Here’s how local members of the U.S. House were recorded on major votes during the legislative weeks of March 17 and March 24. See the nonpartisan VoteFacts.com for more information on top congressional issues and individual voting records. Click here for previous votes.
Michael Lawler (R), District 17 (including Philipstown)
Lawler, 36, was elected to Congress in 2022. From 2021 to 2022, he was a Republican member of the state Assembly from the 97th district in Rockland County. A graduate of Suffern High School, he holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Manhattan College. He is a former director of the state Republican Party and former deputy town supervisor of Orangetown.
Pat Ryan (D), District 18 (including Beacon)
Ryan, 40, was elected to Congress in 2022. Formerly the county executive of Ulster, he grew up in Kingston and holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a master’s degree in security studies from Georgetown. Ryan served in the U.S. Army as a combat intelligence officer from 2004 to 2009, including two tours in Iraq. He is also a former technology executive.
Expanding Parental Role in Public Schools
Voting 213 for and 208 against, the House on March 24 passed a bill (HR 5) that would expand the role of parents in areas of K-12 public education that traditionally have been mainly the purview of teachers, administrators and school boards. The bill would allow parents to review and formally object to textbooks, library books and course materials and require parental notification of extracurricular events such as guest speakers in classrooms.
Provisions addressing students who identify as transgender would require notification to parents if a youth whose gender at birth was male is allowed to participate in athletic activities designated for females or use restrooms or changing rooms set aside for females. In addition, public school websites would be required to publish a broad range of information about their operations including listings of parental rights.
The bill would not apply to private and parochial schools or home-schooling. Federal funding under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act could be withheld from public schools that fail to grant parents the powers conferred by the bill.
Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.): The bill would “affirm a parent’s right to review course curriculum, meet with the child’s teacher and be heard at school board meetings without fear of reprisal. [Democrats] are saying [the] bill is punishing teachers or seeking to push a right-wing agenda. This is false. Our education system is spiraling out of control as parents are pushed further outside the classroom. This bill will restore the role of parents…. When parents are involved in their child’s education, students thrive.”
Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.): “Don’t tell me this is a parents’ bill of rights. This is not addressing gun violence. It’s not addressing mental health. It’s not addressing childcare, pre-K and all the other things that would be part of a parents’ bill of rights. Instead, we’re spending time on a bill that sews doubts about public education and our teachers and also targets our very vulnerable trans kids…. The provisions in this bill that ‘out’ trans kids are cruel and dangerous.”
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it was likely to fail.
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted no
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted no
Motion to Prevent Book Banning
Voting 203 for and 218 against, the House on March 24 defeated a motion offered by Democrats that sought to prevent HR 5 (above) from taking effect until after the U.S. comptroller general certifies it would not lead to the banning or censorship of books or otherwise diminish the quality of public K-12 education in the United States. The comptroller general heads the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, a legislative branch unit that conducts auditing and investigations of federal laws and policies when requested to do so by members of Congress.
There was no debate on the motion. A yes vote was to adopt the Democratic motion.
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted no
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes
Failure to Override Biden Veto
The House on March 23 failed to override President Biden’s veto of a GOP-sponsored measure that would limit the scope of investments by employer-sponsored retirement plans. The tally of 219 for and 200 against fell short of the two-thirds majority required to quash the veto. This kept in place a Department of Labor rule clarifying circumstances under which employer-sponsored plans may consider companies’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices when placing workers’ pension funds.
The rule, which took effect Jan. 30 after two years in the making, replaced a Trump administration rule generally barring plan administrators from ESG investing. They are still required to give top priority to financial returns in making investment decisions. But when competing opportunities offer nearly the same risk and return, the rule allows them to choose the one that better serves ESG objectives such as using clean energy or improving workplace conditions.
Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.): “We have the highest debt that we’ve ever had in this country. We are staggering under an inflation rate that is historic. And so we obviously don’t think [that] what we’ve inherited from the last two years of total ‘Democrat’ dominance … is positive. But I think we can make a small attempt to make some changes … by overriding the president’s veto.”
Robert Scott (D-Va.): “Workers should be able to invest their retirement savings in a way that reflects their values such as combating climate change without sacrificing investment returns. That’s why the administration issued a rule to clarify that retirement plan managers may consider the economic effect of climate change or other environmental, social and government factors.”
A yes vote was to override the veto.
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted no
Affirming U.S. Partnership with Taiwan
Voting 404 for and seven against, the House on March 22 passed a bill (HR 1159) that would require the Department of State to regularly report to Congress on the status of cooperation between Taiwan and the United States under of the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020.
The law compels relevant federal agencies to lend ample non-military support to the Republic of China (ROC) in its standoff against the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The United States does not have a treaty commitment to deploy troops to support the ROC against a PRC attack. But America sells arms to Taiwan, and under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, it is politically committed to helping the ROC defend itself.
Ann Wagner (R-Mo.): The bill would “ensure that the State Department’s policy of engagement with Taiwan is appropriate to today’s geopolitical challenges. We must acknowledge the growing threat Taiwan faces and help build resilience to that threat.”
Supporter Gerald Connolly, D-Va., said: “This is a crucial moment for the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. It requires a sober and comprehensive understanding of the challenge China can pose to the United States and its security and prosperity, as well as that of the people of Taiwan.
No member spoke against the bill. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where passage was likely.
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes
Australia, United Kingdom, United States
Voting 393 for and four against, the House on March 22 passed a bill (HR 1093) directing the Department of State to report to Congress within 60 days on the status of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States security partnership known as AUKUS.
The Biden administration helped form AUKUS in 2021 to check mainland China’s military expansion and trade and navigational disruption in the Indo-Pacific region. The partnership recently announced plans to equip Australia with conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines, and it is cooperating in fields such as hypersonic weaponry, quantum computing, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to develop advanced technologies for defending the region. The bill directs the department to ease export controls in order to expedite technology transfers to advance these efforts.
Michael McCaul (R-Texas): “We are facing a generational challenge from the Chinese Communist Party. We must bring all tools to bear in our effort to counter Chairman Xi’s attempts to disrupt the global balance of power. With AUKUS, our three nations can achieve the shared strategic goal of defending the Indo-Pacific region while maintaining our technological and military superiority.”
Joe Courtney (D-Conn.): “Both the majority and opposition parties in the U.K. and Australia are rock solid in support of this agreement, and [this] bill is a strong signal of bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress.”
No member spoke against the bill. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where passage was likely.
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes
U.S. Senate
Repealing Iraq War Resolutions
Voting 68 for and 27 against, the Senate on March 16 advanced a bill (S 316) that would repeal two Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq that remain on the books even though Iraq is now a U.S. ally. Congress adopted the first AUMF in 1991 in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and the second in 2002 ahead of America’s invasion of Iraq. U.S. presidents have used the measures as the legal basis for additional deployments to the Middle East and Africa without first obtaining congressional declarations of war as the Constitution requires. Under this bill, Congress would have six months to update U.S. war authority, and until it does so, President Biden could immediately deploy forces to protect national security without seeking congressional approval.
Todd Young (R-Ind.) said repealing the AUMFs “would affect no current military operations,” but keeping them active “creates an opportunity for abuse by the executive branch and bypasses Congress on the most important issue we consider as a body — which is how and when to send our men and women in uniform into harm’s way.”
Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said it is “painfully evident that the repeal of these authorizations is long, long overdue. [March 19] marks the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq…. That war ended 12 years ago…. Iraq today is a force for regional stability and the U.S. is their partner of choice. Why would we want two war authorizations against a nation that has become a partner of choice?”
No senator spoke against the bill. A yes vote was to advance the resolution to extensive debate in coming days.
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Confirming Ambassador to India
Voting 52 for and 42 against, the Senate on March 15 confirmed the nomination of Eric Garcetti as U.S. ambassador to India. Garcetti is a former mayor of Los Angeles and co-chair of President Biden’s 2020 election campaign. His nomination was stalled in the Senate for 21 months over charges that he failed to deal with allegations that Rick Jacobs, deputy chief of his mayoral staff, had sexually harassed employees in the mayor’s office and made racist comments about Asians and other minorities.
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.): “My remarks are very simple. The United States-India relationship is extremely important, and it is a very good thing that we now have an ambassador.”
Charles Grassley (R-Iowa): Garcetti “enabled sexual harassment and racism to run rampant in the Los Angeles mayor’s office…. The Biden administration and all those who support this nomination have sent a message that victims will only be believed when politically convenient.… To my Senate colleagues, do you support victims of sexual harassment and racism or a man who enabled it for years, leaving many victims in his wake? You can’t support both.”
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Confirming Deputy Treasurer Under Secretary
Voting 54 for and 40 against, the Senate on March 15 confirmed the nomination of Brent Neiman, a University of Chicago economics professor, to head international finance operations for the Department of the Treasury. Working with other G-7 and G-20 countries representing the world’s largest economies, Neiman will direct American efforts to shape global economic and monetary policies and respond to crises in international markets. He has a doctorate of economics degree from Harvard with specialties in international macroeconomics, finance and trade.
There was no debate on the nomination. A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Authorizing U.S. Force Against Shiite Militias
Voting 36 for and 60 against, the Senate on March 22 defeated an amendment to repeal the 2002 authorization for use of military force (AUMF) against Iraq while enacting a new war authorization against Iranian-backed Shiite militias confronting American troops in Iraq. The amendment was offered to a bill (S 316) that would repeal two AUMFs against Iraq that remain on the books even though Iraq is now a U.S. ally. Congress adopted the first one in 1991 in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and the second in 2002 ahead of America’s invasion of Iraq. The bill to which the amendment was offered remained under debate.
Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) said his amendment would protect the 2,000 U.S. troops in Iraq against Shiite attacks. “Let’s not expose our troops to being attacked. Let’s don’t continue the narrative that we are pulling out of the Middle East, because you do so at your own peril.”
Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said the amendment was unnecessary because President Biden already has authority under Article II of the Constitution “to take action against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The president is doing that every day.”
A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
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