Poli Alert Politics & Civics

The DOJ asked the Supreme Court this week to dismiss three lawsuits over a Trump-era immigration policy that led some areas to declare themselves “sanctuary cities,” NBC News reports. The policy was part of an effort to get police departments to tell federal authorities when noncitizens were about to be …

Senator Amy Klobuchar led 27 of her Senate colleagues in a letter to President Biden urging him to include strong support and funding for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs in his 2022 budget. The Senators highlighted the importance of prioritizing this funding in light of increased reports of domestic …

Senate Democrats struck a deal Friday evening to extend unemployment insurance in President Biden‘s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package after deliberating and halting other action for roughly nine hours. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) finally supported Democrat’s proposal for emergency jobless benefits after hesitating to support an earlier version. Democrats will now …

Democratic Women’s Caucus Co-Chairs Congresswomen Jackie Speier (CA-14), Lois Frankel (FL-21), and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), and Vice Chair Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), were joined by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) to celebrate the start of Women’s History Month by introducing a bill to honor the legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. …

On Thursday, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried called for a federal investigation into Gov. Ron DeSantis’ vaccine distribution. The state’s top Democrat is asking the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate the Republican governor after the Miami Herald published an article on Wednesday that said a wealthy senior community …

Following the deadly blackouts that left millions of people without electricity and heat for days in subfreezing conditions, the Texas power grid president and CEO has been terminated. On Wednesday, The board of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, responsible for 90% of the state’s power, sent Bill Magness a …

While working at the White House as a physician, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) drank alcohol, took sleeping medication, and sexually harassed a female staffer, according to a report released by Pentagon’s inspector general. The 37-page report concluded that Jackson’s “overall course of conduct toward subordinates disparaged, belittled, bullied, and humiliated them.” …

New York lawmakers have agreed to take away New York Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s pandemic-related emergency powers as he faces two ongoing controversies. The bill to limit his powers comes as Governor Cuomo faces an investigation into sexual misconduct claims and accusations that his administration mismanaged COVID-19 nursing home deaths. The COVID-19 emergency …

A Marionville, Missouri, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for threatening two members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Kenneth R. Hubert, 63, was charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Feb. 23, 2021. That indictment was …

The House on Wednesday night passed a sweeping voting and campaign finance reform bill that aims to expand voting access, increase election security and change how congressional districts are drawn across the county. The For the People Act of 2021, known as H.R. 1, passed by a vote of 220 to 210. …

The House voted 220-212 on Wednesday evening to pass a police reform bill named for George Floyd, whose death in Minneapolis last year led to nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice. “The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act fundamentally transforms the culture of policing with strong, unprecedented reforms,” said Speaker …

The House of Representatives canceled votes Thursday in Washington amid new security threats at the Capitol. Members were scheduled to vote Thursday on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, but will instead vote Wednesday evening and cancel votes for the remainder of the week. The change was due in part …

Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), along with Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico) and U.S. Representative Darren Soto (D-Fla.) today announced legislation to outline a clear process to enable Puerto Rico’s admission into the Union. In November 2020, a majority of Puerto Ricans voted in favor of backing U.S. statehood. The Puerto …

Georgia House Republicans passed a bill to restrict absentee voting and cut back on weekend early voting hours. House Bill 531 passed with a 97-72 vote. “Republicans in the Georgia General Assembly are trying to change the rules of the election here in Georgia, rules that you wrote, because you …

Neera Tanden has withdrawn her nomination to head President Biden‘s White House budget office. The White House made the announcement on Tuesday evening following weeks of uncertainty surrounding her nomination. “I appreciate how hard you and your team at the White House has worked to win my confirmation,” Neera said in a …