How They Voted (Congress)

Here is how our House members and New York’s two senators voted on select issues during the legislative week ending May 23, as reported by Targeted News Service. Click here for previous votes.

Michael Lawler (R), District 17 (including Philipstown)
Lawler, 38, was elected to Congress in 2022 and re-elected in 2024. 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 supervisor of Orangetown.

Pat Ryan (D), District 18 (including Beacon)
Ryan, 43, was elected to Congress in 2022 and re-elected in 2024. 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.

Asia-Pacific Security Partnership

The House on May 19, by a 334-51 vote, passed the Strengthening the Quad Act (H.R. 1263), sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), to require the State Department to send Congress a document describing a strategy for increasing U.S. coordination with Australia, India and Japan in the Quad security and economic partnership between the four countries. Meeks said: “To ensure the Quad’s success and longevity, we need to identify and pursue clear objectives and deepen political and institutional support in all four of the capitals.”

Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes

Claims Forms for Veterans

The House on May 19, by a 386-1 vote, passed the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act (H.R. 1286), sponsored by Rep. Robert Bresnahan (R-Pa.), to have the Veterans Affairs Department assess ways to improve benefits claim forms for former military members.

Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes

Marine Scientific Research

The House on May 20, by a 412-11 vote, passed the Accelerating Networking, Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardware for Oceanic Research Act (H.R. 1223), sponsored by Rep. Vince Fong (R-Calif.). The bill would require a National Science Foundation plan for improving telecommunications for the Academic Research Fleet, which is a group of ships hosting marine science laboratories.

Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes

Reviewing Small Bank Mergers

The House on May 20, by a 220-207 vote, passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 13), sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), to disapprove of and void a 2024 Treasury Department rule that increased regulatory scrutiny of proposed mergers by small banks. A resolution supporter, Rep. Nicholas Langworthy (R-N.Y.), said: “For small- and mid-sized banks in particular, the rule imposes additional red tape and bureaucratic hurdles that hinder their ability to merge and compete with larger financial institutions.” An opponent, Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), said cancelling the rule “would make it easier for big banks to get even bigger, hurting small businesses and communities in the process.”

Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted no

Regulating Air Pollution

The House on May 22, by a 216-212 vote, passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 31), sponsored by Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), to disapprove of and void an Environmental Protection Agency rule regarding emitters of persistent, bioaccumulative hazardous air pollutants. A resolution supporter, Rep. Randy Weber Sr. (R-Texas), said the rule unduly burdened businesses by permanently imposing strict environmental regulations on them even after they have significantly lowered their emissions. An opponent, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), called it an attempt by Republicans “to make Americans sicker by giving some of the worst industrial polluters a free pass to pump dangerous chemicals into communities across the nation.”

Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted no

Budget Reconciliation Plan

The House on May 22, by a 215-214 vote, passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), sponsored by Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), a bill to set out a variety of policy and spending measures. Provisions include making permanent numerous tax code changes included in 2017’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; a higher federal tax deduction for payment of state and local taxes (SALT); ending various energy tax subsidies; tax deductions for tips, overtime pay, and interest expenses on personal car loans; and requiring state Medicaid programs to evaluate whether able-bodied single adults are eligible for benefits. Arrington said the bill delivered: “The greatest single investment in border security and national defense. The largest tax cuts for families and small businesses. The most significant commitment to unlocking America’s energy resources.” An opponent, Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), said the bill “steals from regular people, takes away people’s food benefits, throws people off healthcare, and gives a big, fat tax break to millionaires and billionaires.”

Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted no

Along with roll call votes, this week the House also passed these bills:

■ The Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act (H.R. 1147), to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access;

■ The Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act (H.R. 1453), to require reporting regarding clean energy demonstration projects;

■ The Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act (H.R. 2201); and

■ The VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act (H.R. 1823), to require a report on certain funding shortfalls in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

SENATE

France Ambassador

The Senate on May 19, by a 51-45 vote, confirmed the nomination of Charles Kushner to be Ambassador to France and Monaco. Kushner is a career real estate executive and chairman of Westminster Management, focused on commercial and multi-family buildings in the Northeast. He is also the father of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law. Charles Kushner was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no

Regulating Hydrogen Vehicles

The Senate on May 21, by a 51-46 vote, passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 55), sponsored by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), to disapprove of and void a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rule issued in January regarding safety standards for hydrogen-fueled vehicles.

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no

California Clean Cars Waiver

The Senate on May 22, by a 51-44 vote, passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 88), sponsored by Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.), to disapprove of and void an Environmental Protection Agency notice issued in January that granted the California Air Resources Board a waiver to allow the state’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulatory plan. An opponent, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), called the resolution “a direct attack not only on my state but on our ability to innovate, to lead, and, indeed, to breathe clean air.”

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no

California Vehicle Emissions Regulations

The Senate on May 22, by a 51-45 vote, passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 87), sponsored by Rep. John James (R-Mich.), to disapprove of and void an Environmental Protection Agency notice granting the California Air Resources Board a waiver allowing that state to impose various emissions standards on motor vehicles. A supporter, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), said with the waiver, “by requiring truckers to meet California’s standards, even while working outside of the state, operator costs increase, fleet upgrades would be impacted, and interstate commerce would be disrupted.”

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no

Nitrogen Oxide Emissions from Cars

The Senate on May 22, by a 49-46 vote, passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 89), sponsored by Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), to disapprove of and void an Environmental Protection Agency rule issued in January that granted the California Air Resources Board a waiver allowing the state to regulate vehicle nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. An opponent, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), called the resolution an attack on California “for the audacity of working to protect the health of Californians and for having the audacity to lead the clean energy economy.”

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no

The Senate also passed:

■ The No Tax on Tips Act (S. 129), to eliminate the application of the income tax on qualified tips through a deduction allowed to all individual taxpayers;

■ The Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act (S. 216), to improve the administration of the Marine Debris Foundation; and

■ The Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act (S. 97), to require SelectUSA to coordinate with state-level economic development organizations to increase foreign direct investment in semiconductor-related manufacturing and production.