MORE POWER for Dec. 9th

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 9, 2022

This week in MORE POWER:
Senate shake up
Crowdfund advocacy on green card reforms
The National Defense Authorization Act
Update on the Respect for Marriage Act
Instagram
Bills on the Hill
FAQ of the week

HAPPENINGS ON THE HILL

Power Shift in the Senate

In Tuesday's Georgia Senate runoff election, Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock defeated Republican challenger Herschel Walker. Then this morning, Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced that she is changing her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent. This means that in the next Senate there will be 49 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and three Independents. Independent Senators Angus King, I-ME and Bernie Sanders, I-VT, caucus and vote with the Democrats. We expect Senator Sinema to do the same. 

This small majority can mean a lot in the Senate. Firstly, Democrats will not need to lean on Vice President Harris’ tie breaking vote on legislation that goes down the party line. Having a proper majority in the Senate means that Democrats will have the majority on the Senate’s committees.

Having a majority on committees gives Democrats more power to affirm President Biden’s executive and judicial appointees; the committee majority also makes it easier for Democrats to control the Senate’s oversight investigations.

Crowdfunding advocacy on the EAGLE Act

On Tuesday, the White House issued a policy statement urging Congress to pass the EAGLE Act and they are getting ready to vote. The EAGLE Act stands for Equal Access to Green cards for Legal Employment.

If passed, the bill would bring several changes to the employment-based H1-B visa program and lift annual country caps on family-based green cards. The U.S. has not increased the number of green cards available since 1990.

Pro-immigration groups have criticized the bill for falling short in its goal to reduce the backlog of green cards. As proposed, it eliminates the per-country cap on green cards, but does not increase the actual number of green cards being issued. As a result, some critics of the bill argue that the bill would help Indian and Chinese nationals at the expense of other immigrant communities.

Using 1000 MORE, you can put your dollars toward advancing or stopping legislation.

The National Defense Authorization Act

Congress has two annual must-pass budget bills. The first is the “omnibus” spending package that must pass to avoid a government shutdown; the second is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which must pass to keep national security projects running. While the parties have reached a near stalemate on the general budget bill, the NDAA is moving.

On Thursday, the House passed the NDAA. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week. The NDAA would budget $847 billion in defense spending, $45 billion more than proposed by President Biden. You can use 1000 MORE to read about the bill and let your Senators know what you want them to do.

Marijuana dispensaries after the SAFE Banking Act passes.

The SAFE Banking Act

There’s still hope the SAFE Banking Act will pass during the lame duck session. It would allow banks to work with legal marijuana businesses without fear of prosecution by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for federal money crimes related to marijuana.

The SAFE Banking Act has had bipartisan support in Congress and has been a priority for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. While it passed the House in April 2021, the Senate has not called it for a vote.  It would need to be reintroduced in the next Congress if it does not pass by the end of this term. Let your Senators know what you want them to do on this bill.

Update: Respect for Marriage Act

On Thursday the House passed the Respect for Marriage Act, as amended by the Senate, and it has been sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

Primarily, the amendment protects religious organizations’ tax-exempt status regardless of their beliefs or practices on marriage.

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

Like what you're getting in this newsletter, and can't wait until Friday to get the goods? Join us on Instagram, where we provide ongoing updates on what's happening in federal government!

BILLS ON THE HILL

YOUR WEEKLY FAQ

This term of Congress is coming to an end.

Q: What happens to legislation that doesn't pass Congress this session? Do you have to revote on bills that passed one chamber?


A: The current term of Congress expires this month. At the end of the term, any bills that have not passed both chambers and been signed into law by the President must be reintroduced and go through the process of getting voted on again.

It doesn't matter whether the bill passed in one chamber, if it didn't pass both chambers - the House and the Senate - the bill will have to be reintroduced and get voted on again when the new Congress starts on January 3, 2023.

And that is your weekly roundup...

DSEANTE PARKS
Previous

MORE POWER for Dec. 16th
Next

MORE POWER for Dec. 2nd