legislation
The bills that Congress reject are as informative as the ones it does. Reviews of all the legislation that meet their fate in government halls.
Westminster's DUP Deal Could Bring Equalities Reform
Finally, we actually have a government in Westminster. Sure, it’s not the greatest option, but the Conservative-DUP amalgam is the best we could hope for in the present circumstances. It’s been something of a worry to commentators across the political spectrum, as the DUP are extremely socially conservative, and Northern Irish politics, in general, are held back by religious influences.
Katy PreenPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
Birth to Death
Every since the Scottish referendum in 2014, the SNP has been running amok with legislation. There are those in Scotland asking for the SNP to get on with the day job, without understanding that while the majority are constantly distracted with the constitutional question, the SNP Scottish government has been actively enabling the state.
Harmony FlowerPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
Religious Privilege: Child Marriage
In December of 2010, the US Congress held a vote on S987, which would grant support to young girls in other countries, who were trying to escape forced, child marriages. This bill needed a 2/3 majority approval in congress to pass, which it did obtain in the Senate. In the House of Representatives, however, the bill was defeated due to a last minute push by Republicans. Of these Republicans, 157 opposed the bill, and only twelve supported it.
Jesse BookerPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
Ministerial Discretion: Are We Going Too Far Again?
The past few years have depicted a very worrying pattern of behavior from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Both direct and indirect consequences of recent changes introduced by the DIBP all appear to have a similar end result—a significant power shift, away from rights of the individual and towards increases in State authority.
The Cost of Saving
This continued obsession with universally driving down the cost of government in the holy-name-of-austerity is thankfully starting to raise a few eyebrows amongst the more open-minded sections of the electorate.
Jordan CattoPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
The Human Cost of Healthcare
To say healthcare is hard, regardless of what aspect of it you're discussing, is an understatement of incredible proportion. It doesn't matter if you're talking regulation, measuring treatment outcomes, economics, or any other angle you want to tackle. Healthcare policy is unquestionably near the top of the list when it comes to complicated topics.
Joshua GuessPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
Arrested for Wanting to Live?
Last Thursday I logged on to Facebook and was shocked to see videos of Capitol Police forcibly removing disabled protestors from the hallway in front of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office. It was appalling to see how the protestors, who were exercising their constitutional right, were being treated. One of my friends was among those forcibly removed from their wheelchairs and carried out. With her hands zip-tied behind her back, she was later put back in her chair so she could be loaded into a police bus and taken away to be officially arrested and processed. Thankfully she is alright. The recently aired Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, released June 22, will treat approximately 75 million Americans with that same level of care and compassion regardless of age, race, gender, or ability.
Erin VallelyPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
£1bn Deal Agreed Between Conservatives & DUP and The Death of Austerity
Following the shambolic election campaign, embarrassing Queen's Speech and the controversial move to hold a 2-year parliamentary session, Theresa May has today announced that a deal has been reached between the Conservative Party and the right-wing DUP.
Jordan CattoPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
The Republican Party Has a Mitch McConnell Problem
Mitch McConnell had a choice: he could let the house healthcare bill die in the senate, or he could craft his own. There was no chance the disastrous house bill could pass the upper chamber. GOP senators declared it dead on arrival.
Joshua GuessPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
Neutrality or Neutrali-tarianism?
The Problem The conversation about Net Neutrality seems like a simple one: Proponents say that without it, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will run amok and adopt unfair practices to keep ahead of their competitors. This would be a horrible miscarriage of justice… if we only had a single ISP for the geographical region. It could even be used to stifle freedom of speech…except that new networks also have deep pockets and they keep a keen eye on their viewership. In fact, it should be a problem by now. The internet providers have had decades to institute these practices that proponents of formalized Net Neutrality. So, if there were a profit in it, wouldn’t they steer things in a way that benefits them?
Mickey FinnPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
Humanity: The Greatest Investment
Humanity's faith in government is at an all time low. The turmoil related to the current US presidency is an extreme example of what doesn't work, but all across the board there seems to be a growing unrest in political processes, the power of big business, and the biases of the media and how our perceptions are subject to manipulation. In my opinion, governments across the globe have to demonstrate actual care and compassion towards the welfare of their citizens or face increasing unrest, turmoil and dysfunction.
Michael ThielmannPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
Why Evangelicals Have No Relevant Message
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in the landmark case: Obergefell v. Hodges. Same-sex couples and their supporters across the country celebrated what they considered to be a humane and just progression of domestic policy. However, a significant number of Americans protested the verdict and viewed it as an attack on accepted morality and even a suppression of religious liberty. Enter Kim Davis.
Jesse BookerPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp
