By a vote of 314–117, the House adopted the so-called Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which “increases the federal debt limit, establishes new discretionary spending limits, rescinds unobligated funds, and expands work requirements for federal programs,” as summarized by Congress’ official legislative website.
Category: Legislative Advocacy
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (May 22nd-26th)
The week’s major votes included House passage of a Republican resolution that would void President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan and an EPA rule intended to protect Americans from harmful pollution.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Biden, McCarthy say they’ve reached a deal to respond to Republicans’ ransom demands
The White House announced late Saturday night that it has reached a deal with Kevin McCarthy and his deputies in the United States House of Representatives to avert a fiscal crisis that Republicans have been enthusiastically prepared to manufacture by refusing to provide the votes needed to raise the debt ceiling.
Posted inLitigation
With most of his estate now liquidated, Tim Eyman’s bankruptcy is finally winding down
Judge Marc Barreca’s May 19th order granting trustee Virginia Burdette’s motion to abandon the property of the estate (“other than the funds on deposit in the estate’s bank account”) indicates that the case has moved into its final stages.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (May 15th-19th)
The week’s major votes included House redirection of a measure to expel George Santos to the Ethics Committee and Senate confirmation of three Biden judicial nominees, along with Senate passage of two Republican resolutions to overturn policies adopted by the D.C. city council and Department of Homeland Security.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Washington State Legislature swiftly agrees on a Blake fix after going into special session
“This bill recognizes the harm that public use causes our communities by creating the crime of public use,” said Representative Jamila Taylor. “More importantly, it focuses on the most up-to-date science on recovery, working to connect people to treatment, housing, services, and employment opportunities.”
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (May 8th-12th)
The week’s major votes included House passage of a Republican scheme to block immigrants and refugees from coming to America and Senate passage of two Republican resolutions to void rules protecting endangered species.
Posted inGuest Posts
Expansion of access to Working Connections Child Care will help Washington families
In this guest post for NPI’s Cascadia Advocate, Senator Claire Wilson explains how Senate Bill 5225 will help reduce the cost of childcare for many families and support Washington’s youngest learners.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
House Republicans’ “Default on America Act” would devastate services like veterans’ care
As the clock clicks down on debt obligations, we are waking up to the consequences of Republicans’ fiscal demands. Any evaluation goes beyond hyperbole, both in the stock market crash and loss of millions of jobs likely resulting from a default, but also for impacts of Republican-championed cuts on the state and federal services such as those provided by Veterans Affairs.
Posted inGuest Posts
Washington is making important, long overdue investments in environmental equity
In this guest post for NPI, Senators Joe Nguyễn and Rebecca Saldaña explain how the Evergreen State is prioritizing equity in our response to the climate crisis.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (May 1st-5th)
The week’s major votes included the confirmation of over half a dozen Biden judicial nominees, including to the appellate level.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (April 24th-28th)
The week’s major votes included House passage of a Republican bill to make horrific cuts to America’s essential public services and Senate passage of a resolution to void another EPA rule.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
DONE! Governor Inslee signs assault weapons ban and two more gun safety bills into law
On April 25th, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law three pivotal new gun safety laws: a ban on assault weapons, a permit-to-purchase requirement, and a duty to impose reasonable controls law that gun manufacturers, distributors, and sellers must abide by.
Posted inPolicy Topics
“Blake fix” bill fails in State House, prompting calls for special session on drug policy
Several Democrats joined the chamber’s forty Republicans in casting nay votes, creating a potent obstacle to the bill’s passage that leadership determined could not be surmounted before the clock ran out on the 2023 legislative session.