(Washington, DC, Wednesday, December 12, 2018) – Despite its hyper-partisanship, we have seen many legislative successes throughout 2018, and indeed throughout the entire 115th Congress. Some were large, some were small, and still others were simply incremental steps toward a larger long-term goal.

In its closing days, the 115th Congress has made several noteworthy strides toward peace and justice. Peace is making progress in Congress, despite the dysfunctions in the legislative chambers.

The Top Eight Successes of the 115th Congress:

Domestic Accomplishments:

• The Farm Bill (HR 2) passed with SNAP benefits still intact. Harsh new work requirements did not make it into law;
• Despite repeated attempts to repeal it, the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare) remains the law of the land;
• Two separate bipartisan bills were introduced in the Republican-controlled House to tax carbon emissions as a concrete step to alleviate climate change;
• President Donald Trump, the House, and the Senate have all signaled that significant criminal justice reform legislation is a priority and will remain a priority in the next Congress.

International Accomplishments:

• The Senate voted 63 to 37 to end American assistance in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Growing grassroots pressure forced the Administration to stop refueling bombing flights, but that was policy, not law. This would make it official;
• The House passed the Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act (HR 5273) The bill strengthens American capacity to address the root causes of violence, which are taking an increasingly harsh economic and human toll;
• Several bills were introduced that would prevent the Administration from going to war with either Iran or North Korea without explicit authorization from the Congress. While these bills did not become law, putting Congressional authority for declaring war back on the radar is an important first step; and
• The Elie Wiesel Act (S.1158) is on the cusp of becoming law. The new law will ensure the government is equipped with the most constructive and cost-effective tools to address the root causes of violent conflict.