For the week ending July 3rd
IMPROVING ACCESS TO CREDIT DATA: Voting 234 for and 179 against, the House on June 29 passed a bill (HR. 5332) that would require the credit bureaus Experian, TransUnion and Equifax to establish a joint online portal giving consumers free anytime access to information on their credit scores and reports, dispute histories and sale of personal data to third parties. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would oversee the portal.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
YES: Deb Haaland, D-1, Xochitl Torres Small, D-2, Ben Ray Luján, D-3
EXPANDING AFFORDABLE CARE ACT: Voting 234 for and 179 against, the House on June 29 passed a Democratic bill (HR 1425) that would reshape the Affordable Care Act by steps such as broadening its Medicaid expansion, capping medical expenditures for certain coverage levels and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. The bill would raise the national debt by at least $50 billion over 10 years while extending coverage to 4 million Americans in addition to the 23 million already using the law to cover a large share of their medical expenses. Further, the bill would nullify an executive order by President Trump that allows the sale of plans that do not meet ACA requirements.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
YES: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
ADVANCING COVID-19 MEDICINES: Voting 187 for and 223 against, the House on June 29 defeated a Republican bid to keep HR 1425 (above) from taking effect until after federal health officials certify its lowering of drug prices would not delay the development of COVID-19 vaccines or therapies by crimping pharmaceutical companies’ research budgets.
A yes vote was to adopt the motion.
NO: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
APPROVING $1.5 TRILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE: Voting 233 for and 188 against, the House on July 1 approved a $1.5 trillion infrastructure package, with one-third allocated to improving roads, bridges, mass transit and interstate railways over five years. The bill (HR 2) contains numerous green provisions to address the climate crisis. Funding also would be used to upgrade municipal drinking-water systems; dredge harbors; add electric vehicles to the postal fleet; improve rural and innercity broadband; build affordable housing and improve public facilities.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
YES: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
BARRING HELP FOR CHINA: By a vote of 224 for and 193 against, the House on July 1 approved a Republican motion that would prohibit funding in HR 2 (above) from being used to line the pockets of state-owned Chinese companies or build prison camps for China’s population of Muslim Uighurs.
A yes vote was to adopt the motion.
YES: Torres Small.
NO: Haaland, Luján
EXTENDING EVICTIONS FREEZE: Voting 232 for and 180 against, the House on June 29 passed a bill (HR 7301) that would extend until mid-2021 a freeze on evictions and foreclosures linked to financial hardship caused by the coronavirus. The current moratorium expires July 25. The bill also would create a $100 billion fund to help tenants pay rent and utility bills during the pandemic.
A yes vote was to extend the moratorium while making the relief available to a wider swath of households.
YES: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
BARRING AID TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS: Voting 191 for and 219 against, the House on June 29 defeated a Republican bid to amend HR 7301 (above) in order to increase oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and prohibit undocumented immigrants from receiving benefits.
A yes vote was to adopt the motion.
NO: Haaland, Torres Small, Luján
TOTAL WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN: Voting 60 for and 33 against, the Senate on July 1 tabled (killed) an amendment to the fiscal 2021 military budget (S 4049) requiring a complete withdrawal over one year of the 8,600 U.S. combat troops in Afghanistan. The underlying bill remained in debate.
A yes vote was in opposition to the troop-withdrawal amendment.
NO: Tom Udall, D, Martin Heinrich, D
HOUSE Deb Haaland (D) Ben Ray Luján (D) Xochitl Torres Small (D)
SENATE Martin Heinrich (D) Tom Udall (D)
Contact your legislators at the U.S. Capitol
Zip codes: House 20515, Senate 20510
Capitol operator: (202) 224-3121
