June 12, 2017

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

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Elwood Nomination - Confirmation
• Senate: Iran Sanctions - Cloture
• House: Customs and Border Protection Polygraph Waiver
• House: Financial Regulation Restructuring

Upcoming Congressional Bills

• Senate: Nomination of Kenneth Rapuano to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense
• Senate: Iran Sanctions
• House: Verify Eligibility for Health Care Tax Credits
• House: VA Personnel Accountability
• House: Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

Recent Senate Votes

Elwood Nomination - Confirmation - Vote Confirmed (67-33) 
 
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Courtney Elwood to be general counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency. 
 
Sen. Brian Schatz voted NO 
Sen. Mazie Hirono voted NO

Iran Sanctions - Cloture - Vote Agreed to (91-8, 1 Not Voting) 
 
Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the McConnell, R-Ky., motion to proceed to the bill that would impose certain sanctions on Iran. Specifically, the president would be required to block the transactions of any person deemed to knowingly engage in activity contributing to an Iran ballistic missile or mass destruction program, that is related to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, that is responsible for human rights abuses, or that contributes to the arming of Iran. The bill would also require the departments of Defense and Treasury and the National Intelligence Agency to develop a strategy for deterring Iran from activities or threats against the United States and its allies every two years. 
 
Sen. Brian Schatz voted YES 
Sen. Mazie Hirono voted YES

Recent House Votes

Customs and Border Protection Polygraph Waiver - Vote Passed (282-137, 11 Not Voting) 
 
Passage of the bill would authorize the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to waive the requirement that applicants for law enforcement positions at CBP undergo polygraph examinations for specific groups of applicants. Certain veterans and law enforcement officers who have already passed a polygraph examination or stringent background investigation could be exempt from the polygraph requirement. 
 
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted NO

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO

Financial Regulation Restructuring - Vote Passed (233-186, 11 Not Voting) 
 
Passage of the bill that would overhaul financial industry regulations and repeal many provisions of the 2010 financial regulatory overhaul law. It would convert the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau into an executive agency funded by annual appropriations and would modify operations at the Federal Reserve and at the Securities and Exchange Commission. It would repeal the prohibition on banking entities engaging in proprietary trading and would modify regulations governing the amount of capital that banks are required to maintain. 
 
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted NO

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO

Upcoming Votes

Nomination of Kenneth Rapuano to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense - PN348 
 
The Senate will vote on the nomination of Kenneth Rapuano to be an assistant secretary of Defense. 

Iran Sanctions - S722 
 
The bill would impose certain sanctions on Iran. Specifically, the president would be required to block the transactions of any person deemed to knowingly engage in activity contributing to an Iran ballistic missile or mass destruction program, that is related to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, that is responsible for human rights abuses, or that contributes to the arming of Iran. 

Verify Eligibility for Health Care Tax Credits - HR2581 
 
The bill would modify both current law and the American Health Care Act to prohibit the advance payment of health care premium tax credits to individuals unless the Treasury Department receives confirmation from the Health and Human Services or Homeland Securities departments that they have verified the individual's status as a U.S. citizen or lawfully present alien. 

VA Personnel Accountability - S1094 
 
The bill would expand the ability of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department to fire or demote VA employees based on performance or misconduct, and it would modify the appeals process to provide for the appeals of decisions by administrative judges. 

Medical Malpractice Lawsuits - HR1215 
 
The bill would place limits on medical malpractice lawsuits in state and federal courts by limiting the amount of the award and the time in which a lawsuit must be initiated. The bill would cap noneconomic damages in lawsuits but does not limit economic damages or punitive damages.