MORE POWER for Feb. 17th
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 17, 2023
This week in MORE POWER:
Abolition amendment
Federal judicial confirmations
Debt ceiling update
House district work period
Why we created 1000 MORE
Abolition amendment
When the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1865, it simultaneously outlawed slavery AND created an exception, allowing slavery as “punishment for crime." Sen. Jeff Merkey (D-OR) and Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) are trying to change that. In the last Congress, they reintroduced an amendment to the Constitution that would finally close this loophole a century and a half after its creation.
There is a direct through line from this exception to incarceration rates and private prisons using inmate labor for profit. You can watch Ava Duvernay's Netflix documentary 13th and read this article in The Guardian for a deeper dive.
The Merkley - Williams amendment, dubbed the Abolition Amendment, has yet to be reintroduced this term. Have a view on this that you would like to share?
Update: Biden's judicial nominees
This week the Senate surpassed confirming 100 of Biden's judicial nominees, noting that they reached the milestone more quickly than Biden's predecessors Trump and Obama, who had 85 and 67 judges confirmed at this point in their tenures, respectively. Biden’s total federal court confirmations include one U.S. Supreme Court justice, 30 Circuit judges, and 69 District judges.
Biden and Senators touted the increase in diversity of nominees. In the previous presidency, 192 out of the 229 confirmed nominees were white. Of the 100 Biden confirmed nominees, 73 are women and 68 are people of color. This includes the 12 Black women confirmed to Circuit Court judgeships, more than had been confirmed under all other previous presidents combined.
So far in 2023, the administration has nominated 45 judges to fill vacancies. We will continue to update you on their progress.
Have a view on this that you would like to share?
Debt Limit Update
After President Biden backed Republicans into a corner during the State of the Union last week, forcing them on national television to promise not to cut Medicare or Social Security as part of debt ceiling negotiations, Republicans introduced two resolutions in the House confirming that these programs would not be touched. Additionally, Senate Republicans have been pressuring House leadership not to put slashing the defense budget on the table as some hard right House members have suggested.
The question remains: if Republicans want spending cuts in order to agree to raise the debt ceiling, what programs do they want to cut? Medicare? Other entitlement programs? Non-defense spending?
While the federal government reached the debt ceiling last month, it has about six months to figure out an agreement as it is not expected to reach the deadline for defaulting on the debt until July at the very earliest, according to the Congressional Budget Office. But the date will be determined by how much revenue the IRS collects by April, so if the amount is lower than projected, the Treasury could run out of money before July.
If default happens, it's not a pretty picture to say the least. Everything from the value of the dollar to the stock market (aka your 401K) could crash, leading to a big global recession and huge job losses. It could also delay payments for Medicare and Social Security as well as SNAP and veterans benefits.
What to do you think Congress should do? You can use 1000 MORE to let them know!
Congress, while out of session...
District Work. Period.
The House is in the middle of a two-week district work period. This means that instead of being in Washington, D.C. introducing and voting on legislation and holding committee meetings, they are back in their home districts.
Often times, members use these periods to meet with constituents as well as local businesses and nonprofit organizations to hear about their needs. They may also be hosting a town hall meeting that you can attend where they speak about their work in D.C. and take questions from the community members who they represent.
You know what to do. Use 1000 MORE to contact your representative and ask when their next town hall meeting is, and how you can attend.
Q: Why did you create this platform?
A: Disparities in legal rights, education outcomes, access to healthcare and economic mobility are a result of policies. Disenfranchisement is key to maintaining the status quo power dynamic.
Economist Jhacova Williams recently found that Black people who reside in southern counties that experienced a relatively higher number of historical lynchings have lower voter registration rates today. Political behaviors are learned behaviors often taught to us by people we trust, like family members. Low voter participation in certain communities is tied to historical oprression.
1000 MORE disrupts the big lobby and the status quo by removing barriers to civic empowerment for communities who have traditionally been disenfranchised. We provide non-partisan information about upcoming legislative votes written at a third-grade level because 54% of American adults read below a sixth-grade level. Even politically engaged Americans typically vote every two to four years, and don't check-in with their elected officials in between, while lobbyists talk to elected officials every day. Many organizations register voters and get people to the polls; we do everything beyond elections.
