Act as it lacked bipartisan support. Ashford later criticized Don Bacon after he voted for a partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Capital punishment In 1987, the Judiciary committee voted five to two, with one member absent, in favor of advancing legislation introduced by Ernie Chambers that would abolish the death penalty. Ashford voted in favor of advancing the legislation, but stated that he would not support it when it went to the floor vote. However, on April 27, the state legislature voted twenty-three to nineteen, with seven not voting, against the legislation with Ashford voting in favor. In 1992, he sponsored legislation created by Ernie Chambers to repeal the death penalty in Nebraska, but later withdrew his sponsorship. Civil rights Ashford supported same-sex marriage. Before Obergefell v. Hodges he attempted to reach a middle ground on Nebraska's same-sex marriage ban by allowing civil unions. He praised the Supreme Court of the United States for its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples had the right to marry. Congressional salaries In 2014, Ashford and Dave Loebsack introduced the Congressional Halt in Pay Increases and Cut Congressional Pay Act would decrease congressional salaries by ten percent and prohibit automatic salary increases. He, Gwen Graham, Scott Peters, and Ami Bera sponsored legislation that would withhold congressional salaries if the Department of Homeland Security shut down due to a lack of funding. Crime In 1987, Ashford and Carol McBride Pirsch co-sponsored legislation that would force shoplifters to pay up to $150 to their victims. On April 15, Ernie Chambers attempted to kill the bill, but the legislature voted twenty-two to twelve against killing the bill. On April 29, the legislature voted unanimously with twenty-six in favor of the bill as Chambers was absent. On May 20, the legislature voted thirty-one to thirteen in favor of the legislation during the second round vote. Chambers made another motion to kill the bill, but the legislature voted twenty-eight to sixteen against his motion. Development Ashford introduced legislation, with Senator Deb Fischer's sponsorship, to allow a public-private partnership to build a veterans medical facility in Omaha, Nebraska, with $56 million provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and $80 million provided by private donors. The legislation was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 17, 2016. In 1989, he sponsored legislation to transition ownership of Joslyn Castle from the Omaha Public School District