This week in Congress

The House is in session from Monday through Thursday.   Among the bills they will consider is H.R. 51, which would make the District of Columbia a state. The House will also consider H.R. 1573. This legislation provides access to counsel to U.S. nationals, refugees, and aliens in pursuit of a visa who are subjected to secondary or delayed inspections while trying to enter the United States. The House will also consider bills under suspension, including:

1. H.R. 490– Establishes a program to boost the morale of Homeland Security employees.
2. H.R. 473– Requires review of the “trusted traveler” program and extends the enrollment period for those mistakenly removed from the program in error.
3. H.R. 1602– Establishes a digital asset working group consisting of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Corporation to report on how existing laws and regulations impact digital currency.
4.  H.Res. 130– Condemns China’s treatment of Hong Kong and calls on the U.S. to put pressure on China, including sanctions.
5.   H.Res. 124— Condemns the elections in Belarus for allegedly being rigged and calls for more foreign aid for Belarus.

The Senate will be voting on S. 937, legislation introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) which would require the Justice Department to expand tracking of “COVID-related hate crimes.” It defines COVID-19 hate crime as a violent crime that is motivated by two things: (1) the actual or perceived characteristic (e.g., race or ethnicity) of any person, and (2) the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19 of any person because of that characteristic. Last week, the Senate held a cloture vote on the bill. Only six Republican Senators voted against cloture, they are: Tom Cotton (AR) Ted Cruz (TX) Josh Hawley (MO) Roger Marshall (KS) Rand Paul (KY) Tommy Tuberville (AL) You can read Ron Paul’s statement on the election theft bill here. You can read Ron Paul on hate crimes here.