December 5, 2017
In this MegaVote for Hawaii's 1st & 2nd Congressional Districts:
Recent Congressional Votes
- Senate: Tax Overhaul – Motion to Proceed
- Senate: Tax Overhaul - Education Savings Accounts
- Senate: Tax Overhaul - Passage
- House: National Forest Mining
- House: Federal Workforce Probationary Period Extension
- House: EPA Brownfields Program Reauthorization
- House: Manufactured Housing Lending Regulation
Upcoming Congressional Bills
- Senate: Nielsen Nomination
- Senate: Tax Overhaul – Motion to Proceed to Conference
- Senate: Extend Federal Government Funding
- House: Tax Overhaul Conference
- House: Concealed Carry & Gun Background Checks
- House: Mortgage Escrow Requirements
- House: Merger & Acquisition Firms
- House: Extend Federal Government Funding
Recent Senate Votes
Tax Overhaul – Motion to Proceed - Vote Agreed to (52-48)
McConnell, R-Ky., motion to proceed to the bill that would revise the federal income tax system by: lowering individual and corporate tax rates; consolidating the current seven tax income rates into four rates; eliminating the deduction for state and local income taxes; limiting certain deductions for property taxes and home mortgages; and creating a new system of taxing U.S. corporations with foreign subsidiaries.
Sen. Brian Schatz voted NO
Sen. Mazie Hirono voted NO
Tax Overhaul - Education Savings Accounts - Vote Agreed to (51-50)
Cornyn, R-Texas, for Cruz, R-Texas, amendment to the McConnell, R-Ky., for Hatch, R-Utah, substitute amendment, that would allow tuition expenses or the cost of school supplies for secondary public, private or religious school to be treated the same as higher education expenses for certain tax purposes. Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie and voted in the affirmative.
Sen. Brian Schatz voted NO
Sen. Mazie Hirono voted NO
Tax Overhaul - Passage - Vote Passed (51-49)
Passage of the bill, as amended, that would revise the federal income tax system by lowering individual and corporate tax rates, repealing various deductions through 2025, specifically by eliminating the deduction for state and local income taxes through 2025, increasing the deduction for pass-through entities and raising the child tax credit through 2025. It would also open parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling.
Sen. Brian Schatz voted NO
Sen. Mazie Hirono voted NO
Recent House Votes
National Forest Mining - Vote Passed (216-204, 13 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill would prohibit the designation of national monuments and the withdrawal of lands in the National Forest System in the state of Minnesota from mineral and geothermal leases without the approval of Congress. It would designate any mineral leases issued within the boundaries of the National Forest System lands in Minnesota as indeterminate preference right leases.
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted NO
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO
Federal Workforce Probationary Period Extension - Vote Passed (213-204, 16 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill would increase to two years the probationary period for newly hired federal employees, for any individuals promoted to a supervisory or managerial role, and for any individual appointed to the Senior Executive Service. It would also establish a system in which supervisors would be notified near the end of an employee's probationary period.
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted NO
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO
EPA Brownfields Program Reauthorization - Vote Passed (409-8, 16 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill would authorize $250 million annually, through fiscal 2022, for assistance with environmental assessment, cleanup and job training activities at the EPA's brownfields program sites, and would increase, to $500,000 per site, the amount available for remediation grants for brownfield sites.
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted YES
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted YES
Manufactured Housing Lending Regulation - Vote Passed (256-163, 14 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill would change the definitions of "mortgage originator" and "loan originator" to exempt companies that manufacture homes and sell manufactured homes from various mortgage-related regulatory requirements. It would increase the maximum allowable rates and fees that may be applied to a manufactured home loan before the loan is classified as a high-cost mortgage.
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted NO
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO
Upcoming Votes
Nielsen Nomination - PN1095
The Senate will vote on the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen to be secretary of Homeland Security.
Tax Overhaul – Motion to Proceed to Conference - HR1
The Senate is expected to vote on a motion to proceed to a conference committee on tax legislation.
Extend Federal Government Funding - HJRES123
The Senate will vote on legislation to extend funding the federal government through Dec. 22, 2017.
Tax Overhaul Conference - HR1
The House will vote on a motion to go to conference on HR 1, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The House passed its version of the bill on Nov. 16 by a 227-205 vote, and the Senate was set to pass its version in the early morning hours of Saturday, Dec. 2. Both versions would substantially restructure the U.S. tax code to simplify the code and provide a net $1.5 trillion tax cut, with taxes being cut for both corporations and small businesses and individuals.
Concealed Carry & Gun Background Checks - HR38
The measure, would combine two bills reported by the Judiciary Committee last week, allows anyone authorized by their state to carry a concealed handgun to also carry that concealed weapon in any other state that allows concealed carry. It also seeks to ensure that federal agencies and state governments report relevant information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) regarding individuals who are not eligible to purchase firearms — including by requiring federal agencies to certify twice per year that they are uploading all relevant records to the NICS.
Mortgage Escrow Requirements - HR2971
The bill would expand to somewhat larger companies certain exemptions from home mortgage escrow requirements under the 2010 Dodd Frank law. Specifically, it exempts lenders with assets of $25 billion or less from the law's requirement that they establish escrow accounts for the first five years of "high-priced" mortgage loans, if the lender holds the loan on its own balance sheet for three years after the loan is made, and it exempts companies that service up to 30,000 mortgage loans from current loan servicing and escrow account administration requirements.
Merger & Acquisition Firms - HR477
The measure would exempt from SEC registration requirements certain firms that broker mergers and acquisitions and assist in the transfer of ownership of small, privately owned businesses — if the transactions meet certain criteria. Republicans say that exempting those firms from SEC registration requirements will help preserve jobs since those brokers play a critical role in helping small, privately held businesses transition to new owners.
Extend Federal Government Funding - HJRES123
The House will vote on legislation to extend funding the federal government through Dec. 22, 2017.