In this week’s “Verona In Washington”, Sen. Robert “Bob” Menendez (D) and Sen. Cory Booker (D) voted against the confirmation of Betsy DeVos to be secretary of education and that of former Sen. Jeff Sessions to be attorney general. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) joined 137 Republicans and Democrats in the House to co-sponsor the Email Privacy Act, an update to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986. The measure seeks to require government authorities to have a warrant before gaining access to email or any data stored on the Internet.
Sen. Cory Booker, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also joined a group of Democratic senators in criticizing a Trump administration plan to no longer target domestic extremist groups like violent white supremacist groups and instead focus solely on Islamic extremists.
Here is more information on legislative action by Verona’s federal representatives during the week of February 6-10:
S. 330: A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a corporation to advocate on behalf of individuals in noncapital criminal cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, and for other purposes.
Feb 7, 2017 — Introduced
Sponsor: Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ]
This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary which will consider it before sending it to the Senate floor for consideration.
S. 328: A bill to enforce the Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of effective counsel at all stages of the adversarial process, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States to provide declaratory and injunctive relief against
Feb 7, 2017 — Introduced
Sponsor: Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ]
This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary which will consider it before sending it to the Senate floor for consideration.
S. 329: A bill to place restrictions on the use of solitary confinement for juveniles in Federal custody.
Feb 7, 2017 — Introduced
Sponsor: Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ]
This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary which will consider it before sending it to the Senate floor for consideration.
On the Nomination PN37: Elisabeth Prince DeVos, of Michigan, to be Secretary of Education
Feb 7, 2017 12:02 p.m. — Vote
Nomination Confirmed 51/50
Sen. Booker [D-NJ]: Nay
Sen. Menéndez [D-NJ]: Nay
Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, to be Attorney General: Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, to be Attorney General
Feb 7, 2017 12:31 p.m. — Vote
Cloture Motion Agreed to 52/47
Sen. Booker [D-NJ]: Nay
Sen. Menéndez [D-NJ]: Nay
On Ordering the Previous Question: H.Res. 91: Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 44) disapproving the rule …
Feb 7, 2017 1:36 p.m. — Vote
Passed 234/187
Rep. Frelinghuysen [R-NJ11]: Yea
H.Res. 91: Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 44) disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or am
Feb 7, 2017 1:43 p.m. — Vote
Passed 233/186
Rep. Frelinghuysen [R-NJ11]: Aye
H.J.Res. 44: Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Manage
Feb 7, 2017 4:57 p.m. — Vote
Passed 234/186
Rep. Frelinghuysen [R-NJ11]: Yea
H.J.Res. 57: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to accountability and State plans under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
Feb 7, 2017 5:03 p.m. — Vote
Passed 234/190
Rep. Frelinghuysen [R-NJ11]: Yea
H.J.Res. 58: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to teacher preparation issues.
Feb 7, 2017 5:10 p.m. — Vote
Passed 240/181
Rep. Frelinghuysen [R-NJ11]: Yea
On the Motion for Attendance PN30: Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, to be Attorney General
Feb 7, 2017 8:01 p.m. — Vote
Motion for Attendance Agreed to 88/3
Sen. Booker [D-NJ]: Yea
Sen. Menéndez [D-NJ]: Yea
On the Decision of the Chair PN30: Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, to be Attorney General
Feb 7, 2017 8:43 p.m. — Vote
Decision of Chair Sustained 49/43
Sen. Booker [D-NJ]: Nay
Sen. Menéndez [D-NJ]: Nay
During the floor debate on the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General, the chair ruled that Sen. Elizabeth Warren had violated Rule XIX of the Senate’s rules of debate. This was a roll call vote on the decision. A yea vote was to keep the chair’s decision that the rule had been violated.
The rule is:
No Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator.
Warren had read into the record a now famous letter by Coretta Scott King in 1986 in opposition to Sessions’s nomination at the time to be a federal judge.
On the Motion (Shall the Senator be Permitted to Proceed in Order?): Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, to be Attorney General
Feb 7, 2017 9:06 p.m. — Vote
Motion Rejected 43/50
Sen. Booker [D-NJ]: Yea
Sen. Menéndez [D-NJ]: Yea
On the Nomination PN30: Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, to be Attorney General
Feb 8, 2017 6:58 p.m. — Vote
Nomination Confirmed 52/47
Sen. Booker [D-NJ]: Nay
Sen. Menéndez [D-NJ]: Nay
Motion to Invoke Cloture Re: Nomination of Tom Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services: Thomas Price, of Georgia, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services
Feb 8, 2017 7:25 p.m. — Vote
Cloture Motion Agreed to 51/48
Sen. Booker [D-NJ]: Nay
Sen. Menéndez [D-NJ]: Nay
Sen. Robert “Bob” Menendez is a Democrat who has represented New Jersey in the United States Senate since 2006. You can read more about Menendez’ record on GovTrack, an independent developer of open data resources on Congress.
Sen. Cory Booker is a Democrat who has represented New Jersey in the United States Senate since 2013. You can read more about Booker’s record on GovTrack, an independent developer of open data resources on Congress.
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, a Republican, represents New Jersey’s 11th Congressional district. Verona has been part of this district since a gerrymandering in 2012. You can read more about Frelinghuysen’s record on GovTrack, an independent developer of open data resources on Congress.
