The Vote Smart Research Team worked hard this month along side their new members to bring you (the best) Facts For All! Check out some of the key highlights below!

COVID National Emergency Status Repealed

On March 29, 2023, the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate both passed a joint resolution relating to a national emergency declared by the president on March 13, 2020. This bill, which passed by a vote of 228 to 197 in the House and 68-23 in the Senate, repeals the COVID-19 national emergency declared by President Donald Trump on March 13, 2020. To read more about the bill and how your representatives and senators voted, click here.

Lower Energy Costs Act

On March 30, 2023, the United States House of Representatives voted on the Lower Energy Costs Act. Passed on a vote of 225 to 204, this bill would appropriate funding for exploration, development, importation, and exportation of energy resources, such as oil and gas. Click here to read our summary of the legislation.

Protect Women and Girls in Sports Act 2023

On April 20, 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023. This bill, which passed on a party-line vote of 219-203, would prohibit school athletic programs from allowing individuals whose biological sex at birth was male to participate in programs that are for women or girls. It additionally establishes this as a violation of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities, including in public schools and colleges and universities. It will now move on to the U.S. Senate for consideration. To learn more about this bill, as well as how your representatives voted, please click here.

Fire Grants and Safety Act Amendment

On April 20, 2023, the U.S. Senate passed the Fire Grants and Safety Act. This bill, which passed by a vote of 95-2, would amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize $95 million in total appropriations for the United States Fire Administration and firefighter assistance grant programs. It additionally requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an audit of and issue a publicly available report on the United States Fire Administration. To read more about the bill and how your senators voted, click here.

Tennessee Expulsion Vote

On April 6, 2023, the Tennessee State House of Representatives voted to expel two of three members. The three members in question, Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin J. Pearson, were accused of breaking the House’s rules of decorum by leading protests for gun reform in the wake of the mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville. Each member faced an expulsion vote, and only Representatives Jones and Pearson were expelled from the chamber, both on largely party-line votes. To read a statement from President Joe Biden, click here.

Mifepristone Hold

On April 7, 2023, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of Texas ordered a hold on federal approval of the drug mifepristone, which is used to end a pregnancy early. This hold on mifepristone, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000 and used by millions of pregnant people, could severely limit access to the drug. Click here to read a statement from President Biden on the matter.

Kentucky Bank Shooting

On April 10, 2023, there was a mass shooting at the Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky. The shooter, a 25-year old former employee of the bank, killed six people (including himself) and injured nine others. There have been over 140 mass shootings this year, and led to more calls for federal legislation to ban assault weapons. To read a statement from President Joe Biden, click here. To read a statement from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, click here.

Suspect in US Intelligence Leak Arrested

This month, two sets of classified documents were leaked from the Department of Defense by a 21-year old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman named Jack Teixeira. The documents, which included classified information about the Ukraine war and other national security issues, showed up on social media first before investigators tracked the leaks back to a Discord server. On April 13th, Teixeira was arrested by federal law enforcement. To read a statement from Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed of Rhode Island, click here.

President Biden Announces 2024 Campaign

On April 25, 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he was running for the Democratic Party’s nomination for reelection as president. In a video announcing his campaign, Biden stressed his record over the past two years in office and highlighted protecting democracy and growing the economy as the main themes of his campaign. To read a statement from Biden, click here. To read a statement from one of Biden’s potential opponents, former President Donald Trump, click here. To read a statement from Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2016 and Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, click here.

State Legislative Elections:

Mississippi Elections

New Jersey Elections

State Judicial Elections:

Pennsylvania State Judicial Candidates

Want to learn more about the leadership in each state legislature? You can see the full leadership rosters here: All States

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Vote Smart is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides accurate information about candidates, elected officials, and key pieces of legislation. By providing information in an easy and accessible manner, Vote Smart believes that citizens can better defend themselves from the questionable rhetoric and misrepresentation that characterizes present-day political campaigns.