Scorecard
Welcome to the FRC Action Vote Scorecard for 2017, the First Session of the 115th Congress!
This online Scorecard is a compilation of the significant votes on federal legislation affecting family values that FRC Action either supported or opposed in 2017, the First Session of the 115th Congress. As Republicans enjoyed unified control of the federal government under Republican President Donald Trump, 2017 presented enormous opportunities for the enactment of conservative, pro-life and pro-family legislation and the confirmation of pro-life judges and cabinet secretaries.
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Senate - 115th 1st Session Summaries
1. Amendment to Prevent Congress from Stopping the HHS Contraception Mandate and Abortion in Obamacare
Offered by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), this amendment (S.Amdt. 82) to the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2017 (S.Con.Res. 3) would have prevented Congress from changing Obamacare as it relates to its provisions which subsidize abortion or to the HHS Contraception Mandate, which mandates drugs and devices which can destroy human embryos. The vote was on a procedural motion, requiring 60 votes, to waive the Budget Act for this amendment.
(Failed 1/12/2017, 49 yeas to 49 nays, Roll Call No. 23)
FRC Action Opposed this Motion.
2. Cloture on the Nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General of the United States
Nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the Attorney General of the United States, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is committed to follow the rule of law and ensure equal justice for all Americans. Senator Sessions has a long career as a U.S. Attorney, Alabama Attorney General, and Alabama Senator serving on multiple committees prior to his confirmation. This vote was on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination.
(Passed 02/07/2017, 52 yeas to 47 nays, Roll Call No. 55)
FRC Action Supported this Motion.
3. Cloture on the Nomination of Rep. Tom Price to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
Nominated by President Trump to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) has the medical experience and expertise of a practicing physician and the policy experience of a long-time Member of Congress. During his time in Congress, Dr. Price put forward a number of health care plans intended to provide people the care that they want and need, and supported the life of the unborn. This vote was on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination.
(Passed 02/08/2017, 51 yeas to 48 nays, Roll Call No. 60)
FRC Action Supported this Motion.
4. Resolution of Disapproval to Overturn Obama's HHS Title X Rule
Sponsored by Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.), this House-passed resolution of disapproval (H.J. Res. 43) overturned former President Barack Obama's Department of Health and Human Services rule, finalized in December 2016, that prevented states from redirecting Title X family planning funds away from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.
(Passed 03/30/2017, 51 yeas to 50 nays, Vice President Voted Yea, Roll Call No. 101)
FRC Action Supported this Resolution.
5. Cloture on the Nomination of Neil Gorsuch to be a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States
Nominated by President Trump to fill the seat Justice Antonin Scalia left vacant in February of 2016 on the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Neil Gorsuch is a judge and a scholar pledged to uphold the original meaning of the Constitution. Judge Gorsuch served for ten years on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, where he established an excellent record of having fidelity to the rule of law. This vote was on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination.
(Passed 04/04/2017, 55 yeas to 44 nays, Roll Call No. 104)
FRC Action Supported this Motion.
6. Whether to Allow Filibusters on Supreme Court Nominations
After Democrats attempted a partisan filibuster against Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appealed the ruling of the chair, which required 60 votes to invoke cloture to end debate so that a Supreme Court nominee can receive an up or down vote. Senators wishing to remove the 60-vote requirement to invoke cloture for Supreme Court nominations were required to vote “no” on this motion to sustain the decision of the chair. This is a similar action to that taken in 2013 by then Majority Leader Harry Reid to remove the 60-vote requirement for cloture on District and Appellate Court nominees.
(Failed 04/06/2017, 52 nays to 48 yeas, Roll Call No. 109)
FRC Action Opposed this Motion.
7. Motion to Proceed to Repeal and Replace Obamacare
This vote on the motion to proceed to the American Health Care Act of 2017 (H.R. 1628) was to allow the Senate to begin debate on the House-passed health care reconciliation legislation. This procedural vote allowed the Senate to work to repeal Obamacare, with its massive expansion of subsidies for elective abortion, and to defund certain large abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.
(Passed 07/25/2017, 51 yeas to 50 nays, Vice President Voted Yea, Roll Call No. 167)
FRC Action Supported this Motion.
8. "Clean" Repeal of Obamacare
Offered by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act of 2017, contained in this amendment (S.Amdt. 271 to S.Amdt. 267) to the American Health Care Act of 2017 (H.R. 1628), would have repealed the major pillars of Obamacare without offering a “replace” plan. This amendment would have repealed Obamacare's taxpayer funding of elective abortion and eliminated mandatory federal funding for certain large abortion providers like Planned Parenthood for one year. This was virtually the same "clean" Obamacare repeal bill that Congress successfully passed in 2015 and put on former President Obama's desk, who vetoed it.
(Failed 07/26/2017, 45 yeas to 55 nays, Roll Call No. 169)
FRC Action Supported this Amendment.
9. Amendment to Stop Obamacare's Taxpayer Funding for Abortion
Offered by Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.), this amendment (S.Amdt. 389 to S.Amdt. 267) to the American Health Care Act of 2017 (H.R. 1628) would have stopped Obamacare's premium tax credits from being used to purchase health insurance plans that cover elective abortion. This vote was on a procedural motion, requiring 60 votes, to waive the Budget Act for this amendment.
(Failed 07/27/2017, 50 yeas to 50 nays, Roll Call No. 174)
FRC Action Supported this Motion.
10. "Skinny" Obamacare Repeal
Offered by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Health Care Freedom Act of 2017, contained in this amendment (S.Amdt. 667 to S.Amdt. 267) to the American Health Care Act of 2017 (H.R. 1628), would have more narrowly repealed Obamacare by only eliminating its individual and employer health insurance mandates. This amendment would also have eliminated mandatory federal funding for one year for certain large abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood.
(Failed 07/28/2017, 49 yeas to 51 nays, Roll Call No. 179)
FRC Action Supported this Amendment.
11. Cloture on Nomination of Amy Barrett to be to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit
Nominated by President Trump to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit, Professor Amy Barret, Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School and once a clerk to former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, was wrongfully interrogated by Democratic senators who objected to her Catholic faith and convictions about the sanctity of human life. This vote was on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination.
(Passed 04/04/2017, 54 yeas to 42 nays, Roll Call No. 254)
FRC Action Supported this Motion.
12. Amendment to Expand Education Savings Accounts to Cover K-12 and Homeschooling Expenses
Offered by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), this amendment (S.Amdt. 1852 to S.Amdt. 1618) to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) expanded 529 education savings accounts to cover up to $10,000 per year at private, religious, or public K-12 schools or homeschoolers' expenses on curriculum materials, books, online educational materials, private tutoring, dual enrollment in college courses, or special education.
(Passed 12/01/2017, 51 yeas to 50 nays, Vice President Voted Yea, Roll Call No. 298)
FRC Action Supported this Amendment.
