I voted “yes” on H.Res 599. This resolution urges the government of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) to respect the freedom of assembly, expression, and religion and all fundamental human rights and the rule of law for all its citizens and to stop censoring discussion of the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations and their violent suppression. In addition to concealing information about Tiananmen Square, the PRC continues to harass and detain peaceful human rights advocates, including over 1,300 prisoners of conscience. The bill passed 379-1. I voted “yes” on H.R. 503 - the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial Act. This bill authorizes the National Desert Storm Memorial Association to establish a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate and honor those who served on active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield. No federal funding can be used for the memorial. I was a cosponsor of this bill to honor the sacrifices of our brave service members who fought in these wars. The bill passed 370-0. I voted “yes” on H.R. 4660 - making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015. This bill reduces spending by almost $400 million compared to FY2014 enacted levels. The bill includes a number of significant policy items including Second Amendment protections and pro-life provisions. Also, the bill places an emphasis on combating human trafficking. The bill passed 321-87. I voted “no” on H.R. 4681 - Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015. I support the work our intelligence community does to keep this country safe. However, I am deeply concerned by recent revelations of the NSA and other intelligence agencies committing unethical acts and infringing upon the rights of U.S. citizens. As this bill did not contain sufficient provisions to rein in the intelligence community and preserve the principles upon which this country was founded, I voted “no.” The bill passed 345-59. I voted “yes” on H.R. 4412 - to authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration authorized programs, activities, and reports respecting NASA, including those with regard to human exploration of space, the Space Launch System, the Orion multipurpose crew vehicle, the commercial crew program, the International Space Station (ISS), radioisotope thermoelectric generators, extrasolar planet exploration, the James Webb Space Telescope, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope, near-Earth objects, space weather, the Deep Space Climate Observatory, land imaging remote sensing data, aeronautics research, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, project and program reserves, and orbital debris mitigation. NASA has played an integral part in our technological development, and space travel is important to the future of mankind. The bill passed 401-2. I voted “yes” on H.R. 4810 -the Veteran Access to Care Act of 2014. This bill allows veterans who have waited longer than 30 days for an appointment or live over 40 miles from the nearest VHA facility to seek non-VA healthcare. Fifty-seven thousand of our veterans are currently waiting for healthcare due to the VA’s inability to schedule them properly. This bill is a solution to the VHA backlog and ensures that our veterans will never again have to suffer while waiting months for a primary healthcare visit. The bill passed 426-0. I voted “yes” on H.R. 4745 - making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015. While I wish that there could have been more reforms to how we pay for infrastructure spending, such as the ROAR Act (H.R. 4945) that I have introduced and the Transportation Empowerment Act (H.R 3264) that I have cosponsored, one of the biggest concerns I hear about from my constituents is road funding. I voted yes, and the bill passed 229-192. I voted “yes” on H.R. 4457 – the America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2014. This bill enables businesses to expense up to $500,000 of investments in new equipment and property per year for tax purposes. Immediate expensing, rather than depreciating over a multi-year period, helps business owners invest in new equipment and expand their businesses. The bill passed 272-144. I voted “yes” on H.R. 4453 – the S Corporation Permanent Tax Relief Act of 2014. The bill provides a permanent five-year recognition period for built-in-gains of an S corporation. Additionally, the bill makes permanent the treatment of certain basis adjustments for S corporations making charitable contributions of property. The bill passed 263-155. I voted “yes” on H.Res. 617 - Condemning the abduction of female students by armed militants from the terrorist group known as Boko Haram in northeastern provinces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resolution expresses support for the families of the girls that were abducted and calls for their immediate release. The resolution also supports initiatives to promote the human rights of women and girls in Nigeria, and encourages the President to provide Congress with a comprehensive strategy to counter growing threats of radical Islamist terrorist groups in parts of Africa. The resolution passed 411-2. I voted “yes” on H.R. 3375 - to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be constructed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the “PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic”. Floyd K. Lindstrom (June 21, 1912 – February 3, 1944) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the militarys highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. The bill passed 396-0. I voted “yes” on H.R. 1671 - to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Dublin, California, as the “James ’Jim’ Kohnen Post Office”. Dr. Kohnen retired from the U.S. Army Reserves as a Colonel in the Corps of Engineers after 30 years of service. He volunteered for a variety of service organizations in the East Bay, CA, and served as an elected or appointed official on five local boards. Dr. Kohnen passed away on May 29, 2012.The bill passed 398-0. I voted “yes” on H.R. 4870 - Making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015. This bill provides the necessary resources to protect our service members and maintain a strong national defense. I support our military and was proud to vote “yes” on H.R. 4870. The bill passed 340-73. I voted “yes” on S. 1044 – the World War II Memorial Prayer Act. The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to install at the World War II Memorial an inscription of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s D-Day Prayer. On the morning of June 6, 1944, the day Americans stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, President Roosevelt addressed the nation with this prayer. The bill prohibits the use of federal funds and allows the Secretary to accept private donations for the project. The bill passed 370-12. I voted “yes” on H.R. 316 (concur in the Senate Amendment) – the Collinsville Renewable Energy Production Act. The Senate amendment to H.R. 316 authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reinstate terminated hydroelectric licenses for two projects in Canton, Connecticut at the town’s request. The bill passed 379-3. I voted “yes” on H.R. 4413 – the Customer Protection and End User Relief Act. This bill reauthorizes the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) which regulates the derivatives market (futures and swaps). This bill provides certain regulatory relief from Dodd-Frank provisions that negatively impact end-users, such as farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, who utilize these products to hedge risk. Also, H.R. 4413 ensures that the agency performs cost-benefit studies and considers feedback from stakeholders when creating regulations. The bill passed 265-144. I voted “yes” on H.R. 3301 – the North American Energy Infrastructure Act. This important piece of legislation promotes the construction of cross-border oil and natural gas pipelines. It improves the efficiency of the approval process by eliminating red tape and burdensome regulations. In recent years, U.S. and Canadian production has increased, and facilitating the transportation, import, and export of natural gas and oil is important to growing our economy. The bill passed 238-173. I voted “yes” on H.R. 4899 – the Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act. This bill provides for the expansion of onshore energy production, cuts red tape, and streamlines the permitting process. Increased production can mean lower prices at the pump, for heating, for transportation, and for goods. The bill provides for timely approval of permits, requires new lease sales, and reforms the onshore permitting process. The bill contains provisions for increased offshore production, as well. Reducing the amount of imported oil and gas is important for U.S. energy security, and this legislation helps to achieve energy independence. The bill passed 229-185.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 19:45:18 +0000