Kery Murakami

Senate overwhelmingly passes bill to encourage reporting anti-Asian bias after Dems soften language

The Senate in a rare show of bipartisanship Thursday overwhelmingly approved, 94-1, a measure intended to increase the reporting of anti-Asian harassment during the pandemic.

April 22, 2021

Tim Scott: Senate close to deal on George Floyd policing bill

Senate Democrats and Republicans are nearing a deal on the George Floyd bill that would overhaul the country's policing policies, Sen. Tim Scott said Wednesday.

April 21, 2021

Bernie Sanders redoubles push for $700 billion plan for tuition-free college

Sen. Bernard Sanders on Wednesday revived a proposal to make public colleges and universities tuition-free and pressed President Biden to include it in his massive infrastructure plan, The Washington Times has learned.

April 21, 2021

Black lawmakers celebrate Derek Chauvin guilty verdict, press police reform

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus said on Tuesday that the nation must still deal with the problem of racism in policing, even as they expressed deep relief after a Minneapolis jury convicted former officer Derek Chauvin of all charges in the murder of George Floyd.

April 20, 2021

Chuck Schumer defends Maxine Waters’ call for confrontations with police: ‘She wants peace’

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Tuesday declined to criticize Rep. Maxine Waters for urging protesters to be "confrontational" if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is acquitted of murder in the death of George Floyd.

April 20, 2021

Chuck Schumer celebrates ‘Pot Day,’ tees up bill to legalize marijuana

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Tuesday that he will introduce legislation that would legalize marijuana, and he called it a racial justice issue.

April 20, 2021

Nancy Pelosi backs Maxine Waters’ call to ‘confront’ police, says no apology needed

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rallied to the defense of Rep. Maxine Waters on Monday to say the fellow California Democrat should not apologize for urging activists to "get more confrontational" with police if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is acquitted of murder in the death of George Floyd.

April 19, 2021

Steve Stivers announces resignation, temporarily boosts Dems’ edge in House

Rep. Steve Stivers on Monday announced that he is retiring from Congress next month, a move that will temporarily give Republicans one fewer vote in the narrowly divided House.

April 19, 2021

Steny Hoyer prods Joe Biden on reparations for Blacks

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer on Thursday urged President Biden to create a commission to study paying reparations to Black Americans, which would keep the issue alive because a House bill to do it is likely doomed in the Senate.

April 15, 2021

Inspector general: Capitol Police response to Jan. 6 riot replete with errors

U.S. Capitol Police officers were ordered not to fire crowd-dispersing sting ball grenades when rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, which could have prevented them breaching the building, the agency's inspector general told lawmakers on Thursday.

April 15, 2021

Kevin McCarthy: Supreme Court plan a power grab for ‘socialist agenda’

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday denounced Democrats' bid to expand the size of the Supreme Court as a power grab to push their far-left policies.

April 15, 2021

Congress moves ahead with race relations priorities

Congressional Democrats forged ahead Wednesday night with two of their main priorities in dealing with grievances over race. Congressional Democrats forged ahead Wednesday night with two of their main priorities in dealing with grievances over race.

April 14, 2021

Chuck Schumer pushes Asian hate crime bill toward Wednesday vote: ‘No reason’ for GOP opposition

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Tuesday ramped up pressure on Republicans to allow a vote on a bill that would increase the reporting of hate crimes against Asian Americans.

April 13, 2021

Big Pharma strikes back at Democrats’ drug price plan: ‘Hyperpartisan and draconian’

The head of Big Pharma on Tuesday blasted House Democrats' plan to lower drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate down drug prices as a "hyperpartisan and draconian" scheme.

April 13, 2021

Virginia Foxx blasts Joe Biden’s plan to give college tuition aid to Dreamers

The top Republican on the House education committee on Monday blasted President Biden's plan to give college tuition aid to "Dreamers," reversing a longstanding policy of barring noncitizens from receiving taxpayers' aid.

April 12, 2021

House Democrats move toward drug-pricing plan in infrastructure bill

House Democrats are "likely" to include a controversial provision in the upcoming infrastructure bill that would require Medicare to negotiate down the prices it pays drug companies, a senior Democratic aide told The Washington Times.

April 8, 2021

Pelosi says Biden’s infrastructure bill ‘can’t be too small’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she's willing to listen to Republicans' concerns that President Biden's $2.2 trillion infrastructure proposal is too expensive, but she didn't sound willing to scale it back significantly.

April 8, 2021

Edward Markey calls on Dems to deal with racial impacts of climate change, without GOP if necessary

A prominent Senate Democratic proponent of the Green New Deal argued Thursday that Democrats should prepare to go at it alone in passing President Biden's $2.25 trillion infrastructure proposal, including its ambitious initiative to address climate change.

April 8, 2021

Reparations for Blacks: Details elusive as cities, states embrace explosive idea

Several cities and states, including some jurisdictions with White majorities, are backing the explosive idea of giving Blacks reparations in recognition of slavery and racism in the nation's past.

April 7, 2021

GOP lawmaker plans effort to force House vote on abortion

House Republicans plan to try next week to force Democrats to vote on a pro-life bill they have not allowed to come to the floor, according to the activist group Priests for Life.

April 7, 2021