Congress must come to a decision on the debt ceiling and the national budget by the end of the year, but according to one lawmaker, the priority has to be the “Dreamers.”
“A clean version of the Dream Act,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a Democrat representing NY’s thirteenth district, said on Monday. One that’s “not attached to hiring an additional 15,000 ICE agents to deport the parents of the Dreamers.”
The issue hits close to home for Espaillat. About 800,000 “Dreamers”, undocumented immigrants that travelled to the U.S. when they were children, live in his district, he said.
But their future in the U.S. is now at risk, since President Trump announced plans earlier this year to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The legislation put in place by the Obama administration was meant to give these immigrants amnesty. The rollback has met with criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.
Espaillat’s issues with Trump go deeper than just immigration though. The Dominican-born congressman is one of six Democrats currently calling Donald Trump to be impeached.
Lead by Rep. Steve Cohen, signees Al Green (D-TX), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), John Yarmuth (D-KY), and Espaillat, presented the five articles of impeachment last week. They argue that Trump has obstructed justice, violated the Constitution’s foreign and domestic emoluments clauses and the freedom of the press, and undermined the federal judiciary.
“We have taken this action because of great concern for our country, our Constitution, our national security, and our democracy,” Cohen said at a press conference.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has discouraged action as severe as impeachment, but Espaillat argues that every person in office has the responsibility to take action in a case like this.
“We should not abdicate our responsibility as congressional members,” he said.
Private citizens are also taking up the cause. Former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, a major donor to the Democratic party, is funding a campaign calling for action against Trump and has reportedly spent $20 million on ads.
“It’s up to all of us to stand up to this president,” one ad says.
According to the website, more than 2.5 million people have already signed a petition for impeachment.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a conservative Republican congressman, is championing a medical cannabis research act, signaling the bipartisan shift in attitudes toward medical marijuana.
Apple appears to have dodged a bullet with the latest round of tariffs on Chinese imports. But if the trade war continues, the risks to the company get more serious, said Tom Forte, senior research analyst at D.A. Davidson. Apple currently gets 20 percent of its revenue from China
Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) said the political action committee will help him "evaluate" the presidential landscape. The moderate Democrat is perhaps best known for overseeing Colorado's creation of a full-fledged cannabis economy.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court is now more like a "jump shot in traffic," said Philip Wegmann of the Washington Examiner. Kavanaugh's nomination was put on hold following accusations of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford when they were both teenagers. Ford and Kavanaugh will testify at a Senate hearing next Monday, delaying the confirmation vote originally scheduled for this week and putting his place on the top court it peril less than two months before the midterm elections.
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China retaliated to the latest round of tariffs announced by the Trump administration, announcing import taxes on $60 billion in U.S. goods. That came after the White House said it would impose tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, though many of Apple's products will be exempt.
Kate Shaw, professor at Cardozo School of Law, breaks down the similarities between the current accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the accusations from Anita Hill in 1991 against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas -- the latter largely considered to have been the basis for how workplace harassment is thought of today.
A new bill in New Jersey, if passed through the state legislature, would immediately release anyone in jail for non-violent marijuana crimes and expunge their records. Jake Hudnut, chief prosecutor for Jersey City, calls it the most progressive social justice bill in the nation.
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Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort pleaded guilty to reduced charges Friday morning and agreed to cooperate with Robert Mueller's investigation.
