Congressional votes for June 5

Besides roll call votes, the Senate and House also took action on legislation by voice vote. The Senate passed the Native American Children's Safety Act (S. 184), to require background checks before foster care placements are ordered in tribal court proceedings. The Senate also passed the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act (H.R. 2146), to allow federal law enforcement officers, firefighters and air traffic controllers to make penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans after age 50.

The House passed a bill (H.R. 944) to reauthorize the National Estuary Program. It passed the Girls Count Act (S. 802), to authorize the secretary of state and the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to provide assistance to support the rights of women and girls in developing countries. The House also passed the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act (H.R. 1493), to protect and preserve international cultural property at risk because of political instability, armed conflict, or natural disasters.

HOUSE VOTES

STUDYING FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PLANS: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., to the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act (H.R. 1335). The amendment would have struck from the bill a requirement for shortening the time allowed for National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, analyses of fishery management plans. The vote, on June 1, was 155 yeas to 233 nays.

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

NAYS: 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)

GULF OF MEXICO FISHERIES: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Alan S. Lowenthal, D-Calif., to the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act (H.R. 1335). The amendment would have required the National Ocean Council to work with federal and state government representatives to develop a plan for decommissioning oil and natural gas drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico that aims to preserve the Gulf's red snapper fish population. The vote, on June 1, was 149 yeas to 227 nays.

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

NAYS: 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)

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PLANS: The House passed the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act (H.R. 1335), sponsored by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. The bill would renew and amend the government's fisheries conservation law by outlining a process for regional fishery management councils to work with fishermen and other groups to develop management plans, and authorize funding for the councils through fiscal 2021. The vote, on June 1, was 225 yeas to 152 nays.

YEAS: 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)

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

FUNDING TRADE PROMOTION: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2578). The amendment would have eliminated $312 million of funding for trade promotion programs at the government's International Trade Administration. The vote, on June 2, was 154 yeas to 263 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd)

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND IMMIGRATION LAW: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Paul A. Gosar, R-Ariz., to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2578). The amendment would reduce funding for the Justice Department's Deputy Attorney General's Office by $1 million. The vote, on June 2, was 228 yeas to 198 nays.

YEAS: 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)

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

STATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2578). The amendment would bar funding for Justice Department efforts to prevent any states that have legalized medical marijuana from implementing laws governing the medical drug. The vote, on June 3, was 242 yeas to 186 nays.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd)

NAYS: Cleaver D-MO (5th), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

PROTECTING JOURNALISTIC FREEDOM: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2578). The amendment would bar funding for the Justice Department to compel journalists to testify in court about confidential information they have obtained. The vote, on June 3, was 245 yeas to 182 nays.

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

NAYS: 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)

HOUSING DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2578). The amendment would bar funding for Justice Department enforcement actions under the Fair Housing Act that rely on the theory of disparate impact to allege racial and other forms of discrimination by mortgage lenders, landlords and home insurers. The vote, on June 3, was 232 yeas to 196 nays.

YEAS: 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)

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

FUNDING COMMERCE, JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS: The House passed the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2578), sponsored by Rep. John Abney Culberson, R-Texas. The bill would provide $51.4 billion of funding for NASA, the National Science Foundation and other science agencies, as well as the Commerce and Justice Departments, in fiscal 2016. The vote, on June 3, was 242 yeas to 183 nays.

YEAS: 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)

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

AMTRAK SAFETY SYSTEMS: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2577). The amendment would have increased funding for the Federal Railroad Administration's safety and operations account by $16.9 million, with an offsetting $83 million cut in grant funding for capital investment at Amtrak. The vote, on June 4, was 160 yeas to 266 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), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Long R-MO (7th)

AMTRAK SUBSIDIES: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2577). The amendment would have eliminated $288.5 million of operating grants provided to Amtrak in fiscal 2016. The vote, on June 4, was 143 yeas to 283 nays.

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

NAYS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Long R-MO (7th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

SENATE VOTES

PRESERVING PHONE RECORDS: The Senate rejected a substitute amendment sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to the USA FREEDOM Act (H.R. 2048). The amendment would have required telecommunications companies to give the government six months advance notice of any plans to stop retaining their customers' records dating back more than 18 months. The vote, on June 2, was 43 yeas to 56 nays.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO

NAYS: McCaskill D-MO

REFORMING SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS: The Senate passed the USA FREEDOM Act (H.R. 2048), sponsored by Rep. James F. Sensenbrenner Jr., R-Wis. The bill would establish new evidence requirements for the FBI to present to a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court when seeking approval of electronic surveillance for national security purposes or of suspected terrorists or criminals, and make a variety of changes to FBI electronic surveillance programs and the oversight of those programs. The vote, on June 2, was 67 yeas to 32 nays.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NAYS: Blunt R-MO

SPENDING ON ARMY STRYKER VEHICLES: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735). The amendment would increase by $371 million funding for upgrading the Army's Stryker combat vehicles. The vote, on June 4, was 61 yeas to 34 nays.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO

NAYS: McCaskill D-MO