Author
Black women with children excluded from federal cash assistance program, report finds
WASHINGTON — A new research paper reviewed how each state implemented a federal program that has provided cash assistance to low income families over the last 25 years — and found that Black women with children repeatedly were excluded. On a call with reporters Wednesday, policy experts at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities […]
Feds order new eviction ban in counties with highest COVID-19 infection rates
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials on Tuesday announced a new, narrower moratorium on evictions through Oct. 3, which would protect struggling renters in areas of the U.S. that have been hit hardest by soaring COVID-19 infection rates. The ban applies in all 15 Arizona counties. The targeted eviction ban comes days after a federal moratorium […]
Biden urges state and local leaders to postpone evictions while rental aid is distributed
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday called on state and local governments to put their own pause on federal evictions for at least two months, and urged them to use $46.5 billion provided by the coronavirus relief package for tenants and landlords. But the White House said that the Centers for Disease Control and […]
House Dems to unveil revamped voting rights bill named for the late John Lewis
WASHINGTON — House Democrats plan to next week unveil a new version of a voting rights bill named after the late Georgia civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis. During a Friday press conference, House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina said that House Democrats are expected to introduce a revised H.R. 4, the John […]
Klobuchar: Senate Dems ‘very close’ to a deal on revised voting rights bill
WASHINGTON — Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Thursday that lawmakers attempting to negotiate a compromise elections overhaul bill are “very close to an agreement” on legislation, as Democrats struggle to respond to restrictive voting laws passed in Republican-led states. Klobuchar, the chairwoman of the Senate Rules & Administration Committee, has been meeting with other Senate […]
State Dems relate their experiences on the front lines of the voting rights struggle
WASHINGTON — State Democratic legislators on Tuesday outlined their efforts to not only protect voting rights, but also expand them in their Republican-controlled state legislatures. During a panel discussion, state lawmakers from Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida discussed how they’ve fought against restrictive elections measures introduced and passed in their legislatures. This year alone, […]
Anti-poverty advocates urge Sinema to act on voting rights, minimum wage, filibuster
WASHINGTON — The Poor People’s Campaign announced on Monday the beginning of a weeks-long push calling on Congress to end the Senate filibuster and pass voting rights legislation, with a particular focus on senators like Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema.
Gallego leads bipartisan push to expand veterans’ free access to national parks
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego is joining an Iowa Republican to push for legislation that would give veterans and Gold Star families free lifetime access to national parks and public federal lands. Iowa Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks testified Tuesday before the House Natural Resources Committee hearing in support of the measure.
VP Harris says DNC will pour $25M into voting rights protection
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris announced Thursday that the Democratic National Committee will spend $25 million to protect voting rights, in response to a wave of laws pushed by Republican lawmakers in state legislatures that would restrict voting access.
White House says executive order coming on labeling beef as a ‘Product of USA’
The White House will unveil an executive order in the coming days that directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to clarify that meat can only receive a “Product of USA” label if that livestock is raised in the U.S.
Republicans push back against federal approval for changes in state voting laws
Republicans during a U.S. House Judiciary panel hearing on Tuesday argued that a bill that would reinstate a preclearance section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is unnecessary because there is no discrimination in voting.
Senate Democrats’ voting rights push stalls in the face of GOP opposition
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans shut down efforts to open debate on a sweeping elections reform and voting rights bill brought to the Senate floor by Democrats Tuesday night.