Congressional Votes

During consideration of a budget resolution for fiscal 2025 (House Concurrent Resolution 14), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) offered an amendment to increase the federal minimum wage to at least $17 an hour over five years.

The Senate rejected Sanders' amendment on April 5, 2025 by a vote of 47 to 52 (Roll Call 184). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the "Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938," which mandates a federal minimum wage for nearly every employee in the United States, is unconstitutional. Nothing in the Constitution authorizes Congress to set the wages of non-federal or private employees. In fact, Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the Constitution limits Congress to regulating "Commerce … among the several States," preventing interference by the federal government in intrastate economic matters. The 10th Amendment reinforces that all powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved "to the States respectively, or to the people."

During consideration of a budget resolution for fiscal 2025 (Senate Concurrent Resolution 7), Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) offered an amendment to provide increased resources for local law enforcement by funding the COPS Hiring Program, a federal grant program administered by the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). It provides funding to state, local, and tribal law-enforcement agencies to hire or rehire career law-enforcement officers.

The Senate rejected Luján’s amendment on February 21, 2025 by a vote of 48 to 52 (Roll Call 81). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the Constitution does not authorize federal involvement in domestic law enforcement, as affirmed by the 10th Amendment. The COPS Hiring Program undermines the decentralized structure of the U.S. federalist system, inserting federal influence into state and local policing and creating dependence on federal funding.

Representative Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) made a motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 776, which would reauthorize the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003 through fiscal 2030. This law enables the U.S. Department of the Interior to provide funding to states in order to eradicate nutria — large, invasive, semiaquatic rodents native to South America — and restore wetlands damaged by them.

The House agreed to Westerman’s motion on February 4, 2025 by a vote of 361 to 56 (Roll Call 29). We have assigned pluses to the nays because Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution does not authorize Congress to establish or fund conservation programs. The 10th Amendment reserves any such powers to “the States respectively, or to the people.”

Representative Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) made a motion to suspend the rules and pass S. 3791, the "America's Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024," which would reauthorize multiple conservation and wildlife programs through fiscal 2030. These include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Program, and programs to conserve North American wetlands and fish habitats. The bill also would increase the authority of the National Fish Habitat Board, and create and reauthorize programs mitigating or providing compensation for depredation by federally protected species.

The House agreed to Westerman's motion on December 3, 2024 by a vote of 366 to 21 (Roll Call 479). We have assigned pluses to the nays because Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution does not authorize Congress to establish conservation or wildlife programs. The 10th Amendment reserves any such powers to "the States respectively, or to the people."

S. 4445, also known as the "Right to IVF Act," would, in the words of the bill, "protect and expand nationwide access to fertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization."

The Senate did not vote directly on S. 4445, but on a motion by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to invoke cloture (and thus limit debate) so the bill could be voted on. The motion to invoke cloture was rejected on September 17, 2024 by a vote of 51 to 44 (Roll Call 242; a three-fifths majority of the entire Senate is required to invoke cloture). We have assigned pluses to the nays because IVF is not included in the powers delegated to the federal government by the Constitution. Moreover, in February 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos should be considered children, just as should be the case with embryos in the mother's womb. The destruction of frozen embryos — which is common in the IVF process — is the destruction of innocent human life.

House Joint Resolution 165 would block a Department of Education rule that expands the federal government’s interpretation of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include protections for sexual harassment, assault, pregnancy-related conditions, and LGBTQ+ status at colleges and universities. The rule would impose ideological mandates that undermine privacy, parental authority, and fairness — particularly in women’s sports, where biological males would be allowed to compete. They would also have access to women’s bathrooms and locker rooms.

The House passed H. J. Res. 165 on July 11, 2024 by a vote of 210 to 205 (Roll Call 354). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the federal government has no constitutional authority to be involved in education or to prohibit discrimination — real or perceived.

Senate Joint Resolution 58 would reverse a December 2023 Department of Energy rule setting stricter energy-efficiency standards for non-weatherized and mobile-home gas furnaces at 95-percent annual fuel utilization efficiency. The rule seeks to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and methane, though it would increase sulfur-dioxide and mercury emissions due to higher electricity use.

The Senate passed S. J. Res. 58 on May 21, 2024 by a vote of 50 to 45 (Roll Call 176). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the Constitution does not authorize the federal government to regulate furnaces and other appliances.

Representative Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) made a motion to suspend the rules and pass S. 546, the "Recruit and Retain Act," which expands the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) federal grant program intended to support the recruitment efforts of law-enforcement agencies, including local police, throughout the country.

The House agreed to Hunt's motion on May 14, 2024 by a vote of 370 to 18 (Roll Call 196). We have assigned pluses to the nays because Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution does not authorize Congress to support local law-enforcement agencies. Federal funding of local police departments and county sheriffs comes with strings attached, usually in the form of oversight, regulations, and other homogenized standards — none of which are constitutional.

S. 4072 would have prohibited the use of fiscal 2024 funding to implement, enforce, or administer certain EPA rules on tailpipe emissions for vehicles. This includes the proposed May 2023 rule and the final March 2024 rule setting multipollutant emissions standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 and beyond.

The Senate rejected S. 4072 on April 18, 2024 by a vote of 52 to 46 (Roll Call 142; a 60-vote majority was required for passage). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the federal government has no constitutional authority to impose environmental regulations.

During consideration of a continuing appropriations resolution (H.R. 7463), Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) offered an amendment to prohibit the Federal Reserve from creating an emergency lending program or facility that purchases or sells the debt of any state or municipality.

The Senate rejected Paul’s amendment on February 29, 2024 by a vote of 37 to 53 (Roll Call 63). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because this amendment would have been a step toward ultimately abolishing the unconstitutional Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve is the largest domestic holder of U.S. public debt, which has surpassed $36 trillion. It had already caused much damage to our nation’s economy, through its inflationary policies and issuance of fiat currency, prior to its announcement during Covid-19 that it would also be willing to buy or sell the debt of state and local governments. According to Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, only Congress has the power to “coin Money” and “regulate the Value thereof.” Moreover, Article I, Section 10 specifies that “No State” shall “make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts.”

This resolution (S. J. Res 4) purports that the Equal Rights Amendment “is valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution, having been ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States.”

The Senate did not vote directly on S. J. Res. 4, but on a motion to invoke cloture (and thus limit debate) so the bill could be voted on. The motion to invoke cloture was rejected on April 27, 2023 by a vote of 51 to 47 (Roll Call 99; a three-fifths majority of the entire Senate is required to invoke cloture). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the claim that the ERA is a “valid … part of the Constitution” is a sham. When Congress submitted the ERA to the states for ratification in 1972, it set a seven-year ratification period that ended on March 22, 1979. During that period, 35 states ratified the ERA, but four of those states reconsidered and rescinded their ratifications. This left the ERA seven states short of the three-fourths majority (38 states) needed to become part of the Constitution. Prior to the deadline, when it became apparent the 38-state threshold would not be reached, Congress extended the deadline to June 30, 1982. This legally dubious extension caused a fifth state to rescind, and during the extension period no new states ratified. In recent years, three new states have ratified the ERA. But to claim that this makes the ERA part of the Constitution is to ignore the long-expired deadlines, as well as the five states that rescinded.

S. 870 would authorize $95 million annually through fiscal 2030 for the U.S. Fire Administration, increasing the agency’s funding levels by 24 percent. Among other provisions, S. 870 would authorize $3.4 million to create standards for assessing new firefighting technologies, reauthorize through fiscal 2030 two Federal Emergency Management Agency grant programs assisting local fire departments, and ban Chinese entities from receiving any of these funds.

The Senate passed S. 870 on April 20, 2023 by a vote of 95 to 2 (Roll Call 94). We have assigned pluses to the nays because Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution does not authorize any federal spending for firefighting. Furthermore, the strings that come attached to grants for local fire departments move the United States closer to federalizing firefighting.

H. J. Res. 27 would disapprove of a rule submitted by the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense, and Environmental Protection Agency on January 18, 2023 that again revises the definition of the “Waters of the United States.” During House debate on the bill, Representative Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) declared, “Agricultural producers have been forced to operate their businesses under three different definitions of water in the last 10 years, and this most recent rule removes long-standing bipartisan exemptions for common water features like ponds and streams found on family farms and other private property. With this vote, Congress has a golden opportunity to stand up not only for people who feed, fuel, and clothe us all, but also for all Americans whose businesses and private lives will be affected by this Big Government encroachment onto their property.”

The Senate passed H. J. Res. 27 on March 29, 2023 by a vote of 53 to 43 (Roll Call 79). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the latest Biden administration rule were allowed to stand, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any body of water, no matter how small.

During consideration of an energy and permitting package (H.R. 1), Representative Scott Perry (R-Pa.) offered an amendment to repeal Section 115 of the Clean Air Act, which allows the Environmental Protection Agency to impose emissions-reduction requirements on state governors if an “international agency” or the Department of State determines that “pollutants” emitted in the United States “endanger public health or welfare in a foreign country.”

The House rejected Perry’s amendment on March 29, 2023 by a vote of 96 to 336 (Roll Call 173). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because Section 115 of the Clean Air Act has for decades served to disguise the federal government’s unconstitutional seizure of control over the domestic energy sector — a plan designed to not only erode state sovereignty, but implement United Nations-led global “climate change” policy. The 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly reserves any such regulatory powers to the “States respectively, or to the people,” as opposed to unelected, unaccountable foreign bureaucrats.

During consideration of an education-policy bill (H.R. 5), Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) offered an amendment to express the sense of Congress that the authority of the Department of Education “to operate or administer any office or program related to elementary or secondary education should be terminated on or before December 31, 2023.”

The House rejected Massie’s amendment on March 24, 2023 by a vote of 161 to 265 (Roll Call 156). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because education is not the role of government, let alone among the limited and specified powers enumerated for Congress in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. A child’s education is the responsibility of, as well as a fundamental right of choice retained by, his or her parents. Forcing American citizens to furnish taxpayer money for a compulsory, failing, and government-run K-12 school system violates their individual liberties.

H. J. Res. 27 would disapprove of a rule submitted by the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense, and Environmental Protection Agency on January 18, 2023 that again revises the definition of the “Waters of the United States.” During House debate on the bill, Representative Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) declared, “Agricultural producers have been forced to operate their businesses under three different definitions of water in the last 10 years, and this most recent rule removes long-standing bipartisan exemptions for common water features like ponds and streams found on family farms and other private property. With this vote, Congress has a golden opportunity to stand up not only for people who feed, fuel, and clothe us all, but also for all Americans whose businesses and private lives will be affected by this Big Government encroachment onto their property.”

The House passed H. J. Res. 27 on March 9, 2023 by a vote of 227 to 198 (Roll Call 142). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the latest Biden administration rule were allowed to stand, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any body of water, no matter how small.

H.R. 8404 would codify the right to marry regardless of sexual orientation or race. It prohibits the states from denying marriage between two individuals on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. This bill also repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as “only a legal union between one man and one woman.”

The House passed H.R. 8404 on December 8, 2022 by a vote of 258 to 169 (Roll Call 513). We have assigned pluses to the nays because this Marxist-inspired bill violates state sovereignty. Additionally, it embraces “woke” culture and undermines the traditional nuclear family. Rights come from God, not government.

H.R. 8404 would codify the right to marry regardless of sexual orientation or race. It prohibits the states from denying marriage between two individuals on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. This bill also repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as “only a legal union between one man and one woman.”

The Senate passed H.R. 8404 on November 29, 2022 by a vote of 61 to 36 (Roll Call 362). We have assigned pluses to the nays because this Marxist-inspired bill violates state sovereignty. Additionally, it embraces “woke” culture and undermines the traditional nuclear family. Rights come from God, not government.

H.R. 6448, the “Invest to Protect Act of 2022,” would direct the Department of Justice’s office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to award grants to county, municipal, town, village, and tribal governments that employ “fewer than 125 law enforcement officers.” The grants are intended to fund “de-escalation training for law enforcement officers” to “minimize the need for the use of force,” overtime costs, and signing and retention bonuses, among other activities. The bill would appropriate $60,000,000 for each year from 2023 through 2027.

The House passed H.R. 6448 on September 22, 2022 by a vote of 360 to 64 (Roll Call 451). We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill undermines the local control and independence of police. The strings that come attached to such grants move the United States closer to nationalizing police — making police subordinate to federal stipulations, guidelines, and control — rather than preserving local police that are independent of the federal government. Furthermore, Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution makes no provision for federal grants, training, or guidelines for local law enforcement.

H.R. 8873, the “Presidential Election Reform Act,” would change the procedures for how presidential electoral votes are cast and counted to “prevent other future unlawful efforts to overturn Presidential elections and to ensure future peaceful transfers of Presidential power,” according to the bill. The bill would require the governor of each state to certify the state’s electors. It would also make the role of the presiding officer of the joint session count on January 6th (i.e., the vice president or, in absence thereof, the president pro tempore) simply a “ministerial” position having no discretionary power to “determine or otherwise resolve disputes concerning the proper list of electors for a State, the validity of electors for a State, or the votes of electors of a State.” Additionally, the bill raises the threshold for raising any objections to “at least one third of each House of Congress.” In a statement after voting against the bill, Representative Burgess Owens (R-Utah) said, “The Presidential Election Reform Act … tramples the constitutional duty of states to oversee elections, and continues the partisan charge to centralize power in Washington.”

The House passed H.R. 8873 on September 21, 2022 by a vote of 229 to 203 (Roll Call 449). We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill undermines election integrity, infringes upon state sovereignty, and makes changes that are inconsistent with Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution.

Senate Joint Resolution 37, introduced by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), would provide “for congressional disapproval … of the rule submitted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relating to ‘Requirement for Persons To Wear Masks While on Conveyances [planes, trains, and buses] and at Transportation Hubs.’” In a floor speech in support of his resolution on March 15, 2022, Senator Paul stated, “While the efficacy of masks is debatable, the question of whether or not the Federal Government possesses the power to mandate that you wear a mask is not debatable. The 10th Amendment clearly states that powers not specifically enumerated by the Constitution for the Federal Government are retained by the States and the people respectively.”

The Senate passed S. J. Res. 37 on March 15, 2022 by a vote of 57 to 40 (Roll Call 81). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the CDC rule requiring persons to wear masks while on planes, trains, and buses is unconstitutional based on the 10th Amendment.

H.R. 5746, the “Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act,” would implement a sweeping federalization of American elections. Among numerous other provisions, it would force states to implement nationwide internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration. The bill would also mandate states to allow mail-in voting and make available ballot “drop boxes” for all voters, implement early voting that begins at least 15 days prior to an election, and limit state legislatures’ authority over congressional redistricting. H.R. 5746 would also reestablish a “preclearance” process similar to what existed under the 1965 Voting Rights Act prior to 2013. Under it, states would be required to obtain permission from the U.S. Department of Justice prior to implementing changes to their election laws. The Senate did not vote directly on H.R. 5746, but on a motion to invoke cloture (and thus limit debate) so the bill could be voted on. The motion to invoke cloture was rejected on January 19, 2022 by a vote of 49 to 51 (Roll Call 9; a three-fifths majority of the entire Senate is required to invoke cloture). We have assigned pluses to the nays because not only does this bill undermine election integrity, but it infringes upon federalism and state sovereignty as established under the Constitution and its 10th Amendment.

H.R. 5746, the “Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act,” would implement a sweeping federalization of American elections. Among numerous other provisions, it would force states to implement nationwide internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration. The bill would also mandate states to allow mail-in voting and make available ballot “drop boxes” for all voters, implement early voting that begins at least 15 days prior to an election, and limit state legislatures’ authority over congressional redistricting. H.R. 5746 would also reestablish a “preclearance” process similar to what existed under the 1965 Voting Rights Act prior to 2013. Under it, states would be required to obtain permission from the U.S. Department of Justice prior to implementing changes to their election laws.

The House passed H.R. 5746 on January 13, 2022 by a vote of 220 to 203 (Roll Call 9). We have assigned pluses to the nays because not only does this bill undermine election integrity, but it infringes upon federalism and state sovereignty as established under the Constitution and its 10th Amendment.

S. 4 would reestablish a “preclearance” process similar to what existed under the 1965 Voting Rights Act prior to 2013. Under it, states would be required to obtain permission from the U.S. Department of Justice prior to implementing modifications to their election laws. The types of election laws subject to preclearance under S. 4 include redistricting, and the bill effectively prohibits new voter-ID laws or rollbacks of “multilingual voting materials.” S. 4 would also make it easier for the federal government and others to take legal action against state election laws.

The Senate did not vote directly on S. 4, but on a motion to invoke cloture (and thus limit debate) so the bill could be voted on. The motion to invoke cloture was rejected on November 3, 2021 by a vote of 50 to 49 (Roll Call 459; a three-fifths majority of the entire Senate is required to invoke cloture). We have assigned pluses to the nays because not only does this bill undermine election integrity, it infringes upon state sovereignty as established under the 10th Amendment, subjugating it to the whims of federal bureaucrats.

S. 2747 would implement a sweeping federalization of American elections. Among the bill’s provisions, S. 2747 would force states to implement nationwide Internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration. The bill would also mandate that states allow mail-in voting and make available ballot “drop boxes” for all voters, and implement early voting that begins at least 15 days prior to an election. Additionally, S. 2747 would make Election Day a federal holiday, limit state legislatures’ authority over congressional redistricting, and enact additional campaign-finance regulations.

The Senate did not vote directly on S. 2747, but on a motion to invoke cloture (and thus limit debate) so the bill could be voted on. The motion to invoke cloture was rejected on October 20, 2021 by a vote of 49 to 51 (Roll Call 420; a three-fifths majority of the entire Senate is required to invoke cloture). We have assigned pluses to the nays because, under our system of government, state legislatures possess primary authority over regulating congressional elections.

H.R. 4 would reestablish a “preclearance” process similar to what existed under the 1965 Voting Rights Act prior to 2013. Under it, states would be required to obtain permission from the U.S. Department of Justice prior to implementing modifications to their election laws. The types of election laws subject to preclearance under H.R. 4 include redistricting, and the bill effectively prohibits new voter ID laws or rollbacks of “multilingual voting materials.”

The House passed H.R. 4 on August 24, 2021 by a vote of 219 to 212 (Roll Call 260). We have assigned pluses to the nays because not only does this bill undermine election integrity, but it infringes upon state sovereignty as established under the 10th Amendment, subjugating it to the whims of federal bureaucrats.

During consideration of the Budget Resolution for fiscal 2022 (Senate Concurrent Resolution 14), Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a misguided amendment to fund the hiring of 100,000 new local police officers nationwide with federal money. Even though Hawley’s amendment was passed by the overwhelming bipartisan majority of 95-3, it is misguided because it is in conflict with the system of federalism that the Founders bequeathed to us. Since the Constitution does not grant Congress the power of creating and funding local police departments, the 10th Amendment tells us that this power is reserved to the states and to the people.

The Senate adopted Hawley’s amendment on August 11, 2021 by a vote of 95 to 3 (Roll Call 345). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the Constitution does not grant to Congress the power to hire and/or control local police officers.

During consideration of the Budget Resolution for fiscal 2022 (Senate Concurrent Resolution 14), Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) submitted an amendment to allow for “prohibiting or limiting Federal funding from being used to promote critical race theory or compel teachers or students to affirm critical race theory in prekindergarten programs, elementary schools, and secondary schools, by the amounts provided in such legislation for those purposes.”

The Senate adopted Cotton’s amendment on August 11, 2021 by a vote of 50 to 49 (Roll Call 342). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because nowhere in the Constitution is Congress authorized to allocate federal funding for education or to promote any particular curriculum in schools. Furthermore, critical Race Theory (CRT) is a radical and divisive theory that forces students to see and acknowledge others primarily by their skin color and racial ancestry, rather than by individual merits. CRT is part of the broader Marxist-inspired “Black Lives Matter” agenda and has its roots in Marxist “Critical Theory” originating from the Frankfurt School and Fabian Socialists. The federal government has no business promoting this extremist, anti-American agenda in our children’s schools.

The For the People Act (S. 2093) would implement a sweeping federalization of American elections. Among the bill’s provisions, S. 2093 would force states to implement nationwide Internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration. The bill would also mandate states to allow mail-in voting for all voters, make ballot “drop boxes” available in every county, and implement early voting that begins at least 15 days prior to an election. Additionally, S. 2093 would prohibit voter caging, greatly reducing verification of voter-registration lists; require states to set up “independent redistricting commissions” that take redistricting authority out of state legislatures’ hands; and enact additional campaign-finance regulations.

The Senate did not vote directly on S. 2093, but on a motion to invoke cloture (and thus limit debate) so the bill could be voted on. The motion to invoke cloture was rejected on June 22, 2021 by a vote of 50 to 50 (Roll Call 246; a three-fifths majority of the entire Senate is required to invoke cloture). We have assigned pluses to the nays because, under our system of government, state legislatures possess primary authority over regulating congressional elections.

During consideration of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (S. 914), Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) offered an amendment to “limit the authority to reserve water rights in designating a national monument.” The amendment stated: “(1) No reservation of water rights. — In designating a national monument under subsection (a), the President may not reserve any implied or expressed water rights associated with the national monument. (2) Applicable law. — Water rights associated with a national monument designated under subsection (a) may be acquired for the national monument only in accordance with the laws of the State in which the water rights are located.”

The Senate rejected Lee’s amendment on April 29, 2021 by a vote of 41 to 54 (Roll Call 177). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the Constitution does not grant the federal government the power to designate national monuments or to grant water rights.

The so-called Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO, Act (H.R. 842) would end states’ right-to-work laws, empower the National Labor Relations Board to force employees to unionize against their will, encourage illegal aliens to join unions, and align U.S. labor laws with those of Mexico and Canada, in accordance with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which requires member countries to recognize collective bargaining at the national level.

The House passed H.R. 842 on March 9, 2021 by a vote of 225 to 206 (Roll Call 70). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the U.S. Constitution does not give the federal government any authority to regulate employers or workers. The 10th Amendment guarantees that the states and the people have authority over these matters.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (H.R. 1280) would, according to a fact sheet released by the House Judiciary Committee, “establish a national standard for the operation of police departments,” governing the conduct of police officers. The bill also aims to defund police departments and allocate those funds to leftist “community organizations,” further perpetuating the Left’s war on police.

The House passed H.R. 1280 on March 3, 2021 by a vote of 220 to 212 (Roll Call 60). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to establish any type of national standards governing the operation, conduct, and accreditation of local law-enforcement agencies. To do so would constitute an egregious violation of the principles of federalism, as set forth in the 10th Amendment, and would be a major step toward nationalizing our local police into a federal police force — threatening our very existence as a free people.

The For the People Act (H.R. 1) would implement a sweeping federalization of American elections. Among the bill’s provisions, H.R. 1 would force states to implement nationwide Internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration. The bill would also mandate states to allow mail-in voting for all voters, make ballot “drop boxes” available in every county, and implement early voting at least 15 days prior to an election. Additionally, H.R. 1 would prohibit voter caging, greatly reducing verification of voter-registration lists; require states to set up “independent redistricting commissions” that take redistricting authority out of state legislatures’ hands; and enact additional campaign-finance regulations.

The House passed H.R. 1 on March 3, 2021 by a vote of 220 to 210 (Roll Call 62). We have assigned pluses to the nays because, under our system of government, state legislatures retain primary authority over regulating congressional elections.

This bill (H.R. 6784) would direct the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to issue a rule removing the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife, thus removing federal protections for the species in the 48 contiguous United States. It would also direct the Interior Department to reissue a 2011 rule delisting gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and would exempt both rules, and another rule delisting the species in Wyoming, from judicial review.

The House passed H.R. 6784 on November 16, 2018 by a vote of 196 to 180 (Roll Call 420). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because decisions regarding human interaction with various animal species, if handled by government at all, should be handled at the state and local levels. The U.S. Constitution does not give the federal government the authority to declare animals endangered and thus off-limits to hunt or otherwise manage. The growing gray wolf population has been a menace to farmers and ranchers in many states, and farmers are not allowed to protect their own property owing to federal regulations. Working to overturn such regulations is a good thing.

This bill (H.R. 6), as amended by the House, would expand Medicare and Medicaid to cover medication-assisted treatment for substance abuse and would place new requirements on states regarding Medicaid drug review and utilization requirements. It would appropriate $15 million annually, from fiscal 2019 through fiscal 2023, to support the establishment or operation of public-health laboratories to detect synthetic opioids. The House amendment to the Senate-amended bill would allow Medicaid patients with opioid- or cocaine-abuse problems to stay for up to 30 days per year in certain treatment facilities with more than 16 beds.

The House agreed to an amendment to the Senate-amended version of H.R. 6 on September 28, 2018 by a vote of 393 to 8 (Roll Call 415). We have assigned pluses to the nays because Medicare and Medicaid are both unconstitutional programs. The U.S. Constitution gives no authority to the federal government to pay people’s medical expenses, no matter how poor or disabled they are. Such assistance should be handled by states, charity, or the free market. Any expansion of Medicare or Medicaid, which is what this bill authorizes, should be voted against.

During consideration of a minibus appropriations bill (H.R. 5895), Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced an amendment to repeal the EPA’s 2015 “Waters of the United States” rule, which allows federal bureaucrats to broadly interpret the meaning of “navigable waters” under the Clean Water Act. This rule, Lee opined on the Senate floor, “effectively dramatically expanded the jurisdiction of the Federal Government over land in the United States, in some instances saying that if a plot of land is wet some of the time, some of the year, during any particular year, you can be subject to massive fines totaling millions of dollars if you do anything on that land, subject to the arbitrary determinations of Federal bureaucrats.”

The Senate tabled (killed) Lee’s amendment on June 21, 2018 by a vote of 62 to 34 (Roll Call 138). We have assigned pluses to the nays because both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the rule were allowed to stand, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any body of water, no matter how small.

This bill (H.R. 3) would cut nearly $15 billion from previously approved, unspent funding, including $7 billion from the Children’s Health Insurance Program and $4.3 billion from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program.

The Senate rejected a motion to discharge H.R. 3 from the Senate Budget Committee (so that it could be considered by the full Senate) on June 20, 2018 by a vote of 48 to 50 (Roll Call 134). We have assigned pluses to the yeas not only because the spending falls outside the scope of constitutionally authorized federal powers, but also because the federal government needs to start reining in ballooning federal spending (and debt) somewhere in order to avert fiscal disaster. The cuts in this bill comprise only a fraction of one percent of total federal spending, and according to the Congressional Budget Office, most of the unspent funding targeted by the bill would not be spent anyway. Yet modest cuts are better than none at all.

This bill (H.R. 3) would cut nearly $15 billion from previously approved, unspent spending, including $7 billion from the Children’s Health Insurance Program and $4.3 billion from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program.

The House passed H.R. 3 on June 7, 2018 by a vote of 210 to 206 (Roll Call 243). We have assigned pluses to the yeas not only because the spending falls outside the scope of constitutionally authorized federal powers, but also because the federal government needs to start reining in ballooning federal spending (and debt) somewhere in order to avert fiscal disaster. The cuts in this bill comprise only a fraction of one percent of total federal spending, and according to the Congressional Budget Office, most of the funding targeted by the bill would not be spent anyway. Yet modest cuts are better than none at all.

This bill (H.R. 3249) would establish a Project Safe Neighborhoods Block Grant Program within the Office of Justice Programs at the Department of Justice to foster and improve existing partnerships between local, state, and federal law-enforcement agencies to create safer neighborhoods through sustained reductions in violent crimes. It would authorize $50 million a year in each of the fiscal years from 2019 through 2021.

The House concurred with the Senate version of H.R. 3249 on June 6, 2018 by a vote of 394 to 13 (Roll Call 239). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the federal government is not authorized by the Constitution to partner with, train, or subsidize state or local law-enforcement agencies. Our continued existence as a free people under the Constitution depends on the continued independence of our local police from federal and state control.

During consideration of the farm bill (H.R. 2), Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced an amendment to prohibit federal interference in the interstate transportation of unpasteurized milk and milk products between states that allow for the distribution of such products for direct human consumption.

The House rejected Massie’s amendment on May 18, 2018 by a vote of 79 to 331 (Roll Call 201). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the U.S. Constitution does not give the federal government any authority over what foods a person chooses to consume. In other words, it is illegal for the federal government to make raw milk illegal. While the federal government does have authority to “regulate Commerce … among the several States,” there is no reason for federal interference in a scenario such as this, where a product is legally sold in each of the states in question. Massie’s amendment would have limited federal overreach and should have been supported.

During consideration of the farm bill (H.R. 2), Representative Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced an amendment to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 “Waters of the United States” rule. On the floor of the House, Banks called this rule “the poster child of government overreach during the Obama administration,” noting that it gives “unelected bureaucrats at the EPA the power to broadly interpret what is a navigable waterway” under the Clean Water Act — so broadly that “even a puddle in a farm’s drainage ditch could be subjected to Federal regulation.”

The House adopted Banks’ amendment on May 18, 2018 by a vote of 238 to 173 (Roll Call 203). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the rule were allowed to stand, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any body of water, no matter how small.

The STOP School Violence Act of 2018 (H.R. 4909) would authorize $75 million a year through fiscal year 2028 for the Justice Department’s Secure Our Schools grant program. SOS is a grant program of the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, which has been instrumental in laying the foundations for nationalizing local police by providing federal “assistance” in the form of funds, equipment, training, and development of guidelines to local law-enforcement agencies.

In a podcast interview with Conservative Review, Representative Thomas Massie (RKy.) said the “STOP School Violence Act was bad enough for nationalizing defense of our schools,” but he further revealed, “There is money in that bill that is going to go to gun control groups. It literally says in there you can give it to the 501-C3s, and then it also says in there it can’t go to train anybody on gun safety. It’s got to go for all the liberal sort of agendas.”

The House passed H.R. 4909 on March 14, 2018 by a vote of 407 to 10 (Roll Call 106). We have assigned pluses to the nays because school safety is not a proper function of the federal government, and no action the federal government has ever taken would actually make schools safe. School safety should be addressed at the local level. Furthermore, the nationalizing of local police and school security, as well as any other gun-control measures contained in the bill, are all strictly unconstitutional.

During consideration of the immigration bill (H.R. 2579), Senator Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) introduced an amendment to prohibit the disbursement of federal development grants to cities, states, or other political subdivisions that harbor or provide sanctuary for illegal immigrants.

The Senate did not vote directly on Toomey’s amendment, but on a motion to invoke cloture (and thus limit debate) so the amendment could come up for a vote. The motion to invoke cloture was rejected on February 15, 2018 by a vote of 54 to 45 (Roll Call 34; a three-fifths majority of the entire Senate is required to invoke cloture). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the flood of illegal immigrants into the United States has risen to the level of an invasion swamping our Republic, and political entities that provide sanctuary to illegal aliens in contravention of federal immigration laws should not expect to do so while receiving federal aid.

During consideration of the omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 3354), Representative Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) introduced an amendment to prohibit funds to process any application for a drilling permit that would authorize use of hydraulic fracturing or acid well stimulation treatment in the Pacific outer continental shelf.

The House rejected Carbajal’s amendment on September 8, 2017 by a vote of 177 to 230 (Roll Call 483). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the federal government should not interfere with energy exploration. Regulation of various industries, such as energy, is not one of the federal government’s enumerated powers under the Constitution. Allowing the United States to fully utilize its energy resources would make the country more self-sufficient and create, potentially, millions of jobs.

The Ozone Standards Implementation Act (H.R. 806) would delay by eight years the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), issued on October 26, 2015. The EPA’s new NAAQS for ground-level ozone levels went from 75 parts per billion (PPB) to 70 PPB.

Upon its passage in the House, the bill’s main sponsor, Congressman Pete Olson (R-Texas), said in a statement, “My bill provides needed flexibility so that states and localities can adequately achieve new, lower standards with time for compliance. Health remains the first priority in setting standards and giving our local officials the tools they need make the Clean Air Act work.” The Clean Air Act authorizes the EPA to set criteria pollution standards for ground level ozone.

The House passed H.R. 806 on July 18, 2017 by a vote of 229 to 199 (Roll Call 391). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because it provides temporary relief from having to immediately implement the new ozone reduction standards. Ideally, the EPA should be abolished and the Clean Air Act repealed, since both are unconstitutional infringements on state responsibilities

The Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 (H.R. 1616) would, according to the bill, authorize "within the United States Secret Service a National Computer Forensics Institute" for fiscal years 2017 through 2022. According to the bill, "The Institute shall disseminate information related to the investigation and prevention of cyber and electronic crime and related threats, and educate, train, and equip State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges." (Emphasis added.) In the name of combating cyber crime, this bill would further erode the distinction between local law enforcement and federal policing.

The House passed H.R. 1616 on May 16, 2017 by a vote of 408 to 3 (Roll Call 258). We have assigned pluses to the nays because providing federal equipment and training to state and local law-enforcement officers not only is unconstitutional, but also further federalizes the police system.

This legislation (House Joint Resolution 43) would disapprove of and nullify a Health and Human Services Department rule that prevents states that distribute federal family funding from prohibiting participation and receipt of funds by healthcare providers, such as Planned Parenthood, for any reason other than their ability to provide family planning services.

The Senate passed H. J. Res. 43 on March 30, 2017 by a vote of 50 to 50 with Vice President Mike Pence casting a tie-breaking "yea" vote (Roll Call 101). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because this bill limits the power of an unconstitutional federal government agency. The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to get involved in healthcare, much less establish a Department of Health and Human Services, so any attempt to limit the power of an unconstitutional federal agency is a step in the right direction.

This legislation (House Joint Resolution 69) would disapprove of and nullify a U.S. Department of Interior rule, "Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participating and Close Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska," which was released in final form on August 5, 2016.

The Senate passed H. J. Res. 69 on March 21, 2017 by a vote of 52-47 (Roll Call 92). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because it reaffirms Alaska's sovereign power to manage its wildlife. Since the power of wildlife management was not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, it is reserved to Alaska and the other 49 states according to the 10th Amendment.

This legislation (House Joint Resolution 69) would disapprove of and nullify a U.S. Department of Interior rule, "Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participating and Close Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska," which was released in final form on August 5, 2016. According to the bill's sponsor, Don Young (R-Alaska): "Not only does this [rule] undermine Alaska's authority to manage fish and wildlife upon refuge lands, it fundamentally destroys a cooperative relationship between Alaska and the federal government. I continue to fight to protect Alaska's sovereignty and management authority and will use every tool at my discretion to strike this rule."

The House passed H. J. Res. 69 on February 16, 2017 by a vote of 225 to 193 (Roll Call 98). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because it reaffirms Alaska's sovereign power to manage its wildlife. Since the power of wildlife management was not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, it is reserved to Alaska and the other 49 states according to the 10th Amendment.

This legislation (House Joint Resolution 43) would disapprove of and nullify a Health and Human Services Department (HHS) rule that prevents states from restricting federal family planning funding to a health provider, such as denying funds to a center that provides abortions, for any basis other than its ability to provide health services. Under the current rule, HHS can withhold family planning grants to any state that restricts the participation of a health provider in the family planning services grant program.

The House passed H. J. Res. 43 on February 16, 2017 by a vote of 230 to 188 (Roll Call 99). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because this bill limits the power of an unconstitutional federal government agency. The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to get involved in healthcare, much less establish a Department of Health and Human Services, so any attempt to limit the power of an unconstitutional federal agency is a step in the right direction.

This legislation (House Joint Resolution 38) would disapprove of and nullify the "Stream Protection Rule" issued by the Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement in 2016. This new rule would "jeopardize thousands of coal and coal-related jobs, devastate coal producing communities, and put a majority of the country's coal reserves off limits," according to the bill's lead sponsor in the House, Representative Bill Johnson (R-Ohio).

The Senate passed H. J. Res. 38 on February 2, 2017 by a vote of 54 to 45 (Roll Call 43). We have assigned pluses to the yeas not only because the federal government has no constitutional authority to issue environmental regulations, but also because environmental regulations such as the "Stream Protection Rule" destroy jobs and increase energy costs. Also, states already protect streamwater.

This legislation (House Joint Resolution 38) would disapprove of and nullify the "Stream Protection Rule" issued by the Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement in 2016. This new rule would "jeopardize thousands of coal and coal-related jobs, devastate coal producing communities, and put a majority of the country's coal reserves off limits," according to the bill's lead sponsor, Representative Bill Johnson (R-Ohio).

The House passed H. J. Res. 38 on February 1, 2017 by a vote of 228 to 194 (Roll Call 73). We have assigned pluses to the yeas not only because the federal government has no constitutional authority to issue environmental regulations, but also because environmental regulations such as the "Stream Protection Rule" destroy jobs and increase energy costs. Also, states already protect streamwater.

This bill (H.R. 3313) would protect marriage from judicial activism by restricting the federal courts as opposed to amending the Constitution. Specifically, H.R. 3313 would stipulate that "no court created by Act of Congress shall have any jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court shall have no appellate jurisdiction" to interpret, or rule on the constitutionality of, Title 28, Section 1738C of the U.S. Code. Section 1738C states that no state, territory, or possession of the U.S "shall be required to give effect" to same-sex "marriages" performed under the laws of another state, territory, or possession.

H.R. 3313 would not prohibit the federal courts from hearing all same-sex "marriage" cases, since it is narrowly worded. A more broadly written measure would have been better. Nevertheless, H.R. 3313 would be a step in the right direction.

The House passed H.R. 3313 on July 22, 2004 by a vote of 233 to 194 (Roll Call 410). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because H.R. 3313 would help protect marriage via a long-neglected congressional check on the federal judiciary.

This vote was on the adoption of a constitutional amendment to give Congress "power to set reasonable limits on the amount of contributions that may be accepted by, and the amount of expenditures that may be made by, in support of, or in opposition to, a candidate for nomination for election to, or for election to, Federal office." The amendment is an outright attack on the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) explained that "the Hollings constitutional amendment [sums] up the reformers' agenda for the past quarter century as they have sought to root out of American political life any speech or activity which could conceivably affect an election or be of value to a politician."

The Senate rejected S. J. Res 4 on March 26, 2001 by a vote of 40-56 (Roll Call 47). We have assigned pluses to the nays.

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) offered this amendment to add "gender," "sexual orientation" and "disability" to the list of federally designated victim groups protected under "Hate Crimes" law, thereby dramatically expanding federal jurisdiction. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) explained that the Kennedy amendment "would make a federal case out of every single hate-motivated crime that occurs in this country -- including all rapes and sexual assaults, which currently are prosecuted under State law."

The Senate adopted the Kennedy amendment to S. 2549 on June 20, 2000 by a vote of 57-42 (Roll Call 136). We have assigned pluses to the nays.

The ACLU and similar groups have long crusaded to force the removal of all aspects of religious expression from public grounds under the pretense that such expression violates the First Amendment. This amendment to H.R. 1501, offered by Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL), takes issue with that notion. The amendment states that "the power to display the Ten Commandments" on public property is "declared to be among the powers reserved to the states...." It also declares that individual religious expression on public grounds is "among the rights secured against laws respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise of religion" and "among the liberties which no state shall deprive any person without due process of law...." Moreover: "The courts constituted, ordained, and established by the Congress shall exercise the judicial power in a manner consistent with the foregoing declarations." The House adopted the amendment on June 17, 1999 by a vote of 248 to 180 (Congressional Record, pages H4486-87, roll call 221; we have assigned pluses to the yeas).

This amendment would authorize $1.5 billion a year through fiscal 2005 for community policing programs. According to amendment author Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), it would "give the states up to another 50,000 police officers over the next 5 years." But Senator Don Nickles (R-OK) objected to the measure, saying, "We are having the federal government provide for police in cities, and that is not a federal responsibility." It is also, of course, a step toward a national police force. The Senate rejected the amendment on May 20, 1999 by a vote of 48 to 50 (Congressional Record, page S5709, roll call 139; we have assigned pluses to the "nays" and minuses to the "yeas.").