HOW DID OUR REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATORS VOTE LAST WEEK?

August 4, 2014
Alabama's 5th Congressional District:
Editor's Note: Both chambers are in recess until the week of Sept. 8

Recent Senate Votes
McDonald Nomination - Confirmation - Vote Confirmed (97-0, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate voted to confirm President Barack Obama's nomination of Robert Alan McDonald of Ohio to be secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sen. Richard Shelby voted YES
Sen. Jeff Sessions voted YES

Veterans Benefits - Conference Report - Vote Agreed to (91-3, 6 Not Voting)

The Senate voted to adopt the conference report on a bill that would provide for $10 billion in emergency spending for care at non-Veterans Affairs facilities and allow veterans to obtain health care at such facilities if they live more than 40 miles from a VA clinic or can't get an appointment at a VA clinic within 30 days. It would provide for $5 billion in spending for expedited authority to hire more doctors, nurses and other health care professionals and would authorize leases for the opening of 27 new VA health facilities. The bill is cleared for the president’s signature.

Sen. Richard Shelby voted YES
Sen. Jeff Sessions voted NO

Highway Trust Fund Reauthorization - Motion to Recede - Vote Agreed to (81-13, 6 Not Voting)

The Senate voted to agree to a motion to recede from the Senate amendment and thus clear for the president’s signature a bill that would reauthorize the federal-aid highway and transit programs for eight months, through May 31, 2015, and transfer $10.8 billion in other federal funds to the Highway Trust Fund to cover projected trust fund shortfalls.

Sen. Richard Shelby voted YES
Sen. Jeff Sessions voted NO

Recent House Votes
Veterans Benefits - Conference Report - Vote Passed (420-5, 7 Not Voting)

The House voted to suspend the rules and adopt the conference report on a bill that would authorize $10 billion in emergency spending for care at non-Veterans Affairs facilities and allow veterans to obtain health care at such facilities if they live more than 40 miles from a VA clinic or can't get an appointment at a VA clinic within 30 days. It would provide $5 billion for expedited authority to hire more doctors, nurses and other health care professionals and would authorize leases for the opening of 27 new VA health facilities.

Rep. Mo Brooks voted YES

Litigation Against President - Adoption - Vote Passed (225-201, 6 Not Voting)

The House voted to adopt a resolution that would authorize the speaker of the House to file a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the House against the president and other administration officials for failing "to act in a manner consistent with that official's duties under the Constitution and laws of the United States" to implement provisions of the 2010 health care overhaul or related laws.

Rep. Mo Brooks voted YES

Supplemental Border Appropriations - Passage - Vote Passed (223-189, 20 Not Voting)
The House voted to pass a bill that would provide $694 million for federal agencies involved in border control and the housing and care of unaccompanied migrant children apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border for the rest of fiscal 2014, including $405 million for Homeland Security Department border security and law enforcement activities.

Rep. Mo Brooks voted YES