Biden administration reverts to internal blame-shifting amid Afghanistan chaos
By Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood, Oren Liebermann and Nicole Gaouette Factions within the Biden administration are embroiled in a blame game over why the US government didn’t act sooner to withdraw American citizens and Afghans who helped the US over two decades of war, leading to a rushed and dangerous evacuation. Military officials have said that for weeks they urged the State Department to move faster in evacuating its diplomatic personnel. State Department officials have said they were operating based on intelligence assessments that suggested they had more time, but intelligence officials insist that they had long reported the possibility
Texas Senate passes elections bill after 15-hour filibuster from Democratic senator ends
By Dianne Gallagher The Texas state Senate passed Senate Bill 1, an election overhaul bill that would add new restrictions and criminal penalties to the voting process, Thursday morning on a 18-11 party line vote. The final vote was taken fewer than 20 minutes after a 15-hour filibuster of the bill from state Sen. Carol Alvarado concluded. Alvarado, wearing a back brace for support and using a catheter, spoke on the bill for 15 hours and four minutes on her feet without sitting, leaning, eating, drinking or using the restroom — in accordance with Texas rules. The Houston Democrat concluded
Supreme Court blocks part of New York eviction moratorium
By Ariane de Vogue A divided Supreme Court granted a request from a group of New York landlords to block a part of the state’s eviction moratorium that bars landlords from evicting certain tenants in the midst of the pandemic. The court’s three liberal justices dissented from the court’s order and would have left the moratorium in place. The moratorium was set to expire on August 31. In an unsigned order, the court said it had blocked a part of the state moratorium that allowed a tenant to “self-certify financial hardship.” The provision precludes a landlord from contesting that certification
House Democratic moderates threaten Pelosi’s strategy and demand immediate vote on infrastructure bill
By Manu Raju and Daniella Diaz Nine Democratic House moderates are threatening to withhold their support for their party’s must-pass budget resolution until Speaker Nancy Pelosi changes course and instead allows their chamber to first vote on the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan the Senate approved this week. The threat, outlined in a letter provided to CNN, could put Pelosi’s plans in jeopardy to advance the budget resolution later this month since she can only afford to lose three votes from her caucus in the chamber that they narrowly control. “We will not consider voting for a budget resolution until
John Roberts and the Supreme Court might block anything Democrats do on voting rights
By Tierney Sneed A key piece of congressional Democrats’ voting rights push faces not only a near-impossible odds of becoming law, but also a daunting court battle in front of a conservative judiciary if it does. The legislation, known as the “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act,” is now a focus of the House and is expected to be part of the voting rights package negotiated in the Senate to win over West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s support. The bill would restore a provision of the Voting Rights Act meant to address racial discrimination that was gutted by the
56 years after the Voting Rights Act of 1965, lawmakers struggle to find common ground
By Shawna Mizelle President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law on August 6, 1965. The legislation served to protect and enforce the 14th and 15th Amendments of the Constitution. It was enacted in response to voter suppression in the 1960s by state governments, local governments and law enforcement, and prohibited states from denying a person the right to vote based on race or color and banned discriminatory literacy tests. The monumental law was prompted by a series of civil rights movements and events. Most notably, the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March in Alabama, which
Senate Republicans block effort by Democrats to advance voting and election bill
By Clare Foran and Daniella Diaz, Senate Republicans blocked an attempt by Democrats to advance their signature voting and elections overhaul bill in the early hours of Wednesday morning. This was an effort by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats in the chamber to put Republicans on the record on the voting rights package and to demonstrate that they are still trying to pass it despite stiff GOP opposition, a priority for the party and the Biden administration. Democratic senators have argued that the legislation is a necessary counter to state-level efforts to restrict voting access, but Republicans have decried it as
Harris to promote ‘America is back’ message in Singapore and Vietnam
By Betsy Klein Vice President Kamala Harris is set to travel to Singapore and Vietnam later this month, becoming the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit Asia so far. “Her trip will build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s message to the world: America is back,” her office said in a statement. The statement continued, “Our Administration sees Asia as a critically important region in the world. The Vice President’s visit will emphasize the importance of comprehensive engagement and strategic partnerships — key components of our Administration’s approach to foreign policy.” During meetings with government officials, the private sector, and civil society leaders,
Biden celebrates a bipartisan win after Senate passes massive infrastructure bill
By Maegan Vazquez President Joe Biden celebrated the Senate’s passage of a historic, sweeping $1.2 trillion bipartisan package on Tuesday, a step toward fulfilling a key item in his legislative agenda that also amounts to the biggest bipartisan win of his presidency so far. “The death of this legislation was mildly premature,” Biden said during a speech at the White House Tuesday afternoon. “After years and years of ‘Infrastructure Week,’ we are on the cusp of an infrastructure decade that I truly believe will transform America.” Biden, standing alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, said that he “never believed” critics who have characterized his calls
Judge signs order temporarily blocking arrest of quorum-busting Texas Democrats
By Dianne Gallagher, Wesley Bruer and Jade Gordon Texas Democrats who left the state last month in an attempt to stop the passage of restrictive voting bills can now return home to continue their protest without fear of being arrested, after a judge on Monday issued a temporary restraining order. The order, signed by Travis County State District Judge Brad Urrutia, keeps Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan from “issuing any warrant or other instrument” and “detaining, confining, or otherwise restricting a Texas House Democrat’s movement without his or her consent.” It also prevents them from “commanding