@NCCapitol

How they voted: NC congressional votes for the week ending July 27

A look at how North Carolina members of Congress voted during the previous week.

Posted 2023-07-28T22:36:19+00:00 - Updated 2023-07-29T12:00:00+00:00

Targeted News Service

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

House votes

SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS: The House has rejected the Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act (H.R. 1338), sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. The bill would have created a new system at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for licensing commercial satellite communications networks. Rodgers said it sought "to provide certainty to satellite operators by setting out clear performance objectives for satellite communications systems." An opponent, Rep. Donald Beyer Jr., D-Va., faulted the bill's assigning of authority over space safety and orbital debris to the FCC, which Beyer said "would only detract and divert attention and resources from the FCC's primary mission of assessing applications" to use the electromagnetic spectrum for communications purposes. The vote, on July 25, was 250 yeas to 163 nays, with a two-thirds majority required for approval.

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

CHEMICAL FACILITIES AND TERRORISM: The House has passed the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act (H.R. 4470), sponsored by Rep. Laurel M. Lee, R-Fla., to reauthorize, through fiscal 2025, the Homeland Security Department's Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program. Lee said: "This program must be reauthorized by July 27 to ensure these standards of protection against cyber and physical risks remain in place." The vote, on July 25, was 409 yeas to 1 nay.

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), 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: Manning D-NC (6th)

REPAIRING WEST POINT DAMAGE: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Patrick Ryan, D-N.Y., to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366), that would shift $103 million of military construction spending to cover repairs following flooding damage earlier this month at the Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Ryan said: "Allowing West Point to be hamstrung by such significant damage imperils our military readiness, and we must ensure the institution has the resources it needs to urgently repair and rebuild and get back to their mission." The vote, on July 26, was 394 yeas to 19 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), 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)

FIREARMS BACKGROUND CHECKS: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366). The amendment would bar funding for the Veterans Affairs Department to add a veteran's name to the Justice Department's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for firearms purchases if the veteran has assistance from a fiduciary. Bost said the lack of legal review of the current process of adding names meant "the same veterans who protected our constitutional rights are now losing theirs because they need a bit of help managing their finances." An amendment opponent, Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., called it a partisan stunt and claimed that "only under a discrete set of circumstances for a very discrete population does the Veterans Health Administration report veterans to NICS." The vote, on July 26, was 228 yeas to 206 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)

MASK MANDATES AND THE VA: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont, to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366) that would bar funding for the imposition of mask mandates related to Covid. Rosendale said: "Denying a veteran medical care over a personal decision is outrageous. We owe it to care for our nation's heroes and to provide them with the best possible care, not stigmatize them over masking decisions." An opponent, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said that with the amendment, "extreme MAGA Republicans are once again trying to prevent people--trying to make sure that we have more people get sick rather than fewer." The vote, on July 26, was 223 yeas to 211 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)

CLEAN ENERGY AND THE MILITARY: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 4366), that would bar funding for adopting a President Biden executive order for developing clean energy industries. Zinke said the order, by increasing military reliance on electricity and renewable energy, was "moving to more dependency on our allies and what could be our adversaries," including China. An amendment opponent, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said: "The focus on elevating fossil fuels and thwarting the advancement of clean energy will not help this nation build a strong economy for the future." The vote, on July 26, was 222 yeas to 212 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)

SPENDING ON VA, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION: The House has passed the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations (H.R. 4366), sponsored by Rep. John R. Carter, R-Texas. The bill would provide fiscal 2024 funding for the Veterans Affairs Department and related agencies, as well as $17.5 billion for military construction programs. Carter said it "keeps our promises to veterans, and we do more to help veterans in the Pacific. We also ensure taxpayer funds will be used appropriately and effectively by increasing oversight of several programs." An opponent, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., said the bill cut military construction funding by more than $1.5 billion, and claimed it "falls short of our commitments and backtracks on our promises to our veterans, our servicemembers, and their families." The vote, on July 27, was 219 yeas to 211 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)

LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN RULE: The House has passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 9), sponsored by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., to disapprove of and void a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule putting populations of the lesser prairie-chicken on threatened and endangered species lists, with accompanying environmental regulations for chicken habitat. The vote, on July 27, was 221 yeas to 206 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)

LONG-EARED BAT: The House has passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 24), sponsored by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to disapprove of and void a Fish and Wildlife Service rule listing the northern long-eared bat as an endangered species. A resolution supporter, Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said the rule and the agency's approach to managing bat habitat "will prove to be unlikely to benefit the bat but is guaranteed to leave our forests unmanaged, unhealthy, and vulnerable to catastrophic events such as wildfires." An opponent, Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., said: "We should be strengthening and supporting ESA [Endangered Species Act] science and implementation, not pecking at it in order to destroy ESA." The vote, on July 27, was 220 yeas to 209 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

NATIONAL SECURITY AND U.S. ADVERSARIES: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2226) that would create a Treasury Department program requiring U.S. companies to notify Treasury of their planned investments in national security technology sectors in China and other countries considered to be "of concern" to the U.S. Cornyn said: "We policymakers need to know what American companies are doing to help finance an aggressive, authoritarian adversary." The vote, on July 25, was 91 yeas to 6 nays.

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

FARMLAND SALES: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2226), to place the Agriculture Secretary on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and have the Committee bar China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from purchasing U.S. farm land and agricultural businesses. Rounds said the ban "will make our homeland more secure." The vote, on July 25, was 91 yeas to 7 nays.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

DEBT AND MILITARY MEMBERS: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2226), to increase protections given to members of the military against harassment by debt collectors. Warnock said such harassing actions "undermine our national security by distracting our servicemembers from focusing on their mission and caring for their families." The vote, on July 26, was 95 yeas to 2 nays.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

AUDITING AID TO UKRAINE: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2226), that would have established an Office of the Lead Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance. Wicker said creating an Office with a direct connection to the heads of the Defense and State Departments would deliver "true oversight" of spending on the Russia-Ukraine war. An opponent, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said: "There is no gap in U.S. authorities, presence, or even additional resources for our oversight efforts that this amendment addresses." The vote, on July 26, was 51 yeas to 48 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

FLAGS AT GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2226), that would have put restrictions on the display of any flag other than the U.S. flag, or flags representing other government entities, at government buildings. Marshall said: "Wouldn't you think that, to honor America and those who serve, especially for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and the Gold Star families, our country should honor one American flag?" An amendment opponent, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., claimed the restriction "is about not being able to fly the Pride flag" at government facilities. The vote, on July 27, was 50 yeas to 49 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

FOREIGN AID CONDITIONS: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2226), that would have blocked the provision of special drawing rights aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to countries deemed to be perpetrators of genocide or sponsors of terrorism. Kennedy said a remedy was needed for the current situation of Iran and other U.S. adversaries being able to access low-cost IMF funds to support such activities. An amendment opponent, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said it violated IMF rules, and therefore would harm the "Treasury Department's ability to respond to deficit in the global supply of reserves on a global crisis." The vote, on July 27, was 51 yeas to 47 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

9/11 HEALTH CARE FUNDING: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2226), that would amend an existing law to increase funding for a program for treating victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Gillibrand said: "In 2011, when Congress created the World Trade Center Health Program, which provided medical treatment and monitoring for the survivors, it was not fully funded then, and we are hoping to get closer to fully funding it with this addition." The vote, on July 27, was 94 yeas to 4 nays.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

2024 MILITARY SPENDING: The Senate has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2226), sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. The bill would authorize about $845 billion of fiscal 2024 spending at the Defense Department, military construction programs, and $32 billion of spending on military-related programs at the Energy Department. Reed said: "The bill authorizes a record level of investment in key technologies like hypersonics and artificial intelligence and makes real progress toward modernizing our ships, our aircraft, and our combat vehicles." The vote, on July 27, was 86 yeas to 11 nays.