The House and Senate are now in recess, and are scheduled to return to session only after the early November elections.

HOUSE VOTES

CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS: The House has agreed to the Senate amendment to the Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 6833), sponsored by Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., to provide continuing appropriations for government spending through Dec. 16, and add $12.3 billion of aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, as well as increase funding for disaster response programs. A supporter, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., said the bill was necessary “to avoid disruptions to vital federal agencies, to help communities get back on their feet, and to ensure we have the time needed to negotiate a final funding agreement that meets the needs of hardworking people.” An opponent, Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, criticized the bill’s failure to address border, energy, and inflation problems, including its “nearly $2 billion in funding for children and families flooding the border.” The vote, on Sept. 30, was 230 yeas to 201 nays.

YEAS: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District; Jared Golden, D-2nd District

SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS: The House has passed the Fairness for 9/11 Families Act (H.R. 8987), sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., to fund one-time payments to a group of relatives of people killed in the September 11, 2001, attacks. Nadler said the bill was a needed correction of a mistake whereby some relatives of those killed had not received payments from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, because of receiving payments from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The vote, on Sept. 30, was 400 yeas to 31 nays.

YEAS: Pingree, Golden

There were no key votes in the Senate last week.