WASHINGTON — Along with roll call votes last week, the Senate also passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (S. 2040), to deter terrorism and provide justice for victims of terrorism; passed the POLICE Act (S. 2840), to authorize COPS grantees to use grant funds for active shooter training; and passed the North Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (S. 1335), to implement the Convention on the Conservation and Management of the High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean.

The House also passed the Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Prevention Act (H.R. 3832), to amend the tax code to prevent tax-related identity theft and tax fraud; passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 88), reaffirming the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances as the cornerstone of United States-Taiwan relations; passed the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (H.R. 1150), to improve the ability of the U.S. to advance religious freedom globally; and passed the Department of Homeland Security Strategy for International Programs Act (H.R. 4780), to require the development of a comprehensive strategy for Homeland Security operations abroad.

HOUSE VOTES

House Vote 1

GRANTS FOR COUNTERING OPIOID ABUSE: The House has passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S. 524), sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. The bill would authorize Justice Department grants to state governments and other parties to respond to prescription opioid and heroin overdoses and prevent and treat opioid abuse. A supporter, Rep. Susan W. Brooks, R-Ind., said the grants were needed to respond to a wide-ranging public health crisis with thoughtful reforms that aid communities ravaged by opioids. The vote, on May 13, was 400 yeas to 5 nays.

YEAS: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District; Bruce Poliquin, R-2nd District

House Vote 2

CYBERSECURITY PARTNERSHIPS: The House has passed the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act (H.R. 4743), sponsored by Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas. The bill would authorize the creation of a National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium at the Homeland Security Department, with responsibility for helping Homeland Security establish programs and strategies for addressing cybersecurity risks and attacks in partnership with state and local governments. Castro said the consortium promised to improve working relationships between Homeland Security and local governments to “bolster our cyber preparedness and keep us one step ahead of cyber attackers.” The vote, on May 16, was 394 yeas to 3 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

House Vote 3

REGULATING PESTICIDE USE: The House has rejected the Zika Vector Control Act (H.R. 897), sponsored by Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio. The bill would have blocked the Environmental Protection Agency and state governments from requiring a Clean Water Act permit for most discharges into navigable waterways of authorized pesticides. Gibbs said a recently imposed permitting requirement for pesticide use by hundreds of thousands of Americans has created a substantial and unnecessary financial and administrative burden with no environmental benefit, and could encourage the spread of Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases. A bill opponent, Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Ore., said there was minimal evidence of the requirement creating a burden, and that the permits were needed because of the significant level of pesticides present in many lakes, rivers, and other waterways. The vote, on May 17, was 262 yeas to 159 nays, with a two-thirds majority required for passage.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

House Vote 4

CLOSING GUANTANAMO BAY PRISON: The House has rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4909). The amendment would have removed a provision barring funding to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba for jailing suspected enemy combatants against the U.S. Nadler said closing Guantanamo would uphold America’s professed support of liberty by no longer imprisoning people “indefinitely who have not been charged, let alone convicted, of any crime and who, in some cases, have been judged not to pose any threat to the United States.” An amendment opponent, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, called the detainees “the most hardened terrorists the world has ever seen, and, more importantly, they have the blood of Americans on their hands,” making it necessary to imprison them outside the U.S. The vote, on May 18, was 163 yeas to 259 nays.

YEAS: Pingree

NAYS: Poliquin

House Vote 5

FUNDING ZIKA PROGRAMS: The House has passed the Zika Response Appropriations Act (H.R. 5243), sponsored by Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky. The bill would provide $622 million for the Health and Human Services Department to spend on efforts to contain the Zika virus and treat Zika victims. Rogers said the funding to develop Zika vaccines, prepare for potential Zika outbreaks and monitor the disease, and care for pregnant women and babies particularly vulnerable to Zika responded to “a great threat to public health not only in the United States, but around the globe.” A bill opponent, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., called it an insufficient and tardy response to a major public health emergency, and instead proposed spending $1.9 billion on Zika response efforts. The vote, on May 18, was 241 yeas to 184 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

House Vote 6

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE MILITARY: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. John Fleming, R-La., to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4909). The amendment would block funding for two executive orders requiring the Defense Department to account for climate change in its acquisitions and planning processes and spend money to meet green energy goals such as installing renewable energy projects on military bases. Fleming said “decisions by installation commanders and DOD personnel need to be driven by requirements for actual cost-effectiveness, readiness, not arbitrary and inflexible green energy quotas and CO2 benchmarks.” An amendment opponent, Rep. John P. Sarbanes, D-Md., said it “doesn’t protect and prepare the American people for the impacts of climate change, and it won’t help our military operate in a new security environment created by climate change.” The vote, on May 18, was 227 yeas to 198 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

House Vote 7

SCOPE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN: The House has rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4909). The amendment would have eliminated language in the bill that authorized the president to expand combat operations in Afghanistan. Ellison said the bill language would lead to unilateral U.S. attacks against the Taliban, which is not recognized as a terrorist group, and any such decision “should be based on military considerations” rather than on a stipulation from Congress. An amendment opponent, Rep. Michael R. Turner, R-Ohio, said preserving the language would help the U.S. and its allies to fight Afghanistan’s Haqqani terrorist network, which Turner described as “a State Department-designated terrorist organization which harbors al Qaeda and is the most lethal actor on the battlefield.” The vote, on May 18, was 131 yeas to 292 nays.

YEAS: Pingree

NAYS: Poliquin

House Vote 8

MILITARY BUDGET FOR 2017: The House has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4909), sponsored by Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas. The bill would authorize $610 billion of fiscal 2017 funding for the Defense Department and military construction programs, including military actions overseas, change the military’s health care system, and reform the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Thornberry called the authorization an effort to turn around the recent decline in the military’s readiness and personnel levels by providing more resources to help the military achieve its mission of protecting national security in a very dangerous world. A bill opponent, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said it did not make enough tough budget decisions on how to allocate limited funds, especially in its failure to provide full-year funding for combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other foreign countries. The vote, on May 18, was 277 yeas to 147 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

House Vote 9

MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE BY VETERANS: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4974). The amendment would bar funding for the VA to implement any rules that bar the VA’s medical providers from fulfilling recommendations regarding a veteran’s participation in a state medical marijuana program. Blumenauer said the VA rules force veterans to independently obtain prescriptions for medical marijuana rather than get prescriptions from the VA doctor who has been treating the veteran, creating cost and treatment burdens for veterans as they deal with conditions stemming from their military service. An amendment opponent, Rep. Charles W. Dent, R-Pa., said Congress should not dictate policy on medical marijuana without guidance from medical professionals. The vote, on May 19, was 233 yeas to 189 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

House Vote 10

MILITARY BASES AND ALIEN CHILDREN: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. John Fleming, R-La., to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4974). The amendment would bar funding for building or renovating facilities at domestic military bases in order to house unaccompanied alien children. Fleming said using military facilities for non-military purposes was inappropriate because it took away funds and other scarce resources from the military’s intended mission of ensuring national security. An amendment opponent, Rep. Charles W. Dent, R-Pa., said Congress should not preclude the Defense Department from dealing with emergency situations that could require it to resort to the option of using bases to house the children. The vote, on May 19, was 219 yeas to 202 nays.

NAYS: Pingree, Poliquin

House Vote 11

LABOR CONTRACTS FOR GOVERNMENT CONSTRUCTION: The House has rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4974). The amendment would have barred funding for implementation of a presidential executive order promoting the use of project labor agreements for federal construction projects of more than $25 million. Perry said project labor agreements, by effectively requiring construction contractors to use union laborers, needlessly increase costs to the government by between 12 and 18 percent, resulting in more money being spent on fewer infrastructure improvements. An amendment opponent, Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., said the labor agreements establish quality worksite conditions and help ensure construction is finished on time and under budget. The vote, on May 19, was 209 yeas to 216 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

House Vote 12

FUNDING MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND THE VA: The House has passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4974), sponsored by Rep. Charles W. Dent, R-Pa. The bill would provide $176 billion of combined discretionary and mandatory funding for the Veterans Affairs Department and $7.7 billion for military construction projects in fiscal 2017, including increased funding for VA efforts to treat hepatitis C and mental health, prevent suicide, and prevent homelessness. Dent said the bill’s oversight reforms and increased funding for medical care for veterans would work to ensure “that programs deliver what they promise and taxpayers are well served by the investments we make.” The vote, on May 19, was 295 yeas to 129 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

SENATE VOTES

Senate Vote 1

MARYLAND DISTRICT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Paula Xinis to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Maryland district. A supporter, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., praised Xinis’s professional competency, citing her experience as a law clerk on the U.S. Fourth Circuit Appeals Court, private practice criminal defense lawyer, and 13 years as a public defender in the Maryland district. The vote, on May 16, was 53 yeas to 34 nays.

YEAS: Susan Collins, R-Maine

NOT VOTING: Angus King, I-Maine

Senate Vote 2

ZIKA EMERGENCY FUNDING: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2577). The amendment would provide $1.1 billion of emergency supplemental funding for Health and Human Services Department measures to contain the Zika virus and treat Zika victims. Blunt said funding Zika efforts through September 2017 would allow for moving forward on a needed response to a rapidly growing epidemic that is particularly harming Puerto Rico. An amendment opponent, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said that rather than authorize new emergency supplemental funds, the federal government should be using unspent money in other health and infectious disease emergency funds to pay for the Zika response. The vote, on May 19, was 68 yeas to 30 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

Senate Vote 3

FAIR HOUSING RULE: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2577). The amendment would block funding for HUD to implement a rule known as the affirmatively furthering fair housing rule concerning racial demographics and HUD grants as they relate to local zoning laws. Collins said the funding block ensured that HUD cannot use the rule to dictate zoning by local governments and would allow those governments to continue to make their own decisions to meet federal fair housing requirements. The vote, on May 19, was 87 yeas to 9 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

Senate Vote 4

FUNDING TRANSPORTATION, HUD, MILITARY AGENCIES: The Senate has passed the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2577), sponsored by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. The bill would provide more than $300 billion to fund both the Transportation and HUD departments and the Veterans Affairs Department and military construction programs in fiscal 2017. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the transportation and housing provisions “will invest in our transportation systems and help ensure safety and efficiency,” while the VA and military construction provisions “will help improve care for veterans and increase oversight and accountability efforts at the VA.” The vote, on May 19, was 89 yeas to 8 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

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