| Date | Subject | Result | Conserv. Position | Lewis Voted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-01-10 | Blocking Excessive Regulations within the Chemical Industry [HR535] | Rejected (161-243) |
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No Vote | |
| Burgess (R-TX) amendment to the PFAS Action Act which would protect consumers from draconian product bans related to certain chemical compounds that have been approved for thousands of market applications by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for nearly 40 years. Specifically, the amendment would eliminate the bill's draconian regulations on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) which are used in countless products, including cookware, food packaging and firefighting. The amendment would eliminate the bill's mandate that the federal Environmental Protection Agency designate two PFAS compounds (PFOA and PFOS) as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (commonly referred to as the Superfund). Additionally, the amendment would block the potential "hazardous" designation of approximately 7,800 additional PFAS compounds. The amendment would better align legislative directives with the findings of the FDA which held at the time of this vote that the science surrounding potential health effects is "developing" and that numerous federal agencies had yet to make conclusive findings. ACU recognizes that government has a role in protecting the public against the harm of dangerous chemicals. However, ACU believes government action should be based on sound scientific data that demonstrate a legitimate risk to public health and safety and therefore opposes this bill's hasty and heavy-handed regulations that ultimately enrich plaintiffs' attorneys and harm consumers. |
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| 2020-01-15 | Appointing Impeachment Managers for the Trial of President Donald J. Trump [HRES798] | Agreed To (228-193) |
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No Vote | |
| In a purely partisan effort, Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) and Democratic Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) launched a coup attempt against the President of the United States via this resolution that appoints seven members of the House of Representatives to serve as managers. These seven members, who all have abysmal ACUF Lifetime Ratings, are: Reps. Schiff (D-CA), Nadler (D-NY), Lofgren (D-CA), Jeffries (D-NY), Demings (D-FL), Crow (D-CO), and Garcia (D-TX). ACU recognizes the Constitution permits impeachment only in cases of "treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors" and that the framers explicitly rejected the parliamentary system wherein a legislative body may remove an executive merely because legislators dislike the President. ACU opposes this motion to advance a coup against a President who has courageously fought for and advanced countless conservative principles and policies. | |||||
| 2020-02-05 | Increasing Unfunded Liabilities by Removing a Fiscal Safeguard at the U.S. Postal Service [HR2382] | Agreed To (309-106) |
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| The USPS Fairness Act, sponsored by Rep. DeFazio (D-OR), would impose enormous additional unfunded liabilities on taxpayers by removing a critical fiscal safeguard at the United States Postal Service (USPS). Specifically, the bill would repeal a provision of the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act which requires USPS to prepay the future retirement benefits of its employees. As a result, taxpayers would be exposed to even greater unfunded liabilities. Encouraging the USPS to further deviate from wise fiscal management is especially reckless considering the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund has an abysmal funding ratio of merely 41%. ACU has long-opposed Congress' nasty habit of "kicking the can down the road" and supports reining in and reforming the USPS rather than recklessly driving up taxpayer burdens. | |||||
| 2020-02-06 | Protecting the Right-to-Work without Mandatory Union Dues Collections [HR2474] | Rejected (186-235) |
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No Vote | |
| Meadows (R-NC) amendment to the Protecting the Right to Organize Act which would protect employees' right to work without being forced to pay dues to a labor union or employee organization. Specifically, the amendment would strike a union "fair share agreement" provision in the bill, thereby preserving the Right-to-Work laws of 27 states that the bill aims to nullify. ACU has long supported the right to work without joining a union or paying dues, as well as expanding employee freedom and economic growth. | |||||
| 2020-02-07 | Channeling Billions of Additional Funds to Puerto Rico under the Guise of "Disaster Relief" [HR5687] | Passed (237-161) |
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No Vote | |
| The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief and Puerto Rico Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, sponsored by Rep. Lowey (D-NY), would grow the U.S. budget deficit (already over $1 trillion annually) by an additional $20 billion over the next decade to primarily expand welfare programs and enrich government-favored developers in Puerto Rico. The bill would appropriate $4.67 billion in disaster aid for Puerto Rico, despite the fact Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster relief fund had a balance of $34.84 billion at the time of this vote. Additionally, the bill would expand numerous individual and corporate welfare programs without any evidence of their effectiveness. ACU believes it insulting to taxpayers to provide even more disaster funding to a territory embattled in corruption, and finds this spending reckless considering that just last year FEMA fired several employees who were convicted of $1.8 billion in fraud involving government contractors. | |||||
| 2020-02-13 | Violating the Constitutional Amendment Process in Order to Advance the Long-Expired Equal Rights Amendment [HJRES79] | Agreed To (232-183) |
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| This resolution, sponsored by Rep. Speier (D-CA), seeks to ratify the left's Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution by eliminating the 1979 ratification deadline. The ERA has nothing to do with treating individuals equally, but instead is a tool that was introduced by the left in 1972 to provide judges carte blanche authority to abuse the legal system, including attacking the private sector and providing "rights" to abortions. Proponents of the ERA failed to meet the congressionally established deadline (1979) for ratification by 37 states. In response, this unconstitutional resolution seeks to provide a retroactive 41-year extension. | |||||
| 2020-02-28 | Infringing Individual Liberties by Imposing Draconian Restrictions on the Nicotine Industry [HR2339] | Passed (213-195) |
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No Vote | |
| The Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2020, sponsored by Rep. Pallone (D-NJ), would infringe individual liberties by imposing a series of draconian restrictions on tobacco and nicotine products. Most concerningly, the bill would ban all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, and would apply the flavor ban to all electronic nicotine delivery systems, including "vaping" devices. Additionally, the bill would end the sale of nearly all online tobacco products and force the federal Food and Drug Administration to implement "track and trace" technology on all tobacco products. Furthermore, the bill would impose new fees and taxes on nicotine products and their manufacturers, enact additional labeling and marketing mandates and increase civil penalties for violations. ACU believes the usage of tobacco and e-cigarettes is a personal liberty issue, and believes government regulations on products are only appropriate when their usage substantially impacts others. | |||||
| 2020-03-14 | Imposing Costly New Mandates on Businesses Battling COVID-19 and Advancing Billions in New Spending with No Offsets [HR6201] | Agreed To (363-40) |
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No Vote | |
| The so-called Families First Coronavirus Response Act imposes serious threats to small businesses amid the disastrous economic shutdowns imposed in reaction to the Chinese coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Specifically, the bill increases spending by $300 billion despite massive revenue shortfalls and imposes costly paid leave mandates. Under the bill,
other public and private paid-leave policies are duplicated by forcing businesses with fewer than 500 workers to provide employees with 10 weeks' pay at two-thirds of normal pay if they are attending to a family member due to the outbreak. An additional two weeks' leave must be provided for "self-quarantining," attending to an individual who is isolated, or attending to a child whose school or childcare provider has been closed. While employers are eventually reimbursed these costs, the bill's
refundable payroll tax credit approach does not provide timely relief to cash-strapped businesses. Furthermore, the bill includes no offsets to account for the massive new spending, which includes increases for unemployment, Medicaid and other government welfare programs. ACU recognizes that while certain improvements were made to the bill prior to passage, such as softening the impact on businesses with fewer than 50 workers, lawmakers failed to pass provisions similar to the Sen. Johnson (R-WI) amendment which would have included critical reforms and removed the paid leave mandates. ACU encourages private employers to be sensitive to their employees' needs, but we oppose government imposing new burdens on employers that may destroy some businesses and end employment for those most in need. |
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| 2020-05-15 | Fueling Pelosi's Quest for Power by Authorizing Proxy Voting [HRES965] | Agreed To (217-189) |
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No Vote | |
| This resolution, sponsored by Rep. McGovern (D-MA), enables Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) to further her quest for power by permitting proxy voting, or the assignment of one member's vote to another, for the first time in the 231-year history of the U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution also permits remote committee proceedings and authorizes both of these schemes to take place for 45 days during the Chinese coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Of course, once achieving this "temporary" power, Speaker Pelosi extended the scheme through the 2021 session. ACU recognizes proxy voting directly violates the U.S. Constitution's quorum and "yeas and nays" requirements that serve as a safeguard against replacing the votes of lawmakers elected by the People with the votes of lawmakers favored by political leadership. ACU opposes these schemes that are designed to silence the American people's voices during a crisis in order to advance the authoritarian aspirations of Speaker Pelosi. | |||||
| 2020-05-15 | Advancing an Endless List of Leftist Initiatives through the $3.4 Trillion HEROES Act [HR6800] | Passed (208-199) |
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No Vote | |
| The so-called Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, sponsored by Rep. Lowey (D-NY), represents the largest spending bill in our nation's history. The 1,800-page bill, supposedly in response to the Chinese coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, would provide $3.4 billion for countless leftist initiatives and would eliminate numerous safeguards of election integrity ahead of the 2020 presidential election. For example, the bill would provide $915 billion in bailouts to state and local governments, a bailout of the US Postal Service, another round of $1,200 stimulus checks (including to illegal immigrants), tens of millions in "environmental justice" grants and up to $10,000 in student loan forgiveness. Additionally, the bill would force all states to conduct mail in voting and would forbid them from enacting any type of identification requirement, such as voter ID. Furthermore, the bill would empower fraudulent ballot harvesting schemes by allowing ballots to be returned by individuals other than the voter. Finally, the bill extends the weekly $600 federal unemployment benefit through January 2021, which disincentivizes work due to
some employees earning more on unemployment than on the job. ACU finds it unfathomable that Congress would consider a $3.4 trillion spending package just two months after enacting a $2.2 trillion package and recognizes that this enormous spending amounts to $16,850 (plus interest) per every American. ACU opposes this irresponsible liberal wish list constructed by Speaker Pelosi (D-CA). |
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| 2020-05-28 | Advancing Warrantless Surveillance of Americans via FISA Reauthorization without Conservative Reforms [HR6172] | Agreed To (284-122) |
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| This procedural motion is designed to
advance the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act without conservative reforms, such as those advocated by President Trump or implemented under the amendment offered by Sen. Lee (R-UT) and Sen. Leahy (D-VT). Specifically, the measure reauthorizes through 2023 three Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authorities that had expired under the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001. The FISA courts are designed to surveil foreign threats to U.S. national security and operate largely independently from the U.S. justice system with judges picked solely by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. By reauthorizing without reforms, FISA courts would be able to continue to deviate from their foreign assignments and instead circumvent the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution
and infringe the privacy rights of millions of American citizens. ACU recognizes that the nation witnessed demonstrable evidence of the need for reform, given that the Obama FBI was caught red-handed exploiting FISA courts to spy on the 2016 Trump campaign. ACU supports the founders' belief in the Fourth Amendment and supports significant reforms to the Patriot Act and FISA to help protect Americans from unlawful search and seizure. The House passed a motion to disagree with the Senate amendments and send the bill to conference. (Following this vote, the bill was formally withdrawn from consideration.) |
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| 2020-06-25 | Advancing the Left's All-Out Attack on the Police [HR7120] | Passed (236-181) |
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| The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, sponsored by Rep. Bass (D-CA), serves as an all-out attack on law enforcement and would have tremendous negative consequences on local communities and public safety. Unlike the meaningful reforms laid out in the JUSTICE Act sponsored by Sen. Scott (R-SC), this bill contains numerous provisions that would expose officers to such great criminal and legal liabilities that they would be unable to properly carry out their duties as public servants. The bill also contains provisions that would essentially federalize local police departments, while doing nothing to address collective bargaining agreements which protect bad cops by making it nearly impossible to fire them. ACU supports improving government accountability and increasing transparency through measures such as the JUSTICE Act and believes all police misconduct should be investigated and penalized according to the law. However ACU opposes the promotion of lawlessness through the leftist notion of "defunding the police" and opposes this measure which harms public safety. | |||||
| 2020-06-26 | Repealing Safeguards on Taxpayer Student Loan Forgiveness Implemented by the Trump Administration [HJRES76] | Veto Sustained (238-173) |
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| This resolution, sponsored by Rep. Lee (D-CA), would invoke the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in an attempt to repeal the strong policies of the Trump administration relating to student loans. The CRA properly allows Congress to repeal rules and regulations of the executive branch. However, this resolution would improperly allow thousands of ineligible individuals to abuse a government program which socializes the cost of select individuals' student debt. The Trump administration's reform is expected to reduce abuse of the program by clarifying definitions such as "financial harm" and "misrepresentation." The Trump administration's reform is expected to save taxpayers over $11 billion over the next 10 years. ACU supports the Trump administration's effort to combat abuse of government programs and opposes the left's quest to socialize all student loan debt. | |||||
| 2020-06-26 | Expanding Democratic Political Power through DC Statehood [HR51] | Passed (232-180) |
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| The Washington DC Admission Act, sponsored by Rep. Norton (D-DC), is designed to expand the power of the Democrat Party by making the District of Columbia the 51st state. Under the bill, the heavily Democratic-leaning district would be apportioned two senators in the U.S. Senate and one representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. The federal district would be reduced to a small strip of land that would include the U.S. Capitol Building, the White House and the National Mall. ACU recognizes this is purely a political measure to shift the balance of power in Congress by granting a heavily liberal region three new members. ACU further recognizes that if politicians truly cared about representation, they would ask Maryland to follow Virginia's lead in absorbing its portion of the district that was previously included in the state's borders. | |||||
| 2020-06-29 | Repealing Conservative Reforms in the Banking Industry Implemented by the Trump Administration [HJRES90] | Agreed To (230-179) |
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| This resolution, sponsored by Rep. Waters (D-CA), would invoke the Congressional Review Act to repeal conservative reforms to the Community Reinvestment Act implemented by the Trump administration. The Congressional Review Act properly allows Congress to repeal rules and regulations of the executive branch. However, the Community Reinvestment Act is a tool for extortion against bankers by preventing banks from expanding or merging unless they pay off various radical-left activists through certain banking decisions mandated by government. The reforms made by the Trump administration provided greater regulatory clarity and certainty, and ultimately helped make it easier for banks to comply with the Community Reinvestment Act. ACU supported the Trump administration's efforts to reduce regulatory barriers, thus lowering lending costs and expanding investment. | |||||
| 2020-07-01 | Reducing Taxpayer Costs by Eliminating Prevailing Wage Mandates on Federal Highway and Public Transportation Projects [HR2] | Rejected (147-274) |
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| Foxx (R-NC) amendment to the Moving Forward Act, sponsored by Rep. DeFazio (D-OR), would reduce taxpayer costs by eliminating federal prevailing wage mandates on federal-aid highway and public transportation projects. The prevailing wage originated under the Davis-Bacon Act, a Depression-era policy which forces companies contracting with the government to pay their employees above-market wages. ACU recognizes that research by Suffolk University found that Davis-Bacon requirements cost taxpayers an additional $8.6 billion annually and add 9.9% to construction costs. | |||||
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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). |