| Date | Subject | Result | Conserv. Position | Hall Voted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-12-03 | Reducing Competition through Excessive Restrictions on "Big Cat" Ownership [HR1380] | Agreed To (272-114) |
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| The Big Cat Public Safety Act, sponsored by Rep. Quigley (D-IL), would place excessive new restrictions on the ownership of big cats (i.e., lions, tigers, cheetahs, jaguars) in order to restrict the ability of small, community and family-owned zoos to compete with the big zoo industry. The bill would establish a new licensing regime that significantly restricts who may own big cats, and would prohibit exhibitors from providing public access to them, including a ban on "cub petting." ACU recognizes this bill as a prime example of profit-motivated business competitors petitioning government to quash competition. The bill was lobbied by Carole Baskin, whose tax-exempt Big Cat Rescue "sanctuary" would be exempt from restrictions in the bill while her competitors would be stifled. ACU recognizes that big cat ownership is regulated at the state level and opposes this crony measure designed to restrict competition and enrich special interests. | |||||
| 2020-12-10 | Attempting to Restore Election Integrity | |
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| In the 2020 presidential election, Americans witnessed the intentional undermining of our election integrity systems. Using the Chinese coronavirus (COVID-19) as cover, scores of states implemented universal "mail-in ballot" schemes and other policies that weakened ballot integrity and produced widespread irregularities. In response, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against
four states (Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin) due to the actions of their government officials. The Attorneys General of 17 additional states filed a joint brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, et al., and 126 members of the House of Representatives filed an amicus brief in support of the suit. ACUF's Center to Protect Elections is a leader in rebuilding the safeguards of our election systems and ensuring that every legal vote counts. If our election system does not respect that
principle, then American democracy will cease to exist. ACU applauds the 126 lawmakers who stood up to defend the integrity of our election system that is inherent to our democracy and recorded them as supporting the ACU position. The 309 members who remained silent or actively obstructed the resolution were recorded as opposing the ACU position. The Texas amicus brief was submitted on December 10, 2020. The Supreme Court dismissed the case "on standing" without examining the evidence through litigation on December 11, 2020. |
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| 2020-12-21 | Advancing Cronyism and Out-of-Control Spending through a $2.3 Trillion Spending Package [HR133] | Agreed To (359-53) |
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| This spending package epitomizes the worst of the D.C. establishment's spending habits. This bill was sold as a COVID-19 response package but actually includes $1.4 trillion in budgetary spending unrelated to the pandemic. The remaining $900 billion was supposedly directed to government responses to the Chinese coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Negotiated in secret, without the opportunity for elected officials to offer amendments, this 5,593-page omnibus is the longest bill ever passed by Congress and comes just months after the passage of the CARES Act, another $2.2 trillion spending package. The bill contains carve-outs for every imaginable special interest group in the "swamp", from tax breaks for racehorse owners to $10 million in funding for "gender programs" in Pakistan. While the bill provides $600 direct payments to children and adults earning up to $75,000 a year, the bill represents a cost of $6,925 (plus interest) per every American. ACU believes it is appalling that Congress continues to pass reckless deficit spending while providing lawmakers and the public mere hours to even read the proposals. The spending package was passed via two roll call votes in the House, with the first vote pertaining in part to defense and national security, and the second vote (which is scored here) covering the remaining spending. | |||||
| 2020-12-28 | Expanding Wealth Redistribution by Hiking Stimulus Check Payouts from $600 to $2,000 [HR9051] | Agreed To (275-134) |
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| The Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help Act, sponsored by Rep. Neal (D-MA), would expand wealth redistribution by increasing stimulus check payouts (the $2.3 trillion spending package) from $600 to $2,000. As a result, every individual and each of their dependents earning up to $75,000 ($150,000 per couple) would be provided $2,000. Even individuals earning up to $87,000 ($174,000 per couple) would receive cash welfare, albeit in smaller checks. ACU supports the right of Americans to manage their own risks related to illnesses and believes many of government's reactions to COVID-19 have done more harm than good. ACU opposes utilizing the pandemic as an excuse to grow government and redistribute wealth via "stimulus" which will only further grow the nation's $27 trillion national debt. | |||||
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Represents a "Yes" vote.
Represents a "No" vote.
Indicates that this member voted against the conservative position on a particular vote.
"No vote" means that this member did not cast a vote (or voted 'Present' instead of Yes or No). |