Obama invokes January 6 insurrection to advocate for voting rights bill
By Dan Merica Former President Barack Obama on Monday invoked the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol to advocate for a sweeping voting rights bill set to be considered by the Senate, arguing the uprising proved Americans cannot “take our democracy for granted.” Obama’s comments came a day before the Senate is set to vote on whether to advance the For the People Act, the first procedural test of the bill. During a grassroots conference call for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, the former President also argued that America’s “own history” makes clear the importance for fighting for democracy and warned that
Biden’s agenda enters critical week on Capitol Hill ahead of looming Senate recess
By Paul LeBlanc Lawmakers will resume a slate of tense negotiations this week over voting rights, infrastructure and police reform as President Joe Biden’s agenda enters an important week on Capitol Hill. Looming large over the deliberations is the July 4 recess in the Senate, which begins at the end of the week and could encourage real momentum just as easily as it could disrupt it. Here’s where things stand on Capitol Hill: Democrats press forward with voting rights bill The Senate on Tuesday is set to vote on whether to advance the so-called For the People Act,
’10 years is enough’: Advocates and bipartisan lawmakers push for sentencing reform for drug-related offenders
By Christina Carrega and Joe Beare William R. Underwood was a 17-year-old father living in New York City when former President Richard Nixon declared a “war on drugs.” He admits he chose to sell drugs to earn a living — a move that at 34, landed him in federal prison to serve a life without the possibility of parole and a concurrent 20-year sentence for a violent drug offense. “From the beginning of my incarceration, I was surrounded by other men of color serving lifelong and other extreme sentences, including for drug offenses — handed down under a mandatory minimum
Activists fight back as Juneteenth milestone is undercut by GOP discriminatory voting bills
Analysis by Stephen Collinson and Maeve Reston As America finally recognizes the importance of Juneteenth, the full potential of a symbolic new milestone for equality is being undermined by Republican moves to make it harder for many Black Americans to vote. Often in the civil rights struggle, single victories — like this week’s signing of a new law to establish a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the US — quickly cede to the reality of how far there is to go. That is the case on Saturday as progressive activists launch efforts to circumvent new state bills to restrict voting, inspired
New national holiday sets off scramble to shut down governments nationwide Friday
By Paul LeBlanc States across the country are scrambling to close their government offices Friday after President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a US federal holiday. While June 19 — which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — falls on a Saturday this year, governors across the country announced in quick succession a range of plans for their state offices Friday, the closest workday to the new holiday. Many states like Maryland, Nebraska, Missouri, West Virginia and Alabama will give most public employees the day off, but government workers in other states, like California, will
Juneteenth bill sails through Congress but key legislation targeting racial inequity faces major obstacles
By Clare Foran and Jessica Dean Legislation moved quickly through Congress this week to establish June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a US federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The bill overwhelmingly passed the House on Wednesday after the Senate unanimously passed the legislation on Tuesday. But at the same time, key legislation aimed at countering racial inequity and discriminatory policies faces major obstacles on Capitol Hill. A number of stumbling blocks have complicated efforts to strike a bipartisan deal on policing legislation after George Floyd’s death in police custody in 2020 sparked nationwide calls to overhaul
Supreme Court dismisses challenge to Affordable Care Act, leaving it in place
By Ariane de Vogue and Chandelis Duster The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Affordable Care Act on Thursday in a decision that will leave the law intact and save health care coverage for millions of Americans. The justices turned away a challenge from Republican-led states and the former Trump administration, which urged the justices to block the entire law. The justices said that the challengers of the 2010 law did not have the legal right to bring the case. Justice Stephen Breyer penned the decision that was 7-2. Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented. RELATED: Nothing Justice Stephen Breyer has said publicly
Abrams signals openness to Manchin’s voting legislation proposals
By Chandelis Duster Stacey Abrams on Thursday praised West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s proposed changes to voting rights legislation, a notable statement of support from someone who is widely seen as a leader among progressives on the issue. “What Sen. Manchin is putting forward are some basic building blocks that we need to ensure that democracy is accessible no matter your geography,” Abrams, a Democrat and strong advocate for voting rights, said on CNN’s “New Day.” “And those provisions that he is setting forth are strong ones that will create a level playing field, will create standards that do not
President Biden on historic Putin summit: ‘I did what I came to do’
By Kevin Liptak and Phil Mattingly President Joe Biden said he had raised human rights and cyberattacks during a summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that provided an early and critical test of his diplomatic skills in the highest-stakes talks of his long career. Both Biden and Putin afterward described the three-hour-long summit as generally positive but without any major breakthroughs. Biden suggested the face-to-face was compulsory in a time of deeply strained ties between the United States and Russia. And he said proof of progress would come later, when the results of his diplomacy bear out. “I did what
Michigan Senate passes 3 voting bills with new restrictions
By Taylor Romine and Rachel Janfaza The Michigan Senate on Wednesday passed three bills that would restrict voting rights in the state as part of a larger Republican-led package intended to overhaul election laws, despite Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s all-but-certain veto of the measures. The state Senate advanced the measures — part of a 39-bill package introduced by state Republicans earlier this year — in 19-16 votes. One bill would require those requesting mail-in ballots to provide driver’s license or state identification numbers. The other two would require ID for in-person voting and allow people to vote only via provisional ballots without it. They now