Voting rights protectors including the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP filed a lawsuit this week in federal court alleging that three North Carolina counties—Moore, Beaufort and Cumberland—illegally purged thousands of voters from the registration rolls, a disproportionate number of whom are African American.
Gretchen Carlson to Testify Before Congress on Arbitration Laws
Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson will testify before Congress on forced arbitration laws after the election season.
Congresswoman Schakowsky Decries the Dangerous Tactics of the House Select Investigative Panel
Today Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky delivered a speech on the floor of the House denouncing the dangerous Select Investigative Panel that has been spending taxpayer dollars investigating the bogus allegations made by the so-called Center for Medical Progress (CMP) against abortion providers.
House Hearing Reveals Contention Leading Up to Hyde Week of Action
This morning the House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice held a hearing on the Hyde Amendment and the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.
House Select Investigative Panel Recommends StemExpress Be Held in Criminal Contempt of Congress
Republican members of the House Select Investigative Panel, which has been spending taxpayer dollars investigating the bogus allegations made by the so-called Center for Medical Progress (CMP) against abortion providers, voted yesterday to recommend that StemExpress, a small biomedical company, be held in criminal contempt.
House Investigation of Abortion Providers Targets Biotech Company
The House Select Investigative Panel created to scrutinize fetal tissue donations from abortion providers to stem cell researchers will vote today on whether or not to hold StemExpress in contempt of Congress for allegedly failing to provide subpoenaed documentation.
Time to Pass Zika Funding is Running Out as Testing Backlog Grows
It’s been more than six months since President Obama called on Congress to pass a $1.9 billion emergency Zika funding bill, but they have yet to appropriate any money towards the public health epidemic that has now infected at least 21,000 individuals in the US and its territories, 1,800 of whom are pregnant.
Moderate Republicans Sweep Kansas State Legislature and Senate, Ousting Conservative Incumbents
On Tuesday, moderates swept the Republican primary races in Kansas, ousting 14 conservative state legislator incumbents, and ushering another 7 moderates into open seats, a sign that many Kansans are not happy with Governor Sam Brownback’s slashes to government services.
The Shattering of the Highest Glass Ceiling
This week Hillary Clinton made history when she became the first woman ever to receive the nomination for President of the United States from a major political party.
Pink Tax Repeal Act Introduced in House
On Monday, Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), along with 24 cosponsors, introduced the Pink Tax Repeal Act in Congress to combat the unequal pricing of products based on gender.
Senate Rejects Four Gun Control Bills After Orlando Shooting
Four gun control measures failed to pass the 60-vote threshold necessary to move forward in the U.S. Senate this week. Each vote was largely along party lines, and further demonstrated the unwillingness of the chamber to challenge the gun lobby.
Over 180 Members of the House to Speaker Ryan: End the House Select Investigative Panel’s Politically-Motivated “Witch Hunt”
Over 180 members of the House called on Speaker Paul Ryan this week to disband the House Select Investigative Panel, citing “continued abuses which jeopardize the integrity of the House and the safety of Americans.”
Judicial Nominees Stall as Senate Republicans Refuse to Vote on Them
In addition to continuing their refusal to hold a hearing for President Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee, Merrick Garland, Senate Republicans yesterday also blocked floor votes to confirm eleven federal district court judge nominees.
56 People of Color Testify Against Abortion Ban Built on Racist and Sexist Stereotypes
Declaring, “we will not sit silently while we are exploited for the passage of yet another abortion restriction,” 56 people of color submitted written testimony to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice in opposition to the so-called Prenatal Discrimination Act (PRENDA).
House Panel Continues Hearings Targeting Abortion Providers & Medical Researchers
The House Select Investigative Panel yesterday held another round of politically-motivated hearings used to attack abortion providers and medical research.
House Select Investigative Panel Issues New Subpoenas Despite Ongoing Safety Concerns
In a move that has been heavily criticized by scientists, doctors, and advocates, the House Select Investigative Panel – formed to investigate abortion providers – issued 12 new subpoenas last week to force healthcare providers, universities, and others to disclose the names of doctors, medical students, researchers, staff, and administrators.
Congresswomen Launch First Ever Caucus on Black Women & Girls
Congresswomen Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Robin Kelly (D-IL) and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) launched the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls yesterday, the first caucus to focus specifically on ways to combat discrimination and reduce disparities faced by Black women.
Senate Holds Backpage in Contempt of Congress in Sex Trafficking Investigation
The Senate voted Thursday to hold Backpage.com—a classifieds site—in contempt of Congress after the company refused to appear at a child sex trafficking hearing in November or produce relevant documents. The 96-0 vote was the Senate’s first vote for civil contempt charges in two decades.
House Oversight Committee Holds Hearings on Flint Water Crisis
As the aid package to help Flint residents is stalled in Congress, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held hearings this week to investigate what actions—or inaction—led to the water contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan that produced a spike in lead poisoning and other health issues.
Senate Judiciary Committee Considers Two Anti-Abortion Bills
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday on two anti-abortion bills that seek to prohibit abortion and criminalize physicians.