December 7, 2015
In this MegaVote for Hawaii's 1st & 2nd Congressional Districts:
Recent Congressional Votes
- Senate: Budget Reconciliation – Passage
- Senate: Surface Transportation Reauthorization-- Passage
- House: Fiscal 2016 Intelligence Authorization -- Passage
- House: EPA Existing Power Plant Rule Disapproval -- Passage
- House: EPA New and Retrofitted Power Plant Rule Disapproval -- Passage
- House: K-12 Education Reauthorization -- Passage
- House: Energy Security and Infrastructure Overhaul -- Passage
- House: Surface Transportation Reauthorization-- Passage
Upcoming Congressional Bills
- Senate: K-12 Education Reauthorization
- House: Red River Private Property Protection
Recent Senate Votes
Budget Reconciliation – Passage - Vote Passed (52-47, 1 Not Voting)
The Senate passed the bill that repeals large portions of the 2010 health care overhaul law and cuts off federal funding to Planned Parenthood for one year. Specifically, it zeroes-out the law's penalties for noncompliance with the law's requirements for most individuals to obtain health coverage and employers to offer health insurance. It scraps the law's Medicaid expansion in 2018, as well as subsidies to help individuals buy coverage through the insurance exchanges. It also eliminates certain taxes included in the law, including the tax on certain high-value employer-sponsored health insurance plans.
Sen. Brian Schatz voted NO
Sen. Mazie Hirono voted NO
Surface Transportation Reauthorization-- Passage - Vote Agreed to (83-16, 1 Not Voting)
The Senate cleared the conference report on the bill that reauthorizes federal highway and transit programs for five years, through fiscal 2020, at increased funding levels to begin addressing the nation's transportation infrastructure needs. It transfers more than $70 billion from Treasury's general fund and other funds to cover projected shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund over that time and fully fund the measure's estimated $305 billion cost. The measure also reauthorizes Amtrak and restructures its funding to reflect its major lines of business, renews the charter for the Export-Import Bank and rolls back a reduction in the crop insurance program.
Sen. Brian Schatz voted YES
Sen. Mazie Hirono voted YES
Recent House Votes
Fiscal 2016 Intelligence Authorization -- Passage - Vote Passed (364-58, 11 Not Voting)
The chamber passed a bill that authorizes classified amounts in fiscal 2016 for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities of the U.S. government, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the CIA and the National Security Agency (NSA), as well as foreign intelligence activities of the Defense Department, FBI, State Department, Homeland Security Department and other agencies.
Rep. Mark Takai voted Not Voting
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO
EPA Existing Power Plant Rule Disapproval -- Passage - Vote Passed (242-180, 11 Not Voting)
The House agreed to a joint resolution expressing disapproval of the rule submitted by the EPA concerning carbon emissions at existing power plants.
Rep. Mark Takai voted Not Voting
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO
EPA New and Retrofitted Power Plant Rule Disapproval -- Passage - Vote Passed (235-188, 10 Not Voting)
The House agreed to a joint resolution expressing disapproval of the rule submitted by the EPA concerning carbon emissions at new and retrofitted power plants.
Rep. Mark Takai voted Not Voting
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO
K-12 Education Reauthorization -- Passage - Vote Passed (359-64, 10 Not Voting)
The chamber agreed to the conference report on the bill that reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 for four years, through fiscal 2020, and modifies programs and policies throughout the law with the overall goal of giving states, school districts, schools, teachers and parents greater control over all aspects of elementary and secondary education. It maintains some federal oversight of state programs through the Education Department's ability to approve state plans for the use of federal funds, but it places strong restrictions on department actions and control.
Rep. Mark Takai voted Not Voting
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted YES
Energy Security and Infrastructure Overhaul -- Passage - Vote Passed (249-174, 10 Not Voting)
The House passed legislation which promotes the accelerated development and construction of natural gas pipelines and hydropower projects by increasing the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and requiring the agency to set hard deadlines for environmental reviews and permitting, and by requiring the designation of at least 10 corridors across federal lands in the Eastern U.S. where pipelines could be built. It also includes numerous provisions intended to increase the security and reliability of the nation's electrical power grid; revises national energy efficiency standards and requires the Energy Department to expedite decisions on applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Rep. Mark Takai voted Not Voting
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted NO
Surface Transportation Reauthorization-- Passage - Vote Passed (359-65, 9 Not Voting)
The House adopted the conference report on the bill that reauthorizes federal highway and transit programs for five years, through fiscal 2020, at increased funding levels to begin addressing the nation's transportation infrastructure needs. It transfers more than $70 billion from Treasury's general fund and other funds to cover projected shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund over that time and fully fund the measure's estimated $305 billion cost. The measure also reauthorizes Amtrak and restructures its funding to reflect its major lines of business, renews the charter for the Export-Import Bank and rolls back a reduction in the crop insurance program.
Rep. Mark Takai voted Not Voting
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted YES
Upcoming Votes
K-12 Education Reauthorization - S1177
The measure would reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 for four years, through fiscal 2020, and modify programs and policies throughout the law with the overall goal of giving states, school districts, schools, teachers and parents greater control over all aspects of elementary and secondary education. It would maintain some federal oversight of state programs through the Education Department's ability to approve state plans for the use of federal funds, but would place strong restrictions on department actions and control.
Red River Private Property Protection - HR2130
The bill would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell to current and adjacent landowners the roughly 30,000 acres of federal land along the Red River, which forms part of the border between Texas and Oklahoma.