Saporta Report: What have you been up to in Washington, what's going on there?

Kwanza Hall: You would think that this period would be uneventful, that the election was not even relevant, but it's actually turned out to be the most consequential last month or so of the last century, from what I've heard from historians or from people who've been around Congress, primarily because of the level of debt that the country is carrying, because of the pandemic that we're in, the need for a full budget — or at least enough of a budget to get us into the next year and into the time when the new administration can handle things and come up with a new strategy and vision for the country. 

And then we've got social unrest happening and we've got cannabis legalization on the table ... the military budget is $700-plus billion dollars. 

Honestly, it's been a whirlwind, but a beautiful thing that I was prepared for, from having been a city councilman and school board member. Within 48 hours from being elected on Tuesday, to rushing up to Washington, D.C. and being sworn in and voting on Thursday. Usually, you're elected, and you have a couple of months — November, December — and you're sworn in in January, and you get time to prepare, to train and etc. And then you start your vote. 

This was direct trial by fire and drinking from a water hose, that I have to say city council prepared me for. Especially that budget process we get into, in that last week when everything's going on, and there are big deals in place on the table, but there are also surprises that come up. 

We've heard some little surprises around the stimulus. There was a conflict on the number from $908 billion to $916 billion, really more like the $908 billion. But there's tension around ... dollars for states, dollars for people, dollars for business, big business versus small business. So there's a push and pull and we're trying to find a center point that gets everybody happy. The House is led by Democrats. The Senate is led by Republicans...

I've signed onto 15 bills and voted on a significant number of bills. I've introduced two bills. And I have more, at least four, that I'm about to introduce tomorrow [Wednesday] or Thursday. And then we've go the continuing resolution in front of us.

SR: The two bills you filed about voting rights, can you talk about those a little bit?

KH: Well, [late Congressman] John Lewis was a friend, neighbor, mentor and icon in the Civil Rights Movement. He and my father worked in the Civil Rights Movement together. So it was only fitting that I continue the legacy that's in my DNA. 

One piece of legislation is the John Lewis Prompt and Accurate Reporting of Elections Act, which just calls on any state or local government that receives federal funds to be required to ... record their early and absentee voting in advance of the final Election Day so we don't have what happened in the national elections this year. 

And then the other piece of legislation focuses on the disenfranchisement of individuals who are returning from the justice system, who've been incarcerated and are coming back and really don't have their right to vote.

So those are two pieces of legislation, I think, are ... continuing the voting rights legacy that District Five has. It's something that even if I don't get full support, it's something I can hand off to [Representative-elect] Nikema Williams, and it keeps the fire burning in the Fifth District.

SR: And you have some more bills coming up?

KH: One is related to expungement. I've got another related to — and we're trying to still work through it — but there's another related to jails and the treatment of individuals in jails. And then there's another specifically about forced labor, and basically like indentured servitude and slavery. 

So [I'm] really trying to call attention to items that usually aren't on the radar screen. We talk about how bad things are, but no one really does anything. And for this short period of time, I committed to myself and to the voters that I would raise the conversation on matters that usually aren't spoken about. 

I've always been a business-friendly elected official, and also work for peoples' civil rights and justice, justice reform work. But I start with the people and I am with the people in this role. And, and we're in difficult times, so I thought this is the legislation that I can [use to] put the conversation on the table. 

And then there are other bills that I signed on to ... One's related to reparations. Another is related to removing the Confederate monuments, another's related to health for black women and girls, racial and ethnic disparities related to COVID-19 and recording of that, a task force that's focused on that, on the equitable collection of the data. Then there's just a general assurance of coverage. In public health emergencies, many people are running into their coverage may be running out; [Also] focusing on maternal mortality, and then family and medical leave and ensuring that there's pay there. 

... Then there are another seven or so. One is related to housing, emergency rental assistance and rental market stabilization, by Rep Heck from Washington. The rental eviction moratorium, by Rep. Garcia out of Illinois, signed on to that. I've mentioned this when I was campaigning: the George Floyd Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act by Sheila Jackson Lee out of Texas. I've also signed on to the Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act by Representative and Caucus Chair, Jeffries. And then there's one related to poverty, supporting the Protect SNAP Act by Rep. DeLauro [of Connecticut] and women's rights by Rep. Chu [of California.]  

I've signed on to things I believe in ... but they're in the same body of work that Congressman Lewis also spoke to and fought for and I'm just continuing the legacy, picking up the baton, passing it on, on the pieces of legislation that he was supportive of; and then legislation I'm kind of proud of.   

There's the MORE Act ... which is the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, which focuses on righting the wrongs around the 1994 crime bill for those in federal prison, but also legalizing cannabis for medical purposes nationwide at state decision and discretion.

And then in addition to that, there's a medical research bill related to cannabis that we voted on and passed. I'm proud of that because I think our healthcare system is upside down. We need solutions that are bigger and better than what pharma has been offering, natural solutions. I think there's been significant research in Israel and in other parts of the world around the use of cannabis for cancer, for Multiple sclerosis, Chron's disease, Parkinson's disease, PTSD, anxiety, even for weight loss or weight gain, depending on the cannabinoid and the combination of THC or THC V or T, CBD and CBGs, all of the cannabinoids and the terpenes, combined in different manners can address various ailments. But the research is still not completely proven or backed by clinical trials... It hasn't been legal for colleges and universities to to study a Schedule I [prohibited] drug. So that's something that I'm excited about.

The HBCU Partners Act strengthens the capacity and competitiveness of historically black colleges and universities. And also within ... the military bill, the National Defense Authorization Act conference report, there's actually support for historically black colleges in Atlanta — Morehouse College and Spelman College both receive support. And then there's some additional support around having the military bases .. to remove the Confederate emblems and statues and naming so we can kind of get our country closer to right. 

And then House Resolution 8900 furthers the budget. So our government will shut down on Thursday if we don't have some kind of continuance that we will vote on more than likely tomorrow [Wednesday] and or Thursday. 
  
The idea was, we would come back to vote on this and then we would also try to have a joint deal that had the stimulus package in it. 

I talked to a colleague who's exiting Congress and he said that, in one instance, they voted on eight of these continuing resolutions before they got a full deal, week after week after week. 
 
So this is a very, very challenging time around the country, and in particular in Washington. Getting people on the same page, but I'm in support of President-elect Biden's message of unity, and us trying to figure out how we come together, make friends across the aisle to find the common ground that can protect our most challenged communities, our most challenged citizens, our frontline workers, our families and children who are without, who have ... felt the greatest pain from the coronavirus pandemic to date, and we're still not out of the woods on it. I had it during the summer ... for about three and a half weeks. It was very, very tough. I felt I was going to lose my life on a couple of nights. It was every symptom. //On the on the 14 symptoms, I had each of them over that time period, I had fever, chills, body aches, cough, loss of taste and smell and everything else. So I'm thankful to be here. And, frankly, want to do all I can to support our country getting back on the right track.

SR: 
Since it's a short term, is it fair to say you're not going to have time to pass legislation probably? Much less with a Republican Senate. So  is it fair to say though, that you're using this office to lift up the same body of work or continue the work that Congressman Lewis did and bring these issues to the forefront?

We've been without any representative since July 17. There's no one voting on behalf of District Five. You want to vote ... [the choices are] yay, nay, present or zero vote. So that's number one. We deserve a vote. And so I'm there to vote on behalf of and on the wishes of the district. 

Number two, there is the power of the office and of the body to place items on the [House] floor, on the record, to introduce legislation, to raise the conversation, to engage with other leaders to put ideas on the table, that may not have ever been thought about.  People are too busy or maybe they didn't hear from our perspective, or our vantage point, or it just happens to be the right day. 

And I, as an [Atlanta City] Council member, I did that a lot. There are a lot of pieces of legislation, as simple as food trucks. And it took a long time to get that passed. As simple as valet parking on the streets, as simple as decriminalization of possession of less than an ounce of cannabis. So someone has to start it. 

I've been a leader, and I'm willing to be courageous enough to say things in the face of some leaders who may not agree with my perspective or just may not be enlightened to where I'm coming from, or may not have been exposed to the idea, or may have been too busy. 

So I'm willing to commit my time and energy, my staff time, call my friends, my colleagues, meet new people, [they] can help me do the very best, as a steward of District Five, picking up the baton that we were left with from Congressman Lewis, our great icon and leader, and carrying it over the finish line t January 3, and then handing it off to the Congresswoman-elect Nikema Williams. 

SR: There's a there's a couple of elections coming up. I'm thinking of the city mayor, I'm thinking of the next election for the for the District Five seat, are we are we going to see you running for office again?

KH: Well, I was sitting at home enjoying getting started as a business man and it seems like every time my business doesn't jump off, [laughs] I'm pulled back into politics. 

But in this particular case, seriously, it was a personal obligation to the relationship that I had to Congressman Lewis. And that was why I ran and I felt, after thinking about it, I was uniquely prepared at this time, at this moment in our country's history, in my personal time and life as well. I turn 50 next year, it was perfect timing for me to step in this role and to do the things I'm doing right now, it gets bigger and better every day in terms of the activity. 

But I'm not necessarily inclined to have to run again. But what I will commit to you is that I'm committed to Atlanta, I'm committed to District Five and committed to Georgia. I will do everything I can to continue to be a community-based public servant offering my very best thinking and ideas and input ... towards making our communities a better place. That's what I've always done. And I'll never waver from that. I am who I am, because of the people who who have supported me, who've helped raise me, the village that embraced me and made me the man that I am. I hold an obligation: to  whom much is given, much is required. And I felt that as a way of life. So I'm always going to be here giving and serving. But business been in my in my scope, and I've been trying to focus on it. ... After I get a little break, once we see President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris sworn in, then I'll feel like I've done my job and I can take a little breather for a minute.