You can make a difference:
| Control of the Senate will depend upon the results of two run-off elections in Georgia on January 5. Here’s how you can help flip the Senate: Send postcards with Flip the West: https://www.mobilize.us/flipthewest/event/362341/?fbclid=IwAR3beXw-Wlt__TDzaogNbSh1iQrPUtadlqF3egHhYJRJh_vBXdKWE80IvsM Sign up and you will be furnished with names and addresses as well as a script to use. You will need your own postcards. Postcards can be purchased anywhere. Through Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Postcards/b?ie=UTF8&node=1069672 If you are able, one of the best ways to help is to donate: New Georgia Project Black Voters Matter Indivisibles in GA and/or to the candidates’ campaigns: Raphael Warnock Jon Osoff Let’s do our part to help alleviate food insecurity, which is especially dire during these times and without any additional help from Congress. Donate to or volunteer at Food Bank of NWI Food Bank of NWI received a $100,000 donation to match money contributed so that each contribution will be doubled, now through Dec. 31. More about efforts of Food Bank of NWI to alleviate hunger this holiday season: https://foodbanknwi.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/11/Hope-For-The-Holidays-Flyer.pdf For a list of local food pantries: https://www.foodpantries.org/st/indiana Meals on Wheels, NWI: https://mownwi.org/ |
NATIONAL
In Congress this past week:
The House adjourned on Thursday after passing a one week stop gap bill to continue funding the government for a week. The Senate passed the measure on Friday. The president signed the bill Friday evening. The House and Senate both also passed the National Defense Authorization Act. The House is not expected back in session until Tuesday at the earliest. The bipartisan coronavirus relief package is stalled with disagreements over a variety of issues; the bipartisan group that developed it still hasn’t translated it into text. (Revell, Eric. “Shutdown Threat Looms as Senate Attempts to Forge Through Flurry of Votes, House Departs D.C.” Causes. 11 December 2020: https://www.causes.com/articles/46627-shutdown-threat-looms-senate-attempts-forge-flurry-votes-house-departs-d-c.)
Passed Senate, House next
S. 4460: State Veterans Homes Domiciliary Care Flexibility Act
GovTrack.us: “A bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to waive certain eligibility requirements for a veteran to receive per diem payments for domiciliary care at a State home, and for other purposes.”
The vote was by Unanimous Consent so no record of individual votes was made.
H.R. 5663: Safeguarding Therapeutics Act
GovTrack.us: “To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to give authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to destroy counterfeit devices.”
Passed the Senate with changes and sent back to the House. Vote was by unanimous consent so no individual record of votes was made.
S. 461: HBCU PARTNERS Act
GovTrack.us: “This bill addresses the capacity of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to participate in federal programs. Specifically, the bill requires certain agencies to submit annual plans for strengthening the capacity of HBCUs to participate in federal programs. Among other things, the plans must establish how the agencies intend to increase the capacity of HBCUs to compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.”
Passed by voice vote so no individual record of votes was taken.
H.R. 5273: Securing America’s Ports Act
GovTrack.us: “An act to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to increase to 100 percent the rates of scanning of commercial and passenger vehicles and freight rail entering the United States at land ports of entry along the border using large-scale, nonintrusive inspection systems to enhance border security, and for other purposes.”
Passed the Senate with changes and so was sent back to the House. The vote was by unanimous consent so no individual record of votes was made.
H.R. 1503: Orange Book Transparency Act of 2020
GovTrack.us: “To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act regarding the list under section 505(j)(7) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and for other purposes.”
Passed the Senate with changes and sent back to the House. Vote was by unanimous consent so no record of individual votes was taken.
S. 3325: PARENTS Act of 2020
GovTrack.us: “A bill to amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow States to use incentive payments available under the child support enfo
rcement program to improve parent-child relationships, increase child support collections, and improve outcomes for children by supporting parenting time agreements for noncustodial parents in uncontested agreements, and for other purposes.”Passed by voice vote so no individual tally of votes was taken
S. 3729: Motor Carrier Safety Grant Relief Act of 2020
GovTrack.us: “A bill to provide relief for the recipients of financial assistance awards from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and for other purposes.”
Passed by unanimous consent so no individual tally of votes was taken.
S. 4138: Telework for U.S. Innovation Act
GovTrack.us: “A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to make permanent the authority of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to conduct a telework travel expenses program.”
Passed by unanimous consent so no individual tally of votes was taken.
Passed the House, Senate next
H.R. 683: PRRADA
GovTrack.us: “This bill requires professionals employed in debt adjustment cases involving Puerto Rico to file verified statements disclosing their connections with the debtor, creditors, and other interested parties before seeking compensation for their services.”
The vote was by voice vote so no record of individual votes was made.
H.R. 8161: The One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act of 2020
GovTrack.us: “This bill authorizes grants to connect offenders transitioning from prisons or jails to the community with local reentry services.”
The vote was by voice vote so no record of individual votes was made.
S. 1811: Water Resources Development Act of 2020
GovTrack.us: “To provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, and for other purposes.”
Passed the House with changes and so was sent back to the Senate. The vote was by voice vote so no record of individual votes was made.
H.R. 8428: Hong Kong People’s Freedom and Choice Act of 2020
GovTrack.us: “This bill provides for temporary protected status (TPS) and refugee status for qualifying Hong Kong residents and contains other immigration-related provisions.”
Passed by voice vote so no record of individual votes was made.
Passed the House and Senate and goes to the President next
H.R. 6395: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
The president threatened to veto the bill for two reasons: not removing protections for social media platforms by including a revamping of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and not removing language that will change the name of military bases named for confederate officers. Neither issue was changed in the bill; it passed by veto-proof margins in both chambers.
Read the summary from the Congressional Research Service.
Read a more in-depth summary at Causes.
Passed the House Dec, 8. See the vote.
Passed the Senate Dec. 11.
Sen. Young: Yea Sen. Braun: Nea
S. 2258: Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act of 2019
GovTrack.us: “This bill prohibits employers from retaliating against certain employees who report criminal antitrust violations to the federal government.”
The vote was by voice vote so no record of individual votes was made.
S. 3703: Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act
GovTrack.us: “A bill to amend the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act to improve the prevention of elder abuse and exploitation of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.”
The vote was by unanimous consent and so no record of individual votes was made.
S. 578: ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019
GovTrack.us: “A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period for disability insurance benefits under such title for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.”
The vote was by voice vote so no record of individual votes was taken.
S. 1869: Secure Federal LEASEs Act
GovTrack.us: “A bill to require the disclosure of ownership of high-security space leased to accommodate a Federal agency, and for other purposes.”
In both chambers the vote was by unanimous consent so no record of individual votes was made.
S. 1153: Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Act of 2019
GovTrack.us: “A bill to explicitly make unauthorized access to Department of Education information technology systems and the misuse of identification devices issued by the Department of Education a criminal act.”
The vote was by unanimous consent in the Senate and by voice vote in the House so no individual record of votes was taken.
H.R. 4761: DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act of 2019
GovTrack.us: “This bill establishes new requirements related to the detection of illicit narcotics at ports of entry. Specifically, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must implement a strategy to ensure chemical screening devices are able to identify narcotics at purity levels equal to or less than 10%, or provide an alternate method for identifying narcotics at lower purity levels. The CBP must also test new chemical screening devices at various purity levels before it commits to their acquisition.”
Passed the Senate by unanimous consent so no record of individual votes was made.
S. 2981: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2020
GovTrack.us: “A bill to reauthorize and amend the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of 2002, and for other purposes.”
The bill passed in the Senate in November by unanimous consent. It passed the House Dec. 4. See the vote.
S. 1014: Route 66 Centennial Commission Act
GovTrack.us: “This bill establishes the Route 66 Centennial Commission to honor U.S. Route 66 on the occasion of its centennial anniversary”
The vote was by unanimous consent in the Senate and by voice vote in the House so no individual tally of votes was taken.
Enacted, signed by the President
H.R. 8247: Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020
GovTrack.us: “To make certain improvements relating to the transition of individuals to services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, suicide prevention for veterans, and care and services for women veterans, and for other purposes.”
The week ahead in Congress from Causes.
To find and contact your Members of Congress: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
In Other News
2024 GOP presidential hopefuls tolled the Trumpian party line in voting against the Defense Authorization Bill, citing their opposition to renaming military bases named for confederate officers and liability protections for social media platforms. (Bolton, Alexander. “Defense bill battle showcases 2024 GOP hopefuls.” The Hill. 13 December 2020: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/529924-defense-bill-battle-showcases-2024-gop-hopefuls.)
States and localities are scrambling to pour $150 billion in federal CARES Act dollars into the COVID-19-ravaged economy before the end-of-year deadline, raising concerns that the money may not go to the recipients most in need. (Stateline)
The Courts:
US govt, Indiana, 45 other states bring antitrust action against Facebook Fox 59
…48 states and districts, including Indiana, accused the company of abusing its market power in social networking to crush smaller …
The FTC is also bringing a lawsuit against Facebook. (Rodrigo, Chris Mills. “Facebook faces most serious breakup threat yet from lawsuits.” The Hill. 12 December 2020: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/529912-facebook-faces-most-serious-breakup-threat-yet-from-lawsuits?rnd=1607800218. )
On Friday the Supreme Court denied the lawsuit to deny legally cast votes in four swing states. It was filed by Texas and joined by many states and attorneys general, including Indiana.126 House Republicans supported it as well. The harm to democracy in this country will, however, “reverberate for years to come.” (Merchant, Nomaan, Alanna Durkin Richer and Mark Sherman. “Supreme Court rejects Republican attack on Biden victory.” AP News. 11 December 2020: https://apnews.com/article/fe784086a81497dcfe38f0eb5bffd36d.)
Before the Friday decision the Supreme Court rejected another lawsuit filed by Republicans in Pennsylvania urging the court to throw out legally cast mail in ballots in Pennsylvania. (Sherman, Mark and Marc Levy. “Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to overturn Biden’s Pennsylvania win.” AP News. 08 December 2020: https://apnews.com/article/high-court-reject-gop-bid-halt-biden-win-0b7005328243eeca23f8bc3368549879.”
Indiana
Doctors urge anti-coronavirus pledge as deaths surge in Indiana Fox 59
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A group of Indiana doctors is urging people to sign an online pledge that they will take action to slow the spread of the …
Indiana received $2.4 billion in coronavirus relief funds as part of the CARES Act. $700 remains unspent and there are deadlines for spending the money. (Kenney, Kara. “The Rebound Indiana: Indiana has yet to spend $700M in CARES Act money despite growing needs; Rep. Greg Porter says state should designate funds by Dec. 30.” WRTV. 11 December 2020: https://www.wrtv.com/rebound/coronavirus-investigations/the-rebound-indiana-indiana-has-yet-to-spend-700m-in-cares-act-money-despite-growing-needs.)First batch of vaccines being distributed in Indiana next week ABC 57 News
“The CDC asked states to identify three to five hospitals to serve as prepositioning, or pilot, sites for vaccine administration. Indiana identified five …
Indiana doesn’t plan to wait on Congress to limit coronavirus lawsuits. (WIBC)
Indiana teachers are expected to be part of the second phase of Hoosiers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, state officials said at a press briefing last week. (Chalkbeat Indiana)
‘Indiana is on fire’: Gov. Holcomb announces new limits, directs hospitals to suspend non … WGN-TV
Holcomb announced Wednesday that Indiana will be directing hospitals to postpone or reschedule all non-emergency inpatient elective procedures …
Targeted restrictions coming to Indiana counties with high COVID-19 levels – WISHTV.com
Indiana Reinstating Surgery Limits Amid COVID-19 Surge – NBC Chicago
Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe McGuinness announced millions of dollars in grants for local road projects that were awarded throughout the state. Lake, Porter and LaPorte county communities will see up to $13 million in state assistance for local road projects. (Steele, Andrew. “Region gets $13 million in current round of state road grants.” NWI Times. 08 December 2020: https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/region-gets-13-million-in-current-round-of-state-road-grants/article_ca0c9385-e366-5074-9c42-4acd680cff7c.html.)
Advocates for Hoosier women say the effects of COVID-19 make it more apparent the state should pass a law requiring paid family leave – and that’s one of several issues they hope state lawmakers discuss when the legislative session begins in January. (WFIU)
The American Federation of Teachers is putting out their list of legislative priorities for the 2021 session, and at the top of that list is teacher pay and a “pandemic pause” when it comes to counting students. (Indy Politics)
41 meat processors in Indiana awarded $4 million Agri News
This funding was allocated to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on local and small meat-processing agribusinesses in Indiana. “Processing …
Jim Merritt spent 30 years representing Indianapolis and Carmel in the General Assembly. He believes his next move in politics should be a move to the big chair. He wants to be governor. (WIBC)
Indiana Disability Rights and Disability Rights Advocates have filed a lawsuit on behalf of blind Hoosiers who say Indiana’s current model for absentee voting discriminates against them and limits their ability to vote. (The Statehouse File)
The Federal Communications Commission says Indiana has been provided with $169 million to improve access to high-speed internet. The funding is through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase 1 auction. (Inside Indiana Business)
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is joining with 47 other state attorneys general in a lawsuit against Facebook. Hill’s office says the suit alleges Facebook “illegally stifles competition to protect its monopoly power.” (Inside Indiana Business)
Indiana could increase tobacco tax to use for Hoosier health Fox 59
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana is ranked fourth highest in the nation for tobacco use, and some are pushing lawmakers to increase taxes on tobacco …
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb says the state can expect about 55,000 COVID-19 vaccinations in the coming week. (Indy Politics)
Pentagon set to begin COVID-19 vaccinations, includes Indiana National Guard WISHTV.com
Pentagon set to begin COVID-19 vaccinations, includes Indiana National Guard. FILE – This May 4, 2020, file photo provided by the University of …
