This week's congressional votes

WASHINGTON — Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.

There were no key votes in the House this week.

SENATE VOTES:

Senate Vote 1:

GOVERNING AMTRAK: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Christopher Koos to be a member of Amtrak's board of directors for a 5-year term. Koos has been the mayor of Normal, Illinois, since 2003, and is the current vice chair for passenger rail at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The vote, on Jan. 23, was 91 yeas to 7 nays.

YEAS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA

Senate Vote 2:

SECOND AMTRAK BOARD MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Anthony Coscia to be a member of Amtrak's board of directors for a 5-year term. Coscia has been the chairman of Amtrak's board since 2013; previously, he was a long-standing executive on economic development and port authority agencies in New York City and New Jersey. The vote, on Jan. 23, was 79 yeas to 18 nays.

YEAS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA

Senate Vote 3:

THIRD AMTRAK BOARD MEMBER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joel Matthew Szabat to be a member of Amtrak's board of directors for a 5-year term. Szabat had spent nearly four decades in the Army, Transportation Department, and other federal agencies, including time as Transportation's representative on Amtrak's board. The vote, on Jan. 23, was 96 yeas to 1 nay.

YEAS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA

Senate Vote 4:

SOUTH CAROLINA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Jacquelyn D. Austin to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for South Carolina. Austin, after being a private practice lawyer in the state for more than a decade, became a magistrate judge on the district court in 2011. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Austin's "dedication to service, knowledge of the District of South Carolina, and judicial experience make her an outstanding nominee." The vote, on Jan. 24, was 80 yeas to 17 nays.

YEAS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA

Senate Vote 5:

INDIANA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Cristal C. Brisco to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Northern Indiana. Brisco has variously been a private practice lawyer, an attorney for South Bend, and magistrate judge at the county level in Indiana over the past 17 years. The vote, on Jan. 24, was 67 yeas to 32 nays.

NAYS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA

Senate Vote 6:

SECOND INDIANA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Gretchen S. Lund to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Northern Indiana. Lund, currently a judge in Elkhart County, was previously a county prosecutor and the city judge for Goshen. The vote, on Jan. 25, was 87 yeas to 6 nays.

YEAS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA