In addition to roll call votes, the House also passed the following measures by voice vote: the Women, Peace, and Security Act (S. 1141), to ensure that the United States promotes the meaningful participation of women in mediation and negotiation processes seeking to prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict; the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act (H.R. 3819), to extend certain expiring provisions of law administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; the Fair Access to Investment Research Act (S. 327), to direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to provide a safe harbor related to certain investment fund research reports; and a bill (H.R. 3229), to protect the safety of judges by extending the authority of the Judicial Conference to redact sensitive information contained in their financial disclosure reports.

The Senate also passed the Bankruptcy Judgeship Act (H.R. 2266), to authorize the appointment of additional bankruptcy judges; the RAISE Family Caregivers Act (S. 1028), to provide for the establishment and maintenance of a family caregiving strategy, the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act (S. 870), to implement Medicare payment policies designed to improve management of chronic disease, and the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act (H.R. 3823).

HOUSE VOTES

NORTH KOREA AND HUMAN RIGHTS: The House passed the North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2061), sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla. The bill would authorize, through fiscal 2022, spending on programs to promote democracy and human rights in North Korea, and increase access to U.S.-broadcast media by North Koreans. A supporter, Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., said such programs will “shine light on those innate basic beliefs of liberty and freedom” supported by the U.S. and help encourage North Koreans to free themselves from the Kim regime. The vote Monday was unanimous with 415 yeas.

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

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES: The House passed the Increasing Opportunity through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act (H.R. 2824), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would reauthorize through fiscal 2022 the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, and require local governments receiving program grants to demonstrate improvement in benchmark areas. Smith said that by tying continued funding to evidence that the grants are achieving intended results, the bill would promote the school readiness of young children and increase the economic self-sufficiency of families. An opponent, Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., said it would result in “substantial cuts to home visiting and threatens the effectiveness of services for vulnerable children and families.” The vote Tuesday was 214 yeas to 209 nays.

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NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

PARTNERING WITH SOUTHEAST ASIA: The House passed a resolution (H. Res. 311), sponsored by Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, recognizing the Association of South East Asian Nations for its support of stability, prosperity, and peace in Southeast Asia, and stating the strategic importance of the U.S. partnering with the association. Castro cited mutual economic and security concerns shared by the U.S. and Southeast Asian nations, and gave reference to “the importance of continued security cooperation, economic partnership, and cultural engagement between the United States and ASEAN.” The vote Wednesday was unanimous with 413 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

TAX RELIEF FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS: The House passed the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act (H.R. 3823), sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas. The bill would offer tax incentives for those impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, extend various Federal Aviation Administration programs through March 2018, and stipulate that private flood insurance programs satisfy a federal requirement for homeowners to have flood insurance coverage on properties in flood zones that have federally-backed mortgages. Brady said the hurricane victims needed the “meaningful, targeted tax relief” offered by the bill as they begin the effort to recover and rebuild. A bill opponent, Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., said it did not give enough relief to Puerto Rico, and that it failed to treat all victims of natural disasters equally under the tax code. The vote Thursday was 264 yeas to 155 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

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YEAS: Poliquin

FUGITIVES AND WELFARE BENEFITS: The House passed the Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act (H.R. 2792), sponsored by Rep. Kristi L. Noem, R-S.D. The bill would block payment of Supplemental Security Income and other Social Security program benefits to those who are under felony arrest warrants. Noem said it was “incoherent and self-defeating that a nation of laws would pay a wanted person and prolong their flight from justice.” An opponent, Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., said the bill ran counter to the constitutional presumption of innocence and due process rights, with the effect of increasing racial, ethnic, and income inequities in the criminal justice system. The vote Thursday was 244 yeas to 171 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

SENATE VOTES

LABOR RELATIONS BOARD: The Senate confirmed the nomination of William J. Emanuel to serve on the National Labor Relations Board for a five-year term. A supporter, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., cited Emanuel’s lengthy experience as a lawyer representing a variety of private entities, and said his confirmation would help stabilize the board and reverse an Obama administration trend of the board advocating for organized labor rather than serving as a neutral arbiter of labor disputes. An opponent, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said: “As a corporate lawyer fighting on the side of management, Mr. Emanuel has spent decades repeatedly undermining workers and their efforts to unionize.” The vote Monday was 49 yeas to 47 nays.

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YEAS: Sen Susan Collins, R-Maine

NAYS: Sen Angus King, I-Maine

ASSISTANT TREASURY SECRETARY: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Heath P. Tarbert to serve as Assistant Treasury Secretary for International Markets and Development. A supporter, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said Tarbert had senior experience in all three branches of government and expertise in finance, making him “an important asset” to the Treasury Department. An opponent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., cited doubts about Tarbert’s commitment to modernizing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and its consideration of the impact of foreign acquisitions on American workers. The vote Wednesday was 87 yeas to 8 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Makan Delrahim to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department. A supporter, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Delrahim had a broad range of experience as a private lawyer and government official. An opponent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said: “Delrahim’s approach to antitrust enforcement is based on a hands-off economic theory that just leaves big corporations to do pretty much whatever they want to do.” The vote Wednesday was 73 yeas to 21 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

APPEALS COURT JUDGE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Ralph R. Erickson to serve as a judge on the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. A supporter, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., cited Erickson’s “long history of commitment to the legal profession and the state of North Dakota” as a state and U.S. district judge, and highlighted his understanding of Indian tribal sovereignty and other legal issues. The vote Thursday was 95 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS: Collins, King


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