CongressionalWatch

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending Sept. 28

WASHINGTON – Alabama’s congressional delegation had an “odd man out” on more votes than usual last week. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, broke from the delegation on a couple of the week’s biggest votes, including on universal savings accounts, which would allow more types of tax-exempt investments but cost the treasury more than $21 billion over 10 years. She also voted against bringing the Violence Against Women Act up for debate in the House at that time. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, also found himself on the other side of a vote on the proposed $854 billion spending bill; Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, also split from the delegation on a bill to fund aviation programs, disaster aid and FEMA. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, also broke ranks and voted against confirming Peter Feldman’s nomination to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Read more about how area congressmen voted on key issues in the week ending Sept. 28.

by Voterama in Congress

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending Sept. 14

WASHINGTON – Alabama’s U.S. senators and representatives, with the exception of Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, threw their support behind a $147 billion appropriations bills for next year. The bill increases money for veterans’ programs and includes money for energy and water programs, including a revolving loan fund to help communities upgrade drinking-water systems and outlays to help schools replace lead-poisoned drinking fountains. Read how area members of Congress voted on major issues during the week ending Sept. 14.

by Voterama in Congress

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending Sept. 7

WASHINGTON – Alabama’s House delegation voted together, and with the vast majority of other representatives, to pass a bill that would require couseling of parents and students participating in federal student-loan programs. Students receiving loans and Pell grants also would have to go through online counseling on their loan obligations. The House split, however, on a proposal to expand the bill to offer specialized counseling for veterans. Rep. Terri Sewell, Alabama’s only Democratic representative, also was the only member of the state’s delegation who voted in favor of the proposed provision, which failed. Here's how area members of Congress voted on that and other major issues during the week ending Sept. 7. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending Aug. 31

WASHINGTON – Alabama’s senators, Republican Richard Shelby and Democrat Doug Jones, were united this week on nominees who went to the Senate for confirmation. Here's a breakdown of the votes during the week ending Aug. 31. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending Aug. 24

Alabama’s senators split votes on a proposal to defund Planned Parenthood, with Republican Richard Shelby voting for a measure to remove the group from a budget bill and Democrat Doug Jones voting to retain funding. The proposal failed. However, the overall catchall funding bill passed with support of both of the state’s senators. Here are their votes on major issues in the week ending Aug. 24. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending Aug. 17

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate last week took up two of President Trump’s appointments to the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Both of Alabama’s senators – Republican Richard Shelby and Democrat Doug Jones – joined the majority to confirm the appointments. The Senate also unanimously agreed to condemn President Trump's attacks on the U.S. news media. Here's the detail on how Alabama’s senators voted on major issues in the week ending Aug.17. The House was in recess. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending July 20, 2018

WASHINGTON – Alabama’s members of the U.S. House of Representatives split along party lines when voting on a Republican statement of opposition to a tax on the use of coal, natural gas and petroleum products. All three are produced in different areas of Alabama, but the state also has had to grapple with pollution caused by the production and use of fossil fuels. The House approved the Republican statement opposing the tax, which was a nonbinding statement expressing the House’s opinion on the issue. Here's how area members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending July 20. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending July 13, 2018

WASHINGTON – How Alabama’s members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending July 13.

by Voterama in Congress

Sen. Jones Proposes Easier Access and a Central Clearinghouse for Civil Rights Cold Cases

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones introduced a bill on Tuesday that would make it easier to obtain records for unsolved civil rights cases. The proposed legislation, the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018, would mandate that criminal civil rights records held by the government be gathered and maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection would be available for public viewing. The proposal also would establish a Civil Rights Records Review Board, made up of impartial citizens, that would facilitate the review and transfer of records going into the collection. Jones said the improved accessibility would allow a wider range of people to participate more easily in unearthing details related to unsolved civil rights cases, many of which are more than 50 years old. Read more.

by Cheryl Slocum

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending June 8

WASHINGTON – Here's how area members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending June 8.

by Voterama in Congress