The Congressional Vote Report for December 6, 2017

Tax Overhaul Motion to Proceed – Vote Agreed to (52-48)
McConnell, R-Ky., motion to proceed to the bill that would revise the federal income tax system by: lowering individual and corporate tax rates; consolidating the current seven tax income rates into four rates; eliminating the deduction for state and local income taxes; limiting certain deductions for property taxes and home mortgages; and creating a new system of taxing U.S. corporations with foreign subsidiaries.
Sen. Thomas Carper voted NO
Sen. Chris Coons voted NO

Tax Overhaul – Education Savings Accounts – Vote Agreed to (51-50)
Cornyn, R-Texas, for Cruz, R-Texas, amendment to the McConnell, R-Ky., for Hatch, R-Utah, substitute amendment, that would allow tuition expenses or the cost of school supplies for secondary public, private or religious school to be treated the same as higher education expenses for certain tax purposes. Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie and voted in the affirmative.
Sen. Thomas Carper voted NO
Sen. Chris Coons voted NO

Tax Overhaul – Passage – Vote Passed (51-49)
Passage of the bill, as amended, that would revise the federal income tax system by lowering individual and corporate tax rates, repealing various deductions through 2025, specifically by eliminating the deduction for state and local income taxes through 2025, increasing the deduction for pass-through entities and raising the child tax credit through 2025. It would also open parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling.
Sen. Thomas Carper voted NO
Sen. Chris Coons voted NO

National Forest Mining – Vote Passed (216-204, 13 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill would prohibit the designation of national monuments and the withdrawal of lands in the National Forest System in the state of Minnesota from mineral and geothermal leases without the approval of Congress. It would designate any mineral leases issued within the boundaries of the National Forest System lands in Minnesota as indeterminate preference right leases.
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester voted NO

Federal Workforce Probationary Period Extension – Vote Passed (213-204, 16 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill would increase to two years the probationary period for newly hired federal employees, for any individuals promoted to a supervisory or managerial role, and for any individual appointed to the Senior Executive Service. It would also establish a system in which supervisors would be notified near the end of an employee’s probationary period.
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester voted NO

EPA Brownfields Program Reauthorization – Vote Passed (409-8, 16 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill would authorize $250 million annually, through fiscal 2022, for assistance with environmental assessment, cleanup and job training activities at the EPA’s brownfields program sites, and would increase, to $500,000 per site, the amount available for remediation grants for brownfield sites.
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester voted YES

Manufactured Housing Lending Regulation – Vote Passed (256-163, 14 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill would change the definitions of “mortgage originator” and “loan originator” to exempt companies that manufacture homes and sell manufactured homes from various mortgage-related regulatory requirements. It would increase the maximum allowable rates and fees that may be applied to a manufactured home loan before the loan is classified as a high-cost mortgage.
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester voted NO