June 2020 Washington Letter

     

    Federal Government

    Congress Struggles to Reach Agreement on Competing Police Reform Proposals

    The death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police, combined with widespread protests and civil discord throughout the nation, has helped move police reform legislation to the top of Congress’s agenda, but partisan differences continue to forestall any final action. The disturbing images of the deadly encounter went viral, leading to more than 2,000 protest marches in all 50 states and at least 60 countries, all at a time that much of the world has been operating under quarantine in response to COVID-19.

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    Federal Government

    Federal Judiciary Needs Additional Resources

    Earlier this month, the ABA expressed support for the Federal Judiciary's emergency supplemental funding request for $25 million and for conversion of temporary judgeships to permanent status. The ABA urged Congress to take prompt action on these requests to ensure that the courts have adequate resources to provide timely and impartial justice so that individuals and businesses can get back on solid ground and contribute to the restoration of the economy.

    Election

    The Impact of COVID-19 on Federal Elections

    With the number of COVID-19 cases rising sharply, more states are starting to look at mail-in and absentee voting as a safe way for eligible voters to cast their ballots in November. This is an understandable alternative as in person voting could force people to be in close proximity to each other during a time of social distancing. However, there is much debate around the security of voting by mail, with some saying that mail in ballots could make the election process susceptible to fraud.

    Federal Government

    Legislative Deadlines in Congress

    With a full schedule for 2020, Congress had to pause its intended calendar to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest that has necessitated systematic changes across the country. That does not mean that legislative deadlines for important bills involving annual appropriations, national defense authorization, and health care extenders have gone away, so we expect a very busy few months leading up to the end of this legislative session.

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    About the Washington Letter

    The ABA Washington Letter is a monthly publication produced by the Governmental Affairs Office to report and analyze congressional and executive branch action on legislative issues of interest to the ABA and the legal profession. The newsletter highlights ABA involvement in the federal legislative process and focuses on the association's legislative and governmental priorities and other issues on which the ABA has policy.

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