How your U.S. Senators voted this week

Warren, Markey, vote yes on every bill this week

Article | Politics Etc. | December 21, 2013 - 10:00am | By Targeted News Service

U.S. Senate passes two-year federal budget.

Senate votes to pass a two year federal budget

Congressional Votes for the week of 12/13 - 12/19/2013

There were six key votes in the Senate this week; the House was not in session. The Senate voted 29 times in the week ending Thursday; this vote chart also covers votes taken during a continuous session from last Wednesday afternoon through last Friday afternoon. The most important Senate vote was to pass a budget agreement governing government spending in fiscal 2014 and 2015. The House is not expected to have any votes for the remainder of the year.

The Senate also passed the VA Expiring Authorities Extension Act (H.R. 1402), sponsored by Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., to extend the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide various services for military veterans; the Community Fire Safety Act (H.R. 3588), sponsored by Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, to exempt fire hydrants from the Environmental Protection Agency's prohibition on the use of lead pipes, fittings, fixtures, solder, and flux; and the SAFE Act Confidentiality and Privilege Enhancement Act (S. 947), sponsored by Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., to ensure that financial services industry regulators have access to certain information from financial firms.
Here's how members of Congress voted over the previous week.
There were no key votes in the House this week.

SENATE VOTES:

Senate Vote 1:
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSIONER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Chai Rachel Feldblum to serve as a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a five-year term ending in 2018. A supporter, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said that in her first term at the EEOC, which began in 2010, Feldblum has effectively managed the agency, developing a strategic plan for the EEOC that rewards effective investigations and conciliations by employers and employees, while also reducing the EEOC's case backlog. Harkin said Feldblum "brings to the EEOC a determination to work on a bipartisan basis to craft practical solutions, and to work to make America's workplaces more fair and free from discrimination." The vote, on Dec. 12, was 54 yeas to 41 nays.
YEAS: Sen. Edward J. Markey D-MA, Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-MA

Senate Vote 2:
NEW HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Landya B. McCafferty to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the District of New Hampshire. A supporter, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., cited McCafferty's experience as the current U.S. magistrate judge for the District of New Hampshire, a clerk for two federal district court judges and at the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and as a public defender and civil litigator in New Hampshire. Shaheen said McCafferty "has widespread bipartisan support throughout the New Hampshire legal community and she will make an excellent addition to the Federal district court in New Hampshire." The vote, on Dec. 12, was 79 yeas to 19 nays.
YEAS: Sen. Edward J. Markey D-MA, Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-MA

Senate Vote 3:
PRIVACY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Patricia M. Wald to serve as a member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. A supporter, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., said that in her year of work on the board, beginning in August 2012, Wald "has served with great professionalism and dedication," and confirming her to remain on the board would help it address concerns about the government's surveillance powers by ensuring that it "remains at full strength as the board continues this work to safeguard our constitutional rights." The vote, on Dec. 12, was 57 yeas to 41 nays.
YEAS: Sen. Edward J. Markey D-MA, Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-MA

Senate Vote 4:
CONFIRMING HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Jeh Charles Johnson to serve as Homeland Security Secretary. A supporter, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Md., cited Johnson's work as the head lawyer in the Defense Department during President Obama's first term, and as head lawyer of the Air Force during President Clinton's second term. Carper said Johnson "is undoubtedly a highly skilled leader. He is just the type of person that we need for this extremely important and challenging position." An opponent, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said Johnson "has not had any real leadership and management experience. He shows no interest in or desire to seize control of this Department, to make it better, and to honor the officers who are a part of it and who serve their country often at risk every day." The vote, on Dec. 16, was 78 yeas to 16 nays.
YEAS: Sen. Edward J. Markey D-MA, Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-MA

Senate Vote 5:
BUDGET AGREEMENT: The Senate has agreed to a motion to concur in the House amendment, sponsored by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to the Senate's budget amendment to the Continuing Appropriations Resolution (H.J. Res. 59) for fiscal 2014. The budget amendment would increase caps on military and non-military discretionary spending in fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2015, extend planned Medicare spending cuts through fiscal 2023, increase user fees for air travel, and increase the contributions new government employees must make to their retirement funds. A supporter, Sen. Angus King, ID-Maine, said it would extend the deficit reduction effort that began in summer 2011, when the Budget Control Act became law, and "will finally get us out of the business of governing by crisis, of lurching from crisis to crisis and threats of shutdown and continuing resolutions year to year, month to month, quarter to quarter." An opponent, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said the agreement would maintain the government on a path of large, unsustainable deficits, in part by failing to cut $250 billion of wasteful, duplicative, and mismanaged spending, and so would fail to fix the government's increasing debt problem. The vote, on Dec. 18, was 64 yeas to 36 nays.
YEAS: Sen. Edward J. Markey D-MA, Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-MA

Senate Vote 6:
MILITARY SPENDING: The Senate has agreed to a motion to concur with the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 3304), sponsored by Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif. The bill would provide $607 billion to fund the military in fiscal 2014, including $80.7 billion for the war in Afghanistan, and would introduce a variety of measures to improve the military's handling of sexual assault cases. A supporter, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said it will allow the military "to combat current threats, plan for future threats, and provide for the welfare of our brave servicemembers," while also improving the efficiency of marine and naval forces in combat operations. An opponent, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., faulted the bill for failing to remedy a reduction in pensions for military members, and also criticized the lack of time allowed for senators to offer amendments to the bill during floor debate. The vote, on Dec. 19, was 84 yeas to 15 nays.
YEAS: Sen. Edward J. Markey D-MA, Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-MA


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