Here is how our House members and New York’s two senators voted on select issues during the legislative week ending Jan. 17, as reported by Targeted News Service. Click here for previous votes.
Michael Lawler (R), District 17 (including Philipstown)
Lawler, 37, 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, 41, 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.
Amtrak Executive Pay
The House on Jan. 13, by unanimous vote, passed the Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure Act (H.R. 192), sponsored by Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), to require public disclosure by Amtrak of both salary and bonus pay to its senior executives. Rouzer said requiring pay disclosure on Amtrak’s website would mean “providing passengers, employees, and taxpayers with transparency regarding how their tax dollars are being spent.”
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes
Managing Disaster Assistance
The House on Jan. 13, by a 405-5 vote, passed the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act (H.R. 152), sponsored by Rep. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.), to have the Federal Emergency Management Agency work with other federal agencies on a plan for improving the collection of information from people and groups seeking disaster assistance. Ezell said the bill, by removing repetition from the application process, was “a crucial step forward toward achieving a more effective disaster recovery system that prioritizes the needs of Americans and ensures they receive the help in a timely manner.”
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes
Disaster and Transparency
The House on Jan. 14, by unanimous vote, passed the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act (H.R. 153), sponsored by Rep. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.), to require the regular posting online of information about the disaster aid a given federal government agency has been providing. Ezell said the requirement “ensures the public can track recovery efforts in real-time and understand how resources are being allocated. This helps communities, local governments, and organizations involved in recovery make more informed decisions.”
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes
Gender and School Athletics
The House on Jan. 14, by a 218-206 vote, passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 28), sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.). The bill would deny federal financial aid to schools that allow males to participate in athletic events designated for females. A person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth would be the sole two factors for determining male and female status. Steube said: “Parents don’t want biological men in locker rooms with their daughters, nor do they believe it is fair that a male could compete with women in female athletics.” A bill opponent, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), said: “Transgender students, like all students, deserve the same opportunity as their peers to learn teamwork, find belonging, and grow into well-rounded adults through sports.”
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted no
Federal Aid to Utilities
The House on Jan. 15, by a 419-2 vote, passed the Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience Act (H.R. 164), sponsored by Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Ore.). The bill would authorize federal assistance to electric power utilities for reducing hazards and repairing damage from storms and other disasters. Hoyle said: “This bill maximizes FEMA’s resources and helps communities protect critical infrastructure, leading to lower costs for utilities and families in the wake of future disasters.”
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes
Gender Violence and Illegal Aliens
The House on Jan. 16, by a 274-145 vote, passed the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act (H.R. 30), sponsored by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). The bill would make any sex offense by an illegal alien grounds for deportation of that person and bar from legal admission to the U.S. any foreigner who has committed a sex crime or a domestic violence or child mistreatment crime. Mace said: “One woman, one child victimized by one illegal alien is one too many. They have no right to be here.” An opponent, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), said: “This bill is so poorly drafted that it would result in extremely harsh and unintended consequences, including the removal of survivors of domestic violence.”
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes
Taxes and Taiwan
The House on Jan. 15, by a 423-1 vote, passed the United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act (H.R. 33), sponsored by Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), to change tax rules for Taiwanese individuals and businesses earning income in the U.S. Smith said the bill, by establishing a bilateral income tax agreement with Taiwan, would help both it and the U.S. boost supply chain security, promote domestic semiconductor and chip manufacturing capacity, and generally protect U.S. military and economic security.
Michael Lawler (R-17, including Philipstown) voted yes
Pat Ryan (D-18, including Beacon) voted yes
Along with this week’s roll call votes, the House also passed by voice vote a bill (H.R. 189), to eliminate the general office space leasing authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SENATE
Crimes and Alien Deportation
The Senate on Jan. 15, by a 70-25 vote, approved an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), to the Laken Riley Act (S. 5), to include assault of a police officer among those crimes that subject illegal aliens to detention and deportation. Cornyn said the amendment would “ensure that illegal migrants who commit crimes against the men and women in blue are swiftly detained so they can be removed from our country.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted against the amendment
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted against the amendment
State Immigration Lawsuits
The Senate on Jan. 15, by a 49-46 vote, rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Christopher Coons (D-Del.), to the Laken Riley Act (S. 5), that would have removed a bill provision authorizing state lawsuits against the federal government for failing to adequately enforce immigration laws. Coons said keeping the provision could cause chaos in immigration enforcement “from having a raft of lawsuits brought by state attorneys general in courts all over the country testing and challenging almost literally every detention decision.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted for the amendment
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted for the amendment
