WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 — Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.
House votes
LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING: The House has rejected the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act (S. 4003), sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. The bill would have the Justice Department develop training and grant programs for law enforcement departments to adopt alternative responses to individuals in a mental, behavioral health, or suicidal crisis. A supporter, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said: “Reforms to law enforcement, including de-escalation training, both improve public safety and reduce crime.” An opponent, Rep. Thomas P. Tiffany, R-Wis., said the programs were a soft-on-crime approach to law enforcement, and “in recent years, these kinds of approaches to fighting crime have been a boon to criminals and have led to our current crime epidemic.” The vote, on Nov. 29, was 247 yeas to 160 nays, with a two-thirds majority required for approval.
YEAS: Neguse D-CO (2nd)
NAYS: Buck R-CO (4th)
CRACK COCAINE SENTENCES: The House has passed the Terry Technical Correction Act (H.R. 5455), sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, to make all those convicted of crack cocaine offenses eligible for retroactive reductions of their sentences under the 2010 Fair Sentencing Act. Lee said that by supplanting a Supreme Court ruling that disallowed such sentencing reductions, the bill would help “eradicate the devastating consequences of the poorly conceived War on Drugs.” The vote, on Nov. 29, was 307 yeas to 101 nays.
YEAS: Neguse
NAYS: Buck
RAILROAD LABOR DISPUTE: The House has passed a bill (H.J. Res. 100), sponsored by Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., D-N.J., to require that U.S. railroads and several rail worker unions accept labor agreements that include wage and benefit increases. Payne said of the need for the bill: “The failure to prevent a rail stoppage would be irresponsible as it would have devastating consequences on our economy and everyday American life.” The vote, on Nov. 30, was 290 yeas to 137 nays.
YEAS: Neguse
NAYS: Buck
UYGHURS AND HUMAN RIGHTS: The House has passed the Uyghur Policy Act (H.R. 4785), sponsored by Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., to require the State Department to expand its activities on behalf of Uyghurs and other minority groups living in China’s Xinjiang region. Kim called the bill “a significant step in defending the human rights of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities subject to the CCP’s oppression and genocide.” The vote, on Dec. 1, was 407 yeas to 17 nays.
YEAS: Neguse, Buck
DOULAS AND THE MILITARY: The House has passed the Delivering Optimally Urgent Labor Access for Veterans Affairs Act (H.R. 2521), sponsored by Rep. Brenda L. Lawrence, D-Mich., to institute a five-year pilot program at the Veterans Affairs Department for providing doula services to pregnant veterans. Lawrence said: “As the use of doula services continue to grow, we must look at ways to expand maternal health services for our women in the VA.” The vote, on Dec. 1, was 376 yeas to 44 nays.
YEAS: Neguse, Buck
COMMUNITY REENTRY: The House has passed the One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act (H.R. 3372), sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., to authorize Justice Department grants to local governments and nonprofit groups for assisting the integration of ex-convicts into communities after their release. A bill supporter, Rep. David N. Cicilline, D-R.I., said it “will help people who are exiting the criminal justice system effectively get back on their feet.” An opponent, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said the bill was redundant and wasteful, and would allow violent criminals to work at the community reentry facilities. The vote, on Dec. 1, was 259 yeas to 167 nays.
YEAS: Neguse
NAYS: Buck
PREGNANCIES IN PRISON: The House has passed the Pregnant Women in Custody Act (H.R. 6878), sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., to require that the federal government’s prisons…
Read More: Loveland-area congressional votes for Nov. 25 – Dec. 1, 2022 – Loveland Reporter-Herald