washington, D.C., Roll Call Report

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

In addition to the week’s roll call votes, the Senate also confirmed, by voice vote, the nomination of Herro Mustafa Garg to be ambassador to Egypt.

House

CENSURING REPRESENTATIVE: The House has tabled a motion (H. Res. 829), sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., that would have censured Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for allegedly sympathizing with Hamas and other terrorist organizations and leading an insurrection at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18. The vote, on Nov. 1, was 222 yeas to 186 nays.

YEAS

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania

IRAN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS: The House has passed a resolution (H. Res. 559), sponsored by Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, to declare it U.S. policy to use all necessary means to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. McCaul said: “We need to restore deterrence against Iran. We need to use every tool at our disposal to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon.” An opponent, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said the resolution could lead to the U.S. invading Iran to stop its nuclear weapons program, and “the language we are voting on today goes too far” in that direction. The vote, on Nov. 1, was 354 yeas to 53 nays.

YEAS

Perez

HAMAS SANCTIONS: The House has passed the Hamas and Other Palestinian Terrorist Groups International Financing Prevention Act (H.R. 340), sponsored by Rep. Brian J. Mast, R-Fla., to impose sanctions on people affiliated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and similar groups found to be taking terrorist actions against Israel. Mast said sanctions were needed to “cut off the material support, whether that is money or equipment or something that we might label here in Washington as a dual-use item, from making it to the Gaza Strip or the West Bank or into the hands of Hezbollah or somewhere else.” A bill opponent, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, cited the absence of “a broad humanitarian exemption that would have protected the provision of food, medicine, and other lifesaving supplies into Gaza.” The vote, on Nov. 1, was 363 yeas to 46 nays.

YEAS

Perez

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET: The House has passed the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (H.R. 4364), sponsored by Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., to provide $5.3 billion of fiscal 2024 funding for the federal government’s legislative branch other than the Senate, including the House and the Library of Congress, Capitol Police, and Government Accountability Office. Amodei said the bill made a fiscally responsible close to 5 percent cut in spending from fiscal 2023 levels while adequately funding efforts to provide services to constituents and oversee the executive branch. An opponent, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., claimed the bill would eliminate programs, such as the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion, “that help to grow and diversify our country as well as welcome everybody to the table.” The vote, on Nov. 1, was 214 yeas to 197 nays.

YEAS

Perez

EXPELLING HOUSE MEMBER: The House has rejected a resolution (H. Res. 773), sponsored by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., that would have expelled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from the House. D’Esposito cited the filing of 23 criminal charges against Santos and said he had lied about “his education, his work history, his faith, the fact that he was Jewish.” Santos said: “Voting for expulsion at this point would circumvent the judicial system’s right to due process that I am entitled to and desanctify the long-held premise that one is presumed innocent until proven guilty.” The vote, on Nov. 1, was 179 yeas to 213 nays, with 19 voting present.

NAYS

Perez

ENDANGERED SPECIES: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4821). The amendment would prohibit funding for the finalization of three proposed Endangered Species Act rules published this June. Boebert said adopting the rules “will only result in further one-size-fits-all responses to threatened and endangered species that will benefit absolutely nobody, including the species.” An opponent, Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said the rules were merely “intended to improve and clarify the interagency consultation processes; listing, delisting, and reclassification decisions; and designation of critical habitat.” The vote, on Nov. 2, was 213 yeas to 212 nays.

YEAS

Perez

AID TO ISRAEL: The House has passed the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 6126), sponsored by Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, to provide added funding for the military and State Department in response to the war between Israel and Hamas, by rescinding $14.3 billion of unspent funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Granger said: “We must stand firm with our great ally and do all we can to ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself.” An opponent, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., said “it is outrageous that a major emergency funding bill in response to the worst attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust is tied to offsets” that reduce tax revenue and increase the deficit. The vote, on Nov. 2, was 226 yeas to 196 nays.

NAYS

Perez

HAMAS AND UNIVERSITIES: The House has passed a resolution (H. Res. 798), sponsored by Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, to condemn support for Hamas and other anti-Israel entities at universities and colleges and the support’s potential to create a hostile environment for Jewish faculty and students. Owens cited an event at Cooper Union college in New York City in saying: “No students, regardless of race, creed, color, or religion, should ever have to use the back door of a campus library out of fear for their safety.” The vote, on Nov. 2, was 396 yeas to 23 nays.

YEAS

Perez

INCREASING FEDERAL LANDS: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4821), to block funding for a Biden administration executive order that would seek to put 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters under federal jurisdiction by 2030. Fulcher said the federal government was already overwhelmed by the attempt to manage its existing lands, and an increase would further degrade land management. The vote, on Nov. 2, was 212 yeas to 202 nays.

YEAS

Perez

FUNDING EXECUTIVE ORDERS: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Richard McCormick, R-Ga., to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4821). The amendment would block funding to implement several Biden administration executive orders regarding renewable energy, electric vehicles, and environmental justice policies in poor and minority communities. McCormick said the orders were unfeasible and too costly, and would impose a disparate burden on poor communities. An amendment opponent, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., said the environmental justice order aimed to make sure “that everybody gets the same degree of protection from environmental health hazards.” The vote, on Nov. 2, was 217 yeas to 202 nays.

YEAS

Perez

Senate

MARYLAND JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Matthew Maddox to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Maryland. For nine years, Maddox was a private practice lawyer and then a federal prosecutor in Maryland; for the past year and a half he has been a federal magistrate judge for the Maryland district. A supporter, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., said: “I am confident that Judge Maddox will safeguard the rights of all Marylanders, uphold the Constitution and rule of law, and faithfully follow the judicial oath to ‘do equal right to the poor and to the rich.’” The vote, on Oct. 31, was 55 yeas to 42 nays.

YEAS

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; Sen. Patty Murray D-Wash.

ISRAEL AMBASSADOR: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Jacob J. Lew to be ambassador to Israel. Lew was Treasury Secretary for President Obama’s second term, then became a partner at the Lindsay Goldberg private equity firm. A supporter, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., said there was “no question about his qualifications, no question about his presence being welcomed by our Israeli friends, no question about his knowledge and commitment to these issues” facing Israel and the U.S. An opponent, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said at the Treasury Department, Lew “acted as the de facto business investment banker and business agent for the blood-thirsty ayatollahs” in Iran. The vote, on Oct. 31, was 53 yeas to 43 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

CHINA AND FEDERAL SPENDING: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs (VA), and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366). The amendment would bar funding of any entity linked to China and China’s government. An opponent, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the funding ban “could have far-reaching, unintended consequences,” including harming the ability of the VA’s “obtaining products for essential mission needs, like pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and IT.” The vote, on Oct. 31, was 61 yeas to 36 nays.

NAYS

Cantwell, Murray

DEFUNDING ACTING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366). The amendment would have blocked funding to pay National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Acting Administrator Ann Carlson, because Carlson’s nomination as permanent administrator was withdrawn by President Joe Biden. Cruz said: “The appointments clause of the Constitution is a critical check on executive power. The Senate must protect its prerogative to review the president’s nominees to powerful, unelected positions in the federal government.” An opponent, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said cancelling Carlson’s salary would set the alarming precedent that “if you have a political or policy disagreement with a particular administration policy, you can take the public servant who is in charge of implementing it and take their salary hostage.” The vote, on Oct. 31, was 47 yeas to 49 nays.

NAYS

Cantwell, Murray

VOTER REGISTRATION: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366). The amendment would have blocked funding for implementing a President Biden executive order to have government agencies promote voter registration. Budd said the order, by having agencies partner with potentially partisan non-government groups, could mean “using official taxpayer resources to advance partisan politics.” An amendment opponent, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said “expanding the number of voters makes the democracy stronger.” The vote, on Oct. 31, was 45 yeas to 50 nays.

NAYS

Cantwell, Murray

AUDITING FEDERAL RESERVE: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366), that would have required the U.S. Comptroller General to make a full audit of the Federal Reserve. Paul said an audit was needed because “the Federal Reserve effectively controls the economy but without scrutiny. No other institution has so much unchecked power.” An opponent, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said: “This amendment would make the Fed less effective. It would open it up to all kinds of nefarious political pressure.” The vote, on Nov. 1, was 46 yeas to 51 nays.

NAYS

Cantwell, Murray

WATER AGREEMENT WITH MEXICO: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366), that would have required the State Department to pressure Mexico to comply with a 1944 treaty with the U.S. on allocating between the two countries the waters of the Rio Grande, Colorado and Tijuana Rivers. Cruz said the amendment, by asking Mexico to meet a treaty obligation to provide 350,000 acre-feet of water per year to the U.S. side of the Rio Grande Valley, would aid farmers who need that water due to a drought in the Valley. The vote, on Nov 1, was 52 yeas to 45 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.

NAYS

Cantwell, Murray

REVIEWING NEW REGULATIONS: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366), that would have required Congressional approval of all new agency rules estimated to have at least a $100 million annual impact on the U.S. economy. Paul said of the effect of passing the amendment: “The American people, through their elected officials, will reclaim the ability to prevent unnecessary government interference in everyday life.” An opponent, Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich. said the amendment “would endanger a range of public protections for the environment, American workers, and people with disabilities.” The vote, on Nov. 1, was 46 yeas to 51 nays.

NAYS

Cantwell, Murray

CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS: The Senate has passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366), sponsored by Rep. John R. Carter, R-Texas. The bill would provide fiscal 2024 funding for the Veterans Affairs Department, Agriculture Department, Transportation Department, and Housing and Urban Development agency, as well as about $17.5 billion for military construction programs. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the bill’s provisions “deliver big wins for America’s farmers, for our infrastructure, for housing, and for our military bases and veterans and more.” The vote, on Nov. 1, was 82 yeas to 15 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

AGRICULTURE RELIEF BLOCK GRANTS: The Senate has rejected the Block Grant Assistance Act (H.R. 662), sponsored by Rep. C. Scott Franklin, R-Fla., which would have authorized the Agriculture Department to issue block grants to states for assistance to farmers who suffered losses from natural disasters in 2022. A supporter, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said the authorization would “give certainty to growers and ranchers in all of our states that they have a reliable partner in the federal government to make sure they can recover from natural disasters.” An opponent, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said block grants to states were already authorized, and the bill would delay funding to farmers, making it “both counterproductive and unnecessary.” The vote, on Nov. 1, was 43 yeas to 53 nays.

NAYS

Cantwell, Murray

AIR FORCE CHIEF OF STAFF: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of David W. Allvin to be chief of staff of the Air Force. Allvin had been the Air Force’s vice chief of staff, and has a 37-year career in the Air Force as a command pilot and as a senior officer. A supporter, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Allvin “has helped lead the service through a critical period of modernization, and he is well positioned to continue that progress.” The vote, on Nov. 2, was 95 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray