Bryan Watch: Dec 2021 Partisan
Steil Votes to Shut Down Government
December has been relatively busy for the House of Representatives, with 62 votes through December 15. Of those, 25 were party line votes, and Rep. Steil voted with the Republicans on 24 of 25 (96 percent of the time).
Since Steil so rarely casts a good vote, let’s focus on the one good vote he did cast: RC 393 on December 1. HR 4352 effectively reverses the Supreme Court decision of Carcieri vs Salazar (555 US 379), which gravely damaged the rights of Native American tribes. The new bill enables the Secretary of the Interior to restore land to tribes despite their legal status in 1934. A majority of Republicans (120) voted to screw over the Indians once again. Steil was among the 90 who voted the right way, paving the path for the Interior Department to repair some old injustices.
Government Shutdown: Steil kicked off the month by refusing to continue funding the United States government TWICE (RC 399 and 400, Dec 2), voting both against passage of HR 6119, which extended government funding through February, then voting to reconsider passage of the bill. Props to Rep. Adam Kinzinger for being the only Republican to vote to keep the government open.
Steil also voted to send HR 6119 back to the Committee on Appropriations (Calvert motion to recommit, RC 398, Dec 2) and voted against even considering the government funding bill (H Res 897, RC 395, 396 and 397, Dec 2). And he sided with the Republicans who wanted to adjourn the session rather than discuss keeping the government running (RC 394, Dec 2)
Medicare Cuts: Republicans kicked off the second week of December by refusing to protect Medicare from sequester cuts. Steil voted against S 610, the Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act (S 610). (RC 404, Dec 7)
Protecting Democracy: Steil voted against HR 5314, the Protecting Our Democracy Act, which would make elections fairer and ensure greater political participation (RC 440, Dec 9). He also voted to send HR 5314 back to committee (Rodney Davis motion to recommit, RC 439, Dec 9)
And as usual, Republicans voted against even considering the voting rights bill (RC 402 and 403, Dec 7). Once again, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois was the only Republican voting in the best interests of Democracy.
One of the more interesting moments during the debate over HR 5314 was a move by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to seek greater oversight of the intelligence community, an ongoing issue since the creation of the CIA in 1947. A large majority of Democrats (195 to 23) supported Ocasio Cortez, but it was not enough to pass, as virtually all Republicans opposed making the intelligence community more responsible (Amendment 25, RC 438, Dec 9)
Steil also voted against Carolyn Maloney’s En Bloc Amendment 1, which contained Democratic improvements to HR 5314 (RC 436, Dec 9). But he did vote for En Bloc Amendment 2, which contained crackpot amendment by Reps. Michael Burgess (TX) and James Comer (KY). (RC 437, Dec 9)
Debt Ceiling: And during the third week, Republicans voted against increasing the federal debt limit (S.J. Res 33, RC 449, Dec 15), which would have wide ranging negative impacts on the economy. As usual, Republicans refused to even consider increasing the debt ceiling (RC 445 and 446, Dec 14; H Res 852)
Islamophobia: Week three also featured Republicans coming out against a resolution on Combating International Islamophobia (RC 448, Dec 14). And as usual, Steil voted against even considering the Islamophobia bill (RC 443 and 444, Dec 14)
Mark Meadows and Contempt: The other big issue facing Congress at the end of the year was holding Mark Meadows, President Trump’s former Chief of Staff in Contempt of Congress. Meadows had been cooperative with the January 6 Committee, but then refused to testify claiming executive privilege. Even if privilege did apply, Meadows would still have to testify. On a largely party line vote, Congress did vote to hold Meadows in contempt (RC 447, Dec 14). Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who serve on the January 6 Committee, were the only two Republicans to support holding Meadows legally accountable.
Republicans, as usual (with the exception of Cheney and Kinzinger) voted against even considering the charges against Meadows (House Report 117-216, RC 441 and 442, Dec 14)
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Note: I am starting with Week 3, as it contained the biggest vote of the month, on Build Back Better. Overall, there were a total of 44 votes in November, 14 were party line, 30 non-party line. Rep. Steil voted with the Republicans 100 percent of the time in November, never thinking for himself at all.
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