NewsNovember 2, 2015
Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted over the last week. Along with roll call votes, the Senate and House also passed the following legislation by voice vote. The House also elected a new speaker. The Senate also passed the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act (H.R. ...

Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted over the last week.

Along with roll call votes, the Senate and House also passed the following legislation by voice vote. The House also elected a new speaker.

The Senate also passed the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act (H.R. 313), to provide work leave for new federal employees who are veterans with service-connected disabilities; and passed the Surface Transportation Extension Act (H.R. 3819), to extend transportation programs funded by the Highway Trust Fund; and passed the Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act (S. 1731), to waive the minimum period of continuous active duty requirement for homeless veterans receiving Veterans Affairs benefits.

In the House election for speaker, votes were cast as follows: 236 for Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., 184 for Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., nine for Daniel Webster, D-Fla., one for Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., two for John Lewis, D-Ga., and one for Colin Powell.

The House also agreed to the Senate amendment to the DHS Social Media Improvement Act (H.R. 623), to authorize the creation of a working group on social media at the Homeland Security Department; passed the Northern Border Security Review Act (H.R. 455), to require the Homeland Security Secretary to analyze security threats on the U.S.-Canada border; and passed the READ Act (H.R. 3033), to require that the President's annual budget request to Congress include a line item for funding the Research in Disabilities Education program.

HOUSE VOTES

REPEALING HEALTH CARE PROVISIONS: House passed the Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act (H.R. 3762), sponsored by Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga. The bill would repeal the health-care reform law's medical device excise tax, repeal the employer health insurance mandate and repeal the individual health insurance mandate. The vote, on Oct. 23, was 240 yeas to 189 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)

BROKERS AND INVESTMENT ADVICE: The House passed the Retail Investor Protection Act (H.R. 1090), sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo. The bill would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to take into account potential harm to retail investors when proposing a rule setting out a standard of conduct for investment advisors. Wagner said as currently designed, the proposed rule would increase compliance costs for the advisers, potentially prompting them to drop small retirement accounts established by " Americans who are just starting to save and haven't built up their retirement nest egg." A bill opponent, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said it would derail the SEC's efforts to prevent conflicts of interest in which advisers provide investing advice to individuals based on the commissions they receive from investment firms rather than based on what it best for their clients. The vote, on Oct. 27, was 245 yeas to 186 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)

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK: The House has passed the Reform Exports and Expand the American Economy Act (H.R. 597), sponsored by Rep. Steven Lee Fincher, R-Tenn. The bill would reauthorize the U.S. Export-Import Bank and adopt an array of requirements increasing government oversight of the bank. The vote, on Oct. 27, was 313 yeas to 118 nays.

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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)

GOVERNMENT BUDGET PLAN: The House agreed to a motion sponsored by Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., to concur in the Senate amendment to the Trade Act (H.R. 1314). The amendment would establish a federal government budget plan for fiscal years 2016 and 2017, suspend the debt limit through March 2017, revise budget spending caps for 2016 and 2017 and make various reforms to Social Security and Medicare. The vote, on Oct. 28, was 266 yeas to 167 nays.

YEAS: Clay D-MO (1st), Cleaver D-MO (5th), Hartzler R-MO (4th), Luetkemeyer R-MO (3rd)

NAYS: Graves (MO) R-MO (6th), Long R-MO (7th), Smith (MO) R-MO (8th), Wagner R-MO (2nd)

SENATE VOTES

CONFIRMING NEW YORK DISTRICT JUDGE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Lawrence Joseph Vilardo to serve as U.S. District Judge for the Western District of New York. The vote, on Oct. 26, was unanimous with 88 yeas.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NOT VOTING: Blunt R-MO

PERSONAL INFORMATION AND CYBERSECURITY: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., to the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (S. 754). The amendment would have required the federal government to remove personally identifiable data not related to a given cybersecurity threat before sharing information about the threat with other parties. The vote, on Oct. 27, was 47 yeas to 49 nays.

YEAS: McCaskill D-MO

NAYS: Blunt R-MO

SHARING CYBERSECURITY INFORMATION: The Senate passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (S. 754), sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. The bill would require several federal agencies to adopt procedures that promote sharing information about cybersecurity threats with other government entities and the private sector, as well as the broader public. The vote, on Oct. 27, was 74 yeas to 21 nays.

YEAS: Blunt R-MO, McCaskill D-MO

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