Virginia Congressional Votes for the Week of 7/20 – 7/26/2018

WASHINGTON, July 27 -- Here's a look at how Virginia members of Congress voted over the previous week.

HOUSE VOTES:

House Vote 1:

SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE: The House has passed the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act (H.R. 2345), sponsored by Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, to require the Federal Communications Commission to study the possibility of creating a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system with an easy to remember phone number. Stewart said the bill was intended to "streamline and to provide easy access to potentially lifesaving resources by designating a new and very simple national three-digit dialing number, very similar to 911, for national suicide prevention and mental health crisis." The vote, on July 23, was 379 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS: Griffith R-VA (9th), Brat R-VA (7th), Wittman R-VA (1st), Connolly D-VA (11th), Garrett R-VA (5th), Goodlatte R-VA (6th), Beyer D-VA (8th), Taylor R-VA (2nd), Scott (VA) D-VA (3rd), Comstock R-VA (10th), McEachin R-VA (4th)

House Vote 2:

BROADBAND ACCESS FOR AGRICULTURE: The House has passed the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act (H.R. 4881), sponsored by Rep. Robert E. Latta, R-Ohio, to require the Federal Communications Commission to create a task force to study strategies for expanding broadband Internet access on cropland and ranchland across the country. Latta said: "The task force will be able to offer tangible solutions that will promote rapid, expanded deployment of broadband in unserved areas, creating a pathway for precision agriculture in our rural farmlands." The vote, on July 23, was 378 yeas to 4 nays.

YEAS: Griffith R-VA (9th), Brat R-VA (7th), Wittman R-VA (1st), Connolly D-VA (11th), Garrett R-VA (5th), Goodlatte R-VA (6th), Beyer D-VA (8th), Taylor R-VA (2nd), Scott (VA) D-VA (3rd), Comstock R-VA (10th), McEachin R-VA (4th)

House Vote 3:

TAX ON MEDICAL DEVICES: The House has passed the Protect Medical Innovation Act (H.R. 184), sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulson, R-Minn., to repeal the 2.3 percent federal excise tax on sales of medical devices. Paulson said repeal of the tax, which is part of the health care reform law (Obamacare), would encourage device makers to invest in growth and research and development of new, lifesaving technologies that will help the country. A bill opponent, Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., said the benefits of repeal would go to the device makers and not "trickle down to help patients afford the devices they need to survive or lower the price of those devices in the first place." The vote, on July 24, was 283 yeas to 132 nays.

YEAS: Griffith R-VA (9th), Brat R-VA (7th), Wittman R-VA (1st), Garrett R-VA (5th), Goodlatte R-VA (6th), Taylor R-VA (2nd), Comstock R-VA (10th)

NAYS: Connolly D-VA (11th), Beyer D-VA (8th), Scott (VA) D-VA (3rd), McEachin R-VA (4th)

House Vote 4:

VA HOSPITALS: The House has passed the VA Hospitals Establishing Leadership Performance Act (H.R. 5864), sponsored by Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., to establish qualifications and performance metrics for human resources positions within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Bost said human resources management has been a chronic problem at the VHA, and improved standards were needed to repair "poor management, poor communication, distrust between leadership and management, and the lack of accountability." The vote, on July 25, was unanimous with 417 yeas.

YEAS: Griffith R-VA (9th), Brat R-VA (7th), Wittman R-VA (1st), Connolly D-VA (11th), Garrett R-VA (5th), Goodlatte R-VA (6th), Beyer D-VA (8th), Taylor R-VA (2nd), Scott (VA) D-VA (3rd), Comstock R-VA (10th), McEachin R-VA (4th)

House Vote 5:

CHANGING INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 6311), sponsored by Rep. Peter J. Roskam, R-Ill., to change the definition of a qualified health plan that can be bought to receive the health insurance premium tax credit, and allow individuals buying health insurance in the individual market to buy lower premium copper-level plans that have less coverage than other types of insurance plans. Roskam said the bill, by expanding choice and access to lower-priced insurance options, aimed at "empowering individuals and their families to make healthcare decisions for themselves based on their needs and based on their budgets." A bill opponent, Rep. Sander M. Levin, D-Mich., said it "will not meaningfully help middle class families harmed by Republican sabotage of ACA [Obamacare]. Instead, it will primarily benefit wealthy Americans and large insurance companies." The vote, on July 25, was 242 yeas to 176 nays.

YEAS: Griffith R-VA (9th), Brat R-VA (7th), Wittman R-VA (1st), Garrett R-VA (5th), Goodlatte R-VA (6th), Taylor R-VA (2nd), Comstock R-VA (10th)

NAYS: Connolly D-VA (11th), Beyer D-VA (8th), Scott (VA) D-VA (3rd), McEachin R-VA (4th)

House Vote 6:

EXPANDING HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS: The House has passed the Restoring Access to Medication Act (H.R. 6199), sponsored by Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., to include a variety of medical products that can be bought without a prescription as qualified medical expenses for individuals using health savings accounts. Jenkins said that ending the need to get prescriptions in order to use health savings accounts to buy effective over-the-counter medicines "gives individuals and families more control over their healthcare spending and increases their options when it comes to health savings accounts." An opponent, Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., faulted the bill for being "very fiscally irresponsible" given that its policy changes will increase the government's debt. The vote, on July 25, was 277 yeas to 142 nays.

YEAS: Griffith R-VA (9th), Brat R-VA (7th), Wittman R-VA (1st), Garrett R-VA (5th), Goodlatte R-VA (6th), Taylor R-VA (2nd), Comstock R-VA (10th)

NAYS: Connolly D-VA (11th), Beyer D-VA (8th), Scott (VA) D-VA (3rd), McEachin R-VA (4th)

House Vote 7:

MILITARY SPENDING: The House has agreed to the conference report with the Senate to reconcile the two chambers' versions of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 6199), to authorize $708 billion of fiscal 2019 spending at the Defense Department and defense programs at the Energy Department. A supporter, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said: "This bill takes a major step forward in rebuilding our military, reforming the Pentagon, and better preparing this country to deal with the national security challenges that lay before us." An opponent, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said the bill continued the problem of waste, fraud, and abuse at Defense, as well as Congress's failure "to live up to its constitutional obligation to debate matters of war and peace" and oversee war activities in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The vote, on July 26, was 359 yeas to 54 nays.

NAYS: Griffith R-VA (9th)

YEAS: Brat R-VA (7th), Wittman R-VA (1st), Connolly D-VA (11th), Garrett R-VA (5th), Goodlatte R-VA (6th), Beyer D-VA (8th), Taylor R-VA (2nd), Scott (VA) D-VA (3rd), Comstock R-VA (10th), McEachin R-VA (4th)

SENATE VOTES:

Senate Vote 1:

VA SECRETARY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Robert L. Wilkie to serve as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Wilkie, most recently the Defense Department's undersecretary for personnel and readiness, has also worked as a security official in Congress and in the George W. Bush administration. A supporter, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said Wilkie's "extensive career in a wide range of defense and veterans issues makes him uniquely qualified to serve as the next Secretary of the VA. He clearly understands the complexities associated with serving our nation and the importance of taking care of veterans." The vote, on July 23, was 86 yeas to 9 nays.

YEAS: Kaine D-VA, Warner D-VA

Senate Vote 2:

KILAUEA ERUPTIONS AND TOURISM: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 6147). The amendment would require the Interior Department to prepare for Congress a report on the impact that the Mt. Kilauea eruptions have had on Interior facilities on the island of Hawaii, and plans for restoring damaged facilities and boosting tourism at the facilities. The vote, on July 24, was 97 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS: Kaine D-VA, Warner D-VA

Senate Vote 3:

SEAFOOD IMPORTS: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 6147), that would increase by $3.1 million funding for Food and Drug Administration inspections of imported seafood. Kennedy said "we have a lot of foreign seafood imported into the United States, and some of it is very dangerous," but only 2 percent of the seafood is currently tested by the FDA. The vote, on July 24, was 87 yeas to 11 nays.

YEAS: Kaine D-VA, Warner D-VA

Senate Vote 4:

LONG-DISTANCE AMTRAK ROUTES: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 6147). The amendment would express the sense of Congress that Amtrak should maintain its long-distance passenger rail routes to provide transportation access for rural residents in particular, and to ensure connectivity throughout Amtrak's national route network. Udall said: "If Amtrak thinks that replacing railcars with buses will solve its problems, well, that is no way to run a railroad. I hope Amtrak's leadership appreciates that we will not back down in our support of our rail network and that we can work together to find solutions to their problems." The vote, on July 25, was 95 yeas to 4 nays.

YEAS: Kaine D-VA, Warner D-VA

Senate Vote 5:

CHINA AND OPIOID IMPORTS: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 6147). The amendment would provide $1 million for a Treasury Department office to investigate the illicit trade of synthetic opioids coming from China. Manchin said China was illicitly producing most of the world's fentanyl and fentanyl precursors, which are helping causing thousands of opioid-related deaths in the U.S. annually, and the Treasury funding was needed given that "China has yet to meaningfully crack down on the illicit production and export of these drugs and their derivatives." The vote, on July 25, was unanimous with 99 yeas.

YEAS: Kaine D-VA, Warner D-VA

TARGETED NEWS SERVICE: Myron Struck, editor; 703/304-1897; [email protected]; https://targetednews.com