A coalition of Democratic U.S. lawmakers led by Reps. Cori Bush and Ayanna Pressley on Tuesday announced the launch of a new caucus aimed at realizing the centurylong goal of adding an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. “It has been 100 years since the Equal Rights Amendment was first …
Read More »26 Dems In Congress Urge DOJ to Continue Moratorium on Federal Executions
Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams Arguing that “the death penalty is cruel, racist, and fundamentally unjust,” U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley on Tuesday led over two dozen congressional Democrats in calling on the Biden administration to continue its 18-month pause on federal executions. In a letter to U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland spearheaded …
Read More »House Passes CROWN Act, Banning Race-Based Hair Discrimination
On Friday, the House of Representatives passed H.R.2116, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. The act would prohibit discrimination based on a person’s hair texture or hairstyle if that style or texture is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. Specifically, the bill prohibits …
Read More »Congressional Black Caucus Urges DOJ To Act To Protect Voting Rights
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, and Congressman Mondaire Jones led over 40 Congressional Black Caucus members in calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to aggressively protect voting rights and fight against disenfranchisement, gerrymandering, voter purges, and other forms of voter suppression, vote dilution, and election subversion. “These …
Read More »80+ Democrats Urge Pres. Biden to Deliver on Promise to Cancel Student Loan Debt
United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y), and United States Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) led more than 80 Senate and House colleagues calling on the Biden administration to release the Department of Education’s (ED) …
Read More »Student loan payment pause is extended — but many lawmakers and borrowers want more
Nadra Nittle Originally published by The 19th President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he’s extending the pandemic pause on federal student loan payments through May 1, 2022, a move that drew both quick praise from advocates and renewed calls to cancel student debt outright. A moratorium on payments has been …
Read More »Rep. Pressley Introduces Resolution To Strip Rep. Boebert Of Committee Assignments
On Wednesday, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), along with several of her House colleagues, announced a resolution to remove Representative Lauren Boebert (CO-03) from her committee assignments. Joining Rep. Pressley on the resolution are Representatives Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Cori Bush (MO-01), Judy Chu (CA-27), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), …
Read More »Student Loan Payments Suspended Until January 31, 2022
The White House announced on Friday that the moratorium for federal student loan payments is being extended until January 31, 2022. The Department of Education says that this will be the final extension. “The payment pause has been a lifeline that allowed millions of Americans to focus on their families, …
Read More »How Cori Bush’s protest led to a new eviction moratorium
The CDC’s new moratorium doesn’t cover the entire nation, but it offers relief for tenants and reduces the potential for COVID transmission in some communities. Candice Norwood Originally published by The 19th For days, Rep. Cori Bush demanded that President Joe Biden and lawmakers in Congress move to reinstate a …
Read More »Millions Of Americans Risk Eviction As Virus Cases Spike
Millions of Americans could soon find themselves homeless, as a nationwide ban on evictions expired on Saturday against a backdrop of surging coronavirus cases and political fingerpointing. With billions in government funds meant to help renters still untapped, President Joe Biden last week urged Congress to extend the 11-month-old moratorium …
Read More »Republicans Introduce Resolution To Censure Members Of “The Squad”
Republicans introduced a resolution to condemn and censure members of ‘The Squad’ for “defending foreign terrorist organizations” and “inciting anti-Semitic attacks.” Last week, Representative Ilhan Omar tweeted “unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.” 12 Jewish House Democrats asked Omar to clarify her tweet, and …
Read More »House Narrowly Passes $1.9 Billion Capitol Security Bill
In a 213-212 vote with three voting present, the House of Representatives passed a $1.9 billion bill on Thursday to increase security at the United States Capitol. The bill will fund security across the Capitol grounds, bolster protections, and increase preparedness for lawmakers, district offices, and the Capitol Police force. …
Read More »Kim Janey Becomes Boston’s Acting Mayor; First Black Person, Woman To Hold Office
Kim Janey made history Wednesday when she was sworn in as the first Black and first female mayor of the city of Boston. “To think that my teenage grandsons were born at a time when there never had been a black person on our city council,” Janey said. “Today is …
Read More »Democrats Reintroduce Bill To Cancel $50,000 In Student Loans
On Thursday, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Representatives Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Alma Adams (NC-12), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Mondaire Jones (NY-17) and Ritchie Torres (NY-15) led their colleagues in reintroducing their bicameral resolution outlining a bold plan for President Biden to …
Read More »Democrats in Congress Urge Biden to Commute All 49 Federal Death Sentences
Congresswomen Cori Bush and Ayanna Pressley lead 35 Democrats who are urging President Joe Biden to commute all 49 Federal death sentences. The Trump administration ended a 17-year suspension of the federal death penalty. On Martin Luther King J.r’s birthday, the U.S performed the 13th execution. Dustin Higgs‘s death broke a U.S …
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