Equality Act: The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing this week on the Equality Act. Edith Guffey Conference Minister (Kansas-Oklahoma Conference) is testifying.
Human Rights: Human rights organizations are calling on the UN Human Rights council to do more to establish an accountability mechanism on extrajudicial killings. This comes as nine human rights advocates were killed by military police in the Philippines last week.
Immigration:
The House this week is voting on the Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. The Dream and Promise Act offers a pathway to citizenship for dreamers and the FWMA could legalize up to about 325,000 immigrants currently working in agriculture who do not have legal status. Support for this bill from many groups is contingent on the criminal bars to eligibility being stripped in final passage.
There are reports of a surge of migrants at the border. Read this twitter thread for helpful context and information. FEMA has been brought in to quickly find accommodation for unaccompanied minor children.
Police Violence: Last week, Rep. Hank Johnson reintroduced the “Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2021,” a bill that would limit military weapon flow to local police through the ‘1033’ program, an issue which the UCC has advocated on in the past and will continue to press for.
Violence Against Women: The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), is expected to pass in the House with some bipartisan support, on Monday evening. The legislation provides funding and grants for a variety of programs that tackle domestic abuse.
Iran: As Iran and the US continue to do a diplomatic dance on who will return to the JCPOA (The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [The Iran Nuclear Deal]) first, a bipartisan group of 140 House members issued a letter to the Biden administration to take a “comprehensive” approach to the threats posed by Iran, setting an unhelpfully high bar designed to likely prevent an agreement.
Authorization of Military Force: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Meeks may hold a committee markup on a bill introduced by Rep. Lee intended to end or modify the “Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF)” that serve as the legal justification for continued overseas war and counter terrorism efforts.
COVID Relief: The American Rescue Plan was signed into law by President Biden on March 11. For details of the plan check out this factsheet from the White House.
Nominations: Rep. Deb Haaland’s (D-N.M.) has won Senate confirmation to become the first Native American Cabinet member in U.S. history. She will lead the Interior Department.
Gun Violence: On March 11, the House passed two bills to address gun violence. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8) would implement background checks for gun transfers between private parties, and the Enhanced Background Checks Act (H.R. 1446) would close what’s known as the “Charleston loophole.”
For additional information about any of these matters you may contact
Katie Adams (she/her/hers*)
Policy Advocate for Domestic Issues
Justice and Witness Ministries | United Church of Christ
Washington DC Office
202.716.2888