Longmont-area congressional votes for Dec. 9-15, 2022
December 16 – WASHINGTON, December 16 – Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the past week.
House votes
WESTERN SALT LAKES: The House passed the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act (S. 1466), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., to require the US Geological Survey to study salt lake ecosystems in the Great Basin -region of the West. A supporter, Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., said, “This bill will inform and support coordinated federal, state and local management and conservation efforts to benefit those ecosystems, migratory birds and other wildlife.” The vote, on December 12, was 356 yes to 56 no.
YES: Neguse D-CO (2nd)
NAYS: Buck R-CO (4th)
QUANTUM COMPUTING SECURITY: The House agreed to the Senate amendment to the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act (HR 7535), sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to require federal government agencies to prepare information technology systems for encryption capabilities that can withstand attacks from future quantum computing technologies. The vote, on December 13, was 420 yes to 3 no.
JA: Neguse, Buck
PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION: The House passed a motion sponsored by Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md. was sponsored, to pass 13 bills and en bloc, without a separate roll call vote for each bill. Issues covered by the bills include: rider safety in taxis; the naming of various post office facilities; severe weather forecast and warnings; and fire investigation procedures. The vote, on December 14, was 349 yes to 80 no.
JA: Neguse
NAYS: Goat
SHORT-TERM GOVERNMENT FUNDING: The House agreed to the Senate amendment to the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act (HR 1437), sponsored by Rep. Mikie Sherrill, DN.J., to secure funding for the federal government until Dec. 23. A supporter, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., called the extension “a simple date change that keeps the government running while we negotiate the details of final spending bills and complete the work to fund the government programs that meet the needs of hardworking Americans .” An opponent, Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, said, “We need to pass a continuing resolution next year instead of buying more time to rush through a massive spending package.” The vote, on December 14, was 224 yes to 201 no.
JA: Neguse
NAYS: Goat
GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT: The House passed the Prevention of Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Procurement Act (S. 3905), sponsored by Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich. The bill would require changes to federal government procurement regulations regarding both agency and personal conflicts of interest with potential government contractors. A supporter, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., said of the need for changes: “If we don’t take steps to prevent conflicts of interest, thereby protecting the integrity of government decision-making and operations, then we risk potentially serious violations . in the public trust.” A bill opponent, Rep. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Pa., said adding existing conflict-of-interest rules “will burden businesses and shrink the pool of eligible contractors, not reduce conflicts of interest.” The vote, on December 14, was 219 yes to 205 no.
JA: Neguse
NAYS: Goat
LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING: The House passed the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act (S. 4003), sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. The bill would have the Department of Justice develop training and grant programs for law enforcement departments to adopt alternative responses for individuals in a mental, behavioral health or suicidal crisis. A supporter, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, DN.Y., called it an effort “not only to improve policing practices through increased training, but also to make our communities safer by ensuring that individuals in crisis receive the help they need.” An opponent, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said he would squander $133 million on duplication programs and “promote a soft-on-crime approach” to policing that increases crime. The vote, on December 14, was 264 yes to 162 no.
JA: Neguse
NAYS: Goat
PUERTO RICO: The House passed the Puerto Rico Status Act (HR 8393), sponsored by Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., approved holding a referendum in Puerto Rico in November 2023, in which voters will be asked to choose between independence, statehood or free association with the US for Puerto Rico. Free association would be limited independence, and include the loss of guaranteed US citizenship for Puerto Ricans. Grijalva said Puerto Rico’s “territory status is no longer viable and is unable to provide sufficient political or economic benefits” for Puerto Ricans. An opponent, Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said it was a mistake to require the plebiscite without first allowing Congress and its committees to hold hearings to assess the impact of changing Puerto Rico’s status. The vote, on December 15, was 233 yes to 191 no.
JA: Neguse
NAYS: Goat
VA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING: The House passed the VA Employee Fairness Act (HR 1948), sponsored by Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., accepts changing collective bargaining standards for Veterans Health Administration workers by including professional competency and compensation issues as eligible for bargaining. Takano said the changes are needed to help the VA “recruit and retain the best and brightest medical professionals our country has to offer.” A bill opponent, Rep. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., said allowing VA medical staff to negotiate pay and patient care could lead to delayed care, undiagnosed critical illnesses and higher costs for patients. The vote, on December 15, was 219 yes to 201 no.
JA: Neguse
NAYS: Goat
Senate vote
COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Tamika R. Montgomery-Reeves to be a judge on the US Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Montgomery-Reeves has been a Delaware state judge since 2016, including, since 2019, a state supreme court judge. Previously, she was a private practice attorney in Wilmington. A supporter, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said, “Justice Montgomery-Reeves is among the highest caliber judges in our state and our nation and has my strongest possible endorsement.” The vote, on December 12, was 53 yeas to 35 nays.
YES: Bennett D-CO
NOT VOTING: Hickenlooper D-CO
SECOND COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Dana M. Douglas to be a judge on the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Douglas has been a federal magistrate judge in Louisiana since 2019; prior to that she was a private practice commercial attorney in New Orleans. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said, “Judge Douglas’ experience, qualifications and temperament will be assets on the Fifth Circuit.” The vote, on December 13, was 65 yes to 31 no.
JA: Bennett
NOT VOTING: Hickenlooper
INTERNATIONAL FINANCE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Jay Curtis Shambaugh as the Treasury Department’s Under Secretary for International Affairs. Shambaugh was an official on the White House Council of Economic Advisers in the Obama administration, and before and after an economics professor at Georgetown and Dartmouth universities. The vote, on December 13, was 70 yes to 27 no.
JA: Bennett
NOT VOTING: Hickenlooper
CHARTER SCHOOLS RULE: The Senate passed a resolution (SJ Res. 60), sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott, RS.C., rejects and overturns an Education Department rule issued this July regulating grants to charter schools. Scott said the rule would weaken the ability of low-income families to receive quality education by giving their children alternatives to standard public schools. A resolution opponent, Sen. Rep. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said repealing the rule “would cause unnecessary chaos, undermine simple accountability measures to ensure our federal funds are well spent and delay funding to support new, high-quality charter schools and the students they serve. would serve.” The vote, on December 14, was 49 yeas to 49 nays.
NAYS: Bennett
NOT VOTING: Hickenlooper
DIPLOMAT TO LATIN AMERICA: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Francisco O. Mora as the United States’ Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States, an international cooperation group of 35 countries, most of them in Latin America. Mora was a professor at several universities focusing on US relations with Latin America and was a Department of Defense official for the Western Hemisphere during the first half of the Obama administration. The vote, on December 14, was 51 yes to 45 no.
JA: Bennett
NOT VOTING: Hickenlooper
MILITARY COURT OF APPEALS: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Musetta Tia Johnson as a judge for a 15-year term on the US Court of Appeals for the various branches of the military. Johnson, a retired colonel in the Army’s Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, is currently a national security attorney at Georgetown University. The vote, on December 15, was 76 yeas to 20 nays.
JA: Bennet, Hickenlooper
MILITARY SPENDING: The Senate agreed to the House amendment to the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (HR 7776), sponsored by Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Ore., to authorize Army Corps of Engineers water resource projects and about $858 billion of fiscal 2023 spending to the military. The military portion of the bill would authorize funding for new aircraft and ships, increase pay for service members by 4.6 percent and increase their benefits, and repeal the military’s Covid vaccination requirement. A supporter, sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va., said support for the military is necessary to “protect our country and be able to defend ourselves and maintain the superpower status” that the U.S. enjoys. The vote, on December 15, was 83 yes to 11 no.
JA: Bennet, Hickenlooper
SHORT-TERM GOVERNMENT FUNDING: The Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act (HR 1437), sponsored by Rep. Mikie Sherrill, DN.J., to secure funding for the federal government until Dec. 23. A supporter, sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., said the extension would allow the necessary time to finalize a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on fiscal 2023 legislation before the current Congress ends. An opponent, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said, “The Senate needs to be in a position to review the omnibus with a clear head without the pressure of a looming Christmastime threat of a shutdown.” The vote, on December 15, was 71 yeas to 19 nays.
JA: Bennet, Hickenlooper
