House
Addressing Painkiller, Heroin Crisis
A yes vote was to send the bill to conference with a similar measure passed by the Senate.
Voting 413 for and five against, the House on May 12 passed a bill (HR 5046) that would authorize $515 million through 2021 for Department of Justice grants to help communities deal with a nationwide epidemic in which dependence on opioid pain medicines often leads to heroin addiction and death by overdose. The bill would fund state, local and tribal actions such as expanding treatment and recovery programs; developing non-addictive pain-management treatments; adding drug task forces to police departments; conducting public-education and prevention programs; combating drug trafficking across international borders and state lines; developing evidence-based treatments for substance abuse and taking steps to keep unused and expired drugs from reaching children and traffickers.
Kirkpatrick, McSally, Salmon, Schweikert, Sinema, Grijavla, Gosar, Gallego, Franks, YEA
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Drug Thievery at Hospitals
A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
Voting 190 for and 225 against, the House on May 12 refused to allow HR 5046 (above) to fund programs that would combat employee thievery of prescription painkillers at hospitals, clinics and distribution centers. Supporters called this a commonsense effort to reduce the black market for opioids, while opponents said the Drug Enforcement Administration already has programs to combat such illegal drug diversions.
Kirkpatrick, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema, YEA
McSally, Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert, Franks, NAY
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Senate
2017 Energy, Water Budget
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting 90 for and eight against, the Senate on May 12 passed a bill (HR 2028) that would appropriate $37.5 billion for energy, water and nuclear-safety programs in fiscal 2017. In part, the bill budgets $6.4 billion for environmental cleanup of former nuclear-weapons production sites and $6 billion for Army Corps of Engineers public-works projects. In addition, the bill appropriates $11.2 billion for energy programs; $5.4 billion for science research; $1.14 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation; $1.058 billion for nuclear-energy research and $632 million for fossil-fuel research.
McCain YEA
Flake NAY
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Undercutting Iran Nuclear Deal
A yes vote was to advance the amendment.
Voting 57 for and 42 against, the Senate on May 11 failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a measure aimed at undercutting the recently implemented nuclear deal between Iran and six nations including the United States. The amendment to HR 2028 (above) sought to deny the administration funding it needs to purchase the “heavy water” used by Iran’s nuclear-weapons program. The U.S. plans to divert the chemically altered water to peaceful purposes such as medical and scientific research while removing it from the reach of global arms traffickers.
McCain YEA
Flake YEA
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Fish, Wildlife and Water Projects
A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
Voting 39 for and 60 against, the Senate on May 11 defeated an amendment to HR 2028 (above) that sought to expand the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s influence in the planning and execution of Army Corps of Engineers water projects. But the proposed new authority for protecting fish and wildlife populations amid dredging and construction would be mostly non-binding.
McCain NAY
Flake NAY
