U.S. House

Afghanistan: After 20 Years, Thousands Dead and Trillions Spent, Rep. Barbara Lee Proven Right

In an August 30 statement on the Afghanistan withdrawal, Congresswoman Lee said: “Twenty years ago, it was clear that rushing into war without a clearly defined mission and exit strategy would risk perpetual war. The Special Inspector General of Afghanistan Reconstruction clearly illustrated in recent reports that ‘U.S. officials rarely had even a mediocre understanding of the Afghan environment, much less how it was responding to U.S. interventions,’ and that this ignorance often came from a ‘willful disregard for information that may have been available.’ In a world where the threat of terrorism cannot be ignored, hopefully we will learn the lessons from the past two decades and not repeat our mistakes.”

March on Washington 2021 Focuses on Voting Rights

On the 58th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, marchers focused on voting rights.  Voting rights have reemerged as a somewhat unexpected political battlefield as Republicans across the country pass new laws placing barriers in front of the ballot box.

President Issues Executive Orders on Voting on Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

“The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy. Free and fair elections that reflect the will of the American people must be protected and defended,” President Biden remarked during the Martin & Coretta Scott King Unity Breakfast. “But many Americans, especially people of color, confront significant obstacles to exercising that fundamental right. These obstacles include difficulties with voter registration, lack of election information, and barriers to access at polling places.”

General Lloyd Austin Is First Black U.S. Secretary of Defense

“I pledge to fight hard to rid our ranks of racists and extremists,” Gen. Austin pronounced during his confirmation hearings. He also pledged to overturn several discriminatory bans on military service put in place by the previous administration. The confirmation vote cleared by a 93-2 margin – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) were the lone no-votes.

Biden-Harris Administration Commits to Ensure Government Spending with Black and Minority-Owned Media Businesses

President-Elect Joe Biden’s administration plans to support legislation offered by District of Columbia Democratic Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton that would ensure federal agencies advertise with minority-owned businesses, including the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

Congressional Black Caucus Focuses on Economic Recovery of African Americans in COVID-19 Crisis

The first draft of the COVID-19 Senate stimulus bill focused money to bailout large corporations and the top one percent. But after days of negotiation that included President Trump big footing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the legislation was changed to focus more on the needs of main street Americans.

Mike Drop: After Joe Biden’s Big Super Tuesday Wins, What’s Next for Bloomberg?

Excerpt: Democrats turned out in record numbers for Super Tuesday as many are citing their desire to remove President Trump from office as a motivating factor. In the Super Tuesday state of Virginia, primary turnout was the highest ever and surpassed the 2008 primary 12 years ago when former President Barack Obama challenged former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Over 23 percent of registered voters cast ballots on March 3rd.

U.S. House Votes to Condemn President Trump’s Use of Social Media to Spread Racist Messages

“Some of us have been victims of the stain, the pain, the hurt of racism. In the 50s and during the 60s, segregationists told us to go back when we protested for our rights. They told ministers, priests, rabbis, and nuns to go back. The told innocent, little children seeking just equal education to go back,” said civil rights legend and Georgia Congressman John Lewis on the House floor during debate. 

First Member of Congress Calls for Trump’s Resignation Amid Month of Chaos 

During an interview on the Scott Dworkin report, Rep. Gwen Moore said that President Trump “resigning is a dignified way for him to leave as opposed to being impeached or as opposed to being indicted or having the 25th amendment evoked. It’s really a very palliative approach to ask him to just go quietly and spare us all this pain.”

Rep. Waters Statement on Republican Voter Fraud in North Carolina

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) issued a statement on voter fraud allegations in the 2018 midterm election for North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. The results of the race – which were initially projected in favor of Republican Mark Harris who had a 905-vote lead over Democrat Dan McCready — are under investigation after evidence of illegal activity by operatives associated with Mark Harris’ campaign was uncovered.