Congressional votes for July 17

Besides roll call votes, the Senate and House also took action on legislation by voice vote. The House passed the Superstorm Sandy Relief Act (H.R. 208), to require the Small Business Administration to establish a program to make loans to businesses and individuals affected by superstorm Sandy.

The Senate passed the Adoptive Family Relief Act (S. 1300), to waive immigrant visa fees for families adopting children from foreign countries. It passed the Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act (S. 756), to require a report on war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria. It also passed the Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act (S. 139), to make permanent an exclusion under the Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid programs for individuals compensated for their participation in clinical trials for rare diseases or conditions.

HOUSE VOTES

REAUTHORIZING THE NIH: House passed the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6), sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich. The bill would reauthorize the National Institutes of Health through fiscal 2018, establish the NIH Innovation Fund for funding emerging health research and adopt measures intended to speed the Food and Drug Administration's process for reviewing new drugs. The vote, on July 10, was 344 yeas to 77 nays.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Hartzler R-MO (4th), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th)

NOT VOTING: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th)

VETERANS AND SMALL BUSINESS LOANS: The House passed the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act (H.R. 2499), sponsored by Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio. The bill would waive up-front fees for express loans that the Small Business Administration makes to veteran-owned businesses. The vote, on July 13, was 410 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NOT VOTING: Cleaver D-MO (5th)

VETERANS AND HUD: The House passed the Homes for Heroes Act (H.R. 521), sponsored by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas. The bill would establish a special sssistant for Veterans Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with the assistant tasked with ensuring equal access to HUD housing for military veterans and coordinating HUD programs for veterans. The vote, on July 14, was 412 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

ENERGY EFFICIENT HUD HOUSING: The House passed the Private Investment in Housing Act (H.R. 2997), sponsored by Rep. Dennis A. Ross, R-Fla. The bill would authorize the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency to create a demonstration program for reaching contracts with outside groups to improve energy efficiency and water conservation in HUD multi-family housing. The vote, on July 14, was 395 yeas to 28 nays.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

SEC FILING REQUIREMENTS: The House passed the Small Company Simple Registration Act (H.R. 1723), sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo. The bill would require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to change its Form S-1 to make it easier for smaller companies to apply for SEC approval of their plans to sell securities to the public. The vote, on July 14, was unanimous with 426 yeas.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

BREAST CANCER COINS: The House passed the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 2722), sponsored by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y. The bill would direct the Treasury Department to mint and sell gold, silver and half-dollar coins with designs emblematic of the fight against breast cancer. The vote, on July 15, was 421 yeas to 9 nays.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING EXTENSION: The House passed the Highway and Transportation Funding Act (H.R. 3038), sponsored by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. The bill would extend funding for federal highway and other surface transportation programs through December 18. The vote, on July 15, was 312 yeas to 119 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Hartzler R-MO (4th)

WATER POLICY IN OREGON, CALIFORNIA: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., to the Western Water and American Food Security Act (H.R. 2898), that would authorize contractors working on water projects in the Klamath River basin of southern Oregon and northern California to take part in policy deliberations for managing endangered species. The vote, on July 16, was 246 yeas to 172 nays.

YEAS: Hartzler R-MO (4th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th)

NOT VOTING: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Long R-MO (7th)

WESTERN WATER MANAGEMENT: The House passed the Western Water and American Food Security Act (H.R. 2898), sponsored by Rep. David G. Valadao, R-Calif. The bill would authorize several federal agencies to embark on water storage projects and accelerated permit reviews for new water projects in Western states and modify various water management policies with the intent of increasing water availability for farmers. The vote, on July 16, was 245 yeas to 176 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th)

NOT VOTING: Long R-MO (7th)

SENATE VOTES

STUDENT PRIVACY IN SCHOOLS: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177). The amendment would institute a committee of officials in state government, the education system and outside experts charged with recommending to Congress measures to update the federal government's laws on student privacy. The vote, on July 13, was unanimous with 89 yeas.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NOT VOTING: Blunt R-MO

FUNDING FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., to the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177). The amendment would have allowed Title I federal funds for local schools with large numbers of children from low-income families to be attached to children and used for charter schools and other alternatives to traditional public schools. The vote, on July 14, was 45 yeas to 51 nays.

NAYS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO

EDUCATION AND HOMELESS CHILDREN: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., to the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177). The amendment would require school districts and states to report information on graduation rates for homeless and foster care children to the federal government. The vote, on July 14, was 56 yeas to 40 nays.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NAYS: Blunt R-MO

OPTING OUT OF MANDATORY TESTING: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Jimmy Isakson, R-Ga., to the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177). The amendment would require local school boards and other education agencies to inform their students' parents at the start of the school year of policies regarding student participation in tests mandated by the federal government. The vote, on July 14, was unanimous with 97 yeas.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO

STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., to the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177). The amendment would have re-established an Education Department program for distributing mental health grants to school districts. The vote, on July 15, was 58 yeas to 39 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NAYS: Blunt R-MO

ACCESS TO EDUCATION RESOURCES: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., to the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177). The amendment would have required states to submit information to the federal government on student access to critical education resources and plans for ways to equalize school district access to those resources. The vote, on July 15, was 46 yeas to 50 nays.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NAYS: Blunt R-MO

COLLEGE SAVINGS PROGRAM: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Christopher A. Coons, D-Del., to the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177). The amendment would authorize a pilot project for the creation of American Dream Accounts to provide information about college and financial literacy tied to college savings accounts for low-income students. The vote, on July 16, was 68 yeas to 30 nays.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO

GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177). The amendment would establish a grant program to support full-service community schools developed in partnership with private groups. The vote, on July 16, was 53 yeas to 44 nays.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., to the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177). The amendment would have established a partnership between the states and the federal government for offering pre-kindergarten programs for children in low-income and moderate-income students. The vote, on July 16, was 45 yeas to 52 nays.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NAYS: Blunt R-MO

EDUCATION REFORM: The Senate passed the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177), sponsored by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. The bill would reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and expand flexibility for states to develop their own education policies, including measurements of student, teacher and school performance. The vote, on July 16, was 81 yeas to 17 nays.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NAYS: Blunt R-MO