Along with roll call votes last week, the House also passed the Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act (H.J. Res. 75), making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022.

HOUSE VOTES

HOMELAND SECURITY OVERSIGHT: The House has passed the DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act (H.R. 5616), sponsored by Rep. Val Butler Demings, D-Fla., to require the Homeland Security Department to send accreditation status reports on its training programs to Congressional oversight committees. Demings said stricter accreditation standards for new Homeland Security officers would “position them to effectively safeguard the American people, our homeland, and institutions.” The vote, on March 7, was 390 yeas to 33 nays.

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

CYBERSECURITY PARTNERSHIPS: The House has passed the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act (S. 658), sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to authorize the Homeland Security Department to partner with private nonprofit groups on cybersecurity training efforts. A supporter, Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., said the bill “will help provide training, exercises, technical assistance, and other important resources to state and local governments, critical infrastructure, and industry partners.” The vote, on March 7, was 403 yeas to 19 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

TRIBAL BORDER AGENTS: The House has passed the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act (H.R. 5681), sponsored by Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., to reclassify a special unit of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers (known as “shadow wolves”) working on Tohono O’odham Nation land in southern Arizona as special agents. Katko said the reclassification would improve pay for the shadow wolves and enable recruitment of new tribal members into the special unit. The vote, on March 8, was 387 yeas to 33 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

BLACK COLLEGES: The House has passed a resolution (H. Con. Res. 70), sponsored by Rep. Alma S. Adams, D-N.C., condemning violence against historically black colleges and universities. Adams called the resolution a needed response to “the recent despicable, cowardly bomb threats to more than 30 historically black colleges and universities.” The vote, on March 8, was unanimous with 418 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

MILITARY, SECURITY SPENDING: The House has passed an amendment to a bill (H.R. 2471), sponsored by Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries, D-N.Y., to fund the Defense Department, Homeland Security Department, and associated military and national security programs in fiscal 2022. A supporter, Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, said the spending “provides our military and our troops with the resources they desperately need,” and “also ensures the safety and security of the American people by increasing overall funding for Homeland Security by 11 percent.” The vote, on March 9, was 361 yeas to 69 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

DOMESTIC SPENDING: The House has passed an amendment to a bill (H.R. 2471), sponsored by Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries, D-N.Y., that would fund federal discretionary domestic programs in fiscal 2022, including an 11.8 percent increase in funding for the legislative branch and 6.7 percent overall increase in funding for nondefense programs. A supporter, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-N.Y., called the funding an effort to “show just how government can work for working people once again and to achieve the betterment of humankind.” An opponent, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said it increased irresponsible spending while failing to solve the problem of security at the border with Mexico. The vote, on March 9, was 260 yeas to 171 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

IMPORTING RUSSIAN ENERGY: The House has passed the Suspending Energy Imports From Russia Act (H.R. 6968), sponsored by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, to bar imports from Russia of natural gas, oil and petroleum products, and other energy resources. Doggett said: “To take the energy out of Putin’s brutal assault, we place energy on our sanctions list. It may cost more to fill your tank, but we must work to stop Putin’s tanks from crushing families and freedom.” An opponent, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, said: “There is no way I could vote to exchange getting oil from Putin for getting oil from some other tyrant who wants to destroy America.” The vote, on March 9, was 414 yeas to 17 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

SENATE VOTES

POSTAL SERVICE CHANGES: The Senate has passed the Postal Service Reform Act (H.R. 3076), sponsored by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y. The bill would establish a health benefits programs for Postal Service workers and retirees while ending a requirement that retirement health benefits be prepaid, and establish new budget and service reporting requirements for the Postal Service. A supporter, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the bill sought to “give the Postal Service the tools that it needs to be successful and to fulfill its essential mission and to hold the USPS accountable for improved performance.” An opponent, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said it failed to adequately improve the Postal Service’s finances while shifting the cost of providing retiree health benefits onto taxpayers. The vote, on March 8, was 79 yeas to 19 nays.

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

TRADE DIPLOMACY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Maria L. Pagan to be a Deputy U.S. Trade Representative. Pagan, currently a legal official at the Trade Representative Office, has been a trade lawyer for the federal government since the 1990s. A supporter, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said Pagan “is an expert on a host of issues from trade in services to government procurement, and she has litigated several disputes before the WTO.” The vote, on March 10, was 80 yeas to 19 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

EARMARK SPENDING: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., to the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2471), that would have barred funding for earmark spending on individual appropriations at the request of a member of Congress. Braun said the drafting of the spending bill just before it was sent to Congress meant there had been no time for legislators to review proposed earmark spending. An amendment opponent, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., said details about the earmark spending had been publicly available on the Internet since summer 2021. The vote, on March 10, was 35 yeas to 64 nays.

NAYS: Collins, King

2022 SPENDING: The Senate has agreed to the House amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2471), sponsored by Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries, D-N.Y., that would fund federal military and discretionary domestic programs in fiscal 2022. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the legislation “the strongest, boldest, and most significant government funding package we have seen in a very long time.” The vote, on March 10, was 68 yeas to 31 nays.

YEAS: Collins, King

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