Here’s a look at how Pennsylvania’s members of Congress voted last week.
Along with roll call votes this week, the House also passed the following bills: the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act (HR 259), to create an online repository for certain reporting requirements for recipients of federal disaster assistance; the Securities and Exchange Commission Real Estate Leasing Authority Revocation Act (HR 388), to abolish the SEC’s leasing authority; and the Microloan Transparency and Accountability Act (HR 449), to amend the Small Business Act to increase transparency.
HOUSE
ASSESSMENT OF GOVERNMENT APPLICANTS: The House passed the Chance to Compete Act (HR 159), sponsored by Rep. Virginia Foxx, RN.C., hired to change the hiring system for federal government jobs by prioritizing skills-based assessments of an applicant’s qualifications. Foxx said that by placing too much emphasis on academic qualifications, the current system “seriously undermines the ability of the federal workforce to serve the American people both properly and efficiently.” The vote on January 24 was 422 yes to 2 no.
YES: Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Bucks; Mike Kelly, R-Butler; Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Chester; Madeleine Dean, D-Montgomery; Scott Perry, R-York; Brendan Boyle, D-Philadelphia; Matt Cartwright, D-Lackawanna; Lloyd Smucker, R-Lancaster; John Joyce, R-Blair; Guy Reschenthaler, R-Washington; Glenn Thompson, R-Howard; Dan Meuser, R-Alfalfa; Susan Wild, D-Lehigh; Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Delaware; Summer Lee, D-Allegheny; Chris Deluzio, D-Allegheny
DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL ACTION: The House passed the Settlement Agreement Information Database Act (HR 300), sponsored by Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., to require federal government agencies to release information to the public about consent decrees and settlement agreements they have reached with litigants. Palmer said, “Citizens have a right to access the records and operations of the federal government to facilitate the oversight of public affairs.” The vote, on January 24, was unanimous with 425 yes.
YES: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Perry, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, ThompsonMeuser, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: The House passed the NOTAM Improvement Act (HR 346), sponsored by Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn. The bill would create a task force at the Federal Aviation Administration to propose improvements to the agency’s NOTAM (Notices to Air Missions) system. Stauber said the grounding of all domestic airline departures a few weeks ago due to a failure in the NOTAM highlighted the need for the FAA to upgrade its complicated, outdated system for communicating safety and traffic alerts to pilots. improve. The vote, on January 25, was 424 yes to 4 no.
YES: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Perry, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, ThompsonMeuser, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio
INVESTING IN SMALL BUSINESS: The House passed the Investing in Main Street Act (HR 400), sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., to increase the amount a bank can invest in small business investment companies from 5% to 15% of the bank’s capital and surplus. Chu said, “Raising this limit will dramatically increase the amount of investment capital available to our country’s small businesses, for whom even small investments can mean so much.” The vote on January 25 was 411 yes to 13 no.
YES: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Perry, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, ThompsonMeuser, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio
IRAN PROTESTS: The House passed a resolution (H Con Res 7), sponsored by Rep. Claudia Tenney, RN.Y., to praise Iranians protesting against their government and condemn Iran for violently suppressing protests and killing some protesters. Tenney said the resolution “reaffirms our resounding support for the brave Iranians who continue to risk their lives to secure their fundamental rights and freedoms.” The vote, on January 25, was 420 yes to 1 no.
YES: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Perry, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, ThompsonMeuser, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio
ATLANTIC COAST FOSSIL FUEL PRODUCTION: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Nancy Mace, RS.C., on the Strategic Production Response Act (HR 21) that would maintain a moratorium on oil and natural gas production leases off the Southeast Coast. Mace said the moratorium “protects the South Carolina coastline, which every South Carolinian and visitor to our state knows is vital to our livelihoods and economy.” The vote, on January 26, was 389 yes to 42 no.
YES: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, ThompsonMeuser, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio
NO: Perry
OIL AND NATURAL GAS LEASES: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., on the Strategic Production Response Act (H.R. 21) that the increase in federal lands that can be leased for oil and natural gas production would change in response to a withdrawal from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve of an increase of 10 % to 15%. Boebert said the increase “allows for responsible emergency use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserves while also enabling responsible U.S. energy production on federal lands.” An opponent of the amendment, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., DN.J., said it would hurt the ability to release supplies from the reserve in response to emergencies. The vote on January 26 was 220 yes to 212 no.
YES: Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, ThompsonMeuser
NO: Fitzpatrick, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio
SELLING OIL TO RIVAL NATIONS: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, RN.J., on the Strategic Production Response Act (HR 21) that would require the Department of Energy to ensure that oil sold from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is not sold to Iran, China, Russia or North Korea. Gottheimer said the restriction was necessary to “protect well against the terrifying prospect of oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve ending up in the wrong hands.” The vote, on January 26, was 418 yes to 12 no.
YES: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Perry, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, ThompsonMeuser, Wild, Scanlon, Deluzio
NO: Lee
SENATE
MANAGEMENT OF MILITARY BUILDINGS: The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Brendan Owens as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment. Owens, a consultant to Black Vest Strategy, was a US Green Building Council official for 19 years and prior to that was the energy manager for the Army’s Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The vote, on January 23, was 60 yes to 35 no.
YES: Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and John Fetterman, D-Pa.
