Few things captivate Washington like a scandal, and this past week the “scandal” has been the dysfunction of the Obamacare website and anger among our allies about NSA spying.
Health care reform and NSA spying?
It’s good to know that things in post-shutdown Washington are slowly getting back to normal.
Speaking of the NSA, this past weekend, thousands gathered in Washington for the “Stop Watching Us” rally to protest the NSA’s mass surveillance. The event was co-sponsored by the ACLU, and our very own Laura W. Murphy gave a rousing speech at the event.
In other news, the President made another speech late last week that called on Congress to act on immigration reform. It remains to be seen if the House will take up the issue this year, though indications from the Republican leadership on Friday were not promising. But maybe, just maybe, with news over the weekend that Rep. Denham (R-Calif.) will be the first Republican in that body to sign on to an immigration reform bill introduced by House Democrats, things will start moving again. We remain hopeful.
Lastly, if you’re worried about finding a last-minute Halloween costume, our friends over at BuzzFeed have some clever ideas.
As always, below are select highlights of what the Washington Legislative Office will be working on this week.
Tuesday, October 29th
Stand Your Ground Laws
The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights Subcommittee, Chaired by Senator Durbin (D-Ill.), of Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on “stand your ground laws” following the trial decision on the shooting of Trayvon Martin.
NSA Surveillance
The House Intelligence Committee will hold an open hearing on NSA programs.
NSA Surveillance
We expect the USA Freedom Act, a comprehensive surveillance reform bill, to be introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and in the Senate by Sen. Leahy (D-Vt.) as early as Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 30th
Women’s Rights
The ACLU will participate in a coalition lobby day to support the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (H.R. 1975/S. 942). Additionally, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) will host a congressional briefing titled, “Making Pregnancy Discrimination a Thing of the Past.” The ACLU is cosponsoring the briefing.
Employment
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on the nomination of Chai Rachel Feldblum to be a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Feldblum is a former legislative counsel with the ACLU.
Future Events
Disability Treaty
On November 5, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on the U.S. Ratification of the Disability Treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Defense Bill
The National Defense Authorization Act is now likely to be considered the week of November 18, though could slip into early December.
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