States tackling ‘qualified immunity’ for police as Congress squabbles over the issue
By Emma Tucker The fight in Congress to reform how the nation’s police officers go about their jobs has reinvigorated a discussion over so-called “qualified immunity,” a controversial federal doctrine that protects officers accused of violating the Constitution while on duty. While abolishing the more than 50-year-old doctrine remains one of the main sticking points between Republicans and Democrats over any deal on passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a look at reform efforts around the country shows that several states have forged ahead with eliminating the protection. Since Floyd was killed last May by then-Minnesota police officer
Harris casts first tie-breaking vote for a Biden nominee after Senate splits on Pentagon pick
By Jeremy Herb and Ted Barrett Vice President Kamala Harris cast her first tie-breaking vote related to a Biden administration nominee on the Senate floor Wednesday evening, voting to advance the nomination of Colin Kahl to be the Pentagon’s undersecretary for policy. The Senate deadlocked 50-50 on a straight party-line procedural vote to discharge Kahl’s nomination from the Armed Services Committee, requiring Harris to break the tie. She’ll likely have to cast two more tie-breaking votes on Kahl’s nomination before he is confirmed to the No. 3 civilian position at the Pentagon. Wednesday was the first time Harris had to
Biden aims to make the economic case for fighting climate change on second day of virtual summit
By Maegan Vazquez President Joe Biden on Friday aims to highlight the economic opportunities of climate action a day after announcing an ambitious new goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at his Leaders Summit on Climate from the White House. On Thursday, the President committed the US to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% below its 2005 emissions levels by 2030. While the goals are a part of the Paris climate agreement that Biden rejoined upon taking office, they are non-binding and the administration has not rolled out a plan on how the US will meet them.
Republican Sen. Tim Scott to deliver GOP response for Biden address to Congress
By Clare Foran Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina will deliver the GOP response following President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress next Wednesday. The decision will give Scott, the lone Black Republican senator and the lead Republican negotiator on Congress’ policing reform efforts, a prominent national platform from which to speak to the country and counter Biden’s message. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy announced on Thursday that Scott had been chosen to give the speech. “Senator Tim Scott is not just one of the strongest leaders in our Senate
Hopes rise for a police reform compromise, but huge political hurdles loom
Analysis by Maeve Reston and Stephen Collinson Real hope for police reform — even in the rancorously divided US Senate — shows the seismic impact of the guilty verdict in the trial for George Floyd’s murder. A day after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all counts, both sides in Washington sought common ground. The Senate’s lead Republican negotiator, South Carolina’s Tim Scott, put forward a potential deal on a sticking point that has stalled talks for the much of the past year. But hope goes only so far, and the feverish desire among Democratic activists to
House passes bill that would grant DC statehood
By Clare Foran The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to pass a bill that would grant statehood to Washington, DC, a Democratic priority that faces obstacles to final passage even with the party now in control of both chambers of Congress and the White House. The party line vote was 216-208. The legislation now faces an uphill fight in the Senate, where it is unlikely to get enough Republican support to clear a 60-vote threshold for passage. It’s unclear whether even every Senate Democrat would support the measure. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia indicated on Thursday that
Democratic push to make it easier to prosecute officers emerges as sticking point in policing bill talks
By Manu Raju A sweeping bill to overhaul policing practices in the United States still faces an uncertain future — in large part because the two sides remain at sharp odds over whether to make it easier to criminally prosecute officers. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the lead GOP negotiator, opposes Democratic efforts to lower the legal standard to prosecute individual officers. “(Section 242) is off the table for me,” Scott said, referring to the part of the law that Democrats are trying to amend. But California Rep. Karen Bass, the lead House Democratic negotiator, said Thursday the issue is
Infrastructure negotiations: Republicans unveil $600 billion framework as Democrats try to iron out issues
By Lauren Fox The real work of finalizing an infrastructure package that can have widespread Democratic support on Capitol Hill is just beginning as the party must reckon with key differences between progressives and moderates on the scope and cost of the package — as well as GOP lawmakers offering their own alternative. While progressives are losing patience quickly with any discussion on bipartisanship, Democrats in the middle are still clinging to hopes that they can find consensus. The White House has invited key Republicans for discussions, but still GOP senators introduced an infrastructure proposal Thursday that is just a
Atlanta mayor: ‘More effective way’ than boycotts to get necessary voting reform
By Caroline Kelly Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Wednesday urged those looking to boycott Georgia-based companies over the state’s new elections law to instead vote and back federal voting legislation. “My concern with a boycott, not just at Home Depot but any of the … Fortune 500 companies that are headquartered in Atlanta, is that you will impact families like ours,” she told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “Erin Burnett OutFront,” referencing her husband’s employment at Home Depot. “And I do think that there is a more effective way for us to get the necessary change that’s needed in the
GOP senator floats compromise on policing legislation as bipartisan talks pick up pace
By Manu Raju, Jessica Dean and Ted Barrett The lead Senate GOP negotiator over new policing legislation is floating a compromise on a major sticking point that has derailed past efforts to curb excessive force by law enforcement: civil lawsuit protections currently afforded to police officers. The issue of so-called qualified immunity has been a flashpoint in talks over legislation aimed at imposing new police practices across the country, helping to derail legislation last summer amid nationwide protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May. But on Wednesday, Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South