Just as I was celebrating the likely passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act—the most significant gun safety package in nearly 30 years—I learned that the Supreme Court had struck down a century-old New York gun safety law. In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that individuals can bear arms, even in public places, for “self-defense.”
For a moment, I felt like Sisyphus, the character in Greek mythology condemned for eternity to rolling a rock uphill only to have it come crashing down again. Then I rallied and vowed to fight harder than ever for what we know is right. Even if progress is painfully slow, it IS happening.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will enhance background checks for gun purchasers under age 21 and broaden access to mental-health services, especially school-based programs. It will also encourage states to implement red flag laws that temporarily keep individuals at elevated risk of harming themselves or others from gaining access to guns.
Last week, the House took up two bills—the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act and the Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act—that begin to address the mental health crisis among students and educators struggling to be there for their students while coping with challenges of their own.
Congress also passed the bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act, extending through the summer USDA’s authority to issue waivers that allow schools to offer all students free meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to push for a longer extension to ensure no child goes hungry.
In all of these efforts, your engagement has been critical. Keep it up!
In solidarity,
Marc Egan
Government Relations Director
National Education Association
We need a judiciary that looks more like America, a judiciary that includes fair-minded people—with diverse personal and professional backgrounds—who are committed to justice for all.
CHEER: Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) fought against including the Behavioral Intervention Guidelines (BIG) Act (H.R. 2877) in a package of mental health bills NEA otherwise supports.
Jeer: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) eliminated a provision of the Keep Kids Fed Act that would have allowed more children to receive free school meals for the entire 2022-23 school year.
