Along with roll call votes last week, the House also passed the Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act (H.R. 1393), to limit the authority of states to tax certain income of employees who work in other states; passed a bill (H.R. 1551), to modify the credit for production from advanced nuclear power facilities; passed the Women, Peace, and Security Act (H.R. 2484), 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; and passed the Securing our Agriculture and Food Act (H.R. 1238), to make the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Health Affairs responsible for coordinating Homeland Security efforts related to food, agriculture, and veterinary defense against terrorism.

HOUSE VOTES

CHANGING FOSTER CARE PROGRAM: The House passed the Improving Services for Older Youth in Foster Care Act (H.R. 2847), sponsored by Rep. John J. Faso, R-N.Y.

The bill would revise the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program by authorizing states to extend eligibility for youths to receive foster care to age 21, and extend assistance to former foster care youths to age 23.

Faso said the extensions “can help improve employment outcomes and job opportunities for older youths as they leave the system” of foster care. The vote was 391 yeas to 8 nays.

NOT VOTING: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District

YEAS: Bruce Poliquin, R-2nd District

MANAGING POWER LINES ON FEDERAL LANDS: The House passed the Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act (H.R. 1873), sponsored by Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif.

The bill would require the Interior and Agriculture Departments to ensure that all existing and future rights-of-way for electrical transmission and distribution lines on federal lands managed by the departments are wide enough to allow for inspection of the lines and pruning or felling of trees that threaten to fall on lines.

LaMalfa said enlarged rights-of-way would address the threat of forest fires caused by dying and dead trees falling on power lines in federal forests.

An opponent, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., said a tiny number of fires were sparked by such downed power lines, and utilities who feel they need greater access to rights-of-way should seek resolution in the courts, rather than passage of a new law. The vote was 300 yeas to 118 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

PERMITTING WATER STORAGE PROJECTS: The House passed the Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act (H.R. 1654), sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif.

The bill would direct the Interior Department to coordinate permitting processes by state governments and the federal government for reservoirs and other surface water storage projects on federal lands, with the Bureau of Reclamation to be the lead coordinating agency.

McClintock said that clarifying how the permitting process works will result in fewer delays for building reservoirs, “more efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and, ultimately, more abundant water supplies.” A bill opponent, Rep. Jared Hoffman, D-Calif., said it presumed a “false choice between environmental standards and infrastructure,” eroding environmental protections while having little impact on the timely construction of water storage projects. The vote was 233 yeas to 180 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

SENATE VOTES

FEMA DIRECTOR: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Brock Long to serve as administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Long, a former FEMA official and former director of Alabama’s Emergency Management Agency, worked for the past six years as an emergency management consultant at Hagerty Consulting. The vote was 95 yeas to 4 nays.

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

FINANCIAL CRIMES UNDER SECRETARY: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Sigal Mandelker to serve as Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Crimes. Mandelker, formerly an attorney at the Proskauer Rose law firm in New York City, had served in a variety of posts in the Justice and Homeland Security departments during the George W. Bush administration.

A supporter, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, cited Mandelker’s “strong qualifications, dedication to service and mission, and bipartisan support” from the Senate Finance Committee. The vote was 96 yeas to 4 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

FINANCING TERRORISM: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Marshall Billingslea to serve as the Treasury Department’s Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing.

A supporter, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, cited Billingslea’s 22 years of experience in the Defense Department, NATO, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee, working on terrorism issues. The vote was 65 yeas to 35 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King