As the new legislative session begins, Congress is proposing a variety of bills that could have significant impacts on American society. Here are 15 proposals to keep an eye on:
1. Affordable Care Act Expansion: Democrats are pushing for an expansion of the ACA, including a public option and lower premiums.
2. Immigration Reform: Several proposals aim to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and improve border security.
3. Voting Rights Protection: A number of bills would strengthen voting rights protections, including automatic voter registration and expanded early voting.
4. Infrastructure Investment: Both parties agree on the need for infrastructure investment, but differ on funding sources and priorities.
5. Police Reform: Following nationwide protests against police brutality in 2020, lawmakers are proposing reforms such as banning chokeholds and limiting qualified immunity for officers.
6. Gun Control Measures: Bills ranging from universal background checks to bans on assault weapons have been proposed by Democrats in response to mass shootings across the country.
7. Climate Change Mitigation: Democrats plan to introduce sweeping climate change legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions while creating clean energy jobs.
8. LGBTQ+ Equality: Legislation has been introduced in both chambers aiming to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination in housing, employment, and other areas of life.
9. Student Loan Forgiveness: President Biden has called for $10,000 in student loan forgiveness per borrower through executive action; some lawmakers want more comprehensive debt relief measures passed through legislation
10. Criminal Justice Reform : Several bills aim at rethinking policing practices such as abolition or defunding police departments among other strategies
11- Increased Minimum Wage – There is support among democrats regarding increasing minimum wage rates federally
12- Pandemic Relief – There is also talk about further pandemic relief beyond what was already approved last year
13- Social Security Enhancement – This proposal sees social security benefits increase which will help seniors who rely mostly on these payments
14- Cybersecurity Enhancement – With the rise of cyber attacks, there is talk about enhancing cybersecurity measures to protect individuals and corporations.
15- Rural America Revitalization – Lawmakers have proposed investing in rural communities through infrastructure projects such as broadband expansion and small business support.
These proposals are just a few among many that Congress will consider over the coming months. Each has its own supporters, detractors, and potential consequences for American life. It will be interesting to see which ones ultimately make it into law.