2017 IRS, Judiciary, White House Budgets
House
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting 239 for and 185 against, the House on July 7 passed a fiscal 2017 appropriations bill (HR 5485) that would provide $10.9 billion for the Internal Revenue Service, $9.2 billion for the General Services Administration, $7 billion for the federal judiciary, $1.5 billion for the Securities and Exchange Commission, $883 million for the Small Business Administration, $725 million for the District of Columbia, $692 million for the executive office of the president and $315 million for the Federal Communications Commission, among other outlays.
YEA: McSally, Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert
NAY: Kirkpatrick, Grijalva, Gallego, Franks, Sinema
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Rules for Payday Lenders
A yes vote was to advance a proposed payday-lending rule.
Voting 182 for and 240 against, the House on July 7 defeated a Democratic bid to advance a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule, now in draft stage, that would begin federal regulation of companies that provide high-interest “payday” loans and similar credit secured by the borrower’s future paychecks. The amendment was offered to HR 5485 (above), which would prohibit the bureau from spending its funds to put the rule into effect.
YEA: Kirkpatrick, Grijalva, Gallego
NAY: McSally, Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert, Franks
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IRS Guidance on Tax-Exempt Activity
A yes vote backed IRS scrutiny of certain tax-exempt organizations.
Voting 183 for and 239 against, the House on June 7 defeated a Democratic amendment to bolster IRS scrutiny of 501(c)(4) social-welfare groups. Under the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, these non-profit groups can receive contributions and engage in political activity. But to qualify for tax-exempt status, they cannot devote a majority of their activities to politics. The underlying bill (HR 5485) would prohibit the IRS from issuing guidance to help groups comply with this requirement. It reflects a belief by many Republicans that the IRS gives undue scrutiny to organizations on the right including Tea Party groups.
YEA: Kirkpatrick, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema
NAY: McSally, Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert, Franks
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Disclosure of Corporate Donations
A yes vote backed the SEC’s planned rule on political disclosures.
Voting 186 for and 236 against, the House on July 7 defeated a Democratic amendment in support of the Securities and Exchange Commission requiring corporations to disclose their political contributions to 501(c)(4) social-welfare organizations (preceding issue). The SEC is planning a rule that would require publicly traded companies to disclose their political spending to the SEC and thus to shareholders. The underlying bill (HR 5485) would kill the rule by starving it of funds.
YEA: Kirkpatrick, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema
NAY: McSally, Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert, Franks
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Mandatory-Arbitration Agreements
A yes vote was backed a rule to limit mandatory-arbitration agreements.
Voting 181 for and 236 against, the House on July 7 defeated a Democratic amendment in behalf of draft Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules to govern mandatory-arbitration language in consumer contracts including credit-card agreements. When they agree to such language, customers usually forego their right to seek redress in court and, instead, commit to having disputes settled by arbitration panels.
YEA: Kirkpatrick, Gallego, Sinema
NAY: McSally, Gosar, Salmon, Schwiekert, Franks
Did not vote: Grijalva
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Senate
Sanctuary Cities, Immigration
A yes vote was to advance the bill.
The Senate on July 6 failed, 53-44, to reach 60 votes for advancing a bill (S 3001) that would deny economic-development and community-block grants to “sanctuary” cities or states that refuse to act as an arm of federal immigration enforcement. Officials in sanctuary cities say that to assist the Department of Homeland Security in this fashion would undercut community-policing efforts that depend on rapport with immigrant populations.
YEA: McCain, Flake
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Stiffer Penalties for Illegal Aliens
A yes vote was to advance the bill.
Voting 55 for and 42 against, the Senate on July 6 failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a bill (S 2193) that would increase from two years to five years the maximum sentence for persons convicted of illegally entering the U.S. The bill also would require mandatory minimum sentences of five years for undocumented aliens with aggravated felony records who illegally re-enter the U.S. after deportation. The bill failed, in part, because it runs counter to bipartisan congressional efforts to reduce prison overcrowding resulting from the imposition of long minimum sentences for less-serious crimes.
AYE: McCain, Flake
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Labeling GMO Foods
A yes vote was to send the bill to the House.
Voting 63 for and 30 against, the Senate on July 7 passed a bill (S 764) that would require food labels on consumer shelves to list genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) under standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill would override GMO label laws enacted by states.
YEA: McCain
NAY: Flake
