WASHINGTON – Here’s a look at how members of Congress fromOklahoma voted over the previous week. A “Y” means the member votedfor the measure; an “N” means the member voted against the measure;a “?” means the member did not vote.
HOUSE
Vote 1: Regulating nuclear power: The House has rejected anamendment sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., to theRegulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 3010). The amendment would haveexempted Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations from requirementsfor agencies to analyze the impact of new regulations. Nadler saidthe exemption would give the agency “the ability and flexibility toimpose new regulations quickly to safeguard the health and well-being of Americans.” An opponent, Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, saidregulation of nuclear power plants should not be given a specialexemption that could leave interested parties unable to test theNuclear Regulatory Commission’s assumptions used to establishregulations. The vote Dec. 2 was 174 yeas to 247 nays.
Vote 2: Sexual assault in military: The House has agreed to amotion sponsored by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., to instruct confereeson a conference with the Senate for the National DefenseAuthorization Act (H.R. 1540). Conferees were instructed to insiston the inclusion of amendments addressing sexual assault preventionand response in the military. Smith said the amendments would”empower the military to make the decisions they need to betterprotect against sexual assault within the military.” The voteWednesday was 421 yeas to 2 nays.
Vote 3: Funding veterans health care: The House has agreed to amotion sponsored by Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., to instruct confereeson a conference with the Senate for the Military Construction andVeterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R.2055). The conferees were instructed to agree to the Senate’s $51million increase in funding for medical and prosthetic research forveterans. Dicks said the funding increase reflected the need to”repay America’s veterans for the sacrifice they have made for ourcountry” by pursuing new treatments for their injuries. The voteWednesday was 409 yeas to 13 nays.
Vote 4: Regulations and job creation: The House has rejected anamendment sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., to the RegulationsFrom the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (H.R. 10). The amendmentwould have exempted from congressional review any regulations thatthe Office of Management and Budget found would result in net jobcreation. Johnson said, “Regulations that will help put unemployedAmericans back to work should take effect without unnecessarydelay.” An opponent, Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., said there should beno exemption for regulations that “impact on hiring, investment, jobcreation, and especially on an individual who wants to take the riskto start a business.” The vote Wednesday was 187 yeas to 236 nays.
Vote 5: Regulations and public health: The House has rejected anamendment sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., to theRegulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (H.R. 10).The amendment would have exempted from congressional review anyregulations that involved food safety, workplace safety, airquality, consumer product safety, or water quality. McCarthy saidher amendment would prevent “confusion, uncertainty, and moregridlock” for regulations that would help protect public health andthe environment. An opponent, Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., said theexemptions would apply to those regulations “that impose the mostcost, do not produce enough benefits, and do not faithfullyimplement the intent of the people’s representatives in the Congressand in the Senate.” The vote Wednesday was 177 yeas to 246 nays.
Vote 6: Synthetic drugs: The House has passed the Synthetic DrugControl Act (H.R. 1254), sponsored by Rep. Charles W. Dent, R-Pa.The bill would prohibit synthetic marijuana and other syntheticdrugs and extend the Drug Enforcement Agency’s authority to adoptnew temporary bans on substances from 1.5 to 3 years. Dent cited theharm caused by the synthetic drugs and the lack of comprehensivestate bans on them as showing that “federal action is necessary toprevent these drugs from being obtained by simply crossing Statelines or, increasingly, ordering them over the Internet.” Anopponent, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said the bill was a hastyattempt to prohibit the drugs with only anecdotal evidence of theireffect, and more study was needed before voting on the issue. Thevote Thursday was 317 yeas to 98 nays.
Vote 7: Heavy metals in particulate emissions: The House hasrejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass.,to the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633). Theamendment would have declared that the Environmental ProtectionAgency retained the authority to regulate particulate matteremissions containing arsenic and other heavy metals. Markey said thebill sought to prevent the agency “from regulating the toxic sootspewing out of mining operations, smelters, chemical facilities, andconstruction sites,” and therefore his amendment was needed toprotect public health. An opponent, Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., said theamendment was unnecessary because the bill would not exempt arsenicand other heavy metals from EPA regulation. The vote Thursday was165 yeas to 249 nays.
Vote 8: Regulating dust and air emissions: The House has passedthe Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633), sponsored byRep. Kristi L. Noem, R-S.D. The bill would establish a one-yearmoratorium on new Environmental Protection Agency standards toregulate particulate matter air emissions with a diameter greaterthan 2.5 micrometers and exempt nuisance dust from regulation underthe Clean Air Act. Noem said her bill would prevent overbearingregulation of rural communities and give “farmers, ranchers, andlocal businesses … the certainty that they need in an alreadyvolatile industry.” An opponent, Rep. Bobby L. Rush, D-Ill., said”it would dramatically weaken the Clean Air Act by eliminating theEPA’s ability to regulate particulate matter from a broad range ofsources, as well as jeopardize existing State and Federalregulations that apply to fine and coarse particulate matter.” Thevote Thursday was 268 yeas to 150 nays.
DB: Dan Boren (D)
FL: Frank Lucas (R)
JL: James Lankford (R)
JS: John Sullivan (R)
TC: Tom Cole (R)
House Vote
Issue__ DB__ FL__ JL__ JS__ TC
Vote 1:__ N__ N__ N__ N__ N
Vote 2:__ Y__ Y__ Y__ Y__ Y
Vote 3:__ Y__ Y__ Y__ Y__ Y
Vote 4:__ N__ N__ N__ N__ N
Vote 5:__ N__ N__ N__ N__ N
Vote 6:__ Y__ Y__ Y__ Y__ Y
Vote 7: __ N__ N__ N__ N__ N
Vote 8:__ Y__ Y__ Y__ Y__ Y
SENATE
Vote 1: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: The Senate hasrejected cloture for debate on the nomination of Richard Cordray toserve as director of the Treasury Department’s Consumer FinancialProtection Bureau. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that inhis time as attorney general of Ohio and current position as chiefof enforcement at the Bureau, Cordray had established “a longhistory of protecting consumers against the unfair practice offinancial predators.” An opponent, Senate Minority Leader MitchMcConnell, said Republicans will block any nominee to head theBureau until reforms that ensure transparency and accountability aremade to its oversight and a board is established to run the Bureau.The vote Thursday was 53 yeas to 45 nays, with a three-fifthsmajority required for cloture.
Vote 2: Extending payroll tax cut: The Senate has rejected amotion to consider a bill (S. 1944), sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., that would increase the payroll tax cut by 1.1 percent andextend the cut for one year, while offsetting the resulting lostrevenue by establishing a surcharge on annual incomes more than $1million. Casey said extending the tax cut would avoid the job lossesand decreased economic growth that would result from returning to a6.2 percent payroll tax. An opponent, Senate Minority Leader MitchMcConnell, said “it makes absolutely no sense at a moment when 14million Americans are looking for jobs to raise taxes on the verypeople we are counting on to create them.” The vote Thursday was 50yeas to 48 nays, with a three-fifths majority required forconsideration.
JI: Jim Inhofe(R)
TC: Tom Coburn(R)
Senate vote
Issue__ JI__ TC
Vote 1:__ N__ N
Vote 2:__ N__ N
Originally published by TARGETED NEWS SERVICE.
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