WASHINGTON — Along with roll call votes this week, the House also passed the FinCEN Improvement Act (H.R. 1414), to ensure the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network works with tribal law enforcement agencies, protects against all forms of terrorism, and focuses on virtual currencies; the Vladimir Putin Transparency Act (H.R. 1404), to strengthen the U.S. response to Russian interference by providing transparency on the corruption of Russian President Vladimir Putin; the Keeping Russian Entrapments Minimal and Limiting Intelligence Networks Act (H.R. 1617), to direct the director of national intelligence to submit intelligence assessments of the intentions of the political leadership of the Russian Federation; and a resolution (H. Res. 206), acknowledging that the lack of sunlight and transparency in financial transactions and corporate formation poses a threat to our national security and our economy’s security and supporting efforts to close related loopholes.

HOUSE VOTES

STANDARDIZED VOTING HOURS: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Anthony Brindisi, D-N.Y., to the For the People Act (H.R. 1). The amendment would require states to standardize their polling hours such that no polling place will be open for more than two hours less than the polling place with the greatest number of hours of operation. Brindisi called the standardization “an important step to ensure that all voters across the state are treated fairly.” An amendment opponent, Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., said the requirement “will undo 220-plus years of states setting their own voting requirements, running their own voter laws.” The vote, on March 8, was 237 yeas to 188 nays.

YEAS: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District; Jared Golden, D-2nd District

EARLY REGISTRATION TO VOTE: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., to the For the People Act (H.R. 1), that would require states to accept applications by 16 and 17-year-olds to register to vote in elections for federal government offices. Neguse said the requirement encourages “our citizens of every age, from every background and every locality and every local party to engage in our political process.” The vote, on March 8, was 239 yeas to 186 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

POLITICAL AND ELECTIONS RULES: The House passed the For the People Act (H.R. 1), sponsored by Rep. John P. Sarbanes, D-Md. The bill would establish various disclosure requirements for political campaign contributions, make the November congressional elections day a federal holiday, establish various ethical requirements for politicians and judges, and generally expand federal oversight of the electoral system. Sarbanes called the bill’s various provisions an effort “to clean up our politics, fight corruption, unrig the system, and make sure that voting rights are protected.” An opponent, Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., said it usurped constitutional delegation of authority over elections to the states, and would be “a top-down power grab to take our election system, reverse it, and send it completely off course.” The vote, on March 8, was 234 yeas to 193 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS: The House passed the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act (H.R. 1122), sponsored by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., to authorize a demonstration program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to offer housing choice vouchers to be used for non-public housing. Cleaver said that by expanding mobility and the freedom of those on public housing assistance to move to higher-income areas, the voucher program “will allow more families to thrive by increasing their access to higher performing schools, employment opportunities, fresh and affordably priced foods, and safe playgrounds.” The vote, on March 11, was 387 yeas to 22 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

RESPONSE TO RUSSIA ASSASSINATION: The House passed a resolution (H. Res. 156), sponsored by Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-N.Y., condemning Russia’s government for the assassination of Russian politician Boris Nemtsov in Moscow in February 2015 and calling for the federal government to impose sanctions on people determined to have been involved in Nemtsov’s killing. Engel said the resolution sought to “show Putin, his cronies, and dictators throughout the world that the U.S. Congress is watching, and we will not stay silent.” The vote, on March 12, was 416 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

RUSSIA ANNEXATION OF CRIMEA: The House passed the Crimea Annexation Non-recognition Act (H.R. 596), sponsored by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-Va. The bill would establish a U.S. policy of refusing to recognize Russia’s claim of sovereignty over Crimea, with federal agencies barred from taking actions that imply recognition of that claim. Connolly said the U.S. “must lead the way in refusing to recognize or legitimize Russia’s illegal acts and its forcible annexation of Crimea.” The vote, on March 12, was 427 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

MUELLER REPORT: The House passed a resolution (H. Con. Res. 24), sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., expressing the sense of Congress that the report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election should be made available to the public and to Congress. Nadler said the resolution affirmed “that Congress believes transparency is a fundamental principle necessary to ensure that government remains accountable to the public.” The vote, on March 14, was unanimous with 420 yeas, and four voting present.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

SENATE VOTES

APPEALS COURT JUDGE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Paul B. Matey to serve as a judge on the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Matey, a senior counsel to New Jersey’s governor from 2010 to 2015, was previously in the U.S. attorney’s office for New Jersey. An opponent, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said Matey was nominated over the objections of New Jersey’s senators, and Booker said Matey would “bring an ideological agenda to the bench” if confirmed. The vote, on March 12, was 54 yeas to 45 nays.

YEAS: Susan Collins, R-Maine

NAYS: Angus King, I-Maine

SECOND APPEALS COURT JUDGE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Neomi J. Rao to serve as a judge on the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals. Rao, currently administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, was previously a law professor at George Mason University, legal counsel for the George W. Bush administration, and a counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., cited her “distinguished tenure in academia, public and private sector legal experience,” and her demonstrated “commitment to maintaining the public trust and upholding the rule of law.” An opponent, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Rao “has a record of working to dismantle key regulations that ensure the air we breathe is safe, that address climate change, and that protect American workers and consumers.” The vote, on March 13, was 53 yeas to 46 nays.

YEAS: Collins

NAYS: King

LABOR STATISTICS: The Senate confirmed the nomination of William Beach to serve a four-year term as the Labor Department’s Commissioner of Labor Statistics. Beach, most recently an economist at George Mason University, was previously a senior Republican staffer on the Senate Budget Committee and an economist at the Heritage Foundation. The vote, on March 13, was 55 yeas to 44 nays.

YEAS: Collins

NAYS: King

INTERVENTION IN YEMEN: The Senate passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 7), sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, ID-Vt., to require the removal from Yemen, within 30 days, of U.S. soldiers stationed there, barring congressional authorization of the use of force in Yemen. Sanders said the U.S. has served as Saudi Arabia’s partner in its war against the Houthi rebel faction in Yemen, which has resulted in the starvation of thousands of Yemenis and outbreaks of cholera and other diseases, and the resolution was also needed to assert that Congress has sole constitutional responsibility for making war. The vote, on March 13, was 54 yeas to 46 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

BORDER SECURITY EMERGENCY: The Senate passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 46), sponsored by Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, that would void the national emergency concerning security on the border with Mexico that President Trump declared on Feb. 15. A supporter, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y, said it was Congress’s responsibility “to limit executive overreach, to defend our core powers, to prevent a president – any president – from ignoring the will of Congress every time it fails to align with the will of the president.” An opponent, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said the executive branch has “the power to enforce the nation’s immigration laws, including by an emergency declaration,” as Trump has done. The vote, on March 14, was 59 yeas to 41 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King