McConnell boost adds to momentum of Senate gun legislation
A bipartisan framework to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals and boost funding for mental health treatment has strong momentum after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) endorsed it Tuesday. McConnell says he is planning to vote for legislation based on the framework, which would make him the 11th Republican in the Senate to back it. That would give the legislation at least 61 votes — one more than necessary to break a filibuster — barring an unexpected meltdown. “For myself, I’m comfortable with the framework, and if the legislation
Read MoreLawmakers must act on early childhood investments on behalf of families and businesses
For nearly a century, conventional wisdom held that two defining spheres of American life—work and family—are, and should be, separate and unrelated. Living through the COVID-19 pandemic, however, this understanding has proven painfully misinformed. Most Americans now understand the needs of families and businesses are intrinsically linked and interdependent. Today, creating a ready, qualified and prosperous workforce requires that we prioritize the needs of young children, particularly those in a critical developmental period of birth to age 3. Federal legislators now h
Read MoreDACA turns 10 with Dreamers no closer to solid ground
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program turns 10 years old Wednesday, beset by lingering doubts about both its future and the current protections it grants to young immigrants. The program, known widely as DACA, was instituted in a moment of crisis after then-President Obama hit a brick wall in his legislative attempts to modernize the immigration system. For around 800,000 so-called "Dreamers," undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as minors, DACA made possible a close-to-normal American life with access to work, education, basic government servi
Read MoreThese are the 27 House Democrats who opposed a bill expanding security for Supreme Court families
More than two dozen House Democrats voted against a bill on Tuesday that calls for expanding security protections to family members of Supreme Court justices. The legislation, titled the Supreme Court Police Parity Act, passed the House in a 396-27 vote, with only Democrats opposing it. Three Republicans and two Democrats did not vote. The bill
Read MoreTaiwan says Chinese attack would hit global economy harder than Ukraine war
Taiwan’s top trade negotiator told Reuters on Tuesday that a Chinese military attack on the island would harm the global economy more than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. John Deng noted that the world relies on Taiwan for computer chips used in electric vehicles and mobile phones, meaning the implications of a Chinese invasion would be sweeping for any industry that relies on the technology.
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