Here's how area members of Congress voted

Rep. Troy Balderson
Rep. Troy Balderson
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Rep. Jim Jordan
Rep. Jim Jordan

WASHINGTON — Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted Jan. 7 through Jan. 13:

Along with roll call votes, the Senate also passed the Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act (H.R. 2471), to measure the progress of post-disaster recovery and efforts to address corruption, governance, rule of law, and media freedoms in Haiti.

House

House Vote 1:

GI BILL EDUCATION AID: The House has passed the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act (H.R. 1836), sponsored by Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif. The bill would include service time in the National Guard or the military's reserves as counting toward a military member's eligibility to receive funds to help pay for the member's education. Levin said the change would work "to deliver some basic fairness in the way we provide GI Bill benefits for the men and women who serve our nation." The vote, on Jan. 12, was 287 yeas to 135 nays.

NAYS: Bob Gibbs R-OH (7th), Troy Balderson R-OH (12th), Jim Jordan R-OH (4th)

House Vote 2:

FEDERAL ELECTION PROCEDURES: The House has passed the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act (H.R. 5746), sponsored by Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr., D-Va. The bill would make numerous changes to voting and election procedures for federal offices, including making the November election day a legal holiday and requiring that formerly imprisoned criminals be able to vote. Beyer called the bill a "stand against efforts to manipulate voting rules in favor of the few and take our essential democratic privilege away from all Americans." An opponent, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said that giving Congress direct control of elections administered by the states was a violation of the Constitution. The vote, on Jan. 13, was 220 yeas to 203 nays.

NAYS: Gibbs R-OH (7th), Balderson R-OH (12th), Jordan R-OH (4th)

Senate

Senate Vote 1:

DIGITAL ECONOMY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Alan Davidson to serve as the Commerce Department's assistant secretary for communications and information. Davidson was a lobbyist for Google from 2005 to 2012, then was a senior official at the Commerce Department and at the Mozilla Foundation. A supporter, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Davidson had abundant experience in the public and private sectors, and he would "help effectively and speedily to get broadband deployed to both sectors of our economy." The vote, on Jan. 11, was 60 yeas to 31 nays.

YEAS: Sherrod Brown D-OH, Rob Portman R-OH

Senate Vote 2:

RAILROADS: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Amitabha Bose to serve as administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Bose has been a senior official at the FRA and the Transportation Department, and before that, the New Jersey government. The vote, on Jan. 12, was 68 yeas to 29 nays.

YEAS: Brown D-OH, Portman R-OH

Senate Vote 3:

APPEALS COURT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Gabriel Sanchez to serve as a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. A California state appeals court judge since 2018, Sanchez was previously a legal affairs official in that state's gubernatorial branch and a private practice lawyer. A supporter, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said Sanchez "has long been held in high esteem in California's legal circles. He brings thoughtfulness and empathy to every decision that he makes." The vote, on Jan. 12, was 52 yeas to 47 nays.

YEAS: Brown D-OH

NAYS: Portman R-OH

Senate Vote 4:

GAS PIPELINE SANCTIONS: The Senate has rejected the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Implementation Act (S. 3436), sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. The bill would have required the imposition of sanctions against entities building the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, which would carry gas from Russia to Germany. Cruz said that by helping block the pipeline, the sanctions would aid Ukraine in its struggle to prevent domination and possible invasion by Russia. An opponent, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said that by cutting off talks with Europe on how to oppose Russia, the sanctions "would drive a wedge between us and our allies, particularly between the United States and Germany, at a time that we cannot afford it." The vote, on Jan. 13, was 55 yeas to 44 nays, with a three-fifths majority required for approval.

NAYS: Brown D-OH

YEAS: Portman R-OH

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Here's how area members of Congress voted Jan. 7-13