You don't want to miss this.     September Research Wrap Up   The Vote Smart Research Team worked hard this month alongside their new members to bring you (the best) Facts For All! Check out some of the key highlights below! VOTES The House of Representatives passed HR 1435 - Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act. The Senate invoked cloture (which means to end a filibuster on a vote) on HR 3935 - Securing growth and robust leadership American Aviation Act. STATEMENTS On September 6th, 2023, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise visit to Ukraine to reaffirm the United States’ support for them in their war against Russia. During the visit, which included meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyal, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Blinken announced another aid package totaling more than $1 billion. This package includes weapons, security, and financial assistance. To read a statement from Secretary Blinken after his meeting with Prime Minister Shmyal, click here. To read a statement from Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Representative Mark Alford of Missouri, click here. On September 6th, 2023, the Biden administration announced that it will cancel oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, also known as ANWR, as well as protections for vast areas surrounding it. The original lease was part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in a provision that required the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to hold two sales of land in the area before 2024, one of which was sold during the Trump administration. To read a statement from President Joe Biden, click here. To read more about this announcement from Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, click here. To read a statement from Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, click here. To read a statement from Representative Mary Peltola of Alaska, click here. To read a statement from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, click here. On August 31, 2023, Danelo Cavalcante Escaped from Chester County Prison, PA, after being sentenced to life in prison on August 16, 2023, for first-degree murder. According to the jail’s acting warden, Howard Holland, surveillance footage showed Cavalcante managed to escape through a narrow spacing between two walls in the prison exercise yard, crab-walking up and out of sight. He proceeded to run across the roof, scaled a fence and forced his way through prison wiring. From the time of Cavalcante’s escape, he was spotted on many occasions and in multiple different locations, such as the Botanical Gardens, nearby jail perimeters, and in the Pocopson Township Home. Police stated Cavalcante successfully stole a rifle, changed his appearance, used and abandoned a white van during the time of his escape. On Wednesday, September 13, 2023, the Pennsylvania State Police announced the escapee was captured and placed into custody. Officials said Cavalcante has now been taken to a prison in Montgomery County to begin serving his murder sentence. To read a statement from the Governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, click here. To read a statement from Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, click here. To read a statement from Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, click here. To read a statement from Representative Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Representative John Joyce of Pennsylvania, click here. On September 9th and 10th, the G20 had its annual summit in New Delhi, India. The G20, a nongovernmental organization consisting of 19 countries, the European Union, and now the African Union, works to address any and all major issues relating to the international economy, finance, and development. During this summit, the group agreed on language about the war in Ukraine–that states grab territory by force but notably did not include any criticism of Russia (a G20 member) for initiating the war; adding the 55-member African Union to the group; a plan between India, Saudi Arabia, and the United States to create rail links between the Middle East and South Asia; and an agreement to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. To read a statement from President Joe Biden, click here. To read a statement from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ahead of the G20, click here. To read a statement from Representative Sara Jacobs of California on the introduction of the African Union to the G20, click here. Lastly, to read a transcript of an interview with House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul of Texas on the language about Ukraine, click here. On September 12th, 2023, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, launched an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. This is the first step in the impeachment process of any executive official, and means that the speaker is directing three committ ees in the House–the Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means–to begin investigations into President Biden’s involvement in his son, Hunter Biden’s, business dealings with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, pointing to alleged corruption on the part of the President, then Vice President, using his position in the government to help his son make a profit. If the investigation finds evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors, then the House would move forward with a vote on articles of impeachment. To read the statement from Speaker McCarthy announcing the inquiry, click here. To read a statement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, click here. To read a statement from Senator Mike Braun of Indiana, click here. To read a statement from House Oversight Chairman, James Comer of Kentucky, click here. To read a statement from Representative Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, click here. To read a statement from Representative John Curtis of Utah, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, click here. On September 14th, 2023, Congress - specifically the House, passed The Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, H. R. 1435. The purpose of this act is to amend the Clean Air Act to prevent the elimination of the sale of internal combustion engines. The current action highlights the act has been received, read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. H. R. 1345 now moves to the Senate for consideration. To read H. R. 1435 Bill text and how your representatives voted, click here. To read a statement from Representative and Bill Sponsor John Joyce of Pennsylvania, click here. To read a statement from Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, click here. To read a statement from Representative Marjorie Tyalor Green of Georgia, click here. To read a statement from Representative Mark DeSaulnier of California, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Representative Kevin Mullin of California, click here. On September 15th, 2023, the United Auto Workers (UAW), a union representing workers in automotive manufacturing, started a strike against three of the biggest automakers in the United States: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (a first in the union’s history). The UAW’s concerns are centered mostly around a new labor contract negotiated between the union and the automakers, with demands including increased wages to keep up with inflation, an end to the tiered employment system that might disadvantage newer hires, an improvement on overtime and retirement benefits, and improved worker protections against plant closures, among others. Currently, the UAW is striking three plants in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri, but could expand the strike to other locations the longer it continues. To read a statement from President Joe Biden, click here. To read a statement from Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, click here. To read a statement from Michigan Representative Elissa Slotkin, click here. To read a statement from Representative John Moolenaar of Michigan, click here. To read a statement from Representative John James of Michigan, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Representative Val Hoyle of Oregon, click here. On September 19th, 2023, five Americans who were considered “wrongfully detained” by Iran were released in a prisoner swap deal negotiated between the Biden Administration and President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran. In exchange for the release of these five Americans, who were either Iranian nationals or dual citizens in the United States at their time of arrest, the Biden Administration agreed to unfreeze $6 billion in frozen oil revenues in addition to the release of five people in U.S. custody. To read a statement from President Joe Biden on the exchange, click here. To read a statement from former President Donald Trump, click here. To read a statement from the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, click here. To read a statement from Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, click here. To read a statement from Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, click here. On September 22nd, 2023, Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey was indicted by the Department of Justice on bribery charges. These charges, which also include charges against his wife, Nadine Menendez, and three New Jersey businessmen, include aiding in an arms sale to the Egyptian government in exchange for money and attempting to thwart the criminal prosecution of a friend in exchange for gold bars. Menendez, who was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee until this indictment and has since stepped down, has chosen not to resign among calls from leaders in the New Jersey state government and over a dozen of his fellow Senators. He is also up for reelection next year, where he would seek a fourth term as New Jersey’s senior senator. To read a statement from Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey, click here. To read a statement from Senator Bob Menendez himself, click here. To read a statement from New Jersey’s other US Senator, Cory Booker, click here. To read a statement from Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, click here. To read a statement from Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, click here. On September 22nd, 2023, President Joe Biden established the White House’s first Office of Gun Violence Prevention with the intention of helping to reduce the nation’s epidemic of gun violence. Additionally, this office is tasked with implementing last year’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. As a reminder, this legislation would, among other things, enhance background checks and increase funding for “red flag” laws. The office will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris. To read a statement by President Biden, click here. To read a statement from Vice President Harris, click here. To read a statement from Senator Chris Murphy, who introduced the Bipartisan bill last year, click here. To read a statement from Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota, click here. To read a statement from Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, click here. To read a statement from Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida, who attended the event announcing this new office, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Representative Lucy McBath of Georgia, click here. On September 26, 2023, Congress passed H.R. 3935, a reauthorization bill demonstrating the work of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This bill authorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through the fiscal year of 2028, includes activities and programs regarding airport planning, development, facilities, equipment and operations. The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, allows for enhanced aviation safety, improves passenger rights and further develops the infrastructure of aviation. To see the H.R. 3935 bill text and how your representatives voted, click here. To read a statement from Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, click here. To read a statement from Washington Senator and the Chair of Senate Appropriations Patty Murray, click here. To read a statement from Representative and bill sponsor Sam Graves of Missouri, click here. To read a statement from Representative Chip Roy of Texas, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Chuy Garcia of Illinois, click here. On September 26, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) reached a three-year deal, therefore officially concluding the WGA strikes. These strikes have been undergoing for some time, dating back to May 2nd, 2023, in Hollywood. The agreement includes four main components: increase in both wages and residuals, language when addressing minimum staffing in writers rooms, payments relating to the streaming success, and protectings combating artificial intelligence. Writers who return to work on Wednesday, will be under the new contract terms. To read a statement from President Joe Biden, click here. To read a statement from Senator Alex Padilla of California, click here. To read a statement from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Representative Adam Schiff of California, click here. On September 27th, 2023, seven Republican candidates for President stood on a debate stage for the second time. In a two-hour long debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library sponsored by the Republican National Committee and hosted on the Fox Business channel, candidates debated issues ranging from the UAW strike to the US-Mexico border to the economy at large. Candidates included Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. The requirements for making it to the debate were similar to the first–to attain 50,000 individual donors, sign a loyalty pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee, and poll either above three percent in at least two national polls or one national poll plus two state polls from the early primary states. To read transcripts from the debate, click on the candidate’s name above and you’ll see a link to everything that candidate said during the debate. 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