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How they voted: NC congressional votes for the week ending Sept. 18

A look at how North Carolina members of Congress voted during the previous week.

Posted 2025-09-20T02:07:19+00:00 - Updated 2025-09-20T12:00:00+00:00

Targeted News Service

Here's how North Carolina members of Congress voted over the previous week.

Along with roll call votes, this week the House also passed these measures: the Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency (H.R. 3426), to limit the construction of new courthouses under certain circumstances; the Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act (H.R. 1107), to authorize certain heath care professionals employed by the Veterans Affairs Department to deliver, distribute, or dispense certain controlled medications to veterans via telemedicine; the Servicemember Residence Protection Act (H.R. 2334), to pre-empt state laws that establish squatter's rights for premises owned by a servicemember when the premises is occupied by a squatter during a period of military service by the servicemember; the Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act (H.R. 3854), to direct the Veterans Affairs Department to submit a plan to expand its use of certain automation tools.

House votes

TARIFFS AGAINST BRAZIL: The House has tabled a motion to discharge from the House Foreign Affairs Committee a resolution (H.J. Res. 117), sponsored by Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., that would have ended a national emergency declared by President Trump on July 30 that levied tariffs on goods exported from Brazil to the U.S., in connection with Brazil's alleged persecution of Jair Bolsonaro regarding Bolsonaro's contesting of the country's 2022 presidential election. The vote to table, on Sept. 15, was 200 yeas to 198 nays.

YEAS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th)

CARING FOR VETERANS IN U.S. TERRITORIES: The House has passed the Territorial Response and Access to Veterans' Essential Lifecare Act (H.R. 3400), sponsored by Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds, R-Northern Mariana Islands. The bill would designate physicians working for the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department as temporary traveling workers to care for VA patients in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories and possessions. King-Hinds said creating the special category of physicians "directly addresses the critical shortage of specialized medical care in remote and underserved areas" away from the U.S. mainland. The vote, on Sept. 15, was 371 yeas to 21 nays.

NAYS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), Knott R-NC (13th)
YEAS: Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)

MEMORIALIZING VETERANS: The House has passed the Honoring Our Heroes Act (H.R. 2721), sponsored by Rep. Timothy M. Kennedy, D-N.Y., to require the Veterans Affairs Department to adopt a pilot program for putting up burial markers at national cemeteries for military veterans who died between December 1941 and November 1990. Kennedy said: "The quality of a veteran's memorial should not be based on when they die but, rather, every memorial must provide dignity, respect, and lasting recognition for all who wear the uniform." The vote, on Sept. 16, was unanimous with 413 yeas.

YEAS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)

CRIMINAL LAW IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: The House has passed the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act (H.R. 4922), sponsored by Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., to make several changes to criminal sentencing law in Washington, D.C., including not allowing those 18 years or older to be tried as youth offenders. Donalds said: "It is time for Congress to step up, adhere to our constitutional duty, and firmly address crime in the nation's capital." An opponent, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., said "there is never justification for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters." The vote, on Sept. 16, was 240 yeas to 179 nays.

YEAS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th)
NOT VOTING: McDowell R-NC (6th)

JUVENILE CRIME IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 5140), sponsored by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, to lower to 14 the age at which juveniles charged with violent felonies can be tried as an adult in Washington, D.C., courts. Gill said it "restores order and common sense to the laws of our nation's capital. The American people and every visitor in D.C., as well, deserve nothing less." A bill opponent, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said juveniles should not be prosecuted on the same level as adults, and that "youth charged as adults are more likely to reoffend than youth that go through the juvenile courts." The vote, on Sept. 16, was 225 yeas to 203 nays.

YEAS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th)

JUDGES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: The House has passed the District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act (H.R. 5125), sponsored by Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, to end the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, which has recommended candidates for two D.C. court systems for nomination by the president. Sessions said giving the president more control and authority over judicial nominees in the District would "go back to a process that works." A bill opponent, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said it "does nothing to improve the judicial system. It strips away one of the few tools D.C. residents have to shape their courts, and it erodes judicial independence." The vote, on Sept. 17, was 218 yeas to 211 nays.

YEAS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th)

POLICING WASHINGTON, D.C.: The House has passed the District of Columbia Policing Protection Act (H.R. 5143), sponsored by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., to end restrictions, enacted in 2022, on the authority for District police officers to conduct vehicular pursuits of fleeing criminal suspects. Higgins said: "My bill stands on the side of the citizenry of D.C. in an effort to enforce the law by fully empowering the police officers of D.C. to engage criminal conduct and enforce the law." An opponent, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said "these decisions are best left to our communities to write the laws of when these police chases should actually go into effect." The vote, on Sept. 17, was 245 yeas to 182 nays.

YEAS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th)

CENSURING REPRESENTATIVE: The House has tabled a resolution (H. Res. 713), sponsored by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., that would have censured Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for disparaging Charlie Kirk in the wake of Kirk's death and removed Omar from two House committees. The vote to table, on Sept. 17, was 214 yeas to 213 nays.

NAYS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)
YEAS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th)

CROSS-BORDER ENERGY PROJECTS: The House has passed the Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act (H.R. 3062), sponsored by Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., to establish procedures, including a deadline, for reviewing permitting applications to develop international energy infrastructure between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Fedorchak said: "By creating a consistent statutory framework that protects all existing requirements and environmental reviews, we can provide the regulatory certainty energy developers need to invest, hire, and build." A bill opponent, Rep. Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Va., said the State Department should be involved in the project review process, and McClellan predicted that the bill "could also drive up costs for consumers at a time when many Americans are already facing rising costs." The vote, on Sept. 18, was 224 yeas to 203 nays.

YEAS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th)

COAL INDUSTRY COUNCIL: The House has passed the National Coal Council Reestablishment Act (H.R 3015), sponsored by Rep. Michael A. Rulli, R-Ohio, to re-establish the Council, which had expired in 2021, and permanently authorize its existence as a non-governmental advisory committee to the Energy Department. Rulli said bringing the Council back would help "make sure that national security, which is our grid, because if our grid melts down, there is no security." A bill opponent, Rep. Doris O. Matsui, D-Calif., called coal "the dirtiest form of energy and also one of the most expensive," and Matsui said the U.S. should pursue "cheaper, cleaner options" for supplying power to the electrical grid. The vote, on Sept. 18, was 217 yeas to 209 nays.

YEAS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th)

GRID INTERCONNECTION REQUESTS: The House has passed the Guaranteeing Reliability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable Power Act (H.R. 1047), sponsored by Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Ohio, to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to make a rule governing the process for approving requests to place dispatchable power resources onto the electrical grid. Balderson cited estimates that power generation projects must wait years to connect to the grid, and said fixing that problem is necessary "if we want to keep American businesses running and ensure uninterrupted power for our constituents." A bill opponent, Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., said it "will give polluting gas plants an unfair and costly shortcut to the electric grid while doing nothing to protect working families from rising energy costs." The vote, on Sept. 18, was 216 yeas to 206 nays.

YEAS: Harrigan R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Harris (NC) R-NC (8th), McDowell R-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Knott R-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Moore (NC) R-NC (14th)
NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Foushee D-NC (4th)

Senate votes

REVIEWING NOMINEES SLATE: The Senate has passed a resolution (S. Res. 377), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., for the en bloc consideration of a set of 48 different nominees for executive branch positions, including several ambassadorships and an array of senior roles in the military and other federal agencies. Thune said en bloc consideration was necessary because Democratic senators had, unprecedentedly, refused to confirm any of the president's nominees by unanimous consent or voice vote, and the resulting need to invoke cloture and have recorded votes on each nominee "ties up the Senate floor, preventing us from considering important legislation." The vote, on Sept. 15, was 51 yeas to 44 nays.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Stephen Miran to be a member of the board of the Federal Reserve banking system for a term ending in early 2026. In March, Miran became chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers. He was a policy advisor at the Treasury Department during the first Trump administration, then a strategist at a private investment firm and fellow at the Manhattan Institute. An opponent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said confirming Miran would allow President Trump "to succeed in this next phase of his very public, very obvious, months-long campaign to stack the Fed with loyalists who will prioritize Trump's personal whims over America's long-term economic health." The vote, on Sept. 15, was 48 yeas to 47 nays.

YEAS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

INDIANA POWER PLANT EMISSIONS: The Senate has rejected a motion to consider a resolution (S.J. Res. 60), sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., that would have nullified and voided an Environmental Protection Agency rule issued in May that increased allowed levels of nitrogen oxide emissions from Indiana power plants during the summer months. Whitehouse said the rule, by clearing the way for coal-fired power plants to remain in operation, would endanger public health by increasing levels of smog, which "causes lung disease, it causes cardiovascular problems, and it even causes reproductive issues." A resolution opponent, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., called the rule "merely a housekeeping correction that lines up the state limit with active generation so unrealistic, retroactive costs aren't forced on power plants and ultimately the ratepayer." The vote, on Sept. 16, was 47 yeas to 51 nays.

NAYS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC

CONFIRMING NOMINEES SLATE: The Senate has passed a resolution (S. Res. 377), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to confirm 48 different nominees for executive branch positions. The nominees included ambassadorships to Greece, Argentina, Switzerland, and Sweden; and an array of senior roles in the military, the Energy Department, Amtrak, and various other federal agencies. Thune said en bloc confirmation of the nominees "isn't just about ensuring that a president can get his team in place; it is also about making sure that the Senate is able to spend sufficient time on legislative work." The vote, on Sept. 18, was 51 yeas to 47 nays.