The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, marking a historic moment as she is the first Black female justice in the nation’s highest court. The confirmation also gave President Joe Biden bipartisan endorsement as he promised to diversify the Supreme Court. Jackson was confirmed in…
Tag: Senate
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley Invokes Model Minority Myth, Tells Judicial Nominee Lucy Koh He Supports ‘Her People’ and ‘Their Work Ethic’
Even though he has had a Korean American daughter-in-law for more than four decades, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley (who, at 88, is the oldest member of the Senate) still doesn’t appear to know how to avoid using racist or otherwise harmful language while at the Capitol. Kimmy Yam of NBC…
Florence Pan Becomes First-Ever Asian American Woman Confirmed to DC Federal Court
In a positive sign of increasing diversity and representation in America’s court system, Florence Pan has been confirmed as the first-ever Asian American woman to hold a seat in the D.C. federal court system. Nate Raymond of Reuters reported that on Thursday, Sept. 23, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm…
John Lewis Voting Rights Act Approved by the US House of Representatives and Now Heads to the Senate
In a noteworthy first-step towards nationwide voting reform — and ideally, an end to some of the racist anti-voting policies recently approved on the state level by governors in Florida, Georgia and other Republican strongholds — the House passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on Tuesday, Aug. 24. …
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Becomes Third Black Member of Congress Arrested for Protesting Republican Anti-Voting Restrictions
Last month, we reported on Rep. Joyce Beatty, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, being arrested during a peaceful protest for voting rights reform. A few days later, Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia was arrested in a similar protest. And now, less than two weeks after that, a third Black…
HIV Fully Decriminalized in Illinois; Becomes Only Second State in the US After Texas
Living with HIV and not disclosing it to sexual partners is no longer a crime that can lead to time in prison or fines totaling thousands of dollars thanks to a new law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker that finally decriminalizes HIV in the state of Illinois. Alex Cooper of…
Rep. Joyce Beatty and Voting Rights Activists Arrested During Peaceful Protest in Senate Building
Protests continue across the nation’s capital in an effort to rein in racist anti-voter legislation taking place in states such as Texas, Florida, and Georgia. And now, those efforts have progressed to the level where elected officials are getting arrested for supporting every American citizen’s right to fairly and legally…
New Study Shows Historic Diversity and Inclusion Within Senate Democrats’ Staffing and Workforce
Elected and federally appointed officials aren’t the only ones making government more diverse and inclusive. A new government survey has revealed that more than 38% of people working on the Democratic side of the Senate also identify as non-Caucasian. CNN’s Daniella Diaz and Ali Zaslav have reported on the survey,…
Nearly 70% of LGBTQ Women Running for Office in Last 4 Years Won Their Elections
As diversity and inclusion continues to expand within city, state and federal government, a new report from the LGBTQ Victory Institute, an organization that supports LGBTQ elected officials and political hopefuls, has revealed that queer female candidates perform surprisingly well in general elections — an encouraging and positive sign for…
Bipartisan Group of Senators Announce Preliminary Agreement on a Police Reform Bill
The concept of police reform and what it should look like has been a contentious issue in the U.S. for more than a year. But on Thursday, June 24, a group of Democrats and Republicans announced that they reached an agreement on an eventual bill to address the issue. NPR’s…