2018: Schweikert Voted Against A February 2018 Two-Year Budget Deal Which, Among Other Things, Increased Spending By $300 Billion, Suspended The Debt Ceiling And Provided Nearly $90 Billion In Disaster Relief For The 2017 Hurricanes And Wildfires. In February 2018, Schweikert voted against a two-year budget deal that re-opened the government after a brief shutdown. According to the New York Times, "With Mr. Trump's signature, the government will reopen before many Americans were aware it had closed, with a deal that includes about $300 billion in additional funds over two years for military and nonmilitary programs, almost $90 billion in disaster relief in response to last year's hurricanes and wildfires, and a higher statutory debt ceiling." In addition, according to Congressional Quarterly, the legislation "would provide funding for federal government operations and services at current levels through March 23, 2018 [...] [and] retroactively extends numerous tax breaks that expired at the end of 2016. It also extends the CHIP program for another four years (through FY 2027) and funds community health centers for another two years." The vote was on a motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the bill. The House agreed to the motion, essentially on passage, by a vote of 240 to 186. The bill was then sent to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 69, 2/9/18; New York Times, 2/8/18; Congressional Quarterly, 2/9/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1892]
Legislation Provided $51.5 Billion In FEMA Funding, $23.5 To The Disaster Relief Fund And $28 Billion To Community Development Block Grants. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Of the total $89.3 billion provided, $51.5 billion goes to two major federal response and recovery program accounts: the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund ($23.5 billion), which is the government's primary source for immediate disaster relief, for continued response and recovery activities; and the Housing and Urban Development Department's Community Development Block Grant Program ($28 billion) to help communities rebuild homes and infrastructure and prepare for future disasters." [Congressional Quarterly, 2/8/18]
Legislation Also Provided Nearly $5 Billion In Additional Medicaid Funding For Puerto Rico And The U.S. Virgin Islands. According to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill that would provide [...] $4.9 billion in additional Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands." [Congressional Quarterly, 2/9/18]
2017: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against Emergency Hurricane And Wildfire Appropriations, Which Included $36.5 Billion In Emergency Spending. In October 2017, Schweikert effectively voted against legislation that would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "make available $36.5 billion in emergency supplemental funding for fiscal 2018 to partially cover the costs of responding to multiple natural disasters, including hurricanes and wildfires. The measure would include $18.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund - $4.9 billion of which would be used for disaster relief loans to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It would also cancel $16 billion of the Treasury debt incurred by FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program, would release $1.2 billion in contingency reserves from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for use in Puerto Rico would provide $577 million in funding to fight wildfires." The vote was on a motion to suspend the rules and agree to a resolution that would have effectively concurred in the Senate amendment to H.R. 2266 with a House amendment. The House agreed to the motion, thereby effectively passing the legislation, by a vote of 353 to 69. The Senate later passed the legislation and the president later signed it into law. [House Vote 566, 10/12/17; Congressional Quarterly, 10/12/17; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2266; Congressional Actions, H. Res. 569]
2018: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against Requiring The Army Secretary Restore And Improve Public Infrastructure Damaged By Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Or Maria. In June 2018, Schweikert effectively voted against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require[d] the secretary of the Army to restore and improve the public infrastructure in the continental United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands that was damaged as a result of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma or Hurricane Maria." The underlying legislation was a water bill. The vote was on a motion to recommit. The House rejected the motion, thereby defeating the amendment, by a vote of 180 to 227. [House Vote 237, 6/6/18; Congressional Quarterly, 6/6/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 8]
2017: Schweikert Voted Against Trump's Emergency Harvey Relief, Debt Ceiling And CR Deal With The Democrats Which Provided $15.25 Billion In Emergency Hurricane Relief. In September 2017, Schweikert voted against legislation that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "ma[d]e available $15.25 billion in emergency supplemental funding for fiscal 2017 to partially cover the costs of responding to multiple natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey. The amendment would [have] suspend[ed] the public debt limit from the bill's date of enactment until Dec. 8, 2017, and would [have] provide[d] for government operations to be funded at fiscal 2017 levels until Dec. 8." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 316 to 90. The Senate earlier had agreed to the legislation and President Trump then signed the legislation into the law. [House Vote 480, 9/8/17; Congressional Quarterly, 9/7/17; Congressional Actions, H.R. 601]
2017: Schweikert Voted Against $81 Billion In Supplemental Aid For The 2017 Hurricanes And The California Wildfires. In December 2017, Schweikert voted against supplemental funding for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and wildfires from 2017. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Passage of the bill that would make further supplemental appropriations for fiscal 2018 for disaster assistance for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and wildfires that occurred in calendar year 2017. The bill would authorizes $81 billion in aid for ongoing response and recovery from 2017 hurricanes and wildfires, and would authorize Puerto Rico to use surplus toll credits to cover the local share of federal highway emergency relief. The bill would remove a cap on federal highway assistance to U.S. territories for fiscal 2018 and 2019." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 251 to 169. The Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 709, 12/21/17; Congressional Quarterly, 12/21/17; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4667]