My Votes – Week of November 30th

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
12/2/2020 PASSED 343-41	H.R. 7995	Coin Metal Modification Authorization and Cost Savings Act	YES	This bill authorizes the United States Mint to modify the metallic composition of coins if a study conducted by the Mint indicates that the modification will reduce the cost to taxpaxers and be implemented seamlessly.

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
12/2/2020 PASSED 343-41	H.R. 7995	Coin Metal Modification Authorization and Cost Savings Act	YES	This bill authorizes the United States Mint to modify the metallic composition of coins if a study conducted by the Mint indicates that the modification will reduce the cost to taxpaxers and be implemented seamlessly.
12/3/2020 PASSED 272-114	H.R. 1380	Big Cat Public Safety Act	NO	Revises requirements governing the trade of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard). Specifically, it revises restrictions on the possession and exhibition of big cats, including to restrict direct contact between the public and big cats. Current law already prohibits the import, export, purchase, sale, transport, or acquisition of big cats, such as lions and tigers across state lines or the national border.
12/4/2020 PASSED 265-124	S. 2981	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2020	YES	Revises provisions related to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps such as physical fitness, obligated service requirements, and retirement.
12/2/2020 PASSED VOICE	S. 4054	U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2020	YES	Reauthorizes the United States Grain Standards Act. This legislation would extend, through 2025, authorizations for various provisions of the United States Grain Standards Act, which authorizes the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
12/2/2020 PASSED VOICE	S. 945	S. 945 Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act	YES	This bill will help fight State Owned Enterprises. The legislation requires certain issuers of securities to establish that they are not owned or controlled by a foreign government. Specifically, an issuer must make this certification if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is unable to audit specified reports because the issuer has retained a foreign public accounting firm not subject to inspection by the board. Furthermore, if the board is unable to inspect the issuer’s public accounting firm for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are banned from trade on a national exchange or through other methods.
12/2/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 4403	Stop Debt Collection Abuse Act of 2019	YES	Applies certain consumer protections regarding debt collection to debt owed to a federal agency. Delays the sale of debt by a federal government agency to a debt collector by 90 days and requires a GAO report on debt collection abuse.
12/2/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 1830	National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act	YES	Directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor for one year beginning on January 1st, 2021. Surcharges from the coin sales will go to National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc., to support the mission of the organization.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 7903	To amend the Small Business Act to establish the Community Advantage Loan Program	YES	Establishes a Community Advantage Loan Program under which the Small Business Administration (SBA) may guarantee loans made by covered institutions to small business concerns in underserved markets.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 8211	H.R. 8211 504 Modernization and Small Manufacturer Enhancement Act of 2020	YES	Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to improve the loan guaranty program, increase funding by one million dollars, and increase oversight.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 8199	504 Credit Risk Management Improvement Act of 2020	YES	Amends the Small Business Act to enhance the Office of Credit Risk Management to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to issue rules relating to environmental obligations of certified development companies.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 8229	Parity for HUBZone Appeals Act of 2020	YES	Requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to authorize its Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) to decide all appeals from formal protest determinations in connection with the status of a HUBZone small business. A HUBZone small business is a small business in a historically underutilized business zone. Currently, HUBZone status appeals are the responsibility of the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 5517	Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act	YES	Affirms the friendship of the governments of the United States of America and the Republic of India, and establishes a bilateral partnership for collaboration to advance development and shared values.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 1819	War Crimes Rewards Expansion Act	YES	Expands the Department of State’s rewards program to authorize rewards for providing information leading to the arrest, conviction, or transfer of a foreign national accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide as such crimes as defined under the law of an international criminal tribunal, the applicable country, or the United States. Currently, rewards are authorized for information leading to the arrest, conviction, or transfer of a foreign national accused of such crimes only as defined under the statutes of the relevant tribunal.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H .Res. 996	Expressing the sense of Congress that the activities of Russian national Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affiliated entities pose a threat to the national interests and security of the United States and of its allies and partners	YES	Expressing the sense of Congress that the activities of Russian national Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affiliated entities pose a threat to the national interests and security of the United States and of its allies and partners
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H. Res. 958	Condemning the practice of politically motivated imprisonment and calling for the immediate release of political prisoners in the Russian Federation and urging action by the United States Government to impose sanctions with respect to persons responsible for that form of human rights abuse	YES	Condemns political imprisonments in Russia and calls on Russia to release its political prisoners. The resolution also urges the United States to advocate for the release of such prisoners and to identify the Russian officials responsible for their imprisonment.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H. Res. 17	Expressing concern over the detention of Austin Tice	YES	Expresses concern about the capture and detention of journalist Austin Tice near Damascus, Syria. It encourages the Department of State, the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and other U.S. government entities to engage with Syria to facilitate Tice’s safe release.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H. Res. 1115	Calling for the immediate release of Trevor Reed, a United States citizen who was unjustly sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison.	YES	Calls for the immediate release of Trevor Reed, a United States citizen who was unjustly sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 1049	1049 National Heritage Area Act of 2020	YES	Establishes a National Heritage Areas System to recognize certain areas of the United States that tell nationally significant stories and to conserve, enhance, and interpret the areas’ natural, historic, scenic, and cultural resources that illustrate significant aspects of U.S. heritage. Through such a system, the Department of the Interior may provide technical and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to support the establishment, development, and continuity of such areas.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	S. 199	Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act	YES	Directs the Department of Agriculture to transfer to the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to approximately 11,760 acres of identified federal land in the Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota. Immediately upon transfer, the federal land shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and considered as a part of its reservation.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	S. 212	Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act of 2020	YES	Makes several revisions related to economic development for Native American communities. Specifically, the bill establishes duties for the Office of Native American Business Development, including advising the Department of Commerce regarding the relationship between the United States and Indian tribes; and serving as the point of contact for tribes, tribal organizations, and members of tribes regarding economic development and doing business in Indian lands.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	S. 914	Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act of 2020	YES	Reauthorizes and revises the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (IOOS). IOOS is a network of federal and regional entities which provide information about the nation’s coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	S. 1342	Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Index Act of 2020	YES	Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to update – at least once every seven years – its environmental sensitivity index products for each coastal area of the Great Lakes. An environmental sensitivity index product is a map or similar tool that is utilized to identify sensitive shoreline resources prior to an oil spill event.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 306	Kettle Creek Battlefield Survey	YES	This bill directs the Department of the Interior to conduct a reconnaissance survey of the site of the Kettle Creek Battlefield in Wilkes County, Georgia, and adjacent property.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 3682	Land Grant-Mercedes Traditional Use Recognition and Consultation Act	YES	Requires coordination between the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of the Interior, and the governing bodies of certain community land grants in New Mexico made by Spain or Mexico to individuals, groups, and communities to promote the settlement of the southwestern United States (land grant-mercedes).
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 4153	Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act	YES	Authorizes the VA and the DOD to enter agreements for sharing medical facilities and services with urban Indian organizations. The VA and DOD shall reimburse an urban Indian organization where services are provided to beneficiaries.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 7045	To require the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on lands that could be included in a National Forest in Hawai’i	YES	Directs the Forest Service to conduct a study to identify available land within the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai that could be included in a national forest in Hawaii.
12/3/2020 PASSED VOICE	H.R. 8810	To require the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on lands that could be included in a National Forest in Hawai’i	YES	Establishes a national program to identify and reduce losses from landslide hazards, to establish a national 3D Elevation Program, and for other purposes.

2020 PAST VOTES:

MY VOTES – WEEK OF NOVEMBER 16

MY VOTES – WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28

MY VOTES – WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 21

MY VOTES – WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 14

MY VOTES – WEEK OF AUGUST 17