For the week ending April 23
CONFERRING DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA STATEHOOD: By a vote of 216 for and 208 against, the House on April 22 passed a bill (HR 51) that would admit to the union a 51st state, including most of the current District of Columbia. The new state named “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth” (honoring the former slave and abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass) would give the more than 700,000 D.C. residents voting representation in Congress, adding two seats to the Senate and one in the House. A portion of the current District containing the Capitol, White House, Supreme Court and other principal federal government buildings would not be part of the new state. District of Columbia residents are represented by a nonvoting delegate in the House. The District casts three electoral votes in presidential elections, as would the new state.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
YES: Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-3
NO: Yvette Herrell, R-2
GIVING D.C. BACK TO MARYLAND: By a vote of 205 for and 215 against, the House on April 22 rejected a motion to make the District of Columbia part of the state of Maryland, as an alternative to D.C. statehood under HR 51 (above). The current federal district containing the nation’s capital was created on land donated by Maryland. Opponents of statehood offer returning the district to Maryland as a way to provide capital residents with voting representation in Congress and control of local affairs without adding seats to the Congress.
A yes vote was to adopt the motion.
YES: Herrell
NO: Leger Fernandez
BANS ON ENTERING THE UNITED STATES: Voting 218 for and 208 against, the House on April 21 passed a bill that would restrict the president’s ability to ban entry to the United States by classes of foreigners. The measure (HR 1333) is a response to former President Trump’s orders prohibiting entry by travelers from some majority-Muslim nations, which were upheld by the Supreme Court after lengthy litigation. The bill would prohibit bias based on religion in restricting entry and make the president obtain a finding from the secretary of state that the foreigners would undermine national security or public safety. To be legal under this bill, a ban would have to be based on specific evidence, be narrowly tailored to address a potential threat and provide for waivers for family and humanitarian reasons.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
YES: Leger Fernandez
NO: Herrell
LEGAL HELP AT PORTS OF ENTRY: By a vote of 217 for and 207 against, the House on April 21 passed a bill (HR 1573) to permit persons detained at U.S. ports of entry for more than an hour of “secondary inspection” to communicate with an attorney, family member, immigration sponsor or others who may help support their application for admission. Currently, the right to consult an attorney is limited to those taken into custody or who are the focus of a criminal investigation.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
YES: Leger Fernandez
NO: Herrell
ATTEMPTING CENSURE OF REP. WATERS: Voting 216 for and 210 against, the House on April 20 blocked a Republican-sponsored measure (H Res 331) to censure Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., for her remarks in Minnesota on April 17 urging protesters to “stay on the streets” and be “more confrontational” if jurors acquitted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of charges in the death of George Floyd. Chauvin was convicted on April 20 of murder and manslaughter.
A yes vote was to block the resolution.
YES: Leger Fernandez
NO: Herrell
COMBATING HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS: By a vote of 94 for and one against, the Senate on April 22 passed a bipartisan bill (S 937) that would require the Justice Department, states and localities to step up efforts to track and prevent hate crimes. While it would apply to all hate crimes, whether based on race, religion, heritage or gender, the legislation was prompted by a recent outbreak of attacks and harassment against Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The negative vote was cast by Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
YES: Ben Ray Luján, D, Martin Heinrich, D
HOUSE: Deb Haaland (D) Ben Ray Luján (D) Yvette Herrell (R)
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