Along with last week’s roll call votes, the House also passed these bills by voice vote: the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act (S. 2746), to require the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to provide information on suicide rates in law enforcement; the Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act (H.R. 6509), to provide public safety officer death and disability benefits for certain public safety officers who contract COVID-19; and the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act (H.R. 6168), to increase the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans.
HOUSE VOTES
HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA: The House has passed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act (S. 3744), sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to impose sanctions on Chinese individuals found responsible for human rights violations of ethnic Turkic Muslims (also known as Uyghurs) in the Xinjiang region of China, and require various reports to Congress on circumstances in Xinjiang and China’s abuse of the Turkic Muslims. A supporter, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., called the bill’s sanctions and reports “a meaningful step toward holding the perpetrators accountable” for their misdeeds in Xinjiang. The vote, on May 27, was 413 yeas to 1 nay.
YEAS: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District; Jared Golden, D-2nd District
CORONAVIRUS AID RECIPIENTS: The House has rejected the TRUTH Act(H.R. 6782), sponsored by Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., to require the Small Business Administration to release information about its disbursal of loans and grants for coronavirus-related aid to small businesses. Phillips said the disclosures would work toward “allowing the American people to see where their money is going and in ensuring that businesses that need relief the most are getting it.” A bill opponent, Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, said they would impose burdensome regulatory requirements on aid recipients. The vote, on May 28, was 269 yeas to 147 nays, with a two-thirds majority needed for approval.
YEAS: Pingree, Golden
CORONAVIRUS UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS: The House has passed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (H.R. 7010), sponsored by Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., to modify the terms of a program for providing aid to businesses for paying their employees during coronavirus lockdowns, including extending the period for businesses to spend their loans and qualify for loan forgiveness to 24 weeks. Phillips said: “This bill will help people in the ways that they need, and we have not a moment to lose.” The vote, on May 28, was 417 yeas to 1 nay.
YEAS: Pingree, Golden
NEGOTIATING SURVEILLANCE BILL: The House has passed a motion to disagree with the Senate-passed version of the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act (H.R. 6172), sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and request a conference with the Senate to negotiate the two chambers’ versions of the bill. It would reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and change various government surveillance activities, including ending the National Security Agency’s call detail records program and increasing disclosure of rulings by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court. Nadler called the bill “a good and important package of reforms” to FISA processes. A motion opponent, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said that given recent revelations of FISA abuse in the Michael Flynn case and 28 other cases involving surveillance of American citizens, “let’s wait until we actually hold people accountable before we renew this program.” The vote to go to conference, on May 28, was 284 yeas to 122 nays.
YEAS: Pingree
NAYS: Golden
There were no key votes in the Senate this week.
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