How they voted

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Updated: January 12, 2012 8:32AM

WASHINGTON — Here’s how Reps. Joe Donnelly and Peter Visclosky, Democrats, and Sens. Richard Lugar and Daniel Coats, Republicans, voted last week.

House

REGULATIONS AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., to the Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 3010). The amendment would have declared that agencies analyzing new regulations shall consider whether the problem addressed by a regulation disproportionately impacted low-income individuals, the elderly and veterans. The vote, on Dec. 2, was 187 yeas to 232 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, yea

REGULATING NUCLEAR POWER: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., to the Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 3010). The amendment would have exempted Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations from requirements for agencies to analyze the impact of new regulations. The vote, on Dec. 2, was 174 yeas to 247 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, nay; Visclosky, yea

REVIEWING NEW REGULATIONS: The House passed the Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 3010), sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas. The bill would require agencies to assess the cost and benefit of their proposed regulations and establish expanded authority for courts to review regulations. The vote, on Dec. 2, was 253 yeas to 167 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, nay

CONSUMERS AND ONLINE VIDEO: The House passed a bill (H.R. 2471), sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., that would amend U.S. law to state that video service providers can obtain consumer consent on a one-time basis for releasing data on videos watched or recommended by consumers. The vote, on Dec. 6, was 303 yeas to 116 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, nay

SEXUAL ASSAULT IN MILITARY: The House agreed to a motion sponsored by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., to instruct conferees on a conference with the Senate for the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1540). Conferees were instructed to insist on the inclusion of amendments addressing sexual assault prevention and response in the military. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 421 yeas to 2 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, yea

FUNDING VETERANS HEALTH CARE: The House agreed to a motion sponsored by Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., to instruct conferees on a conference with the Senate for the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2055). The conferees were instructed to agree to the Senate’s $51 million increase in funding for medical and prosthetic research for veterans. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 409 yeas to 13 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, yea

REGULATIONS AND JOB CREATION: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., to the Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (H.R. 10). The amendment would have exempted from congressional review any regulations that the Office of Management and Budget found would result in net job creation. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 187 yeas to 236 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, yea

REGULATIONS AND PUBLIC HEALTH: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., to the Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (H.R. 10). The amendment would have exempted from congressional review any regulations that involved food safety, workplace safety, air quality, consumer product safety, or water quality. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 177 yeas to 246 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, yea

APPROVING NEW REGULATIONS: The House passed the Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (H.R. 10), sponsored by Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky. The bill would require congressional approval for rules proposed by executive branch agencies that would have at least a $100 million annual impact on the economy. The vote, on Dec. 7, was 241 yeas to 184 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, nay; Visclosky, nay

SYNTHETIC DRUGS: The House passed the Synthetic Drug Control Act (H.R. 1254), sponsored by Rep. Charles W. Dent, R-Pa. The bill would prohibit synthetic marijuana and other synthetic drugs and extend the Drug Enforcement Agency’s authority to adopt new temporary bans on substances from 1.5 to 3 years. The vote, on Dec. 8, was 317 yeas to 98 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, nay

HEAVY METALS IN PARTICULATE EMISSIONS: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., to the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633). The amendment would have declared that the Environmental Protection Agency retained the authority to regulate particulate matter emissions containing arsenic and other heavy metals. The vote, on Dec. 8, was 165 yeas to 249 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, nay; Visclosky, yea

REGULATING DUST AND AIR EMISSIONS: The House passed the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633), sponsored by Rep. Kristi L. Noem, R-S.D. The bill would establish a one-year moratorium on new Environmental Protection Agency standards to regulate particulate matter air emissions with a diameter greater than 2.5 micrometers and exempt nuisance dust from regulation under the Clean Air Act. The vote, on Dec. 8, was 268 yeas to 150 nays.

Votes: Donnelly, yea; Visclosky, nay

Senate

NEW YORK JUDGE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Edgardo Ramos to serve as District Judge for the Southern District of New York. The vote, on Dec. 5, was unanimous with 89 yeas.

Votes: Coats, yea; Lugar, did not vote

D.C. CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE: The Senate rejected cloture for debate on the nomination of Caitlin Joan Halligan to serve as a judge on the District of Columbia Circuit. The vote, on Dec. 6, was 54 yeas to 45 nays, with a three-fifths majority required.

Votes: Coats, nay; Lugar, nay

CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU: The Senate rejected cloture for debate on the nomination of Richard Cordray to serve as director of the Treasury Department’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The vote, on Dec. 8, was 53 yeas to 45 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for cloture.

Votes: Coats, nay; Lugar, nay

EXTENDING PAYROLLL TAX CUT: The Senate rejected a motion to consider a bill (S. 1944), sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., that would increase the payroll tax cut by 1.1 percent and extend the cut for one year, while offsetting the resulting lost revenue by establishing a surcharge on annual incomes over $1 million. The vote, on Dec. 8, was 50 yeas to 48 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for consideration.

Votes: Coats, nay; Lugar, nay