Despite the partisan divides and Republican grandstanding that have characterized the U.S. Congress in recent years, there has been some progress made on Capitol Hill in recent months. Several bills and nominations have advanced in Congress that would significantly impact the lives of millions of people in this country and around the world, including several that are particularly relevant to the Black community. Here is a quick rundown of five important actions that Congress should take as soon as possible.

1. End the federal prohibition against marijuana.

After decades of the Republican Party pushing the War on Drugs, leading to the mass incarceration of Black and brown Americans, some Republicans have moderated their stances on drugs criminalization. In one of the few bipartisan and progressive moments of President Donald Trump’s administration, Congress passed and Trump signed the First Step Act, which led to thousands of people being released from federal incarceration, many of them having been imprisoned due to unequal drug possession laws.

Now, the U.S. House of Representatives has gone a step further and voted to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, would also expunge the criminal records of those with past marijuana convictions, among other provisions. The House vote was close, 220 to 204. The vote was mostly along party lines, with two Democrats voting against legalization and three Republicans voting in favor of making marijuana legal.

With the Senate evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, the bill may have a hard time passing that chamber. It is unclear how conservative Democrats such as Joe Manchin (D-VA) will vote. Despite the challenges, however, succeeding in overturning federal marijuana laws would go a long way toward addressing racial disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system, as most drug-related arrests are for marijuana, and Black people are far more likely to be arrested and convicted than white people for the same marijuana-related offenses

2. Pass the CROWN Act to end hair-based discrimination.

As Blavity previously reported, the House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act in March. An acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, the CROWN Act bans hair-based discrimination. This type of discrimination has been particularly impactful on Black people, often Black women, who have faced hostility and been denied opportunities in employment, military advancement, education and several other facets of life.

The CROWN Act passed the House along party lines, with only 14 Republicans voting for the bill. The legislation may thus have a harder time in the evenly-divided Senate. The CROWN Act is being reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee — yes, the same committee that saw Republicans acting like fools over Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination. Nonetheless, if all 50 Democratic senators vote for the bill and Republicans do not choose to filibuster it for some reason, the legislation will come down to a vote from Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be more than happy to cast the tie-breaking vote to end a form of discrimination that far too many Black women have faced in this country.

3. Restore funding to fight COVID in Africa.

The U.S. Senate recently announced a smaller than expected aid package to continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The new budget allocates significantly less money to fight COVID than the White House had proposed earlier in the year, including eliminating $5 billion that had been proposed for fighting COVID globally. Critics have pointed out that this cut is dangerous, given the global nature of the pandemic.

Given the ongoing global health crisis, Congress needs to restore and even increase aid to Africa in fighting COVID. Vaccination rates in Africa remain lower on average than those of any other region of the world, and U.S. efforts at global vaccination have previously focused on the continent. The emergence of the omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa before becoming the dominant strain of COVID around the world, highlights the close connection between the fight against COVID at home and abroad. Senate Republicans are currently blocking a debate on additional COVID-19 funding, but their hardline stance could endanger millions of lives in this country and abroad. Cutting funding for vaccination and research in Africa is thus extremely short-sighted, and Congress needs to reverse this decision.

4. Pass insulin price controls.

COVID-19 is not the only major public health crisis the U.S. is facing. More than 10% of the country’s population currently lives with diabetes, and up to 100,000 Americans die from diabetes complications each year. These two health crises are currently colliding, as data shows that 30 to 40 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have been among people who also have diabetes.

Insulin prices have skyrocketed in the U.S., leading many people who cannot afford to purchase sufficient quantities to ration their supplies or go completely without. This is a particularly dire concern for the Black community, as Black Americans are 60% more likely than white Americans to have diabetes and twice as likely to die for diabetes-related reasons.

But despite these grim numbers, some Republicans have opposed recent efforts to regulate the price of insulin, the primary treatment for diabetes. Nearly all Republicans in the House recently voted against a bill that would cap the price of insulin at $35 per month instead of the almost $2,000 that people currently pay. Among the opponents was Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who callously declared that those who cannot afford insulin should lose weight, ignoring the many non-lifestyle factors that contribute to diabetes. Despite this GOP opposition, the insulin price cap passed its vote in the House. Now, the Senate needs to turn this proposal into law to protect the lives and health of millions of Americans who should not have to choose between their physical and economic well-being.

5. Confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as a Supreme Court Justice.

As Blavity previously reported, Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have shamefully treated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at hearings on her nomination to the Supreme Court. Earlier this week, the committee split on her nomination in an 11-11 tie vote along party lines. Nonetheless, Senate rules will allow Democrats to advance her nomination to the full Senate floor.

At least three Republican Senators have declared their intention of voting in favor of the nomination, virtually guaranteeing that Judge Jackson will be confirmed to the Supreme Court. As Jackson makes history, Senate Republicans will hopefully be less vitriolic in their rhetoric in the lead-up to the final vote. Regardless of their behavior, however, Jackson’s performance during the confirmation process has been incredibly inspiring, and her presence as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court will be a major milestone for our nation.

Confirming Jackson quickly and passing the legislation mentioned above will go a long way toward addressing the most pressing concerns facing the Black community and America in general. If Congress wants to truly serve the country and not partisan interests, it will move quickly to approve these measures.