June 21
This week, we celebrated Juneteenth and there is only a little over a week left of Pride month, so this is a special edition of MORE POWER to highlight bills that you can take action on now that are intended to increase equality.
This week in MORE POWER:
Housing, Fair and Square
Cash to Creativity: Funding HBCUs
Do No Harm Bill
Banning Homophobes
Protecting Black Women and Girls
Housing, Fair and Square
The U.S. has a history of discriminatory housing practices. While the Fair Housing Act makes discrimination illegal, advocates say that discriminatory practices still exist. Rep. Green (D-Texas) drafted and introduced the Housing Fairness Act last year to promote housing equality by making the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) investigate how people are treated when they try to rent, buy, or get a mortgage. The agency would be responsible for identifying when people face worse treatment because of their race, religion, sex, family status, disability, or country of origin. Additionally, this bill extends funding to assist people who have experienced housing discrimination until 2027. The bill is currently in the House of Representatives.
Cash to Creativity: Funding HBCUs
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been a cornerstone of Black higher education, dating back to when Black people were not allowed into white institutions. Rep. Adams (D-N.C.) introduced H.R. 5895 to fund HCBUs and their arts programs stating that in the past they have been underfunded, despite their clear merit. If this bill were to become law, it would fund prospective student outreach, establish paid opportunities for students in art programs and maintain Black art collections. The speaker could bring it to a vote in the House to move it toward becoming law.
Do No Harm Bill
In an effort to protect LGBTQ+ and other protected classes of Americans, the proposed Do No Harm Act would change the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to ensure that it cannot be used as a reason to infringe on people’s civil rights. Additionally, the bill clarifies that providers cannot use the RFRA in situations concerning health care, child labor or employment laws. For example, when Hobby Lobby was refusing to cover birth control in their employee health insurance, the Supreme Court used the RFRA to allow the company to do that. The Do No Harm Act would prevent Hobby Lobby from denying their employees that healthcare on religious grounds.
Sen. Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the Do No Harm Act to increase religious freedoms for individuals, protecting them from religious discrimination from institutions. The Senate could advance the bill with renewed bipartisan support.
Banning Homophobes
One way that the U.S. can protect Americans is by enforcing restrictions on bad actors attempting to enter the country. There is a bill in the Senate called the Global Respect Act that would allow the president to bar people who violate LGBTQ+ individuals’ rights in other countries from entering or remaining in the United States. It would also allow Congress to impose more sanctions onto the offender if Congress deems it necessary. Congress has introduced the bill but has not brought it to a full vote, which would be the necessary next step toward it becoming law.
Protecting Black Women and Girls
The Protect Black Women and Girls Act would establish a task force to examine the experiences of Black women and girls in various areas of society, including education, economic development, healthcare, labor and employment, housing, justice and civil rights. Overall, this bill intends to first identify then address the unique challenges that Black women and girls face in the United States. Rep. Kelly (D-Ill.) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives. The House would need to bring it to a full vote for it to advance to the Senate.
What Congress Passed
Nothing, they returned to their districts for a district work period.
