Hours after armed rioters storm the U.S. capitol to demand the 2020 presidential election be overturned, 7 Senators vote in support of their demands
Under the direction of President John Adams, the Congress passed the Sedition Act of 1798, which made it a criminal offence to publish statements critical of the federal government. The first individual to be tried under the law was Rep. Matthew Lyon, who unsurprisingly had voted against its passage. Lyon was re-elected from jail.
After almost a decade of ignoring or stigmatizing the victims of HIV/AIDS, Congress agrees to pass the Ryan White CARE Act, which funds the life-saving drug AZT for low-income or uninsured patients. Four senators including Sen. Jesse Helms vote against the act.
After emotional and excoriating testimony from comedian Jon Stewart, congress re-authorizes the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Reps. Paul Gosar, Jody Hice, and Thomas Massie are among 12 who vote against the bill.
In 1979, the U.S. Congress established de facto diplomatic relations with Taiwan, including a commitment to militarily defend Taiwan from attack.
