How Texans Voted s2

June 16, 2013

Summary of how Cornyn, Cruz and Poe voted last week:

Senate

Immigration overhaul: Agreed, 84-15, to start what will be weeks of debate on an immigration bill (S 744) that would tighten U.S. borders; create a 13-year path to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants; crack down on foreign visitors who overstay their visas; require all states to adopt the E-Verify system by which employers check on the legality of new employees; streamline family visas to reduce lengthy waits for overseas relations to join family members in the U.S., and establish new or streamlined employment visas for low-skilled and high-tech workers. Cornyn Yes, Cruz No

Dispute over border control: Tabled (killed), 57-43, a bid to require six months of tight U.S. government control of the border with Mexico before any undocumented immigrant could take even the first step on the 13-year road to citizenship offered by S 744 (above). The bill already requires the Department of Homeland Security to ramp up security on the U.S.-Mexico border before accepting applications for provisional status or lawful permanent residency. Because it called for still more triggers, this amendment was seen by foes as a poison pill intended to bring down the bill. A yes vote was to kill the amendment. Cornyn No, Cruz No

Five-year farm bill: Approved, 66-27, and sent to the House a bill (S 954) to renew federal agriculture and nutrition programs for five years at a projected cost of nearly $1 trillion over 10 years, down $24 billion from current spending levels. About $800 billion of the outlay is for food stamps and other food and nutrition programs, with the remainder allocated to programs to protect farm incomes, boost exports, expand domestic markets, promote land conservation and fund rural development. The bill ends the decades-old system of direct payments that has been sending $5 billion annually to farmers regardless of whether they grow crops, turning instead to taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance to help growers and farm investors turn a profit in the face of weather risks and price drops beyond their control. The bill extends sugar and peanut programs in essentially their present forms while replacing dairy producers’ price supports and subsidies with a new insurance program to stabilize their incomes. A yes vote was to pass the bill. Cornyn No, Cruz No

2014 Military budget: Approved, 315-108, a $638.4 billion military budget for fiscal 2014, including $85.8 billion for actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, more than $60 billion for active-duty and retirement health care and $17.8 billion for Department of Energy nuclear-weapons programs. The bill (HR 1960) sets a 1.8 percent military pay raise; bars closure of the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, military prison; recommends a missile-defense shield for the East Coast, bars another round of base-closings and takes several steps to prevent sexual assaults in the military. Addressing sexual assaults, the bill strips commanders of their historical authority to dismiss the findings of a court-martial; deprives commanders of power to reduce guilty verdicts to lesser offenses; sets minimum-sentence guidelines for sex offenses; provides specially trained counsel to represent victims of sex-related crimes; allows victims of assaults to apply for transfer to a new unit and permits reassignment of those charged with but not convicted of sexual assaults. The bill requires Pentagon reports to Congress on America’s military strategy in Afghanistan after most U.S. military operations end by Dec. 31, 2014. It withholds funding of Afghan security forces until the two countries reach a long-term security agreement satisfactory to Congress. Poe Abstain

Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Recommended, 305-121, that a congressional vote be held to authorize any U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan after Dec. 31, 2014. President Barack Obama has set that target date for ending most U.S. military involvement there. This non-binding amendment was added to HR 1960 (above). Poe Yes

Offshore derivatives trading: Approved, 301-124. and sent to the Senate a bill (HR 1256) to weaken the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulation law as it applies to derivatives trading by foreign subsidiaries of U.S. banks and other financial institutions. This bill creates a presumption that these overseas entities are exempt from Dodd-Frank if their host countries have “broadly comparable” derivatives regulations. This would reverse the presumption in current law that overseas subsidiaries are automatically covered by the strict Dodd-Frank derivatives rules unless U.S.-government regulators act to exempt them. Financial institutions enter into derivatives contracts to hedge, or provide insurance against, other investments they have made. Lacking value of their own, derivatives are priced according to the value of some underlying asset, with their purchasers, in effect, betting on the future value of the base asset (or assets). In 2008, the sudden collapse of the derivatives industry when the housing bubble burst helped crash the global economy, resulting, in part, in the $182 billion U.S.-taxpayer bailout of AIG, an insurance firm. AIG held the losing side of numerous derivatives contracts with Wall Street firms linked to the value of securitized home mortgages. To guard against such breakdowns in the future, the 2010 Dodd-Frank law requires most derivatives contracts to be traded openly on exchanges and cleared by a third party. Poe Yes

Active Legislation 113th Congress (2013-2014) Updated June 14th, 2013 Reference: The Library of Congress Thomas Details of bills can be found at: http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/b_three_sections_with_teasers/acti ve_leg_page.htm

Currently Active Bills that may receive floor action this week. Senate chamber Immigration reform S.744 House chamber H.R.1960 Defense, FY2014

Popular Titles and Subjects A — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Abortion, ban after 20 weeks S.886 H.R.1797 Air traffic controllers H.R.1765 P.L.113-9 Assault weapons S.150 H.R.437 B — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page S.374, Background checks for firearm sales S.Amdt.715 to H.R.21, H.R.137 (SEE: Gun legislation) S.649 S.J.Res.1, H.J.Res.1, H.J.Res.2, H.J.Res.4, H.J.Res.5, H.J.Res.6, Balanced budget amendment S.J.Res.6, H.J.Res.10, H.J.Res.11, H.J.Res.17, H.J.Res.18, S.J.Res.7 H.J.Res.24, H.J.Res.35, H.J.Res.36, H.J.Res.38 C — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Campaign finance, disclosure H.R.148 requirements Cybersecurity H.R.624, H.R.756, H.R.967, H.R.1163 D — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Debt limit, suspend until May 19, 2013 H.R.325 P.L.113-3 F — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Farm bill S.954 H.R.1947 G — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Gun legislation S.649 H — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Health care overhaul, repeal H.R.45 Hurricane Sandy, increase Flood H.R.41 P.L.113-1 Insurance borrowing authority I — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Immigration reform S.744 Internet sales tax S.743 H.R.684 K — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Keystone XL Pipeline S.582 H.R.3 M — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Minimum wage, increase the Federal S.460 H.R.1010 minimum wage N — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page No Child Left Behind, revise and S.1094 reauthorize P — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Pay freeze for Federal and Congressional employees, extend H.R.273 through December 31, 2013 Pay of Members of Congress, eliminate S.65 H.R.134, H.R.196 automatic adjustment Pay of Members of Congress, hold in escrow if budget resolution not adopted H.R.325 P.L.113-3 by April 15, 2013 S — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Sequester, replace S.388, S.16 Senate rules, changes related to bipartisan cloture motions and S.Res.16 conference motions Senate rules, changes related to motions to proceed, amendments and S.Res.15 nominations Senate rules, cloture invoked with less S.Res.5 than a three-fifths majority Stolen Valor H.R.258 P.L.113-12 Straw purchases of firearms S.54 H.R.404 (SEE: Gun legislation) Student loans, prevent doubling of S.953, S.1003 H.R.1911, H.R.1595 interest rate on July 1, 2013 T — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page TANF, extend the Temporary Assistance Sec. 1522, for Needy Families program through P.L.113-6 H.R.933 September 31, 2013 TANF, extend the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program through Sec. 3, H.R.890 December 31, 2013 W — Active Legislation Key Return to top of page Welfare waivers, prohibit HHS from granting a waiver relating to compliance Sec. 2, H.R.890 with the work requirements

Sources: Library of Congress, Houston Chronicle