Area Votes in Congress

WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress voted on major issues last week:

House

House rejection of nuclear deal. In a largely symbolic party-line vote of 162-269, the House on Friday opposed an agreement signed by Iran, the United States, and five other nations that would dismantle Iran's nuclear-weapons program for at least 10 to 15 years while lifting U.S. and international financial and oil sanctions that have damaged the Iranian economy. Because the deal is an executive action not dependent on congressional approval, this GOP bill (HR 3461) lacked force of law to stop or change it. By contrast, Senate GOP leaders used a binding resolution of disapproval (below) as their legislative vehicle for addressing the agreement.

A yes vote was to support the Iran nuclear agreement.

Voting yes: Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), John Carney (D., Del.), Matt Cartwright (D., Pa.), and Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.).

Voting no: Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), Ryan Costello (R., Pa.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Michael Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Tom MacArthur (R., N.J.), Pat Meehan (R., Pa.), Donald Norcross (D., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).

GOP effort to retain sanctions. Voting 247-186, the House on Friday passed a measure (HR 3460) to prohibit President Obama from revoking U.S. economic sanctions as part of the Iran nuclear deal (above). The prohibition, which would kill the deal, applies to an array of sanctions the executive branch and Congress have imposed in recent years on Iran's energy and financial sectors and other parts of its economy.

A yes vote was to kill the deal by keeping sanctions in place.

Voting yes: Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, Meehan, MacArthur, Pitts, and Smith.

Voting no: Boyle, Brady, Carney, Cartwright, Fattah, and Norcross.

Senate

Green light for Iran nuclear deal. Voting 58-42, the Senate on Thursday failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a resolution (HJ Res 61) disapproving of a nuclear deal signed by Iran, the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia, and Germany. This vote, which sustained a Democratic filibuster against the resolution, effectively removed the last congressional obstacle to the international accord's taking effect.

A yes vote backed a resolution to kill the nuclear deal.

Voting yes: Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) and Pat Toomey (R., Pa.).

Voting no: Cory Booker (D., N.J.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Bob Casey (D., Pa.), and Chris Coons (D., Del.).

This week. The House will take up bills on Planned Parenthood and abortion, while the Senate will conduct a second cloture vote on the Iran nuclear deal.