It is true that we have a lot more work to do but just for a moment, let’s look back to 2022, and the key wins that the Majority accomplished in 2022.
The omnibus package tells the story. But first, you may ask: What’s an “omnibus?”
The answer is that the “omnibus” is a single document that gathers together the legislation passed by the Congress in 2022 and planned to go into effect in 2023. One package of bills … and one vote to fund the bills. An omnibus creates compromise, reduces arguments, and moves the country forward more quickly.
As MY RURAL AMERICA continues to cover the news that most affects rural families, we’ll be talking about many of the policies funded in this bill, e.g.,
- Healthcare: New investments in mental health services; passage of the PREVENT Pandemics Act which uses lessons from COVID-19 to improve preparedness; funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting initiative, ensurance of permanent, mandatory and continuous coverage for 40 million chidren enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.
- Veterans: A $21 billion increase for veterans health care.
- Labor: Additional funding for the National Labor Relations Board.
- Emergency Disaster support: Aid for helping communities like Jackson, MS to solve its water crisis.
- Kids and Hunger: Permanent funding for the Summer EBT Program so that 29 million poor kids have healthy food they can depend upon all summer long.
The 117th Congress also made amazing progress for America’s working families with passage of these laws which thanks to President Biden’s signature are now funded for 2023:
- American Rescue Plan: Vaccinated the country, sent parents back to work and children safely in school. The Plan’s resulted in the fastest, strongest jobs recovery act in modern times — more than 10 million jobs in two years.
- Infrastructure Law: Rebuilds roads, bridges, ports, and water systems.
- Safer Communities Act: Starts the tough work to keep guns out of dangerous hands.
- Honoring our PACT Act: Helps veterans exposed to toxic chemicals.
- CHIPS and Science Act: Puts the U.S. back on track to lead in science, innovation and mangacturing.
- Inflation Reduction Act: Lowered prescription drugs, lowered health care premiums, began the serious fight against climate change, and reduced the federal deficit.
- Respect for Marriage Act: Protects marriage equality as the law nationwide.
So what comes next? Well, “next” is out there … somewhere. Yes, there is more work to do but at this writing, the new (narrow) majority of Republicans in the House are having a bit of a hard time. McCarthy is short as many as 18 votes in his quest to become Speaker, and if not McCarthy, who?
The newly elected Members of Congress cannot be sworn into until there is a Speaker. For voters who have been heard to say, they just wish everyone would get along, clearly this new (slim) majority doesn’t know how, even among themselves.