The Greene County Democrat

Tag: Lisa Blunt Rochester

  • Newswire : Sen. Cory Booker and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lead Democrats in sit-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to speak against expected GOP budget cuts

    By Lauren Burke and Stacy M. Brown
    NNPA Newswire Reporters


    Sen. Booker and Leader Jeffries conduct sit-in on steps of U. S. Capitol in Washington, D. C.
    In a show of solidarity against the congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration, dozens of congressional Democratic members of Congress gathered on the steps of the U.S. House of Representatives from sunrise to sunset Sunday, April 27 to speak out against budget cuts.
    “The budget is a moral document,” said New Jersey Senator Cory Booker as he sat wearing a black shirt and pants next to the Democratic leader in the U.S. House, Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. The two started with only Senator Chris Coons of Delaware at 7:30 am on Sunday. As the day moved forward many other members, advocates, and curious onlookers joined them in support of their effort to bring attention to what may be a historic budget in terms of cuts to social programs.
    Throughout the day, lawmakers took turns sharing personal stories and reading testimonies from constituents whose lives have been transformed by government assistance. But since Trump took office for his second term in January, his focus has been on cutting the federal government and the jobs and programs associated that assist millions of Americans. “I was on the steps of the Capitol with Leader Jeffries, Sen. Booker, and many others to make the case for what’s at stake with Trump’s budget. Medicaid, food assistance, and social security. It’s all on the line. A moral moment” wrote Senator Amy Klobuchar, who may lead the Democrats as the next Leader of the Party in the U.S. Senate after the criticism of the leadership of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and the retirement announcement of Senator Dick Durbin on April 23.
    Jeffries warned that the proposed cuts would devastate seniors, families, and vulnerable communities. “Republicans are crashing the economy in real-time,” he said. “Now, they want to jam a reckless budget down the throats of the American people that will end Medicaid as we know it, destroy Social Security, and rip food from the mouths of children, seniors, and veterans. As Democrats, we’re going to continue to stand on the side of the American people and we will not rest until we bury this reckless Republican budget in the ground.”
    Throughout the day, figures such as American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, civil rights attorney Maya Wiley, Rev. William Barber II, and others joined the sit-in. Senators Chris Coons, Raphael Warnock, Angela Alsobrooks, Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, Sarah McBride, Mark Takano, Tom Suozzi, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Steven Horsford, Suhas Subramanyam, Emily Randall, Sarah Elfreth, and Delegate Stacey Plaskett also participated.
    Wiley shared personal stories of Americans who would suffer under the proposed cuts. “The cuts, when we’re talking about cuts, people bleed and we should put names behind them,” Wiley said. “You know, Sarah in South Dakota had a son who had seizures one to five times a day and had to quit her job to try to save her son. It is Medicaid that helps pay for her health care to do that. Or Jasmine in Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, with two kids, who was taking care of other people’s children when she fell and became disabled, and it’s Medicaid that was taking care of her.” Booker said Democrats must move beyond “business as usual” and find new ways to confront injustice. “We can’t keep doing things like business as usual,” he said. “Speaking out and speaking up is how we will convince at least four Republicans in the House and Senate to do the right thing and vote no.”.

  • Trump wins, but a record number of African Americans will now serve in Congress

     

    kamala-harris

    Kamala Harris

    By Lauren Victoria Burke (NNPA Newswire Contributor)

    Reality star billionaire Donald Trump won the presidency in shocking fashion, but African American candidates also made history on November 8.

    There will be a record number of African Americans in Congress during the time Trump is in the White House. That number will rise from 48 to 52. There have never been more African Americans elected to Congress in American history.

    Kamala Harris of California will be the second African American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. Former Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown will serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both Republicans in the House, Mia Love (R-Utah) and Will Hurd (R-Texas) won re-election, as did the only Black Republican in the Senate, Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

    Lisa Blunt Rochester was elected to the U.S. House in Delaware. Former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings will also serve in the House. Virginia State Senator Don McEachin was elected to the House in a newly configured seat in Virginia that covers Richmond.

    Though there will be more African American members serving in Congress, the dilemma they find themselves in is obvious: All but three are Democrats who will be serving in the minority in the House and Senate. Being a member of the minority party in the House is one of the most powerless positions in Congress. It’s the majority that sets the agenda, the hearing schedules, the floor schedule and when the Congress will be in recess.

    The Senate is different. The two African American Democrats who will serve next year, Senator-elect Harris and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) could have some opportunities to influence the agenda moving forward. The Senate will be a narrower 52-48, and the rules allow for some disruption from members of the minority party.

    But it won’t be easy. Currently members of the Democratic leadership in both the House and the Senate are in a period stunned silence and are not even harping on the fact that Hillary Clinton won more votes than Trump and therefore no Trump has no real mandate.

    The Democratic Party in recent years has not been anywhere as militant as the rightwing, who created the so-called Tea Party movement and the “alt-right” to deal with the growing influence of African Americans and Latinos at the ballot box. Democrats in Congress are primed for a new set of younger leaders to take the place of those who are in their mid-70s and who have failed strategically to win over voters in a country where Democrats are in the majority.

    That the Democrats had two candidates over the age of 68 running for the presidency as Republicans fielded a candidate in his mid-40s is a sign it’s time for younger and more dynamic leadership on the left side of the aisle. One of those young leaders could come out of the Congressional Black Caucus, who is soon to elect a new caucus chair.