On January 31, the ABA Board of Governors approved the association’s legislative and governmental priorities which are now posted on the Governmental Affairs Office (GAO) webpage. These priorities will guide ABA leadership, the GAO’s team of lobbyists, and our grassroots outreach supporting the association’s advocacy efforts during the 119th Congress.
The ABA recognizes the political environment in our government has changed, with the Republicans having majority control of the White House, Senate, and the House of Representatives. With change comes new opportunities, and we will adapt our advocacy efforts and limited resources accordingly to maximize the Association’s effectiveness in advancing our policy interests.
As a result, there are two main changes in our priorities for the 119th Congress from the last Congress. First, we have expanded our priority on cybersecurity to also encompass other emerging technologies of interest on Capitol Hill, including artificial intelligence and data privacy. Second, we have moved preserving our Public Service Loan Forgiveness effort into the access to legal services priority and deleted legal education as a stated priority for the association.