Thursday, November 21, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, August 5, 2013
Hawaii Congressional Delegation How They Voted August 5, 2013
By Congress.org @ 3:18 PM :: 4276 Views :: Congressional Delegation
August 5, 2013

In this MegaVote for Hawaii's 1st & 2nd Congressional Districts:

Recent Congressional Votes

  • Senate: James B. Comey, Jr. Nomination to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation– Confirmation
  • Senate: Byron Todd Jones Nomination to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Confirmation
  • Senate: Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations – Cloture
  • Senate: Samantha Power Nomination to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations – Confirmation
  • House: Student Loan Interest Rates – Passage
  • House: Iranian Sanctions – Passage
  • House: Affordable Care Act Implementation – Passage

    Editor's Note: Congress is in recess until September 9, 2013.

    Recent Senate Votes
    James B. Comey, Jr. Nomination to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation– Confirmation - VoteConfirmed (93-1, 2 Present, 4 Not Voting)

    The Senate voted to confirm James B. Comey, Jr. to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a term of ten years. Comey, a former senior official at the Justice Department, succeeds Robert S. Mueller III, who served as director since 2001.

    Sen. Brian Schatz voted YES
    Sen. Mazie Hirono voted YES


    Byron Todd Jones Nomination to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Confirmation - Vote Confirmed (53-42, 5 Not Voting)

    On July 31, the Senate voted to confirm former United States district attorney Byron Todd Jones to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois was the lone Republican to vote for confirmation.

    Sen. Brian Schatz voted YES
    Sen. Mazie Hirono voted YES


    Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations – Cloture - Vote Rejected (54-43, 3 Not Voting)

    The Senate failed to reach the 60 votes required to end debate on the fiscal year 2014 Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill on August 1. Conservatives balked at the Senate Appropriations Committee’s inclusion of about $5.6 billion in spending more than current levels under the sequester. The $54 billion bill would be $2.3 billion more than the fiscal 2013 enacted level and $2.4 billion more than the Obama administration’s request. Much of the additional spending in the Senate bill comes from in the form of roads funding. The Senate bill would provide $550 million for infrastructure project funds, known as TIGER grants, an increase of $51 million from the pre-sequester fiscal 2013 level. House appropriators provided no funds for the program. The bill also would create an account that would provide $500 million for repairing “structurally deficient” or “functionally obsolete” bridges and crucial highway corridors.

    Sen. Brian Schatz voted YES
    Sen. Mazie Hirono voted YES


    Samantha Power Nomination to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations – Confirmation - Vote Confirmed (87-10, 3 Not Voting)

    In the final vote before August recess, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Samantha Power as U.S. Representative to the United Nations and the UN Security Council.

    Sen. Brian Schatz voted YES
    Sen. Mazie Hirono voted YES


    Recent House Votes
    Student Loan Interest Rates – Passage - Vote Passed (392-31, 10 Not Voting)

    On July 31, the House voted to concur with Senate amendments to a bill that permanently sets federal student loan interest rates. The measure, approved 392-31, culminated weeks of negotiation to reach a bipartisan deal after interest rates doubled for many loans on July 1. The bill annually would link the rates charged on new student loans to the rate paid in June on 10-year Treasury notes. The terms would apply to all new federal student loans, except for low-interest Perkins loans made to needy students. The premium charged in addition to the 10-year base rate would include 2.05 percentage points for subsidized and unsubsidized portions of undergraduate loans, 3.6 points for graduate loans, and 4.6 points for PLUS loans made to graduate students and parents of undergraduates. Rates would be capped at 8.25 percent, 9.5 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively, for the three classes of loans. The market-based rate system is similar to a plan proposed by the White House in its fiscal 2014 budget, and President Obama is expected to sign it.

    Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted YES
    Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted YES



    Iranian Sanctions – Passage - Vote Passed (400-20, 1 Present, 13 Not Voting)

    House lawmakers voted 400-20 on July 31 to pass a bill aimed at reducing Iran’s oil exports and further isolating its economy. The bill would compel countries currently purchasing crude oil from Iran to reduce their combined purchases by a total of 1 million barrels per day within a year. Failure to comply would prompt a loss in those nations’ ability to obtain “significant reduction” sanction exemptions that let them continue to purchase Iranian oil. It also would expand the list of Iranian industries effectively blacklisted, further limit Iran’s access to overseas foreign currency reserves and impose additional shipping sanctions to limit Iran’s ability to engage in international commerce. Earlier in the week, Democratic and Republican sponsors of the bill brushed off pressure to delay the vote, saying that passage would send an important signal to Iran’s incoming president about the cost of continuing to advance a nuclear program.

    Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted YES
    Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted YES



    Affordable Care Act Implementation – Passage - Vote Passed (232-185, 16 Not Voting)

    On August 2, the House passed a bill designed to block the Treasury Department from enforcing key components of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. The vote, the last before members left for August recess, represented the 40th time the House has passed measures to repeal or dismantle the health care reform law. Four Democrats voted for the measure, which was supported by all Republicans. The bill prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service from enforcing penalties the 2010 law would levy on those who do not purchase health insurance when the law goes into full effect in 2014. The vote culminated what House leaders dubbed “Stop Government Abuse Week.”

    Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted NO
    Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO

    Links

    TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

    Register to Vote

    2aHawaii

    Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

    AntiPlanner

    Antonio Gramsci Reading List

    A Place for Women in Waipio

    Ballotpedia Hawaii

    Broken Trust

    Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

    Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

    Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

    DVids Hawaii

    FIRE

    Fix Oahu!

    Frontline: The Fixers

    Genetic Literacy Project

    Grassroot Institute

    Habele.org

    Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

    Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

    Hawaii Catholic TV

    Hawaii Christian Coalition

    Hawaii Cigar Association

    Hawaii ConCon Info

    Hawaii Debt Clock

    Hawaii Defense Foundation

    Hawaii Family Forum

    Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

    Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

    Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

    Hawaii History Blog

    Hawaii Jihadi Trial

    Hawaii Legal News

    Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

    Hawaii Matters

    Hawaii Military History

    Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

    Hawaii Public Charter School Network

    Hawaii Rifle Association

    Hawaii Shippers Council

    Hawaii Together

    HiFiCo

    Hiram Fong Papers

    Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

    Honolulu Navy League

    Honolulu Traffic

    House Minority Blog

    Imua TMT

    Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

    Inside the Nature Conservancy

    Inverse Condemnation

    July 4 in Hawaii

    Land and Power in Hawaii

    Lessons in Firearm Education

    Lingle Years

    Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

    MentalIllnessPolicy.org

    Missile Defense Advocacy

    MIS Veterans Hawaii

    NAMI Hawaii

    Natatorium.org

    National Parents Org Hawaii

    NFIB Hawaii News

    NRA-ILA Hawaii

    Obookiah

    OHA Lies

    Opt Out Today

    Patients Rights Council Hawaii

    Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

    Pritchett Cartoons

    Pro-GMO Hawaii

    RailRipoff.com

    Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

    Research Institute for Hawaii USA

    Rick Hamada Show

    RJ Rummel

    School Choice in Hawaii

    SenatorFong.com

    Talking Tax

    Tax Foundation of Hawaii

    The Real Hanabusa

    Time Out Honolulu

    Trustee Akina KWO Columns

    Waagey.org

    West Maui Taxpayers Association

    What Natalie Thinks

    Whole Life Hawaii