[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2292]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

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                           HON. NIKI TSONGAS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 12, 2015

  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast a vote on Roll Call 
51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 on February 2, 2015 and February 3, 2015. I was 
in Massachusetts during the severe weather that struck New England and 
was unable to travel to Washington.
  Had I been present for these votes, I would have voted Yes on Roll 
Call 51 (H.R. 361), Roll Call 52 (H.R. 615); H.R. 623 (Roll Call 53) 
and Roll Call 56 (approving the Journal). I would have voted No on Roll 
Call 54 (previous question on H. Res. 70), and Roll Call 55 (H. Res. 
70).
  I would have voted in favor of H.R. 361 in order to enhance the 
medical preparedness of the Department of Homeland Security. I would 
have voted in favor of H.R. 615 in order to increase the ability of 
agencies within the Department of Homeland Security to communicate more 
effectively with each other. Finally, I would have voted in favor of 
H.R. 623 in order to determine possible ways to use social media to 
effectively prepare for and respond to natural disasters and terrorist 
attacks.
  I would have voted against Roll Call 54, a previous question. Had 
Roll Call 54 failed, Democrats would have been allowed to bring the 
American Manufacturing Jobs for Students Act to the floor. I would have 
voted against H. Res. 70, a resolution that allowed the majority to 
bring a bill to the floor that would repeal the Affordable Care Act. 
Should the repeal bill become law, funding for the Children's Health 
Insurance Program would be ended and 3 million young Americans would be 
kicked of their parents' health plans. Further, an estimated 10 million 
people would lose their insurance coverage.

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