Texas House Democrats leave state to block Republicans from passing voting restrictions
By Eric Bradner, Dianne Gallagher and Paul LeBlanc Texas state House Democrats left the state Monday in an effort to block Republicans from passing a restrictive new voting law in the remaining 27 days of the special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott. Two chartered planes carrying the majority of the Democrats who left Texas for Washington, DC, landed at Dulles International Airport on Monday evening, a source familiar told CNN. They have largely kept their planning secret because they can be legally compelled to return to the state Capitol and believed law enforcement could be sent to track them
Biden to make ‘moral case’ for voting rights in major speech Tuesday
By Paul LeBlanc President Joe Biden will make “the moral case” for voting rights in a highly anticipated speech on Tuesday centered around protecting ballot access in the face of “authoritarian and anti-American” restrictions, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. Biden will use his remarks in Philadelphia “to make the case to the American people about how this is a fundamental right,” Psaki said. The address from Biden comes in the aftermath of former President Donald Trump’s “Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and as Republican-controlled legislatures have pressed ahead with new state laws imposing limits on voting.
Biden to deliver major voting rights speech Tuesday in Philadelphia
By Betsy Klein President Joe Biden is set to give an anticipated major speech on voting rights Tuesday in Philadelphia, the White House announced Friday. Biden, the White House said, will deliver “remarks on actions to protect the sacred, constitutional right to vote.” It remains unclear how much his administration can accomplish in protecting voting rights, but the speech reflects that it remains a major issue for the President and the administration. Passing new voting legislation in Congress will almost certainly require altering filibuster rules, since Democrats’ slim majority in the Senate isn’t enough to overcome GOP opposition. Moderate Democrats have opposed major changes to the
Biden administration spotlights voting rights as advocates push the President to do more
By Kevin Liptak Leaders of eight civil rights organizations warned President Joe Biden on Thursday that time is running short to enact new voting rules protecting Americans’ right to cast ballots. The dire message, delivered during a candid session in the White House Roosevelt Room, came as Democrats clamor for the President to do and say more on the issue after defeats in Congress and the Supreme Court. Biden and his team have repeatedly previewed a major push on voting rights after Senate Republicans blocked a sweeping election reform bill last month. Biden told reporters last week he planned on “speaking extensively”
Federal judge blocks effort to invalidate parts of new Georgia voting law ahead of July runoffs
By Pamela Kirkland and Sara Murray A federal court judge on Wednesday denied a motion to stop the implementation of parts of Georgia’s new voting law, ahead of state legislature runoff elections next week. In the ruling, US District Judge J. P. Boulee declined to block parts of SB202, saying the timing of the request presents a problem with runoff elections already ongoing and would change rules for elections that are already underway. The runoffs for two Georgia House seats are set for July 13. The motion went on to say the filing came three months after SB202 had become law. “We are
Biden administration to spotlight voting rights Thursday as advocates push the President to do more
By Kevin Liptak President Joe Biden plans to hold another meeting on voting rights Thursday as Democrats clamor for him to do and say more on the issue after defeats in Congress and the Supreme Court. The White House described Biden’s Roosevelt Room meeting as a private session with a range of civil rights groups to talk about their efforts to protect voting rights. Vice President Kamala Harris, who Biden has tasked with leading the administration’s efforts on voting rights, will also participate in a Washington event with the Democratic National Committee focused on the issue. Biden and his team have repeatedly previewed
Eric Adams will win Democratic primary for NYC mayor
By Ethan Cohen and Gregory Krieg Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will be the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, CNN projects, following the latest ranked-choice count of primary voters, a tally that for the first time included the lion’s share of nearly 126,000 absentee ballots cast. Former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia finished a narrow second in the count released Tuesday night by the New York City Board of Elections, with Adams leading her by a single percentage point — 50.5% to 49.5% — in the final round. Civil rights attorney Maya Wiley made it to the penultimate round, placing third in
Biden and Harris to focus on voting rights Thursday, expand DNC program
By Dan Merica President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will hold separate events Thursday to focus attention on Democratic efforts to combat voter suppression and protect voting rights nationwide, Democratic officials tell CNN. Harris will announce the expansion of the Democratic National Committee’s “I Will Vote” campaign with an event in the Washington, DC, area, according to a committee official. Biden will meet privately with a range of civil rights groups to talk about their efforts to protect voting rights, according to a White House adviser. The separate events come in the midst of Republican efforts to pass restrictive voting
Supreme Court gives Republican-led states green light to impose restrictive new voting laws
By Eric Bradner, CNN The restrictive voting laws that Republican-led states are implementing this year are more likely to withstand legal challenges, experts said, after the Supreme Court on Thursday gave states the tacit green light to go as far as they want in imposing measures they say are intended to combat election fraud — even at the cost of protections for minority voters. The court’s ruling came in an Arizona case, in which Democrats had challenged two voting restrictions: one requiring ballots cast at the wrong precinct to be thrown out; and one prohibiting campaign workers, activists and others from
We’re beginning to see the real Kamala Harris
Opinion by Roxanne Jones A few weeks ago, a meeting was not going well. My business partner had just shut down a room of wealthy, powerful White men. No easy feat. “That is not what I do,” she said to a client. “You need to go sit down with that question.” In other words, do not ask me silly questions. Right away, I knew her comments would be misunderstood as flippant, unprepared and a little too “Black” for the room, even though the client asked a question that was more fitting for an administrative assistant than a CEO. But my