Sep 28, 2024
We’re making it easy for you to judge the job performances of your members of Congress! In this episode, Jen tells you about a list of single issue votes that were taken in the House and Senate during the 118th Congress. Most importantly, we gave you all the information you need to find your members’ voting records in this episode’s show notes. You can find your 2024 Congressional Election Study guide in the episode 301 show notes on www.congressionaldish.com. Happy voting!
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FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATORS
Enacted Laws
H.R. 7888: Reforming Intelligence and Security America Act (FISA Reauthorization)
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Congressional Dish Episode: CD291: Warrantless Spying Continues
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Senate Vote Breakdown ← find how your Senator voted here
Effects of H.R. 7888:
Expands the number of people allowed to be legally spied on by the U.S. government and the number of people with information stored in the FISA database (which has information about Americans whose data has been collected along with information about foreigners).
- It does so by…
- Giving the Department of Justice (DOJ) permission to search the FISA database to vet foreigners who are applying for tourist visas to visit the United States and
- Expanding the definition of ‘foreign intelligence’ to include counter narcotics targets.
Expands the number of companies who get legal immunity for turning our information over to the government by expanding the definition of “electronic communications service provider”.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is no longer legally allowed to search the FISA database solely to find evidence of a crime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is prohibited from using uncorroborated information from political groups or anonymous sources in press reports to get FISA warrants.
Limits the number of people within the government who are allowed to search through the database.
Background Sources for H.R. 7888:
“FISA Section 702: A One Page Overview.” INTEL.gov.
“Statement of Michael E. Horowitz Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance concerning ‘Fixing FISA: How a Law Designed to Protect Americans Has Been Weaponized Against Them.’” Michael Horowitz. April 27, 2023. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General.
“An apology to Carter Page.” Jonathan Turley. December 14, 2019. The Hill.
“Is the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Really a Rubber Stamp?: Ex Parte Proceedings and the FISC Win Rate” Conor Clarke. February 2014. Stanford Law Review.
“The Biggs Amendment” to H.R. 7888 [failed]
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Intended Effect of the Biggs Amendment:
Would require U.S. government officials to get a warrant before searching through the FISA database for information about U.S. citizens or companies, with emergency exceptions.
H.R.7521 - Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act
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Congressional Dish Episode: CD289: The Not a Tik Tok Ban Bill
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Effects of H.R. 7521:
It is now illegal for companies to provide internet hosting services, distribute, and/or update “foreign adversary controlled applications”, websites, or games, which are partially owned by a foreign person and are determined by the President - with no proof required - to pose “a significant threat to the national security of the United States.”
Establishes a process that allows companies to host, distribute, and/or update if the app, website, or game changes ownership.
If companies host, distribute, and/or update the targeted apps, websites, or games, the companies are subject to fines that - depending on the user base of the targeted app, website, or game - can be hundreds of billions of dollars.
H.R. 8034: Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act [Enacted via H.R. 815]
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Intended Effects of H.R. 8034:
Provide almost $26 billion to Israel.
- 64% of the money would be for war expenses
- 35% of the money would be for humanitarian purposes
- Less than 1% of the money would be for diplomatic expenses
Provide $400 million for FEMA
Background Sources for H.R. 8034:
“Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 194.” April 17, 2024. Al Jazeera.
“A top U.N. court says Gaza genocide is 'plausible' but does not order cease-fire.” Fatima Al-Kassab. January 26, 2024. NPR.
H.R. 8035: Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act [Enacted via H.R. 815]
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Intended Effects of H.R. 8035:
Provide over $60 billion for Ukraine (and other neighboring countries)
- 83% of the money would be for war expenses
- 16.5% of the money would be for humanitarian expenses
- Less than 0.5% of the money would be for diplomatic expenses
Provide $341 million for production of nuclear weapons materials and nuclear nonproliferation programs
House Bills
H.R. 7023: Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act [Passed House]
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Intended Effects of H.R. 7023:
Double the length of permits to discharge pollutants in waterways from 5 years to 10 years
Removes the EPA administrators ability to prohibit discharges in specific disposal sites if he determines that the discharge of materials will have an unacceptable adverse effect on municipal water supplies, shellfish beds and fishery areas, wildlife, or recreational areas after a disposal permit has been issued.
Creates nationwide permits to allow for transmission projects for people, water, wastewater, carbon dioxide, fuel, and oil and gas pipelines that do not result in a “loss greater than 1/2 acre of waters of the United States for each single and complete project”
- In reissuing these nationwide permits, the EPA would not be required to consult with a state nor any other Federal agency and these permits will get to short cut environmental assessments that are required by the National Environmental Policy Act.
Limits judicial review
- Puts a 60 day time limit after the permit is issued for a judicial review
- Doesn’t allow anyone who didn’t file a comment during the public comment period to file a lawsuit. If someone did file a comment, they may not file a lawsuit about anything that they didn’t address in their comment.
- Prohibits the court from vacating, revoking, or limiting the permit unless the court finds that the activities authorized “present an imminent and substantial danger to human health or the environment for which there is not other equitable remedy available under the law’
Approves an end-of-Trump administration EPA approval for Florida to administer Clean Water Act permitting.
Background Sources for H.R. 7023:
“EPA uses rare veto to block Alaska copper, gold mine plan.” Becky Bohrer and Patrick Whittle. January 31, 2023. PBS News.
“Appeals Court Upholds EPA Veto of Spruce No. 1 Mountaintop Removal Mine Permit.” July 19, 2016. Earthjustice.
“Stopping A Massive Mountaintop Removal Coal Mine.” Earthjustice.
H.R. 1435: Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act [Passed House]
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Intended Effects of H.R. 1435:
Prohibit states from banning fossil fuel burning internal combustion engines in cars and trucks.
Effectively revokes the EPA waiver that allows California to ban the sale of fossil fuel burning cars.
Background Sources for H.R. 1435:
“California to Ban All Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles by 2035.” Jeff St. John. September 23, 2020. Greentech Media.
42 U.S. Code § 7543 - State standards
H.R. 7176: Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024 [Passed House]
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Intended effects of H.R. 7176:
Give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the “exclusive authority” to approve or deny applications to export natural gas from the United States to a foreign country, which eliminates requirements for Department of Energy approval and provisions to address free trade agreements.
Deems exportation or importation of natural gas to be in the public interest.
Background Sources for H.R. 7176:
“Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor.” September 26, 2024. National Drought Mitigation Center.
“5.1 Magnitude earthquake rattles West Texas down to San Antonio Zachary-Taylor Wright. September 17, 2024. MySA.
“North Texas residents feel tremors from West Texas earthquakes.” Steven Santana. July 23, 2024. MySA.
H.R. 6543: No Hidden FEES Act of 2023 [Passed House]
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Intended Effects of H.R. 6543:
Requires providers of short term lodging (hotels and AirBnBs) and Internet platforms that advertise and sell short term lodging to display the total price including all mandatory fees, except for government taxes and fees.
H.R. 3950: TICKET Act [Passed House]
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Intended Effects of H.R. 3950:
Requires ticket issuers and secondary market ticket issuers to clearly display the total ticket price, including all fees, at the time the ticket price is first displayed and provides an itemized list of charges before the ticket purchasing process is complete.
Prohibits ticket issuers and secondary market ticket issuers from selling tickets that they do not physically possess at the time of sale.
Prohibits secondary ticket issuers from using the word ‘official’ or similar words implying a partnership in their marketing and search engine wording unless they have the consent of the venue, team, or artist.
Requires ticket issuers to provide a refund or a similar ticket to a rescheduled event, with the approval of the customer, if an event is canceled or postponed (except for in case of a natural disaster or other event beyond the ticket issuer’s control).
H.R. 4639: Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act [Passed House]
House Vote Breakdown ← find how your Representative voted here
Intended Effects of H.R. 4639:
Prohibits law enforcement or the intelligence community from buying customer or subscriber information directly from companies or from data brokers.
Any information “illegitimately obtained” is not allowed to be used against us in court.
Has exceptions for FISA surveillance of foreigners.
Limits immunity for companies that comply with surveillance orders and do not stop the surveillance when a court order is denied.
Background Sources for H.R. 4639:
“New documents reveal ‘huge’ scale of US government’s cell phone location data tracking.” Carly Page. July 18, 2022. TechCrunch.
“Report to the Director of National Intelligence.” Senior Advisory Group Panel on Commercially Available Information. January 27, 2022. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
“IRS Used Cellphone Location Data to Try to Find Suspects.” Byron Tau. June 19, 2020. The Wall Street Journal.
Senate Bills
S. 316: A bill to repeal the authorizations for use of military force against Iraq [Passed Senate]
Senate Vote Breakdown ← find how your Senator voted here
Intended Effects of S. 316:
Repeal the authorizations for US military operations in Iraq that were passed in 1991 and 2002.
Background Sources for S. 316:
“Talks to begin on the future of U.S. troop presence in Iraq.” Meghann Myers. January 25, 2024. Military Times.
“Public Law 107-40 [107th Congress]”
S. 4072: A bill to prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce certain rules of the Environmental Protection Agency [Failed Senate]
Senate Vote Breakdown ← find how your Senator voted here
Intended Effects of S. 4072:
To prevent the enforcement of the Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles, which would set stricter standards for fossil fuel burning cars and trucks that would be phased in between model year 2027 and 2032.
- Prohibits enforcement of any similar rule that could be written in the future.
The standards could be met via the production of cleaner fossil fuel powered vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles.
EPA estimates the air pollution reductions would provide ~$13 billion in reduced annual health care costs by preventing the emission of thousands of tons of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds.
EPA estimates the new standards would save Americans $46 billion per year in fuel costs and $16 billion per year due to reduced maintenance and repair costs for drivers, totaling ~$6,000 over the course of a new vehicle’s lifetime.
S. 4445: Right to IVF Act [Filibustered]
Senate Vote Breakdown ← find how your Senator voted here
Intended Effects of S. 4445:
Guarantees an individual’s rights to receive fertility treatment, make decisions regarding the donation, use, storage, and disposal of oocytes, sperm, fertilized eggs and embryos, and enter contracts with health care providers to enact those decisions.
Guarantees a health provider’s right to provide fertility treatments and provide for testing, use, storage, shipping, and disposal of genetic material including oocytes, sperm, fertilized eggs, and embryos.
Guarantees a health insurance provider’s right to cover fertility treatments.
Guarantees a manufacturer’s right to manufacture, import, market, sell, and distribute drugs and devices that are used for fertility treatments.
Allows lawsuits against any State or individual who interferes with the right to fertility treatments by the Attorney General, health care providers, and individuals adversely affected.
This would supersede any State law regardless of when it was enacted and prohibits enforcement of any state law that is in conflict with these rights.
Requires the Department of Defense to provide fertility treatments (specifically three egg retrievals and unlimited embryo transfers) to active duty military members and their spouses.
Requires health plans, Medicaid, and Medicare that cover obstetrical (child birth related) services to also provide coverage for fertility treatments.
Background sources for S. 4445:
“For Duckworth, Preserving I.V.F. Access Is Personal.” Maya C. Miller. September 17, 2024. The New York Times.
“Mobile clinic to end IVF program amid litigation over frozen embryos.” Alander Rocha. April 3, 2024. Alabama Reflector.
“Alabama Supreme Court ruling could end IVF treatments in state.” Alander Rocha. February 19, 2024. Alabama Reflector.
Audio Sources
House Session
March 21, 2024
Clips
Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA): My colleagues have criticized EPA’s use of its Clean Water Act review or veto authority. Yet, the record shows EPA’s use of this authority has been consistent with congressional intent. I see no reason for removing this authority. Since enactment of the Clean Water Act in 1972, EPA has only exercised this authority 14 times—most recently in relation to large-scale mining proposals in Alaska and West Virginia. EPA’s use of this authority has, in fact, been bipartisan. EPA used it 2 times during Democratic administrations and 12 times during Republican administrations.
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO): This bill will cut red tape, strengthen the permitting process in favor of those seeking the permits, provide clarity to the EPA to ensure that they are following what the law intends, and, most importantly, fight back against the militant climate agenda.
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO): Our court system is already being attacked from every angle. Let’s not let the environmentalists continue to manipulate the courts to push their climate religion. It should be an efficient and speedy process so businesses can build the infrastructure that our country depends on.
Rep. David Rouser (R-NC): Mr. Chairman, in closing, I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill, which provides energy predictability and certainty that our utilities, energy, manufacturing, and agricultural industries need to succeed, which are so critical to American greatness in energy, food production, and the manufacturing necessary to improve the standard of living of every American. That is what this is about, Mr. Chairman.
Music
Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito