Along with the week’s roll call votes, the Senate also passed the Alaska Tourism Recovery Act (S. 593).
HOUSE VOTES
ORPHAN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: The House has rejected the Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act (H.R. 1629), sponsored by Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa. The bill would have prevented prescription drug manufacturers who receive orphan status for a drug from the Food and Drug Administration from using the same status for a newly approved drug that has an ingredient identical to the drug that received orphan status. Dean said the change would help “ensure people can gain access to newer therapies and medically assisted treatments that are potentially blocked due to orphan designation.” The vote, on May 11, was 250 yeas to 168 nays, with a two-thirds majority required for approval.
YEAS: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District;
NOT VOTING: Jared Golden, D-2nd District
PASSING LEGISLATION: The House has passed a motion sponsored by House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., to pass 16 different bills en bloc. Matters covered by the bills included suicide and addiction treatment, and mental health care. The vote, on May 12, was 349 yeas to 74 nays.
YEAS: Pingree
NOT VOTING: Golden
DEBT COLLECTION: The House has passed the Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act (H.R. 2547), sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. The bill would enact various measures that regulate debt collection and restrict collection practices. Waters said its “protections will help the most vulnerable consumers, including servicemembers, student borrowers, people of color, and those struggling under the weight of medical debt during this unprecedented pandemic.” A bill opponent, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, R-N.C., said that by discouraging credit offerings, it would “drive up the cost of credit for all borrowers, especially low-income borrowers, as well as limit their credit options.” The vote, on May 13, was 215 yeas to 207 nays.
YEAS: Pingree
NOT VOTING: Golden
STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH: The House has passed the Behavioral Intervention Guidelines Act (H.R. 2877), sponsored by Rep. Drew A. Ferguson IV, R-Ga., to require the Health and Human Services Department to develop a set of best practices for using behavioral intervention teams at schools. Ferguson said the bill was particularly needed because during COVID-19 lockdowns, “we are seeing how fear, anxiety, financial problems, and particularly isolation have compounded these issues” disrupting mental health in students. The vote, on May 13, was 323 yeas to 93 nays.
YEAS: Pingree
NOT VOTING: Golden
SENATE VOTES
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Andrea Palm to serve as the Department of Health and Human Services’ deputy secretary. Palm was a senior official at the agency, in various roles, during the Obama administration. A supporter, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called Palm “a proven healthcare leader, somebody who is committed to expanding and improving healthcare, who really understands the nuts and bolts of building healthcare coalitions in America.” The vote, on May 11, was 61 yeas to 37 nays.
YEAS: Susan Collins, R-Maine; Angus King, I-Maine
EDUCATION OFFICIAL: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Cynthia Marten to serve as Deputy Secretary of Education. Marten was superintendent of San Diego’s public schools starting in 2013; previously, she was a teacher and principal at a San Diego elementary school. The vote, on May 11, was 54 yeas to 44 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
BANK LOANS: The Senate has passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 15), sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., disapproving of and voiding an Office of the Comptroller of the Currency regulation issued in October 2020 that required a federally regulated bank to originate a given loan in order to be considered a lender. Van Hollen said the regulation was allowing many so-called predatory lenders to elude state laws that limit interest rates on loans, hurting consumers by charging rates at loan shark levels. A resolution opponent, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said the regulation was increasing credit availability, and cancelling it “would stifle innovation, and it would inhibit the functioning of our markets, our nation’s banking and credit markets.” The vote, on May 11, was 52 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
POSTAL SERVICE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Ronald Stroman to serve as a U.S. Postal Service governor for a 7-year term ending in late 2028. A supporter, Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich., called Stroman “a lifelong public servant who served as Deputy Postmaster General for nearly 10 years. He has a deep operational knowledge of the Postal Service and an extensive record of working across the aisle on postal issues.” The vote, on May 12, was 66 yeas to 32 nays. In a separate vote, Stroman was confirmed for the remainder of a term ending in late 2021.
YEAS: Collins, King
SECOND POSTAL GOVERNOR: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Amber McReynolds to serve as a U.S. Postal Service governor for a 5-year term ending in late 2026. McReynolds was an elections administrator for Denver from 2005 to 2018; since then, she has been chief executive of the National Vote at Home Institute. A supporter, Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich., said: “She is a proven leader who drives innovation and understands how the Postal Service impacts both state and local governments.” The vote, on May 13, was 59 yeas to 38 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
COMMERCE OFFICIAL: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Donet Graves, Jr., to serve as Deputy Commerce Secretary. Graves was a counselor to Vice President Biden from 2014 to early 2017; he then became an executive at KeyBank. The vote, on May 13, was 89 yeas to 7 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
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