Frustrations are building among congressional Democrats as the party’s priorities pile up in the Senate.
Legislation granting statehood to Washington, D.C., approved by the House on Thursday, is just the latest big agenda item that is set to stall out on the other side of Capitol Hill.
In the majority-run House, Democrats are passing the party’s big priorities along party lines. In the Senate, Republicans can block most legislation with the filibuster, putting the focus on approving Biden nominees and moving smaller bipartisan measures.
ADVERTISEMENT
Irritation between members of the same party over the differences between the chambers are a time-honored tradition, but that doesn’t make them any less annoying to those living through them.
Under the measure, the Justice Department would issue recommendations to state and local law enforcement agencies to encourage more reporting of bias incidents, including being able to make complaints online in multiple languages.
It also provides funding to state and local governments for measures like creating a hotline to report hate crimes and incidents. It would further establish a position in the Justice Department to push law enforcement agencies to expedite their reporting of all hate crimes.
Only Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican, voted against the measure. He told reporters earlier that he was concerned the bill was too broad.
They were responding to Biden’s creation earlier this month of a commission to study potential changes to the high court, as well as a House bill introduced last week seeking to enlarge the top judicial body from nine seats to 13.
ADVERTISEMENT
While the Democrats behind the bill argue it would help restore balance to the court, which currently holds a 6-3 conservative majority, the Thursday letter argued that both the commission and the bill are a “coordinated attempt to justify a naked political power grab by the leaders of Congress and the President.”
“We believe that such actions will seriously undermine our constitutional system, the public’s confidence in our courts, and the rule of law,” said the GOP attorneys general, which include Ashley Moody of Florida, Alabama’s Steve Marshall and Christopher M. Carr of Georgia.
Dear Secretary Yellen:
Repealing the SALT cap and investing in infrastructure is critical to the future of New Jersey middle-class families and small businesses. New Jersey residents and businesses are leaving the State and frequently cite the dilapidated infrastructure and transportation system and the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap for driving factors in their decision. The State’s population growth is well below projections that were made before the SALT cap came into effect, and even before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the state, the shortage of workers negatively impacted businesses. New Jersey cannot afford any more years of inaction; we must address the region’s crumbling bridges, roads, and tunnels. When looking for how to responsibly fund infrastructure and SALT, the Administration should support an aggressive move to close the tax gap, including hiring additional IRS agents to enforce current tax laws.