My Votes – Week of December 16
RULE BILLS
**A rule bill is a bill passed through a full House vote under a rule that has been voted and agreed upon by the Rules Committee. Rule bills require a simple majority of the House to pass (218 votes) through a recorded vote.
Result and Date | Bill # | Bill Title | My Vote | What it means for you and your family |
12/17/19
PASSED |
H.R. 1865 | Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Interior; Legislative Branch; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation and Housing | NO | This package represented recording spending highs without funding a solution for our climbing debt. Every month, families in Eastern Washington have to sit down and balance their budgets– Congress should, too. As legislators, we should fulfill our duties and complete the budget by the end of the fiscal year and not continually kick the can down the road. It’s past time to rein in federal spending and fix a broken budget process. |
12/17/19
PASSED |
H.R. 1158 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020: Defense; Commerce, Justice, Science; Financial Services; and Homeland Security | NO | This package represented recording spending highs without funding a solution for our climbing debt. Every month, families in Eastern Washington have to sit down and balance their budgets– Congress should, too. As legislators, we should fulfill our duties and complete the budget by the end of the fiscal year and not continually kick the can down the road. It’s past time to rein in federal spending and fix a broken budget process. |
12/18/19
PASSED |
H.Res. 755 | Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States- Article 1: Abuse of Power | NO | You can read my full statement on the impeachment of President Trump by clicking here. |
12/18/19
PASSED |
H.Res. 755 | Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States- Article 2: Obstruction of Congress | NO | You can read my full statement on the impeachment of President Trump by clicking here. |
12/19/19
PASSED |
H.R. 5377 | Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act | NO | Instead of restoring tax fairness, this legislation would function as a tax break for the wealthy in states like California and New York while penalizing the rest of the country. |
12/19/19
PASSED |
H.R. 5430 | United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act | YES | I am an ardent supporter of the USMCA. Washington is one of the most trade dependent states in the country, with one in three jobs relying on trade. |
SUSPENSION BILLS
**A suspension bill is a bill passed by the House through suspending the rules to move quickly, circumventing the House Rules Committee. Suspension bills are typically less controversial pieces of legislation, and as the rules are being suspended, they require a higher threshold, two-thirds of those voting in the House, to pass. Additionally, these bills are often passed by a voice vote, without a formal roll call vote.
Result and Date | Bill # | Bill Title | My Vote | What it means for you and your family |
12/17/19
PASSED |
H.R. 4183 | Identifying Barriers and Best Practices Study Act | YES | This bill requires a multi-year study on VA disability and pension benefits for members of the Reserve Components and National Guard. |
12/17/19
PASSED |
H.R. 3530 | Improving Confidence in Veterans’ Care Act | YES | This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct better oversight of its hospitals’ compliance with existing policies on patient safety and quality of care. |
12/17/19
PASSED |
H.R. 722 | Miracle Mountain Designation Act | YEs | This would designate an unnamed mountain in the State of Utah, partially found on the border of the Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, as “Miracle Mountain.” |
12/17/19
PASSED |
H.R. 2548 | HELP ACT | YES | This bill modifies eligibility for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs to allow state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to begin certain land acquisition and simple construction which do not require a comprehensive review. |