Congressional Vote Report for October 3, 2017

Our Congressional delegation each issued statements regarding the horror of the Las Vegas shootings.

Senator Chris Coons: “I’m horrified by the shooting in Las Vegas – all of our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the Las Vegas community.”

Senator Tom Carper: “This morning, along with millions of people across the country, my heart sunk as I awoke to dreadful news. As innocent people came together in celebration of one of life’s simplest pleasures, the joy of music, their lives were ripped away in an abhorrent act of hate. I’m praying for the victims of this attack and for their loved ones, who are now living in a nightmare. My thoughts are with the people of Las Vegas. I am grateful for the law enforcement officers and first responders who jumped to action to save lives last night, and for the hospital staff who are working to heal the wounded this morning. It’s critical that federal, state and local law enforcement officials work together to get to the bottom of this attack. This is yet another brutal reminder that we must be vigilant here at home against threats of terrorism and face the grim reality that our gun safety laws need to be reexamined.”

Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester: “This morning, we awoke to the tragic news that over 50 innocent Americans were killed, with hundreds more wounded, injured, or missing. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of last night’s shooting in Las Vegas, their families, and the first responders. Unfortunately, our moments of silence alone are not enough to prevent senseless acts of gun violence like this from happening. This is a national crisis that demands action, accountability, and leadership. From preventing gun violence in our neighborhoods to intervening to prevent a mass shooting, we must come together as a nation to enact real, commonsense gun control measures to ensure the safety of our communities.”

Lisa was the only one to touch on what I am feeling, highlighted in the text above.  I am over thoughts and prayers.  .

Recent Senate Votes

Fiscal 2018 Defense Authorization – Vote Agreed to (89-8, 3 Not Voting) The Senate passed the bill that would authorize $692 billion in discretionary funding for defense programs in fiscal 2018, including $60 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations funding. Sen. Thomas Carper voted YES Sen. Chris Coons voted YES Francisco Nomination – Confirmation – Vote Confirmed (50-47, 3 Not Voting) The Senate confirmed the nomination of Noel J. Francisco to be Solicitor General of the United States. Sen. Thomas Carper voted NO Sen. Chris Coons voted NO Delrahim Nomination – Confirmation – Vote Confirmed (73-21, 6 Not Voting) The Senate confirmed the nomination of Makan Delrahim to be an assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. Sen. Thomas Carper voted YES Sen. Chris Coons voted YES

Recent House Votes

Maternal and Infant Home Visit Program – Vote Passed (214-209, 10 Not Voting) The House passed the bill that would authorize, through fiscal 2022, $400 million a year for the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program. The bill would require entities that receive grants under the program to continue to demonstrate improvements in applicable benchmarks and guidelines. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester voted NO FAA Short Term Reauthorization, Flood Insurance and Hurricane Tax Adjustments – Vote Passed (264-155, 14 Not Voting) The House passed the bill that would extend through March 31, 2018, various expiring authorities, programs and activities for the Federal Aviation Administration. The measure would also extend multiple health care programs and would establish the basis for the development of a private flood insurance market. It would modify tax provisions for individuals living in areas impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and would allow the federal government to reimburse the governments of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for any disaster tax relief that those islands provide their citizens. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester voted NO Parole Violators’ Benefits Revocation – Vote Passed (244-171, 18 Not Voting) The House passed the bill that would prohibit, beginning in 2021, the payment of social security benefits to an individual who is the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant for committing a felony or for violating a condition of parole or probation. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester voted NO

Upcoming Votes

Pai Nomination – PN89 The Senate will vote on the nomination of Ajit V. Pai to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission. Abortion Ban – HR36 The House will vote on the bill that would prohibit abortions in cases where the probable age of the fetus is 20 weeks or later, and it imposes criminal penalties on medical professionals who violate the ban. Fiscal 2018 Budget Resolution – HCONRES71 The House will vote on the measure that would call for a balanced budget by fiscal 2027, mostly by reducing spending by $4.9 trillion over the next 10 years, including by repealing the 2010 health care overhaul; reducing spending on Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs; and changing other mandatory programs, such as food stamps. It also would assume significant future savings by restructuring Medicare into a “premium support” system beginning in 2024. It would call for the fiscal 2018 cap on defense discretionary spending to be raised by $72.5 billion, while reducing the nondefense cap by $5 billion. Finally, it would include reconciliation instructions for a deficit-neutral overhaul of the tax code, as well as instructions to 11 House committees to produce legislation that reduces mandatory spending by at least $203 billion over 10 years.