Jason BeetsJohn Oliver discussed the Republican obsession with transgender athletes during a great segment on his program LastWeekTonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flSS1tjoxf0
48/x
During an interview with the Texas Tribune in Nov. 2024, Gonzalez said his ability to understand the social conservatism of his district, and knowing when to break from the Democratic party, helped him keep his seat in Congress.
49/x
"I told the entire caucus, don’t ever try to whip me again, because I know my district better than anybody in this room,” Gonzalez said.
"Having me 97% of the time is better than having my opponent 100% of the time. We need to give that leeway, especially to frontline members. Nobody knows our districts better than us.”
50/x
I dislike that Gonzalez has voted against trans rights in Congress.
Now that we’ve discussed the troubling parts of Gonzalez’s record, let’s examine the times he has voted the right way on important issues, including the times he’s voted in favor of LGBT rights, which we will explore next.
51/x
You can read this ongoing thread as an article on my blog, Meticulous Musings.
https://jasonbeets.blogspot.com/2026/02/vicente-gonzalez.html
52/x
Section: Votes in favor of LGBT Rights
53/x
Gonzalez voted in favor of the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5
54/x
#LGBT #Gay #Trans #Bisexual #Lesbian #Nonbinary #Politics #US #USPol
221 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and three Republicans, voted in favor of the bill.
206 Republicans voted against the legislation.
2 Republicans did not vote on the bill.
https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202139
55/x
The House passed the bill, 224 to 206, on February 25, 2021.
The bill did not receive a vote in the Senate.
56/x
This table shows how Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, and Jared Golden voted on key issues in 2021 and 2022.
During this time, Democrats held majorities in the US House and US Senate under President Joe Biden.
57/x
Gonzalez also voted in favor of a bill that protects same-sex marriage.
58/x
Congress passed, and President Biden signed, the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022.
Currently, the right to same sex marriage is protected nationwide under the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.
https://www.oyez.org/cases/2014/14-556
59/x
#GayMarriage #Marriage #Rights #LGBT #Queer #US #USA #Politics #GayRights #Lesbian #Bisexual
Liberals feared the US Supreme Court might overturn its decisions protecting gay marriage after the court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The Respect for Marriage Act was passed due to these concerns.
60/x
The Respect for Marriage Act requires states to recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other states, and requires the federal government to recognize the legitimacy of same-sex marriages conducted by states that allow them.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8404
61/x
219 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and 39 Republicans, showed their support for same-sex marriage, by voting for the Respect for Marriage Act.
169 Republicans voted against the bill.
Four Republicans did not vote on the legislation, and one Republican voted Present.
https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022513
62/x
The House passed the bill, 258 to 169, on Dec. 8, 2022.
After both the House and Senate approved the bill, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law.
63/x
Gonzalez also voted in favor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have overturned state abortion bans by establishing a right to abortion under federal law.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8296
65/x
219 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted in favor of the legislation.
209 Republicans, and one Democrat, Henry Cuellar, voted against the bill.
Two Republicans did not vote on the legislation.
66/x
The bill did not receive a vote in the Senate.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8296/all-actions
68/x
I read the text of an earlier version of the Women’s Health Protection Act on Primary Sources, a video series where I discussed the laws, legislation, and Supreme Court decisions behind important public policy stories.
https://jasonbeets.blogspot.com/2021/09/womens-health-protection-act.html
69/x
The series featured four videos on abortion rights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q874c5-HHmw&list=PLA9Lr48dFA2gDpEIWuREqux4dnDonzrBZ
70/x
Whole Woman's Health v. Jackson
The series also included a video on the eviction moratorium during the COVID pandemic.
https://jasonbeets.blogspot.com/2021/10/supreme-court-overturns-federal.html
71/x
Gonzalez voted in favor of the Right to Contraception Act, a bill that would protect access to contraception.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8373
72/x
220 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and eight Republicans, voted in favor of the bill.
195 Republicans voted against the legislation.
Six Republicans did not vote on the bill, and two Republicans voted Present.
73/x
The legislation did not receive a vote in the Senate.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8373/all-actions
75/x
To recap, in July 2022, Gonzalez voted in favor of reproductive rights by voting in favor of abortion rights and access to contraception.
76/x
This ongoing thread, about Texas Democrat Vicente Gonzalez, can be read as an article on my blog, Meticulous Musings.
https://jasonbeets.blogspot.com/2026/02/vicente-gonzalez.html
77/x
#Texas #Politics #Primary #Elections #Abortion #Contraception #LGBT
Section: Votes to Impeach Trump
78/x
Gonzalez voted to impeach President Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection to attack Congress to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-resolution/24
79/x
222 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and 10 Republicans, voted to impeach Trump.
197 Republicans voted against impeaching Trump.
Four Republicans did not vote on the resolution.
80/x
Roll Call 17 Roll Call 17, Bill Number: H. Res. 24, 117th Congress, 1st Session
VOTE QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Resolution, DESCRIPTION: Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors, VOTE TYPE: Yea-And-Nay, STATUS: Passed
57 Senators voted to convict Trump on Feb. 13, 2021, after his Senate Trial, and 43 Senators voted against.
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1171/vote_117_1_00059.htm
82/x
The Senate did not reach the 67 votes necessary, to achieve the 2/3 majority required, to convict Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection.
83/x
Gonzalez voted in favor of impeaching President Trump, for both Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress, on Dec. 18, 2019, during Trump’s first impeachment, for withholding military aid to Ukraine to pressure the country to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden, which would benefit Trump in the 2020 presidential campaign.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/755/text
84/x
The Senate did not convict Trump, after his first impeachment trial, for either Abuse of Power or Obstruction of Congress.
85/x
This table shows how Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, and Jared Golden voted on each Article of Impeachment during Trump’s First Impeachment in 2019.
86/x
Section: Votes for Biden's Economic Agenda
87/x
Gonzalez voted for the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
These laws were key elements of President Joe Biden’s Economic Agenda.
Each of these laws were passed by Congress and signed by President Biden.
88/x
Gonzalez voted for the American Rescue Plan.
The law extended unemployment benefits, provided emergency rental assistance, expanded food stamp benefits, expanded the child tax credit, and provided funding to cities and states to replace tax revenue lost due to the pandemic, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
89/x
The law also provided $1,400 checks to Americans making $75,000 or less per year.
90/x
Economic Impact Payments
Starting in March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) provided Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,200 per adult for eligible individuals and $500 per qualifying child under age 17. The payments were reduced for individuals with adjusted gross income (AGI) greater than $75,000 ($150,000 for married couples filing a joint return). For a family of four, these Economic Impact Payments provided up to $3,400 of direct financial relief.The COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted in late December 2020, authorized additional payments of up to $600 per adult for eligible individuals and up to $600 for each qualifying child under age 17. The AGI thresholds at which the payments began to be reduced were identical to those under the CARES Act.The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (American Rescue Plan), enacted in early March 2021, provided Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,400 for eligible individuals or $2,800 for married couples filing jointly, plus $1,400 for each qualifying dependent, including adult dependents.For this third round of Economic Impact Payments, the American Rescue Plan requires an additional “plus-up” payment, which is based on information (such as a recently filed 2020 tax return) that the IRS receives after making the initial payment to the eligible individual.In addition, the American Rescue Plan increases direct financial relief to American families by providing $1,400 payments for all qualifying dependents of a family, rather than just qualifying children under age 17. Normally, a taxpayer will qualify for the full amount of Economic Impact Payment if they have AGI of up to $75,000 for singles and married persons filing a separate return, up to $112,500 for heads of household, and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns and surviving spouses. Payment amounts are reduced for eligible individuals with AGI above those levels.The Treasury Department and the IRS continue to expand outreach to millions of homeless, rural poor, and other disadvantaged Americans to ensure that they receive Economic Impact Payments. This includes new and continued relationships with homeless shelters, legal aid clinics, and providing Economic Impact Payment information in more than 35 languages. Check the Status of Your Economic Impact PaymentTo check the status of your Economic Impact Payment, please visit the IRS Get my Payment pageTo check if you qualify for the Economic Impact Payment this round, Were you eligible to receive an Economic Impact Payment in 2020, but never received it? You can find information about claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit with your tax return to get the relief payments you’re owed. Get more info on the Recovery Rebate Credit.Find updates from the IRS on Economic Impact Payments here.Find Economic Impact Payment updates for Social Security, SSDI, Railroad Retirement, and Veterans’ Affairs beneficiaries here.Read more on Avoiding Economic Impact Payment Scams.
220 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted in favor of the legislation.
210 Republicans, and one Democrat, Jared Golden (Maine-2), voted against the bill.
One Republican, Thomas Tiffany (WI-7), did not vote on the legislation.
91/x
The House approved the bill, 220 to 211, on March 10, 2021.
https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202172
92/x
Gonzalez voted in favor of the Invest in America Act, which is also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Invest in America Act provided funding for roads, bridges, public transit, broadband internet, and other infrastructure projects.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684
93/x
215 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and 13 Republicans, voted in favor of the legislation.
200 Republicans, and six Democrats, voted against the bill.
94/x
The House approved the legislation, 228 to 206, on Nov. 5, 2021.
https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2021369
95/x
Gonzalez voted in favor of the Inflation Reduction Act, which allows Medicare to negotiate prices for some drugs and authorizes tax credits for renewable energy.
96/x
PBS wrote a great article about the green energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/what-the-inflation-reduction-act-does-for-green-energy
97/x
220 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted in favor of the bill.
207 Republicans voted against the legislation.
Four Republicans did not vote on the bill.
https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022420
98/x
Roll Call 420 Roll Call 420, Bill Number: H. R. 5376, 117th Congress, 2nd Session
VOTE QUESTION: On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment, DESCRIPTION: To provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14, VOTE TYPE: Yea-And-Nay, STATUS: Passed
The House approved the legislation, 220 to 207, on Aug. 12, 2022.
99/x
This mega thread is now 100 posts long.
100/x
You can read this ongoing thread, about major votes in the US House from 2021 to 2025, as an article on my blog, Meticulous Musings.
https://jasonbeets.blogspot.com/2026/02/vicente-gonzalez.html
101/x
#Policy #Congress #Law #Legislation #Climate #Health #Infrastructure #Economics #Policy
Section: Supported Student Loan Debt Relief
102/x
In August 2022, the Biden administration announced a student loan debt relief plan to provide up to $20,000 of student loan debt relief for qualifying borrowers.
https://www.npr.org/2022/08/24/1118879917/student-loan-forgiveness-biden
103/x
Republicans in Congress attempted to block the student loan debt relief plan.
104/x
Gonzalez voted against the Republican bill.
By voting against blocking student loan debt relief, Gonzalez essentially voted in favor of allowing Student Loan Debt Relief, which means he voted the right way.
105/x
216 Republicans and two Democrats, Jared Golden (Maine-2) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3), voted to block student loan debt relief.
203 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted against blocking student loan debt relief.
Eight Democrats and six Republicans did not vote on the bill.
106/x
The House passed the bill, 218 to 203, on May 24, 2023.
107/x
The Senate approved the bill, which was subsequently vetoed by President Biden.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/01/senate-repeals-bidens-student-debt-relief-00099682
108/x