Washington, D.C., Roll Call for Sept. 13

WASHINGTON — Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the week ending Sept. 13.

Along with this week’s roll call votes, the House also passed these measures: the Confirmation Of Congressional Observer Access Act (H.R. 6513), to confirm the requirement that states allow access to designated congressional election observers to observe the election administration procedures in congressional elections; the Subterranean Border Defense Act (H.R. 7404), to require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations; the No Russian Tunnel to Crimea Act (H.R. 7701), to require sanctions on any foreigner who knowingly participates in the construction, maintenance, or repair of a tunnel or bridge that connects the Russian mainland with the Crimean peninsula; and the Economic Espionage Prevention Act (H.R. 8361), to impose sanctions with respect to economic or industrial espionage by foreign adversarial companies.

House

COMPETITION WITH CHINA: The House has passed the Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act (H.R. 1157), sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., to authorize $325 million of annual spending, for the next three years, on government actions against China’s attempts at malign influence on the U.S. and its allies. Barr said the bill sought to “direct those scarce taxpayer resources effectively so that they actually do the job that the taxpayers deserve and we actually win this fight” with China. The vote, on Sept. 9, was 351 yeas to 36 nays.

YEAS: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez D-3rd

CONTRACTS WITH CHINESE BIOTECHNOLOGY FIRMS: The House has passed the BIOSECURE Act (H.R. 8333), sponsored by Rep. Brad R. Wenstrup, R-Ohio, to bar federal government agencies from reaching contracts with, or sending grant funds to, any of five different China-based biotechnology companies that have been deemed to be a risk to U.S. national security. Wenstrup said the ban “will help protect the biologic data of American patients and make sure that their data does not fall into the hands of our adversaries.” A bill opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., cited a lack of due process and transparency for determining which companies to ban, as well as the political nature of the ban. The vote, on Sept. 9, was 306 yeas to 81 nays.

YEAS: Perez

HONG KONG GOVERNANCE: The House has passed the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act (H.R. 1103), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J. The bill would require the removal of various forms of special treatment for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices should China impair Hong Kong’s autonomy. Smith said “these offices serve as Beijing’s propaganda arm in the United States, defending and dismantling the freedom of Hong Kong and obscuring the truth.” The vote, on Sept. 10, was 413 yeas to 3 nays.

YEAS: Perez

REPORT ON COLLEGE TIES TO CHINA: The House has approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., to the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act (H.R. 1516). The amendment would require a Homeland Security Department report to Congress on colleges and universities that have ties to a Confucius Institute or other Chinese groups deemed national security threats. Cline said of the need for a report: “Congress has a duty to conduct oversight of institutes of higher education that value their relationships with Communist China over national security for the American people.” An amendment opponent, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., said it would drain Homeland Security resources and could lead to punishing U.S. colleges for innocent ties with Chinese colleges. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 253 yeas to 151 nays.

YEAS: Perez

CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES AND COLLEGES: The House has passed the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act (H.R. 1516), sponsored by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas. The bill would bar certain types of Homeland Security Department funding for U.S. colleges and universities that have established ties to Confucius Institutes, which are cultural organizations linked to China’s government. Pfluger said the institutes were part of an adversarial campaign from China, and that “we cannot allow any of these malign activities or actions to continue to undermine the United States.” An opponent, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., said the bill’s overly broad funding ban “denies critical homeland security funding to U.S. universities, puts American students at risk, and harms our national security.” The vote, on Sept. 10, was 249 yeas to 161 nays.

YEAS: Perez

TAIWAN AND THE WHO: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Andrew Ogles, R-Tenn., to the No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act (H.R. 1425). The amendment would voice unequivocal U.S. support for Taiwan’s full participation in the World Health Organization. Ogles said of the need for full participation: “Because the world allowed the PRC’s (China’s) pressure campaign against Taiwan to succeed, no one listened when Taiwan tried to warn the World Health Organization of possible human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus on Dec. 31, 2019.” The vote, on Sept. 11, was unanimous with 403 yeas.

YEAS: Perez

APPROVING PANDEMICS TREATY: The House has passed the No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act (H.R. 1425), sponsored by Rep. Thomas P. Tiffany, R-Wis., to require Senate approval of U.S. involvement in any pandemic-related international agreement involving the World Health Assembly. Tiffany said Senate review of the draft pandemic treaty currently proposed by the World Health Organization was needed because the draft treaty “shreds intellectual property rights. It also contains certain provisions that may police our First Amendment rights.” An opponent, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., said “this bill only serves to undermine diplomatic efforts seeking to strengthen global health security.” The vote, on Sept. 11, was 219 yeas to 199 nays.

YEAS: Perez

ANTI-CHINA INITIATIVE: The House has passed the Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act (H.R. 1398), sponsored by Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas. The bill would re-establish the China Initiative at the Justice Department, and rename it the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Initiative. The initiative, which began in 2018 and was halted in 2022, aimed to counter threats from China, including spying and economic espionage. Gooden said: “The rollback of the China initiative left us lacking a dedicated approach and no oversight on issues of critical national interest.” A bill opponent, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said the initiative produced “little more than a series of unsupportable cases against Chinese academics at the height of their careers that left their reputations in tatters.” The vote, on Sept. 11, was 237 yeas to 180 nays.

YEAS: Perez

FARMLAND SALES AND NATIONAL SECURITY: The House has passed the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act (H.R. 9456), sponsored by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., to require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to determine whether to make a national security review of potential sales of agricultural land to certain foreign parties, including Russian or Chinese nationals. Newhouse said: “This legislation strengthens the safety of our supply chains and opens a door to new reporting mechanisms that USDA (Agriculture Department) can use to keep us safe from this threat.” An opponent, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said: “The bill’s broad-brush approach of targeting individuals from China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran amounts to racial profiling.” The vote, on Sept. 11, was 269 yeas to 149 nays.

YEAS: Perez

ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES AND TAXES: The House has passed the End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act (H.R. 7980), sponsored by Rep. Carol D. Miller, R-W.Va. The bill would bar electric vehicles that use batteries sourced from certain companies in China and other foreign countries from eligibility for the federal new clean vehicle tax credit. Miller said: “This legislation will close the Chinese billionaire loophole that currently allows those entities owned by billionaires from countries of concern to benefit from the electric vehicle subsidies.” A bill opponent, Rep. Daniel T. Kildee, D-Mich., said it imposed unworkable, unclear restrictions on electric vehicle makers that would “lead the auto industry and battery manufacturers to pull back their U.S. investments and to pull back on investing in manufacturing for those critical elements right here in the United States and from friendly countries and to, instead, go back to relying on China.” The vote, on Sept. 12, was 217 yeas to 192 nays.

YEAS: Perez

Senate

MARYLAND JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Adam Abelson to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Maryland. Abelson was a lawyer at a Baltimore law firm before, in 2023, being named a magistrate judge on the Maryland court. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 53 yeas to 43 nays.

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

NEW YORK JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Jeannette Vargas to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. A staffer in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District since 2002, Vargas has been the deputy chief of its civil division since 2016. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 51 yeas to 43 nays.

YEAS: Cantwell, Murray

VERMONT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Mary Kay Lanthier to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Vermont. A public defender for a Vermont county since 2007, Lanthier was previously a private practice lawyer and a public defender. A supporter, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said: “I am confident that she will treat everyone in her courtroom with the compassion, respect, and dignity that they deserve.” The vote, on Sept. 11, was 55 yeas to 42 nays.

YEAS: Cantwell, Murray

MINNESOTA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Laura Margarete Provinzino to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Minnesota. Provinzino, a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the district since 2010, was previously a lawyer in Minneapolis. A supporter, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said: “Through her devotion to justice and the rule of law, she has earned the respect and support of attorneys and law enforcement across our state.” The vote, on Sept. 12, was 54 yeas to 41 nays.

YEAS: Cantwell, Murray