Here is how our House members and New York’s two senators voted on select issues during the legislative weeks ending July 4 and July 11, as reported by Targeted News Service. Click here for previous votes.
Michael Lawler (R), District 17 (including Philipstown)
Lawler, 39, 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.
Los Angeles Immigration Unrest
The House on June 27, by a 215-195 vote, passed a resolution (H. Res. 516), sponsored by Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), to condemn violence in the recent Los Angeles protests/riots over immigration, recognize the right to peaceful protest, and express gratitude to law enforcement officers. Kim said: “Peaceful protests are a constitutional right we all cherish, and our communities should not be living in fear. But peaceful protests and freedom of assembly gave way to chaos in Los Angeles.” An opponent, Rep. J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.), said: “This resolution is not prime time for a vote. There are a lot of inaccuracies.”
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted no
Considering Budget Bill
The House on July 3, by a 219-213 vote, agreed to a resolution sponsored by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), to establish the rule for considering the Senate’s amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). The wide-ranging budget bill’s 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; increasing the debt limit by $4 trillion; and requiring state Medicaid programs to evaluate whether able-bodied single adults are eligible for benefits.
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted no
Amended Budget Bill
The House on July 3, by a 218-214 vote, concurred in the Senate amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), sponsored by Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas). The bill’s 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; increasing the debt limit by $5 trillion; and requiring state Medicaid programs to develop work or education requirements for able-bodied single adults to receive benefits. Lawler said: “This bill is a blueprint for how we can govern responsibly: provide real relief, restore security and rein in out-of-control spending.” Ryan called the bill “a betrayal of my constituents and the American people.”
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted no
SENATE
Combat in Iran
The Senate on June 27, by a 53-47 vote, rejected a motion to discharge from committee a resolution (S.J. Res. 59), sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), that would require the removal from Iran of U.S. soldiers in the absence of Congressional authorization. Kaine said: “The events of this week have demonstrated that war is too big to be consigned to the decisions of any one person.” A resolution opponent, Sen. Pat Moran (R-Kan.), said: “Having received a classified and thorough briefing from our military, intelligence and diplomatic officials, I conclude that the president acted within his constitutional authorities.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Rural Hospitals
The Senate on June 30, by a 51-49 vote, rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), to commit the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions to insert provisions supporting Medicaid and Medicare funding for rural hospitals. An opponent, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), said some rural hospitals have financial problems that cannot be resolved by federal payment supports, and it would be better “to advance permanent solutions to provide rural providers, from telehealth to innovative reimbursement models.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Health Care Regulations
The Senate on June 30, by a 52-48 vote, rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Christopher Coons (D-Del.), to commit the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions to insert provisions that remove new regulatory processes that could reduce health care benefits paid to individuals. Coons said: “It is cruel and dishonest to bury parents, kids and seniors in paperwork and then blame them when they lose their healthcare.” An opponent, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), said the processes would make Medicaid “financially stronger so we can protect and strengthen it for seniors in nursing homes, for people with disabilities, for pregnant women and for children.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Medicaid, Food Stamps
The Senate on June 30, by a 51-49 vote, rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), to commit the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions to insert provisions averting cuts in Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Lujan called the motion an “opportunity to step away from these devastating cuts, to show our fellow Americans that in this country we care for our friends, families and neighbors who need support.” An opponent, Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), said “SNAP spending has nearly doubled since 2018, putting this vital program on an unsustainable path, wrought with mismanagement and waste.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Maternal Care and Medicaid
The Senate on June 30, by a 52-48 vote, rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), to commit the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions to insert provisions for maintaining current Medicaid funding of maternal care and infant care at hospitals. Blunt Rochester cited the country’s relatively high maternal and infant mortality rates and said sustaining Medicaid’s funding of a large share of maternity care was needed to preserve “vital hospital services.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Medicaid and Undocumented Immigrants
The Senate on June 30, by a 56-44 vote, rejected a motion to waive budgetary considerations for an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), that would have reduced federal Medicaid funding for states that provide Medicaid coverage to aliens who face certain criminal charges. Cornyn said: “We don’t want our safeguard for our seniors and most vulnerable individuals to be dissipated on behalf of people who should not be here in the United States in the first place.” An opponent, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), called the threat of reduced funding “collective punishment of American citizens.” A three-fifths majority was required for approval.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
Immigrants and Health Insurance Benefits
The Senate on June 30, by a 53-47 vote, rejected a motion to waive budgetary considerations for an amendment sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), that would have barred individuals who are unauthorized U.S. residents from receiving federal Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program benefits. Blackburn said that removing from Medicaid the 1.4 million undocumented immigrants receiving benefits was necessary “to protect Medicaid for those who truly need it.” An opponent, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), said the amendment “penalizes innocent people who are eligible for Medicaid coverage, and they are waiting to cut through a thicket of red tape and get healthcare.” A three-fifths majority was required for approval.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
Trade Policy
The Senate on June 30, by a 52-48 vote, rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Margaret Hassan (D-N.H.), to commit the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions to insert provisions that attempt to resolve trade disputes with Canada and prevent inflation associated with tariffs. Hassan said, “I can think of few ideas as willfully self-destructive as launching a trade war with one of our closest allies and, in effect, imposing a national sales tax on families and small businesses.” A motion opponent, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), said: “We can and should have a debate about the precise approaches, including how best to incorporate tariff policy, but this is not the appropriate vehicle to have a serious debate on trade.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Home School Expenses and Taxes
The Senate on July 1, by a 54-46 vote, rejected a motion to waive budgetary considerations for an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), that would have increased to $600 the amount of teachers’ expenses for buying school equipment to be deducted from federal taxes, and expanded the deduction to include home school expenses. An opponent, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), said any expansion “should be in the Education Committee and debated” there rather than inserted into a bill without formal consideration. A three-fifths majority was required for approval.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
School Vouchers
The Senate on July 1, by a 50-50 vote, rejected a motion to waive budgetary considerations for an amendment sponsored by Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), that would have eliminated from the bill a provision providing vouchers to help fund enrollment in public or private schools. Hirono said: “We should be investing in public education for all Americans, not diverting tax dollars to private schools.” An opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), said: “Every child, regardless of race or wealth or ethnicity, deserves access to an excellent education.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Artificial Intelligence
The Senate on July 1, by a 99-1 vote, approved an amendment sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), to eliminate from the bill a provision preventing states from regulating artificial intelligence. Blackburn said that in the absence of adequate federal action on AI, states had succeeded in “protecting children in the virtual space. They are the ones that are out here protecting our entertainers’ name, image, likeness — of broadcasters, podcasters, authors.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Energy Tax Credits
The Senate on July 1, by a 51-49 vote, rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), that would have eliminated bill provisions to end various clean energy and energy efficiency tax credits. Shaheen called preserving the tax credits a way “to make energy and housing more affordable and to support American jobs and businesses.” An opponent, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), said “continuing to subsidize mature industries is wasteful.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Federal Budget Management
The Senate on July 1, by a 50-50 vote, rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), that would have eliminated $100 million in funding for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Van Hollen said: “We should get rid of this wasteful spending. They don’t need $100 million.” An opponent, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), said OMB “needs to identify budgeting and accounting inefficiencies in the executive branch. They need the resources to do it.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted yes
Budget Bill
The Senate on July 1, by a 51-50 vote, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tiebreaker, passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), sponsored by Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas). The wide-ranging budget bill’s 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; increasing the debt limit by $4 trillion; and requiring state Medicaid programs to evaluate whether able-bodied single adults are eligible for benefits. A supporter, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), said: “This bill’s economic growth, combined with deficit reduction that we have in it, finally puts our country on a much better fiscal trajectory.” An opponent, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), called it “the single most expensive bill in U.S. history to give tax breaks to billionaires, while taking away Medicaid, SNAP benefits and good-paying jobs for millions of people.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
Energy Undersecretary
The Senate on July 9, by a 54-43 vote, confirmed the nomination of Preston Griffith to be the Energy Department’s undersecretary. Griffith was a White House aide and senior official at Energy in the first Trump administration. Since then, he has been a director at FTI Consulting, a global business management consultancy.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
Aviation Administrator
The Senate on July 9, by a 53-43 vote, confirmed the nomination of Bryan Bedford to be administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a five-year term. Bedford had been the CEO of Republic Airways, a regional airliner primarily operating East Coast flights for larger companies, including United and Delta, since 1999. An opponent, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), cited Bedford’s desire to end the FAA’s rule requiring 1,500 hours of training time for commercial pilots and his openness to having one pilot, not two, for long-distance flights. She criticized Bedford as seeking “to roll back safety reforms and unravel the regulatory framework that has made the United States the gold standard” in safe air travel.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
Managing Government Workers
The Senate on July 9, by a 49-46 vote, confirmed the nomination of Scott Kupor to direct the Office of Personnel Management for a four-year term. Kupor had been at the Andreessen Horowitz Silicon Valley venture capital firm since 2009; previously, he was a manager at Hewlett-Packard and an investment banker.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
Small Business Deputy
The Senate on July 9, by a 49-45 vote, confirmed the nomination of William Briggs to be deputy administrator at the Small Business Administration. Briggs was an SBA official in the first Trump administration, after time operating two small businesses; most recently, he has been at a Texas independent bankers’ group.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
Currency Comptroller
The Senate on July 10, by a 50-45 vote, confirmed the nomination of Jonathan Gould to be comptroller of the Currency. Gould was a deputy comptroller and head lawyer at the Office of the Comptroller from 2018 to 2021; otherwise, he has been a corporate lawyer focused on financial services and staff lawyer for the Senate Banking Committee.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted no
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted no
Here’s some local news we don’t read about enough: Even before July 4, the heat in the Hudson Valley this summer is setting records, with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees. Nothing new about that. New heat records are set nearly every year now. According to climate scientists, the heat index, oppressive humidity, along with temperature, is even worse. The heat index has been around 120 degrees, making it harder for our sweat to evaporate and cool us down. Doctors say those abnormally high levels pose a high risk of heat stroke.
The Current‘s letters column mercifully spares us harangues about national politics. So, any connection you draw between this information and the decision this week by the House and Senate to eliminate all support for solar, wind and clean energy initiatives is entirely your business. There is, however, a local angle: Rep. Lawler thinks killing solar and wind is a good idea. He voted to do so. Should The Current ask him why?