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Here's a look at summary stories written about each key vote in the House and Senate
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Massachusetts Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Massachusetts members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Massachusetts members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays,with 1 voting present.
YEAS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Lynch D-MA (8th)
NAYS: McGovern D-MA (2nd)
NOT VOTING: Moulton D-MA (6th)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
NAYS: Pressley D-MA (7th), McGovern D-MA (2nd)
YEAS: Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Lynch D-MA (8th)
NOT VOTING: Moulton D-MA (6th)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
NAYS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Lynch D-MA (8th)
NOT VOTING: Moulton D-MA (6th)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Lynch D-MA (8th)
NOT VOTING: Moulton D-MA (6th)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
NAYS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Keating D-MA (9th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Neal D-MA (1st), Lynch D-MA (8th)
YEAS: Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), Trahan D-MA (3rd)
NOT VOTING: Moulton D-MA (6th)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
NAYS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Lynch D-MA (8th)
NOT VOTING: Moulton D-MA (6th)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
YEAS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Lynch D-MA (8th)
NOT VOTING: Moulton D-MA (6th)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
YEAS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Lynch D-MA (8th)
NOT VOTING: Moulton D-MA (6th)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
NAYS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Moulton D-MA (6th), Lynch D-MA (8th)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
YEAS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Moulton D-MA (6th), Lynch D-MA (8th)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
NAYS: Pressley D-MA (7th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Moulton D-MA (6th)
YEAS: Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Lynch D-MA (8th)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
NAYS: Pressley D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Auchincloss D-MA (4th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Trahan D-MA (3rd), Neal D-MA (1st), Moulton D-MA (6th), Lynch D-MA (8th)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
NAYS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
YEAS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
YEAS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
NAYS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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Maine Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Maine members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Maine members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with1 voting present.
YEAS: Pingree D-ME (1st), Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
NAYS: Pingree D-ME (1st)
YEAS: Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
NAYS: Pingree D-ME (1st), Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: Pingree D-ME (1st), Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
NAYS: Pingree D-ME (1st), Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
NAYS: Pingree D-ME (1st)
YEAS: Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
YEAS: Pingree D-ME (1st), Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
YEAS: Pingree D-ME (1st), Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
NAYS: Pingree D-ME (1st)
YEAS: Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
YEAS: Pingree D-ME (1st)
NAYS: Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
NAYS: Pingree D-ME (1st)
YEAS: Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
NAYS: Pingree D-ME (1st), Golden (ME) D-ME (2nd)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
YEAS: Collins R-ME
NAYS: King I-ME
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Collins R-ME, King I-ME
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
YEAS: Collins R-ME, King I-ME
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Collins R-ME, King I-ME
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
NAYS: Collins R-ME
YEAS: King I-ME
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
YEAS: Collins R-ME
NAYS: King I-ME
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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Kansas Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Kansas members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Kansas members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with1 voting present.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd), Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd), Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
NAYS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd)
YEAS: Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd), Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd), Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd), Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd), Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd), Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd), Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd)
NAYS: Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
YEAS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd), Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
NAYS: Davids (KS) D-KS (3rd)
YEAS: Estes R-KS (4th), Schmidt R-KS (2nd), Mann R-KS (1st)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
YEAS: Moran R-KS, Marshall R-KS
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Moran R-KS, Marshall R-KS
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
NAYS: Moran R-KS, Marshall R-KS
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Moran R-KS, Marshall R-KS
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
NAYS: Moran R-KS, Marshall R-KS
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
NOT VOTING: Moran R-KS
YEAS: Marshall R-KS
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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Indiana Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Indiana members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Indiana members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with1 voting present.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Carson D-IN (7th), Mrvan D-IN (1st), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Carson D-IN (7th), Mrvan D-IN (1st), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
NAYS: Carson D-IN (7th), Mrvan D-IN (1st)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Carson D-IN (7th), Mrvan D-IN (1st), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Mrvan D-IN (1st), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
NAYS: Carson D-IN (7th)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Mrvan D-IN (1st), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
NAYS: Carson D-IN (7th)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Carson D-IN (7th), Mrvan D-IN (1st), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Carson D-IN (7th), Mrvan D-IN (1st), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Mrvan D-IN (1st), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
NAYS: Carson D-IN (7th)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
NAYS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
YEAS: Carson D-IN (7th), Mrvan D-IN (1st)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Carson D-IN (7th), Mrvan D-IN (1st), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
YEAS: Spartz R-IN (5th), Baird R-IN (4th), Messmer R-IN (8th), Shreve R-IN (6th), Stutzman R-IN (3th), Yakym R-IN (2nd), Houchin R-IN (9th)
NAYS: Carson D-IN (7th), Mrvan D-IN (1st)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
YEAS: Young R-IN, Banks R-IN
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Young R-IN, Banks R-IN
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
NAYS: Young R-IN, Banks R-IN
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Young R-IN, Banks R-IN
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
NAYS: Young R-IN, Banks R-IN
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
YEAS: Young R-IN, Banks R-IN
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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Florida Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Florida members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Florida members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with1 voting present.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Buchanan R-FL (16th), Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd), Salazar R-FL (27th), Luna R-FL (13th)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Frost D-FL (10th)
NOT VOTING: Buchanan R-FL (16th), Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd), Salazar R-FL (27th), Luna R-FL (13th)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Soto D-FL (9th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th)
NAYS: Rutherford R-FL (5th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
NAYS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
YEAS: Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Soto D-FL (9th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Soto D-FL (9th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
YEAS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
NAYS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
NAYS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
YEAS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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Florida Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Florida members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Florida members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with1 voting present.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Buchanan R-FL (16th), Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd), Salazar R-FL (27th), Luna R-FL (13th)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Frost D-FL (10th)
NOT VOTING: Buchanan R-FL (16th), Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd), Salazar R-FL (27th), Luna R-FL (13th)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Soto D-FL (9th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th)
NAYS: Rutherford R-FL (5th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Frost D-FL (10th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
NAYS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
YEAS: Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Soto D-FL (9th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Soto D-FL (9th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
YEAS: Bilirakis R-FL (12th), Rutherford R-FL (5th), Diaz-Balart R-FL (26th), Steube R-FL (17th), Gimenez R-FL (28th), Cammack R-FL (3rd), Mast R-FL (21st), Buchanan R-FL (16th), Webster (FL) R-FL (11th), Donalds R-FL (19th), Fine R-FL (6th), Haridopolos R-FL (8th), Franklin, Scott R-FL (18th), Salazar R-FL (27th), Bean (FL) R-FL (4th), Mills R-FL (7th), Luna R-FL (13th), Lee (FL) R-FL (15th), Patronis R-FL (1st)
NAYS: Castor (FL) D-FL (14th), Wasserman Schultz D-FL (25th), Soto D-FL (9th), Frankel, Lois D-FL (22nd), Frost D-FL (10th), Moskowitz D-FL (23rd)
NOT VOTING: Wilson (FL) D-FL (24th), Dunn (FL) R-FL (2nd)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
YEAS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
NAYS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
NAYS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
YEAS: Scott R-FL, Moody R-FL
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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Delaware Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Delaware members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Delaware members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays,with 1 voting present.
YEAS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
YEAS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
NAYS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
NAYS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
NAYS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
YEAS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
YEAS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
NAYS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
YEAS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
NAYS: McBride D-DE (AL)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
NAYS: McBride D-DE (AL)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
NAYS: Coons D-DE, Blunt Rochester D-DE
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Coons D-DE, Blunt Rochester D-DE
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
YEAS: Coons D-DE, Blunt Rochester D-DE
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Coons D-DE, Blunt Rochester D-DE
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
YEAS: Coons D-DE, Blunt Rochester D-DE
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
NAYS: Coons D-DE, Blunt Rochester D-DE
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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Connecticut Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Connecticut members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Connecticut members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays,with 1 voting present.
YEAS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
YEAS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
NAYS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
NAYS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
YEAS: Hayes D-CT (5th)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
NAYS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
YEAS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
YEAS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
NAYS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
YEAS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
YEAS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
NAYS: Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
NAYS: DeLauro D-CT (3rd), Hayes D-CT (5th), Larson (CT) D-CT (1st), Himes D-CT (4th), Courtney D-CT (2nd)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
NAYS: Murphy D-CT, Blumenthal D-CT
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Murphy D-CT, Blumenthal D-CT
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
YEAS: Murphy D-CT, Blumenthal D-CT
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Murphy D-CT, Blumenthal D-CT
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
YEAS: Murphy D-CT, Blumenthal D-CT
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
NAYS: Murphy D-CT, Blumenthal D-CT
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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California Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how California members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how California members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays,with 1 voting present.
YEAS: Gomez D-CA (34th), Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Calvert R-CA (41st), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Costa D-CA (21st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Levin D-CA (49th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Tran D-CA (45th), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Gray D-CA (13th), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd), Fong R-CA (20th)
NAYS: Min D-CA (47th), Bera D-CA (6th), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd)
NOT VOTING: Khanna D-CA (17th)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
NAYS: Gomez D-CA (34th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Waters D-CA (43rd), Matsui D-CA (7th), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th)
YEAS: Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Calvert R-CA (41st), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Min D-CA (47th), Costa D-CA (21st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Barragan D-CA (44th), Levin D-CA (49th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Correa D-CA (46th), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Tran D-CA (45th), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Gray D-CA (13th), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd), Fong R-CA (20th)
NOT VOTING: Khanna D-CA (17th)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
NAYS: Gomez D-CA (34th), Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Min D-CA (47th), Costa D-CA (21st), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Khanna D-CA (17th), Levin D-CA (49th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Tran D-CA (45th), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Gray D-CA (13th), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd)
YEAS: Calvert R-CA (41st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd), Fong R-CA (20th)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: Gomez D-CA (34th), Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Calvert R-CA (41st), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Min D-CA (47th), Costa D-CA (21st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Khanna D-CA (17th), Levin D-CA (49th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Tran D-CA (45th), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Gray D-CA (13th), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd), Fong R-CA (20th)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
NOT VOTING: Gomez D-CA (34th)
NAYS: Sanchez D-CA (38th), Calvert R-CA (41st), Min D-CA (47th), Costa D-CA (21st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Gray D-CA (13th), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd), Fong R-CA (20th)
YEAS: Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Barragan D-CA (44th), Khanna D-CA (17th), Levin D-CA (49th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Correa D-CA (46th), Lieu D-CA (36th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Tran D-CA (45th), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
NOT VOTING: Gomez D-CA (34th), Costa D-CA (21st)
NAYS: Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Min D-CA (47th), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Khanna D-CA (17th), Levin D-CA (49th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Tran D-CA (45th), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd)
YEAS: Calvert R-CA (41st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Gray D-CA (13th), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd), Fong R-CA (20th)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
NOT VOTING: Gomez D-CA (34th)
YEAS: Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Calvert R-CA (41st), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Min D-CA (47th), Costa D-CA (21st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Khanna D-CA (17th), Levin D-CA (49th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Tran D-CA (45th), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Gray D-CA (13th), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd), Fong R-CA (20th)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
NOT VOTING: Gomez D-CA (34th), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd)
YEAS: Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Calvert R-CA (41st), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Min D-CA (47th), Costa D-CA (21st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Khanna D-CA (17th), Levin D-CA (49th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Tran D-CA (45th), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Gray D-CA (13th), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd), Fong R-CA (20th)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
NAYS: Gomez D-CA (34th), Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Min D-CA (47th), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Khanna D-CA (17th), Levin D-CA (49th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Tran D-CA (45th), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd)
YEAS: Calvert R-CA (41st), Costa D-CA (21st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Gray D-CA (13th), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd), Fong R-CA (20th)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
YEAS: Gomez D-CA (34th), Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Min D-CA (47th), Costa D-CA (21st), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Khanna D-CA (17th), Levin D-CA (49th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Tran D-CA (45th), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Gray D-CA (13th), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd)
NAYS: Calvert R-CA (41st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd), Fong R-CA (20th)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
NAYS: Gomez D-CA (34th), Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Min D-CA (47th), Brownley D-CA (26th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Khanna D-CA (17th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Matsui D-CA (7th), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd)
YEAS: Calvert R-CA (41st), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Costa D-CA (21st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Levin D-CA (49th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Lieu D-CA (36th), Peters D-CA (50th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Tran D-CA (45th), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Gray D-CA (13th), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd), Fong R-CA (20th)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
NAYS: Gomez D-CA (34th), Sanchez D-CA (38th), Torres (CA) D-CA (35th), Carbajal D-CA (24th), Min D-CA (47th), Costa D-CA (21st), Brownley D-CA (26th), Liccardo D-CA (16th), Panetta D-CA (19th), Vargas D-CA (52nd), Barragan D-CA (44th), Huffman D-CA (2nd), Khanna D-CA (17th), Levin D-CA (49th), Simon D-CA (12th), Takano D-CA (39th), Lofgren D-CA (18th), Thompson (CA) D-CA (4th), Aguilar D-CA (33rd), DeSaulnier D-CA (10th), Cisneros D-CA (31st), Pelosi D-CA (11th), Ruiz D-CA (25th), Harder (CA) D-CA (9th), Rivas D-CA (29th), Correa D-CA (46th), Friedman D-CA (30th), Sherman D-CA (32nd), Chu D-CA (28th), Garamendi D-CA (8th), Bera D-CA (6th), Waters D-CA (43rd), Peters D-CA (50th), Matsui D-CA (7th), Whitesides D-CA (27th), Tran D-CA (45th), Jacobs D-CA (51st), Mullin D-CA (15th), Kamlager-Dove D-CA (37th), Garcia (CA) D-CA (42nd)
YEAS: Calvert R-CA (41st), McClintock R-CA (5th), Lieu D-CA (36th), Issa R-CA (48th), Kim R-CA (40th), Obernolte R-CA (23rd), Valadao R-CA (22nd), Gray D-CA (13th), Kiley (CA) I-CA (3rd), Fong R-CA (20th)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
NAYS: Padilla D-CA, Schiff D-CA
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Padilla D-CA, Schiff D-CA
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
YEAS: Padilla D-CA, Schiff D-CA
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
YEAS: Padilla D-CA, Schiff D-CA
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
YEAS: Padilla D-CA, Schiff D-CA
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
NAYS: Padilla D-CA, Schiff D-CA
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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Alabama Congressional Votes for the Week ending 2026-05-15
by Arne Christensen
WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Alabama members of Congress voted over the previous week.HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Here's a look at how Alabama members of Congress voted over the previous week. HOUSE VOTES: House Vote 1: FOREIGN SHRIMP FARMS: The House has passed the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.R. 2071), sponsored by Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, to bar federal funds from being used by international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, to fund foreign shrimp farming. Nehls said the restriction "stands up for American jobs, American seafood producers, and the coastal communities that depend on the shrimping industry to survive." The vote, on May 12, was 391 yeas to 18 nays, with1 voting present.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Sewell D-AL (7th), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Figures D-AL (2nd), Strong R-AL (5th)
House Vote 2:
RETAIL THEFT GANGS: The House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Ohio, to take several measures to increase penalties for the interstate movement of stolen products that are distributed through retail channels. Joyce said: "From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country." The vote, on May 12, was 348 yeas to 60 nays.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Sewell D-AL (7th), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Figures D-AL (2nd), Strong R-AL (5th)
House Vote 3:
ETHANOL MEASURE: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1274), sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., to strike from a recently passed House resolution a requirement to include the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in the farm bill (H.R. 7567). An opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., called the bill "a quick way to make sure the Senate never takes" up a revised ethanol standard as a stand-alone bill, because of the resulting debt increase. The vote, on May 13, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Strong R-AL (5th)
NAYS: Sewell D-AL (7th), Figures D-AL (2nd)
House Vote 4:
POLICE FATALITIES: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1252), sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., to memorialize law enforcement officers killed on the job. A supporter, Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said: "It is up to us in Congress to honor their memory and to stand up to protect those who do so much each and every day to protect each of us." The vote, on May 13, was 418 yeas to 2 nays.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Sewell D-AL (7th), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Figures D-AL (2nd), Strong R-AL (5th)
House Vote 5:
ETHANOL IN GASOLINE: The House has passed the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. The bill would make year-round, rather than merely seasonal, a federal waiver allowing gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol, rather than the current year-round 10 percent ethanol standard. Smith said a year-round 15 percent ethanol standard would support "a reliable, clean, and affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic energy supply chain." A bill opponent, Rep. Harriet Hagedorn, R-Wyo., said: "If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits, they would not require federal blending mandates, compliance credit schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the marketplace." The vote, on May 13, was 218 yeas to 203 nays.
NAYS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st)
YEAS: Sewell D-AL (7th), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Figures D-AL (2nd), Strong R-AL (5th)
House Vote 6:
PRAISING LAW ENFORCEMENT: The House has passed a bill (H. Con. Res. 96), sponsored by Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, to express support for police and other law enforcement officers. Nunn said: "When we support local law enforcement, it works, and we have proven it. Homicide rates are the lowest in over a century. Drug overdose deaths are at their lowest in over a decade." A bill opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said it made "a tired, false, cliche-ridden partisan claim about defunding the police" and advanced inflammatory anti-Democratic rhetoric about crime. The vote, on May 13, was 243 yeas to 173 nays, with 3 voting present.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Strong R-AL (5th)
NAYS: Sewell D-AL (7th), Figures D-AL (2nd)
House Vote 7:
ANTI-SEMITISM: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1251), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to call for politicians and cultural leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and support religious freedom in the U.S. Wasserman Schultz said: "The House must unite to denounce anti-Semitism and protect Jewish Americans from attacks on their religious freedom, dignity, and safety." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 419 yeas.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Sewell D-AL (7th), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Figures D-AL (2nd), Strong R-AL (5th)
House Vote 8:
DETAINEES HELD BY CHINA: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 1259), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., to call on President Trump to prioritize the release of five individuals, including two pastors and a newspaper founder, in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Smith said pressing for the releases could win either freedom or improved treatment of the detainees, and failing to object to their imprisonment would tell China "that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression can be normalized." The vote, on May 13, was unanimous with 414 yeas.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Sewell D-AL (7th), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Figures D-AL (2nd), Strong R-AL (5th)
House Vote 9:
REGULATING BAIL FUNDS: The House has passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act (H.R. 6260), sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., to classify as insurance businesses, for the purpose of federal insurance fraud law, entities that deal with posting bail payments for defendants. Fitzgerald cited the growth this decade of large charitable bond funds as creating a need for accountability if such funds "misappropriate funds or misrepresent the use of these funds in any financial reports." A bill opponent, Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., said: "Adding nonsensical layers of bureaucracy is most likely going to make more communities unsafe, but it will also make it harder for organizations to help those people in need." The vote, on May 14, was 243 yeas to 179 nays.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Strong R-AL (5th)
NAYS: Sewell D-AL (7th), Figures D-AL (2nd)
House Vote 10:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The House has rejected a bill (H. Con. Res. 75), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to require the cessation of military action against Iran in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. Gottheimer said the measure was "a call to action to the president of the United States to do what the Constitution requires and to brief the Congress and the country on the state of the conflict." An opponent, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said "introducing this provision at this point in time reeks of political gamesmanship when President Trump and his administration are actively engaged in negotiations to bring the tyrannical reign of Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which the text indicates is the case, to an end." The vote, on May 14, was 212 yeas to 212 nays.
NAYS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Strong R-AL (5th)
YEAS: Sewell D-AL (7th), Figures D-AL (2nd)
House Vote 11:
CASHLESS BAIL: The House has passed the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., to require the Justice Department to annually publish lists of state and local governments that do not require cash bail for those accused of committing crimes against public safety and order. Harris said: "Americans should be able to see which jurisdictions have enacted dangerous and irresponsible policies related to bail when making decisions about where to live, to work, or to travel." The vote, on May 14, was 308 yeas to 116 nays.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Strong R-AL (5th)
NAYS: Sewell D-AL (7th), Figures D-AL (2nd)
House Vote 12:
CONSENT DECREE MONITORS: The House has passed the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to establish various conditions for the appointment of monitors of state and local governments by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, following civil settlement agreements and consent decrees the governments have reached with the federal government. Biggs said: "This bill actually would help save money by holding monitors responsible, making sure that they are responsible." An opponent, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned whether the conditions were "an attempt to undermine federal monitorships" that he said were needed "to remedy entrenched, systemic violations of federal law." The vote, on May 14, was 219 yeas to 204 nays.
YEAS: Aderholt R-AL (4th), Palmer R-AL (6th), Moore (AL) R-AL (1st), Rogers (AL) R-AL (3rd), Strong R-AL (5th)
NAYS: Sewell D-AL (7th), Figures D-AL (2nd)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
FEDERAL RESERVE MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a 14-year term ending in 2040. Warsh was on the board from 2006 to 2011; since then, he has been a scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the board at UPS since 2012. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Warsh understood "not only the macro--the global economy and the markets--but who appreciate the microeconomy, and that is the hard-working Americans, their jobs, and their livelihoods." An opponent, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said Warsh "has shown a proclivity for focusing on the interests of industry and wealth rather than the average American family." The vote, on May 12, was 51 yeas to 45 nays. In a separate vote on the 13th, the Senate confirmed Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.
YEAS: Tuberville R-AL, Britt R-AL
Senate Vote 2:
IRAN WAR AUTHORITY: The Senate has rejected a motion to discharge from its Foreign Relations Committee a bill (S.J. Res. 163), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that would have directed an end to combat action against Iran absent a declaration of war by Congress. Merkley said Congressional oversight was needed because of the tendency for the executive branch "to commit troops and treasure to battles that made no sense in a government by and for the people in a democratic republic." A bill opponent, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said: "President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act." The vote to discharge, on May 13, was 49 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Tuberville R-AL, Britt R-AL
Senate Vote 3:
LOANS TO MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 132), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued last year, to withdraw a 2021 Bureau rule regarding high-interest loans to members of the military. Reed said withdrawing the 2021 rule would give predatory lenders "free rein to go after servicemembers to take away their well-earned compensation, and in many cases--I have seen it personally--to put them in a financial spiral that pushes them out of the service and into a very, very difficult and challenging life." The vote, on May 13, was 48 yeas to 52 nays.
NAYS: Tuberville R-AL, Britt R-AL
Senate Vote 4:
MEDICAL DEBT COLLECTION: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 141), sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew a Biden administration rule on medical debt collection practices. Warnock said the withdrawal "will make it easier for debt collectors to aggressively go after sick or struggling Americans and prey on families already saddled with medical debt." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said restoring the rule would mean debt companies intruding on patient privacy by peering "into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process." The vote, on May 13, was 50 yeas to 50 nays.
NAYS: Tuberville R-AL, Britt R-AL
Senate Vote 5:
BANK OVERDRAFT CHARGES: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (S.J. Res. 130), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Del., that would have cancelled a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule issued 12 months ago that withdrew an October 2024 Bureau rule on bank overdraft opt-in practices. Van Hollen said the opt-in rule was needed because "many financial institutions use deceptive tricks and confusing fine print to get consumers to enter into these programs and then do not inform them of the costs." A bill opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the rule an instance of Bureau overreach during the Biden administration, undertaken without following prescribed methods for regulating banks. The vote, on May 13, was 47 yeas to 53 nays.
NAYS: Tuberville R-AL, Britt R-AL
Senate Vote 6:
DEBATING NOMINEES: The Senate has approved a cloture motion to end debate on a bill (S. Res. 690), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that would confirm the nomination of 49 different nominees to executive branch positions, including ambassadors and U.S. attorneys and marshals for state districts. Thune said en bloc consideration continued to be necessary because of Democrats' refusal to allow the Senate to confirm individual nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent. The vote, on May 14, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
YEAS: Tuberville R-AL, Britt R-AL
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact Myron Struck, editor, 703/304-1897, editor@targetednews.com; for technical questions about transmission or for retransmissions, please contact Kevin Meek, kevin@targetednews.com.
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