Along with roll call votes last week, the House also passed the Taylor Force Act (H.R. 1164), to condition assistance to the West Bank and Gaza on steps by the Palestinian Authority to end violence and terrorism against Israeli citizens; and the Admiral Lloyd R. “Joe” Vasey Pacific War Commemorative Display Establishment Act (H.R. 4300), to authorize Pacific Historic Parks to establish a commemorative display to honor members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

HOUSE VOTES

REGULATING MOBILE HOMES: The House has passed the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act (H.R. 1699), sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. The bill would state that retailers of manufactured homes are not mortgage or loan originators, and therefore are not subject to federal regulation as an originator under the Truth in Lending Act. The vote, on Dec. 1, was 256 yeas to 163 nays.

NAYS: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District

YEAS: Bruce Poliquin, R-2nd District

TAX BILL RECONCILIATION: The House has passed a motion to go to conference with the Senate to reconcile the two chambers’ differing versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). The vote to go to conference, on Dec. 4, was 222 yeas to 192 nays.

NAYS: Pingree/YEAS: Poliquin

SECRET SERVICE EMPLOYEE PAY: The House has passed the Secret Service Recruitment and Retention Act (H.R. 3731), sponsored by Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y. The bill would raise the cap on overtime pay for Secret Service employees. The vote, on Dec. 5, was 407 yeas to 4 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

PUNISHING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION: The House has passed the Stopping Abusive Female Exploitation Act (H.R. 3317), sponsored by Rep. David A. Trott, R-Mich. The bill would increase federal prison terms for female genital mutilation from 5 years to 15 years. The vote, on Dec. 5, was unanimous with 409 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

IMPEACHMENT RESOLUTION: The House has tabled a resolution (H. Res. 646), sponsored by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, that would have impeached President Trump for allegedly committing high misdemeanors by bringing shame and dishonor to the presidency by making discriminatory statements against various groups. The vote to table, on Dec. 6, was 364 yeas to 58 nays.

NAYS: Pingree/YEAS: Poliquin

INVESTIGATING VA MEDICAL CENTERS: The House has passed the Enhancing Veteran Care Act (S. 1266), sponsored by Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. The bill would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to have nonprofit groups that evaluate health care organizations investigate care deficiencies at VA medical centers. The vote, on Dec. 6, was unanimous with 423 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

CONCEALED CARRY RECIPROCITY: The House has passed the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38), sponsored by Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. The bill would stipulate that people who have state concealed carry firearm permits and are visiting a state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms can carry their firearms while in that state. The vote, on Dec. 6, was 231 yeas to 198 nays.

NAYS: Pingree/YEAS: Poliquin

BURMA VIOLENCE: The House has passed a resolution (H. Con. Res. 90), sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., condemning ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya group in Burma and calling on Burma’s government to stop persecution of the Rohingya, and requesting sanctions against government officials violating the Rohingya’s rights. The vote, on Dec. 6, was 423 yeas to 3 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS: The House has passed the Further Continuing Appropriations Act (H.J. Res. 123), sponsored by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., to fund the federal government through Dec. 22 and redistribute Children’s Health Insurance Program funds through the end of 2017 to state child health plans that are having emergency funding shortfalls. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 235 yeas to 193 nays.

NAYS: Pingree/YEAS: Poliquin

AID TO VENEZUELANS: The House has passed the Venezuela Humanitarian Assistance and Defense of Democratic Governance Act (H.R. 2658), sponsored by Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-N.Y. The bill would require the State Department to combat human rights violations by Venezuela’s government and work with nongovernmental groups to provide aid to Venezuelans, and call on the president to make Venezuela’s humanitarian and political crisis a priority for the United Nations Security Council. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 388 yeas to 29 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

SENATE VOTES

ENTITLEMENT BENEFITS: The Senate has rejected a motion to waive a budgetary point of order against a motion sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., against any legislation that cuts Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits. The vote, on Dec. 1, was 46 yeas to 54 nays.

YEAS: Susan Collins, R-Maine; Angus King, I-Maine

STATE, LOCAL TAX DEDUCTION: The Senate has rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., that would have recommitted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions for the committee to strike the bill’s language ending the individual deduction for payment of state and local taxes. The vote, on Dec. 1, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.

NAYS: Collins/YEAS: King

EDUCATION SAVINGS PLANS: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1), that would allow 529 college savings investment plans to be used by parents to help pay for elementary and high school education. The vote, on Dec. 1, was 51 yeas to 50 nays, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the 51st yea vote.

NAYS: Collins, King

MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS: The Senate has rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., that would have recommitted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions for the committee to add language to make the bill’s tax cuts for the middle class permanent. The vote, on Dec. 1, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.

NAYS: Collins/YEAS: King

TAX REFORM BILL: The Senate has passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1), sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas. The bill would introduce a variety of changes to the federal tax code, including altering the seven individual tax brackets, increasing the standard individual deduction, cutting the corporate tax rate to 20 percent, and removing the penalty for failing to buy individual health insurance. The vote, on Dec. 1, was 51 yeas to 49 nays.

YEAS: Collins/NAYS: King

HOMELAND SECURITY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security. The vote, on Dec. 5, was 62 yeas to 37 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

TAX BILL CONFERENCE: The Senate has passed a motion to go to conference with the House to reconcile the two chambers’ versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). The vote, on Dec. 6, was 51 yeas to 47 nays.

YEAS: Collins/NAYS: King

HEALTH INSURANCE AND TAX BILL: The Senate has rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., to insist that the House-Senate conference report for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) not contain any provisions that increase health insurance premiums or increase the number of people without health insurance. The vote, on Dec. 6, was 47 yeas to 51 nays.

NAYS: Collins/YEAS: King

INTERIOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joseph Balash to serve as the Interior Department’s Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 61 yeas to 38 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS: The Senate has passed the Further Continuing Appropriations Act (H.J. Res. 123), sponsored by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., to fund the federal government through Dec. 22 and redistribute Children’s Health Insurance Program funds through the end of 2017 to state child health plans that are having emergency funding shortfalls. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 81 yeas to 14 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

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