August 11th
1000 MORE's weekly nonpartisan roundup of the most important happenings in federal government, written in a way that doesn't require a law degree to understand, with tools to take action
August 11, 2023
Congress is still on recess, so this week we are giving you a deep dive into bills on the Hill that could have a huge impact for women:
Abortion Rights Fight Continues
Moves on Black Maternal Health
Spectrum of Bills on Gender
Union Women
Improving Gun Safety
Abortion Rights Fight Continues
Voters in Ohio showed a preference for abortion rights in a special election this week. Anti-abortion advocates in the state have said that their fight goes on in spite of the loss. Ohio abortion rights advocate Jordan Close framed the win like this:
Congress has stalled on moving any bills that expand or reduce abortion rights. Here’s a status check on top bills’ movement:
Born Alive Survivors Protection Act: the House passed this bill in February. Should it become law, the bill would legalize the prosecution of abortion care providers, making them subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. The pro-choice, Democrat-run Senate is unlikely to take up the bill from here.
Women’s Health Protection Act: if it became law, this bill would end certain state-based abortion restrictions, essentially codifying Roe v. Wade into law. The House passed this bill in the last term of Congress, and it stalled in the Senate where it would need 60 votes to become law. Congress is unlikely to schedule a vote on the bill this term without significant pressure from the public.
You can use the links above to read about the bills and take action.
Moves on Black Maternal Health
Black women are three times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than white women. Nature magazine’s Racism in Health podcast has a new episode that explores why. While advocates have been working on this issue for decades, the rise of social media has allowed them to share stories and data to further raise awareness. In some cases, their advocacy is leading to results. The federal government recently announced an investigation into Cedars-Sinai hospital’s treatment of Black mothers in Los Angeles.
Congress has been working to raise awareness and public support for two bills that offer solutions to this growing crisis:
Data to Save Moms Act: This bill would mandate a study on the problem of racial disparities in maternal health outcomes and direct funding to correct the issue. It would also set up the first Tribal maternal mortality review committee.
Black Maternal Health Momnibus Bill: This bill combines 13 individual bills into one to improve maternal health outcomes for Black women.
You can use the links above to read about the bills and take action.
Spectrum of Bills on Gender
Congress has many bills in play that would impact how people are treated because of their gender:
Equal Rights Amendment: this bill would extend the deadline to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in order to add it to the Constitution and mandate gender equality. In spite of bipartisan efforts from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, (R-AK) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, (D-MA), Congress has not yet voted on it in this term.
Equality Act: this bill would codify federal anti-discrimination protections on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Equality Act passed the House in the last Congress, but it died in the Senate. Congress hasn’t voted on it yet in this term.
Protection of Women and Girls in Sports: this bill would ban trans women and girls from competing in sports. While the House passed the bill in April, the LGBTQ+ rights friendly, Democrat-run Senate chamber has not voted on it, and President Biden has promised to veto the bill should it pass the Senate.
Parents Bill of Rights: the bill would, among other items, require schools to notify all parents if a school employee changes any students' name, pronouns or sex-based accommodations, including bathrooms and locker rooms. While the House passed it in March, Majority Leader Schumer said it would not get a vote in the Senate. The Biden administration has come out against it.
You can use the links above to read about the bills and take action. Congress will only vote on this legislation with pressure from the public.
Union Women
Headlines and viral content from the Hollywood strike impacting 160,000 actors and 20,000 writers, 45% of whom are women, keep coming this summer. Yet these numbers only reflect a small fraction of women in labor unions. According to Labor Department data, more than 6.5M American women are labor union members, making up 46% of all union members nationwide.
Bills like the PRO Act are crucial to making sure union members are protected. This bill would expand workers rights to organize, form unions, and collectively bargain at work. While President Biden asked Congress to pass it in his State of the Union address earlier in the year, Congress has not yet voted on it.
Improving Gun Safety
This week, rapper Tory Lanez received a 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, who is now a gun violence survivor. Her story is not unique. According to the National Library of Medicine, homicide is the leading cause of death for Black women aged 14-45.
This week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration can continue to regulate ghost guns. However, until Congress passes a law on ghost gun regulations, the administration’s actions remain policy, which means that the next administration could stop or reverse them.
Here are the top bills Congress has introduced to reduce gun violence:
The Assault Weapons Ban to largely ban the types of guns used in mass shootings.
The Federal Firearm Licensee Act to close loopholes in federal legislation in order to stop illegal firearms sales.
The Mental Health Access and Gun Violence Prevention Act to provide funding for mental healthcare and set-up a nationwide mental health background check system.
The Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act to set up a new federal agency to coordinate funding and policy for gun violence prevention nationwide.
Congress has yet to vote on any of these bills in this term. Public pressure is what could change that.
You can use the links above to read about the bills and take action.
What Congress Passed This Week
Nothing. They are still on recess.
What POTUS Signed Into Law This Week
United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade First Agreement Implementation Act
