Washington D.C. Roll Call Report

WASHINGTON — Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the week ending June 21.

House

OFFICIAL TIME AND MILITARY WORKERS: The House has rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., to the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8070). The amendment would have required a Defense Department report on military and Commerce Department workers receiving government pay for time spent on union activities, from 2021 through 2023. Perry cited evidence of workers receiving tens of millions of dollars for the time, which is classified as official time, and said more data on the issue was needed. An opponent, Rep. Val T. Hoyle, D-Ore., said: “Official time ensures federal employees have a voice at the worksite to resolve disputes, address issues of discrimination or retaliation, and propose improvements to the workplace.” The vote, on June 14, was 188 yeas to 228 nays.

NAYS:

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-3rd

RELATIONS WITH SOUTH AFRICA: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. John James, R-Mich., to the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8070). The amendment would require a report to Congress on possible South African activity against U.S. national security or foreign policy interests. James cited pro-Hamas and pro-China and Russia words and actions from the country’s ruling African National Congress party. James said such a move “requires a certification and review that will ensure that the entirety of the U.S. government is aligned to the realities of the current U.S.-South Africa bilateral relationship.” An opponent, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., said: “To conduct a review at this point in the process would be premature and potentially damaging to our interest of being a partner of choice for South Africa.” The vote, on June 14, was 272 yeas to 144 nays.

YEAS:

Perez

2025 MILITARY BUDGET: The House has passed the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8070), sponsored by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala. The bill would authorize about $895 billion of fiscal 2025 military spending, with provisions including a 20 percent pay increase for junior enlisted military members, increased spending on military schools and housing, and about $20 billion of decreased spending on aircraft, ship and weapons programs deemed unviable. Rogers said: “It will help revitalize the defense industrial base. It will build the ready, capable, and lethal fighting force we need to deter China, and it will provide historic improvements in the quality of life of our servicemembers and their families.” A bill opponent, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., criticized provisions restricting funding for abortions, sex-change surgeries and hormone treatments, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) measures in the military. The vote, on June 14, was 217 yeas to 199 nays.

YEAS:

Perez

Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C., JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Katherine E. Oler to be a judge on the Superior Court of Washington, D.C., for a 15-year term. Oler has been a special master on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for the past seven years; previously, she spent two decades as a judge advocate for the Air Force. The vote, on June 17, was 52 yeas to 42 nays.

YEAS:

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

FIREFIGHTING: The Senate has concurred in the House amendments to the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S. 870), sponsored by Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich., to reauthorize the U.S. Fire Administration through fiscal 2030, as well as several firefighting grant programs. Peters said: “Without these programs, many fire departments would simply not have the resources and equipment they need to stay safe in the line of duty.” The vote, on June 18, was 88 yeas to two nays.

YEAS:

Cantwell, Murray

AMBASSADOR TO AFRICA: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Stephanie Sullivan to be the U.S. representative to the African Union (AU). Sullivan was ambassador to Ghana from 2018 to 2022 and previously was ambassador to Congo and served a variety of other roles in the State Department, some of them based in Africa. A supporter, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., called Sullivan “an experienced diplomat who knows and understands the continent and has demonstrated leadership skills that will serve us well at the AU headquarters.” The vote, on June 20, was 45 yeas to 26 nays.

YEAS:

Cantwell

NOT VOTING:

Murray