Washington D.C. Roll Call Report

WASHINGTON — Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.

Along with this week’s roll call votes, the Senate also passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (H.R. 4445), which had passed the House in a roll call vote earlier in the week.

House

SEXUAL HARASSMENT ARBITRATION: The House has passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (H.R. 4445), sponsored by Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Maine, to bar arbitration agreements that prevent a party to the agreement from filing a sexual assault or sexual harassment lawsuit against another party to the agreement. Bustos said employment agreements that force employees to go to arbitration to settle such cases were unjust “legal traps” used against workers. An opponent, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said the bill was more likely to benefit trial lawyers than workers, due to encouraging costly litigation while blocking arbitration. The vote, on Feb. 7, was 335 yeas to 97 nays.

YEAS

Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-3rd

HOMELAND SECURITY PURCHASING PRACTICES: The House has passed the Promoting Rigorous and Innovative Cost Efficiencies for Federal Procurement and Acquisitions Act (S. 583), sponsored by Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich. The bill would require the Homeland Security Department to annually publish online a report on agency measures to improve its procurement systems. The vote, on Feb. 7, was 426 yeas to 5 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

POSTAL SERVICE CHANGES: The House 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. Maloney called the changes an effort “to fix some of the serious problems that have been looming over the post office for years and threatening its financial stability.” The vote, on Feb. 8, was 342 yeas to 92 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS: The House has passed the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act (H.R. 6617), sponsored by Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., to extend funding for the federal government though March 11. The vote, on Feb. 8, was 272 yeas to 162 nays.

YEAS

Herrera Beutler

GENDER AND VISAS: The House has passed the Global Respect Act (H.R. 3485), sponsored by Rep. David L. Cicilline, D-R.I., to have the State Department enact visa-blocking sanctions against foreigners accused of sexual orientation, sex, or gender identity discrimination. Cicilline said: “This bill protects LGBTQI people from murder, torture, and other forms of violence.” An opponent, Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., said: “The bill’s broad language has the potential to sweep in nonviolent conduct and impose visa restrictions on individuals engaged in that conduct.” The vote, on Feb. 9, was 227 yeas to 206 nays.

NAYS

Herrera Beutler

Senate

D.C. SUPERIOR COURT: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Donald Tunnage to serve as a judge on the Washington, D.C., Superior Court for a 15-year term. The vote, on Feb. 7, was 54 yeas to 39 nays.

YEAS

Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Patty Murray, D-Wash.

D.C. APPEALS COURT: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Loren AliKhan to serve as a judge on the Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals for a 15-year term. AliKhan has been the District’s solicitor general since 2018, was previously its deputy solicitor general, and before that was a Justice Department lawyer. The vote, on Feb. 8, was 55 yeas to 41 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Amy Gutmann to serve as U.S. ambassador to Germany. Gutmann had been president of the University of Pennsylvania since 2004. The vote, on Feb. 8, was 54 yeas to 42 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

ASIA FINANCING: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Chantale Yokmin Wong to serve as the U.S. director on the Asian Development Bank. Wong was a senior official at the Millennium Challenge Corporation during the Obama administration, and was on the board of the Asian Development Bank during the Clinton administration. The vote, on Feb. 8, was 66 yeas to 31 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Scott Nathan to be chief executive officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Nathan, a longtime executive at the Baupost Group investment firm, was an official in multiple roles during the Obama administration. A supporter, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said Nathan would help the agency “to be competitive with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, to promote renewable energy development, and to support COVID-19 recovery, and, at the same time, to recognize and grapple with the complexity of these challenges.” The vote, on Feb. 9, was 72 yeas to 24 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Reta Jo Lewis to serve as president of the U.S. Export-Import Bank. Lewis, currently a senior official at the German Marshall Fund, was a State Department diplomat during the Obama administration, and before that a Chamber of Commerce executive and private practice lawyer. A supporter, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, called Lewis “the leader we need in the fight to help U.S. manufacturers compete globally.” The vote, on Feb. 9, was 56 yeas to 40 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

FEDERAL APPEALS JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Leonard Stark to serve as a judge on the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Stark, a U.S. District Court judge in Delaware since 2010, was previously an assistant U.S. attorney and private practice lawyer in the state. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said of Stark: “His expertise in adjudicating patents combined with his experience hearing appeals will be an asset to the Federal Circuit and to our industrious, inventive nation.” The vote, on Feb. 9, was 61 yeas to 35 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

TREASURY LAWYER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Neil MacBride to be the Treasury Department’s general counsel. MacBride was a Justice Department lawyer and U.S. attorney in Virginia during the Obama administration, and earlier was chief counsel to Biden on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The vote, on Feb. 9, was 61 yeas to 33 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray

MARITIME COMMISSIONER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Max Vekich to serve on the Federal Maritime Commission for a term ending in mid-2026. Vekich, a former Washington state legislator, has since 2004 been an official at Puget Sound port groups. A supporter, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Vekich had “spent his life working in the maritime industry and knows the challenges we face in maritime, intermodal transportation, congestion, and continuing to move forward on how we advance our ports.” The vote, on Feb. 10, was 51 yeas to 43 nays.

YEAS

Cantwell, Murray