Biden to deliver voting rights speech next week in Atlanta
By Jeff Zeleny and Maegan Vazquez, President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a speechĀ on voting rightsĀ during a visit to Atlanta next Tuesday,Ā traveling to the cradleĀ of the civil rights movement to shineĀ a brighter light on election reformĀ in advance of Martin Luther King Day. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Atlanta “to speak to the American people about the urgent need to pass legislation to protect the constitutional right to vote and the integrity of our elections from corrupt attempts to strip law-abiding citizens of their fundamental freedoms and allow partisan state officials to undermine vote counting processes,”
Kamala Harris to name Jamal Simmons as communications director
By Jasmine Wright, Jamal Simmons, a Democratic communications aide and media contributor, has been tapped to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ new communications director, a White House official confirms. News of Simmons’ hire is the first of what is expected to be a communications overhaul of sorts for the vice president, who spent her first year in office in defense mode following a myriad of reports, including by CNN, of staff infighting and dysfunction. Simmons, according to various biographies, has worked in politics and media for more than two decades, helping elect former Democratic presidents like Bill Clinton and Barack
Biden’s January 6 speech to focus on Trump’s ‘singular responsibility’ in the insurrection
By Maegan Vazquez and Clare Foran, President Joe BidenĀ will mark the first anniversary of the January 6, 2021, insurrection byĀ delivering remarks on Thursday morning focusedĀ on the “singular responsibility” former President Donald Trump had in the assault on the Capitol, the White House says. In Washington, DC, one year ago, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building following the then-President’s rally on the Ellipse outside the White House, where he cast doubt on the results of the 2020 presidential election. The events of the day led toĀ Trump’s second impeachment by the House of Representatives.Ā The insurrectionĀ launchedĀ the largest investigation in FBI history, with 700
Rep. Brenda Lawrence adds to growing number of House Democrats retiring at end of this term
By Shawna Mizelle, Democratic Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Michigan announced on Tuesday that she will not seek reelection to the House this year after four terms representing Michigan’s 14th District, becoming the 25th House Democrat to announce they’re leaving at the end of this term. “Today, after reflecting on my journey — and oh, my goodness, what a journey — and having conversations with my family, I am announcing that I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Lawrence saidĀ in a video posted to Twitter. “I’m incredibly grateful for the people of Michigan’s 14th Congressional District who have placed their
Biden’s 2022 challenges revolve around Covid, Russia and dealing with Congress
By Kevin Liptak, PresidentĀ Joe BidenĀ will return to the White House from an abbreviated winter break facing a set of hurdles that will test his political, diplomatic and management skills at a trying moment for his presidency. TheĀ raging pandemic,Ā a crisis with RussiaĀ and uncertainty surrounding his prized domestic priorities all await Biden in the new year. Determined to reset after a series of struggles — and to recalibrate expectations that some of his allies believe were unrealistic — the President is hopeful the coming weeks can provide much-needed momentum as another election cycle dawns. Biden spent much of his time away from
Why Democrats haven’t given up on Joe Manchin and voting rights
By John Harwood In 1947, the year Joe Manchin was born, the US Senate killed voting-rights legislation — again. The “gravedigger,” liberal Democrats complained, wasĀ filibusterĀ rules empowering its opponents. Today, as 74-year-old Manchin serves his second Senate term, the chamber stands poised to buryĀ his voting rights proposalĀ the same way. But this time there’s a twist: The West Virginia Democrat, by continuing to support the filibuster, himself serves as sponsor and gravedigger alike. That incongruity keeps alive a continuing closed-door effort by fellow Democrats and the White House toĀ change Manchin’s mindĀ on the filibuster. Even those involved concede it’s a long shot. But
Biden’s Build Back Better plan is on ice. Here’s what that means for you
By Tami Luhby and Katie Lobosco, No more monthly payments for tens of millions of families. No universal pre-kindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds. No health insurance for more than 2 million low-income Americans. No funneling of billions of dollars intoĀ clean energy initiatives. TheĀ end of negotiationsĀ betweenĀ President Joe BidenĀ and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia means that these and a multitude of other provisions to strengthen the nation’s safety net won’t happen — at least not soon. The fate of theĀ Democrats’ $1.75 trillion spending planĀ is now uncertain.Ā Manchin announced on SundayĀ that he would not support the current version of the legislation, halting
‘They know where Black voters live’: Challengers say ‘race blind’ redistricting maps are anything but
By Tierney Sneed, In states like Texas and North Carolina, Republican lawmakers in charge ofĀ redrawing the political mapsĀ for the next decade say that the new plans are “race blind.” Their opponents in court say that the claim is implausible and one that, in some situations, is at odds with the Voting Rights Act. Several lawsuits,Ā including from the Justice Department, allege that the maps drawn after the 2020 census discriminate against voters of color. Between a 2013 Supreme Court decision that scaled back the federal government’s role in monitoring redistricting and a 2019 ruling that said partisan gerrymanders could not be
Hundreds of faith leaders demand more from Biden and other Democrats on voting rights legislation
By Chandelis Duster, More than 800 faith leaders are urging President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats to passĀ voting rights legislationĀ in 2022, writing in a letter released Thursday that the issue needs to be the administration’s “number-one priority” after measures stalled in the Senate. “We cannot be clearer: you must act now to protect every American’s freedom to vote without interference and with confidence that their ballot will be counted and honored,” the leadersĀ said in a letterĀ that was obtained by CNN and later released publicly on Thursday. “Passing comprehensive voting rights legislation must be the number-one priority of the administration and
White House says Kamala Harris will be Biden’s running mate if he runs for reelection
By Jasmine Wright and Allie Malloy, CNN White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Vice President Kamala Harris would be President Joe Biden’s running mate should he run for reelection. “Yes, he does,” Jean-Pierre told reporters when asked if Biden would keep Harris as his running mate, adding: “There’s no change.” Jean-Pierre would not comment on possible conversations between Biden and Harris on any possible reelection plans telling reporters: “I can’t speak to a conversation that the vice president and the president had. I can only … reiterate what (White House press secretary) Jen (Psaki) has