Poli Alert Politics & Civics

by Ariana Figueroa, Florida Phoenix President Joe Biden Friday said he backs “significant policy changes” to asylum law, amid ongoing immigration policy negotiations between the White House and Senate tied to passage of a global security package. “I believe we need significant policy changes at the border, including changes in …

Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination for president on Sunday, saying in a video posted on X that he didn’t see “a clear path to victory” in light of his poor showing in the Iowa caucuses, and endorsed Donald Trump in the …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson pledged to continue pressing for the core values of the anti-abortion movement during a speech to the March for Life on Friday. The Louisiana Republican didn’t commit to bring any legislation instituting a nationwide ban on abortion to the House floor …

  Grace Yarrow, The Texas Tribune In summer 2021, about 50 Democrats from the Texas House arrived at the nation’s capital — absconding from Austin in a plot to block Republicans from passing a bill that would impose tighter restrictions on voting access. Buzzing with excitement, the lawmakers took their …

Lisa Sorg, NC Newsline The eternally spinning beach ball. The bottomless hourglass. A frozen computer screen. A lethargic internet connection is not merely an aggravation. It can deepen the socio-economic divide, foreclosing on educational and job opportunities — even quality health care — for underserved communities. President Joe Biden spoke …

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams The chair of the Senate Finance Committee said legislation advanced Thursday by the GOP-controlled House Budget Committee is a “backroom scheme” to cut Social Security and Medicare outside of the regular political process, a warning that came as Republicans signaled their intention to attach the bill …

Jimmy Williams The Biden administration has announced the cancellation of $5 billion in student debt for 74,000 borrowers, marking a new wave of loan forgiveness. President Joe Biden stated that 44,000 of the approved borrowers, including teachers, nurses, and firefighters, had their education debt wiped clean after a decade of …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder Congress will have until early March to finish work it was supposed to complete last fall — and will avert a partial government shutdown — under a bill both chambers approved with broad bipartisan support Thursday. The 77-18 vote in the Senate and 314-108 vote in the House …

Jimmy Williams Senate Republicans are cautioning their counterparts in the House against playing political games with ongoing immigration negotiations, emphasizing that securing a better deal might not be possible under a potential second Donald Trump presidency. Senator Lindsey Graham expressed to reporters that expecting a better deal under a future …

Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams A Maine judge on Wednesday declined to weigh in on former President Donald Trump’s challenge to his recent removal from the state’s Republican presidential primary ballot, citing the looming U.S. Supreme Court decision in a similar case. The U.S. Supreme Court—which has a right-wing supermajority that …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder The U.S. Senate took a broadly bipartisan vote Tuesday to advance a short-term spending bill, but both chambers of Congress must approve the legislation before a Friday funding deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown. The 68-13 procedural vote moves the bill toward a final vote …

Ariana Figueroa, SC Daily Gazette Passage of a multi-billion-dollar supplemental package hinges on curbing an executive authority used to grant immigration protection, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said during a Wednesday press conference. “If we don’t fix parole, there will be no deal,” Graham said alongside Senate Republican Whip John …

Robin Opsahl, Florida Phoenix Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis thanked Iowans at his watch party in West Des Moines Monday for supporting his campaign while criticizing media organizations and other campaigns. DeSantis said no other candidates have faced as much as him in making it through the first-in-the-nation contest. “The media was …

Jimmy Williams The House of Representatives has temporarily suspended the progression of a resolution aiming to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress. Talks have resumed between Biden’s legal team and the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, focusing on scheduling a date for the president’s son to appear and testify. …

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams A bipartisan pair of congressional negotiators announced a compromise deal Tuesday that would modestly expand the child tax credit for three years—potentially benefiting millions of kids in low-income families—in exchange for reviving Trump-era corporate tax cuts favored by Republican lawmakers. The $80 billion tax framework unveiled …