By Miriam Raftery

November 17, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – Historically, the party that holds the presidency loses substantial seats in Congress during midterm elections – often dozens in the House alone. But the red wave forecast by political pundits failed to appear.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left by Miriam Raftery: bridge construction in Montana

November 5, 2021 (Washington D.C.) – The House of Representatives tonight approved the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by a 228-206 vote. The landmark bill previously approved by the Senate 69-30 now heads to President Joe Biden, who has pledged to sign it into law.

The bill marks the most significant investment in the nation’s infrastructure (including roads, bridges, railways, power grid and internet upgrades, disaster responses, and replacing lead water pipes), since Roosevelt’s New Deal after the Depression in the 1930s.  It will fund major infrastructure projects – also putting people to work – in all 50 states.

Specifically, it includes:

"The House GOP is spending this holiday season trying to block $2,000 survival payments for families struggling to keep food on the table."

By Jake Johnson, staff writer

Originally published by Common Dreams under a Creative Commons license 

December 24, 2020 (Washington, D.C.) - On the morning of Christmas Eve, the House Republican leadership blocked Democratic legislation that would provide $2,000 relief checks to Americans struggling to stay afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis, obstructing direct payments long supported by progressives and endorsed earlier this week by President Donald Trump.

Hunter and Issa cast deciding votes

By Liz Alper

May 5, 2017 (Washington D.C.) - On Monday, ECM reported that a bill that could repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was heading to a rushed vote in the House on Thursday.  That bill, the American Healthcare Act, passed yesterday narrowly.

The bill passed by a four-vote margin with San Diego Republicans Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa both voting in favor. Had they voted against, the vote would have been tied and the measure would not have passed.

233-189 vote in favor of V.A. appropriations amendment indicates large increase in support from previous year

East County News Service

May 20, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- The U.S. House voted this morning in favor of a measure that would allow Veterans Administration doctors to recommend medical marijuana for their patients in states where medical marijuana is legal, currently 24 states including California. The measure, an amendment to the Department of Veterans Affairs appropriations bill proposed by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), passed by a 44-vote margin, including 57 Republicans voting in favor. The final vote was 233-189. A similar amendment proposed in the House last year failed narrowly, 213-210.

East County News Service

May 26, 2015 (San Diego) – The House of Representatives will soon be voting on a controversial proposal to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, after the Senate approved the fast-tracking.  On Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., activist groups led by the Sierra Club and SD County Democrats for Environmental Action plan a rally at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, where they will call on Peters to oppose the fast-track deal.

East County News Service

March 28, 2015 (Washington D.C.) - The House of Representatives has passed broad changes to our nation’s Medicare system. The bill would raise premium costs for higher income earners and extend a health insurance program for children, also setting a new formula for paying doctors.

The bill passed by a 392 to 37 vote and now advances to the Senate.

By Nadin Abbott

November 7, 2012 (San Diego)—While Democrats failed to retake control of the United States House of Representatives, right now seats by party are at Republican 232, and Democratic at 191, with 12 seats still not decided. Among those not decided is San Diego’s own 52nd District contest between Scott Peters (D) and Congressman Brian Bilbray (R), where Peters now leads by a narrow margin.