Yesterday, the House passed its defense appropriations bill, or National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), for fiscal year 2015. The NDAA
provides a great opportunity for anti-war liberals and "anti-government"
conservatives to join hands in obeisance to the military industrial
complex.
As usual, the NDAA passed with a wide margin:
325 to 98. 216 Republicans and 109 Democrats voted for it. 85 Democrats and 13 Republicans voted against it.
Here are the 85 Democrats who should be commended for voting NO on the NDAA:
Xavier Becerra (CA-34)
Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Lois Capps (CA-24)
Mike Capuano (MA-07)
Judy Chu (CA-32)
David Cicilline (RI-01)
Katherine Clark (MA-05)
Yvette Clarke (NY-09)
Steve Cohen (TN-09)
John Conyers (MI-13)
Joe Crowley (NY-14)
Elijah Cummings (MD-07)
Pete DeFazio (OR-04)
Diana DeGette (CO-01)
Ted Deutch (FL-21)
Mike Doyle (PA-14)
Donna Edwards (MD-04)
Keith Ellison (MN-05)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Anna Eshoo (CA-18)
Sam Farr (CA-20)
Chaka Fattah (PA-02)
Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Alan Grayson (FL-09)
Raul Grijalva (AZ-03)
Luis Gutiérrez (IL-04)
Janice Hahn (CA-44)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Rush Holt (NJ-12)
Mike Honda (CA-17)
Jared Huffman (CA-02)
Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
William Keating (MA-09)
Joe Kennedy (MA-04)
Dan Kildee (MI-05)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Barbara Lee (CA-13)
Sandy Levin (MI-09)
John Lewis (GA-05)
Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)
Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)
Doris Matsui (CA-06)
Betty McCollum (MN-04)
Jim McDermott (WA-07)
Jim McGovern (MA-02)
Grace Meng (NY-06)
George Miller (CA-11)
Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Jim Moran (VA-08)
Jerry Nadler (NY-10)
Grace Napolitano (CA-32)
Richard Neal (MA-01)
Gloria Negrette McLeod (CA-35)
Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
Ed Pastor (AZ-07)
Donald Payne (NJ-10)
Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
Mark Pocan (WI-02)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
David Price (NC-04)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Charlie Rangel (NY-13)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)
Linda Sánchez (CA-38)
John Sarbanes (MD-03)
Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Adam Schiff (CA-28)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Jose Serrano (NY-15)
Albio Sires (NJ-08)
Jackie Speier (CA-14)
Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Mike Thompson (CA-05)
John Tierney (MA-06)
Paul Tonko (NY-20)
Chris Van Hollen (MD-08)
Nydia Velázquez (NY-07)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Pete Welch (VT-AL)
Frederica Wilson (FL-24)
John Yarmuth (KY-03)
Last year, however, 90 Democrats voted for the House markup of the NDAA. What changed?
Congress gained Katherine Clark (MA-05) and lost Mel Watt (NC-12). They voted the same way, so that comes out even.
4 Democrats who voted against the House NDAA last year were not in
attendance today: Karen Bass (CA-37), Cedric Richmond (LA-02), Bobby
Rush (IL-01), and Louise Slaughter (NY-25).
4 Democrats who were absent for last year’s vote showed up to cast
NAY votes today: Judy Chu, Donna Edwards, Marcia Fudge, and Richard
Neal.
12 Democrats who voted against the House NDAA last year voted for it this year:
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
Andre Carson (IN-01)
Kathy Castor (FL014)
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Danny Davis (IL-07)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Rick Nolan (MN-08)
Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
Bennie Thompson (MS-02)
Henry Waxman (CA-33)
7 Democrats who voted for the House NDAA last year voted against it this year:
Elijah Cummings (MD-07)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Jim McDermott (WA-07)
Gloria Negrette McLeod (CA-35)
David Price (NC-04)
Returning to this year, here are the 13 Republicans who voted against the NDAA:
Justin Amash (MI-03)
Jimmy Duncan (TN-02)
Louie Gohmert (TX-01)
Paul Gosar (AZ-04)
Morgan Griffith (VA-09)
Walter Jones (NC-03)
Raul Labrador (ID-01)
Cynthia Lummis (WY)
Tom Massie (KY-04)
Bill Posey (FL-08)
Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48)
Steve Stockman (TX-36)
Randy Weber (TX-14)
However, last year, 18 Republicans voted against it. What changed?
7 Republicans who voted against the FY 2014 NDAA just voted for the FY2015 one:
Jeff Duncan (SC-03)
Chris Gibson (NY-19)
Tom McClintock (CA-04)
Mick Mulvaney (SC-05)
Matt Salmon (AZ-05)
David Schweickert (AZ-06)
Ted Yoho (FL-03)
Trey Radel (FL-19), who voted against the FY 2014 NDAA, resigned because of his drug problem.
And then 3 Republicans who voted for the FY 2014 NDAA—Jones, Posey, and Weber—voted against the FY 2015 one.
Now, let's look at some of the key amendments.
CLIMATE CHANGE
David McKinley (WV-01) introduced an amendment to "prohibit funds for
the Administration to conduct any anti-fossil fuel climate change
agenda, which includes the National Climate Assessment, the IPCC report,
the UN's Agenda 21, and the Social Cost of Carbon. "
It passed
231 to 192 on a mostly party line vote.
Only 3 Republicans voted against it: Scott Garrett (NJ-05), Chris Gibson (NY-19), and Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02).
4 Democrats voted for it: John Barrow (GA-12), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Mike McIntyre (NC-07), and Nick Rahall (WV-03).
GITMO
Adam Smith (WA-09), along with Jim Moran (VA-08) and Jerry Nadler
(NY-10), introduced an amendment to provide a framework for closure of
the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by December 31, 2016.
The House killed the amendment
247 to 177. 171 Democrats and 6 Republicans voted for it. 224 Republicans and 23 Democrats voted against it.
The 6 Republicans who voted to close Gitmo were Justin Amash (MI-03),
Jimmy Duncan (TN-02), Chris Gibson (NY-19), Louie Gohmert (TX-01),
Walter Jones (NC-03), and Mark Sanford (SC-01).
Last year, only Amash and Duncan voted for it, so this was an improvement.
Here are the 23 Democrats that want to keep Gitmo open:
Ron Barber (AZ-02)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Pete Gallego (TX-23)
Joe Garcia (FL-26)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Dan Maffei (NY-24)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Jim Matheson (UT-04)
Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Bill Owens (NY-21)
Gary Peters (MI-14)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Nick Rahall (WV-03)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
Bradley Schneider (IL-10)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Last year, only 21 Democrats voted against closing Gitmo, so we’ve
seen some regression here. Bill Foster (IL-11) had voted against closing
Gitmo last year but, to his credit, has since flipped his vote in the
right direction. Gene Green and Collin Peterson flipped their votes in
the opposite direction. Carol Shea-Porter was not in attendance for the
vote last year but showed up to show her support for Gitmo today.
Adam Smith also introduced an amendment, co-sponsored with Paul Broun
(GA-10), to eliminate indefinite military detention of any person
detained under AUMF authority in the U.S., its territories, or
possessions, by providing for immediate transfer to trial and
proceedings by a court established under the Constitution or any
appropriate state court.
The House killed it
191 to 230. 176 Democrats and 15 Republicans voted for it. 214 Republicans and 16 Democrats voted against it.
Here are the 16 Democrats that support indefinite detention:
Ron Barber (AZ-02)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Sander Levin (MI-09)
Daniel Lipinski (IL-03)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Jim Matheson (UT-02)
Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Bill Owens (NY-21)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Dutch Ruppersberger
Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Last year,
only 13 Democrats voted against indefinite detention. Pete Gallego
(TX-23) and Filemon Vela (TX-34) voted against prohibiting indefinite
detention last year but this year voted to do so. Last year, Ron Barber,
Gene Green, Stephen Lynch, Collin Peterson, and Terri Sewell voted in
favor of banning indefinite detention; they have since changed their
mind and embraced it.
Here are the 15 Republicans who voted for the amendment.
Justin Amash (MI-03)
Paul Broun (GA-10)
Jimmy Duncan (TN-02)
Chris Gibson (NY-19)
Paul Gosar (AZ-04)
Morgan Griffith (VA-09)
Tim Huelskamp (KS-01)
Walter Jones (NC-03)
Raul Labrador (ID-01)
Thomas Massie (KY-04)
Tom Petri (WI-06)
Reid Ribble (WI-08)
Mark Sanford (SC-01)
Steve Stockman (TX-36)
Scott Tipton (CO-03)
Last year, 19 Republicans voted for the amendment. Kerry Bentivolio
(MI-11), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Bill Posey (FL-08), John Shimkus
(IL-05), and Ted Yoho (FL-03) voted for it last year but not this
year. Steve Stockman voted against the amendment last year but voted for
it this year.
Endless War
Adam Schiff (CA-28) introduced an amendment to sunset the 2001
Authorization of the Use of Military Force (AUMF) in twelve months.
The House killed it
191 to 233. 164 Democrats and 27 Republicans voted for it. 203 Republicans and 30 Democrats voted against it.
Here are the 30 Democrats who voted against it:
Ron Barber (AZ-02)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Corinne Brown (FL-05)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Pete Gallego (TX-23)
Joe Garcia (FL-26)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Jim Langevin (RI-02)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04)
Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
Bradley Schneider (IL-10)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Adam Smith (WA-09)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Thankfully, we’ve seen some progress.
Last year, 39 Democrats voted against a similar amendment.
Rob Andrews (NJ-01) voted against it last year, but he’s now gone
because he resigned mid-term to become a lobbyist. A swell guy, isn’t
he? Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) who voted against it last year wasn’t in
attendance today. Cedric Richmond (LA-02) was also not in attendance
today.
Here are the 14 Democrats who opposed sunsetting the AUMF last year
but now support doing so. They flipped their votes correctly.
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
Matt Cartwright (PA-17)
John Dingell (MI-12)
Eliot Engel (NY-16)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Jim Matheson (UT-04)
Bill Owens (NY-21)
David Scott (GA-13)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Tim Walz (MN-01)
Last year, Cheri Bustos and Carolyn McCarthy weren’t in attendance.
6 Democrats then opposed sunsetting the AUMF although they voted to do so last year:
Corinne Brown (FL-05)
Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
