Incumbent candidates for public office have voting records; challengers usually do not. However, in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, voters have two candidates with voting records: Republican Herrell, who served from 3 January 2021 through 3 January 2023; and Democrat Vasquez, who has served since 3 January 2023. Ballotpedia reports Herrell’s voting record; it also reports Vasquez’s voting record. Given the adversarial partisan voting pattern during President Biden’s first three years in office, it is reasonable to assume that, with some exceptions, what Herrell opposed Vasquez would have supported.
People often either do not know or often forget their representative’s votes even on important issues. As the 2024 election approaches, Republican candidates have been telling—that is, lying to—their constituents that they supported popular legislation which they actually opposed. So, to inform or remind them, I provide Herrell’s voting record during her one term in office. Her record reflects votes on major bills which Ballotpedia selected as indicative of an officeholder’s positions. For a brief description of the bills, use the link at the bottom of the table.
A few words on Herrell’s record. First, an assessment. Aside from two votes for defense authorization, Herrell has voted against major bills meant to help people (e.g., women’s and LGBTQ+ rights), protect consumers, assist the economy, or improve election procedures. Second, a caution. Her record reflects her membership in the Freedom Caucus, the radical Republican group which has obstructed even Republican-friendly bills and risked government shut-downs. Those who vote for her do so at their risk and everyone else’s risk. Third, predictions. Given her record and membership in the Freedom Caucus, she is likely to run from or lie about her record. Give both, she is not likely to claim that she will work on a bipartisan basis; if she does, the claim will be dead on utterance. Fourth, a question: aside from national defense, what is Herrell for?
YVETTE HERRELL’S CONGRESSIONAL VOTING RECORD
VOTE BILL PASSED
Nay Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 228-206
Nay American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 220-210
Nay Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 220-207
Nay Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act 220-204
Nay For the People Act of 2021 220-210
Nay Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 217-213
Yea National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 363-70
Yea James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2023 350-80
Nay American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 228-197
Nay Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise
to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 342-88
Nay Chips and Science Act 243-187
Nay Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021 218-211
Nay SAFE Banking Act of 2021 321-101
Nay Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 260-171
Nay Equality Act 224-206
Nay Respect for Marriage Act 258-169
Nay Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 2023 230-201
Nay Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act 217-207
Nay Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 227-203
Nay Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act 220-203
Nay Bipartisan Safer Communities Act 234-193
Nay Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United
States, for high crimes and misdemeanors 232-197
Nay Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition
Improvement Act of 2022 225-201
Source: Ballotpedia (https://ballotpedia.org/Yvette_Herrell)
Herrell addresses a number of her views on major subjects, including abortion and gun control, in an audio/visual tape, “Yvette Herrell in 2020 virtual candidate forum hosted by the Republican Party of Valencia County.” Her remarks on abortion run for over three minutes, from 21:20 to 23:26; on gun control, from 36:17 to 38:34.
For what it is worth—and it is worth very little—I provide Vasquez’s voting record. He has little to run on or from. Few votes were on matters of significant legislation—for which only a do-nothing-constructive Republican Party is responsible. Several bills or resolutions, some with attractive names—“Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023,” “Lower Energy Costs Act,” “Relating to a national emergency…,” and “Providing for congressional disapproval…”—Vasquez rightly opposed because they were not good ones. The one vote which sticks out is his “yea” vote on resolution opposing socialism. Plainly, this vote, vigorously opposing socialism (no politician of either party has the faintest idea what it is), is virtually a necessity. Out of Ballotpedia’s sight, he probably does pork-barrel politicking for his conservative constituents.
GABE VASQUEZ’S CONGRESSIONAL VOTING RECORD
VOTE BILL PASSED
Yea National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 310-118
Nay To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for
proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers,
and for other purposes 227-201
Nay Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 217-215
Yea Denouncing the horrors of socialism 328-86
Nay Lower Energy Costs Act 225-204
Nay Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of
title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the
Department of Labor relating to “Prudence and Loyalty in
Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder
Rights” 219-200
Nay Relating to a national emergency declared by the President
on March 13, 2020 229-197
Yea Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 314-117
Rep.
Hakeem
Jeffries
(D-N.Y.) Speaker of the House election (January 2023) - 15th vote
Rep. Kevin McCarthy 216-212
Yea Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of
Representatives to be vacant 216-210
Rep.
Hakeem
Jeffries
(D-N.Y.) Speaker of the House election (October 2023) - 4th vote
Rep. Mike Johnson 220-209
Nay Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing
investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives
inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House
of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to
impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of
America, and for other purposes 221-212
Yea Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos
from the United States House of Representatives 311-114
Source: Ballotpedia (https://ballotpedia.org/Gabriel_Vasquez)
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