Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week (Oct. 29-Nov. 4):
House votes
Lumbee Recognition Act (HR 2758) — Sponsored by Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), this bill federally recognizes the Lumbee Indian tribe in North Carolina, with associated member eligibility for benefits and the potential formation of a tribal reservation. Butterfield said the Lumbee’s case for recognition was not in dispute, so “it is long past time for Congress to give the Lumbee the respect they deserve and to treat them with the fundamental fairness that has been withheld for so many years.” The vote passed on Nov. 1, 357-59.
Derek Kilmer (D-WA, 6th) Yes
Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act (HR 1975) — Sponsored by Rep. Darrell E. Issa (R-Calif.), the House passed this bill to have 721 acres in San Diego County, Calif., already owned by the Pala Band designated as part of the band’s reservation. The vote passed on Nov. 2, 397-25.
Kilmer Yes
Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act (HR 4881) — Sponsored by Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz), the bill would assign to the Pascua Yaqui Indian tribal reservation certain lands in Pima County, Ariz. Grijalva said it “will raise the tribal standard of living, improve system coordination and integration of service delivery, and promote the ongoing transmission of Yaqui knowledge, culture, history, and traditions for future generations.” The vote passed on Nov. 2, 375-45.
Kilmer Yes
Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act (HR 2088) — Sponsored by Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), this legislation adds 76 acres of land, including two memorials and one museum, to the Eastern Band’s reservation. The vote passed on Nov. 2, 407-16.
Kilmer Yes
Investing in Main Street Act (HR 4256) — Sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), this bill increases the amount of money that banks can invest in small business investment companies, which fund small companies. Chu said the change “will deliver more investments and more financing to our small businesses for whom even small investments can mean so much.” The vote passed on Nov. 2, 413-10.
Kilmer Yes
The House has passed a resolution (H. Res. 760), sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), to call for Cuba’s government to release arbitrarily detained citizens and stop repressing the citizenry. Schultz said the resolution would “send a message to the brave Cubans who are desperately yearning for freedom and legitimate self-governance: The American people are firmly by your side.” An opponent, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said Congress should instead “have an honest debate about a new Cuban policy that talks about and supports what real human rights for the Cuban people mean.” The vote passed on Nov. 3, 382-40
Kilmer Yes
Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform Act (S 1064) — Sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), this bill would direct U.S. diplomacy to be used to encourage free, fair elections in Nicaragua on Nov. 7 and uphold human rights in the country. A supporter, Rep. Theodore Deutch (D-Fla.), said the bill “makes clear that the United States will not sit by quietly as another country in our hemisphere slides further away from our democratic values.” The vote passed on Nov. 3, 387-35.
Kilmer Yes
Protect Older Job Applicants Act (H.R. 3992) — Sponsored by Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas), this bill bars potential employers from limiting, segregating or classifying job applicants based on their age. Garcia said “some hiring practices might seem age-neutral on their face, but they actually impact job applicants that are older disproportionately.” An opponent, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said the bill “abandons congressional precedence and imprudently allows disparate impact claims by job applicants.” The vote passed on Nov. 4, 224-200.
Kilmer Yes
Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act (HR 1339) — Sponsored by Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), this legislation establishes an inter-agency working group in the Transportation Department that will support advanced air mobility, a term that refers to small airplanes with vertical takeoff and landing capacity and electric propulsion. A supporter, Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), said the new aviation technology could “connect cities, towns, and neighborhoods all across the country in a very safe, quiet, and environmentally friendly way.” The vote passed on Nov. 4, 383-41.
Kilmer Yes
Senate votes
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Beth Robinson to serve as a judge on the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Robinson has been a justice on the Vermont Supreme Court since 2011. A supporter, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., said: “Her unwavering, decade-long dedication as a jurist and her loyalty to the law above all else has made Beth Robinson an outstanding Vermont Supreme Court justice.” The vote passed on Nov. 1, 51-45.
Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Yes
Patty Murray (D-WA) Yes
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Toby J. Heytens to serve as a judge on the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Heytens, Virginia’s solicitor general since 2018, was previously a law professor at the University of Virginia and lawyer in the U.S. Solicitor General’s Office. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called Heytens “an accomplished appellate advocate, with a depth of experience and a fair-mindedness that would make him an asset to the Fourth Circuit.” The vote passed on Nov. 1, 53-43.
Cantwell Yes
Murray Yes
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Isobel Coleman to be deputy administrator for policy and programming at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Coleman has been a longtime senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a policy ambassador to the United Nations during President Obama’s second term. A supporter, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., called Coleman “a well-known and trusted foreign affairs professional, and I am confident she will execute her duties with distinction.” The vote passed on Nov. 3, 59-39.
Cantwell Yes
Murray Yes
The Senate rejected a cloture motion to end debate on a motion to consider the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (S. 4), sponsored by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt. The bill would change the criteria for federal review of changes to voting procedures by state and local governments by requiring those governments to seek federal pre-approval, before making changes, if they are found to have violated voting rights too many times in the past 25 years. The vote failed on Nov. 3, 50-49, with a three-fifths majority required to end debate.
Cantwell Yes
Murray Yes
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Jeffrey Prieto to serve as general counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency. Prieto was the Agriculture Department’s general counsel in the Obama administration’s second term; currently, he is general counsel for the Los Angeles Community College District. A supporter, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said Prieto “has the intellect, temperament, and experience to serve in this important role.” The vote passed on Nov. 3, 54-44
Cantwell Yes
Murray Yes
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Rajesh Nayak to serve as assistant secretary for policy at the Labor Department. Nayak, a senior official at the agency during the Obama administration, this year returned to the agency as a senior advisor. A supporter, Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, said: “As an advocate and a policymaker, he has shown time and again his commitment to empowering workers, supporting families, and advancing equity.” The vote passed on Nov. 3, 52-45.
Cantwell Yes
Murray Yes
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Robert Santos to serve as director of the U.S. Census Bureau for a term ending at the close of 2026. A supporter, Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said Santos, currently vice president of the Urban Institute, “brings over 40 years of experience in both the public and private sectors as a manager and expert in the field of survey design and statistical research.” The vote passed on Nov. 4, 58-35
Cantwell Yes
Murray Yes
