Congressional votes for April 3

There were 11 key votes in the Senate last week, and 22 roll call votes. The House was not in session. The most important Senate vote was to pass a government budget for fiscal 2016. The House and Senate are now in recess, and scheduled to return to session on April 13.

There were no key votes in the House last week.

SENATE VOTES

REPEALING ESTATE TAX: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would repeal the federal estate tax. The vote, on March 27, was 54 yeas to 46 nays.

YEA: Blunt R-MO

NAY: McCaskill D-MO

CLIMATE CHANGE AND HIGHWAY FUNDING: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would block government agencies from withholding highway funds from those states that refuse to submit state implementation plans required by the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan. The vote, on March 27, was 57 yeas to 43 nays.

YEA: Blunt R-MO

NAY: McCaskill D-MO

PRIVATE WATER RIGHTS: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would limit the ability of the Forest Service to adopt rules that restrict the ability of private parties to exercise their water rights. The vote, on March 27, was 59 yeas to 41 nays.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO

GOVERNMENT PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would state that government agencies are not required to use project labor agreements with contractors on large construction projects. The vote, on March 27, was 51 yeas to 49 nays.

YEA: Blunt R-MO

NAY: McCaskill D-MO

BENEFITS FOR SAME-SEX SPOUSES: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would stipulate that legally married same-sex spouses have access to Social Security benefits and Veterans Affairs benefits after the death of their spouse. The vote, on March 27, was 57 yeas to 43 nays.

YEA: McCaskill D-MO

NAY: Blunt R-MO

MIGRANTS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would authorize the expedited removal of unaccompanied children from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras who unlawfully entered the U.S. The vote, on March 27, was 58 yeas to 42 nays.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO

MIDDLE CLASS TAX CREDITS: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would authorize measures to extend and expand tax credits targeted for the middle class and working class. The vote, on March 27, was 73 yeas to 27 nays.

YEA: McCaskill D-MO

NAY: Blunt R-MO

HEALTH CARE EXCHANGES: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would require members of Congress, the president and political appointees in the White House to buy their health-insurance plans through government exchanges. The vote, on March 27, was 52 yeas to 46 nays.

YEA: Blunt R-MO

NAY: McCaskill D-MO

VOTER REENFRANCHISEMENT: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would have authorized funding for measures to consider returning voting rights to citizens who have lost their voting rights because of criminal convictions. The vote, on March 27, was 47 yeas to 51 nays.

YEA: McCaskill D-MO

NAY: Blunt R-MO

REPLACING BUDGET SEQUESTER CUTS: The Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., to a bill (S. Con. Res. 11) setting out the government's budget for fiscal 2016. The amendment would allow for the budget sequester cuts agreed to in 2011 to be replaced by new spending and taxing legislation. The vote, on March 27, was 50 yeas to 48 nays.

YEA: McCaskill D-MO

NAY: Blunt R-MO

2016 BUDGET: The Senate passed a bill (S. Con. Res. 11), sponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., to set out the government's budget for fiscal 2016 and a planned budget for fiscal 2017 through 2025. The bill would repeal elements of the health-care reform law, cut spending on entitlements and other programs by $5.1 trillion though 2025 and institute a block grant program for Medicaid. The vote, on March 27, was 52 yeas to 46 nays.

YEA: Blunt R-MO

NAY: McCaskill D-MO