Including weekly top bills, top comments, product announcements
A new issue topped the list of priorities among POPVOX users this week: whether the federal prohibition of marijuana should end. More than 3,200 people weighed in on the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act (HR 499) — overwhelmingly in support of legalizing marijuana. You can read their stories and weigh in yourself and POPVOX will deliver your message directly to Congress, guaranteed.
For the first time this year, a bill emerged as the top bill of the week not related to firearms. More than 3,000 POPVOX users weighed in on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act this week, which passed the Senate. You can still weigh in on the bill — and your comment will be delivered to the House, where the bill will be considered next.
Here are the bills and proposals that POPVOX users weighed in on with Congress in the past week. Keep in mind that these numbers aren’t aggregates of total support, but just what happened in the past seven days.
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Top Bills of the Week: Feb. 8 - 14
1. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
2. Banning the “Five-seveN” handgun and ammunition with the ability to pierce body armor. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
3. The Respecting States’ Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act: To allow reciprocity for the carrying of certain concealed firearms. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
4. Honoring the life of Trayvon Martin, urging the repeal of Stand Your Ground laws, and calling on the United States Government to address the crisis of racial profiling. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
5. The Gun Trafficking Prevention Act: To prevent gun trafficking.
6. The Assault Weapons Ban: A bill to regulate assault weapons, to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited.
7. Federal Employee Pay Freeze: To eliminate the 2013 statutory pay adjustment for Federal employees. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
8. Common Sense Legislation to End Gun Violence: Washington needs to pass gun laws that will keep guns out of the hands of criminals and other prohibited purchasers and keep military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines off of our streets. (Sponsored campaign by Mayors Against Illegal Guns*)
9. The Ammunition Background Check Act: A bill to appropriately restrict sales of ammunition. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
10. The Second Amendment Protection Act: To express the sense of the Congress that the US should not adopt any treaty that poses a threat to national sovereignty or abridges any rights guaranteed by the Constitution, such as the right to keep and bear arms, and to withhold funding from the United Nations unless the President certifies that the United Nations has not taken action to restrict, attempt to restrict, or otherwise adversely infringe upon the rights of individuals in the US to keep and bear arms, or abridge any of the other constitutionally protected rights of US citizens. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
11. The Safe Skies Act: To require the Secretary of Transportation to modify the final rule relating to flightcrew member duty and rest requirements for passenger operations of air carriers to apply to all-cargo operations of air carriers. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
12. The High Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act: A bill to prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
13. The Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act: A bill to require face to face purchases of ammunition, to require licensing of ammunition dealers, and to require reporting regarding bulk purchases of ammunition. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
14. The Assault Weapons Ban: To regulate assault weapons, to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
15. Senate Bipartisan Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
16. The Restore the Constitution Act: To provide that any executive action infringing on the Second Amendment has no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes.
17. The Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act: To prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.
18. The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act: To improve hydropower. — Debuting on the “Top Bills” list! —
19. The Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act: A bill to provide that any executive action infringing on the Second Amendment has no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes.
20. The Handgun Licensing and Registration Act: To provide for the mandatory licensing and registration of handguns.
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn’t imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we’re simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system. *POPVOX invites organizations to create “sponsored campaigns” on POPVOX, which include policy principles and actionable items directed at Congress.
Here’s the weekly round-up from our “Hill sources”: The House was in recess this week. The Senate voted on a few bills before it left for the Memorial Day break, but failed to make progress on others.
The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013 (HR 4310) was the most popular bill on POPVOX this week. Here’s the rest of the list. (Weigh in on the top 20 bills on POPVOX using the links below — and get the round up.)
The House was in recess this week. The Senate voted on a few bills before it left for the Memorial Day break, but failed to make progress on others.
Bills that the Senate passed
- S 3187 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Safety and Innovation Act: Senators overwhelmingly approved a bill reauthorizing the Food and Drug Administration’s user fee program for drugs and medical devices, and expanded that program. The Senate approved the FDA Safety and Innovation Act in a 96-1 vote.
- HR 5740 The National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act: The Senate approved a new bill that extends the National Flood Insurance Program for 60 days. The program expires at the end of May. The House is expected to follow suit next week when it returns.
- S 2367 The 21st Century Language Act: The Senate approved a new bill striking the word “lunatic” wherever it appears in U.S. law. This bill was passed by unanimous consent.
- HR 4097 The John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act: The Senate approved this bill and sent it to the White House for the President to sign it into law.
- S 739 The Senate approved authorizing the installation of battery charging stations in the Capitol parking lot, for electric cars.
Bills the Senate considered, but didn’t pass
- S 2343 The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act: Before leaving, the Senate voted against two bills that would keep the student loan interest rate low for another year. The Senate voted on the Democratic bill, The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act, but that failed 51-43 (60 votes were needed). The Democratic bill expanded the payroll tax to pay for the loan rate extension.
- S 2366 The Interest Rate Reduction Act: The Republican student loan bill, The Interest Rate Reduction Act, was voted down 34-62. The Republican bill pays for the change by terminating a healthcare fund.
- S 1925 The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization: The Senate left without making any headway toward reauthorizing VAWA, leaving the issue until June to sort out. Democrats made an attempt to move their bill, S. 1925, and Republicans made an attempt to move the House Republican bill, HR 4970.
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn’t imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we’re simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.
Weigh in on the Top Bills of the Week
- HR 4310 #1 - National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013
- S 3187 #2 - Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act
- HR 2657 #3 - Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act
- S 2343 #4 - Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act
- HR 5740 #5 - National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act
- S 3205 #6 - Ex-Patriot Act
- HRes 662 #7 - Expressing support for prayer at school board meetings
- HR 4043 #8 - Military Readiness and Southern Sea Otter Conservation Act
- HR 5651 #9 - Food and Drug Administration Reform Act
- HR 5846 #10 - Second Amendment Sovereignty Act
- HR 2674 #11 - 340B Program Improvement Act
- HR 4170 #12 - Student Loan Forgiveness Act
- HR 4970 #13 - Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act
- HR 4224 #14 - OPTION Act
- HR 2672 #15 - Preserving Access to Orphan Drugs Act
- HR 3523 #16 - Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (Passed by the House on April 26)
- HR 4117 #17 - Prohibiting the use of Afghan Nationals as security forces on U.S. military bases
- HR 3594 #18 - Second Amendment Protection Act
- HR 3035 #19 - Mobile Informational Call Act
- S 1108 #20 - 10 Million Solar Roofs Act
