MORE POWER for Dec. 16th

Written By DSEANTE PARKS

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

December 16, 2022

This week in MORE POWER:
Budget bill update
Crowdfund advocacy on Sami's Law
The RESPECT Act
The EQUAL Act
An update on Biden's judicial appointees
Follow us on TikTok
Bills on the Hill
FAQ of the week

HAPPENINGS ON THE HILL

Update on the Budget Bill

Up against a December 16th deadline, Congress avoided a government shutdown this week by passing a one-week continuing resolution (CR) that extends the deadline to finish their $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package to December 23rd.

At this point, there are three potential outcomes for the 2023 budget: 

  1. Congress passes the omnibus spending package, meaning both parties agree to pass a full government funding bill. Bipartisan House and Senate representatives announced this week that they have agreed to a framework for an omnibus bill and are hopeful they will be able to pass it before the new December 23rd deadline.

  2. Congress passes a year-long CR, which would continue this year’s budget through next year. It would not include any of the budget increases that either party would like to see.

  3. Congress does not pass any budget bill, and the government shuts down until they pass one. In a shutdown, federal employees and contractors would not be paid and agencies will have to stop spending on "nonessential services".

    Remember, a shutdown would jeopardize everything from on-time air travel, to Social Security and Medicare enrollment and support services, to EPA and FDA health and safety inspections, to SNAP benefits. Have views on the budget bill you want to share with your reps?

But are they verified?

Crowdfunding advocacy on Sami's Law

This week, the House debated H.R. 1082, Sami’s Law. This bill will help rideshare drivers and passengers identify each other in order to make rideshare apps more safe.

The bill is named in honor of Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student who was kidnapped and murdered in 2019 by a person pretending to be her Uber driver. It would require rideshare apps to create a better system for drivers and passengers to identify each other. Additionally, it prohibits the sale of fake or misleading rideshare logos to put on your car.

You can use 1000 MORE to crowdfund advocacy on legislation.

When you realize these bills are still on the books...

The RESPECT Act

This week, the House passed S. 789, the RESPECT Act. When it is signed into law by the president, it will repeal 11 outdated federal laws relating to indigenous people, including laws that stripped Native American children from their families for the purpose of placing them in “indian reform schools.”

The bill passed the Senate by a unanimous vote back in June and had bipartisan support this week in the House. 

The EQUAL Act

Bipartisan criminal justice reform advocates are renewing their calls for the Senate to pass the EQUAL Act before the new Congress starts next month. 

The EQUAL Act would eliminate the sentencing disparity between drug charges for crack cocaine and powder cocaine. The bill was drafted by House Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the newly elected leader of the House Democrats. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support but has not been called for a vote in the Senate.

If the EQUAL Act doesn’t pass the Senate this year, a member will have to reintroduce it next session. Let your Senators know what you want them to do on this bill.

Update: Approved Federal Judicial Nominees

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has been moving through the backlog of appointed judges during this lame duck session. Over the last three weeks, the Senate has confirmed 11 new federal judges:

Frances Kay Behm, District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan
Jerry W. Blackwell, District Judge for the District of Minnesota
Kelley Brisbon Hodge, District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Jeffery Paul Hopkins, District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio
Tamika R. Montgomery-Reeves, Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit
John Frank Murphy, District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Anne M. Nardacci, District Judge for the Northern District of New York
Doris L. Pryor, District Judge for the Seventh Circuit
Mia Roberts Perez, District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Kai N. Scott, District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Camille L. Velez-Rive, District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico

There are still 25 judicial nominees waiting for a floor vote in the Senate. Have a view you want to share with your Senators on these nominees?

DON'T WAIT A WEEK TO GET INFORMED: FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK

Like what you're getting in this newsletter, and  can’t wait until Friday for more? Join us on TikTok, where we provide ongoing updates on what's happening in federal government!

BILLS ON THE HILL

YOUR WEEKLY FAQ

You have questions. We have answers.

Q: Why is the platform called 1000 MORE?

A: I named it after my favorite quote, often attributed to Harriet Tubman, "I freed 1000 slaves, I could have freed 1000 more, if only they had known they were slaves." I believe that if only people knew how powerful their voice is in a democracy, they would realize their full civic power. Months after buying the domain, while sitting in a New Orleans coffee shop preparing to pitch the idea for the first time, I discovered that Harriet Tubman never said that, but our name still embodies the sentiment.

My team and I built this platform to give everyday people political news and tools they need to engage in civics, all in one place.

And that is your weekly roundup...

DSEANTE PARKS
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