December 8

This week in MORE POWER:
Fired Speaker Quits Congress
Military Funding Bill Moves Ahead
Republicans Block Biden Security Supplemental
Progress on Military Promotions
House Passes Veterans Bills
Kamala Harris Breaks Record

Fired Speaker Quits Congress

Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, (R-CA) announced he is resigning his position as representative for the people of California’s 20th Congressional district this month. His decision comes after George Santos’ expulsion last week, meaning Republicans will have two less votes in what was a narrow four seat majority.

It remains to be seen how California Governor Gavin Newsom will fill the McCarthy vacancy. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has scheduled a special election for Santos’ replacement on February 13.

Military Funding Bill Moves Ahead

Congress’ conference committee on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) finished negotiations this week. In addition to funding military personnel and programs for 2024, the final bill includes an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), including the controversial program known as Section 702, until April 19. This move delays the fight to reauthorize FISA until next year. It does not include any anti abortion provisions that conservatives are calling for. It also excludes an extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, meaning that at least one senator, Sen. Josh Hawley, (R-MO), will likely vote against it.

We expect a vote in the Senate next week, and the bill needs 60 votes to pass there. Have a view on this that you would like to share?

Read About The Bill & Take Action Here

Republicans Block Biden Security Supplemental

This week, the Biden administration announced visa bans on extremist Israeli settlers due to a surge in attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. The move is widely assumed to come from growing public outrage about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian civilians.

In the Senate, the bill for Biden’s $106B security funding request for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the U.S-Mexico border is on the ropes. The cause? Hardline Republicans’ insistence that it include some of the most conservative provisions on the U.S.-Mexico border. Democratic Senators put a bill together to fulfill Biden’s request, but Senate Republicans blocked it from coming to the floor for a vote. Border negotiations continue, but it's not looking good as both sides are not willing to budge on their demands.

Earlier in the fall, the House passed the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which would provide $14.3B in aid to Israel, while cutting Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding. Republican House leadership has declined to take up Biden’s full request, instead choosing to pass a series of related but nonbinding resolutions, like the one that passed this week strongly condemning and denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world.

Ukraine says it will run out of funds to fight Russia by the end of the year, and the Pentagon has said that it has nothing left to send them. You can use the links above to read about the bills and take action.

Progress on Military Promotions

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, (R-AL) has relented to pressure from fellow Republican Senators to stop blocking military nominations. More than 400 military leaders can now move forward for Senate approval on the jobs the military slated them for, and in many cases, that they are already doing.

But Tuberville refuses to stop blocking four-star command positions, and now another senator is blocking other military nominees: Sen. Eric Schmitt, (R-MO). To advance the remaining nominees from here, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-NY) will have to push them straight to a floor vote, a lengthy process that is undesirable as it will keep the Senate from completing other pressing business, or he can hope Republicans will continue their pressure campaign until both members stop blocking military nominees entirely.

Sens. Mike Rounds, (R-SD) and Joe Manchin, (D-WV) are working on a bill that would approve back pay for military officers blocked by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) while ensuring better retirement benefits. Have a view on this that you would like to share?

Sign in to Contact Your Reps Here

House Passes Veterans Bills

This week, the House passed three bills along bipartisan lines to provide better housing and home care to veterans:

Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act

COPE Act

HOME Act

All bills are now in the Senate where leadership can bring them forward for a vote at any time. You can use the links above to read about the bills and take action.

Kamala Harris Breaks Record

Vice President Kamala Harris broke John C. Calhoun’s 191-year-old record for most tie breaking votes cast as Vice President this week. Harris’ vote to confirm Loren L. AliKhan to be a D.C. district court judge was her 33rd tie break. The Vice President already held the record for the most tie-breaking votes in a single day — four — and the record for most votes cast in the first year of a vice presidency — 15. These records are widely considered a sign of the times, and the narrow Democratic majority in the Senate is a reflection of where the country stands politically.