Congressional votes for May 22

The House passed the American Super Computing Leadership Act (H.R. 874), to improve the Energy Department's high-end computing research and development program. It passed the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act (H.R. 1561), to improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather research and forecasting capabilities. It also passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act (H.R. 1987), to authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal years 2016 and 2017.

HOUSE VOTES:

NUCLEAR WEAPONS TREATY: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (H.R. 1735). The amendment would block funding for implementation of the New START treaty with Russia for reducing nuclear weapons until Russia is found to be in compliance with several treaties and is not occupying Ukraine. The vote, on May 15, was 235 yeas to 182 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Clay D-MO (1st)

NOT VOTING: Cleaver D-MO (5th), Long R-MO (7th)

LISTING ENDANGERED SPECIES: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Frank D. Lucas, R-Okla., to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (H.R. 1735). The amendment would bar the Interior Department from listing the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened or endangered species before 2021 and delist the American burying beetle as a threatened or endangered species. The vote, on May 15, was 229 yeas to 190 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

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

NOT VOTING: Long R-MO (7th)

2016 MILITARY SPENDING: The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (H.R. 1735), sponsored by Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas. The bill would authorize $611.9 billion of spending on military programs in 2016. The vote, on May 15, was 269 yeas to 151 nays.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Cleaver D-MO (5th)

NOT VOTING: Long R-MO (7th)

ID CARDS FOR VETERANS: The House passed the Veteran's I.D. Card Act (H.R. 91), sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. The bill would require the Veterans Affairs Department to issue identification cards, in exchange for a fee, when requested by military veterans. The vote, on May 18, was unanimous with 402 yeas.

YEAS: Cleaver D-MO (5th), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NOT VOTING: Clay D-MO (1st)

SEX TRAFFICKING: The House passed the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (S. 178), sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. The bill would increase financial penalties for those found guilty of sex trafficking and increase compensation to trafficking victims, authorize block grants for child trafficking deterrence programs and classify the production of child pornography as child abuse. The vote, on May 19, was 420 yeas to 3 nays.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

EDUCATING FOREIGN POLITICIANS: The House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, to the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (H.R. 2250). The amendment would block funding for the Open World Leadership Center, a program begun in 1999 and intended to educate politicians from the former Soviet Union about democracy in the U.S. The vote, on May 19, was 224 yeas to 199 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

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

FUNDING LEGISLATIVE BRANCH: The House passed the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (H.R. 2250), sponsored by Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga. The bill would provide $3.3 billion to fund the House and joint programs of Congress in fiscal 2016, but not the Senate. The vote, on May 19, was 357 yeas to 67 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

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

EXTENDING FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS: The House passed the Highway and Transportation Funding Act (H.R. 2353), sponsored by Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa. The bill would extend through this July appropriations for the federal highway and other transportation programs funded by the Highway Trust Fund. The vote, on May 19, was 387 yeas to 35 nays.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Cleaver D-MO (5th)

CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Alan S. Lowenthal, D-Calif., to the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1806). The amendment would have struck from the bill provisions placing added reporting requirements on research funded by the Energy Department and eliminating duplicative projects in climate change research. The vote, on May 20, was 187 yeas to 236 nays.

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

NAYS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: The House has passed the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1806), sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas. The bill would authorize through fiscal 2017 scientific research programs at several government agencies, cutting funding for research in social sciences and climate change science while maintaining or increasing funding for physical sciences, information technology, biology and energy research. The vote, on May 20, was 217 yeas to 205 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Clay D-MO (1st)

NOT VOTING: Cleaver D-MO (5th)

RESEARCH TAX CREDIT: The House passed the American Research and Competitiveness Act (H.R. 880), sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas. The bill would make permanent the research tax credit for a business' research expenses and allow small businesses to count the credit against their alternative minimum tax. The vote, on May 20, was 274 yeas to 145 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NAYS: Clay D-MO (1st)

NOT VOTING: Cleaver D-MO (5th)

PRIVATE SPACE INDUSTRY: The House passed the SPACE Act (H.R. 2262), sponsored by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The bill would extend by nine years indemnification from third-party damage claims for private space launches, extend through 2025 the period of limited regulations for commercial space flights and grant private companies property rights for any materials they mine from asteroids. The vote, on May 21, was 284 yeas to 133 nays.

YEAS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Long R-MO (7th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

NOT VOTING: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th)

SENATE VOTES

TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, to the Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act (H.R. 1314). The amendment would have provided $575 million of annual funding for the trade adjustment assistance program for retraining workers who have lost their jobs because of imports from overseas. The vote, on May 18, was 45 yeas to 41 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NAYS: Blunt R-MO

TRADE AND FREEDOM OF RELIGION: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., to the Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act (H.R. 1314). The amendment would require presidents to consider religious freedom in other countries when negotiating with those countries for trade agreements with the U.S. The vote, on May 18, was unanimous with 92 yeas.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO

FAST-TRACK TRADE NEGOTIATIONS: The Senate agreed to a motion to end debate on the substitute amendment, sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to the Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act (H.R. 1314). The substitute amendment would authorize fast-track trade promotion authority for presidents to negotiate the terms of trade treaties, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership with 11 other nations bordering the Pacific Ocean. The vote, on May 21, was 62 yeas to 38 nays.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO

UTAH DISTRICT JUDGE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Jill N. Parrish to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Utah. The vote to confirm the nomination, on May 21, was unanimous with 100 yeas.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO