WASHINGTON — Here’s how area members of Congress — U.S. Reps. Jeff Miller, R-Chumuckla, and Steve Southerland, R-Panama City, and Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio — voted on major issues during the week ending Sept. 12.
HOUSE
DELAY OF AFFORDABLE CARE ACT:Voting 247 for and 167 against, the House on Sept. 11 passed a Republican-drafted bill (HR 3522) delaying until Dec. 31, 2018, the deadline by which small-group insurance plans must comply with Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage requirements. This adds two years to an existing deadline. The bill applies mainly to group policies that were in effect in 2013 for businesses with 49 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees. Supporters said the bill would curb premium increases for many plans while delivering on President Obama’s assurance that “If you like your plan, you can keep it.” Critics said the bill would add life to ACA-outlawed practices such as denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, imposing annual coverage limits and charging gender- and age-based premiums.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it was dead on arrival.
Voting yes: Miller, Southerland
GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN HEALTH COVERAGE:Voting 187 for and 223 against, the House on Sept. 11 defeated a bid by Democrats to prevent HR 3522 (above) from resulting in insurance discrimination based on gender, such as higher premiums for women or denial of contraceptive or maternity coverage.
A yes vote was to adopt the Democratic motion.
Voting no: Miller
Not voting: Southerland
PRISONER SWAP WITH TALIBAN: Voting 249 for and 163 against, the House on Sept. 9 approved a non-binding Republican measure (H Res 644) asserting that President Obama acted illegally in late May when he ordered the release of five Taliban leaders from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a prisoner of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Supporters of the measure said Obama was legally bound to give Congress 30 days’ notice of transfers out of Guantanamo. But opponents said he exercised constitutional commander-in-chief powers that trump acts of Congress when national security is at stake.
A yes vote was to condemn Obama for the prisoner exchange.
Voting yes: Miller, Southerland
CLEAN WATER ACT RULES:Voting 262 for and 152 against, the House on Sept. 9 passed a bill (HR 5078) to kill proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations that would protect headwaters, wetlands and other waters upstream of navigable waters under the 1972 Clean Water Act. That law already covers navigable waters.
Steve Southerland, R-Fla., said the bill is a “safeguard against the federal government’s overreach into regulatory decisions best made by officials at the state and local levels.”
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it is expected to die.
Voting yes: Miller, Southerland
SENATE
CAMPAIGN-FINANCE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT:Voting 54 for and 42 against, the Senate on Sept. 11 failed reach 60 votes needed to end GOP blockage a proposed constitutional amendment (SJ Res 19) that would restore broad congressional and state powers to regulate money in politics. The measure would negate the Supreme Court’s 2010 “Citizens United” decision, which equated political spending with free speech, allowing corporations, unions and other groups to anonymously spend unlimited, undisclosed sums to advocate the election or defeat of specific candidates. The amendment also would blunt the court’s 2013 “McCutcheon” ruling, which removed aggregate limits on the sums individual donors can give to candidates and other recipients to influence federal elections.
A yes vote was to move to a final vote on the constitutional amendment.
Voting yes: Nelson, D
Voting no: Rubio, R
Key Votes Ahead
In the week of Sept. 15, the House will consider energy and jobs bills and the Senate will vote on a pay-equity measure. Both chambers will take up a bill to fund the government on a stopgap basis until early December, which may include funds for bolstering Syrian rebel forces against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) army.