Bryan Watch: Late July 2021

Note: Sorry about the long, long delay. Catching up on several months of House votes before the year wraps up.

The House was fairly busy at the end of July, casting 36 votes, 28 of them partisan. As usual, Steil answered at his party’s call, voting with the Republican caucus 27 of 28 times.

ONE GOOD VOTE: Since Representative Steil so rarely casts a good vote, let’s focus on RC 229 (July 27) which involves an amendment to HR 4502, an omnibus appropriations bill covering most non-military discretionary spending. Steil voted against House Amendment 84, a move by Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona to ban federal funding to educational institutions doing research on marijuana. Props to Rep. Steil for rejecting reefer madness. 147 Republicans went along with Lesko.

There were several major appropriations bills under consideration this week:

HR 4502, which Steil voted against on several occasions (RC 247 and 248, July 29) as well as a motion to recommit by Tom Cole of Oklahoma to send the bill back to committee (RC 246, July 29)

HR 4502, like most massive appropriations bills, involved a huge number of amendments, which were condensed into “en bloc” amendments by committee chair Rosa DeLauro (CT) who was shepherding the bill. Steil voted against En Bloc amendment 6, along with most Republicans (RC 245), but for En Bloc amendment 5 (RC 244, both on July 29). Steil voted against En Bloc package 2 (RC 227, July 27), but for the two Republican amendment packages (RC 226 and 228, En Bloc amendments 1 and 4, July 27)

Bloc amendment 1 consisted of efforts by Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma to cut spending across the board by 20 percent (RC 226). Bloc amendment 4 contained budget slashing and crackpot proposals by Steil’s Republican colleagues (RC 228).

The other major amendment to HR 4502 was a move by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) that would remove barriers to research on marijuana. Democrats supported it 133 to 186, and even seven Republicans were on board: Burchett (TN), Gaetz (FL), Mace (SC), Massie (KY), McClintock (CA), Meijer (MI) and Young (AK). (RC 230, July 27) 

HR 4373, State Department and Foreign Operations appropriations, which Steil voted against (RC 243, July 28), as well as a move by Tony Gonzales to send the bill back to committee (RC 242). Steil voted for the Republic amendment package (Lee En Bloc amendment 2, RC 240, July 28) but against the Democratic amendment package (En Bloc amendments 3, RC 241, July 28).

En Bloc Amendment 2 is a hodgepodge of crackpot Republican ideas, including attacks on the World Health Organization and climate change groups (RC 240).

HR 4346, Legislative Branch appropriations, is another bill which Steil and almost every Republican voted against (RC 239, July 28). He also supported a move by Rep. Womack to send the bill back to committee (RC 238, July 28)

Again, Steil supported the Republican amendments package (Ryan En Bloc 3, RC 237) and opposed the Democratic amendment package (Ryan En Bloc 1, RC 236, July 28). En Block Package 3 included an attack on DACA students by Rep. Glenn Grothman (Lunatic-Wisconsin).

January 6 Committee: Last, but hardly least, House Republicans attempted to criticize Speaker Nancy Pelosi for refusing to seat two hyper-rabid Trump supporters (Jim Jordan and Jim Banks) on the committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Steil sided with his fellow Republicans in this shameless partisan attack (RC 219, July 2, House Resolution 554).

Procedural Matters

Procedurally, there were three votes to adjourn. Steil sided with the Republicans in supporting all three of them (RC 249, July 29; RC 235, July 28, RC 231, July 28).

And as usual, Steil and House Republicans voted against even considering working on legislation the last week of July 29. They objected to working on HR 4346, 4373 and 4505 (RC 232, 233 and 234, House Resolution 567). They were also against working on HR 4502 (RC 222 and 223, July 27)

NON PARTY LINE VOTES

The House also passed a variety of garden variety bills by wide margins. Here are the things everybody could agree on:

In a rare bipartisan vote on a bill of actual substance, Congress voted to pass the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill on a vote of 416-11 (RC 250, July 29). Only the Squad and some of the Republican Crazy Caucus opposed it.

HR 4300, the Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act, which gives veterans and active service military free access to national Parks (RC 254, July 29)

HR 2497, the Amache National Historic Site Act, which adds a Colorado internment camp which held Japanese Americans during World War II to the National Parks Service (RC 253, July 29). Only Reps. Fulcher (ID) and Goode (VA) objected.

HR 2278, The September 11 National Memorial Trail, linking sites in New York, Pennsylvania and DC. It passed 423 to zero. (RC 251, July 29). In a bizarre vote, Republicans attempted to reconsider the vote on the September 11 bill only minutes after passing it (Stanton (AZ) motion, RC 252, July 29). Steil supporter the effort to reconsider.

S 1910, the Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, which authorizes funding for new VA medical facilities. Only seven people voted against this. (RC 225, July 27)

S 957, a very mundane bill on the disposal of controlled substances at VA hospitals (RC 224, July 27)

HR 2365, creating a Gold Star Mothers memorial (RC 221, July 26)

HR 1664, creating a statue for Medal of Honor recipients (RC 220, July 26)

Total Votes: 36

Party Line: 28 (27-1)

Good Vote: #229

Non Party Line: 8