Jan's Plans & Pans - January 24, 2024

Once again, House Democrats saved the day by helping pass a continuing resolution, averting a catastrophic shutdown of the government. A total of 106 Republicans, nearly half of the entire House Republican Conference, voted against the continuing resolution and were prepared for a government shutdown. This is now the third time that Democrats have stepped up to prevent a shutdown. With the passage of this legislation, we have extended the deadlines to pass our appropriations bills to March 1st and March 8th.

In the meantime, House Republicans sent two pieces of legislation to the Senate that are direct attacks on reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy. The first bill, the so-called “Pregnant Students' Rights Act,” attempts to make it harder for college students to access information on contraception, abortion, and other resources that are available to them. The second bill, the “Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act,” would allow states to divert funding intended for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to “crisis pregnancy centers,” which provide deceptive and inaccurate anti-abortion information to women with very little oversight. Fortunately, the Senate will not act on these bills, but it is no question that House Republicans are working towards a nationwide ban on abortions. 

My Democratic colleagues and I will continue to prioritize the interests of everyday Americans, while at the same time pushing back against far-right extremism and poison pill policy proposals.