Voterama
Here’s how Arizona members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending Sept. 8.
House
Hurricane Aid, Debt Limit: The House on Sept. 8 voted, 316-90, to appropriate $15.3 billion in hurricane disaster aid while raising the national debt limit through Dec. 8 and funding the government on a stopgap basis for the same period. A yes vote was to send the bill (HR 601) to President Trump.
Voting yes: Tom O’Halleran, D-1, Martha McSally, R-2, Raul Grijalva, D-3, Ruben Gallego, D-7, Kyrsten Sinema, D-9
Voting no: Paul Gosar, R-4, Andy Biggs, R-5, David Schweikert, R-6, Trent Franks, R-8
Original Plan for Disaster Aid: The House on Sept. 6 voted, 419-3, to appropriate $7.85 billion in hurricane aid consisting mainly of funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A yes vote was to send the Senate an early version of HR 601 (above) that steered clear of fiscal issues like raising the debt limit and stopgap funding.
Yes: O’Halleran, McSally, Grijalva, Gosar, Schweikert, Gallego, Franks, Sinema
No: Biggs
Retention of Subsidized Air Travel: The House on Sept. 6 refused, 140-280, to strip a $150 million fiscal 2018 budget for the Essential Air Service program from a pending appropriations bill (HR 3354). A yes vote was to effectively kill a program that subsidizes commercial airline service to about 160 rural communities.
Yes: McSally, Biggs, Schweikert
No: O’Halleran, Grijalva, Gosar, Gallego, Sinema
Not voting: Franks
Retention of Amtrak Subsidy: The House on Sept. 6 refused, 128-293, to strip HR 3354 (above) of its $1.1 billion subsidy for Amtrak in fiscal 2018. The amendment would effectively kill the nation’s rail passenger agency, which serves 500-plus communities in 46 states. A yes vote was to defund Amtrak.
Yes: McSally, Gosar, Biggs, Schweikert, Franks
No: O’Halleran, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema
Senate
Hurricane Aid, Debt Limit: Voting 80-17, the Senate passed a bill on Sept. 7 that would appropriate post-hurricane disaster aid totaling $15.3 billion while raising the national debt limit and funding the government on a stopgap basis through Dec. 8. A yes vote was to send the bill to the House. (HR 601, above)
No: John McCain, R, Jeff Flake, R
“Pay As You Go” Hurricane Aid: Voting 87-10, the Senate on Sept. 7 tabled (killed) an amendment to HR 601 (above) that sought to keep the bill’s $15.3 billion expenditure for hurricane relief deficit-neutral by cutting the same sum from foreign aid accounts. A yes vote opposed ‘pay as you go’ for the bill.
Yes: McCain
No: Flake
