Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.= (Nov. 12-18):
House votes
The Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act (S. 1095) — Sponsored by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), the House passed a bill to provide greater tuition and job training benefits for survivors of deceased military veterans. A supporter, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), said the bill would “ensure the survivors and dependents of those who bravely serve our country are not hindered by tuition costs when pursuing their education.” The vote passed on Nov. 15, 424-0.
Kilmer (D-WA, Sixth) ) Yes
H. Res. 789 — Sponsored by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., this bill looked to censure Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and remove him from two committees after he posted an altered cartoon video on his social media accounts that showed him attacking President Joe Biden. Speier said: “Inciting violence begets violence.” An opponent, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), said Gosar deleted the video on his own and affirmed that “he does not believe in violence to anyone,” and McCarthy claimed that the House had failed to censure Democrats for similarly inflammatory behavior toward President Trump. The vote passed on Nov. 17, 223-207.
Kilmer Yes
HR 3730 —The House has passed a bill sponsored by Del. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-Northern Mariana Islands) that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to form an advisory committee to consult the agency on issues facing veterans who live in Puerto Rico and the other U.S. territories. The vote passed on Nov. 18, 420-4.
Kilmer Yes
TSA Reaching Across Nationalities, Societies, and Languages to Advance Traveler Education Act (HR 5574) — Sponsored by Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev), this bill would require the Transportation Security Administration to take measures for increasing comprehension of airport security materials, including accommodations for foreign language speakers and those with vision or hearing impairments. The vote passed on Nov. 18, 369-49.
Kilmer Yes
Senate votes
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Graham Steele to be assistant secretary for financial institutions at the Treasury Department. Steele was a senior staffer on the Senate Banking Committee from 2015-2017, and since then has been a Federal Reserve staffer and an official at Stanford’s business school. A supporter, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), said “the staff of many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle can attest to his commitment to service and the ability to find common ground.” The vote passed on Nov. 16, 53-42.
Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Yes
Patty Murray (D-WA) Yes
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Robert Bonnie to serve as the Agriculture Department’s under secretary for farm production and conservation. Bonnie was an Agriculture official in the Obama administration, then joined a Duke University environmental institute from 2017-2020. The vote passed on Nov. 16, 76-19.
Cantwell Yes
Murray Yes
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Jonathan Kanter to serve as assistant attorney general heading the antitrust division of the Justice Department. Kanter, currently partner at his own law firm, was previously an antitrust lawyer both in private practice and at the Federal Trade Commission. The vote passed on Nov. 16, 68-29.
Cantwell Yes
Murray Yes
