MORE POWER for Feb. 10th
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
February 10, 2023
This week, MORE POWER is all about SOTU:
What is the State of the Union Address?
This year's SOTU recap
Antitrust bills
Legislation banning junk fees
A bill protecting workers rights
Assault weapons ban
Police reform bill
LGBTQ+ rights legislation
Bills regulating data collection
SOTU & You
What is the State of the Union Address?
The State of the Union Address (SOTU) is a constitutionally mandated annual speech the President gives to a joint session of Congress, meaning that both the House and Senate sit together during the speech. In the speech, the President goes over his vision for the country and his legislative agenda for the coming year.
It has been given by the President since the 1790's when it was called the Annual Message, but during WWII the speech became known as the SOTU (thanks to President Franklin D. Roosevelt). It was a radio address starting in 1923 (President Coolidge) and broadcast on television for the first time in 1947 (President Truman).
Enough history. This email provides the highlights from this year's address as well as key legislation in the speech. For any of these bills, you can call your legislators and ask them to support or oppose them.
Recap of SOTU
Prior to the start of the speech, cameras caught a greeting kiss exchanged between the First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, and the Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff. Was it on the lips or not? Hot topic on social media...
In an attempt to appeal to everyday Americans who may feel that their needs are overlooked at the expense of elites, the speech itself contained many populist policies, such as lowering prices for seniors and American families. Much of this got done in the Inflation Reduction Act which passed last year, the benefits of which are just starting to hit people's pocketbooks. President Biden was spicy on Tuesday, hitting Republicans who voted against the bill but still requested funding from it with, “I’ll see you at the groundbreaking.” And to Republicans threatening to repeal IRA, he said: “Lots of luck in your senior year," a phrase from the sports world used by veterans to signal to inexperienced rookies that they might get cut if their performance doesn't improve.
Finally, much was made of Republican members calling President Biden a “liar” when he pointed out Republican proposals to end Medicare and Social Security. The President encouraged people to call the White House to look up the proposal if they didn't believe him. We've been trying to tell you you can use 1000 MORE to call the White House. Go ahead and give it a try, since the President invited you to...
Breaking Up Monopolies
President Biden called on Congress to “pass bipartisan legislation to strengthen antitrust enforcement and prevent big online platforms from giving their own products an unfair advantage.” Here are three bills from the last Congress that could achieve this:
Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act
American Innovation and Choice Online Act
Open App Markets Act
None of these bills have been reintroduced in either chamber of Congress this session. You can use 1000 MORE to contact your legislators if you want to see movement on them.
Scrapping Junk Fees
The President called for an end to unfair fees for American consumers. He said, “we’re making airlines show you the full ticket price upfront and refund your money if your flight is cancelled or delayed. We’ve reduced exorbitant bank overdraft fees, saving consumers more than $1 billion a year. We’re cutting credit card late fees by 75%, from $30 to $8. Junk fees may not matter to the very wealthy, but they matter to most folks in homes like the one I grew up in. They add up to hundreds of dollars a month.”
The administration wrote the Junk Fee Prevention Act to address this. It has not yet been introduced in Congress.
Workers' Rights Legislation
In the past, President Biden has called himself a pro-union president. In SOTU, he stated, “I’m so sick and tired of companies breaking the law by preventing workers from organizing. Pass the PRO Act because workers have a right to form a union. And let’s guarantee all workers a living wage.”
The PRO Act (Protecting the Right to Organize Act) would expand various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. It was introduced in both chambers in Congress' last term, but only passed the House. It has not yet been reintroduced this term.
Ban Assault Weapons
Plain and clear, Biden said, “Ban assault weapons once and for all.” An assault weapons ban passed Congress in 1994 but it expired in the 2000s. In the last Congress, an assault weapons ban passed the House but died in the Senate.
Last month, Senator Feinstein and 41 of her colleagues re-introduced the S.25 - Assault Weapons Ban in the Senate. The bill outlines the specific weapons that would be illegal and those that would be exempt should the bill pass.
Police Reform
Biden reiterated executive action taken on police reform: “with the support of families of victims, civil rights groups, and law enforcement, I signed an executive order for all federal officers banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key elements of the George Floyd Act.”
He went on to demand legislative action from Congress: “all of us in this chamber, we need to rise to this moment. We can’t turn away. Let’s do what we know in our hearts we need to do. Let’s come together and finish the job on police reform. Do something.”
The George Floyd Act is the most significant piece of police reform legislation. It passed the House in the last Congress, but it has not yet been reintroduced this term.
Equality Act
President Biden went on to ask Congress to “pass the bipartisan Equality Act to ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.”
The Equality Act also passed the House in the last Congress, but it has not yet been reintroduced in either Chamber.
Regulating Big Tech
Toward the close of the SOTU, Biden said, “it’s time to pass bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children, and impose stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect on all of us.”
While the President didn’t name any specific bills, there is existing legislation from the last Congress to deal with these issues, including:
Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0)
Neither bill has been reintroduced this term.
Your Part In All Of This
If you want to see any of the bills in the SOTU move ahead, or if you want to see them stopped, you know what to do:
