By Voterama In Congress
The biggest event at the Capitol last week was the House passage of President Trump’s new health-care bill.
Here’s how area members of Congress from Arizona voted on major issues in the week ending May 5.
HOUSE
Republican Health Care Alternative: Voting 217-213, the House on May 4 passed a Republican bill (HR 1628) that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act on terms that would allow states to waive most ACA coverage requirements. Over 10 years, the bill would add 24 million uninsured persons, slash Medicaid spending by 25 percent, cut taxes for high-earning taxpayers and some health-related companies by at least $600 billion and reduce deficits by $300 billion. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
Voting yes: Martha McSally, R-2, Paul Gosar, R-4, David Schweikert, R-6, Trent Franks, R-8
Voting no: Tom O’Halleran, D-1, Raul Grijalva, D-3, Andy Biggs, R-5, Ruben Gallego, D-7, Kyrsten Sinema, D-9
“Comp Time” for Overtime Work: The House on May 2 voted, 229-197, to allow employers in the private sector to offer compensatory time off in place of extra wages for overtime work. The “comp time” would amount to time-and-a-half for hours worked over 40 per week, just as overtime wages are calculated at time-and-a-half under the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act. A yes vote was to pass a bill (HR 1180) backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and opposed by the AFL-CIO.
Yes: McSally, Gosar, Biggs, Schweikert, Franks
No: O’Halleran, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema
Paid Sick Leave From Work: The House on May 2 defeated, 192-234, a motion by Democrats to require that employees who choose “comp time” instead of overtime wages automatically qualify for at least seven days’ annual sick leave with pay. A yes vote was to add mandatory paid sick leave to a bill (HR 1180, above) making changes in overtime pay.
Yes: O’Halleran, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema
No: McSally, Gosar, Biggs, Schweikert, Franks
Personal Privacy on the Internet: The House on May 2 blocked, 233-190, a Democratic bid to force floor debate on a bill (HR 1868) now in committee that would restore a recently nullified Internet privacy rule. The rule required service providers to obtain customer consent before sharing their personal data with advertisers. President Trump recently signed a measure (SJ Res 34) killing the rule before its effective date this year. A yes vote opposed bringing the bill to the floor.
Yes: McSally, Gosar, Biggs, Schweikert
No: O’Halleran, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema
Not voting: Franks
$1.1 Trillion for Government Operations: The House on May 3 passed, 309-118, a bill (HR 244) that would fund government operations from May 5 through Sept. 30 at an annualized level of $1.07 trillion in discretionary spending. A yes vote was to send the Senate a bipartisan appropriations bill for the remainder of fiscal 2017.
Yes: O’Halleran, McSally, Sinema
No: Grijalva, Gosar, Biggs, Schweikert, Gallego, Franks
SENATE
Retirement Savings at Work: The Senate on May 3 voted, 50-49, to nullify a Department of Labor rule that would help states set up privately run retirement plans for private-sector workers who lack access to such plans at work because their employers have not established them. A yes vote was to send the nullification measure (HJ Res 66) to President Trump.
Yes: John McCain, R, Jeff Flake, R
$1.1 Trillion for Government Operations: Voting 79-18, the Senate on May 4 joined the House in passing a bill (HR 244) that would fund government operations for the remaining five months of fiscal 2017 at an annualized level of $1.07 trillion in discretionary spending. A yes vote was to send the bill to President Trump.
Yes: McCain
No: Flake
