Senate
Guns, Explosives, Terror Lists
A yes vote was backed the Democratic amendment.
By a vote of 47 for and 53 against, the Senate on June 20 defeated a Democratic-sponsored measure to prohibit the sale of firearms or explosives to individuals on the FBI’s terrorism watch list and related lists of persons known or suspected to have links to terrorism. Such sales are now legal. Federal law-enforcement and intelligence agencies maintain several watch and no-fly lists that reportedly contain the names *of more than 800,000 foreigners and American citizens. The amendment was offered to a budget bill (HR 2578) that awaited final passage.
NAY: McCain, Flake
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72-Hour Delay of Gun Sales
A yes vote was to advance the GOP amendment.
By a vote of 53 for and 47 against, the Senate on June 20 failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a GOP-drafted amendment to HR 2578 (above) that sought to delay sales of firearms for up to 72 hours if the purchaser’s name is on FBI terrorism watch or no-fly lists. To block an impending sale, federal attorneys would have to obtain a court order against it within the 72 hours.
YEA: McCain, Flake
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Rescue Plan for Puerto Rico
A yes vote was to send the bill to President Obama.
Voting 68 for and 30 against, the Senate on June 29 gave final congressional approval to a bill (HR 5278) establishing a federal control board to help Puerto Rico restructure more than $70 billion in debt to bondholders and address its deeply unfunded pension obligations. For a limited time, the Financial Oversight and Management Board would have final say over tax, spending and other budgetary policies for the U.S. territory of 3.5 million Americans. Republicans in Congress would select four of the board’s seven members and Democrats three. The bill prohibits using federal taxpayer dollars in the reorganization. Puerto Rico faced a $2 billion payment to creditors on July 1.
YEA: McCain, Flake
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Compromise Gun Measure
A yes vote was to quash the only bipartisan gun amendment before the Senate.
Voting 46 for and 52 against, the Senate on June 23 failed to table (kill) a compromise amendment to HR 2578 (above) that would require background checks of buyers who are named in the FBI’s no-fly list or receive extra pre-flight screening The amendment was much narrower than a competing Democratic plan (above) and lacked a rival GOP plan’s requirement (above) that prosecutors must go to court to block specific sales to those on watch lists.
YEA: McCain
NAY: Flake
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Gun Denials, Constitutional Rights
A yes vote was to kill the amendment to HR 2578.
Voting 67 for and 31 against, the Senate on June 23 tabled (killed) an amendment that was similar to a compromise gun measure (above) except that it required advance court approval of government actions to block gun sales based on entries in terrorism watch and no-fly lists. By contrast, the bipartisan compromise allowed those denied gun purchases to appeal the decision only after the fact.
YEA: Flake
NAY: McCain
House
Zika Virus, Planned Parenthood
A yes vote was to approve the conference report.
Voting 239 for and 171 against, the House on June 23 approved the conference report on a GOP-drafted bill (HR 2577) that would appropriate $56.5 billion in fiscal 2017 discretionary spending for transportation, housing and other programs. The bill’s $1.1 billion outlay for countering the mosquito-borne Zika virus drew Democratic opposition because much of the money would be carved out of other healthcare programs. The bill would bar Planned Parenthood funding of Zika-related reproductive care.
YEA: Gosar, Schweikert, Salmon, Franks, Sinema, McSally
NAY: Kirkpatrick, Grijalva, Gallego
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Standards for Financial Advisors
A yes vote was in opposition to the fiduciary rule for financial advisors.
Voting 239 for and 180 against, the House on June 22 failed to reach a two-thirds majority for overriding President Obama’s veto of legislation concerning fiduciary standards for financial advisors. The vetoed measure (HJ Res 88) sought to kill a new Department of Labor requirement that advisors to retirement and pension plans put their clients’ financial interests ahead of their own. The upshot of this vote is that the DOL regulation will take effect on schedule in April 2017.
YEA: McSally, Salmon, Franks, Schweikert, Gosar
NAY: Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema, Kirkpatrick
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IRS Scrutiny of Political Money
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it appeared likely to fail.
Voting 240 for and 182 against, the House on June 14 passed a bill (HR 5033) that would reduce Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of campaign-finance activity by nonprofit groups receiving tax-exempt status under Section 501 (c) of the tax code. Under the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling, corporations, labor unions and individuals can make unlimited donations to these groups. The groups can then spend the donated money in unlimited sums to influence elections so long as they do not coordinate their activities with candidates’ campaigns. While donors’ identities are kept secret from the public under existing law, they must be disclosed to the IRS so that the agency can check for illegal activity such as spending by foreign corporations and governments on U.S. elections. This bill would repeal the disclosure requirement in order to protect contributors from potential IRS data leaks. Oppone nts said it would expand the influence of anonymous “dark money” in U.S. politics.
YEA: McSally, Salmon, Franks, Schweikert, Gosar
NAY: Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema, Kirkpatrick
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Tax-Exempt Political Activity
A yes vote was to adopt the Democratic motion.
Voting 180 for and 238 against, the House on June 14 defeated a Democratic bid to require tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, including 501 (c) (4) social-welfare groups, to identify their donors to the IRS if they directly or indirectly participate or intervene in campaigns for public office. The motion was offered to HR 5033 (above).
YEA: Kirkpatrick, Grijavla, Gallego, Sinema
NAY: McSally, Salmon, Franks, Schweikert, Gosar
