Major Votes

November 16, 2012

  • The House considered H.R. 6156, the Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal Act of 2012.  This legislation would establish permanent normal trade relations for Russia and Moldova and repeal the cold war era restrictions on trade with these nations.  In place of those restrictions, H.R. 6156 would establish a sanctions regime for use against individuals involved in human rights violations.  
  • I joined in the overwhelming House majority voting in favor enactment of this bill by a vote of 365 - 43.  This legislation remains pending in the Senate.

September 12, 2012

  • The House voted on H.R. 5949, FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012.  This bill would extend Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act of 2008 for five years (through December 31, 2017).   Title VII of FISA establishes procedures for the conduct of certain intelligence collection activities generally targeting foreign persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States. This should not to be confused with the PATRIOT Act, which deals with collecting intelligence inside the United States. 
  • H.R. 5949 passed by a vote of 301 - 118.  I supported this measure along with the majority of my colleagues.  It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

  August 2, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 6233, the Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012, which would reauthorize expired emergency disaster programs for livestock ranchers, as well as fish, tree, honey bee and nursery plant producers for fiscal year 2012. The aid would be available for losses incurred from October 1, 2011, through 2012, as a result of disaster, adverse weather or other environmental conditions.
  • The House passed H.R. 6233 by a vote of 223-197.  I voted in favor of this legislation because I felt it was important to provide emergency assistance to farmers suffering from one of the worst droughts in decades.
  • On this day, the House debated H.R. 6169, the Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012.  This bill would establish both an outline for tax reform and an expedited framework to facilitate consideration of such a bill during the 113th Congress.  Under H.R. 6169, tax reform legislation featuring two individual income tax rates, a corporate rate of 25 percent or less, a repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax, a switch in the basis of our corporate tax system to the "territorial" model, and anticipated revenues of between 18 and 19 percent of Gross Domestic Product, would qualify for consideration under the expedited framework.
  •  H.R. 6169 passed the House by a vote 232 - 189.  I support bringing pro-growth tax reform legislation to a vote on the House floor, and I voted in favor of the adoption of H.R. 6169.

August 1, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 8, the Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012.  This legislation would provide a one-year extension of many tax provisions originally enacted in 2001 and 2003 which are set to expire on December 31 of this year.   Under H.R. 8, current marginal rates for individual taxpayers, the tax rates for capital gains and dividend income, current law for the estate tax, the $1,000 Child Tax Credit, and middle-class marriage penalty relief are extended for one year.  The patch to the Alternative Minimum Tax, intended to prevent the application of this law to millions of middle-class tax taxpayers, would be extended for two-years through 2013.
  • H.R. 8 was subject of a robust debate on the House floor and was adopted by a vote of 256 - 171.  I voted for this legislation in order to prevent a huge tax increase on January 1, 2013.

July 31, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 3803, the D.C. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This bill would ban 20 week and beyond abortions in Washington, D.C., regardless of who pays for them.
  • H.R. 3803 was considered under a parliamentary procedure requiring a two-thirds majority to pass.  Unfortunately, even though the House voted 220-154 in support of the bill, the measure failed.  I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this bill and to have supported it.

July 26, 2012:

  • The House debated H.R. 4078, the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act.  H.R. 4078 was a package of regulatory reform and relief proposals intended to lessen the uncertainty caused by impending federal rulemakings.  Government regulation can play a vital role in protecting the health and safety of Americans, but regulatory zeal can go too far and bring negative impacts to the economy without corresponding benefits in the lives of our citizens.
  • H.R. 4078 was passed in the House by a vote of 245 - 172. I voted with the majority in favor of adoption.

July 25, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 459, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2011.  This legislation would provide authority to the Government Accountability Office to conduct a full audit of the operations of the Federal Reserve and report to Congress on the findings of this audit.
  • H.R. 459 would afford greater transparency and accountability in the Federal Reserve's conduct of monetary policy, and it passed the House by a vote of 327 - 98.  I voted in favor of passage of this important legislation.

July 19, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 5856, Department of Defense Appropriations Act for FY 2013, a bill to fund programs through the Department of Defense.  Due to the drawdown of troops in Afghanistan, spending for the war is 23 percent below the level of funding in FY 2012.
  • The House passed H.R. 5856, with my support, by a vote of 326 - 90.  During consideration, I also supported amendments to reduce overall spending in the bill and to limit funding for the war in Afghanistan.

July 12, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 4402, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act, a bill to remove unnecessary bureaucracy and barriers that hamper the domestic production of strategic and critical minerals.
  • The House passed H.R. 4402, with my support, by a vote of 256-160. I voted in favor of this bill because increased domestic production of these minerals is critical for economic growth, national security, innovation, and the manufacturing and agricultural supply chain.

July 11, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 6079, a bill to repeal the President's health care law.
  • The House passed H.R. 6079, with my support, by a vote of 244-185. I voted in favor of this bill because I believe the law was a significant overreach on the part of Congress, took a fundamentally wrong approach to achieving the goal of making affordable coverage available to all Americans, and will only make worse our skyrocketing health care costs and federal deficits.

June 29, 2012:

  • The House considered the conference report to H.R. 4348, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), to reauthorize federal highway, transit and safety programs through September 30, 2014. The conference report also extended the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized federal student loans, reauthorized the National Flood Insurance program through 2017, and provides for distribution of penalties paid by those responsible for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to Gulf Coast states for environmental restoration.
  • H.R. 4348 passed the House by a vote of 373 to 52, the Senate by a vote of 74-19, and was signed into law by the President on July 6, 2012.
  • I voted for the bill because the federal transportation program will continue the positive formula for distributing federal highway funds to Wisconsin and includes transit reforms needed by Valley Transit and Green Bay metro, and makes other important reforms. It also will provide more certainty and aid in the planning and construction of transportation projects throughout our state and preserve jobs. I also was supportive of extending the 3.4 percent interest rate for student loans.
  • The House considered H.R. 5972, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2013. This bill funds agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, Amtrak, and the Federal Railroad Administration among others.
  • H.R. 5972 passed the House by a vote of 261 - 163 with my support. I also voted in favor of numerous amendments to cut back spending to previous fiscal year levels.

June 21, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 4480, the Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012, legislation that would require the federal government to review the nation’s energy needs and then establish targets for federal land energy production to meet those needs from all energy sources, including oil, natural gas, coal and renewables. The bill would also halt new regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency until they can be reviewed to assess what impact they will have on gasoline and diesel fuel prices.
  • The House passed H.R. 4480, with my support, by a vote of 248-163. I voted in favor of this bill because I believe we must encourage production of domestic energy resources to ensure that Americans have access to affordable energy, to help lower gas prices and to decrease our dependence on foreign sources of oil.

June 19, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 2578, a bill that incorporates a number of individual bills related to public lands that were reported from the House Natural Resources Committee.
  • The House passed H.R. 2578, with my support, by a vote of 232-188. I voted in favor of this bill because it makes a number of important changes that would improvement mangagement of and access to our nation's public lands.

June 8, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 5882, the Fiscal Year 2013 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. This bill provides funding for the operations of the House, as well as all other legislative branch agencies at a level $34 million less than enacted for 2012.
  • H.R. 5882 passed the House by a vote of 307 - 102. I voted with the majority in support of this appropriations bill.

June 7, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 436, the Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2012, which would repeal a tax on medical devices passed as part of President Obama's health care law.
  • The House passed H.R. 436, with my support, by a vote of 270-146. I voted in favor of this bill because I'm concerned that this tax will just contribute to our nation's spiraling health care costs.
  • The House considered H.R. 5855, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for FY 2013, a bill to fund programs through the Department of Homeland Security, such as US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Transportation Security Association (TSA).
  • The House passed H.R. 5855, with my support, by a vote of 234 - 182.  During consideration, I also supported amendments to reduce overall spending in the bill and to limit funding to only necessary programs and uses.

June 6, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 5325, a bill making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013.
  • The House passed H.R. 5325, with my support, by a vote of 255-165. I voted in favor of this bill because I believe it send spending in these areas at fiscally responsible levels given our nation's fiscal deficits.

May 18, 2012:

  • The House voted 299-120 to pass H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. This bill authorizes appropriations and makes programmatic reforms for the Department of Defense programs for the coming year.
  • I supported this bill as it is vital to ensure our military has the resources necessary to operate effectively. I supported amendments to eliminate indefinite military detention of any person (amendment failed, 182-238), and to clarify that the bill does not deny any Constitutional rights for anyone detained in the U.S. (amendment passed, 243-173). I also supported an amendment to provide for the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan (amendment failed 113-303).
  • H.R. 4310, as passed by the House, included 2 amendments I offered (relating to back pay for military who lost vacation pay due to clerical error and relating to renewable energy requirements for DOD.) It also included improvements to the Troops to Teachers program that I championed.

May 10, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 5326, a bill making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013. This legislation, the first of the 12 annual appropriations bills to be considered by the House, would provide $51.1 billion for the agencies and programs it funds. This figure represents a 3 percent reduction from the previous fiscal year.
  • I voted in favor of H.R. 5326, which passed the House by a vote of 247 - 163.
  • The House debated H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012. This package of spending cuts and program savings, prepared by six separate House committees, would replace the across-the-board sequester scheduled for January 2, 2013, with a total reduction of $313 billion over 10 years.
  • I voted with the majority of the House in passing H.R. 5652 by a vote of 218 - 199.

May 9, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 2072, the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012. This legislation would provide for a three-year reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank and a phased-in increase in its lending cap to $140 billion. The Export-Import Bank makes loans to overseas customers of U.S. companies.
  • The House approved H.R. 2072 by a vote of 330 - 93. I voted against reauthorization of the Import - Export Bank because its loans are questionable trade subsidies and do not always provide benefit to all domestic companies.

April 27, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 4628, legislation to extend the current 3.4% interest rate for subsidized Stafford Loans. The interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans is scheduled to increase from 3.4% to 6.8% on July 1. If it goes into effect, this rate increase will affect students who take new subsidized Stafford loans after that date. It will not affect students with existing loans and it will not affect students who take out unsubsidized Stafford loans.
  • The House passed H.R. 4628, with my support, by a vote of 215-195. I was pleased that the House passed this extension, and I hope that this issue can be resolved by Congress prior to the July 1 deadline.

April 26, 2012:

  • The House debated H.R. 3523, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. This legislation addresses the potential of hostile threats to our nation's computer infrastructure by requiring, among other provisions, the director of national intelligence to establish procedures to promote voluntary information sharing between federal intelligence personnel and private sector computer security experts.
  • The House adopted H.R. 3523 by a vote of 248 - 168. I voted in favor of passage.

April 19, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 9, the Small Business Tax Cut Act. Under this legislation, small businesses, those with fewer than 500 employees, would be allowed a deduction equal to 20 percent of their business income. This one-time tax benefit would be expected to support business investment and job growth.
  • H.R. 9 was passed by the House by a vote of 235 - 173. I voted with the majority in support of this legislation.

April 18, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 4348, the "Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II," which would extend current surface transportation programs for three months through September 30, 2012, would transfer approval of the Keystone XL pipeline project to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and require a permit to be issued within 30 days of receiving an application, and included other provisions.
  • The House passed H.R. 4348, with my support, by a vote of 293-127. I voted in favor of the legislation as it is a vehicle to facilitate a House-Senate conference on a longer-term surface transportation authorization bill.
  • Prior to final passage of H.R. 4348, the House also adopted the following amendments, which I supported.
  • An amendment to accelerate project delivery through reforming and accelerating environmental reviews. Passed by a vote of 255-165.
  • An amendment to ensure that revenues collected into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund be spent for intended purposes. Passed by voice vote.

April 17, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 4089, the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012, which would provide greater protections to ensure reasonable access for recreational hunting, fishing and shooting on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
  • The House passed H.R. 4089, with my support, by a vote of 274-146. I voted in favor of this legislation because I believe that recreational access should be a significant consideration in all federal land and resource planning decisions.

March 29, 2012:

  • The House considered H. Con. Res 112, a resolution establishing a federal budget for Fiscal Years 2013 - 2022. This budget proposed by this resolution called for FY 2013 spending of $3.5 trillion on revenues of $2.7 trillion. Assuming the enactment of certain tax and entitlement spending policies, this budget would bring the federal deficit below 3 percent of Gross Domestic Product by 2015 and hold deficits below 1.5 percent of GDP in 2016 through 2022.
  • The House adopted this budget proposal by a vote of 228 - 191. I voted in support of H. Con. Res 112.
  • Prior to adopting H. Con. Res. 112, the House voted on several substitute budget amendments, including:

March 28, 2012:

  • The House considered a substitute offered by Rep. Mulvaney (SC) modeled on the budget proposal submitted by President Obama earlier this year. This substitute proposed to spend more money and would result in higher annual deficits than H. Con. Res. 112. This proposal was rejected by a unanimous vote of 0 - 414. I joined with my colleagues in voting No.
  • The House debated a bipartisan amendment offered by Rep. Cooper (TN) and Rep. LaTourette (OH). This amendment was based upon the 2010 Bowles-Simpson report and would reduce deficits by $4 trillion over ten years, reducing the annual red ink to 1.4 percent of GDP by 2022. I voted in favor of this amendment which was defeated by a vote of 38 - 382.

March 29, 2012:

  • An amendment offered by Rep. Scott Garret of New Jersey was considered. This "Republican Study Committee" alternative would make deeper cuts in discretionary spending than the underlying H. Con. Res. 112, convert Medicaid to a state-run program partially funded with federal block grants, and achieve a balanced budget faster than any of the other proposals. This amendment was defeated by a vote of 136 - 285. I voted with the majority against the proposal.

March 27, 2012:

  • The House debated H.R. 3309, the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2012. This legislation proposed improvements in the manner in which the Federal Communications Commission evaluates issues and makes decisions in formulating its regulatory orders.
  • H.R. 3309 was passed by the House by a vote of 247 - 174. I voted in favor of this legislation.

March 22, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 5, the Protecting Access to Healthcare Act, which would repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) included in President Obama's health care law. Additionally, the bill would implement a number of medical malpractice reforms.
  • The House passed H.R. 5 by a vote of 223 - 181. I supported this legislation because I believe IPAB is the wrong approach to controlling health care costs. I believe we should be pursuing reforms that empower Medicare beneficiaries to choose how their Medicare dollars are spent as opposed to imposing top-down cost controls on the entire system.

March 8, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 3606, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act. This legislation included several provisions easing the regulatory burden on small businesses seeking to raise money from equity investors.
  • H.R. 3606 was passed by the House by a vote of 380 - 41. I voted in favor of passage. The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act was signed into law by President Obama on April 5, 2012.

March 7, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 2842, the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act, a bill to clarify that the jurisdiction for small hydropower development on all Bureau of Reclamation irrigation canals and conduits lies solely with that bureau. Additionally, the bill would streamline the approval process for small conduit hydropower development.
  • The House passed H.R. 2842 by a vote of 265 - 154. I voted in favor of this legislation because it will help facilitate the development of hydropower projects on Bureau of Reclamation canals and conduits.

March 1, 2012:

  • The House approved by a vote of 339-80 the bill S. 1134, to allow for the project to construct a new bridge over the St. Croix River between Wisconsin and Minnesota to proceed. The current lift bridge is dilapidated, unsafe, and inadequate to carry projected traffic. This project, which has been underway for more than 30 years, had been delayed due to a recent court case and a new determination by the National Park Service that it could not move forward under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. No federal funds were authorized under the bill, but the bill, in essence, waived the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to remove the final roadblock to this needed project.
  • The House passed S. 1134 by a vote of 339-80. I supported this bill, as did all Members of the Wisconsin delegation. S. 1134 had passed the Senate earlier this year by unanimous consent and is on its way to the President.

February 29, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 1837, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act. This bill would make changes to the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA), passed in 1992, related to the distribution of water in this region of California.
  • The House passed H.R. 1837 by a vote of 246-175. I voted in favor of this bill because I felt that it made necessary changes that would ensure that residents and farmers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley region of California have adequate access to water.

February 28, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 2117, the Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act, which would repeal two Department of Education regulations related to higher education.
  • H.R. 2117 passed the House by a vote of 303-114. I voted in favor of this legislation because I believe these two regulations were unnecessarily burdensome and interfere in decisions that are properly made by institutions of higher education.

February 17, 2012:

  • The House took up the conference report on H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. This House-Senate agreement extended the Social Security Payroll Tax through December 2012, authorized an extension of emergency unemployment benefits while reducing the maximum weeks of eligibility from 99 to 73, and prevented a pending cut in the amount doctors are reimbursed by Medicare.
  • The conference report was approved by the House by a vote of 293 -132. Because the extension of the Payroll Tax holiday was not offset and added close to $100 billion to the deficit, I voted against its adoption.

February 16, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 3408, the Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security (PIONEERS) Act, a bill to provide for greater investments in domestic energy resources.
  • H.R. 3408 passed the House, with my support, by a vote of 237-187. I voted in favor of this legislation because I believe we need to promote greater domestic energy exploration while maintaining critical protections for the environment.

February 8, 2012:

  • The House debated H.R. 3521, the Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act. H.R. 3251 would establish an expedited rescission process which would allow a President to propose reductions of spending contained in previously-enacted appropriations bills. To meet Constitutional concerns that have prevented previous versions of a Line-Item Veto from taking effect, H.R. 3521 would require an affirmative vote by Congress to make the President's proposed rescissions law.
  • The Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act was approved by the House by a vote of 254 - 173. I voted for passage of this bill.

February 7, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 3581, the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act. H.R. 3581 would increase the transparency of federal budgeting by bringing off-budget entities on-budget, reform the accounting methodology used for federal credit programs, and require agencies to promptly make public the budget justification materials they submit to Congress in support of their requests for public funds.
  • H.R. 3581 was adopted by a vote of 245 - 180. I supported this legislation by voting in favor of its passage.

February 3, 2012:

  • On February 3, the House approved the conference report to H.R. 658, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. This is a bill to reauthorize FAA programs for 4 years, including grants to airports, air traffic control modernization, safety and environmental reforms.
  • The House passed the conference report by a vote of 248-169. As Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, I was pleased to support this bill, which has been one of my top priorities. The Senate passed the conference report a few days later, and the President signed it into law on February 14.

February 3, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 3578, the Baseline Reform Act of 2012. Under this bill, the composition of the budget baseline constructed by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) would be modified to ensure that budget baselines for discretionary spending are neutral in terms of promoting spending increases or reductions.
  • H.R. 3578 was adopted in the House by a vote of 235 - 177. I voted in favor of passage of this legislation.

February 2, 2012:

  • The House debated H.R. 3582, the Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2012. This legislation would require the Congressional Budget Office to include with the legislative analyses it currently provides a forecast of the macroeconomic impact of all major legislation.
  • The Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2012 was adopted in the House by a vote of 242 - 179. I voted in favor of this legislation.

February 1, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 1173, the Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act, a bill to repeal the CLASS program created as part of the health care law passed in 2010. The CLASS program was focused on providing federal long-term care insurance.
  • H.R. 1173 passed the House, with my support, by a vote of 267 to 159. While I agree with the program's intent to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable long-term care insurance, the CLASS program was structurally flawed and was widely criticized as being fiscally unsustainable.

February 1, 2012:

  • The House considered H.R. 3835, a bill to extend through December 31, 2013, the pay freeze for Members of Congress and federal employees. This bill was considered under suspension of the rules, an expedited process that requires a two-thirds majority for passage.
  • H.R. 3835 was passed by the House by a vote of 309 - 117. I voted with the majority in favor of the pay freeze extension.

January 18, 2012:

  • The House considered H.J. Res. 98, a joint resolution to disapprove a request by President Obama to increase the federal debt limit by $1.2 trillion. With my support, the House voted to disapprove this request by a vote of 239 - 176.
  • The U.S. Senate failed to pass a similar resolution of disapproval and the requested increase in the debt limit was enacted under the terms of the Budget Control Act.

December 20, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011. This bill would extend the temporary reduction of the Social Security payroll tax through 2012, extend the emergency unemployment insurance program for twelve months while reducing the maximum weeks that any worker could receive benefits, and prevent a reduction in Medicare payments to physicians. Additionally, the cost of these provisions would be offset by various spending cuts and revenue increases.
  • This bill was approved by the House by a vote of 233 - 187. I voted in favor of passage.

December 20, 2011:

  • The House considered a motion to disagree with the Senate version of the payroll tax cut extension. The Senate's package provided for a two-month extension of the tax reduction, unemployment insurance, and physician payment relief provision. It included offsets to cover the cost and would require the Obama administration to make a decision regarding the Keystone LX pipeline. This motion also requested that the Senate agree to a conference to reconcile differences in the bills passed by both chambers.
  • The House agreed to this motion by a vote of 229 - 193. I voted in support of the motion because I felt a two-month extension was inappropriate and that the House and Senate should work towards a timely resolution of their differing approaches.

December 16, 2011

  • The House considered the conference report accompanying H.R. 2055, the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. In addition to funding for military construction and veterans programs, this report included appropriations provisions for the eight remaining appropriations bills for the current fiscal year.
  • Because federal spending remains too high, I voted against this conference report to register my impatience with the pace of scaling back federal spending. The conference report, however, was approved by the House by a vote of 296 - 121.

December 16, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 3672, a bill making an emergency appropriation to cover the costs associated with various natural disasters. This spending was provided separate from the other 2012 appropriations bills and its spending is in excess of the discretionary spending caps adopted as part of the Budget Control Act.
  • While disaster spending is important, a certain level of expense should be assumed each budget year and included in the regular appropriations bills subject to the discretionary spending caps. Because H.R. 3672 did not approach disaster spending in this way, I voted against the legislation which passed the House by a vote of 351 -67.

December 16, 2011

  • The House considered H. Con. Res. 94, a concurrent resolution requiring that the disaster spending contained in H.R. 3672 be offset by corresponding reduction of other non-defense, non-security appropriations for 2012.
  • The House adopted this offset by a vote of 255 - 165. I voted in favor of making these spending offsets.

December 14, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 1540, the National Defense Authorization Act for 2012. This bill authorizes appropriations for military construction and other the Department of the Defense programs.
  • The House adopted H.R. 1540 by a vote of 283 - 136. I voted with the majority in approving funding the Defense Department after I was sure that no provisions in the bill affected the detention of U.S. citizens or our Constitutional rights. H.R. 1540 was signed into law by the President on December 31, 2011.

December 13, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011.
  • H.R. 3630 would extend for one year the reduction in the Social Security payroll tax, authorize for another year extended emergency unemployment benefits while lowering the maximum number of weeks that any worker could receive, and delay through 2012 the scheduled reductions in payments to physicians by Medicare. The reduced revenues and increased spending in this legislation were fully offset by other changes in federal policy.
  • H.R. 3630 was passed by the House by a vote of 234 - 193. I joined the majority in voting in support of extending these expiring provisions.

December 7, 2011

  • The House debated and voted on H.R. 10, the Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2011. Under this legislation, major regulatory proposals would not take effect unless Congress voted affirmatively in approval. Under current law, Congress may block new regulations by passing a resolution of disapproval that is then signed by the President of the United States. H.R. 10 would change the dynamic and give Congress a more effective role in the regulatory process.
  • H.R. 10 was passed in the House by a vote of 241 - 184. I voted in favor of its adoption.

December 2, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011. This bill makes changes to the federal Administrative Procedures Act which governs the way federal agencies develop regulations. The goal of H.R. 3010 is to require agencies to lower the economic costs of regulation, improve the decision making process in formulating regulations, and to enhance transparency and accountability in rulemaking.
  • The House adopted H.R. 3010 by a vote of 253 - 167. I voted with the majority in approving these reforms of the regulatory process.

December 1, 2011

  • The House considered H.R. 3463, a bill to terminate the public financing of presidential campaigns and major party political conventions. This legislation would also eliminate the Election Assistance Commission, a federal body created by the Help America Vote Act and which has completed all of its assigned tasks.
  • H.R. 3463 was approved by the House by a vote of 235 - 190. I voted in favor of its passage.

December 1, 2011:

  • The House debated H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011. H.R. 527 would amend the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 to expand the number of rules covered by the statute and to require agencies to conduct additional analyses of the impact of rules on small businesses. It also closes several loopholes which allow federal agencies to avoid its requirements.
  • I voted in favor of the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011 which passed the House by a vote of 263 - 159.

November 30, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 3094, the Workplace Fairness and Democracy Act, which would reverse two recent changes to labor law made by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The first change, finalized in late November, would reduce the time required between the filing of a petition to organize employees and the subsequent union election to as little as ten days. This means in many cases employers have very little time to consult with counsel and discuss the pros and cons of unionization with their employees before an election is held. The second change makes it much easier for unions to organize narrow groups of employees within a company. For example, whereas a restaurant owner may have dealt with his or her employees as a single bargaining unit in the past, it is now conceivable that he or she will have to bargain with the wait staff, cooks, and busboys separately. This change has the potential to fragment the workforce and create an immense burden for employers.
  • The House passed H.R. 3094 by a vote of 235-188. I was pleased to support this bill because it would reverse these ill-conceived NLRB changes and restore fairness and transparency to the process of union elections.

November 18, 2011

  • The House considered H.J. Res. 2 a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced federal budget. Under the terms of H.J. Res 2, the president would be required to submit an annual balanced budget proposal, deficit spending could be approved only on a positive vote of a three-fifths super majority, and tax increases could be passed only with a true majority of each Chamber. The proposal also included a safety valve by waiving the requirements during time of war.
  • I joined a majority of the House in voting to amend our Constitution in this way because our government's continued reliance on deficit spending threatens our financial future by creating a huge national debt. Unfortunately, the vote of 239 - 167 did not meet the two-thirds majority needed for sending the amendment to the various state legislatures for their consideration.

November 17, 2011:

  • The House considered the conference report to accompany H.R. 2112, the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Transportation - HUD Appropriations bill. This conference report would provide discretionary funding for these departments for the remainder of the Fiscal Year at an annual rate of $128.1 billion. The legislation also extended FY 2012 funding for other departments through December 16, 2011.
  • The conference reported was adopted by a vote of 298 - 121 and was signed into law by President Obama on November 18, 2011. I voted against this conference report to register my opposition to the lack of progress in addressing excessive government spending.

November 16, 2011:

  • The House considered a motion to agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 674, a bill to repeal a tax provision that would require the withholding of 3 percent of the total value of all government contracts. The Senate amendment also contained tax incentives for the hiring of unemployed veterans and included offsets to account for reduced revenue and increased spending.
  • Rep. Petri voted in support of the motion which passed the House unanimously by a vote of 422 - 0. President Obama signed the legislation into law on November 21, 2011.

November 16, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act. This bill would allow individuals with valid state-issued concealed firearm permits or licenses to carry a concealed firearm in any other state that also issues concealed firearm permits or licenses, or in any other state that does not generally prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms. H.R. 822 does not affect a state's ability to set eligibility requirements for its own residents.
  • H.R. 822 passed the House by a vote of 272 - 154. It is now pending in the Senate. As a consistent defender of the Second Amendment to the Constitution, I was a cosponsor of this bill and voted in favor of its passage.

November 3, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2930, the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act. This legislation would provide an exemption to Securities and Exchange Commission registration rules for securities financed in small amounts by numerous investors. Under H.R. 2930, investment pools of up to $1 million would be exempted and pools of up to $2 million could be exempted if the issuer provides investors with an audited financial statement.
  • The Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act passed the House by a vote of 407 - 17. I voted with the majority in supporting this legislation.

November 3, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2940, the Access to Capital for Job Creators Act. This bill would amend securities law to allow for solicitations by general advertising for investors in non-publicly traded securities. To the extent that issuers market the securities to "accredited investors," they would not have to register the issue with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
  • I voted in favor of H.R. 2940, which passed the House by a vote of 413 -11.

October 27, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 674, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code to repeal a provision that would require the imposition of 3 percent withholding on all government contracts. The provision is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2013.
  • I was an original cosponsor of this legislation and voted in favor of passage when the House voted 405 - 16 to adopt the legislation. While the Senate has voted in favor of a similar repeal, the two versions need to be reconciled before they become law.

October 27, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2576, a bill to modify the definition of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) to include non-taxable Social Security and pension benefits for the purposes of determining eligibility for certain Medicaid applicants and subsidies for health insurance purchased through the new health insurance exchanges.
  • H.R. 2576 passed the House by a vote of 262-157. I voted in favor of this legislation because exluding these income sources from the calculation of MAGI could lead to some individuals and families with incomes much higher than the federal poverty level being eligible for Medicaid or large premium subsidies.

October 26, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 1904, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act. H.R. 1904 would authorize a land-swap between Resolution Copper Mining LLC (Resolution Copper) and the federal government. In exchange for the land to be developed the federal government will receive land of equal or greater value.
  • H.R. 1904 passed the House by a vote of 235-186. I voted in favor of this legislation because it would create jobs and allow the development of domestic copper supplies.

October 14, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2273, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act. The bill would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from classifying coal ash as a hazardous waste and would put in place minimum standards for the disposal of coal ash.
  • H.R. 2273 passed the House by a vote of 267-144. I voted in favor of this bill because a hazardous waste classification by EPA would be very detrimental to efforts in Wisconsin to recycle coal ash and put it to good use.

October 13, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act, a bill that would amend the 2010 health care law to prohibit federal funds from being used to cover any costs of any health insurance plan that includes abortion coverage. It would provide exceptions for rape, incest or when a pregnant woman’s life is in danger.
  • H.R. 358 passed the House by a vote of 251 - 172. I voted in favor of this legislation to continue my strong pro-life record. The bill now awaits consideration in the Senate.

October 12, 2011:

  • The House considered a Senate amendment to H.R. 2832, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011. The Senate amendment makes revisions to the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program and revises and extends the Generalized System of Preferences providing for the favorable entry into the U.S. of products from 129 developing countries.
  • The Senate amendment to H.R. 2832 was adopted in the House by a vote of 307 - 122. I voted in favor of adopting the Senate approach to TAA and GSP revision. H.R. 2832 was signed by the President on October 21, 2011.

October 12, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 3080, a bill to implement the United States -South Korea Trade Agreement. This agreement, entered into with one of our most significant trading partners, will provide for lower tariffs, reduced barriers to trade, and increased access for U.S. made automobiles in South Korea.
  • I voted in favor of this trade agreement implementing legislation which was approved by the House by a vote of 278 - 151. President Obama signed H.R. 3080 into law on October 21, 2011.

October 12, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 3079, a bill to implement the United States - Panama Trade Promotion Agreement facilitating trade between the two nations by lowering tariffs and reducing other barriers to trade.
  • H.R. 3079 was passed by the House by a vote of 300 - 129. I voted in support of passage. This legislation was signed into law on October 21, 2011.

October 12, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 3078, legislation to implement the United States - Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement facilitating trade between the two nations by lowering tariffs and reducing other barriers to trade.
  • H.R. 3078 was adopted by a vote of 262 - 167. I voted in favor of the legislation which was signed by President Obama on October 21, 2011.

October 6, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2681, the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011, a bill that would require that EPA make changes to three rules impacting cement manufacturing plants to ensure that the rules do not adversely impact job creation while still providing adequate protections for public health.
  • H.R. 2681 passed the House by a vote of 262-161. I voted in favor of this legislation because I am concerned that these rules go well beyond what is required to adequately protect public health and will lead to layoffs and job reductions in the affected industries.

October 4, 2011:

  • The House considered a Senate amendment to the recently-adopted House amendment to H.R. 2608 to provide temporary appropriations through November 18, 2011. Like the earlier passed House version, this Senate amendment would appropriate spending at an annualized rate of $1.043 trillion, but would reduce disaster relief funding to $2.65 billion and eliminate the House proposed offsets.
  • I voted in favor of agreeing to the Senate amendment, and the motion was adopted by a vote of 352 - 66. President Obama signed this short-term funding bill into law on October 5, 2011.

September 23, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2401, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act of 2011. H.R. 2401 would require the President to establish an interagency committee to analyze the cumulative and incremental impacts of a number of EPA rules. The bill would also delay the implementation of two recent EPA rules to allow time for the committee to conduct its analysis.
  • H.R. 2401 passed the House by a vote of 249-169. I voted in favor of this legislation because I am concerned about the cumulative impacts of these EPA rules on the economy and job creation.

September 23, 2011:

  • Once again the House considered a motion to agree to a Senate amendment to H.R. 2608 with an amendment of its own. This House substitute amendment would provide temporary appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 through November 18, 2011, at an annualized rate of $1.043 trillion. This second attempt to approve a continuing resolution would provide $3.65 billion in disaster relief funding, but would carry an increased offset of $1.1 billion.
  • The House passed this version of the continuing resolution by a vote of 219 - 203. I voted with the majority in support of the House amendment.

September 21, 2011:

  • The House considered a motion to agree to a Senate amendment to H.R. 2608 with an amendment of its own. This House substitute amendment would provide temporary appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 through November 18, 2011, at an annualized rate of $1.043 trillion. The amendment would also provide $3.65 billion in disaster relief funding, partially offset with $1 billion in spending cuts.
  • I voted in favor of adoption of this continuing resolution which was rejected in the House by a vote of 195 - 230.

September 15, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act. This bill would take away the ability of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to dictate where businesses can and cannot create jobs. The bill would not change what is and is not a violation of current labor law and the NLRB will still have numerous ways to hold employers accountable for unlawful labor practices.
  • The House passed H.R. 2587 by a vote 238-186. I supported this legislation because I believe that the NLRB has abused its authority in its case against Boeing Co. in South Carolina, and I am concerned that the NLRB's actions will have a chilling effect on job creation.

September 14, 2011:

  • The House considered H.J. Res. 77, a joint resolution that would disapprove a request from the President for an increase in the federal debt ceiling by $900 billion. Under the terms of the Budget Control Act, passed in August 2011, disapproval of this request would deny $500 billion of this request.
  • I voted in favor of disapproval, which passed the House by a vote of 232 - 186. Previously, however, the Senate failed to disapprove this increase, allowing it to remain in place. This vote provided another opportunity to express displeasure with excessive federal budget deficits.

September 13, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act. This bill would reauthorize the federal Charter Schools Program and make a number of improvements to the program, including increasing accountability for charter schools and making existing charter schools eligible for grant funding if they demonstrate success in increasing the academic achievement of their students.
  • The House passed H.R. 2218 by a vote of 365-54. I supported this legislation because it makes a number of needed improvements to the Charter Schools Program.

September 13, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2887, the Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011, to extend federal aviation programs through January 31, 2012, and surface transportation programs through March 31, 2012. The legislation was necessary in order to allow both programs to continue operating while work continues on long-term reauthorizations.
  • The House approved the bill by voice vote. It passed the Senate on September 15 and was signed into law by the President on September 16. As Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, I was a cosponsor of H.R. 2887.

September 9, 2011

  • The House considered H.R. 1892, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. This bill authorizes appropriations for several intelligence departments and activities, including the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and other intelligence oriented activities.
  • I voted in favor of this bill. It is now pending a vote in the Senate.

August 1, 2011:

  • The House considered S. 365, the Budget Control Act of 2011. The bill raises the government's borrowing limit (debt ceiling) by $2.4 trillion and cuts $917 billion in federal spending. The bill also establishes a bipartisan joint select committee to recommend an additional $1.2 to $1.5 trillion in savings (the committee must report its recommendations by November 23 and the Congress must have an up or down vote by December 23). The bill provides for a vote on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution by the end of the year as well. It was passed by the House by a vote of 279 - 161. The Senate passed the bill on Aug. 2 and it was signed into law by the President the same day.
  • I voted in favor of this compromise bill. The bill is certainly not perfect, but it provides for significant reductions in federal spending and raises the government's borrowing limit to avoid default. While it is a step in the right direction, there is still more work to be done.

July 30, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2693, the House-introduced version of Senate Majority Leader Reid's proposal to cut spending, maintain existing commitments, and provide for a single-stage increase in the debt ceiling.
  • The plan offered in this legislation did not provide sufficient spending restraint, and I joined a majority of by colleagues in sending it to defeat by a vote of 173 - 246.

July 29, 2011:

  • The House considered the Budget Control Act of 2011 as an amendment to S. 627. The House amendment would raise the debt ceiling in two stages, impose discretionary spending caps for the next ten years, establish a Select Joint Committee of the House and Senate to recommend further changes to reduce federal deficits, and require that Congress send to the states, before authorizing the second increase in the debt ceiling, a Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget.
  • The House approved this amendment to S. 627 by a vote of 218 - 210. I voted in favor of the proposal because it is important to reverse the trend of spending and borrowing.

July 26, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 1938, the North American-Made Energy Security Act. The bill would require the President to issue a final order granting or denying a permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline (which would bring oil from Canada into the U.S.) within 30 days of the issuance of the final environmental impact statement, but in no event later than November 1, 2011. The bill passed the House by a vote of 279-147.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation because the permitting process for the Keystone XL Pipeline has taken almost three years to this point. The bill does not require that a favorable permit be issued nor does it require that any steps in the environmental review process be skipped. It simply sets a deadline for the President to make a determination on this permit.

July 22, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2551, a bill making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012. H.R. 2551 would provide a total of $3.32 billion in discretionary budget authority for all non-Senate Legislative Branch activities, which is $227 million or 6.4 percent below fiscal year 2011 spending and 12.4 percent below the president’s requested level.
  • H.R. 2551 was agreed to in the House by a vote of 252 - 159. I voted to adopt H.R. 2551 because it is appropriate that Congress reduce its own spending as it works for spending restraint throughout the federal government.

July 21, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 1315, the Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act of 2011. H.R. 1315 would address a number of shortcomings in the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Board as enacted in last year's Dodd-Frank Act. Most notably, H.R. 1315 would replace the Board's single Commissioner with a five-member Commission appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
  • H.R. 1315 was approved by the House by vote 241 - 173. I voted in favor of H.R. 1315 to provide greater accountability in the operations of the Consumer Financial Protection Board.

July 19, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2560, the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011, legislation to address the current spending and debt ceiling impasse by cutting fiscal year 2012 spending by $111 billion, capping spending at a gradually declining percentage of our national economy, and by linking an increase in the debt ceiling to House and Senate passage of a Constitutional Amendment to balance the federal budget.
  • H.R. 2560 passed the House by a vote 234 - 190. I voted in favor of this legislation because it is well past time to get federal spending under control.

July 15, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2354, the Energy and Water Appropriations Act of 2011, which would provide funding for the Department of Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012. H.R. 2354 passed by a vote of 219-196.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation because it reduces unnecessary spending to help get our nation on a better fiscal footing.

July 12, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2417, the Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act, which would repeal energy efficiency standards that would effectively ban most incandescent light bulbs currently on the market. The bill, which was considered under a parliamentary procedure that required a 2/3 vote to pass, failed by a vote of 233-193.
  • I voted in favor of this bill because I believe the standards (which go into effect at the end of the year) will be costly and will put the government in the place of making decisions for consumers.

July 12, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 1309, the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011. This legislation would reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for five years and make a variety of reforms to the structure and implementation of the program. H.R. 1309 passed the House by a vote of 406 - 22.
  • While H.R. 1309 includes a number of prudent reforms, the NFIP is a government-based insurance program mired in an $18 billion debt to the U.S. Treasury. Additionally, the NFIP provides a better return for natural disaster-prone states than it does for Wisconsin. For these reasons, I voted in opposition to H.R. 1309.

July 8, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 2219, Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2012, which would provide a total of $649.2 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2012. The bill passed by a vote of 336 - 87 and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
  • I voted in favor of this bill, as well as supported amendments that would either reduce or cut entirely funds for Afghanistan, Libya and Pakistan. I also supported amendments to reduce or eliminate the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund. While Wisconsin suffers from infrastructure budget cuts, I cannot justify spending hundreds of millions of dollars on infrastructure in Afghanistan.

June 24, 2011:

  • The House considered H.J.Res. 68, which would have allowed the President to continue limited use of U.S. forces in Libya. This measure failed by a vote of 123 - 295.
  • I voted against this resolution. At a time when concerns about our nation's budget are paramount, taxpayer money should be spent on programs that will help the country move in a more positive economic direction, rather than fund a conflict in North Africa.

June 24, 2011:

  • The House voted 180 - 238 to oppose H.R. 2278, which would have limited use of federal funds in Libya, except for certain activities like search and rescue, intelligence, refueling, operational planning.
  • I supported this bill, as it reaffirms the current mission of U.S. forces in Libya and does not authorize any further involvement.

June 23, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 1249, the America Invents Act, and passed the legislation by a vote of 304 - 117. H.R. 1249 is a fundamental overhaul of the U.S. patent system, offering many substantive changes, most notably a change in the system basis from "first to invent" to "first to file."
  • I voted against H.R. 1249 because the changes it would make favor large patent owners over small inventors and academic innovators.

June 22, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 2021, the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011, by a vote of 253-166. This legislation makes several changes to streamline the Clean Air Act permitting process for offshore drilling.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation. I felt these changes were necessary to allow domestic energy production projects to proceed in a reasonable amount of time while still providing Clean Air Act protections.

June 16, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 2112, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2012, by a vote of 217-203. This bill provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, FDA, and other related agencies for the 2012 fiscal year.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation, which is now pending in the Senate.

June 14, 2011:

  • The House voted 411 - 5 to pass H.R. 2055, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012. This bill authorizes appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year.
  • I voted in favor of this bill, which is now pending in the Senate.

May 26, 2011:

  • The House voted 322 - 96 to pass H.R. 1540, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. This bill authorizes appropriations for military construction and other the Department of the Defense programs.
  • I supported this bill, as I feel it necessary to continue to fund our military, even as I support planning for a responsible and timely withdrawal from Afghanistan.

May 25, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 1216, a bill that would convert funding for graduate medical education in qualified teaching health centers from direct appropriations to an authorization of appropriations, by a vote of 234 - 185.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation because I believe these funds should be subject to the annual congressional appropriations process.

May 13, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 754, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 by a vote of 392 - 15. This bill authorizes appropriations for several intelligence departments and activities, including the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and other intelligence oriented activities.
  • I voted in favor of this bill. It was passed in the Senate on May 26.

May 12, 2011:

  • The House passed the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act (H.R. 1231) by a vote of 243 - 179. H.R. 1231 would require that each of the federal government's five-year offshore oil and gas leasing programs offer leasing in the areas with the most prospective oil and gas resources, and, additionally, the bill would establish a domestic oil and natural gas production goal.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation because I believe we must encourage production of domestic energy resources to help lower gas prices and to decrease our dependence on foreign sources of oil, and this bill would make available for leasing areas that are known to contain large reserves of oil and gas.

May 11, 2011:

  • The House passed the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act (H.R. 1229) by a vote of 263 - 163. The bill would streamline the permitting process for offshore domestic energy exploration.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation because I am concerned about the significant delays in the permitting process for domestic energy exploration and the impact these delays have on domestic energy production.

May 5, 2011:

  • The House passed the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act (H.R. 1230) by a vote of 266 - 149. The bill would require the Department of the Interior (DOI) to auction offshore oil and gas leases in the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico, as well as in an area off the coast of Virginia.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation because I believe we must encourage production of domestic energy resources to help lower gas prices and to decrease our dependence on foreign sources of oil.

May 4, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act by a vote of 251 - 175. This bill would set general federal policy to prohibit any federal funding of abortion, as opposed to the current practice of including limitations in various annual appropriations bills which have to be reapproved every year. While I did not vote, I did cosponsor the bill and support it.
  • I was pleased to see this bill approved by the House. It now awaits consideration by the Senate.

May 4, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 1214, a bill to repeal funding for school-based health center construction that was included in the new health care law, by a vote of 235 - 191.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation because it defunds a portion of the health care law enacted last year, which I opposed.

May 3, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 1213, a bill to repeal provisions in the health care law appropriating funds to the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to states to help them set up health insurance exchanges, by a vote of 238 - 183.
  • I voted in favor of this legislation because it defunds a portion of the health care law enacted last year, which I opposed.

April 15, 2011:

  • The House passed H. Con. Res. 34, the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Resolution, by a vote of 235-193. The resolution establishes an outline for the 2012 federal budget. It will be difficult for the House and Senate to agree on a final budget outline.
  • I voted in favor of H. Con. Res. 34 because although it supports controversial and painful budget cuts, the federal debt crisis has reached the point that either we make tough decisions now or be forced to take far more unpleasant measures in the future.

April 14, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 1473, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, by a vote of 260-167. This bill completes the funding of the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011. It was subsequently passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President.
  • I voted in favor of H.R. 2011 to avoid a government shutdown and to substantially cut government spending.

April 13, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 1217, a bill to repeal section 4002 of the health care law passed last year, by a vote of 236 - 183. Section 4002 created the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which provides grant assistance to entities to carry out prevention, wellness, and public health programs.
  • I voted in favor of H.R. 1217 because section 4002 of the health care law provided the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services with broad authority to spend significant sums of money, $6 billion over four years, with little congressional oversight.

April 8, 2011:

  • The House considered H.J. Res. 37, a resolution disapproving of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Open Internet Order which would establish so-called "net-neutrality" rules. Considered under the terms of the Congressional Review Act, a vote by the House and the Senate (and signed by the President) in favor of this resolution would formally disapprove and render without effect the regulation in question.
  • The House voted 240 - 179 to disapprove the FCC's Open Internet Order. I voted with the majority of my colleagues because these rules seemed to be a solution chasing a problem.

April 7, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 910, the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011, by a vote of 255-172. This legislation would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas emissions for the purpose of addressing climate change. The legislation is now pending in the Senate.
  • I voted in favor of H.R. 910 because I have serious concerns about EPA's actions and the ability of the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions without causing serious harm to the U.S. economy. Additionally, regardless of one's view on climate change or energy policy, I believe the issue should be addressed by Congress and not a federal agency.

April 7, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 1363, a bill to extend fiscal year 2011 funding for federal government agencies one week through April 15, 2011 and to provide funding through the end of the fiscal year for activities and programs funded by the Department of Defense Appropriations, including military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • H.R. 1363 passed the House by a vote of 247 - 181. I voted in favor of this legislation.

April 1, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 1255, the Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011. Under the terms of this legislation, the previously-enacted full-year appropriation bill, H.R. 1, would be considered to be passed unless the Senate passed an alternative plan. This legislation, while unusual, was considered as a funding deadline was approaching and the House was waiting on appropriate action by the Senate
  • I voted in favor of H.R. 1255, which passed the House by a vote of 221 - 202, because I felt it important to avoid a shutdown of government services.

April 1, 2011:

  • The House voted 223-196 to approve H.R. 658, the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011, a bill to authorize FAA safety, operations, and infrastructure grants programs through 2014. The bill provided a total of $59.7 billion in funding, which reflects 2008 spending levels.
  • As Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, I helped write this legislation and look forward to working with the Senate to reconcile differences between our two bills and send a final bill to the President for his signature.

March 30, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 471, the Scholarships For Opportunity and Results Act, which would reauthorize the D.C. Opportunity Scholarships program. The legislation passed by a vote of 225 - 195.
  • I voted in favor of H.R. 471 because I believe the D.C. Opportunity Scholarships program empowers low-income parents in Washington, D.C. to pursue better educational opportunities for their children.

March 29, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 839, the HAMP Termination Act of 201. This bill would terminate the Home Affordable Modification Program, which was authorized by Housing and Economic Recovery Act and funded through the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). Of the nearly 1.5 million trial modifications started under the program, only about one-third have resulted in success.
  • I voted with the majority of my colleagues in support of legislation to end this ineffective and wasteful program by a vote of 252 - 170.

March 17, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 1076, legislation to prohibit the use of federal funds to support National Public Radio (NPR) or to acquire content from NPR. This vote took place in the aftermath of provocative and troubling recorded comments by a senior fundraising official at NPR.
  • H.R. 2076 was approved by the House by a vote of 228 - 192. I voted in favor of this legislation to send a strong message of disapproval to NPR.

March 16, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 861, the Neighborhood Stabilization Program Termination Act. This program allocates federal funding to state and local governments with high concentrations of foreclosed homes, subprime mortgage loans, and delinquent home mortgages in order to purchase and redevelop foreclosed properties. Almost $7 has been authorized for this program, which appears to do more for investors than it does for troubled homeowners.
  • I joined a majority of my House colleagues in voting in favor of this bill which passed the House by a vote of 242 - 182.

March 15, 2011:

  • The House considered H. J. Res 48, a joint resolution providing continuing appropriations for federal government agencies through April 8, 2011. This temporary extension was signed into law by President Obama on March 18, 2011.
  • H.J. Res 48 was approved in the House by vote of 271 - 158. I voted in favor of passage of this resolution.

March 11, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 836, the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program Termination Act. This program is designed to provide emergency loans to unemployed homeowners facing foreclosure. This bill rescinds $1 billion in funding provided by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, funding that was estimated by the Obama administration to have a 98 percent subsidy rate.
  • Noting the excessively high subsidy rate, I voted in favor of H.R. 836, which passed the House by a vote of 242 - 177.

March 10, 2011:

  • The House considered H.R. 830, the FHA Refinance Program Termination Act. This legislation would terminate the Federal Housing Administration's Refinance Program and rescind all unobligated balances. Originally intended to help homeowners whose mortgages are current but have homes worth less than their loan balance, this program is an inefficient duplication of a private sector activity.
  • H.R. 830 was adopted in the House by a vote of 256 - 171. I joined the majority in voting in favor of this legislation.

March 3, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act Of 2011, which repeals the 1099 reporting provisions included in the health care reform law passed last year. The legislation passed by a vote of 314 - 112.
  • I voted in favor of H.R. 4 because I am very concerned about the overly burdensome nature of these 1099 reporting provisions on businesses.

February 19, 2011:

  • The House voted 235-189 to approve H.R. 1, a continuing resolution (CR) to provide discretionary government funding for the duration of Fiscal Year 2011. The current CR expires on March 4.
  • As introduced, H.R. 1 would cut government spending by $100 billion when compared with President Obama's 2011 budget proposal. Numerous budget cutting amendments to the CR were adopted which increase the savings.
  • I voted in favor of this bill. The Senate leadership intends to pass a very different CR, leaving Congress as a whole with very little time to reconcile the differences between the two bills before the current CR expires.

February 17, 2011:

  • The House voted 279-143 to pass H.R. 514 as amended by the Senate.
  • I voted in favor of this bill, which next goes to the President for his signature.

February 14, 2011:

  • The House voted 275-144 in favor of H.R. 514 to extend expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act and Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act relating to business records, individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers, and roving wiretaps.
  • I voted in favor of this bill.

February 8, 2011:

  • The House voted 259-169 for H.R. 519, legislation to establish as U.S. policy that the United Nations should return $179 million overpaid to the U.N. Tax Equalization Fund as of December 31, 2009, and that the United States should press the U.N. to change its fund assessment procedures to reduce discrepancies.
  • I voted for H.R. 519. However, the bill was brought to the floor under an expedited procedure which requires a two-thirds majority to secure passage. We did not get the required supermajority, but I fully expect H.R. 519 to return to the floor under regular procedures at which time I expect it to pass.

January 26, 2011:

  • By a vote of 239-160, the House today approved H.R. 359, a bill to eliminate the taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns and national party conventions. This legislation would save $447 million over five years and $617 million over ten. The savings from this cut would be directed toward deficit reduction.
  • I voted for passage of H.R. 359.

January 20, 2011:

  • By a vote of 253-175, the House passed H. Res. 9, instructing congressional committees to bring legislation to the full House designed to replace elements of the health care law. The changes would include provisions aimed at overhauling the medical liability system, prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortions and making permanent changes to the formula used to determine Medicare physician payment rates.
  • I voted in favor of the resolution.

January 19, 2011:

  • The House passed H.R. 2, legislation to repeal the health care law passed last year, by a vote of 245-189.
  • I support health care reform which ensures that all Americans, including those with pre-existing conditions, have access to affordable coverage. However, the health care law that passed last year takes a fundamentally wrong approach to achieving that goal and will only make worse our skyrocketing health care costs and federal deficits. Therefore I voted in favor of repeal.
  • Wisconsin is a leader in terms of providing efficient, high-quality care, and I have been meeting and will continue to work with medical providers in my state, as well as my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to develop proposals which reward high-quality, low-cost medical services instead of simply giving government more control over our health care. Only by implementing proposals that rein in out-of-control health care costs will we be able to make affordable coverage available to all Americans.

January 18, 2011:

  • The House voted 399-0 to cut Congress' own expenses by reducing the printing of bills. Currently, dozens of copies of bills are printed for Members, Committees, and congressional records; many of these copies are subsequently thrown away. This simple change could save up to $35 million over ten years.
  • I voted for passage of this spending cut. This was the first YouCut vote of 2011.

January 12, 2011:

  • The House approved H. Res. 32, a resolution condemning the shootings in Tucson and honoring the victims.
  • The vote was by voice vote and was approved with my support. Out of respect for the victims and by a bipartisan decision, no other legislation was considered during the week.

January 6, 2011:

  • The House considered H.Res. 22, a resolution to reduce the operating budget of the House of Representatives. H.Res. 22 would reduce the amount of member allowances, leadership expenses, and committee expenses for 2011 and 2012 by 5 percent below 2010 levels. The House Appropriations Committee, however, would be subject to a 9 percent reduction from FY 2010 levels for salaries and expenses in fiscal years 2011 and 2012.
  • H.Res. 22 was considered under "Suspension of the Rules," a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority for passage. This resolution cutting the House's budget was adopted by a vote of 410 - 13. I voted in favor of this resolution.

January 5, 2011:

  • The House considered H.Res. 5 a package of new rules of the House for the 112th Congress. Included in this package were numerous rules intended to provide more transparency in legislating and to make it easier for Congress to reduce federal spending.
  • The rules contained in H.Res. 5 were adopted by a vote of 240 - 191. I voted in favor of their adoption.