Adams 🚨 Alert: Back to Work in Congress
The NDAA passed the House, but won't pass the Senate; meanwhile, we've reintroduced important legislation for moms and student loan borrowers; I talk to Tim Boyum for his podcast.
NDAA Update
After two weeks, Congress came back this week to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the biggest of the Congressional spending bills.
Unfortunately, what started as a strongly bipartisan bill earlier this week was amended into a legislative smorgasbord of bigotry, fear, and xenophobia. The main conflict wasn’t between Democrats and Republicans, but between establishment Republicans and the MAGA faction. After a showdown, MAGA won and got the bill they wanted.
As I explain below, the NDAA was loaded with culture war amendments that took the bill from bipartisan to hyper partisan. Because of the discriminatory nature of amendments, I voted against the NDAA. You can see some of the amendments I voted against in the “Key Votes” section below.
The bill has no chance of passing in U.S. Senate, so there’s a lot more work to do.
Bipartisan Support for Stillbirth Prevention
However, this week I was happy to work with Republicans and Democrats from both chambers to reintroduce the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2023.
Alarmingly, in our nation, approximately 21,000 babies are stillborn every year. This is greater than the number of babies that die during the first year of life and more than ten times the number of babies that die annually due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Data comparing the United States to other countries shows that our nation can and must do more to prevent stillbirth. In the last two decades, the stillbirth rate in the United States declined by a negligible 0.4 percent, and, in a report published by the World Health Organization comparing progress in improving stillbirth rates, the United States ranked 183 out of 195 countries.
However, recent reports and data suggest that reduction in the incidence of stillbirth is possible, highlighting that nearly 25% of stillbirths are potentially preventable. The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act will help bring down the shockingly high rate of stillbirths and maternal mortality in the United States.
The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2023 amends Title V, the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant of the Social Security Act, to clarify that stillbirth prevention activities and research are an allowable use of funds. This clarification will support stillbirth prevention activities, thereby saving the lives of mothers and babies.
The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act will address this injustice, so more babies experience a healthy birth and make it home with their families. I hope we can get a vote on this important legislation this year. These babies – and their mamas – can't wait.
The Clean Slate Series
Finally, for a second year I partnered with fellow North Carolina Congresswoman Deborah Ross, as well as colleagues from other states, to reintroduce our Clean Slate Series legislation to address student loan debt.
This legislation doesn’t forgive student debt, but it does work to remove derogatory marks in the credit reports of borrowers who are repaying their loans. No one should be locked out of housing or other opportunities because of the burden of student debt.
You can watch our press conference on the Clean Slate Series here.
Thanks for reading, and for being engaged in our Democracy.
Sincerely,
Alma
H.R. 2670 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024
“This bill authorizes FY2024 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, military construction, and the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE). The bill authorizes appropriations, but does not provide budget authority, which is provided by appropriations legislation.” - congress.gov
Unfortunately, instead of strengthening our national defense or improving oversight and effectiveness in military spending, MAGA Republicans made numerous “culture war” amendments to the legislation - an unprecedented action for this normally bipartisan bill. Due in large part to many extraneous amendments that would adversely affect the combat readiness of our armed forces, I voted no.
The NDAA shouldn’t be about dividing our country on wedge issues. I voted against all of the amendments below.
Chip Roy Amendment #30 – Amends Section 904 to prohibit federal funds from being used to establish a position within the Department of Defense for anything similar to Chief Diversity Officers or Senior Advisors for Diversity and Inclusion
Chip Roy Amendment #31 – Prohibits funds authorized for DoDEA from being used to promote that idea that, 1) Any race is inherently superior or inferior to any other race, color, or national origin. 2) The US is a fundamentally racist country. 3) The Declaration of Independence or the US Constitution are racist documents, 4) An individual’s moral character or worth is determined by the individual’s race, color, or national origin. 5) An individual, by virtue of the individual’s race, is inherently racist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously. 6) An individual, because of the individual’s race, bears responsibility for the actions committed by other members of the individual’s race, color, or national origin
Ronny Jackson Amendment #5 – Prohibits the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to abortion services.
Matt Rosendale Amendment #10 – Prohibits TRICARE from covering and the Department of Defense from furnishing sex reassignment surgeries and gender hormone treatments for transgender individuals.
Ralph Norman Amendment #20 – Prohibits provision of gender transition procedures, including surgery or medication, through the Exceptional Family Member Program
Eli Crane Amendment #32 – Prohibits the Department of Defense from making participation in training or support for certain race-based concepts a requirement for hiring, promotion, or retention of individuals. It also ensures that employees and service members cannot be compelled to declare belief in or participate in training that promotes such concepts as a condition of favorable personnel actions.
Ralph Norman Amendment #33 – Eliminates any offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion along with the personnel in said offices within the offices of the Armed Forces and Department of Defense
Matt Gaetz Amendment #52 – Prohibits federal funds for training on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Eric Burlison Amendment #62 – Prohibits DoD from establishing new DEI administrator positions and/or taking actions to fill vacancies in currently existing DEI billets.
Adams, Thompson Relaunch e-Learning Caucus
Adams, Stevens, Ross, and Williams Introduce Legislation to Deliver Relief for Federal Student Loan Borrowers
Adams, Merkley, Cassidy, Hinson Team Up to Sound the Alarm on the Silent Stillbirth Crisis
Underwood, Adams Announce Black Maternal Health Caucus 2023 Stakeholder Summit
National Science Foundation (NSF) award made to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with an intended total amount of $426,730.00
This project is entitled “REU Site: Research Experiences and Mentorship in Urban Systems (REMUS).” The award starts Sep. 01, 2023.
National Science Foundation (NSF) award made to University of North Carolina at Charlotte with an intended total amount of $2,816,109.00
This project is entitled "RESEARCH-PGR: Uncover new molecular mechanisms of cyst nematode resistance in wild soybean with systems biology and genome editing." The award starts Sep. 01, 2023.
National Science Foundation (NSF) award made to Davidson College with an intended total amount of $599,836.00
This project is entitled "Elements: Portable Machine Learning Models for Experimental Nuclear Physics." The award starts Sep. 01, 2023.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) award made to AMITY MEDICAL GROUP, INC. with a total amount of $750,000.
Grant awarded for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) award made to UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHARLOTTE with a total amount of $370,490.
Grant awarded for Aging Research. This project is entitled “Gut stress-induced intercellular signaling networks promoting longevity and proteostasis.” The award starts Aug. 01, 2023.
A couple weeks ago, I spoke with Tim Boyum of Spectrum News for his “Tying It Together” podcast. Tim and I have spoken a lot since he started hosting “Capital Tonight” over a decade ago, but this was the first time I had ever told a member of the media the story of how I met my father for the first time.
It’s a good conversation about my life, my background, and some of the work we’re doing in Congress. I hope you enjoy it.
That’s where I’ll lay my hat for this week. Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Alma
The Armed Forces of the United States are for defense of our country & to protect it's interests around the world. Our armed services should NOT be used as a test tube for social experiments. As a no longer serving Marine, am very glad to see the listed amendments pass. I hear people saying the military needs to look like the nation - no it doesn't. It needs to be ready at a moments notice to fight and win wars, that's it's mission.
Such a hypocrite pointing the finger at MAGA while you yourself are part of the far left progressive group of your own party pushing extreme agendas. Our military should be focused on keeping us safe, not promoting drag shows.