Capitol link: How Arizona officials voted last week in Congress

HOUSE

ZIKA VIRUS, TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING: Voting 239 for and 171 against, the House on June 23 approved the conference report on a GOP-drafted bill (HR 2577) that would appropriate $56.5 billion in fiscal 2017 discretionary spending for transportation, housing and other programs. The bill’s $1.1 billion outlay for countering the mosquito-borne Zika virus drew Democratic opposition because much of the money would be carved out of other health-care programs. The bill would bar Planned Parenthood funding of Zika-related reproductive care.

Overall, the bill would fund initiatives such as airport improvements, air-traffic control, maritime programs, highway safety, mass transit, Amtrak, public and elderly housing and Community Development Block Grants to cities. Separately, the bill would release $44 billion from the Highway Trust Fund for road and bridge repairs and new construction in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

There was no debate on this appropriations measure.

A yes vote was to approve the conference report.

Voting yes: Martha McSally, R-2; Paul Gosar, R-4; Matt Salmon, R-5; David Schweikert, R-6; Trent Franks, R-8; Kyrsten Sinema, D-9.

Voting no: Ann Kirkpatrick, D-1; Raul Grijalva, D-3; and Ruben Gallego, D-7.

STANDARDS FOR FINANCIAL ADVISERS: Voting 239 for and 180 against, the House on June 22 failed to reach a two-thirds majority for overriding President Obama’s veto of legislation concerning fiduciary standards for financial advisers. The vetoed measure (HJ Res 88) sought to kill a new Department of Labor requirement that advisers to retirement and pension plans put their clients’ financial interests ahead of their own. The upshot of this vote is that the DOL regulation will take effect on schedule in April 2017.

There was no debate on this veto-override measure.

A yes vote was in opposition to the fiduciary rule for financial advisers.

Voting yes: McSally, Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert, Franks.

Voting no: Kirkpatrick, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema.

CELL SERVICE FOR LOW-INCOME USERS: Voting 207 for and 143 against, the House on June 21 failed to reach a two-thirds majority for passing a bill (HR 5525) scaling back a program that provides nearly 10 million low-income persons with discounted telephone service. President Ronald Reagan began the Lifeline Program for land-line service, and President George W. Bush expanded it to include cell service. This bill would end the cell-service component. The program’s budget of more than $1 billion is financed through the Universal Service Fee on consumer phone bills.

Austin Scott, R-Ga., said consumers “should not be forced to pay for a program that is unquestionably riddled with waste, fraud and abuse.”

Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said: “Children from low-income homes use Lifeline to help do their homework. Seniors use it to manage their health care. ...Victims of domestic violence use it to find the help and support they need.”

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert.

Voting no: Kirkpatrick, McSally, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema.

Not voting: Franks.

SENATE

GUNS, EXPLOSIVES, TERROR LISTS: By a vote of 47 for and 53 against, the Senate on June 20 defeated a Democratic-sponsored measure to prohibit the sale of firearms or explosives to individuals on the FBI’s terrorism watch list and related lists of persons known to have or are suspected to have links to terrorism. Such sales are now legal. Federal law-enforcement and intelligence agencies maintain several watch and no-fly lists that reportedly contain the names of more than 800,000 foreigners and American citizens. The amendment was offered to a budget bill (HR 2578) that awaited final passage.

Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said: “With ISIL intent on perpetrating and inspiring attacks in this country, there is an increased urgency to make it harder for terrorists to get their hands on guns.”

John Cornyn, R-Texas, said: “We really should not be focusing on restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens under the Second Amendment without due process of law. That is what (this) amendment does.”

A yes vote was backed the Democratic amendment.

Voting yes: None.

Voting no: John McCain, R; Jeff Flake, R.

72-HOUR DELAY OF GUN SALES: By a vote of 53 for and 47 against, the Senate on June 20 failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a GOP-drafted amendment to HR 2578 (above) that sought to delay sales of firearms for up to 72 hours if the purchaser’s name is on FBI terrorism watch or no-fly lists. To block an impending sale, federal attorneys would have to obtain a court order against it within the 72 hours.

Cornyn said: “We all agree that terrorists should not be able to purchase a weapon. ... The question before us is whether we are going to do so in a way that is constitutional.”

Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the amendment “would force the Department of Justice to go to court to stop a suspected terrorist from getting a weapon.”

A yes vote was to advance the GOP amendment.

Voting yes: McCain, Flake.

Voting no: None.

COMPROMISE GUN MEASURE: Voting 46 for and 52 against, the Senate on June 23 failed to table (kill) a compromise amendment to HR 2578 (above) that would require background checks of buyers who are named in the FBI’s no-fly list or receive extra preflight screening The amendment was much narrower than a competing Democratic plan (above) and lacked a rival GOP plan’s requirement (above) that prosecutors must go to court to block specific sales to those on watch lists.

A yes vote was to quash the only bipartisan gun amendment before the Senate.

Voting yes: McCain.

Voting no: Flake.

GUN DENIALS, CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: Voting 67 for and 31 against, the Senate on June 23 tabled (killed) an amendment that was similar to a compromise gun measure (above) except that it required advance court approval of government actions to block gun sales based on entries in terrorism watch and no-fly lists. By contrast, the bipartisan compromise allowed those denied gun purchases to appeal the decision only after the fact.

Tabling supporter Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., said: “Let’s not only support the Constitution but the oath we took to defend all people against enemies, foreign and domestic.”

Referring to constitutional gun rights, sponsor Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said: “My amendment simply adds due process on the front end.”

A yes vote was to kill the amendment to HR 2578.

Voting yes: Flake.

Voting no: McCain.

INTERNET SURVEILLANCE WITHOUT WARRANTS: The Senate on June 22 failed, 58 for and 38 against, to advance a measure extending the reach of FBI National Security Letters to allow searches without warrants of internet usage by Americans who are suspected of having links to terrorism. Recipients of these letters (internet service providers in this case) are prohibited from ever mentioning them. Backers said the amendment would give the FBI an important tool in real time for monitoring home-grown terrorists and their contacts at home and abroad before they strike, while foes called it a gross violation of Fourth Amendment privacy protections. The amendment was proposed to HR 2578 (above).

Cornyn said that “because of an inadvertent omission in the law, the FBI can’t readily access the exact kind of information ISIS is using to recruit and radicalize violent extremists lurking in our midst. ...

“Why in the world wouldn’t we want to make sure we provide all the information under our constitutional laws that could be available to law enforcement to identify these people before they kill?”

Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the amendment would authorize warrantless scrutiny of “websites Americans have visited; extensive information on who Americans communicate with through email, chat and text messages; and where and when Americans log onto the internet and into social media accounts. ... Highly revealing details about Americans’ personal lives.”

A yes vote was to advance the amendment.

Voting yes: McCain, Flake.

Voting no: None.

EXPANDED GUN-BACKGROUND CHECKS: The Senate on June 20 defeated, 44 for and 56 against, a Democratic-sponsored measure to require criminal and mental-health background checks of buyers in virtually all commercial transactions, including gun-show and online sales. A yes vote was to close the so-called “gun show loophole,” which allows a large share of U.S. firearms sales to bypass the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

Sponsor Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said his amendment is needed because “terrorist recruiters are specifically instructing would-be terrorists to go into gun shops and to gun shows and walk out with assault weapons.”

Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said: “Taking away a fundamental constitutional right based on a flawed list and the attorney general’s suspicion can’t be called closing a terrorist loophole.”

A yes vote was to expand background checks on gun sales.

Voting yes: None.

Voting no: McCain, Flake.

FUNDING BOOST FOR BACKGROUND CHECKS: Voting 53 for and 47 against, the Senate on June 20 turned back a Republican attempt to increase funding for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and remove names thought to have been erroneously entered into the system. This amendment to HR 2578 (above) needed 60 votes to advance.

Grassley said the NICS “is only as good as the data it contains, with accuracy and completeness being paramount.”

Murphy said the amendment “would take people off the ... list (and) allow people who were leaving a psychiatric institution to buy a weapon the next day.”

A yes vote was to advance the GOP amendment.

Voting yes: McCain.

Voting no: Flake.