Happy Friday! 

We hope you are well and warm as we approach the holidays. Below are important congressional and federal updates to catch up on.

Hill Headline

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Senate passes record $858 billion defense act, sending it to President Biden to sign

On Thursday, the Senate passed a record $858 billion bill in annual defense spending. This is $45 billion more than what was proposed by President Biden, rescinds the Pentagon’s COVID vaccine mandate, and increases for the military service members by 4.6%. It also includes funding for purchases of weapons, ships and aircraft, and international aid, including for Taiwan and Ukraine

Legislative Updates

 

House passed a bill to determine Puerto Rico’s political status. Although it is unlikely to pass the Senate, the Puerto Rico Status Act would schedule a vote on a referendum on Puerto Rico’s statehood. Residents would be able to decide whether they wanted statehood, independence or independence followed by free association with the U.S. The bill would also create a federally funded, nonpartisan voter education campaign in the lead-up to the vote.

Senate passed the War Crimes Rewards Expansion Act. Approved by both chambers, the legislation expands the Department of State's rewards program to authorize rewards for providing information leading to the arrest, conviction, or transfer of a foreign national accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide as such crimes are defined under the law of an international criminal tribunal, the applicable country, or the US. Currently, such rewards are authorized for crimes only as defined under the statutes of the relevant tribunal.

Congress passed the Human Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022. This bill requires the posting of contact information of the national human trafficking hotline in specific places. These locations include a visible space in all federal buildings; in the restrooms of each U.S. aircraft, airports, over-the-road buses, bus stations, passenger trains, passenger railroad stations, and at each port of entry.

Lawmakers Adjusted the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to include Native Hawaiians and tribal communities. Named VAWA Technical Amendment Act of 2022, this bill allows formula grants for tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions to be used to support women in Native Hawaiian communities in addition to women in tribal communities.