Regional congressional votes on Pompeo, U.S. House chaplain, aviation bill

April 28--WASHINGTON -- Here's how the St. Louis-area members of Congress voted on key legislation for the week of April 23-27.

House

Resignation of House Chaplain --The House on April 27 tabled, 215-171, a Democratic bid for a committee probe of the forced resignation of the Rev. Patrick Conroy as House chaplain. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has not publicly explained his request for the resignation. There was no debate on this measure. Off the floor, Democrats accused Ryan of retaliating against Conroy over the egalitarian message in a prayer he offered in the chamber last Nov. 6 during consideration of GOP legislation cutting taxes and revising the tax code. The speaker's staff denied that charge. A yes vote was to kill the Democratic motion.

Yes --Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin; Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth; Jason Smith, R-Salem; Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville; Ill.; Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, Ill.; John Shimkus, R-Collinsville.

No --William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis.

$100 Billion For Aviation --Voting 393-13, the House on April 27 passed a bill that would authorize federal aviation programs at a spending level of nearly $100 billion through September 2023, with funding provided by annual appropriations bills as well as user fees including fuel taxes and ticket add-ons. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. The bill included amendments offered by Bost adding "buy America" requirements and urging colleges and universities to promote careers in aviation.

Yes --Bost, Davis, Shimkus, Clay, Wagner, Luetkemeyer, Smith.

Rules for Flammable Lithium Batteries --Voting 192-223, the House on April 26 defeated an amendment to HR 4 (above) that sought to give the Federal Aviation Administration rather than the International Civil Aviation Organization (a United Nations body that sets global rules for non-military aviation) primary authority to set rules for shipping flammable lithium batteries on U.S. cargo flights. Their transport is banned on commercial flights under international rules. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.

Yes --Clay.

No --Luetkemeyer, Bost, Shimkus, Davis, Smith, Wagner.

Senate

Mike Pompeo Confirmation --The Senate on April 26 confirmed, 57-42, Mike Pompeo, the CIA director and a former GOP congressman from Kansas, as the 70th secretary of state. Democrats said that while in the House, Pompeo was "Islamophobic" and floated conspiracy theories about the 2012 attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya. They also criticized his congressional stands against U.S. funding of international women's health organizations and the Paris agreement on climate change. A yes vote was to confirm Pompeo.

Yes --Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

No --Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

Kyle Duncan Confirmation --The Senate on April 24 confirmed, 50-47, Kyle Duncan to sit on the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over federal trial courts in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Duncan was lead attorney on the winning side of the Supreme Court's 2014 "Hobby Lobby" ruling, which limits access to birth-control coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Democrats criticized his restrictive views on LGBTQ rights, immigration and women's reproductive rights, and his support of voter ID laws and a former North Carolina law barring transgender individuals from using the bathroom of their choice in government buildings. A yes vote was to confirm Duncan.

Yes --Blunt.

No --McCaskill, Durbin.

Not voting --Duckworth (maternity leave)

Richard Grenell Confirmation --Voting 56-42, the Senate on April 26 confirmed Richard Grenell, a Fox News contributor and head of a global public-affairs firm, as ambassador to Germany. He formerly worked as the American spokesman at the United Nations in the George W. Bush administration. Democrats criticized Grenell for having sent numerous Tweets disparaging women including first lady Michelle Obama, MSNBC journalist Rachel Maddow and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Calista Gingrich. A yes vote was to confirm Grenell.

Yes --McCaskill, Blunt.

No --Durbin

Not voting --Duckworth

--In addition, Blunt and McCaskill got Senate approval of a measure allowing the World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City to fly the POW/MIA flag honoring American service members held as prisoners of war, or who went missing in action. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.

KEY VOTES AHEAD

Congress is in recess until the week of May 7.

The votes and descriptions are compiled by "Voterama in Congress" a legislative tracking organization.

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