shareblue--2020-07-22--Trump administration's new asylum rule poses danger to LGBTQ immigrants

The Trump administration is moving forward with a proposed rule that immigration advocates say would do major harm to LGBTQ asylum seekers .
The Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security submitted the proposed policy in June .
The public comment period for the rule closed last week .
The proposed regulation would raise the standard for immigration judges to grant asylum claims , according to the New York Times .
Asylum seekers who say they are being targeted by gangs or government officials , for instance , would have a higher likelihood of being denied .
As the Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater flexibility to label applications `` frivolous . ''
Although LGBTQ people were not directly mentioned in the rule , experts on persecution of LGBTQ immigrants said they are already being asked to meet narrow definitions that often exclude their experiences of persecution — and this new proposal could make things worse .
The rule would change how `` social group '' and `` persecution '' are defined in a way that would hurt claims from LGBTQ asylum seekers , human rights experts say .
It would also raise the bar on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 've experienced in order to have their application approved , which the rule defines as `` an extreme level of harm and does not encompass all possible forms of mistreatment . ''
The `` mere existence of potentially persecutory laws or policies is not enough to establish a well-founded fear of persecution , '' the rule states .
The laws or policies must be widespread and systemic or the asylum seeker must have evidence that the laws or policies would impact the applicant personally .
It also provides nine circumstances under which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were part of a social group that qualifies for asylum , which advocates say would exclude many LGBTQ people .
These circumstances include `` interpersonal disputes of which governmental authorities were unaware or uninvolved , '' which often involve violence enforcing gender norms , advocates say .
`` By dismissing violence against women or LGBT people as simply an 'interpersonal dispute ' the proposed rule fails to recognize that gender-based violence is a social means to subordinate rather than an individual problem , requiring comprehensive responses , including state measures to comply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecute and punish , '' Human Rights Watch wrote in its public comment on the proposal .
Virginia Goggin , director of legal services at the New York City Anti-Violence Project , stated in a separate comment that the very existence of laws that criminalize LGBTQ people is sufficient to establish fear of persecution regardless of whether people are frequently prosecuted under them .
Goggin said these laws forcibly closet people and allow government actors and civilians to harm LGBTQ people with impunity , among other things .
In a press release , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule because it would allow agencies to `` more effectively separate baseless claims from meritorious ones '' and `` would better ensure groundless claims do not delay or divert resources from deserving claims . ''
Sharita Gruberg , senior director for the LGBTQ Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress , said the proposed changes would `` create insurmountable barriers for LGBTQ people , depriving them of their right under U.S. and international law to seek humanitarian protection and essentially eliminating asylum protections . ''
`` If this proposed rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be subjected to unclear and potentially unlawful standards with virtually no safeguards for due process and returned to countries where their lives are in danger , '' Gruberg added .
Bridget Crawford , legal director for Immigration Equality , said that the proposed regulation means that almost no one would be deemed eligible for asylum .
`` The Trump administration 's attempt to abolish asylum cuts at the very heart of who we should be as a nation : a beacon of hope for people fleeing persecution , '' Crawford said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this regulation would mean that LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants treated like criminals in their countries of origin would not be able to seek safe haven in the U.S. '' Last Wednesday was the final opportunity for groups and experts opposing or supporting the rule to leave public comments for the agency , which will then be reviewed .
Once agencies move forward with the final rule , they often acknowledge the criticisms of the rule through the public comment process .
According to the Associated Press , there were 80,000 public comments against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The Trump administration is moving forward with a proposed rule that immigration advocates say would do major harm to LGBTQ asylum seekers.
The Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security submitted the proposed policy in June. The public comment period for the rule closed last week.
The proposed regulation would raise the standard for immigration judges to grant asylum claims, according to the New York Times. Asylum seekers who say they are being targeted by gangs or government officials, for instance, would have a higher likelihood of being denied.
As the Times notes, asylum officers would also have greater flexibility to label applications “frivolous.” Although LGBTQ people were not directly mentioned in the rule, experts on persecution of LGBTQ immigrants said they are already being asked to meet narrow definitions that often exclude their experiences of persecution — and this new proposal could make things worse.
The rule would change how “social group” and “persecution” are defined in a way that would hurt claims from LGBTQ asylum seekers, human rights experts say. It would also raise the bar on the kind of harm asylum seekers must show they’ve experienced in order to have their application approved, which the rule defines as “an extreme level of harm and does not encompass all possible forms of mistreatment.”
The “mere existence of potentially persecutory laws or policies is not enough to establish a well-founded fear of persecution,” the rule states. The laws or policies must be widespread and systemic or the asylum seeker must have evidence that the laws or policies would impact the applicant personally.
It also provides nine circumstances under which applicants would need more evidence to prove they were part of a social group that qualifies for asylum, which advocates say would exclude many LGBTQ people. These circumstances include “interpersonal disputes of which governmental authorities were unaware or uninvolved,” which often involve violence enforcing gender norms, advocates say.
“By dismissing violence against women or LGBT people as simply an ‘interpersonal dispute’ the proposed rule fails to recognize that gender-based violence is a social means to subordinate rather than an individual problem, requiring comprehensive responses, including state measures to comply with obligations to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish,” Human Rights Watch wrote in its public comment on the proposal.
Virginia Goggin, director of legal services at the New York City Anti-Violence Project, stated in a separate comment that the very existence of laws that criminalize LGBTQ people is sufficient to establish fear of persecution regardless of whether people are frequently prosecuted under them. Goggin said these laws forcibly closet people and allow government actors and civilians to harm LGBTQ people with impunity, among other things.
In a press release, the Justice Department said it proposed the rule because it would allow agencies to “more effectively separate baseless claims from meritorious ones” and “would better ensure groundless claims do not delay or divert resources from deserving claims.”
Sharita Gruberg, senior director for the LGBTQ Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress, said the proposed changes would “create insurmountable barriers for LGBTQ people, depriving them of their right under U.S. and international law to seek humanitarian protection and essentially eliminating asylum protections.”
“If this proposed rule goes into effect, countless LGBTQ people will be subjected to unclear and potentially unlawful standards with virtually no safeguards for due process and returned to countries where their lives are in danger,” Gruberg added.
Bridget Crawford, legal director for Immigration Equality, said that the proposed regulation means that almost no one would be deemed eligible for asylum.
“The Trump administration’s attempt to abolish asylum cuts at the very heart of who we should be as a nation: a beacon of hope for people fleeing persecution,” Crawford said in a statement. “If enacted, this regulation would mean that LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants treated like criminals in their countries of origin would not be able to seek safe haven in the U.S.”
Last Wednesday was the final opportunity for groups and experts opposing or supporting the rule to leave public comments for the agency, which will then be reviewed.
Once agencies move forward with the final rule, they often acknowledge the criticisms of the rule through the public comment process. According to the Associated Press, there were 80,000 public comments against the proposed asylum rule.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-22--Oregon goes to court to restrain federal agents sent by Trump

A federal judge heard arguments Wednesday on Oregon 's request for a restraining order against federal agents sent to the state 's biggest city to quell protests that have spiraled into nightly clashes between authorities and demonstrators .
The lawsuit , filed by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum , alleges that federal agents sent by Donald Trump have arrested people with no probable cause , whisked protesters away in unmarked cars , and used excessive force to quell the unrest .
It 's part of growing pushback against the Trump administration 's use of federal agents in Portland and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities .
In a twist , the judge hearing the case — U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman — works out of the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse , which has been a target for more than 50 nights of protests following the killing of George Floyd .
Floyd , a Black man , died after being pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer , igniting protests against racial injustice nationwide .
The motion for a temporary restraining order asks the judge to immediately command agents from the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Border Protection , the Federal Protective Service , and the U.S .
Marshals Service to immediately stop detaining protesters without probable cause , to identify themselves before arresting anyone , and to explain why an arrest is taking place .
During the hearing — held by videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic — Rosenblum said she was asking the court to `` declare it not acceptable for federal officers to use unconstitutional police state-type acts to detain citizens of Oregon without cause . ''
There are 114 federal agents in Portland , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state .
David Morrell , an attorney for the U.S. government , called the motion `` extraordinary '' and told the court it was based solely on `` a few threadbare declarations '' from witnesses and a Twitter video .
`` It 's important to underscore what 's at stake here .
The Hatfield courthouse did not damage itself , '' he said , calling the protests `` dangerous and volatile . ''
Mosman said the declaration of one man , who said in court papers that he was arrested by federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , seemed to meet the bar for Oregon 's motion for a temporary restraining order .
But in a back-and-forth with Oregon attorneys , Mosman focused on a Twitter video of another arrest that showed a person being placed in an unmarked van and seemed skeptical of the state 's argument that that arrest in particular was made without probable cause .
It was n't clear when Mosman would rule .
The suit by Oregon 's attorney general is one of several filed over law enforcement 's response to the Portland protests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of journalists and legal observers who say they were targeted and attacked by police while documenting demonstrations .
A freelance photographer covering the protests for the Associated Press submitted an affidavit that he was beaten with batons , fired at with chemical irritants , and hit with rubber bullets .
U.S. Judge Michael Simon previously ruled that journalists and legal observers are exempt from Portland police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an area has been declared an unlawful assembly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists should have to leave when ordered to do so .
The Trump administration also faces another lawsuit , accusing federal agents of violating protesters ' 10th Amendment rights by engaging in police activities designated to local and state governments .
That legal action was filed by the Western States Center , which helps organize and promote the rights of communities of color and low-income people .
Ahead of Wednesday 's hearing , a fence was raised around the federal courthouse , outside of which protesters and federal agents had clashed again overnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were not present .
Protesters repeatedly tried to break into the courthouse and set fires around it , and federal agents drove them back with tear gas and stun grenades , the police said .
Far from tamping down the unrest in Portland , the presence of federal agents on the streets of the progressive city has recently energized the nightly protests .
Crowds had recently numbered fewer than 100 people but swelled to more than 1,000 over the weekend , attracting a broader base in a city that 's increasingly unified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents against the will of state and local officials also has set up the potential for a constitutional crisis , legal experts say .
It could escalate if Trump sends federal agents elsewhere , as he says he plans to do , including to Democratic-led Chicago .
During a U.S. Senate committee hearing Wednesday , one of Oregon 's senators reiterated what state officials have said : that he believes the use of federal agents in Portland is unconstitutional .
`` If the line is not drawn in the sand right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of martial law in the middle of a presidential election , '' said Sen. Ron Wyden , a Democrat .
Federal authorities , however , have defended their response , saying officials in Oregon had been unwilling to work with them to stop the vandalism and violence against federal officers and the U.S. courthouse in Portland .
`` We need to find a peaceful outcome , '' acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said at a news conference Tuesday in Washington .
`` At the end of the day , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law enforcement officers . ''
Wolf said agents have been assaulted with lasers , bats , fireworks , bottles , and other weapons .
While he said federal agencies have made 43 arrests since July 4 , he disputed that the arrests were carried out by unidentified agents , noting that they have the word `` police '' on their uniforms .
Among the protesters this week was Maureen Healy , who joined a march with a family member , as demonstrators sang songs , chanted the names of Black lives lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just after midnight , she saw a line of authorities wearing camouflage and dark outfits emerge and advance on the crowd .
The crowd retreated , and Healy said she heard bangs , saw smoke , and was struck by a projectile as she turned away .
She felt blood on her temple and went to the hospital with a black eye , a cut to her face , and a possible concussion .
`` This is my home .
I was protesting peacefully , so why did federal troops shoot me in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 52 , who is the chair of the history department at Lewis & Clark College .

A federal judge heard arguments Wednesday on Oregon’s request for a restraining order against federal agents sent to the state’s biggest city to quell protests that have spiraled into nightly clashes between authorities and demonstrators.
The lawsuit, filed by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, alleges that federal agents sent by Donald Trump have arrested people with no probable cause, whisked protesters away in unmarked cars, and used excessive force to quell the unrest. It’s part of growing pushback against the Trump administration’s use of federal agents in Portland and its plans to do the same in other cities.
In a twist, the judge hearing the case — U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman — works out of the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, which has been a target for more than 50 nights of protests following the killing of George Floyd. Floyd, a Black man, died after being pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer, igniting protests against racial injustice nationwide.
The motion for a temporary restraining order asks the judge to immediately command agents from the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Protective Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service to immediately stop detaining protesters without probable cause, to identify themselves before arresting anyone, and to explain why an arrest is taking place.
During the hearing — held by videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic — Rosenblum said she was asking the court to “declare it not acceptable for federal officers to use unconstitutional police state-type acts to detain citizens of Oregon without cause.”
There are 114 federal agents in Portland, according to Steve Lippold, another attorney for the state.
David Morrell, an attorney for the U.S. government, called the motion “extraordinary” and told the court it was based solely on “a few threadbare declarations” from witnesses and a Twitter video.
“It’s important to underscore what’s at stake here. The Hatfield courthouse did not damage itself,” he said, calling the protests “dangerous and volatile.”
Mosman said the declaration of one man, who said in court papers that he was arrested by federal agents for no reason and later released, seemed to meet the bar for Oregon’s motion for a temporary restraining order.
But in a back-and-forth with Oregon attorneys, Mosman focused on a Twitter video of another arrest that showed a person being placed in an unmarked van and seemed skeptical of the state’s argument that that arrest in particular was made without probable cause.
It wasn’t clear when Mosman would rule.
The suit by Oregon’s attorney general is one of several filed over law enforcement’s response to the Portland protests. On Thursday a judge will hear arguments in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of journalists and legal observers who say they were targeted and attacked by police while documenting demonstrations. A freelance photographer covering the protests for the Associated Press submitted an affidavit that he was beaten with batons, fired at with chemical irritants, and hit with rubber bullets.
U.S. Judge Michael Simon previously ruled that journalists and legal observers are exempt from Portland police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an area has been declared an unlawful assembly. Federal lawyers say in court filings that journalists should have to leave when ordered to do so.
The Trump administration also faces another lawsuit, accusing federal agents of violating protesters’ 10th Amendment rights by engaging in police activities designated to local and state governments. That legal action was filed by the Western States Center, which helps organize and promote the rights of communities of color and low-income people.
Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, a fence was raised around the federal courthouse, outside of which protesters and federal agents had clashed again overnight, according to the Portland police, who were not present. Protesters repeatedly tried to break into the courthouse and set fires around it, and federal agents drove them back with tear gas and stun grenades, the police said.
Far from tamping down the unrest in Portland, the presence of federal agents on the streets of the progressive city has recently energized the nightly protests. Crowds had recently numbered fewer than 100 people but swelled to more than 1,000 over the weekend, attracting a broader base in a city that’s increasingly unified and outraged.
The use of federal agents against the will of state and local officials also has set up the potential for a constitutional crisis, legal experts say. It could escalate if Trump sends federal agents elsewhere, as he says he plans to do, including to Democratic-led Chicago.
During a U.S. Senate committee hearing Wednesday, one of Oregon’s senators reiterated what state officials have said: that he believes the use of federal agents in Portland is unconstitutional.
“If the line is not drawn in the sand right now, America may be staring down the barrel of martial law in the middle of a presidential election,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat.
Federal authorities, however, have defended their response, saying officials in Oregon had been unwilling to work with them to stop the vandalism and violence against federal officers and the U.S. courthouse in Portland.
“We need to find a peaceful outcome,” acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said at a news conference Tuesday in Washington. “At the end of the day, we have to protect the federal property and the law enforcement officers.”
Wolf said agents have been assaulted with lasers, bats, fireworks, bottles, and other weapons. While he said federal agencies have made 43 arrests since July 4, he disputed that the arrests were carried out by unidentified agents, noting that they have the word “police” on their uniforms.
Among the protesters this week was Maureen Healy, who joined a march with a family member, as demonstrators sang songs, chanted the names of Black lives lost, and held moments of silence.
Just after midnight, she saw a line of authorities wearing camouflage and dark outfits emerge and advance on the crowd. The crowd retreated, and Healy said she heard bangs, saw smoke, and was struck by a projectile as she turned away. She felt blood on her temple and went to the hospital with a black eye, a cut to her face, and a possible concussion.
“This is my home. I was protesting peacefully, so why did federal troops shoot me in the head?” asked Healy, 52, who is the chair of the history department at Lewis & Clark College.


shareblue--2020-07-22--Conway blames governors for reopening early after Trump said it was a 'decision by me'

White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway claimed on Wednesday that states reopened `` a little too quickly . ''
Conway also defended Trump , saying it was a `` false rumor '' that he said he would be `` in charge of '' reopening the states .
But that is almost exactly what Trump said in April as he pushed reopening .
`` For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion , some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states , not that of the President of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump tweeted on April 13 .
`` This is incorrect .
It is the decision of the President . ''
Trump said he would announce a `` decision by me '' on reopening that would be made `` in conjunction with the Governors and input from others . ''
Earlier that month , Trump announced the formation of an `` Opening Our Country Council '' as part of his push to reopen the economy by May 1 .
Trump repeatedly asserted that America `` was n't built to be shut down . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as soon as possible , '' he told reporters .
KELLYANNE CONWAY : Some of these states blew through our gated criteria , blew through our phases , and they opened up some of the industries a little too quickly , like bars .
And I 'm personally a loud voice in those task force meetings to say , `` Look , are we going to open bars now or schools in two or four or six or eight months ? ''
And I think as a nation , we probably want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are many people who just need the certainty of are their kids going back to school full time , are they learning from home , etc.
?
So , remember the governors wanted complete latitude over when they would open their states .
They pushed back heavily , handsomely — Republicans and Democrats — when it was falsely rumored that the president was going to be in charge of opening the states .
REPORTER : He encouraged them to open .
CONWAY : Well , but not everybody has .
And remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Georgia , a Republican , who he frankly helped get elected .
He pushed back on him early , and some people did n't like that , but he did that , because he said publicly , to all of you , `` I think it 's just a little too early .
Why do n't we wait a little bit longer ? ''
So , the president was on the record doing that long before these other states decided when they would open or not .
But , I think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information to the public as the president , he 's also giving people guideposts as to how to do our part to help flatten that curve .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway claimed on Wednesday that states reopened “a little too quickly.”
Conway also defended Trump, saying it was a “false rumor” that he said he would be “in charge of” reopening the states.
But that is almost exactly what Trump said in April as he pushed reopening.
“For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government,” Trump tweeted on April 13. “This is incorrect. It is the decision of the President.”
Trump said he would announce a “decision by me” on reopening that would be made “in conjunction with the Governors and input from others.”
Earlier that month, Trump announced the formation of an “Opening Our Country Council” as part of his push to reopen the economy by May 1.
Trump repeatedly asserted that America “wasn’t built to be shut down.”
“I want to get it open as soon as possible,” he told reporters.
From a July 22 press briefing:
KELLYANNE CONWAY: Some of these states blew through our gated criteria, blew through our phases, and they opened up some of the industries a little too quickly, like bars. And I’m personally a loud voice in those task force meetings to say, “Look, are we going to open bars now or schools in two or four or six or eight months?” And I think as a nation, we probably want to open both, but as a nation there are many people who just need the certainty of are their kids going back to school full time, are they learning from home, etc.? So, remember the governors wanted complete latitude over when they would open their states. They pushed back heavily, handsomely — Republicans and Democrats — when it was falsely rumored that the president was going to be in charge of opening the states. He’s a federalist, he believes in states’ rights. REPORTER: He encouraged them to open. CONWAY: Well, but not everybody has. And remember, he pushed back on the governor of Georgia, a Republican, who he frankly helped get elected. He pushed back on him early, and some people didn’t like that, but he did that, because he said publicly, to all of you, “I think it’s just a little too early. Why don’t we wait a little bit longer?” So, the president was on the record doing that long before these other states decided when they would open or not. But, I think the president also sees that if he provides information to the public as the president, he’s also giving people guideposts as to how to do our part to help flatten that curve.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-22--GOP senator who promoted vacation bill received over $40,000 from travel industry

Sen. Martha McSally 's campaign has received tens of thousands of dollars from political action committees associated with commercial travel in the past two years .
The last of those contributions came just after the Arizona Republican introduced a bill to subsidize vacations for Americans , according to publicly available Federal Election Commission data .
On June 22 , McSally introduced the American TRIP Act , which would provide every adult with a $ 4,000 tax credit to be used for a vacation within the United States .
Families would receive an additional $ 500 tax credit for each child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive a total credit of $ 9,500 .
The bill `` is about getting more than 180,000 Arizonans and over 9 million Americans who are employed by the tourism and hospitality industries back to work , '' McSally said in a press release at the time .
In this election cycle , the McSally campaign has received $ 43,500 from PACs of industries that could benefit from the TRIP Act , including commercial airlines , rental car companies , and restaurants , according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airlines , Delta Airlines , and Southwest Airlines ; $ 11,000 from travel and lodging PACs ; $ 5,000 from the National Restaurant Association ; and $ 9,000 from Enterprise Rent-A-Car .
A $ 7,500 donation from the American Hotel and Lodging Association PAC came on June 29 , just a week after McSally introduced the American TRIP Act .
McSally has received campaign contributions from these industries in past election cycles , including nearly $ 20,000 from lodging and tourism PACs from 2015 through 2018 .
McSally `` wants to give a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bankrolling her campaign , '' Zach Hudson , a spokesperson for American Bridge 21st Century , a progressive opposition research organization , claimed in an email on Wednesday .
The McSally campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
McSally introduced the American TRIP Act even as coronavirus cases surged across the country .
When she first introduced the bill , there were 2.3 million coronavirus cases in the United States ; as of Wednesday , that number stood at more than 3.9 million .
`` Because travel increases your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick , '' the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned .
The CDC has recommended to those who do travel to wash their hands frequently , stay at least six feet away from others , and wear a face mask to prevent further spread or infection .
McSally currently faces a tough election race in Arizona .
She lost her 2018 race to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema and was appointed to her current seat in January 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. John McCain 's term .
Her Democratic opponent this time around , former astronaut Mark Kelly , has consistently raised more money than McSally and has led her in 16 of the 17 most recent statewide polls .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Martha McSally’s campaign has received tens of thousands of dollars from political action committees associated with commercial travel in the past two years.
The last of those contributions came just after the Arizona Republican introduced a bill to subsidize vacations for Americans, according to publicly available Federal Election Commission data.
On June 22, McSally introduced the American TRIP Act, which would provide every adult with a $4,000 tax credit to be used for a vacation within the United States. Families would receive an additional $500 tax credit for each child, meaning a family of five would receive a total credit of $9,500.
The bill “is about getting more than 180,000 Arizonans and over 9 million Americans who are employed by the tourism and hospitality industries back to work,” McSally said in a press release at the time.
In this election cycle, the McSally campaign has received $43,500 from PACs of industries that could benefit from the TRIP Act, including commercial airlines, rental car companies, and restaurants, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Her campaign received $18,500 from American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and Southwest Airlines; $11,000 from travel and lodging PACs; $5,000 from the National Restaurant Association; and $9,000 from Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
A $7,500 donation from the American Hotel and Lodging Association PAC came on June 29, just a week after McSally introduced the American TRIP Act.
McSally has received campaign contributions from these industries in past election cycles, including nearly $20,000 from lodging and tourism PACs from 2015 through 2018.
McSally “wants to give a handout to the travel industry that is bankrolling her campaign,” Zach Hudson, a spokesperson for American Bridge 21st Century, a progressive opposition research organization, claimed in an email on Wednesday.
The McSally campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
McSally introduced the American TRIP Act even as coronavirus cases surged across the country. When she first introduced the bill, there were 2.3 million coronavirus cases in the United States; as of Wednesday, that number stood at more than 3.9 million.
“Because travel increases your chances of getting infected and spreading COVID-19, staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned.
The CDC has recommended to those who do travel to wash their hands frequently, stay at least six feet away from others, and wear a face mask to prevent further spread or infection.
McSally currently faces a tough election race in Arizona. She lost her 2018 race to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema and was appointed to her current seat in January 2019, filling out the remainder of the late Sen. John McCain’s term.
Her Democratic opponent this time around, former astronaut Mark Kelly, has consistently raised more money than McSally and has led her in 16 of the 17 most recent statewide polls.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-22--GOP threatens to defund Democratic-controlled cities over protests

Sen. Joni Ernst ( R-IA ) and North Carolina Republican Rep. Dan Bishop are urging the Trump administration to defund cities and states that have so-called `` anarchist jurisdictions , '' Ernst announced in a tweet on Wednesday .
In a letter to Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought , Ernst said federal funding should not be used to `` facilitate '' `` autonomous zones '' like the one that cropped up in Seattle , and touted a bill she introduced late last month called the `` Ending Taxpayer Funding of Anarchy Act . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay for their abdication of responsibility , '' Ernst wrote , referring to local officials in Seattle .
`` We ask that you scrutinize any future federal funding that flows to such lawless jurisdictions . ''
It 's the latest attempt by congressional Republicans to help bolster Donald Trump 's effort to paint Democratic-controlled cities as violent and overrun by protesters demanding racial justice .
`` The Radical Left Democrats , who totally control Biden , will destroy our Country as we know it , '' Trump tweeted on Sunday .
`` Unimaginably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Look at Portland , where the pols are just fine with 50 days of anarchy .
We sent in help .
Look at New York , Chicago , Philadelphia .
NO ! ''
Right-wing media has been pushing that same message for weeks , overblowing the story of the autonomous zone in Seattle that local officials helped deescalate .
In fact , Fox News even altered photos to make the zone look violent when it was largely peaceful .
Right-wing media also tagged along with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During that visit , Wolf touted the actions of unidentified federal agents who abducted peaceful protesters off the street to stop some incidents of graffiti in the city .
In a Fox News appearance on Tuesday , Wolf called those arrests `` proactive '' — something that appears unethical or illegal given that the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution says law enforcement officers must have probable cause to arrest someone and ca n't assume someone will do something illegal .
It 's not the first time Republicans have threatened to defund Democratic-run entities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill earlier this month that would strip federal funding from cities and states that do not protect statues and monuments .
McCarthy 's bill came after Trump voiced support for keeping monuments to traitorous Confederate soldiers and other historical figures like Christopher Columbus — even issuing an executive order to `` protect '' those monuments .
Trump has also threatened to defund so-called `` sanctuary cities , '' in which local law enforcement officers refuse to do the job of federal agents conducting immigration enforcement .
Ultimately , however , Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working .
A Washington Post/ABC News poll from Sunday found voters trust presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to handle issues of `` crime and safety '' more than Trump by a 9-point margin .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and North Carolina Republican Rep. Dan Bishop are urging the Trump administration to defund cities and states that have so-called “anarchist jurisdictions,” Ernst announced in a tweet on Wednesday.
In a letter to Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought, Ernst said federal funding should not be used to “facilitate” “autonomous zones” like the one that cropped up in Seattle, and touted a bill she introduced late last month called the “Ending Taxpayer Funding of Anarchy Act.”
“Law abiding citizens should not have to pay for their abdication of responsibility,” Ernst wrote, referring to local officials in Seattle. “We ask that you scrutinize any future federal funding that flows to such lawless jurisdictions.”
It’s the latest attempt by congressional Republicans to help bolster Donald Trump’s effort to paint Democratic-controlled cities as violent and overrun by protesters demanding racial justice.
“The Radical Left Democrats, who totally control Biden, will destroy our Country as we know it,” Trump tweeted on Sunday. “Unimaginably bad things would happen to America. Look at Portland, where the pols are just fine with 50 days of anarchy. We sent in help. Look at New York, Chicago, Philadelphia. NO!”
Right-wing media has been pushing that same message for weeks, overblowing the story of the autonomous zone in Seattle that local officials helped deescalate. In fact, Fox News even altered photos to make the zone look violent when it was largely peaceful.
Right-wing media also tagged along with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf as he descended upon Portland, Oregon. During that visit, Wolf touted the actions of unidentified federal agents who abducted peaceful protesters off the street to stop some incidents of graffiti in the city.
In a Fox News appearance on Tuesday, Wolf called those arrests “proactive” — something that appears unethical or illegal given that the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution says law enforcement officers must have probable cause to arrest someone and can’t assume someone will do something illegal.
It’s not the first time Republicans have threatened to defund Democratic-run entities.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy introduced a bill earlier this month that would strip federal funding from cities and states that do not protect statues and monuments. McCarthy’s bill came after Trump voiced support for keeping monuments to traitorous Confederate soldiers and other historical figures like Christopher Columbus — even issuing an executive order to “protect” those monuments.
Trump has also threatened to defund so-called “sanctuary cities,” in which local law enforcement officers refuse to do the job of federal agents conducting immigration enforcement.
Ultimately, however, Trump’s law-and-order message doesn’t appear to be working.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll from Sunday found voters trust presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to handle issues of “crime and safety” more than Trump by a 9-point margin.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-22--Susan Collins refuses to endorse Trump because she's 'in a difficult race'

Sen. Susan Collins ( R-ME ) said Tuesday that she would not choose sides in the 2020 presidential race because of her own `` difficult race . ''
Last week Collins , who is serving her fourth term in the Senate , told reporters that she would not endorse Donald Trump 's reelection — or speak against him — because she is also running for reelection in November .
She noted that `` in parts of the state President Trump is very popular , in parts of the state he 's very unpopular . ''
During an appearance on CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have a difficult race .
And I am concentrating my efforts on that race . ''
Collins is correct about the challenge she faces .
A poll of Maine voters conducted by Public Policy Polling July 2-3 found the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat , Maine House of Representatives Speaker Sara Gideon , leading Collins 46 % to 42 % .
Gideon has raised more money for her campaign than Collins in the past two quarters .
Between April and June , Gideon raised $ 8 million to Collins ' $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gideon has outraised her overall , by almost $ 24.2 million to $ 16.8 million .
In addition , Gideon will receive $ 3.7 million in raised through crowdfunding for the eventual Democratic nominee after Collins voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018 .
Gideon easily won the Democratic primary for the Senate seat last week .
Several of Collins ' former backers have switched sides for this race .
The Human Rights Campaign , which had previously backed Collins , announced last week that it would endorse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he group 's president , Alphonso David , said in a statement : `` Despite Susan Collins ' record of support on certain key LGBTQ issues , her support of Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump 's agenda , endorsement of Brett M. Kavanaugh 's appointment to the Supreme Court and failure to hold Donald Trump accountable , is simply untenable . ''
Planned Parenthood , which last backed Collins in her 2002 race and honored her with its Barry Goldwater Award in 2017 , endorsed Gideon in January .
Of Collins , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Planned Parenthood Action , said in a statement : `` From her decisive vote to confirm Kavanaugh to her refusal to stop Republican attacks on our health and rights , it 's clear that she has turned her back on those she should be championing . ''
Abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America , which backed Collins in 2002 and stayed neutral in her past two elections , endorsed Gideon last June .
The League of Conservation Voters endorsed Collins in her previous races , but backed Gideon in November .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Nov. 14 : `` From her time as a town councilor to her tenure as Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives , Speaker Gideon has been a leader fighting the climate crisis , promoting clean energy , & banning offshore drilling in Maine . ''
But the biggest challenge for Collins may be Trump .
The same July poll that showed her trailing Gideon also found Joe Biden leading Donald Trump among Maine voters by a margin of 53 % to 42 % .
Collins ' base of Republican voters approves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
But as of 2017 , Pew Research Center notes , Republicans make up only 36 % of the Maine electorate .
Some 89 % of Maine Democratic voters disapprove of Trump 's job performance , as do 57 % of independent voters .
Overall , 55 % of Maine voters disapprove of Trump , with 41 % approving of the job he 's doing .
Collins faces similar dynamics with her own rating , with 36 % of all voters polled approving and 55 % disapproving .
If she comes out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican voters , 63 % of whom currently approve of her .
But by a 46 % to 42 % plurality , according to the Public Policy Polling survey , Maine voters think Collins is `` more a partisan voice for Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell '' than she is `` an independent voice for Maine , '' with 11 % saying they were unsure .
Collins has tried to have it both ways regarding Trump since 2016 , frequently expressing concern about his actions and words but also voting with him most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 occasions , Collins has indicated her disappointment and displeasure with the actions of Trump and his administration .
But since Trump 's inauguration , she has voted with him more than two-thirds of the time , according to FiveThirtyEight .
She voted to confirm the vast majority of Trump 's 200 judicial appointees , including Supreme Court Justices Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch .
She also voted to acquit Trump during his impeachment trial in February , suggesting that he had learned a `` pretty big lesson '' from being impeached and `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
She later admitted that claim had been `` more aspirational on my part . ''
A Collins campaign spokesperson said in an email that Collins had been `` very clear '' about her rationale for staying out of the presidential race : `` She said her race was 'difficult ' meaning hard or arduous… so she is 'concentrating , ' or focusing , her attention on 'that ' by which she means her own race rather than presidential politics . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said Tuesday that she would not choose sides in the 2020 presidential race because of her own “difficult race.”
Last week Collins, who is serving her fourth term in the Senate, told reporters that she would not endorse Donald Trump’s reelection — or speak against him — because she is also running for reelection in November. She noted that “in parts of the state President Trump is very popular, in parts of the state he’s very unpopular.”
During an appearance on CNN on Tuesday, she said, “I have a difficult race. And I am concentrating my efforts on that race.”
Collins is correct about the challenge she faces.
A poll of Maine voters conducted by Public Policy Polling July 2-3 found the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat, Maine House of Representatives Speaker Sara Gideon, leading Collins 46% to 42%.
Gideon has raised more money for her campaign than Collins in the past two quarters. Between April and June, Gideon raised $8 million to Collins’ $3 million. Despite Collins’ incumbency, Gideon has outraised her overall, by almost $24.2 million to $16.8 million.
In addition, Gideon will receive $3.7 million in raised through crowdfunding for the eventual Democratic nominee after Collins voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018.
Gideon easily won the Democratic primary for the Senate seat last week.
Several of Collins’ former backers have switched sides for this race.
The Human Rights Campaign, which had previously backed Collins, announced last week that it would endorse Gideon. According to the Washington Post, he group’s president, Alphonso David, said in a statement: “Despite Susan Collins’ record of support on certain key LGBTQ issues, her support of Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump’s agenda, endorsement of Brett M. Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court and failure to hold Donald Trump accountable, is simply untenable.”
Planned Parenthood, which last backed Collins in her 2002 race and honored her with its Barry Goldwater Award in 2017, endorsed Gideon in January. Of Collins, Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action, said in a statement: “From her decisive vote to confirm Kavanaugh to her refusal to stop Republican attacks on our health and rights, it’s clear that she has turned her back on those she should be championing.” Abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America, which backed Collins in 2002 and stayed neutral in her past two elections, endorsed Gideon last June.
The League of Conservation Voters endorsed Collins in her previous races, but backed Gideon in November. The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund tweeted on Nov. 14: “From her time as a town councilor to her tenure as Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, Speaker Gideon has been a leader fighting the climate crisis, promoting clean energy, & banning offshore drilling in Maine.”
But the biggest challenge for Collins may be Trump. The same July poll that showed her trailing Gideon also found Joe Biden leading Donald Trump among Maine voters by a margin of 53% to 42%.
Collins’ base of Republican voters approves of the job Trump is doing 83%. But as of 2017, Pew Research Center notes, Republicans make up only 36% of the Maine electorate. Some 89% of Maine Democratic voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance, as do 57% of independent voters. Overall, 55% of Maine voters disapprove of Trump, with 41% approving of the job he’s doing.
Collins faces similar dynamics with her own rating, with 36% of all voters polled approving and 55% disapproving.
If she comes out strongly against Trump, Collins risks alienating Republican voters, 63% of whom currently approve of her. But by a 46% to 42% plurality, according to the Public Policy Polling survey, Maine voters think Collins is “more a partisan voice for Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell” than she is “an independent voice for Maine,” with 11% saying they were unsure.
Collins has tried to have it both ways regarding Trump since 2016, frequently expressing concern about his actions and words but also voting with him most of the time.
On at least 24 occasions, Collins has indicated her disappointment and displeasure with the actions of Trump and his administration.
But since Trump’s inauguration, she has voted with him more than two-thirds of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. She voted to confirm the vast majority of Trump’s 200 judicial appointees, including Supreme Court Justices Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.
She also voted to acquit Trump during his impeachment trial in February, suggesting that he had learned a “pretty big lesson” from being impeached and “would be more cautious in the future.” She later admitted that claim had been “more aspirational on my part.”
A Collins campaign spokesperson said in an email that Collins had been “very clear” about her rationale for staying out of the presidential race: “She said her race was ‘difficult’ meaning hard or arduous… so she is ‘concentrating,’ or focusing, her attention on ‘that’ by which she means her own race rather than presidential politics.”
The subhead of this story was updated to correct the name of Susan Collins’ rival, Sara Gideon.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-22--Trump campaign event to feature evangelical pastors and right-wing extremists

Six of Donald Trump 's most virulently anti-LGBTQ supporters are planning to host a campaign event on Thursday evening in Georgia .
The Trump campaign announced Tuesday that `` Evangelicals for Trump : Praise , Prayer , and Patriotism '' will feature `` a local live band , prayer , and remarks . ''
The event will be held inside a luxury hotel in Alpharetta , a suburb 30 minutes north of Atlanta .
The six evangelical Trump backers listed as attending the event have a long history of anti-LGBTQ activism and right-wing extremism .
They are Jentezen Franklin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee , Ralph Reed , and Paula White .
Jentezen Franklin is a televangelist and senior pastor of a Georgia-based church called Free Chapel .
He has a long record of opposing LGBTQ rights .
In 2012 , he tweeted that he felt `` a real sadness for America with the announcement of Gay Marriage support from Pres .
Obama .
Bible is clear this is sin . ''
In 2014 , he posted on his website that it was time to `` stop complaining that there is not a voice in government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the business of murdering unborn children , against human trafficking , against the homosexual agenda '' and called on his followers to become that voice .
Two years later , he suggested in a post that because `` over 4 million Christians stayed at home and did n't vote '' in the 2012 presidential election , marriage had been `` redefined , '' `` Catholic hospitals and Christian doctors and pharmacists [ had been ] forced to administer care that is in direct conflict with their values and beliefs , '' and businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for not toeing the line on social agendas supported by activist judges with clear political bias .
And we have seen violence and racial divide all across our land as division sets in , instigated by the highest offices in the land , '' Franklin said .
Earlier this month , Michael Evans , an evangelical who serves as an adviser to Trump , filed a lawsuit against Franklin and his ministry , alleging fraud , unjust enrichment , and deceptive practices .
Evans claimed Franklin had raised money that he said would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Israel but had not delivered most of the funds as promised .
Franklin did not immediately respond to an inquiry for comment for this story , but his office told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that there was no basis for the accusations .
Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. , senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville , Maryland , is a leading opponent of LGBTQ equality .
In 2009 , he unsuccessfully pushed to include on the ballot in Washington , D.C. , a referendum on declaring marriage to be between one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just feel like I 'm on a mission , '' he told the Washington Post at the time .
`` It 's not a mission of hate .
It 's a mission to protect godly boundaries . ''
At a 2012 rally , he warned that Satan was behind the push for marriage equality , saying , `` The Enemy wants it to be a legacy , or a seed that is planted in this generation that corrupts , perverts and pollutes . ''
In 2013 , he told a rally hosted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marriage that God had `` given us an architectural plan of how to heal the barren places in urban America .
He says that marriage between a man and a woman will heal the desert places in urban America . ''
`` When a man and a woman are in the house , poverty is lessened .
When a man and a woman are in the house , kids don ’ t go to prison .
When a man and a woman are in the house , there ’ s less domestic violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in the house , sexual abuse does not happen , '' he falsely claimed .
Jackson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for comments for this story .
Alveda King , head of the anti-abortion Alveda King Ministries and a Fox News contributor , is the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr .
In 2010 , King likened marriage equality to genocide .
`` It 's been statistically proven that … [ marriage between a man and a woman ] guarantees the continuity of the generations .
We do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to destroy the sacred institution of marriage , '' she said at another rally hosted by the National Organization for Marriage .
In 2015 , she opposed legal recognition for same-sex marriages , saying , `` I believe the Bible .
I do n't believe that two men or two women can join in what 's called 'holy ' matrimony and so should I be forced to go against my own beliefs in favor of a different belief ? ''
Asked about her anti-LGBTQ views , King said in an email that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Constitution and `` the clear connection to a biblical world view therein . ''
`` As such , I believe we are not separate races ; we are one blood , one human race .
Racial division is a socially engineered , divisive concept , '' she wrote .
Richard Lee , the former pastor of several Atlanta-area churches , runs There 's Hope America broadcasting .
In his book `` In God We Still Trust : A 365-Day Devotional , '' published in 2011 , Lee wrote , `` Preserving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's future .
We must join together to maintain the God-ordained truth that marriage is one man and one woman committed to each other for life .
Beyond being a basic unit of society , the family is a sacred institution . ''
In 2016 , he wrote that Georgia 's `` Pastor Protection '' bill , which affirmed that clergy would not be forced to officiate at same-sex weddings , was `` a first blow against the liberal/progressive/perverted agenda that wants to declare God dead and His people helpless . ''
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libs Hate America 's History , '' Lee denounced the `` rioting and destruction by so called students and the social justice warrior/thugs who are instructed and rewarded for acting out like spoiled rebellious little brats instead of maturing young adults studying how to improve their lives and the lives of others . ''
Lee did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
Ralph Reed , the head of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and the former executive director of the Christian Coalition , has been a major figure in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was also an unsuccessful 2006 Republican candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor .
In a film titled `` Gay Rights Special Rights , '' produced by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1993 , Reed compared LGBTQ people with polygamists and unfaithful spouses .
`` No one should have special rights or privileges or minority status because of their sexual behavior .
We do n't have it for people who are polygamists ; we do n't have it for people who have affairs on their wives or husbands , '' he said .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today , Reed called a federal employment nondiscrimination bill `` a dagger aimed at the heart of religious freedom for millions of Americans . ''
That same year , the Faith and Freedom Coalition pushed for the federal government to stop giving grants to the National Cathedral in Washington , D.C. , because the church performed same-sex unions .
`` We demand an immediate suspension of any current or future federal funds to this institution , until such time that it ceases the practice of homosexual 'marriage ' certification , '' it wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request for comments for this story .
Paula White , a prosperity gospel televangelist and one of Trump 's `` spiritual advisers , '' heads Paula White Ministries .
She joined Trump 's White House Office of Public Liaison in November to work on his Faith and Opportunity Initiative .
White has called down the power of God against those she views as satanic and demonic enemies of Donald Trump .
`` We are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against principalities , powers , against rulers of darkness of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places , '' she said in a sermon in June 2019 .
`` So right now let every demonic network that has aligned itself against the purpose , against the calling of President Trump , let it be broken , let it be torn down in the name of Jesus . ''
In a sermon in January , she said , `` We declare that anything that 's been conceived in satanic wombs , that it will miscarry , it will not be able to carry forth any plan of destruction , any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had been speaking metaphorically .
This past weekend , the twice-divorced White told congregants , `` It 's not okay to have an abortion .
It 's not okay to marry the same sex ... it 's not okay , even if it 's culturally acceptable . ''
White did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
Coronavirus cases have spiked in Georgia , where more than 145,000 people have tested positive for the virus and at least 3,176 have died .
Published with permission of The American Independent @ @

Six of Donald Trump’s most virulently anti-LGBTQ supporters are planning to host a campaign event on Thursday evening in Georgia.
The Trump campaign announced Tuesday that “Evangelicals for Trump: Praise, Prayer, and Patriotism” will feature “a local live band, prayer, and remarks.” The event will be held inside a luxury hotel in Alpharetta, a suburb 30 minutes north of Atlanta.
The six evangelical Trump backers listed as attending the event have a long history of anti-LGBTQ activism and right-wing extremism. They are Jentezen Franklin, Harry Jackson, Alveda King, Richard Lee, Ralph Reed, and Paula White.
Jentezen Franklin
Jentezen Franklin is a televangelist and senior pastor of a Georgia-based church called Free Chapel. He has a long record of opposing LGBTQ rights.
In 2012, he tweeted that he felt “a real sadness for America with the announcement of Gay Marriage support from Pres. Obama. Bible is clear this is sin.”
In 2014, he posted on his website that it was time to “stop complaining that there is not a voice in government that will speak against immorality, against the business of murdering unborn children, against human trafficking, against the homosexual agenda” and called on his followers to become that voice.
Two years later, he suggested in a post that because “over 4 million Christians stayed at home and didn’t vote” in the 2012 presidential election, marriage had been “redefined,” “Catholic hospitals and Christian doctors and pharmacists [had been] forced to administer care that is in direct conflict with their values and beliefs,” and businesses had been “sued again and again for not toeing the line on social agendas supported by activist judges with clear political bias. And we have seen violence and racial divide all across our land as division sets in, instigated by the highest offices in the land,” Franklin said.
Earlier this month, Michael Evans, an evangelical who serves as an adviser to Trump, filed a lawsuit against Franklin and his ministry, alleging fraud, unjust enrichment, and deceptive practices. Evans claimed Franklin had raised money that he said would go to feed and support Holocaust survivors in Israel but had not delivered most of the funds as promised.
Franklin did not immediately respond to an inquiry for comment for this story, but his office told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that there was no basis for the accusations.
Harry Jackson Jr.
Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, is a leading opponent of LGBTQ equality. In 2009, he unsuccessfully pushed to include on the ballot in Washington, D.C., a referendum on declaring marriage to be between one man and one woman. “I just feel like I’m on a mission,” he told the Washington Post at the time. “It’s not a mission of hate. It’s a mission to protect godly boundaries.”
At a 2012 rally, he warned that Satan was behind the push for marriage equality, saying, “The Enemy wants it to be a legacy, or a seed that is planted in this generation that corrupts, perverts and pollutes.”
In 2013, he told a rally hosted by the anti-marriage equality group National Organization for Marriage that God had “given us an architectural plan of how to heal the barren places in urban America. He says that marriage between a man and a woman will heal the desert places in urban America.”
“When a man and a woman are in the house, poverty is lessened. When a man and a woman are in the house, kids don’t go to prison. When a man and a woman are in the house, there’s less domestic violence. When a man and a woman are in the house, sexual abuse does not happen,” he falsely claimed.
Jackson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for comments for this story.
Alveda King
Alveda King, head of the anti-abortion Alveda King Ministries and a Fox News contributor, is the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In 2010, King likened marriage equality to genocide. “It’s been statistically proven that … [marriage between a man and a woman] guarantees the continuity of the generations. We don’t want genocide, we don’t want to destroy the sacred institution of marriage,” she said at another rally hosted by the National Organization for Marriage.
In 2015, she opposed legal recognition for same-sex marriages, saying, “I believe the Bible. I don’t believe that two men or two women can join in what’s called ‘holy’ matrimony and so should I be forced to go against my own beliefs in favor of a different belief?”
Asked about her anti-LGBTQ views, King said in an email that she is for “humanity” and supports the U.S. Constitution and “the clear connection to a biblical world view therein.”
“As such, I believe we are not separate races; we are one blood, one human race. Racial division is a socially engineered, divisive concept,” she wrote.
Richard Lee
Richard Lee, the former pastor of several Atlanta-area churches, runs There’s Hope America broadcasting.
In his book “In God We Still Trust: A 365-Day Devotional,” published in 2011, Lee wrote, “Preserving the traditional family is vital to America’s future. We must join together to maintain the God-ordained truth that marriage is one man and one woman committed to each other for life. Beyond being a basic unit of society, the family is a sacred institution.”
In 2016, he wrote that Georgia’s “Pastor Protection” bill, which affirmed that clergy would not be forced to officiate at same-sex weddings, was “a first blow against the liberal/progressive/perverted agenda that wants to declare God dead and His people helpless.”
In a 2018 blog post titled “Why Libs Hate America’s History,” Lee denounced the “rioting and destruction by so called students and the social justice warrior/thugs who are instructed and rewarded for acting out like spoiled rebellious little brats instead of maturing young adults studying how to improve their lives and the lives of others.”
Lee did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.
Ralph Reed
Ralph Reed, the head of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and the former executive director of the Christian Coalition, has been a major figure in the Christian conservative movement for decades. He was also an unsuccessful 2006 Republican candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor.
In a film titled “Gay Rights Special Rights,” produced by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1993, Reed compared LGBTQ people with polygamists and unfaithful spouses. “No one should have special rights or privileges or minority status because of their sexual behavior. We don’t have it for people who are polygamists; we don’t have it for people who have affairs on their wives or husbands,” he said.
In an op-ed published in 2013 by USA Today, Reed called a federal employment nondiscrimination bill “a dagger aimed at the heart of religious freedom for millions of Americans.”
That same year, the Faith and Freedom Coalition pushed for the federal government to stop giving grants to the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., because the church performed same-sex unions. “We demand an immediate suspension of any current or future federal funds to this institution, until such time that it ceases the practice of homosexual ‘marriage’ certification,” it wrote.
Reed did not immediately respond to a request for comments for this story.
Paula White
Paula White, a prosperity gospel televangelist and one of Trump’s “spiritual advisers,” heads Paula White Ministries. She joined Trump’s White House Office of Public Liaison in November to work on his Faith and Opportunity Initiative.
White has called down the power of God against those she views as satanic and demonic enemies of Donald Trump. “We are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, against rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” she said in a sermon in June 2019. “So right now let every demonic network that has aligned itself against the purpose, against the calling of President Trump, let it be broken, let it be torn down in the name of Jesus.”
In a sermon in January, she said, “We declare that anything that’s been conceived in satanic wombs, that it will miscarry, it will not be able to carry forth any plan of destruction, any plan of harm.” She later said she had been speaking metaphorically.
This past weekend, the twice-divorced White told congregants, “It’s not okay to have an abortion. It’s not okay to marry the same sex … it’s not okay, even if it’s culturally acceptable.”
White did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.
Coronavirus cases have spiked in Georgia, where more than 145,000 people have tested positive for the virus and at least 3,176 have died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-22--Rep. Ted Yoho on his attack on Ocasio-Cortez: 'I cannot apologize for my passion'

Rep. Ted Yoho ( R-FL ) took to the House floor on Wednesday to give a non-apology for angrily confronting New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
Yoho 's non-apology came one day after the Hill newspaper reported that he called Ocasio-Cortez `` disgusting '' and a `` fucking bitch '' because of her comments about how unemployment and poverty may be causing an uptick in petty crime .
Yoho said he wanted to `` address the strife '' he `` injected into the already contentious Congress , '' saying he wanted to apologize for the `` abrupt manner of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he went on to claim that he never used the `` offensive name-calling words '' and apologized for others ' `` misunderstanding '' his words .
After talking about his own struggles with poverty , he went on to say , `` I can not apologize for my passion or for loving my God , my family , and my country . ''
Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet that Yoho was `` refusing responsibility '' for his actions .
`` I will not teach my nieces and young people watching that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should learn to accept , '' she tweeted .
After news of Yoho 's comments toward her went viral on Tuesday , the congresswoman tweeted : `` I never spoke to Rep. Yoho before he decided to accost me on the steps of the nation ’ s Capitol yesterday .
Believe it or not , I usually get along fine w/ my GOP colleagues .
We know how to check our legislative sparring at the committee door .
But hey , ' b*tches ' get stuff done . ''
A group of Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apologize to Ocasio-Cortez for what they called behavior `` not befitting a member of Congress . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) took to the House floor on Wednesday to give a non-apology for angrily confronting New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Yoho’s non-apology came one day after the Hill newspaper reported that he called Ocasio-Cortez “disgusting” and a “fucking bitch” because of her comments about how unemployment and poverty may be causing an uptick in petty crime.
Yoho said he wanted to “address the strife” he “injected into the already contentious Congress,” saying he wanted to apologize for the “abrupt manner of the conversation” he had with Ocasio-Cortez.
But he went on to claim that he never used the “offensive name-calling words” and apologized for others’ “misunderstanding” his words.
After talking about his own struggles with poverty, he went on to say, “I cannot apologize for my passion or for loving my God, my family, and my country.”
Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet that Yoho was “refusing responsibility” for his actions.
“I will not teach my nieces and young people watching that this an apology, and what they should learn to accept,” she tweeted.
After news of Yoho’s comments toward her went viral on Tuesday, the congresswoman tweeted: “I never spoke to Rep. Yoho before he decided to accost me on the steps of the nation’s Capitol yesterday. Believe it or not, I usually get along fine w/ my GOP colleagues. We know how to check our legislative sparring at the committee door. But hey, ‘b*tches’ get stuff done.”
A group of Democratic women lawmakers had called on Yoho to apologize to Ocasio-Cortez for what they called behavior “not befitting a member of Congress.”
Updated with a response from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-23--Tom Cotton: Schools that teach real history of slavery shouldn't get funding

Sen. Tom Cotton ( R-AR ) wants to withhold federal funding from school systems that the New York Times ' acclaimed project on the history of slavery in America .
This comes despite Cotton 's longstanding position that the federal government should not micromanage state and local decisions when it comes to education .
On Thursday , he introduced the Saving American History Act of 2020 , a bill aimed at stripping funding from schools that use the Times ' `` 1619 Project '' in their curriculum .
In a press release , Cotton said his bill would bar any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the project in `` K-12 schools or school districts '' and punish them by making them `` ineligible for federal professional-development grants . ''
Like many conservatives , Cotton is unhappy with the Times ' project , which is an ongoing multimedia look at the role slavery has played in the history of what is now the United States .
The project , conceived as a wide-ranging examination of the 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved African people in Virginia , was created mostly by Black contributors .
While some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its creator , Nikole Hannah-Jones was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for commentary for the project .
The board praised her `` sweeping , provocative and personal essay for the ground-breaking 1619 Project , which seeks to place the enslavement of Africans at the center of America 's story , prompting public conversation about the nation 's founding and evolution . ''
At least five school systems have adopted the project for use in their curriculum , including those in Chicago ; Buffalo , New York ; and Washington , D.C. '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a racially divisive , revisionist account of history that denies the noble principles of freedom and equality on which our nation was founded , '' Cotton wrote Thursday .
`` Not a single cent of federal funding should go to indoctrinate young Americans with this left-wing garbage . ''
It is not the first time Cotton has criticized the project .
Last month , in a speech , he derided it as `` the New York Times 's revisionist anti-American history project '' and called it `` execrable , '' without specifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But he has previously argued against the federal government meddling in school curricula .
In January 2017 , Cotton praised then-Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos as `` rightly skeptical of any attempt by Washington to impose social-engineering fads on Arkansas 's parents and teachers . ''
The following month , he backed her speedy confirmation , writing , `` I have every expectation she 'll return power to Arkansas parents , as I 've long advocated for . ''
In March 2017 , he and 10 Senate Republican colleagues introduced a resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Congress has said the states should hold schools accountable for their performance-without Washington bureaucrats looking over their shoulder , '' he said in a press release .
`` And by passing this resolution , we will continue to put power back in the hands of parents and teachers , where it belongs . ''
After the resolution passed the GOP-controlled Congress , Cotton cheered , `` I 'm glad to see Congress push back against this federal overreach .
Now states and local communities can decide how best to educate their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on race have been repeatedly called into question .
Earlier this week , Cotton told Fox News that anti-racism protesters in Portland , Oregon were `` little different from the insurrectionists who seceded from the Union in 1861 in South Carolina and tried to take over Fort Sumter . ''
In June , he authored a controversial and error-filled op-ed arguing that U.S. troops should be sent to American cities to `` restore order '' as protesters marched against systemic racism and police violence .
He also made a racist speech on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the District of Columbia .
Noting two Black mayors of the city , Cotton asked `` Would you trust Mayor Bowser to keep Washington safe if she were given the powers of a governor ?
Would you trust Marion Barry ? ''
Cotton 's office did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) wants to withhold federal funding from school systems that the New York Times’ acclaimed project on the history of slavery in America. This comes despite Cotton’s longstanding position that the federal government should not micromanage state and local decisions when it comes to education.
On Thursday, he introduced the Saving American History Act of 2020, a bill aimed at stripping funding from schools that use the Times’ “1619 Project” in their curriculum.
In a press release, Cotton said his bill would bar any use of federal funds to teach about the project in “K-12 schools or school districts” and punish them by making them “ineligible for federal professional-development grants.”
Like many conservatives, Cotton is unhappy with the Times’ project, which is an ongoing multimedia look at the role slavery has played in the history of what is now the United States. The project, conceived as a wide-ranging examination of the 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved African people in Virginia, was created mostly by Black contributors.
While some historians have disputed parts of the project, its creator, Nikole Hannah-Jones was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for commentary for the project. The board praised her “sweeping, provocative and personal essay for the ground-breaking 1619 Project, which seeks to place the enslavement of Africans at the center of America’s story, prompting public conversation about the nation’s founding and evolution.”
At least five school systems have adopted the project for use in their curriculum, including those in Chicago; Buffalo, New York; and Washington, D.C.
“The New York Times’s 1619 Project is a racially divisive, revisionist account of history that denies the noble principles of freedom and equality on which our nation was founded,” Cotton wrote Thursday. “Not a single cent of federal funding should go to indoctrinate young Americans with this left-wing garbage.”
It is not the first time Cotton has criticized the project. Last month, in a speech, he derided it as “the New York Times’s revisionist anti-American history project” and called it “execrable,” without specifying what aspects of it he disputes.
But he has previously argued against the federal government meddling in school curricula.
In January 2017, Cotton praised then-Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos as “rightly skeptical of any attempt by Washington to impose social-engineering fads on Arkansas’s parents and teachers.”
The following month, he backed her speedy confirmation, writing, “I have every expectation she’ll return power to Arkansas parents, as I’ve long advocated for.”
In March 2017, he and 10 Senate Republican colleagues introduced a resolution to overturn an Obama-era education accountability regulation.
“Congress has said the states should hold schools accountable for their performance-without Washington bureaucrats looking over their shoulder,” he said in a press release. “And by passing this resolution, we will continue to put power back in the hands of parents and teachers, where it belongs.”
After the resolution passed the GOP-controlled Congress, Cotton cheered, “I’m glad to see Congress push back against this federal overreach. Now states and local communities can decide how best to educate their children.”
Cotton’s own views on race have been repeatedly called into question.
Earlier this week, Cotton told Fox News that anti-racism protesters in Portland, Oregon were “little different from the insurrectionists who seceded from the Union in 1861 in South Carolina and tried to take over Fort Sumter.”
In June, he authored a controversial and error-filled op-ed arguing that U.S. troops should be sent to American cities to “restore order” as protesters marched against systemic racism and police violence.
He also made a racist speech on the Senate floor in June, opposing statehood for the District of Columbia. Noting two Black mayors of the city, Cotton asked “Would you trust Mayor Bowser to keep Washington safe if she were given the powers of a governor? Would you trust Marion Barry?”
Cotton’s office did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-23--US still short on tests 4 months after Trump promised 'anybody' could get one

Across the country , most states are not testing enough people to stem the spread of the coronavirus , and major backlogs are delaying the results of those who are tested .
The two problems persist months after widespread testing began .
The United States should be testing 1.9 million people per day in order to help slow the spread of the virus , according to Harvard 's Global Health Institute .
On Thursday , the nation was averaging 758,000 tests per day , the New York Times reported , or roughly 40 % of the testing that should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , the Times noted that only 10 states and Washington , D.C. , were meeting testing goals , while 36 were `` far below '' the target .
The remaining four states were `` near '' their target goal .
Even though the number of people tested is lower than it should be , governors have raised alarms about significant delays in receiving results .
`` The national testing scene is a complete disgrace , '' Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis said Sunday on `` Meet the Press . ''
Waiting as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result makes it `` almost useless from an epidemiological or even diagnostic perspective , '' the first-term Democrat added .
Kaiser Health News reported : `` A wait of a week or more for results can make the tests moot , since few people , especially those without symptoms , are likely to remain quarantined that long — and if the test comes back positive , they may already be over the disease . ''
Sick people who have been tested but do not have a confirmed diagnosis may not quarantine , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gov .
Steve Bullock said that Quest Diagnostics , a diagnostic testing company , promised two-to-three-day turnaround on testing in the spring , but recently wait times increased to a week or more .
A Quest spokesperson told Kaiser that `` some of these constraints are out of our control , '' including a lack of machines and testing materials needed to get the results .
The twin problems of not enough testing and delayed results are happening months after Donald Trump vowed to make testing easy and accessible .
`` Anybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test , '' Trump proclaimed on March 6 during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
For months following the announcement , many Americans who wanted a test were unable to get one .
During a mid-March Rose Garden address , Trump promised numerous drive-through testing facilities would appear all over the country , but few materialized in the weeks that followed .
As the pandemic got worse in the United States , Trump changed his tune , at one point saying his administration would slow down testing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Slow the testing down please , ' '' Trump said at a rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , in June .
When asked about the comment , Trump told CBN News that less testing would result in fewer coronavirus cases , an argument he has repeated often .
`` Cases are going up in the U.S. because we are testing far more than any other country , and ever expanding , '' Trump tweeted on June 23 .
`` With smaller testing we would show fewer cases ! ''
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health told Kaiser : `` The implication that not testing makes the problem go away is completely false .
It could not be more false . ''
As of Thursday , the United States has had more than 4 million confirmed cases , and at least 143,722 people have died .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Across the country, most states are not testing enough people to stem the spread of the coronavirus, and major backlogs are delaying the results of those who are tested. The two problems persist months after widespread testing began.
The United States should be testing 1.9 million people per day in order to help slow the spread of the virus, according to Harvard’s Global Health Institute. On Thursday, the nation was averaging 758,000 tests per day, the New York Times reported, or roughly 40% of the testing that should be happening.
Breaking down the data by state, the Times noted that only 10 states and Washington, D.C., were meeting testing goals, while 36 were “far below” the target. The remaining four states were “near” their target goal.
Even though the number of people tested is lower than it should be, governors have raised alarms about significant delays in receiving results.
“The national testing scene is a complete disgrace,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Sunday on “Meet the Press.” Waiting as many as nine days for a test result makes it “almost useless from an epidemiological or even diagnostic perspective,” the first-term Democrat added.
Kaiser Health News reported: “A wait of a week or more for results can make the tests moot, since few people, especially those without symptoms, are likely to remain quarantined that long — and if the test comes back positive, they may already be over the disease.” Sick people who have been tested but do not have a confirmed diagnosis may not quarantine, and may spread the virus.
In Montana, Gov. Steve Bullock said that Quest Diagnostics, a diagnostic testing company, promised two-to-three-day turnaround on testing in the spring, but recently wait times increased to a week or more.
A Quest spokesperson told Kaiser that “some of these constraints are out of our control,” including a lack of machines and testing materials needed to get the results.
The twin problems of not enough testing and delayed results are happening months after Donald Trump vowed to make testing easy and accessible.
“Anybody that wants a test can get a test,” Trump proclaimed on March 6 during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For months following the announcement, many Americans who wanted a test were unable to get one.
During a mid-March Rose Garden address, Trump promised numerous drive-through testing facilities would appear all over the country, but few materialized in the weeks that followed.
As the pandemic got worse in the United States, Trump changed his tune, at one point saying his administration would slow down testing.
“I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down please,'” Trump said at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June. When asked about the comment, Trump told CBN News that less testing would result in fewer coronavirus cases, an argument he has repeated often.
“Cases are going up in the U.S. because we are testing far more than any other country, and ever expanding,” Trump tweeted on June 23. “With smaller testing we would show fewer cases!”
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health told Kaiser: “The implication that not testing makes the problem go away is completely false. It could not be more false.”
As of Thursday, the United States has had more than 4 million confirmed cases, and at least 143,722 people have died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-23--Trump urges 'suburban housewives' to support his plan to bring back segregation

The Trump administration on Thursday revoked an Obama-era policy aimed at desegregating and diversifying the suburbs , the latest attempt by Donald Trump to both undo his predecessor 's legacy , as well as inject race into the political discourse .
`` The suburb destruction will end with us , '' read a fact sheet on the decision put out by the White House , quoting Trump .
The release also claimed the decision `` eliminates the excessive burden put on local communities and gets rid of the top-down approach that dictated zoning for communities . ''
`` The rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , decent , safe , and free from discrimination , '' it read .
The revoked AFFH policy , an acronym for `` affirmatively further fair housing , '' was an add-on to a landmark civil rights law from 1968 that bans discrimination `` concerning the sale , rental , and financing of housing based on race , religion , national origin , sex , ( and as amended ) handicap and family status , '' according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development .
`` The basic concept of AFFH ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying for a long time that they needed help figuring out how they were supposed to think about this and analyze segregation in their jurisdictions a map '' for solving the problem , Debby Goldberg , vice president of Housing Policy and Special Projects at the National Fair Housing Alliance , said in an interview .
Goldberg added that the Trump administration has made a converted effort to be divisive and racialize the policy .
`` It 's the complete opposite of what we need from the federal government and [ the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this moment when the country is grappling with racial injustice and really desperate for strategies to change that and to overcome that , '' Goldberg said .
That sentiment was echoed by Julián Castro , the former HUD secretary under Barack Obama , who said in a statement the AFFH rule was the product of `` decades of work by civil rights leaders and fair housing champions working to desegregate our neighborhoods . ''
By revoking it , Castro said , Trump has `` committed to take this country back to a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flourished with impunity . ''
After rolling back the policy , Trump promoted a racist op-ed in the New York Post that lamented the diversification of the suburbs .
In it , the author wrote that Obama was forcing towns to `` make it possible for low-income minorities to choose suburban living . ''
Trump promoted that op-ed in a tweet , in which he used sexist language suggesting all suburban women are `` housewives . ''
`` The Suburban Housewives of America must read this article , '' Trump tweeted .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Dream .
I will preserve it , and make it even better ! ''
Ultimately , Trump is trying to win back support in the suburbs , which have sharply turned against him since he took office .
In 2018 , Democrats retook control of the House by winning suburban voters .
That suburban support is continuing to erode , with a Washington Post/ABC News poll from Sunday finding Biden leading Trump among suburban women , 60 % to 36 % .
Among all suburbanites , Biden leads Trump 52 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from suburban voters also threatens to take down more GOP members of the House , as well as control of the Senate , with him .
`` Overall , Trump is an albatross around the neck of these Republican candidates , '' said Stu Rothenberg , a political analyst who specializes in predicting congressional races , in a recent interview .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The Trump administration on Thursday revoked an Obama-era policy aimed at desegregating and diversifying the suburbs, the latest attempt by Donald Trump to both undo his predecessor’s legacy, as well as inject race into the political discourse.
“The suburb destruction will end with us,” read a fact sheet on the decision put out by the White House, quoting Trump.
The release also claimed the decision “eliminates the excessive burden put on local communities and gets rid of the top-down approach that dictated zoning for communities.”
“The rule will help promote housing that is affordable, decent, safe, and free from discrimination,” it read.
The revoked AFFH policy, an acronym for “affirmatively further fair housing,” was an add-on to a landmark civil rights law from 1968 that bans discrimination “concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, (and as amended) handicap and family status,” according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“The basic concept of AFFH … was to give jurisdictions that had been saying for a long time that they needed help figuring out how they were supposed to think about this and analyze segregation in their jurisdictions a map” for solving the problem, Debby Goldberg, vice president of Housing Policy and Special Projects at the National Fair Housing Alliance, said in an interview.
Goldberg added that the Trump administration has made a converted effort to be divisive and racialize the policy.
“It’s the complete opposite of what we need from the federal government and [the Department of Housing and Urban Development] in this moment when the country is grappling with racial injustice and really desperate for strategies to change that and to overcome that,” Goldberg said.
That sentiment was echoed by Julián Castro, the former HUD secretary under Barack Obama, who said in a statement the AFFH rule was the product of “decades of work by civil rights leaders and fair housing champions working to desegregate our neighborhoods.”
By revoking it, Castro said, Trump has “committed to take this country back to a time when housing discrimination against people of color flourished with impunity.”
After rolling back the policy, Trump promoted a racist op-ed in the New York Post that lamented the diversification of the suburbs. In it, the author wrote that Obama was forcing towns to “make it possible for low-income minorities to choose suburban living.”
Trump promoted that op-ed in a tweet, in which he used sexist language suggesting all suburban women are “housewives.”
“The Suburban Housewives of America must read this article,” Trump tweeted. “Biden will destroy your neighborhood and your American Dream. I will preserve it, and make it even better!”
Ultimately, Trump is trying to win back support in the suburbs, which have sharply turned against him since he took office.
In 2018, Democrats retook control of the House by winning suburban voters.
That suburban support is continuing to erode, with a Washington Post/ABC News poll from Sunday finding Biden leading Trump among suburban women, 60% to 36%. Among all suburbanites, Biden leads Trump 52% to 43%.
Trump’s falling support from suburban voters also threatens to take down more GOP members of the House, as well as control of the Senate, with him.
“Overall, Trump is an albatross around the neck of these Republican candidates,” said Stu Rothenberg, a political analyst who specializes in predicting congressional races, in a recent interview.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.