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How they voted: NC congressional votes for the weeks ending Feb. 1 and Feb. 8

A look at how North Carolina members of Congress voted in recent weeks.

Posted 2024-02-10T00:28:48+00:00 - Updated 2024-02-10T13:00:00+00:00

Targeted News Service

Here's how North Carolina members of Congress voted in the previous week.

In addition to roll call votes this week, the House also passed these bills by voice vote: the Supporting the Health of Aquatic systems through Research Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue Act (H.R. 4051), to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force regarding shark depredation; the Drought Preparedness Act (H.R. 4385), to extend authorization of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991; the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Reauthorization Act (H.R. 5009), to reauthorize wildlife habitat and conservation programs.

House votes

TRUST FUND FOR AID TO INDIANS: The House has passed the Udall Foundation Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2882), sponsored by Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., to reauthorize for 5 years, through fiscal 2028, the trust fund for the Udall Foundation, which awards college scholarships and provides other aid to American Indian and environmental causes. Ciscomani said that since being founded by Congress in 1992, the Udall Foundation has been "committed to the values of civility, integrity, and consensus." The vote, on Feb. 5, was 350 yeas to 58 nays.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)
NAYS: Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th)

LABOR TRAFFICKING: The House has passed the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act (H.R. 443), sponsored by Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., to require the Labor Department to train agency employees on ways to detect and help law enforcement agencies detect human trafficking. Walberg said Labor employees "often have a frontline opportunity to identify patterns of forced labor," and training them would aid the effort to eradicate trafficking in human labor. The vote, on Feb. 5, was unanimous with 407 yeas.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)

IMPEACHING HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The House has rejected a resolution (H. Res. 863), sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., that would have impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for willfully violating federal laws regarding immigration and border security, with resulting harms from an increase in illegal immigration and fentanyl imports into the U.S. Taylor Greene said: "His willful refusal to secure the border has bankrupted communities, closed down U.S. schools that our children attend, drowned hospitals, and incapacitated law enforcement, while empowering criminal cartels and illegal aliens." A resolution opponent, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., called it "an affront to the United States Constitution, it will do nothing to solve challenges at our border, and it is a baseless attack on a dedicated public servant." The vote, on Feb. 6, was 214 yeas to 216 nays.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Edwards R-NC (11th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)

FUNDING FOR ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR: The House has rejected the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 7217), sponsored by Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif. The bill would have provided $17.6 billion to support Israel in its ongoing war following the Hamas attacks last October, including both aid to Israel and funding for U.S. military forces in the Middle East. Calvert said it "resupplies Israel's defensive capabilities, restores America's defense industry to replenish our stocks, funds necessary operations for our forces in the region, and sends a strong signal that the United States will not back down." An opponent, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said the funding would aid the continuation of what he called a brutal war that has harmed thousands of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. The vote, on Feb. 6, was 250 yeas to 180 nays, with a two-thirds majority required for approval.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)

HEALTH CARE SERVICES: The House has passed the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act (H.R. 485), sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. The bill would bar Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal government and federally funded health care programs from pricing products and services based on a quality-adjusted life years standard (QALYs) that accounts for factors such as a patient's age, disability, and life expectancy. Rodgers said: "Measurements like QALYs remove the consideration of unique circumstances and health conditions of a patient and their doctor's judgment from deciding what is best for the patient." An opponent, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., criticized the use of a cut in funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund to offset higher costs due to the bill, and also claimed that the bill's language "will be used to bar the use of any value measures by the federal government" to negotiate prices for prescription drugs. The vote, on Feb. 7, was 211 yeas to 208 nays.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Edwards R-NC (11th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)

Senate votes

JUDGING TRADE DISPUTES: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joseph Laroski to be a judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade. Laroski was an assistant secretary in the International Trade Commission at the Commerce Department from 2017 to 2021; since then, and before 2016, his career has been as a private practice lawyer. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., cited "his extensive experience in international trade litigation, both in private practice and the federal government." The vote, on Feb. 5, was unanimous with 76 yeas.

NOT VOTING: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

DEPUTY STATE SECRETARY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kurt Campbell to be Deputy Secretary of State. Campbell has been an official on the National Security Council, specializing in Indo-Pacific affairs, since January 2021, and previously was a diplomat, military official, and consultant on Asia. A supporter, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., said Campbell was "among the most experienced and most capable officials to be nominated to this position." The vote, on Feb. 6, was 92 yeas to 5 nays.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

OREGON JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Amy Baggio to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Oregon. A federal public defender in the district from 2002 to 2013, Baggio then went into private practice with her own law firm, then, in 2019, became a judge on the Multnomah County court. A supporter, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said: "In addition to being fair, she has consistently demonstrated an ability to make thoughtful decisions that protect communities and their values." The vote, on Feb. 6, was 54 yeas to 44 nays.

NAYS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND FOREIGN AID: The Senate has rejected a cloture motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (H.R. 815) that would have made numerous changes to U.S. immigration policy, including increased funding for personnel, facilities, and equipment, and changes to screening procedures for immigrants who make asylum claims, and provided military aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel. A supporter, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said it "strengthens our asylum laws, so we can get to actual asylees faster, and those who are gaming the system are turned around" rather than admitted into the U.S. An opponent, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the bill failed to end the catch-and-release practice for illegal immigrants, meaning "additional or continued incentives for people to come to the country illegally, knowing they will be released into the interior." The vote, on Feb. 7, was 49 yeas to 50 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval. A revised version of the bill, without immigration provisions, was later taken up by the Senate.

NAYS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

SUPPLEMENTAL MILITARY SPENDING: The Senate has approved cloture to end debate on the motion to proceed to consideration of a bill (H.R. 815) that would provide about $95 billion for military spending and humanitarian assistance, including aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel. A bill supporter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called it "essential for our national security; for the security of our friends in Ukraine, in Israel; for humanitarian aid for innocent civilians in Gaza; and for Taiwan." The vote, on Feb. 8, was 67 yeas to 32 nays.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC
NAYS: Budd R-NC

Here's how North Carolina members of Congress voted from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1.

House votes

FEDERAL PURCHASING AND NATIONAL SECURITY: The House has passed the Safe and Smart Federal Purchasing Act (H.R. 5528), sponsored by Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. The bill would require the Office of Management and Budget to study whether provisions directing federal agencies to take a lowest price technically acceptable source selection approach to their purchasing process have created national security risks. Donalds said: "Prioritizing price over any other technical or operational factors in federal procurement can result in agencies cutting corners, sacrificing long-term value, and potentially jeopardizing national security." The vote, on Jan. 29, was unanimous with 397 yeas.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)

SECRET SERVICE SPENDING: The House has passed the Overtime Pay for Protective Services Act (S. 3427), sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to extend through 2028 authority for Secret Service workers to receive additional overtime pay. A supporter, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said the added pay would give the workers "the respect, gratitude, and compensation that they deserve." The vote, on Jan. 29, was 379 yeas to 20 nays.

NOT VOTING: McHenry R-NC (10th)
YEAS: Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)
NAYS: Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th)

BORDER PURSUITS AND CRIME: The House has passed the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act (H.R. 5585), sponsored by Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz. The bill would designate as federal crimes offenses involved in driving a motor vehicle near the U.S. border while fleeing from the Border Patrol and other law enforcement officers. Ciscomani said it sought to "send a stronger message to the bad actors that we will pursue any actions that threaten American lives to the fullest extent of the law." An opponent, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., criticized the bill for not requiring a conviction of fleeing law enforcement in order to render an immigrant deportable, and said its mandatory minimum sentences for convictions were unjust. The vote, on Jan. 30, was 271 yeas to 154 nays.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th)

COVID AID FRAUD AND IMMIGRATION LAW: The House has approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, R-N.Y., to the Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act (H.R. 6678). The amendment would require that aliens who committed criminal misconduct with regards to loans issued during the covid lockdowns be deportable and not eligible for legal residence in the U.S. D'Esposito said: "We must continue to advance legislation that will protect taxpayers' money and penalize those who commit fraud, especially those in our country illegally." An amendment opponent, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., faulted it for requiring only an admission of guilt, not a criminal conviction, and asked: "Do we really want to be deporting lawful permanent residents without any due process?" The vote, on Jan. 31, was 267 yeas to 158 nays.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th)

SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUD AND IMMIGRATION LAW: The House has passed the Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act (H.R. 6678), sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif. The bill would make aliens who have been convicted of or admitted to committing Social Security fraud deportable and not eligible for legal residence in the U.S. A supporter, Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., called the bill "imperative to protect our communities from fraud and ensure aliens who engage in fraud can be more quickly removed from the United States." An opponent, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., called it a measure that "does nothing to address the real problems facing this country and that destroys due process for legal permanent residents." The vote, on Jan. 31, was 272 yeas to 155 nays.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th)

IMMIGRATION AND HAMAS ATTACKS: The House has passed the No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act (H.R. 6679), sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif. The bill would bar foreigners who took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel from residing in the U.S., and expand to all Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) members an existing ban on PLO admission to the U.S. A supporter, Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., said: "It is not farfetched to think that October 7 terrorists would try to come here. It is imperative that Congress ensures that such bad actors will find no refuge in the United States." The vote, on Jan. 31, was 422 yeas to 2 nays, with 1 voting present.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) NOT VOTING: Murphy R-NC (3rd)

CHANGING FEDERAL TAXES: The House has passed the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (H.R. 7024), sponsored by Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo. The bill would make numerous changes to the tax code, including increasing the child tax credit, increasing depreciation and expensing allowances and deductions for businesses, and would halt funding for the employee retention tax credit. Smith said: "Parents and Main Street communities across this country will see lower taxes, more opportunity, and greater financial security after we pass this legislation." An opponent, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said the child tax credit would be offered to illegal residents with children born in the U.S., so the bill "takes the problem we have with so-called birthright citizenship and anchor babies and doubles down on it, makes it worse." The vote, on Jan. 31, was 357 yeas to 70 nays.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)
NAYS: Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th)

IMMIGRATION AND DRINKING AND DRIVING: The House has passed the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act (H.R. 6976), sponsored by Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., to make driving while intoxicated or impaired by drugs (DUI) as either a convicted or an admitted offense, grounds for deporting and refusing U.S. residency to an alien national. Deportation would require a criminal conviction. Moore said: "If you are a guest in our country, and you drive drunk or impaired, you shouldn't be allowed to stay here as we wait for you to do it again or to kill or seriously injure someone." An opponent, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said the conviction standard was inadequate, in part because "every state has a different standard for how they define and prosecute DUIs." The vote, on Feb. 1, was 274 yeas to 150 nays.

YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Foushee D-NC (4th)

Senate votes

APPEALS COURT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joshua Kolar to be a judge on the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Kolar, currently a U.S. magistrate judge for a district court in Indiana, was previously a U.S. attorney in the state. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Kolar's "service to his country in the military and as a prosecutor, his extensive appellate experience, and his service as a magistrate judge make him well-suited to serve on the Seventh Circuit with distinction." The vote, on Jan. 30, was 66 yeas to 25 nays.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC
NAYS: Budd R-NC

CALIFORNIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kirk Sherriff to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Sherriff has been head of the Fresno Office of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the district since 2015, and a federal attorney in the district since 2002. A supporter, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., called Sherriff "a nominee with a wealth of legal experience, with a fundamental understanding and respect for human dignity, and with deep roots in the community he serves and will continue to serve, and who will be filling a vacancy in one of the busiest courts in the country." The vote, on Jan. 31, was 54 yeas to 45 nays.

NAYS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Karoline Mehalchick to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. A magistrate judge in the district for the past decade, Mehalchick was previously a private practice lawyer in Lackawanna County. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said: "Her litigation background and her courtroom experience as both an advocate and as a magistrate judge ensure that she will be an asset to the district court." The vote, on Jan. 31, was 50 yeas to 49 nays.

NAYS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

EPA ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joseph Goffman to be the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation. Goffman has been a senior official in the office for the past 3 years, and was in a similar role during the Obama administration; he has also worked at the Environmental Defense Fund, and was a Harvard Law School administrator from 2018 through 2020. A supporter, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said: "Under his direction, the EPA has made significant progress in implementing many of the programs that we secured in the Inflation Reduction Act." An opponent, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. Va., said that in his time at the EPA, Goffman has shown his intent on implementing anti-fossil fuel regulations "regardless of what the law says or its disastrous consequences on the reliability of the grid or the affordability of energy." The vote, on Jan. 31, was 50 yeas to 49 nays.

NAYS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

ADJUDICATING TRADE DISPUTES: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Lisa W. Wang to be a judge on the United States Court of International Trade. Wang has variously been a private practice lawyer, Commerce Department lawyer and senior official, officer at the U.S. embassy in China, and a lawyer at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative over the past two decades. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said: "At the Department of Commerce, she has led the federal government's efforts to maintain a level playing field for American workers and consumers by holding our partners accountable to their trade agreements." The vote, on Feb. 1, was 53 yeas to 42 nays.