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Democrat Doug Jones claimed victory over Republican and accused pedophile Roy Moore in last night’s Alabama Senate contest, with thanks to the overwhelming number of African American voters -- specifically Black women (again). A full 96% of African Americans supported Jones (we’re still so confused by the 4% who did not), similar to President Barack Obama’s 95% support among Black voters. Moreover, exit polls indicated that Black voters comprised 28% of the electorate, greater than their 26% share of the population. Meanwhile, a stunned Roy Moore took to the stage to perform his own Dreamgirls rendition of Jennifer Holliday/Hudson’s “And I am telling you … I’m not going!” He has yet to concede and is calling for a recount saying he will wait on God. Ummm … God, the voters, and the officials of Alabama answered. They all said boy bye. Moving on, today the tax conference committee will officially meet publicly for this first time. The tax bill is safe for now as Senator-elect Doug Jones won’t be sworn in until after the new year, per Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The bill would cut the corporate tax rate by a little less than previously proposed, lower the top rate on the wealthy, and scale back the existing mortgage interest deduction. A vote could come next week -- Trump is desperate for a win, already walking back his support of Moore’s failed candidacy. Also happening this morning, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton (D) is set to reveal his choice to replace Al Franken in the Senate, with the top contender being his longtime advisor Lt. Gov. Tina Smith. We’re half way through the week and kicking it off with this...
- Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) accused of discrimination by a transgender former intern.
- Congressmen Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) join growing chorus for an investigation into Trump harassment allegations.
- Armstrong Williams abandons plans to buy DC’s City Paper.
- Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA) says let’s go back to the moon.
- Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) intros bipartisan bill on artificial intelligence.
- The House Progressive Caucus voices opposition to changes on net neutrality, while FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn unveils her own version.
- Congressman Al Green (D-TX) is not giving up on effort to impeach.
- Ex-Congresswoman Corrine Brown petitions to stay out of jail.
- Navajo Nation sues Wells Fargo.
- Meet the new President of Wilberforce University.
- The Garden State could have the nation’s first Sikh Attorney General.
- Indian American businessman wants to be Michigan’s next Governor.
- NFL to host a sports advocacy workshop at Morehouse College.
- Puerto Rico Governor back stateside to lobby for more post-hurricane aid.
- Saturday Night Live names first Black Head Writer.
- Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden adds a Spike Lee joint to National Film Registry.
- DeRay Mckesson is suing Fox News and Jeanine Pirro.
- GAO finds Black representation down in financial services industry.
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Univisión anchor Jorge Ramos with Ilia Calderón on her first night Monday as co-anchor. | |  | MD gubernatorial candidate Krish Vignarajah on Sunday campaigning in Annapolis, MD. | |
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Luján Grisham Accused of Discrimination By Transgender Former Intern
A recent University of New Mexico graduate says that three years ago, she was fired from an internship in the office of Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) because she is transgender. Twenty-six-year-old Riley Del Rey says she is raising the allegations now because of a slew of stories in the news about sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. But missing in the nationwide debate, she says, are the views of transgender people. Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the Congresswoman, replied, "Our office takes the rights of the [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community very seriously, and we are dumbfounded by any suggestion that we would discriminate against anyone for any reason." Del Rey was hired by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. She alleges supervisors at CHCI discussed her physical appearance with her at least twice after she began working in DC, suggesting for example that her heels were too high or her hemline too short. She also believes staff in the Congresswoman’s office had just become aware that she was transgender. Del Ray says supervisors told her they had received information that caught them "off guard." The Institute terminated her that same day, she says. CHCI disputes Del Rey’s accusations. More here.
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Curbelo Pressing Colleagues to Act Now on DACA
There’s a bipartisan proposal ready for a vote that would help the more than 800,000 "Dreamers" and other DACA recipients, says Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), but lawmakers have to move on it this week in order to get the bill signed this year. Without going into a lot of details, Curbelo told reporters on Tuesday that, "For the first time a lot of the like-minded Republicans and Democrats who want to get to yes got together. We're getting closer to filing a compromise, which has been my frustration. There's an obvious compromise out there, DACA fix and border security, but no one has proffered that compromise." The Congressman added: "We're getting closer and a lot of people have put aside partisan differences we've had in recent weeks to focus on trying to have something next week to take a run at this before the end of the year." Meanwhile, House and Senate Democratic leaders say they aren’t going to insist that legislation to help DACA recipients be paired with the budget bill currently under negotiation, but Curbelo insists he is not backing down from his pledge to vote against any budget legislation that does not include DACA relief. More here.
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Cummings Wants to Probe Sexual Allegations Against the President
Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, joined the chorus of female lawmakers in urging the committee to swiftly open a probe into the sexual allegations against Donald Trump made by at least 17 women. "Congress is in the midst of a critical and long-overdue examination of allegations against its own Members—both before and after they were elected to Congress," Cummings said in a statement Tuesday. "It is extremely hard for Republicans to argue that Congress should ignore these multiple allegations. They deserve a bipartisan review, and I hope Chairman [Trey] Gowdy [R-SC] will launch an investigation immediately." More here.
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AZ gubernatorial candidate David García with former HUD Secretary Julián Castro. | |  | Comedian Hasan Minhaj Tuesday night on The Daily Show. | |
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Lieu Intros Bipartisan Bill to Form Commission to Study Artificial Intelligence
Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA), along with Congressmen John Delaney (D-MD) and Pete Olson (R-TX), introduced bipartisan legislation called the Fundamentally Understanding the Usability and Realistic Evolution of Artificial Intelligence (FUTURE of AI) Act to create a federal advisory commission to study artificial intelligence issues. Comprised of members from federal agencies, industry, academia, and labor organizations, the commission would advise the government on how to regulate and prepare for advancements in AI. The legislation is a companion to a Senate bill introduced by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the future of nearly every major industry. With thoughtful investment, American ingenuity in AI can transform our economy and help the United States remain the global standard-bearer of innovation,” said Lieu. Learn more about the bill here.
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Congressman Ami Bera Says We Should Return to the Moon
In an opinion piece for Space News, Congressmen Ami Bera (D-CA) and Brian Babin (R-TX) write, "As the chair and ranking member on the House of Representatives space subcommittee, we agree that the first step in this new era is crucial: America must return to the moon." Why? The legislators say that with the public and private interest in space travel growing, the country has a unique opportunity to ignite a passion for scientific research and discovery, spur innovation in the private sector, and use the moon as a stepping stone to reach Mars. They go on to say that the revival of the National Space Council under VP Mike Pence is a welcome step. The lawmakers further assert that the future of space travel will be a collaborative effort between NASA, the private sector, and the international community. Read the full piece here.
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Green Vows to Force Another Impeachment Vote
Congressman Al Green (D-TX) is not giving up on his crusade to impeach Donald Trump. He took to the House floor on Tuesday to announce that he would once again force a vote to impeach Trump, though he did not set a firm date on when that would be. "There will be another vote to impeach this president. There will be another vote because I will not stand by and watch this country, the country I love, be brought into shame and disrepute because of a person who is unfit to hold the office of president," Green said. The Congressman's first impeachment attempt garnered the support of 57 fellow House Dems. See his floor speech here.
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|  | RNC Spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany at the White House Christmas Party with HUD's Leah LeVell and commentator Paris Dennard. | |  | Actor Jesse Williams thinking of a master plan with ... well, we don't know. If you know the mystery man with the tatted neck, email us! | |
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NJ Could Have the First Sikh State Attorney General
New Jersey Governor-elect Phil Murphy (D) announced that he would appoint Bergen County prosecutor Gurbir Grewal as the next Attorney General of New Jersey. If confirmed by the state Senate, 44-year-old Grewal would be the first Sikh state Attorney General in the U.S. He’s a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the criminal division for the New Jersey district, where he served as Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and has also served as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York. The 1995 Georgetown grad completed law school at William & Mary in 1999. More on his appointment here.
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Political Newcomer Wants to Be Next Governor of Michigan
Political newcomer Shri Thanedar is hoping to be the next Governor of Michigan. In his first TV ad, he touts his career as a scientist and also takes swipes at Donald Trump and term-limited Republican Governor Rick Snyder in his bid for the Democratic nomination. The 62-year-old Indian-born American is the founder of Avomeen product testing and development lab in Ann Arbor. He has gained some attention by putting nearly $6 million of his own money into his campaign. Thanedar grew up in Belgaum, India and earned his Master’s from the University of Bombay. He came to the U.S. in 1979 to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Akron. In the August 7th primary, he will face businessman Bill Cobbs, former state Senator Gretchen Whitmer, and former Detroit Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed -- who could potentially become the state’s first Muslim Governor. More here.
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|  | CBC Members Congresswomen Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Karen Bass (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and Congressman G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) at a meeting with Libyan Ambassador
Wafa Bughaighis. | |  | American Urban Radio Network White House correspondent and CNN commentator April Ryan on Sunday delivering the commencement address to the fall graduating class at Tennessee State University. | |
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DeRay Mckesson Sues Fox News and Jeanine Pirro
Activist DeRay Mckesson is suing Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro for saying he directed protesters to attack a police officer. Mckesson says Pirro was on Fox & Friends on September 28th, discussing a lawsuit filed by the cop against BLM. According to the suit, Pirro made a series of outrageous and false statements about him. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, DeRay says Pirro blamed him for directing the violence, and added, "You've got a police officer who was injured, he was injured at the direction of DeRay Mckesson." Mckesson says Pirro made her statements knowing they were false. A federal judge ruled earlier this year that Mckesson was expressing his right to free speech at the demonstration and that it wasn't his fault the officer got hurt. DeRay's suing both Pirro and Fox News for defamation. More here.
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CNN’s Jim Acosta Warned Not to Ask POTUS a Question
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders threatened CNN’s Jim Acosta on Tuesday morning, saying that if he asked Donald Trump a question, "you may not be allowed into similar events." The warning came before a presidential bill signing ceremony pool spray, where it’s pretty routine for reports to ask questions; it’s up to the president’s discretion whether he wants to answer. But it’s certainly not inappropriate to ask. When journalists are on pool duty, they are working not just on behalf of themselves and their employers, but for all the journalists and outlets that receive pool reports. Acosta said he was stunned by the interaction, which other pool reporters witnessed. "I couldn't believe my ears," he said in an email. "She did not appear to be issuing the same warning to the other reporters in the pool." Following the warning, Acosta said that Sanders asked if the two could speak off-the-record. Acosta said nah and ultimately posed a question to Trump at the spray, asking 45 about the tweet he directed at Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) where he said she would do anything for his political donation. The president did not respond. More here.
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Librarian of Congress Adds Spike Lee Joint to National Film Registry
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the addition of 25 films to the library’s National Film Registry. Among them is Spike Lee’s Four Little Girls. Nominated for a Best Documentary Feature Oscar, Spike Lee’s 1997 film about the Birmingham church bombing of September 15, 1963, was met by a reopening of the long-dormant criminal case by the FBI -- a case that just so happens to have been subsequently prosecuted successfully by an Alabama lawyer: now Senator-elect Doug Jones. This is not a first for Lee. Two of his films were previously selected: Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X. Hayden selected the films with input from members of the National Film Preservation Board and other specialists at the library. The public was also invited to weigh in. More here.
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Michael Che Named Co-Head Writer at SNL
Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update duo Michael Che and Colin Jost have been named Co-Head Writers on the long-running sketch series. Che originally joined the show as a writer in 2013. In 2014, he became the first Black person to co-anchor the Weekend Update segment of the show. The 34-year-old NYC native was briefly a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart -- appearing in only nine episodes -- before leaving to join SNL. The show won nine Emmys out of its 22 nominations last season. This season is SNL’s second most-watched season in nine years. More here.
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Armstrong Williams Abandons Efforts to Buy City Paper
Last week we reported that conservative commentator Armstrong Williams had flirted with buying the Washington City Paper. However, he has since abandoned the idea. He told a WaPo reporter, "I'm going to stay in the space I'm welcome: television stations." In 2015, Williams became the largest Black owner of TV stations in the United States. Williams is also founder and CEO of the Graham Williams Group, an international marketing, advertising, and media public relations consulting firm.
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Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) celebrating victory with Senator-elect Doug Jones and his wife, Louise, on Tuesday night. | |  |
Author and commentator Roxanne Gay snapping a selfie with comedian Sarah Silverman. | |
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Wilberforce Names New President
Dr. Elfred Anthony Pinkard has been selected to serve as the 22nd President of Wilberforce University. He currently serves as the EVP and Provost at the Ohio HBCU. He will replace Dr. Herman J. Felton, Jr. who, according to sources, is being considered for the presidency at another HBCU. Stay tuned to The Beat DC for more news on that. Over a career that has spanned 40 years, Dr. Pinkard has served as the founding Executive Director of the UNCF's Institute of Capacity Building, and has held administrative and teaching positions at Johnson C. Smith University, Dillard University, Spelman College, Florida Memorial University, Miami Dade College, Colgate University, the College of Wooster, and California State University-Long Beach. The Morehouse College grad earned a doctorate from Harvard University and a Master’s from Howard University. More here.
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NFL to Host Advocacy in Sports Workshop at Morehouse
The NFL will host an "Advocacy in Sport Workshop" at Morehouse College in Atlanta to educate athletes on how to “develop and implement effective advocacy platforms that positively impact society.” In conjunction with the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) and Morehouse, the February 21-23, 2018 workshop will teach student-athletes how to turn sports into a powerful platform for advocacy. The workshop’s curriculum was created by social activists, academics, professional athletes, and sport administrators in order to equip athletes with tools and resources to impact social issues respectfully and responsibly. Students selected to participate in the workshop will also take a winter term course, "Psychology, Sport and Social Justice," to be taught by Dr. David Wall Rice, Associate Professor of Psychology. More here.
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|  | CA Assemblymember-elect Wendy Carrillo with Congressman Jimmy Gómez (D-CA), the person she's replacing in the Assembly. | |  | Nina Turner on the Bill Press Show Monday speaking about the DNC plan to reduce the number of superdelegates. | |
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Brown Petitions to Stay Out of Prison During Appeals Process
Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown, who was recently sentenced to five years in prison on fraud and conspiracy charges, is appealing her conviction and has petitioned to remain out on bond in the meantime. The defense’s motion says they contacted prosecutors, who indicated they object to Brown being allowed to remain out on bond during the appeals process. Brown’s appeal focuses on the dismissal of a juror during deliberations. Her defense says this is a question that could be decided in her favor, and therefore the court needs to decide if this could ultimately result in a new trial or sentence. However, the judge already denied Brown’s motion for a new trial, and his denial had already taken into consideration the dismissal of the juror. Brown has until January 8th to surrender voluntarily to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. More here.
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Navajo Nation Sues Wells Fargo
The Navajo Nation has sued Wells Fargo, saying its citizens were targeted by workers trying to meet the bank's aggressive sales quotas. The tribe alleges employees at Wells Fargo branches on the vast reservation "routinely misled customers into opening unnecessary accounts and obtained debit and credit cards without customers' consent." The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Albuquerque, alleges that the bank targeted particularly vulnerable members of the Navajo Nation, including minors, the elderly, and those who do not speak English. The suit says Wells Fargo lied to the tribe when, in a letter sent early this year, it said no tribal members were harmed by the bank's sales practices. In a statement, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said the tribe's lawyer has been directed to seek restitution, damages, and civil penalties based on Wells Fargo's alleged violations of federal, state, and tribal law. More here.
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DEA Official Tells Senators Repeal or Amend Law that Loosens Prescription Drug Regulations
Demetra Ashley, the head of the DEA office that regulates pharmaceutical opioids, told Senators on Tuesday that a 2016 law has made enforcement more difficult in urgent circumstances and should be revised. The Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act curbed the DEA’s powers to use its most potent weapons against drug companies that do not report suspicious orders of prescription painkillers from pharmacies. A 60 Minutes report revealed that an early version of the legislation was written by a drug company lawyer. Leading the Diversion Control Division, Ashley said Congress should choose between repealing and amending the law. Since passage of the law, Ashley said, DEA investigators have faced a greater challenge showing that a company’s conduct poses an immediate danger of death or harm to shut down shipments of painkillers from a distributor to a pharmacy. Overdoses of prescription drugs killed nearly 200,000 people between 2000 and 2016. More here.
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Google's Stephanie Valencia in DC with Technology Youth Awardees on Monday. | |  | Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at the Trump Hotel in DC last week. | |
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House Progressive Caucus Members Oppose Pai’s Repeal of Net Neutrality
Thirty-four members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus -- which is co-chaired by Congressmen Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) -- sent a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai opposing a repeal of net neutrality. The Caucus says that repealing net neutrality would negatively impact online commerce, access to information, freedom of speech, and disenfranchise communities of color. "[S]trong net neutrality rules have worked to keep the Internet free from discrimination against users, regardless of their race or economic status. ... Voting to undo Title II protection for broadband Internet will leave consumers vulnerable to exploitation by ISPs, hinder innovation and free expression, and allow for discrimination against marginalized communities and activists. For these reasons, we urge the commission to not vote for this proposed rule," write the members. See their letter here.
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Clyburn Releases Her Version of Net Neutrality Order
With the FCC's vote on Chair Ajit Pai's plan to eliminate net neutrality protections just a day away, Democratic FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn circulated an "alternative" proposal that transforms Pai's policy document into a plan to save the open internet by axing the bulk of its contents and leaving just a few words intact. The heavily edited blueprint, which Clyburn said she plans to share with her colleagues ahead of Thursday's vote, recommends that Pai change the plan's title from "Restoring Internet Freedom" to "Retaining Internet Freedom." Clyburn, who helped pass the 2015 net neutrality protections, has been outspoken about her opposition to Pai's proposals since they were unveiled right before Thanksgiving. More here.
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|  | The Spinhx magazine's Henry Stewart with CNN's Symone Sanders celebrating her birthday at the MGM National Harbor on Sunday. | |  | The Ibarra Strategy Group team at the Hispanic Lobbyists Association holiday reception on Monday night in DC. | |
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Black Representation Decreases in Financial Services Industry
At the request of Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Congressman Al Green (D-TX), and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined diversity trends in the financial services industry from 2007 through 2015. Lumped together, the representation of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and others in lower, mid, and senior-level management positions in the financial sector increased from 17%t to 21% in the period. However, while overall diversity increased, the percentage of Black managers decreased. "Since 2007, Asians had the largest gains, increasing their representation among managers from 5.4 percent to 7.7 percent," the GAO reported. "Hispanics made smaller gains. In contrast, the proportion of African-Americans in management positions decreased from 6.5 percent to 6.3 percent." In reaction, Waters said, "This is unacceptable. Diverse representation in the management of these institutions is essential in order to ensure that all consumers have fair access to credit, capital and banking and financial services." Green says he strongly supports making firm-level diversity data publicly available. "As a major source of U.S. economic growth, the management should indeed reflect the consumers they serve." More here. .
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PR Governor Back Stateside to Lobby for More Post-Hurricane Aid
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló met on Monday in NYC with members of the New York congressional delegation, including Democrats José Serrano and Nydia Velázquez, to continue his push for additional federal aid to help the island recuperate from the devastating Hurricane Maria, and to change a provision in the GOP tax bill that if passed would hit hard U.S. companies operating on the island and could potentially lead to significant job losses on the already economically fragile island. The island government estimates it would need nearly $95 billion to rebuild post-hurricane, including modernizing its electric grid. There are still portions of the island without electricity nearly three months after the storm, and those areas that do have power are experiencing sporadic outages. Rosselló was lobbying in DC yesterday and continues to do so today on Capitol Hill. More here from Caribbean Business.
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Meeks Intros Resolution Calling for Congressional Investigation Into Sexual Misconduct Claims Against Trump
Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) yesterday introduced House Resolution 655, which calls upon Congress to investigate sexual misconduct claims against Donald Trump. Meeks is calling for either the creation of a select committee or the use of an existing one to investigate claims. "No American is above the law and no office is exempt from human decency. ... At a pivotal time, when the nation should be able to look to a President for moral leadership, we must look elsewhere. Instead of stamping out sexism, President Trump—who has bragged about committing sexual assault himself—has fanned its flames. He has resorted to claiming that all of the thirteen women with credible sexual misconduct allegations against him are liars. Well, it is time to get to the bottom of it," Meeks said. More here.
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| FOMO
Today, 9A: The Raben Group hosts Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA) for a breakfast discussion on How Cities and Suburbs are Combating Poverty. 1341 G Street, N.W. Click here to watch live.
Today, 12P: Latino Magazine hosts the Latino Career Forum featuring experts in government relations and a panel discussion with Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA). Capitol Visitor Center Congressional Meeting Room South CVC 217. For more information and to RSVP, contact Alfredo Estrada at: 512.483.1898.
Today, 2P: The Congressional Caucus on Black Women & Girls is hosting a roundtable discussion, Leading From The Black: How Black Women Lead Even When Ignored. 2168 Rayburn HOB. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
Today, 4P: The Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative hosts its Winter Social in G-50 Senate Dirksen Office Building. RSVP with your name, title, and office or organization to: Diversity_Initiative@schumer.senate.gov
Today, 5P: Join Congresswoman Val Demings (D-FL) for her Ho Ho Harley Holiday Reception and fundraiser. 413 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. To RSVP, contact Caroline Stonecipher or Randy Broz at: 202.403.0606 or Caroline@ABCConsultingDC.com.
Today, 5P: Cornell Belcher and brilliant corners Research & Strategies hosts its holiday party. Invite only.
Thursday, December 14th, 6P: Solidarity Strategies hosts a Holiday Fiesta. Invite only.
Saturday, December 16th, 8P: The National Black MBA DC Chapter Annual Holiday Party. Hard Rock Cafe, 999 E Street, N.W. Click here to purchase tickets.
February 21 - 23, 2018: The NFL, Morehouse College, and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) host a program in Atlanta to educate athletes on how to develop and implement effective advocacy platforms that positively impact society. Click here for more information.
April 19, 2018: The University of North Dakota sponsors a conference on the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Standing Rock protests. Click here for more information.
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