Since we are wrapping up Bryan Steil’s first year in the House, it seems like a good time for a review. So here are the top votes for each month, to give you a feel for Steil’s record.

Let’s start with the obvious news of the week: At 8:32 PM Eastern Standard Time on December 18, Donald Trump became the third US President to be impeached by the House of Representatives. The first article, regarding Trump’s quid pro quo deal with the Ukranians, passed 230 to 197, with only two Democrats (Collin Peterson and Jeff Van Drew) voting no. Every single Republican sided with Donald Trump. The second article, regarding obstruction of Congress, passed 229 to 198, with Peterson, Van Drew and Jared Golden of Maine against. Every single Republican voted in favor of allowing the President to hinder a congressional investigation.

The big vote during the second week of December was on HR 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. As the title suggests, the bill is designed to lower consumer drug prices by forcing Medicare to negotiate for lower prices. Steil joined all but two other Republicans (Fitzpatrick and Herrera Beutler, frequent dissenters) in voting against lower drug prices for consumers. (RC 682, Dec 12)

United States citizens are tired of the dog and pony show coming from our capital. Day after day members of the Republican Party show themselves to be more loyal to Donald Trump than the American people. How do these elected officials look at themselves in the mirror or sleep at night? The current commander in chief has never held a political office before. He is running the country the same way he has run businesses. Seeking the help of foreign governments to help him win in 2016 and again in 2020 is dirty pool but it’s the way the Donald had always done business. We really can’t fault him for being who he is. Those on Capital Hill who are enabling him have been in Washington for decades, and they know better.

Other than the Judiciary Committee starting hearings that are almost certain to end with articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, it was a relatively slow week in Congress. There were only 12 votes this week, but eight of them were party line.

It was a fairly slow week for Congress. Only fifteen votes, and five of those on noncontroversial bills.

Obviously the big news of the week is that the House made the impeachment of Donald Trump official, setting up the rules for further proceedings. It was a party line vote, 232 to 196, with only two Democrats (Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Jeff Dan Drew of New Jersey) voting against. Steil and every other Republican voted against the investigation. (RC 603 and 604, H Res 660, October 31). Rep. Steil always answered at his party's call this week, going 21 for 21 on party-line votes.

This Wednesday, while the rest of Congressional Republicans were busy voting when they weren’t obstructing justice, Rep. Steil had a photo opportunity with Vice President Mike Pence. As a result, Steil missed votes on a bill to protect the 2020 elections against interference by foreign governments.

Congress is back in session after a two week break, so time once again to look at our Representative in Washington has been up to. A fairly slow week, with only nine votes.

A major bodyslam for Donald Trump this week regarding the whistleblower complaint of August 12. In a unanimous vote of 421 to zero, the House demanded that Acting Director of National Intelligence Maguire immediately stop stonewalling and send the complaint to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. They also demanded that Maguire protect the whistleblower from any retaliation by the Trump administration (House Resolution 576, RC 548, Sep 25). This follows a similar vote by the Senate on Tuesday. Trump has literally not got a soul in Congress willing to defend him on the whistleblower issue.

Written throughout the Constitution of the United States are checks and balances on power between the three branches of government. In theory, this balance of power ensures that the country will remain stable and resist the threat of losing the freedom and democracy that many Americans cherish. The power of impeachment is one such check.

Fairly slow week for Congress this second week back. There were only ten votes this week.