Area Votes in Congress

WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress voted on major issues last week:

House

Sharing data to counter cyber attacks. Voting 307-116, the House on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 1560) that would encourage companies struck by cyber attacks to voluntarily share sensitive data on the incident with federal agencies and other companies without fear of being sued over privacy violations. The objective is to enable all sectors to quickly band together to counter the present attack and prevent similar ones.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Voting yes: Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), John Carney (D., Del.), Ryan Costello (R., Pa.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Michael Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Tom MacArthur (R., N.J.), Pat Meehan (R., Pa.), Donald Norcross (D., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).

Voting no: Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Matt Cartwright (D., Pa.), and Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.).

Protecting electrical grid, nuclear plants. Voting 180-238, the House on Thursday defeated a Democratic bid to require a cybersecurity partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. energy companies to better protect "at-risk" critical infrastructure - the electrical grid, nuclear power plants, oil and gas pipelines, financial services, and transportation systems from crippling cyber attacks.

A yes vote was to adopt the motion, which, had it prevailed, would have immediately amended the bill.

Voting yes: Brady, Carney, Cartwright, Fattah, and Norcross.

Voting no: Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Meehan, Pitts, and Smith.

Not voting: Boyle.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Voting 235-183, the House on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 1195) to establish an advisory council to advise the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on small-business issues. The measure drew opposition over its cutting the bureau's budget to fund operating costs of this and other advisory councils.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it may face a 60-vote hurdle.

Voting yes: Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Meehan, Pitts, and Smith.

Voting no: Boyle, Brady, Carney, Cartwright, Fattah, and Norcross.

Senate

Loretta Lynch confirmation. Voting 56-43, the Senate on Thursday confirmed Loretta E. Lynch as the 83d U.S. attorney general and the first African American woman in that office. Lynch, 55, had been the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York since 2010. She was nominated by President Obama on Nov. 14.

A yes vote supported Lynch as attorney general.

Voting yes: Cory Booker (D., N.J.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Bob Casey (D., Pa.), Chris Coons (D., Del.), and Robert Menendez (D., N.J.).

Voting no: Pat Toomey (R., Pa.).

Sex trafficking, abortion funding. Voting 99-0, the Senate on Wednesday passed a bill (S 178) that would strengthen federal laws and other measures to combat human trafficking and help its victims to recover. The bill establishes a Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund financed by fines on those convicted of crimes involving sex trafficking, child abuse, and human smuggling.

A yes vote was to pass a bill that now must be combined with similar House-passed measures.

Voting yes: Booker, Carper, Casey, Coons, Menendez, and Toomey.

Amendment with LGBT protections. The Senate on Wednesday failed, 56-43, to reach 60 votes needed to adopt a Democratic-sponsored measure that would renew the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act with explicitly stated antidiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. The amendment was offered to S 178 (above).

A yes vote was to adopt an amendment containing specific LGBT protections.

Voting yes: Booker, Carper, Casey, Coons, Menendez, and Toomey.

Amendment without LGBT protections. The Senate on Wednesday defeated, 45-53, a Republican-sponsored measure that would renew the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act without specific language to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals from discrimination based on their sexual orientation. The amendment was offered to S 178 (above).

A yes vote was to adopt an amendment that did not contain specific LGBT protections.

Voting yes: Toomey.

Voting no: Booker, Carper, Casey, Coons, and Menendez.

This week. The House will take up fiscal 2016 appropriations bills, while the Senate will debate a bill providing congressional review of any proposed nuclear deal with Iran.