|
The House will vote on the GOP plan to repeal Obamacare today. At least that’s what the White House told rank-and-file MoCs on Thursday night when they were short of the 215 votes they need for passage. Stay tuned. This debate is so tense even Obama broke his silence. Meanwhile, SCOTUS nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch is looking less certain. Republicans control 52 seats in the Senate. They will need the unlikely support of eight Dems to end the Dem threat of a filibuster. HBCUs came up during the USDA confirmation hearings on Thursday. CBC members weigh in on DC’s missing girls of color. And Jay Z is bringing Trayvon Martin's story to the big screen. But first, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights gets new leadership. Here’s your Friday read...
Leadership Conference Names New President
The long-awaited announcement from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights came on Thursday. Civil rights litigator and advocate Vanita Gupta will assume the helm as Wade Henderson steps down. Gupta will hold the titles of president and CEO of both organizations and officially assume the roles on June 1st. She most recently served in President Obama’s administration as the head of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. More here.
Readout of CBC Meeting with Trump
Members of the CBC kicked off their remarks by jokingly thanking reporter April Ryan for setting up the meeting with Donald Trump on Wednesday. The CBC executive committee told the president that his budget priorities and his legislative initiatives would hurt African Americans more than they would help. They released a 129-page briefing book that members offered to Trump during the meeting at the White House, entitled, “We Have A Lot to Lose: Solutions to Advance Black Families in the 21st Century.” To see the briefing, click here.
Group Threatens to Replace CBC Members Following Oval Office Meeting
But #WeWillReplaceYou, a progressive group urging primaries for any Dem lawmaker who does not do everything they can to oppose Trump, slammed the meeting between the CBC and the president. “I don’t ... how there can be shared goals with a president who in two months has directly cut services and called for more financial cuts or the complete elimination of programs that protect the Black people in the most need in this country,” #WeWillReplaceYou co-founder Jessica Pierce told BuzzFeed News. More from Darren Sands here.
CBC Weighs in on DC’s Missing Girls of Color
Despite the criticism for an attempt at bipartisanship, the work continues. “Ten children of color went missing in our nation’s capital in a period of two weeks and at first garnered very little media attention. That’s deeply disturbing,” CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) wrote in a letter to AG Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey. They ask both agencies to “devote the resources necessary to determine whether these developments are an anomaly or whether they are indicative of an underlying trend that must be addressed.” More here.
Howard University on the West Coast
Google announced Thursday it is creating a college campus at its Mountain View, CA headquarters that’s geared toward students at HBCUs. The campus, called Howard West, will launch this summer in partnership with Howard University. About 25 to 30 rising Howard juniors and seniors majoring in computer science will qualify for the 12-week program. The partnership was envisioned by Google’s Bonita Stewart and executed with the work of a cross-functional team, including Obama alumni Valeisha Butterfield-Jones on Google’s D&I team and Gozie Nwabuebo on the Higher Education team. More here.
HBCUs Come Up at Perdue’s Confirmation Hearing
Speaking of HBCUs, the topic came up during Thursday's USDA confirmation hearing. The 1890 Land Grant Institutions are HBCUs that were established under the second Morrill Act of 1890. Hence, HBCUs have a unique relationship with the USDA. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) both asked GA Governor Sonny Perdue, the nominee to lead the Department, about working with them to strengthen programs for 1890s and find ways to encourage state governments to match the federal government's financial investments if he is confirmed. Perdue replied that he would look forward to working with the senators on preserving HBCUs. A group of 1890 presidents will be in town next week for Hill and USDA meetings. See the exchange at timecode 2:11:00 here.
Obama Touts ACA Success
President Barack Obama broke his relative silence since leaving office to tout the ACA on its seventh anniversary -- coincidentally, the same day that the House of Representatives is scheduled to try to repeal large chunks of the law. He released a statement saying, “Thanks to this law, more than ninety percent of Americans are insured -- the highest rate in our history.” To read the entire statement, click here.
Pérez and Ellison Kick Off DNC Tour
Today, DNC Chair Tom Pérez and Deputy Chair Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) head to Michigan to kick off the Democratic Turnaround Tour. They’ll start the day with a breakfast meet & greet with Congressman Sandy Levin (D-MI), local labor leaders, and members and progressive grassroots activists in the Detroit suburb of Warren before heading to Flint for a roundtable discussion with community leaders, local Democratic officials and special guest Mari Copeny, also known as “Little Miss Flint.” They’ll end the day with a townhall rally in Detroit at the Church of the New Covenant where Keith’s brother, Brian, serves as pastor.
Jay Z Brings Trayvon Martin’s Story to the Big Screen
Jay Z and The Weinstein Co. are teaming up to tell the story of Trayvon Martin in both a feature film and a series. The indie company has acquired the rights to two books -- Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It and Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon. Jay Z and The Weinstein Co. plan to create both a docuseries and a narrative feature film about Martin's story and the events surrounding his death. More here.
Chao Says Trump Tapped into Anxiety and Fear
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says Trump “obviously has touched a chord with the American people, many of whom did not feel comfortable saying that they were for him as president, but as we saw in the election there were many, many people who were for him," Chao said in her first sit-down interview since becoming Transportation Secretary. "I thought that he had tapped into something, a strain of anxiety, of fear, of vulnerability that somehow nobody else did." More here.
Cummings Calls for Investigation into Nunes
Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) called for an investigation into House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA), who bypassed the panel to brief Trump on information related to U.S. surveillance of his transition team. During an interview on CNN's "New Day," Cummings said, "They are privileged to information that most members of Congress may never see and so you expect them to be extremely confidential. What he did was basically to go to the president, who's being investigated by the FBI and others and by the intelligence committee, to give them information." More here.
Payne Wants Nunes Gone
Congressman Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ) says that Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA) should relinquish his role as chair of the House Intelligence Committee. “Nunes has failed in his responsibilities as chairman,” Payne said in a statement Thursday. "I strongly believe that Chairman Nunes should step down immediately.” More here.
Lieu Calls for a Halt in Trump Presidency
Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) wants to bring Trump's agenda to a screeching halt in light of reports of possible coordination between his campaign and Moscow. “The bombshell revelation that U.S. officials have information that suggests Trump associates may have colluded with the Russians means we must pause the entire Trump agenda. We may have an illegitimate President of the United States currently occupying the White House,” Lieu said in a statement. More here.
Civil Rights Leaders Meet with Schumer
On Wednesday, civil rights leaders met with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) to discuss key policy issues and express their shared opposition to the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, the ACA repeal bill, and the administration’s economic agenda. Attendees included: NUL’s Marc H. Morial, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Executive Director Kristen Clarke, LCCHR’s Wade Henderson, NAACP LDF’s Sherrilyn Ifill, NAN’s Rev. Al Sharpton, and NCBCP’s Melanie L. Campbell. More about the meeting here.
GOP Moves to Strike Internet Privacy Rules From Obama Era
GOP senators moved Thursday to dismantle landmark Internet privacy protections for consumers created during the Obama administration. The measure passed in a 50-to-48 vote largely along party lines. The House is expected to mirror the Senate’s action next week, followed by a signature from Trump. The move means Verizon, Comcast or AT&T can continue tracking and sharing people’s browsing and app activity without permission, and it alarmed consumer advocates and Democratic lawmakers. More here.
The Rise of the AGs
CHC Chair Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) is asking attorneys general from across the country to scrutinize the new policies and tactics used by immigration officials, and if necessary to take legal action on behalf of their states. See a copy of Grisham’s letter here.
ICE Calls Out Sanctuary Cities
On Monday, DHS publicly released its first-ever weekly report showing that ICE issued a total of 3,083 detainer requests between January 28th and February 3rd to detain arrested immigrants for deportation proceedings. The report included a list of all the counties and jurisdictions that had declined a total of 206 federal detainer requests. ICE criticized the lack of cooperation as "an assault" on public safety. More here.
Pro Publica’s Commitment to Diversity
Pro Publica says they are committed to recruiting and retaining people from communities that have long been underrepresented not only in journalism but particularly in investigative journalism. That includes African Americans, Latinos, other people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ communities, people with disabilities, and people of underrepresented faiths. Now more than ever it is crucial to have a newsroom filled with people from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. They list a breakdown here of what they’re doing to ensure diversity.
Miami Runs Ads to Pressure MoCs on ACA
Ads for and against -- but mostly against --the House Republican health plan have begun airing over the past week, with two new campaigns launched Tuesday. Their targets: GOP Congressmen Carlos Curbelo, Mario Díaz-Balart and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, three moderate Florida Republicans who could help sink the American Health Care Act. More here.
Torres Introduces Gun Trafficking Bill
Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-CA) introduced legislation Wednesday intended to combat illegal arms trafficking to Mexico. The bill would make it a crime to carry or send two or more guns across state or international borders with the knowledge or suspicion that they could be used to commit a crime. More here.
Sharpton Hosts 26th Annual Convention in NYC
Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) will convene the organization’s 26th annual convention April 26-29 in NYC. Speakers include Eric Holder, Cornell Belcher, Joy-Ann Reid, Jamal Simmons, the Mothers of the Movement Angela Rye, Roland Martin, Jelani Cobb, Spike Lee, John Rodgers, Marvin Sapp, Michael Eric Dyson, MC Lyte, and more. For further information, click here.
Fearful of Deportations, Latinos Not Reporting Sexual Assault
LA Police Chief Charlie Beck said that reports of sexual assault and domestic violence made by the city’s Latino residents have plummeted this year amid concerns that immigrants in the country illegally could risk deportation by interacting with police or testifying in court. Reports of sexual assault have dropped 25% among the city’s Latino population since the beginning of 2017, and reports of domestic violence have fallen by 10%. Similar decreases were not seen in reports of those crimes by other ethnic groups. More here.
LA’s Special Election
The special elections to replace former Congressman Xavier Becerra will kick off in Los Angeles on April 4th in a 23-candidate, all-party primary. Becerra left his seat to become California’s AG. Of the 19 Democratic candidates, state Assemblyman Jimmy Gómez appears to be the favorite, having earned numerous endorsements from local elected officials, including LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Democratic Senator Kamala Harris. Becerra has also backed Gómez to fill his former seat in Congress. More here.
Hawaii Lawmaker Resigns from Republican Party to Join Democrats
Hawaii lawmaker Beth Fukumoto, ousted last month as Republican leader of the state's House of Representatives after publicly criticizing Donald Trump, resigned on Wednesday from her party to seek membership as a Democrat. Fukumoto, 33, the youngest Hawaii legislator to serve as House minority leader, said divisive campaign rhetoric during the 2016 elections convinced her that the Republican Party no longer reflects her political values or the interests of her state's diverse population. More here.
Common Performs with NSO at Kennedy Center
Rapper Common and the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) joined forces for a special performance at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday night. During the show, he performed parts of “Testify” over Prince’s “Darling Nikki” and played a medley of “Go!” and Kanye West’s “Fade.” But before he dazzled audiences, the WaPo reports he dined at Farmers, Fishers, Bakers in Mount Vernon with two friends.
African Americans and Asian Americans Flex Numbers at the Box Office
African Americans and Asian Americans showed up in force at the box office in 2016 as major movies showed greater diversity in their casting and subject matter, according to a new report by the Motion Picture Association of America. The number of frequent African American moviegoers nearly doubled to 5.6 million last year, while the number of Asian American ticket buyers jumped from 3.2 million to 3.9 million. More here.
Trump Admin Approves Keystone Pipeline After Obama Rejected It
The State Department will approve by Monday the permit needed to proceed with construction of the Canada-to-United States Keystone XL oil pipeline, a project blocked by former President Barack Obama, who had rejected the pipeline saying it would do nothing to reduce fuel prices for U.S. motorists and would contribute to an increase in emissions linked to global warming. More here.
Airline Clowning POTUS45
Royal Jordanian Air is poking fun on social media over the recently imposed electronics ban on flights entering the U.S. from certain Muslim-majority countries. The group offered passengers a list of alternative activities they could use to pass time on long flights without their electronic devices and lamented "every week a new ban" under Donald Trump. More here.
NNPA Honors Brazile
The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) on Thursday night honored Donna Brazile, Wade Henderson, and photographer Roy Lewis with the 2017 Torch Award for Outstanding Leadership and Achievement in Political Empowerment. Spotted at the dinner: LaKetiha Anderson, Joi Sheffield, Tasha Cole, Marcus Mason, Jeff Ballou, Telly Lovelace, and others. Speakers included Al McFarlane, NNPA Foundation Chairman; Denise Rolark-Barnes, NNPA Chair; Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., NNPA President and CEO.
Walker Makes the Case for the Arts
Some 700 cultural leaders gathered in DC on Monday to visit lawmakers and make the case for federal funding of the arts, a direct result of Trump’s call to kill funding for four federal agencies. Ford Foundation President Darren Walker gave a lecture Monday night before a packed house at the Kennedy Center, saying, “Art is not a privilege. It is the soul of our country, the beating heart of our humanity. And in these times, these menacing, perilous challenging times, we need the arts and humanities more than ever before.” He then attended a private dinner at the Watergate’s King Bird Restaurant. Spotted: Thelma Golden, Abel López, Ben Vereen, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Anna Deavere Smith, Robert Raben, Jonathan Capehart with husband Nick Schmidt, Adrian Arsh, Goodie Marshall, George Stevens, Jr., among others.
Athletes on the Hill
For National Health Through Fitness Day, athletes came to the Hill on Wednesday to advocate active lifestyle policies and meet with members of Congress. Spotted: former NFL player Herschel Walker, nine-time Olympic track and field gold medalist Carl Lewis, and former Major League Baseball players Tommy John and Steve Garvey. More here.
| |
|
Videos of the Day
(click images to play)
| |
| CBC Chair Cedric Richmond (D-LA) after the CBC meeting with Donald Trump.
| |
| Donald Trump met with the Congressional Black Caucus Executive Committee on Wednesday.
| |
| Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) with a message for House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) after Nunes said in a press conference that communications of Trump and associates may have been picked up after the election by intelligence agencies. Nunes told the president but said nothing to his colleagues on the committee, and The New York Times calls his public comments a possible violation of the law.
| |
| Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says Trump tapped into "a strain of anxiety, of fear, of vulnerability."
| |
| Rapper Common before his performance with the NSO on Wednesday night at the Kennedy Center.
| |
Pics of the Day
(click image for more info)
| |
|
Malia Obama was in NYC this past weekend and saw Sweeney Todd on Broadway, where she reunited with former WH pastry chef Bill Yosses to see the show and try some pie.
| |
| The National Urban League hosted a panel on Capitol Hill on Wednesday focused on the Sixth Amendment. Speakers, pictured above, included: Norman Reimer, Executive Director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Michele Jawando, VP at CAP; Kim Ball, Director and Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice; Don Cravins, Jr., NUL's Senior VP for Policy; and Rudy Acree, Deputy Director of the Public Defender Service for DC.
| |
| Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, addresses the crowd at the Kennedy Center on Monday night after joining other advocates visiting lawmakers to make the case for federal funding of the arts, a direct result of Trump’s call to kill funding for four federal agencies.
| |
| NCBCP’s Melanie L. Campbell, NAACP LDF’s Sherrilyn Ifill, NAN’s Rev. Al Sharpton, NUL’s Marc H. Morial, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Executive Director Kristen Clarke, and LCCHR’s Wade Henderson following a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Wednesday.
| |
| CBC Chair and Morehouse College graduate Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) meets with Spelman College students for Spelman Day on the Hill on Thursday.
| |
| Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) introduces students from Spelman College to California Democrats Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Lee on Thursday.
| |
| Colored Girls take Miami. Minyon Moore, Leah Daughtry, and Yolanda Caraway enjoy BET Network's Leading Women Defined.
| |
| LaToia Jones, Stephanie Young, Angela Rye, Janina Lundy, Brittany Packnett, Chanelle Hardy, and Valeisha Butterfield at BET Network's Leading Women Defined in Miami.
| |
| Jarvis Stewart, center and without glasses, surrounded by clients during a dinner on Thursday night.
| |
| TV to Watch Catch Jamal Simmons on MSNBC's Joy Reid on Sunday!
| |
|
Today, March 24th, 12P: The Congressional Staff Association Fair takes place in the Rayburn Foyer. The event is open to all current Senate and House staff.
Today, March 25th, 7P: CHSA hosts Dominoes night at Los Hermanos, 1428 Park Rd., NW. RSVP here.
Saturday, March 25th, 10A: The National Association of Hispanic Journalists, along with the Washington Association of Black Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association, and several other journalism organizations, are sponsoring the largest annual journalism job fair in DC at the Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies in downtown DC. For more information and to register, click here. Tuesday, March 28th, 6P: HLA hosts a welcome reception for new MoCs. RSVP here.
Wednesday, March 29th, 1PM: The Latina Maternal and Child Health Project will be hosting a Congressional Staff Briefing in Cannon Room 122. It will be held in cooperation with the Congressional Caucus on Maternity Care. RSVP here.
March 31st, 6:30P: A Celebration of Women with Johnnetta B. Cole as she prepares to retire from the National Museum of African Art. DJ Sabine Blaizin, Afro-fusion band Eme and Heteru, and vocalist Loide Jorge turn up the volume for an evening of African music, dance, and art. Click here for more info.
| |
|
|
