Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, December 3, 2012
Hawaii Congressional Delegation: How They Voted December 3, 2012
By Congress.org @ 8:52 PM :: 5504 Views :: Congressional Delegation

December 3, 2012
In this MegaVote for Hawaii's 1st & 2nd Congressional Districts:
Recent Congressional Votes
  • Senate: Sportsmen’s Access to Federal Land – Motion to Waive
  • Senate: Disability Treaty – Motion to Proceed
  • Senate: Defense Authorization – Amendment
  • House: STEM Visa Program – Final Passage
Upcoming Congressional Bills
  • Senate: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013
  • Senate: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • House: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2012

Recent Senate Votes
Sportsmen’s Access to Federal Land – Motion to Waive - Vote Rejected (50-44, 6 Not Voting)

Sen. Jon Tester’s bill to increase sportsmen’s access to federal lands hit a snag over budgetary rules last week. Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., raised a point of order that a provision of the bill to raise duck stamp fees violated budgetary caps agreed to in last year’s debt ceiling deal. Democrats attempted to waive the budget rules but failed to muster the necessary 60 votes. “Duck stamp” is the nickname for a federal license to hunt migratory birds whose proceeds are directed toward wetlands conservation. Congress had enacted all previous fee increases, but the bill would move that authority to the Interior Department, which was also a sore point among Republicans on top of the budget issue. Tester’s wide-ranging bill, which had garnered support from a large coalition of outside groups including the National Rifle Association and Nature Conservancy, had looked like a safe bet for easy passage, as it had cleared several earlier procedural hurdles with no less than 84 votes. The prospects for the bill are uncertain at this point: Democrats could attempt to attach it to another bill, such as the defense authorization or whatever agreement (if any) emerges from fiscal cliff talks.

Sen. Daniel Inouye voted
YES......send e-mailor see bio
Sen. Daniel Akaka voted
YES......send e-mailor see bio

Disability Treaty – Motion to Proceed - Vote Agreed to (61-36, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate agreed to proceed to consideration of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a United Nations treaty meant to outline the rights of disabled individuals and create a framework for implementing plans to protect those rights. The treaty contains language outlining the “general obligations” of signatory nations vis a vis their disabled citizens as well as sections on issues ranging from independent living to human dignity. There is currently an agreement in place to vote on ratification of the treaty on Tuesday, December 4.

Sen. Daniel Inouye voted
YES......send e-mailor see bio
Sen. Daniel Akaka voted
YES......send e-mailor see bio

Defense Authorization – Amendment - Vote Agreed to (94-0, 6 Not Voting)

After months of delay, the Senate began working through amendments to the annual defense authorization bill in earnest last week. A number of notable amendments passed on the floor, including this one from Sens. Menendez, D-N.J., Kirk, R-Ill., and Lieberman, I-Ct., which further tightens sanctions on Iran. Others include those offered by Sens. Feinstein, D-Calif. (clarifying that American citizens and permanent residents apprehended on U.S. soil may not be detained indefinitely or without trial – Roll Call 213); Ayotte, R-N.H. (prohibiting transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay – RC 212); and Udall, D-Colo. (striking language forbidding the defense department from taking part in a pilot biofuels program - RC 206). Dozens of other amendments were considered, with most agreed to by unanimous consent. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., filed cloture on the bill Friday afternoon, lining up a cloture vote Monday evening, December 3. Though the bill looks to be on a path toward passage, its prospects have been complicated by a veto threat from President Obama. The Administration presented a long list of grievances in its policy statement, including objections to the bill’s language on detainees, Air National Guard force structure, and costs relating to TRICARE, the military’s health care program. The President has also issued a veto threat against the House version of the bill (H.R. 4310).

Sen. Daniel Inouye voted
YES......send e-mailor see bio
Sen. Daniel Akaka voted
YES......send e-mailor see bio

Recent House Votes
STEM Visa Program – Final Passage - Vote Passed (245-139, 48 Not Voting)

The House took another bite of the apple last week in attempting to create a visa program intended to allow foreign students who obtain advanced degrees in STEM fields from American universities to remain in the country. A previous attempt to pass the bill under suspension of the rules failed to garner the necessary two thirds for passage (Roll Call 590). This time the leadership opted to go through regular order, which meant only a simple majority was needed. Only a handful of Democrats voted for the measure, as the bulk of the caucus objected to the bill’s elimination of the diversity visa program, which employs a lottery to distribute up to 55,000 visas every year to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The bill would move the diversity visa slots into the new STEM visa program. The Senate will not take up the measure this year; it is seen instead as the House Republican majority laying down a marker for the type of immigration reform measure that could pass muster with their caucus.

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted
NO......send e-mailor see bio
Rep. Mazie Hirono voted NO......send e-mailor see bio

Upcoming Votes
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 - S.3254

The Senate will hold a cloture vote on the defense authorization on Monday, December 3, with a view toward final passage this week.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - TREATYDOC.112-7

The Senate will hold a ratification vote on Tuesday, December 4.

Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2012 - H.R.2838

The House will take up several measures under suspension of the rules, including a Coast Guard and maritime transportation reauthorization bill.
 

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT