Which 8 Democrats Just Voted to Effectively Repeal the EPA's Clean Power Plan? by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees Follow

House Republicans, along with a handful of Democratic friends, have been busy this week attacking the Affordable Care Act. But they managed to take time off from that this week to focus on another pastime: attacking the EPA.

Yesterday, the House passed the "Ratepayer Protection Act of 2015." Is this bill about "protecting ratepayers"? Of course not. It's an assault on the EPA designed to effectively repeal the Clean Power Plan:

This bill would delay the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation of the Clean Power Plan, rules proposed in 2014 to reduce emissions at existing electric power plants that are expected to be finalized later this summer.  The Clean Power Plan would require states, territories and Indian tribes to develop and meet individual goals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector. H.R. 2042 would delay implementation of the forthcoming EPA carbon emissions reduction rules until any legal challenges are complete and no longer subject to further appeal or judicial review. Additionally, the bill would allow states to opt out of developing an emissions reduction plan if their governor certifies that creating one would cause a "significant adverse effect" on electricity ratepayers in their state or on the reliability of the state's electricity system.

This delay, which could last years and burden the agency with exorbitant legal costs on its already limited budget, is effectively a repeal of the EPA’s rules.  It effectively denies climate change and reverses decades of Clean Air Act precedent and practice, while allowing unchecked carbon pollution by existing power plants – the largest source of uncontrolled carbon pollution in the United States.  By preventing the Clean Power Plan from even starting, thus preventing its efforts to cut carbon pollution by 30% in 2030, this bill puts both the environmental and public health of our nation at risk.

The bill passed 247 to 180. 

 

239 Republicans and 8 Democrats voted for it. 176 Democrats and 4 Republicans voted against it.

Here are the 8 Democrats:
Nick Ashford (NE-02)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-09)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Here are the 4 Republicans:
Carlos Curbelo (FL-26)
Bob Dold (IL-10)
Chris Gibson (NY-19)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02)

There were roll call votes on three amendments.

Frank Pallone (NJ-06) offered an amendment to require a governor wishing to opt out of the Clean Power Plan to include a certification that electric generating units are sources of carbon pollution that contribute to human-induced climate change; and the state or federal plan to reduce carbon emissions from electric generating units would promote national security, economic growth and public health by addressing human induced climate change through the increased use of clean energy, energy efficiency and reductions in carbon pollution.

It failed 181 to 245.

179 Democrats and 2 Republicans voted for it. 241 Republicans and 4 Democrats voted against it.
The two Republicans were Bob Dold (IL-10) and Chris Gibson (NY-19).

Here are the 4 Democrats:

Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)

Bobby Rush (IL-01) offered an amendment to require a governor's determination and shall also include certification that the inapplicability of a state or federal plan will not have a significant adverse effect on costs associated with a State's plan to respond to extreme weather events associated with human-caused climate change, including flooding, intense storms, frequent wildfires, and increased drought.

It failed 182 to 243.

Five members of each party voted with the other side.

Here are the 5 Republicans who voted for it:

Bob Dold (IL-10)
Chris Gibson (NY-19)
Morgan Griffith (VA-09)
Pete King (NY-02)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02)

Here are the 5 Democrats who voted against it:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)

Jerry McNerney (CA-09) offered an amendment to require a state public utility commission/public service commission and the Electric Reliability Organization to conduct an analysis of any state or federal plan.

It failed 177 to 250.

7 Democrats joined Republicans in voting against it:

Nick Ashford (NE-02)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Raul Grijalva (AZ-03)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)

Which 11 Democrats Joined the GOP in Their Latest Assault on the Affordable Care Act?

On Tuesday, the House passed the deceptively named Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act of 2015. Given that the bill was coming from the party that wants to slash and voucherize Medicare, it's clear that it's not about Medicare rights. So what is it about?

This bill would repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), which was established under the ACA in response to high rates of growth in Medicare expenditures and charged with developing proposals to "reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending." However, due in part to the success of the Affordable Care Act in slowing Medicare’s growth rate, CBO projects that the IPAB will not be triggered until 2024. By repealing IPAB before it has a chance to work, the bill would eliminate an important safeguard that will help reduce the rate of Medicare cost growth responsibly while protecting Medicare beneficiaries. The bill is simply another in a long line of House Republican efforts to undermine both the Medicare guarantee and the Affordable Care Act.

Further, because the CBO has estimated that the cost of repealing IPAB would be $7.1 billion over 10 years, Republicans have chosen to pay for the cost of repeal with cuts to the ACA’s Prevention and Public Health Fund. This fund is used to make national investments in prevention and public health, to improve health outcomes, and to enhance health care quality. It has been used to increase awareness of and access to preventive health services and reduce tobacco use - concentrating on the causes of chronic disease to help more Americans stay healthy.

Eliminating these funds in the name of damaging the sustainability of Medicare is a two-pronged attack on our nation’s public health.

In other words, it's just the latest in the never-ending series of GOP attacks on the Affordable Care Act. And it's a waste of time because Obama will veto it.

The bill passed 244 to 154.

11 Democrats voted with Republicans. Here they are:

Nick Ashford (NE-02)
Mike Capuano (MA-07)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Richard Neal (MA-01)
Beto O’Rourke (TX-16)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
David Scott (GA-13)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)

These 12 Democrats Want Credit for Opposing the NDAA, But They Helped It Get to a Vote

On Tuesday, I wrote about how the Senate Democrats had threatened to filibuster the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) because the GOP was allowing the Pentagon to evade sequestration caps---and then only 13 actually followed through.

Yesterday, the Senate took its vote on the final passage of the FY 2016 NDAA, and the final vote was 71 to 25.

The 2 Republicans who voted against cloture--Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY)--also voted against final passage. (Although, Rand voted for a second cloture motion yesterday.)

Of the 23 members of the Democratic caucus, 12 are stalwarts who voted against both of the previous cloture votes for the NDAA:

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Al Franken (D-MN)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Pat Leahy (D-VT)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Bob Casey (D-PA) voted against both cloture motions, but voted for the final bill.
And then 12 Democrats who had voted for cloture (twice in all cases but Mikulski's since she was absent for the first vote) voted against final passage:

Bob Casey (D-PA)
Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

In other words, they want credit for having opposed the bill, even though they helped make sure it passed. This reminds me of the CRomnibus last year, where many Democrats voted for cloture before voting against the final bill--helping it pass but keeping their hands "clean."

Which 46 Democrats Just Voted to Hobble the Affordable Care Act?

Yesterday, House Republicans returned to one of their favorite pastimes: trying to hobble the Affordable Care Act.

That took the form of a bill to repeal the medical device tax, one of the funding mechanisms for the ACA. The "Protect Medical Innovation Act" would reduce revenue for the ACA by $24.4 billion over the next years.

Many Democrats expressed concern that repealing the medical device tax would have a slippery slope effect:

"If people vote for this industry to essentially go back on its commitment to participate, other providers are going to ask for the same treatment. And so in that respect, what the Republicans are aiming to do is to unravel — to unravel — ACA," Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) said.

The bill passed 280 to 140, with 46 Democrats joining Republicans. 

 

Here are those 46 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Brendan Boyle (PA-13)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Tony Cardenas (CA-29)
Katherine Clark (MA-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Chaka Fattah (PA-02)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Brian Higgins (NY-26)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Annie Kuster (NH-02)
Ted Lieu (CA-33)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Jerry McNerney (CA-09)
Seth Moulton (MA-06)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Rick Nolan (MN-08)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
David Scott (GA-13)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Jackie Speier (CA-14)
Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Dina Titus (NV-01)
Paul Tonko (NY-20)
Norma Torres (CA-35)
Adam Smith (WA-09)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Tim Walz (MN-01)

Which 66 Democrats Voted for Unaccountable Warfare?

Yesterday, the House voted on a resolution introduced by Jim McGovern (MA-02), Walter Jones (NC-03), and Barbara Lee (CA-13) directing the President to remove US troops (except for those needed to protect diplomatic facilities and personnel) from Iraq and Syria within 30 days or no later than the end of this year, December 31, 2015. Congress has so far refused to debate or vote on an Authorization of the Use of Military Force (AUMF) for the military campaign against ISIS, and this resolution would reassert congressional powers and force Congress into action.

The resolution failed 139 to 288, with one representative (Justin Amash of MI's 3rd District) voting present.

120 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted for it. 222 Republicans and 66 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 66 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Joyce Beatty (OH-03)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Brendan Boyle (PA-13)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
John Carney (DE-AL)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Matt Cartwright (PA-17)
Kathy Castor (FL-14)
Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
Lacy Clay (MO-01)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Joe Crowley (NY-14)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Ted Deutch (FL-21)
Lloyd Doggett (TX-35)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Al Green (TX-09)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Steve Israel (NY-03)
Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Jim Langevin (RI-02)
Sandy Levin (MI-09)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Nita Lowey (NY-17)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Grace Meng (NY-06)
Seth Moulton (MA-06)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
David Price (NC-04)
Kathleen Rice (NY-04)
Cedric Richmond (LA-02)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
David Scott (GA-13)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Adam Smith (WA-09)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Marc Veasey (TX-33)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Tim Walz (MN-01)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Pete Welch (VT-AL)

Here are the 19 Republicans:

Dan Benishek (MI-01)
Rod Blum (IA-01)
Michael Burgess (TX-26)
Curt Clawson (FL-19)
Jimmy Duncan (TN-02)
Scott Garrett (NJ-05)
Morgan Griffith (VA-09)
Robert Hurt (VA-05)
Walter Jones (NC-03)
Raul Labrador (ID-01)
Tom Massie (KY-04)
Mick Mulvaney (SC-05)
Richard Nugent (FL-11)
Bill Posey (FL-08)
Tom Rice (SC-07)
Mark Sanford (SC-01)
Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05)
Rob Woodall (GA-07)
Ted Yoho (FL-03)

Which 31 Democrats Voted Yet Again to Cut Social Spending to Fund War?

Tuesday, the House voted on the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2016.

This is the appropriations bill for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Much of what these agencies do in the first place is bad, so there are grounds enough to oppose the funding bill. However, Republicans did manage to put in some provisions to make them worse. The bill restricts the president's ability to transfer detainees held in Guantanamo Bay Prison, and it also hobbles the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

It also continues with the GOP's plan to eliminate budget caps on military programs by putting money into a slush fund:

Also similar to the NDAA, the bill inappropriately misuses the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) designation, authorizing approximately 43% more OCO funds than requested by the President – a dangerous gimmick intended to go around the sequester level defense spending cap from the Budget Control Act, while leaving the non-defense sequester level cap in place. This gambit will destabilize long-term national security planning, and allow domestic priorities to wither on the vine.  By removing pressure to replace the sequester level defense caps, it makes a new budget agreement less likely, with drastic negative consequences for our nation’s schools, roads and bridges, law enforcement, scientific research, and other domestic priorities critical to all hardworking Americans. If Republicans want to lift spending above the Budget Control Act's caps, then they should work with Democrats to replace the dangerous and irrational sequester for both defense and non-defense spending with a balanced solution.  

The bill passed 247 to 178. 

 

216 Republicans and 31 Democrats vote for it. 153 Democrats and 25 Republicans voted against it.

Here are the 31 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Lacy Clay (MO-01)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Denny Heck (WA-10)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Annie Kuster (NH-02)
Jim Langevin (RI-02)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Kathleen Rice (NY-04)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Marc Veasey (TX-33)
Tim Walz (MN-01)

The House took a roll call vote on one amendment, introduced by Adam Schiff (CA-28), to strike four sections of the bill which add new restrictions to prevent the Administration from closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp.

It failed 176 to 246.

171 Democrats and 5 Republicans voted for it. 235 Republicans and 11 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 11 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)

Senate Dems Threatened to Block the NDAA. Guess How Many Actually Followed Through.

As I've written before, Congressional Republicans have decided to evade sequestration caps for the military budget by moving $38 billion into the Overseas Contingency Operations fund, the Pentagon's slush fund.

For the past couple of weeks, Senate Democrats have been threatening to "filibuster" (vote against cloture for) the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) if Republicans keep up with this gimmick.

Here's an article in POLITICO from June 3rd about the Senate Democrats' NDAA strategy:

On Tuesday, the party did not force a procedural vote to start work on the National Defense Authorization Act, but Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) warned that Democrats still may filibuster the defense bill if their demands aren’t met.

“We have grave concerns about this bill,” Reid said. “Unless it’s changed, I repeat, the president will veto it, and I hope there is some significant changes in the bill while it’s here on the floor so that we can help vote to get it off the floor.”

…

Several Democrats responded that they have to take a stand against what they consider a GOP budgeting gimmick.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who voted against the NDAA during committee markup, told POLITICO Tuesday he is pushing his colleagues to block the bill on the floor “because of the budgetary fakery.” And Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said it’d be “very hard for me to vote for an NDAA that takes money out of the OCO fund without some guarantee that we’re going to address sequestration in other parts of the budget.”

That cloture vote was today. And guess how many members of the Democratic caucus actually voted against it?

13.

The vote was 83 to 15. Two Republicans--Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY)--were the only Republicans to vote against cloture.

Here are the 13 members of the Democratic caucus who should be thanked for having a spine:

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Bob Casey (D-PA)
Al Franken (D-MN)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Pat Leahy (D-VT)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Earlier today, the Senate voted down an amendment by Joni Ernst (R-IA) to provide direct military aid to the Kurds in Iraq. The White House opposed the amendment, arguing that directly funding a militia group would undermine the already lacking legitimacy of the Iraqi government.

The vote was 54 to 45, falling six votes short of the 60-vote threshold.

8 Democrats joined 46 Republicans in voting for it. Here are those 8:

Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Gary Peters (D-MI)
Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Which Democrats Just Voted Against Working to Combat Rape in the Military?

Today, the Senate continued voting on amendments to the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) was able to get another vote on her Military Justice Improvement Act, a bill to take prosecution of rape and other serious crimes outside of the chain of command in the military and into the hands of trained prosecutors.

Here is Senator Gillibrand talking on the floor about why the MJIA is so badly needed:

“Over the last few years, Congress has forced the military to make incremental changes to address the crisis of sexual assault and after two decades of complete failure, and lip service to ‘zero tolerance’ – the military now says, essentially, ‘Trust us this time, we got it’

“They spin the data, hoping nobody will dig below the surface of their top lines because when you do, you find that:

“The assault rate is exactly where it was in 2010.

“We still see an average of 52 new cases every single day, and three out of four service-member survivors still don’t think it’s worth the risk of coming forward to report the crimes committed against them.

“One in seven victims was assaulted by someone in their chain of command.

“In 60 percent of cases, a supervisor or unit leader is responsible for sexual harassment or gender discrimination.

“It’s no surprise then, that one in three survivors believe that reporting would hurt their career.

“For those who do report, they are more likely than not to experience retaliation.

“Despite a much-touted reform that made retaliation a crime, the DoD made zero progress on improving the 62 percent retaliation rate that we had in 2012.

“According to a Human Rights Watch report, the DoD cannot provide a single example of serious disciplinary action taken against those who retaliate.

“A sexual assault survivor is 12 times more likely to suffer retaliation than see their offender get convicted for a sex offense.

“And in my close review of 107 cases from the four largest military bases in the country, one for each service, I found that nearly half of those who did move forward and report, ended up dropping out.

“Survivors still have little faith in the system. Under any metric, the system remains plagued with distrust, and does not provide the fair and just process that survivors deserve.

“Simply put, the military has not held up to the standard posed by General Dempsey one year ago, when he said the Pentagon was on the clock.

“I urge my colleagues to hold the military to that higher standard. Let’s put these decisions into the hands of trained, seasoned prosecutors.

“Enough is enough with the spin, with the excuses, and with the promises. We must do the right thing and act.

It failed 50 to 49--achieving a majority but not enough votes to pass the 60-vote threshold for amendments. 

36 members of the Democratic caucus and 14 members of the Republican caucus voted for it. 10 members of the Democratic caucus and 39 members of the Republican caucus voted against it.

Here are the 10 members of the Democratic caucus who voted against working to curb the rape epidemic in the military:

Tom Carper (D-DE)
Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Angus King (I-ME)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Which 28 Dems Just Voted for Fast-Track?

Today was an interesting day down at Capitol Hill.

The House took three votes today related to expediting the passage of noxious trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

First up was Trade Adjustment Assistance, or TAA, a commonly featured complement passed along with trade deals that amounts to little more than a tip jar.

Here's David Dayen explaining this earlier today in the Fiscal Times:

When it comes to trade, for over 40 years — ever since the origin of the fast-track process — that sweetener for Democrats has been trade adjustment assistance (TAA). This program provides federal funds for workers displaced by free trade agreements, from job training and placement services to relocation expenses to income support to help with health insurance premiums. Democrats have traditionally supported TAA, even though it serves a corporate trade agenda that has helped to hollow out the U.S. manufacturing base and limit regulatory authority. It’s the spoonful of sugar that makes the trade medicine go down, so Democrats can go back to their districts and say that at least they got aid for outsourced workers.

The problem is there’s substantial disagreement on whether TAA even helps workers get new jobs. The far better alternative is to prevent policies that displace workers in the first place; TAA is like throwing a quarter in the tip jar for somebody that just lost their house. But because of the Washington dance, Democrats effectively bless deals that sell out American workers by voting for TAA, mainly because it sounds good — even though the benefits are quite uncertain.

The TAA bill that the House crafted, moreover, is being paid for with cuts to Medicare.

The liberal Democratic opponents of TPA/TPP decided that they would not play ball and pass TAA as it was assumed they would. In order for the bill to go straight to the president, the House would have had to pass the trade bills exactly as the Senate did. Rejecting TAA sends the whole thing back to committee, and the Senate Democrats who voted for fast track would be reluctant to pass it without the cover that TAA provides.

The TAA vote failed by a large margin: 126 to 302.

Only 86 Republicans and 40 Democrats voted for it.

Here are the 40 Democrats who voted to enable the trade ruse:

Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Karen Bass (CA-37)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Don Beyer (VA-08)
Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
John Carney (DE-AL)
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
Anna Eshoo (CA-18)
Sam Farr (CA-20)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
Denny Heck (WA-10)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Steve Israel (NY-03)
Eddie B. Johnson (TX-30)
Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Rick Larsen (WA-02)
John Larson (CT-01)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Beto O’Rourke (TX-16)
Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
David Price (NC-04)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Kathleen Rice (NY-04)
Cedric Richmond (LA-02)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Adam Smith (WA-09)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

After TAA failed, John Boehner decided to bring up Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) for a vote anyway.

The vote was 219 to 211.

191 Republicans and 28 Democrats voted for it. 157 Democrats and 54 Republicans voted against it.

Here are the 28 Democrats who voted against workers and the environment:

Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Don Beyer (VA-08)
Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
Sam Farr (CA-20)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Eddie B. Johnson (TX-30)
Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Rick Larsen (WA-02)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Beto O’Rourke (TX-16)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Kathleen Rice (NY-04)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

After TPA passed, John Boehner put forth a motion to consider the TAA bill. The chair (I don't know who he was. Honestly, there are so many old white men in the Republican Party it's difficult to tell.) called AYEs and NAYs on the motion to reconsider. NAYs were much louder, but he called it for the AYEs anyway. Sandy Levin (MI-09) asked for a recorded vote, and the chair delayed that until next week.

The last vote was on a customs enforcement bill with a weak currency manipulation measure passed by the Senate in lieu of a real measure against currency manipulation.

It passed 240 to 190.

228 Republicans and 12 Democrats voted for it. 173 Democrats and 17 Republicans voted against it.

Here are those 12 Democrats:

Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Eddie B. Johnson (TX-30)
Rick Larsen (WA-02)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Pete Visclosky (IN-01)

Which 14 House Dems Love Never-Ending War the Most?

During the FY 2016 defense appropriations amendment voting, the House voted on three amendments that sought to check limitless, unaccountable warfare.

Adam Schiff (CA-28) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds for the US’s campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria after March 31, 2016, unless Congress passes a law authorizing it.

It failed 196 to 231.

163 Democrats and 33 Republicans voted for it. 208 Republicans and 23 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 23 Democrats.

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Matt Cartwright (PA-17)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Grace Meng (NY-06)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)

Barbara Lee (CA-13) offered two amendments to sunset the funding for the Afghanistan and Iraq AUMFs.

The first would prohibit the use of funds to be obligated or expended pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force after December 31, 2015.

It failed 157 to 270.

144 Democrats and 13 Republicans voted for it. 229 Republicans and 41 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 41 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Don Beyer (VA-08)
Brendan Boyle (PA-13)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Rick Larsen (WA-02)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Grace Meng (NY-06)
Seth Moulton (MA-06)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Cedric Richmond (LA-02)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Adam Smith (WA-09)
Norma Torres (CA-35)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Tim Walz (MN-01)

Lee's second amendment would have  prohibited the use of funds for obligation or expenditure pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.

It failed 165 to 264.

151 Democrats and 14 Republicans voted for it. 228 Republicans and 36 Democrats voted against it.

Here are the 36 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Don Beyer (VA-08)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
Matt Cartwright (PA-17)
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Jon Delaney (MD-06)
Ted Deutch (FL-21)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Seth Moulton (MA-06)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Filemon Vela (TX-29)
Tim Walz (MN-01)

Here are the 14 Democrats who voted against all three amendments:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)

Which 14 House Dems Love Never-Ending War the Most?

During the FY 2016 defense appropriations amendment voting, the House voted on three amendments that sought to check limitless, unaccountable warfare.

Adam Schiff (CA-28) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds for the US’s campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria after March 31, 2016, unless Congress passes a law authorizing it.
It failed 196 to 231.

163 Democrats and 33 Republicans voted for it. 208 Republicans and 23 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 23 Democrats.

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Matt Cartwright (PA-17)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Grace Meng (NY-06)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)

Barbara Lee (CA-13) offered two amendments to sunset the funding for the Afghanistan and Iraq AUMFs.

The first would prohibit the use of funds to be obligated or expended pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force after December 31, 2015.

It failed 157 to 270.

144 Democrats and 13 Republicans voted for it. 229 Republicans and 41 Democrats voted against it.
Here are those 41 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Don Beyer (VA-08)
Brendan Boyle (PA-13)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Rick Larsen (WA-02)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Grace Meng (NY-06)
Seth Moulton (MA-06)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Cedric Richmond (LA-02)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Adam Smith (WA-09)
Norma Torres (CA-35)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Tim Walz (MN-01)

Lee's second amendment would have  prohibited the use of funds for obligation or expenditure pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.

It failed 165 to 264.

151 Democrats and 14 Republicans voted for it. 228 Republicans and 36 Democrats voted against it.
Here are the 36 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Don Beyer (VA-08)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
Matt Cartwright (PA-17)
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Jon Delaney (MD-06)
Ted Deutch (FL-21)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Seth Moulton (MA-06)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Filemon Vela (TX-29)
Tim Walz (MN-01)

Here are the 14 Democrats who voted against all three amendments:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)

The House and Senate Cast Votes on Privacy Rights Today, But What They Voted on Was Quite Different.

The House and Senate both cast votes related to privacy rights today. The good (House) amendment passed, and the bad (Senate) amendment failed.

Which Democrats didn't stand up for your privacy rights today?

House

In the House, Tom Massie (KY-04) and Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) offered an amendment to the FY 2016 defense appropriations bill to defund two surveillance “backdoors” that currently allow intelligence agencies access to Americans’ private data and correspondence without a warrant:

Under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, Americans' private data and communications – including emails, photos, and text messages – can be collected by intelligence agencies, provided that data or communication at some point crosses the border of the United States. Given the current fluid nature of electronic communications and data storage, in which corporate and private server farms store Americans’ data all over the world, this loophole could allow intelligence agencies access to a vast swath of communications and data without warrant protection. Intelligence officials have confirmed to Congress that law enforcement agencies actively search the content of this intercepted data without probable cause, and have used evidence gathered to assist in criminal prosecutions. Government agencies have also reportedly coerced individuals and organizations to build encryption “backdoors” into products or services for surveillance purposes, despite industry and cryptologist claims that this process is not technologically feasible without putting the data security of every individual using these services at risk. The Massie-Lofgren Amendment would prohibit funding for activities that exploit these “backdoors.”

It passed 255 to 174.

109 Republicans and 146 Democrats voted for it. 134 Republicans and 40 Democrats voted against it.

Here are the 40 Democrats:

Ami Bera (CA-07)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
John Carney (DE-AL)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Kathy Castor (FL-14)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Danny Davis (IL-07)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
Lois Frankel (FL-22)
John Garamendi (CA-03)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Steve Israel (NY-03)
Eddie B. Johnson (TX-30)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Joe Kennedy (MA-04)
Jim Langevin (RI-02)
Barbara Lee (CA-13)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Seth Moulton (MA-06)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-09)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Kathleen Rice (NY-04)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Adam Schiff (CA-28)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Jackie Speier (CA-14)
Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Norma Torres (CA-35)
Pete Visclosky (IN-01)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

The name that stands out most to me is Barbara Lee. If you live in her district, give her a call.

Senate

Richard Burr (R-NC), the chairman of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, offered the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

Here is New America's Open Technology Institute on why CISA is bad for privacy rights:

New America’s Open Technology Institute (OTI) strongly opposes CISA because it would:     Increase government access to innocent Americans’ personal data;

    Enhance the NSA’s access to Americans’ private information and undermine civilian control of domestic cybersecurity;

    Undermine Americans’ rights to privacy and due process;

    Permit companies to monitor all of Americans’ online communications and activities; and

    Authorize companies to retaliate against suspected threats, even if such action would violate the anti-hacking statute, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

...
The following statement can be attributed to OTI Policy Counsel, Robyn Greene:

"Last week, the Senate made history when it passed the USA FREEDOM Act, taking a major step forward for Americans' privacy. Passing CISA would be like taking two steps back. CISA is essentially a cyber-surveillance bill that would empower the NSA and FBI by giving them access to vast new troves of Americans’ information, and let them use that information for investigations that have nothing at all to do with cybersecurity."

“In addition to our serious substantive concerns - there are some pretty big procedural concerns here too. Senator McConnell has clearly forgotten his promise to run the Senate in a way that encourages debate and reasonable process. For the second time in a month he is trying to ram through a controversial bill - and just like his attempts at a straight Patriot Act reauthorization, this will fail too.”

It failed 56 to 40, four votes short of the necessary total for cloture.

49 Republicans, 6 Democrats, and 1 Independent (King) voted for it.

36 Democrats, 3 Republicans, and 1 Independent (Sanders) voted against it.

The three Republicans who voted against it were Dean Heller (R-NV), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Rand Paul (R-KY).

And here are the 7 members of the Democratic caucus who voted for it:

Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
Angus King (I-ME)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Mark Warner (D-VA)

Which 21 Democrats Think Local Police Need Flash-Bang Grenades and MRAPs?

During the amendment process for the FY 2016 Department of Defense appropriations bill, Hank Johnson (GA-04) offered two amendments to curb the militarization of police departments across the country.

The first amendment was to prohibit use of funds to transfer flash-bang grenades.

It failed 165 to 265.

147 Democrats and 18 Republicans voted for it. 225 Republicans and 40 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 40 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Brendan Boyle (PA-13)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Emmanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
John Garamendi (CA-03)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Al Green (TX-09)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Jared Huffman (CA-02)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Carolyn Maloney (NY-12)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Doris Matsui (CA-06)
Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Seth Moulton (MA-06)
Beto O’Rourke (TX-16)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Adam Schiff (CA-28)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Jackie Speier (CA-14)
Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Norma Torres (CA-35)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Tim Walz (MN-01)

The second was to prohibit use of funds to transfer mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles.

It failed 166 to 262.

149 Democrats and 17 Republicans voted for it. 225 Republicans and 37 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 37 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Kathy Castor (FL-14)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Mike Doyle (PA-14)
Elizabeth Esty (CT-05)
John Garamendi (CA-03)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Janice Hahn (CA-44)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Jared Huffman (CA-02)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Brenda Lawrence (MI-14)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)
Ben Lujan (NM-03)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Doris Matsui (CA-06)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-09)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Dina Titus (NV-01)
Norma Torres (CA-35)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Pete Visclosky (IN-01)
Tim Walz (MN-01)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
John Yarmuth (KY-03)

Here are the 21 Democrats who voted against both:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
John Garamendi (CA-03)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Jared Huffman (CA-02)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Doris Matsui (CA-06)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Norma Torres (CA-35)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)

Which 66 Democrats Want You to Eat Mystery Meat?

Yesterday, the House passed a bill (H.R. 2393: Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015) that would repeal country-of-origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and poultry products.
Last month, the World Trade Organization (WTO) shot down a country-of-origin labeling rule issued in 2013 that would require labels to say where an animal was born, raised, and slaughtered.

Rather than revise the law, the House decided to repeal it entirely.

In the Ag Committee, Collin Peterson (MN-07), Tim Walz (MN-01), Rick Nolan (MN-08), and Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) wrote the following dissenting opinion explaining why this bill is an unnecessary response to the WTO and a bad deal for consumers:

The purpose of country of origin labeling--to provide information to consumers about the food they eat--has repeatedly been ruled by the WTO to be a legitimate regulatory goal. The challenge for us is to find a way to provide U.S. consumers with the information they have said in numerous surveys that they would like to see on food labels. These surveys include those conducted by leading consumer organizations such as Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America. Many other countries have been able to achieve this goal without sanctions. We should not so readily abandon our efforts to provide U.S. consumers with information they have repeatedly said they want.

We agree with the goal of avoiding retaliation under the World Trade Organization (WTO) decision on country of origin labeling, but a repeal of mandatory labeling for beef, pork and poultry is premature. Retaliation is unlikely to begin for many months. In the case of Brazil's cotton case against the United States, retaliation began 21 months after the WTO upheld the panel ruling on appeal.

Many supporters of a repeal of country of origin labeling have argued that retaliation by Canada and Mexico will result in lost trade opportunities. In fact, we do not know how much the WTO will allow Canada and Mexico to raise tariffs as a result of the decision. The amount will largely depend on how much of the meatpacking industry's segregation and tracking costs can be attributed to country of origin labeling. In fact, meatpackers already have infrastructure in place to track voluntary marketing attributes such as ``certified Angus,'' ``grass-fed,'' ``organic,'' and USDA grades including ``choice'' and ``prime.'' It makes little sense to repeal country of origin labeling when we do not yet know the amount of retaliation that may be permitted.

The bill passed 300 to 131. 

 

234 Republicans and 66 Democrats voted for it. 121 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted against it.

Here are those 10 Republicans:

Don Young (AK-AL)
Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48)
Bill Posey (FL-08)
Tom Massie (KY-04)
Bruce Polinquin (ME-02)
Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01)
Walter Jones (NC-03)
Kristi Noem (SD-AL)
Jimmy Duncan (TN-02)
Alex Mooney (WV-02)

And here are the 66 Democrats:

Alma Adams (NC-12)
Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Bob Brady (PA-01)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
Lois Capps (CA-24)
John Carney (DE-AL)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
Lloyd Doggett (TX-35)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Anna Eshoo (CA-18)
Sam Farr (CA-20)
Chaka Fattah (PA-02)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Jared Huffman (CA-02)
Steve Israel (NY-03)
Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
Eddie B. Johnson (TX-30)
Robin Kelly (IL-02)
Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Rick Larsen (WA-02)
Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Doris Matsui (CA-06)
Jerry McNerney (CA-09)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Beto O’Rourke (TX-16)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-09)
Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Cedric Richmond (LA-02)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
David Scott (GA-13)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Mike Thompson (CA-05)
Bennie Thompson (MS-02)
Norma Torres (CA-35)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Marc Veasey (TX-33)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Nydia Velázquez (NY-07)

Which Democrats Just Voted to Cut Amtrak Funding by $251M?

Yesterday, late at night, the House passed its FY 2016 Appropriations bill for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies.

The bill cut $251 million from Amtrak's budget and drained funds from capital investment in infrastructure and public housing:

Despite the increase in overall funding from FY 2015, the bill makes several severe cuts to critical transportation and infrastructure programs and investments.  It cuts Amtrak’s funding by $251 million and includes none of the $825 million requested by the President for Positive Train Control. It provides $1.9 billion in funding for the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant Program, a cut of $198.6 million and $1.32 billion below the President’s request.  It also cuts funding for the Federal Aviation Administration’s modernization program by $100 million.

The bill also makes several cuts to housing programs. It reduces the Public Housing Capital Fund by $194 million below the FY 2015 level, $289 million below the President’s request, bringing funding for the Capital Fund down to $1.68 billion, $96 million below the FY 2013 sequester level. It also cuts the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative by 67% and flat funds HOME grants at $900 million – maintaining a reduction in funding of nearly 30% from FY 2013 enacted levels – at the lowest level since the program began in 1992.

The final bill passed narrowly 216 to 210, as 31 Republicans bucked their party leadership to oppose it (most, if not all, of them for the wrong reasons).

However, 3 Democrats voted for it:

Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)

I'll highlight a few noteworthy amendments here--particularly those that relate to trains or the overall bill. I plant to make a separate diary on the housing amendments.

Overall Funding Levels

Marsha Blackburn (TN-07) offered an amendment to reduce every line item in the bill by 1 percent.
It failed 163 to 259.

161 Republicans and 2 Democrats voted for it. 180 Democrats and 79 Republicans voted against it.

The two Democrats were Jim Cooper (TN-05) and Jared Polis (CO-02).

Trains

The House rejected a series of Republican amendments to further cut spending on the nation’s train system.

Bill Posey (FL-08) offered three amendments to this effect.

Posey #1: The first would have banned the use of funds by the Department of Transportation to take any actions with respect to the financing of passenger rail projects along Florida's East Coast.
It failed 163 to 260.

1 Democrat voted—Patrick Murphy (FL-18)—for it. 78 Republicans joined the rest of the Democrats in voting against it.

That one Democrat was Patrick Murphy (FL-18).

Posey #2: The second would have prohibited the use of funds by the Department of Transportation to authorize exempt facility bonds to finance passenger rail projects that cannot attain the speed of 150 mph.

It failed 148 to 257.

One Democrat—Patrick Murphy (FL-18)—joined 147 Republicans in voting for it, and 93 Republicans joined the rest of the Democratic caucus in voting against it.

Posey #3: The third would have prohibited the use of funds by the Department of Transportation to make a loan in an amount that exceeds $600 million under the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act.

It failed 134 to 287.

105 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.

Pete Sessions (TX-23) offered two such amendments.

Sessions #1: The first would have prohibited the use of funds to support Amtrak’s route with the highest loss, measured by contributions/(Loss) per Rider.

The amendment failed narrowly 205 to 218.

35 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.

Sessions #2: The second would have prohibited the use of funds to support any Amtrak route whose costs exceed 2 times its revenues.

This also failed, but less narrowly: 186 to 237.

54 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.

Meehan #1: Pat Meehan (PA-07) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds for Amtrak capital grants used for projects off the Northeast Corridor until the level of capital spending by Amtrak for capital projects on the Northeast Corridor during fiscal year 2016 equals the amount of Amtrak's profits from Northeast Corridor operations during FY 2015.

It failed 199 to 227.

184 Republicans and 15 Democrats voted for it. 167 Democrats and 60 Republicans voted against it.

Here are those 15 Democrats:

Brendan Boyle (PA-13)
John Carney (DE-AL)
Yvette Clarke (NY-09)
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Elizabeth Esty (CT-05)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
John Larson (CT-01)
Nita Lowey (NY-17)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Grace Meng (NY-06)
Richard Neal (MA-01)

Labor Standards

Keith Ellison (MN-05) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds for contracts to entities that have violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

It failed 182 to 243.

1 Democrat—Rick Larsen (WA-02)—joined the Republicans in voting against it.

1 Republican—Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08)—joined the Democrats in voting for it.

Which 9 House Democrats Just Voted to Weaken Dodd-Frank?

Yesterday, the House took a break from its work on Appropriations bills to pass a bill that would weaken Dodd-Frank. All in a day's work!

The bill in question is the Commodity End-User Relief Act, and the "relief" it is providing is for the big banks:

This bill would reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) through 2019 and make several significant changes to the way the CFTC operates as a commission and regulates derivatives and swaps under 2010’s Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

The bill would require the CFTC to greatly increase its amount of cost-benefit analyses for new regulatory proposals. It would not only expand the number of different factors the CFTC must evaluate in any proposed rule but also change the standard of evaluation from ‘costs and benefits’ to a much more burdensome ‘reasoned determination’ of costs and benefits and require the CFTC to assess whether an action ‘maximizes net benefits’ compared to all possible regulatory alternatives. This last change could potentially force the CFTC to compare a regulation to an enormous number of alternative measures – significantly increasing the CFTC’s administrative burden and negatively impacting the agency’s capacity to regulate commodities and derivatives trading.

The bill also includes language that would make each cost-benefit analysis of every proposed CFTC rule open to lawsuit - further slowing the rulemaking process while heaping added cost on the already limited funding for the CFTC.

The bill would also require the CFTC to develop an approach to the regulation of derivatives trading that takes place outside the U.S., weakening its authority to properly regulate such derivatives. The bill would prohibit regulation of transactions booked by foreign subsidiaries of U.S. banks, including transactions that have a direct and significant connection to the U.S. economy – in conflict with the language in Dodd-Frank.

Americans for Financial Reform has urged Members of Congress to oppose the bill:

This legislation would have a severe negative impact on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and its ability to police commodity and derivatives markets. The new restrictions it places on the CFTC would require additional years of bureaucratic red tape prior to agency action, would enable numerous industry lawsuits against the agency, and would create inappropriate statutory restrictions on the agency’s ability to properly oversee markets crucial to the financial system....At the same time, this legislation includes no provisions that address the CFTC’s most fundamental problem – the lack of resources to accomplish its mission.

The White House has issued a veto threat, explaining, "“[T]he funding the Congress has provided for it over the past five years has failed to keep pace with the increasing complexity of the nation's financial markets."

The bill passed 246 to 171.

One Republican--Walter Jones (NC-03)--voted against it.

9 Democrats voted for it:
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
David Scott (GA-13)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)

Which House Dems Voted Against Transportation Safety Yesterday?

Yesterday, the House voted on a series of amendments for the FY 2016 appropriations bill for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

I wanted to highlight several votes that had to do with transportation safety.

Motorcycle Safety

Tim Walberg (MI-07) offered an amendment to strike section 102 from the bill which allows the Secretary or his designee to engage in activities with States and State legislators to consider proposals related to the reduction of motorcycle fatalities.

It passed 235 to 189.

7 Democrats joined Republicans in voting for it. 12 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.

Here are the 7 Democrats:

Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Norma Torres (CA-35)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
Tim Walz (MN-01)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)

Trucking Safety

Matt Cartwright (PA-17) offered an amendment to strike section 134 of the bill, which prohibits the use of funds to develop, issue, or implement any regulation that increases levels of minimum financial responsibility for transporting passengers or property as in effect on January 1, 2014.

This refers to a provision in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) which directed the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives on the appropriateness of the current minimum financial responsibility requirements for motor carriers of property and passengers, and the current bond and insurance requirements for freight forwarders and brokers. It also directed the Secretary to issue a report on the appropriateness of these requirements every 4 years starting April 1, 2013.

Carwright’s amendment failed 176 to 247.

10 Republicans joined Democrats in voting for it. 18 Democrats joined Republicans in voting against it.

Here are the 18 Democrats:

Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Jerry McNerney (CA-09)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Frederica Wilson (FL-24)
John Lewis (GA-05)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Brenda Lawrence (MI-14)
Tim Walz (MN-01)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Rick Nolan (MN-08)
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Yvette Clarke (NY-09)
Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-18)

Pipeline Safety
Lois Capps (CA-24) to increase funding in the Pipeline Safety Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund by $27,604,000.

It failed 202 to 222.

178 Democrats and 24 Republicans voted for it. 216 Republicans and 6 Democrats voted against it.

Here are the 6 Democrats:

Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01)
Ben Lujan (NM-03)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)

Which Senate Dems Just Voted to Spend Even More Money on Weapons?

Yesterday, the Senate began voting on amendments to the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Rob Portman (R-OH) offered an amendment to add $371 million for procurement and for research, development, test, and evaluation to increase the lethality of Stryker armed vehicles. These are designed for ground warfare, and the Pentagon seems to want them so that they can make the civil war in Urakine even bloodier.

The amendment passed 61 to 34.

10 members of the Democratic caucus joined the 51 Republicans in attendance in voting for it:

Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Bob Casey (D-PA)
Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Angus King (I-ME)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Gary Peters (D-MI)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

Which 26 House Dems Voted Against Easing Restrictions on Traveling to Cuba?

Today, the House has been voting on amendments for the appropriations bill covering the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Republicans added a provision to the bill to prevent licensing flights or cruise ships to Cuba if they involved property confiscated by the Castro regime. Basically, this is just a way to block the normalization of relations with Cuba initiated by Obama. Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), who heads the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, is particularly hostile to normalizing relations with Cuba.

Barbara Lee (CA-13) offered an amendment to strike this provision from the bill.

Her amendment failed 176 to 247.

18 Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of the amendment. 26 Democrats voted with Republicans against it. One Democrat--Brendan Boyle (PA-13)--voted present.

Here are the 18 Republicans:

David Schweikert (AZ-06)
Eric Crawford (AR-01)
David Jolly (FL-13)
Rodney Davis (IL-13)
Tim Huelskamp (KS-01)
Tom Massie (KY-04)
Charles Boustany (LA-03)
Ralph Abraham (LA-05)
Justin Amash (MI-03)
Tom Emmer (MN-06)
Jason Smith (MO-08)
Walter Jones (NC-03)
Mark Sanford (SC-01)
Mick Mulvaney (SC-05)
Stephen Fincher (TN-08)
Jason Chaffetz (UT-03)
Reid Ribble (WI-08)
Cynthia Lummis (WY-AL)

Here are the 26 Democrats:

Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
John Garamendi (CA-03)
Tony Cardenas (CA-29)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Alan Grayson (Fl-09)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Ted Deutch (FL-21)
Lois Frankel (FL-22)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Frederic Wilson (FL-24)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Frank Pallone (NJ-08)
Albio Sires (NJ-08)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-09)
Donald Payne (NJ-10)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Gerry Connolly (VA-11)

Over half of the Democrats hail from either Florida or New Jersey. I assume Bob Menendez must be using his clout within the Jersey delegation.

The Latest GOP Appropriations Bill Slashes Climate Research $. Which 12 Ds Voted for It?

Earlier today, I wrote about some of the good and the bad in the Commerce/Justice/Science appropriations bill.

Here is an overview of what the bill does:

H.R. 2578 provides approximately $51.4 billion in discretionary budget authority for FY 2016, which is $1.3 billion (2.5%) above FY 2015 levels but $600 million below the President’s request.

The bill increases funding for the National Science Foundation (funded at $7.39 billion, $50 million above FY 2015) and NASA (funded at $18.53 billion, $519 million above FY 2015) but continues the Republican attacks on climate research and social sciences by cutting NSF’s Geosciences and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences by $257M below the FY 2015 level. The bill continues gun-related riders from past bills, and includes a new rider related to the facilitation, permitting, licensing, or promotion of exports to the Cuban military or intelligence service.

The bill cuts funding for grants to state and local law enforcement agencies by $325 million, while these governments continue to experience budget problems, and provides increases for most federal law enforcement agencies. In addition, H.R. 2758 provides $237.5 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program; however this figure is deceiving as the bill shifts more than $200 million in grants, previously funded elsewhere in the bill – thus maintaining the illusion of a high COPS number.

Republicans are developing this year's spending bills based on their budget resolution’s adherence to sequester level discretionary spending caps for FY 2016, established in the Budget Control Act of 2011. The two-year Ryan-Murray Bipartisan Budget Agreement to replace much of the sequester’s cuts to defense and non-defense funding has expired, limiting resources for the regular appropriations process to $1,016.6 billion for FY 2016, a funding increase of just 0.29%. Because this Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill includes an increase larger than 0.29%, cuts to other non-defense Appropriations subcommittees’ 302(b) allocations will be necessary without an agreement to replace the sequester. At the same time, Republicans are exempting defense from the sequester by shifting $38 billion of the President’s base defense request into the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) war funding account, relieving pressure to replace the sequester for non-defense priorities.

Amendments

  Here are some bad amendments of note.

Scott Garrett (NJ-05) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to enforce the Fair Housing Act in a manner that relies upon an allegation of liability under section 100.500 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations. That section affirms that "[l]iability may be established under the Fair Housing Act based on a practice's discriminatory effect...even if the practice was not motivated by a discriminatory intent.").

The amendment passed 232 to 196, with 11 Republicans joining Democrats in voting against it.

Tom Massie (K-Y-04) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to treat ammunition as armor piercing for purposes of chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, except for ammunition designed and intended for use in a handgun.

It passed 250 to 171. 238 Republicans and 12 Democrats voted for it. 169 Democrats and 2 Republicans voted against it.

The 2 Republicans were Pete King (NY-02) and Dan Donovan (NY-11).

And here are the 12 Democrats:

Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Pete DeFazio (OR-04)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Tim Walz (MN-01)

Bill Flores (TX-17) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to implement Executive Order 13547 (75 Fed. Reg. 43023, relating to the stewardship of oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes), including the National Ocean Policy developed under such Executive Order.

It passed 236 to 190.

Two Democrats voted for it: Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and Filemon Vela (TX-34).

Seven Republicans voted against it:

Bob Dold (IL-10)
Dan Donovan (NY-11)
Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08)
Frank Guinta (NH-01)
Pete King (NY-02)
Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
Lee Zeldin (NY-01)

Steve King (IA-04) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds in the Fifth Circuit Court case of Texas v. U.S (the lawsuit seeking to block Obama's recent executive order on immigration).
It passed 222 to 204, with 19 Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.

Final Passage

When the final Appropriations bill came up for a vote, it passed 242 to 183.

12 Democrats joined Republicans in voting for it. 10 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.

Here are the 12 Democrats:

Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Annie Kuster (NH-02)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)

Which House Democrats Voted against Improving Relations with Cuba?

During the amendment voting for the "Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies" appropriations bill yesterday, the House cast two votes that relate to US relations with Cuba.
The first was on Gitmo. Closing Gitmo would be a positive step forward in US-Cuba relations.

Personally, I think the US should return the land stolen for the naval base, but I don't expect it to happen.

Jerry Nadler (NY-10) offered an amendment to strike section 527 from the bill which prohibits use of funds to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the U.S., its territories, or possessions Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who is not a U.S. citizen or a member of the Armed Forces of the U.S. and is or was held on or after June 24, 2009, at the U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department of Defense.

It failed 170 to 256.

165 Democrats and 5 Republicans voted for it. 238 Republicans and 18 Democrats voted against it.

Here are the 5 Republicans:

Justin Amash (MI-03)
Jimmy Duncan (TN-02)
Chris Gibson (NY-19)
Tom Rice (SC-07)
Mark Sanford (SC-01)

Here are the 18 Democrats:

Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Lois Capps (CA-24)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Albio Sires (NJ-08)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)

Sam Farr (CA-20) offered an amendment to strike section 540 from the bill which prohibits use of funds to facilitate, permit, license, or promote exports to the Cuban military or intelligence service or to any officer of the Cuban military or intelligence service, or an immediate family member thereof.

It failed 153 to 273.

151 Democrats and 2 Republicans voted for it. 241 Republicans and 32 Democrats voted against it.

The two Republicans were Kevin Cramer (ND-AL) Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05).

And here were the 32 Democrats:

Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Tony Cardenas (CA-29)
Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Ted Deutch (FL-21)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Lois Frankel (FL-22)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Denny Heck (WA-10)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Annie Kuster (NH-02)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-09)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Albio Sires (NJ-08)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
Frederica Wilson (FL-24)

House "Marijuana Vote-a-Rama" Gives Hope to Reform Advocates. Which Ds Stood in the Way?

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the House began taking votes related to the appropriations bill for the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, and other agencies.

During the amendment voting yesterday, the House voted on a series of amendments related to reforming laws around the cannabis plant, whether hemp or marijuana. Four of them passed, and one narrowly failed, but even the narrow failure provides hope for future momentum.

Hemp

Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to prevent a State from implementing its own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of industrial hemp.

The amendment passed 282 to 146.

181 Democrats and 101 Republicans voted for it. 142 Republicans and 4 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 4 Democrats:

Joyce Beatty (OH-03)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)

Tom Massie (KY-04) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to be used in contravention of section 7606 ("Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research") of the Agricultural Act of 2014 by the Department of Justice or the Drug Enforcement Administration.

It passed 289 to 132.

172 Democrats and 117 Republicans voted for it. 122 Republicans and 10 Democrats voted against it.

Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Betty McCollum (MN-04)
Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Bobby Rush (IL-01)
Linda Sanchez (CA-38)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)

Medical Marijuana

Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds by various states to prevent any of them from implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possessions, or cultivation of medical marijuana.

It passed 242 to 186.

175 Democrats and 67 Republicans voted for it. 176 Republicans and 10 Democrats voted against it.

Here are the 10 Democrats:

Karen Bass (CA-33)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Joe Kennedy (MA-05)
Sandy Levin (MI-09)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

Marijuana Legalization

Tom McClintock (CA-04) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds by various states to prevent any of them from implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possessions, or cultivation of marijuana on non-Federal lands within their respective jurisdictions.

It failed narrowly 206 to 222.

161 Democrats and 45 Republicans voted for it. 198 Republicans and 24 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 24 Democrats:

Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Karen Bass (CA-33)
Joyce Beatty (OH-03)
Yvette Clarke (NY-11)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Debbie Dingell (MI-12)
Gwen Graham (NE-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Joe Kennedy (MA-05)
Sandy Levin (MI-09)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Louise Slaughter (NY-25)
Paul Tonko (NY-20)
Marc Veasey (TX-33)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

Cannabidiol Oil
Scott Perry (PA-04) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to take any action to prevent a State from implementing any law that makes it lawful to possess, distribute, or use cannabidiol oil.

It passed 297 to 130.

179 Democrats and 118 Republicans voted for it. 125 Republicans and 5 Democrats voted against it.

Here are those 5 Democrats:

Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Joe Kennedy (MA-04)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Bobby Rush (IL-01)

Which 5 Democrats Just Voted to Gut Marine Conservation Laws?

After returning from their Memorial Day recess, the Republican House got back to doing one of its favorite things: inflicting damage on the environment.

On Monday, this took the form of the "Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act," a bill designed to deregulate fishing and open the door to the danger of overfishing.

Here's a summary of the bill:

This bill would reauthorize, as well as amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Originally enacted in 1976, the goals of the MSA were to end unregulated fishing by foreign fleets in U.S. waters as well as develop domestic fleets that could reap the economic benefit of our considerable fishery resources.  The Act was reauthorized, with key improvements and on a bipartisan basis, in 1996 and 2007.

This bill, however, would roll back a number of those improvements – exposing fish stocks in our nation’s waters to overfishing.  It creates exemptions for annual catch limits for potentially hundreds of species, including some that may be overfished or subject to overfishing; exempts federal fishery management plans from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and changes the definition of “overfished” – making it less likely for a species to be identified as depleted.  Further, it makes a number of other dangerous changes, including the elimination of the requirement that stocks identified as depleted be rebuilt as quickly as possible and allowing “factors outside of fishing” or “unusual events” causing depletion to be cited as a reason to continue to allow overfishing – instead of a reason to stop it.

Raul Grijalva (AZ-03) spoke on the dangers of the bill:

“Instead of working with us to craft thoughtful, targeted legislation to update Magnuson, Republicans have taken this as an opportunity to assault bedrock conservation laws while at the same time taking us back to fisheries management policies that we have known have failed fishing communities in the past."

The vote was 225 to 152.

220 Republicans and 5 Democrats voted for it. 149 Democrats and 3 Republicans voted against it.

Here are the 3 Republicans:

Chris Gibson (NY-19)
Richard Hanna (NY-22)
Randy Weber (TX-14)
Here are the 5 Democrats:
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Seth Moulton (MA-06)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)

Debbie Dingell (MI-12) offered an amendment to strike the bill’s requirement that environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) be fast-tracked.

It failed 155 to 223.

The vote was mostly party line. The sole exception was Democrat Collin Peterson (MN-07), who voted with the Republicans.

Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) offered an amendment to allow the National Ocean Council, operating under Executive Order 13547, to develop a process for decommissioning oil and gas rigs that eliminates harm to the red snapper stock and improves habitat.

It failed 149 to 227.

5 Democrats voted with Republicans against it:

Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)