Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has defended her absence from the Senate due to shingles, stating that there has been no slowdown in confirming President Joe Biden's judicial nominees. She has blamed Republicans for blocking a few nominees from moving forward in the Senate judiciary committee, and expressed confidence that when she returns, the remaining qualified nominees will be able to move quickly to the Senate floor for a vote. Despite her absence, the Senate has confirmed over 100 judicial nominees since Biden took office in January.
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A group of senators is preparing to introduce a bill that would extend the U.S. government's ability to expel migrants without court hearings beyond the expiration of a public health order. Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego has expressed concern that border communities in his state are not prepared to handle the surge of migrants when Covid restrictions end. The proposed bill would allow the U.S. government to continue the soon-to-be terminated Title 42 border expulsion policy for two years without a public health justification.
Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and civil rights lawyer, has announced his candidacy for the 2024 Senate election against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. In his announcement video, Allred highlighted his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol and his bipartisan record on issues such as veterans' rights, trade with Mexico, and the CHIPS Act. His candidacy has already generated excitement among Democrats in Texas, with endorsements from prominent figures such as Beto O'Rourke.
The United States is facing a potential debt crisis, with the possibility of defaulting on its debt as early as June 1. In response, House Democrats have taken the first procedural steps to try to force a House vote on a clean debt ceiling increase. President Biden has invited the top four congressional leaders to the White House on May 9 to discuss potential solutions to avert the crisis.
Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr has filed a lawsuit against the state of Montana and the speaker of the Montana House after Republican lawmakers voted to censure and block her from speaking. The lawsuit seeks to overturn the censure and allow Zephyr to return to the House floor, and is expected to be heard in state district court in Helena. The case has been widely criticized by Democrats and civil rights groups, as it could have far-reaching implications for the rights of lawmakers in Montana and beyond.
Maryland Senator Ben Cardin announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection in 2024, sparking speculation about who will replace him in the blue state. Potential candidates include Rep. Jamie Raskin, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Rep. John Delaney, and former NAACP President Ben Jealous. Cardin has been a reliable and amiable rank-and-file Democrat, and the race to replace him is expected to heat up in the coming months.
Senate Democrats are launching a counteroffensive against the House Republican-passed debt ceiling bill, which ties a debt limit increase to spending cuts and a rollback of President Joe Biden's agenda. The Budget Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday to discuss the bill, and Democrats are hoping to use the hearings to expose the true impact of the legislation on everyday Americans. The Treasury Department has set a deadline of June 5th for Congress to act, but Democrats are determined to fight the bill and prevent it from becoming law.
Colorado's Governor has signed four gun control bills, raising the buying age for any gun to 21 and establishing a three-day waiting period, in an attempt to reduce suicides, youth violence, and mass shootings. Republicans have decried the bills as an infringement on Second Amendment rights, while gun rights groups have filed a lawsuit to reverse two of the measures. It remains to be seen how the new laws will be implemented and if they will be successful.