Legislation to Look Out For in 2023

Credit Card Legislation – Congress is looking to vote on a bill about eliminating credit card companies from charging fees from retailers. The goal of the bill is to save money for consumers, but Yahoo has pointed out that there are more underlying issues. This bill will not actually help consumers, but will help the big businesses to rank in millions of more dollars since they no longer have to pay credit card fees. This also eliminates credit card sources of income that they use to benefit those who use their cards. While the idea is great, it takes away more free market policies and the big businesses win. 

Pro-Life Legislation – With a new GOP controlled house, there are some bills coming down the line that cover important pro-life measures. With the overturn of Roe V. Wade in June of 2022, the GOP has been on track to keep the pro-life momentum moving. One of the bills likely to come up is to permanently codify the Hyde amendment. This amendment has been on and off the table through the years as a way for pro-lifers to make sure that they are not funding abortions with their tax payer dollars. The goal is to codify this amendment and to make sure tax payers are spared from paying for abortions. Another pro-life bill is one that will protect babies born alive after abortion. The GOP has shown a dedication to the pro-life issue and this continues to gain steam in Congress..

China Legislation – with the rise of China over the last 20 or so years, there has been a growing concern over American ties with China. The GOP has put together a select committee to investigate American and Chinese relationships and assets. This comes after the House permanently banned TikTok, a Chinese company, from House devices in the name of security. TikTok has also been banned in some state governments and other places as well. What the GOP will do with China is uncertain, but the goal is to investigate American policy with China. 

Artificial Intelligence Legislation – Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become more and more a part of our lives. Letting AI conduct interviews, write papers, and other services normally done by humans leads to lots of questions and concerns. There are possibilities that AI will come up in the new Congress and that new systems will be set up. While lots of this technology is still new, there are concerns over the effect that AI can have. Forbes put out an article detailing legislation around the world and how countries are handling this new technology. Some of the concerns, according to Forbes, are data privacy, algorithm discrimination, and whether or not citizens should be able to opt out of AI systems. The goal is to understand the ethics and how this new technology should and should not affect our lives. 

ESG Legislation – Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is a form of investing that many particularly state legislatures are beginning to watch for and present bills on. Kentucky State Treasurer is a leader on this issue and seeking to sound the bell about the harm that ESG is causing investors and companies. The Heritage Foundation put out a video explaining one of the key issues with ESG. Even billionaire Elon Musk has had a thing or two to say about ESG calling it “the devil”. 

Inflation Legislation – with inflation on the rise and the average American family struggling to pay for high grocery bills, inflation is a major legislation point. While inflation is happening everywhere, each state will handle it differently. Some states have proposed rebates while other states are planning to focus on price gouging. These are more immediate effects, while some states are looking to hire the minimum wage that their workers will get paid. Inflation is a national issue though and as states look to combat the issue, most people will be looking to Congress for how they plan to reign in their own spending habits with taxpayer money. 

While there are multiple issues that our country is facing, hope is that newly elected lawmakers will address the most important issues. Legislation takes time to go through the drafting process, the committee process, and ultimately end up with a debate on the house floor. Looking at 2023, I hope that we can pass legislation that addresses the important issues in our country and not shy away from the hard topics. Our country is a great country to live in and I for one want to see legislation that reflects life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

As a final note, be sure to contact your Senator or Representative both on the state side and federal side with questions, concerns, or issues about legislation and know that we the American people can hold our elected representatives accountable and election day 2024 will be here before we know it!