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pramila jayapal
The Very Good Reason 145 Democrats Voted Against a GOP Domestic Violence Bill
"In a perverse move," explained Rep. Pramila Jayapal, "this bill would make it easier to label victims of domestic violence as perpetrators, to make them removable from the country and eliminate existing legal safeguards that protects survivors."
Jan 16, 2025
The eye-catching headlines cropped up across social media platforms and right-wing news outlets on Thursday:
"145 House Dems vote against bill to deport migrants who commit sexual assault," proclaimedFox News.
"145 Dems vote against deporting illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes," reported the San Joaquin Valley Sun in Central California.
"The Left were defending rapists, murderers, and pedophiles this morning," said U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) in a post on X, adding that Democrats "have a lot of explaining to do" regarding their opposition to the so-called Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act (H.R. 30).
Progressive lawmakers were happy to explain why they objected to the legislation, which would mandate that undocumented immigrants, or those with contested legal status, be deported if they are convicted of or admit to committing sexual assault or abuse, domestic violence, stalking, child abuse, or violating a protection order.
Opponents of the bill noted that existing law already allows federal authorities to remove from the country any immigrant with uncertain status who is found guilty of "crimes involving moral turpitude," including rape, sexual assault, or domestic abuse.
But aside from being redundant, said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the bill, which was introduced by Mace, "weaponizes" the Violence Against Women Act "against—you've got it—domestic violence victims."
Although Mace and other supporters heralded the legislation as aiming to protect women and girls from "the lifelong scars, the irreversible scars, these heinous crimes leave behind," Jayapal noted that 200 local and national advocacy groups for domestic violence survivors urged lawmakers to oppose the bill.
"There is actually no gap in the law that needs to be fixed," Jayapal said. "Instead, in a perverse move, this bill would make it easier to label survivors of domestic violence as perpetrators, to make them removable from the country and eliminate existing legal safeguards that protect survivors.
The bill, she said, is meant to "widen the highway to [President-elect] Donald Trump's mass deportation plan."
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) added that under Mace's proposal, "no exceptions would exist any longer for domestic violence victims who have committed minor crimes in the context of resisting their violent abuse."
"This bill will only make the immigration laws much harsher on the victims of domestic violence, sexual battery, and rape, which is the opposite of what we should be doing," he said.
The legislation, which passed 274-145 and garnered the support of 61 Democrats, was passed by the House days after Republicans pushed through the Laken Riley Act, using similar tactics to suggest opponents of that bill supported criminal activity by immigrants.
The Laken Riley Act would require the deportation of any undocumented immigrant accused of theft—a response to the killing last year of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley by an undocumented immigrant who had been cited for shoplifting prior to the murder.
Thirty-seven Democrats joined the House Republican Caucus in supporting the Laken Riley Act, and the Senate is set to vote on the bill in the coming days, likely sending it to Trump's desk to become law after he is sworn in next week.
"The Democratic support for this monstrous, inhuman rhetoric will play a big role in the advancement of authoritarian violence," Alec Karakatsanis, founder of the Civil Rights Corps, said of the legislation. "None of it was possible without propaganda pervading mainstream news about immigrants, shoplifting, bail, and the things that truly affect our safety."
Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García (D-Ill.) called the bill passed on Thursday "harmful" and "counterproductive."
"We must prioritize protections," he said, "not fear."
The U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), by texting "START" to 88788, or through chat at thehotline.org. It offers 24/7, free, and confidential support. DomesticShelters.org has a list of global and national resources.
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Here's How the GOP Could Cut Over $5 Trillion—And Gut Healthcare, Climate Action
"Americans: We just want higher wages and lower costs. Republicans: We are going to take away your healthcare."
Jan 10, 2025
Some Democratic lawmakers and other critics of congressional Republicans on Friday pointed to a document obtained by Politico as just the latest evidence that the looming GOP trifecta at the federal level poses a threat to working families nationwide.
"Americans: We just want higher wages and lower costs. Republicans: We are going to take away your healthcare," Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in response to the reporting, which came as Republicans have taken control of both chambers of Congress and prepare for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in just over a week.
The one-page list originated from the House Budget Committee, chaired by Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Politico reported, citing five unnamed sources. One of them explained that the "document is not intended to serve as a proposal, but instead as a menu of potential spending reductions for members to consider."
The document lists various policies that it claims would collectively cut up to $5.7 trillion. Republicans have been discussing how to offset the high costs of top priorities—specifically, Trump's immigration policies and plans for tax cuts that critics warn would largely benefit the wealthy, like the law he signed in 2017.
"In order to make his rich, billionaire buddies richer, Trump wants to kick millions off healthcare coverage and starve families. How does this help working families thrive?"
The policies are divided into eight sections, with headings that critics called "dystopian" and "Orwellian." The first calls for repealing "major" health rules from outgoing President Joe Biden's administration, which would supposedly cut $420 billion. The second section takes aim at Medicare, the federal health program for seniors, proposing policies that would cut $479 billion.
A large share of the potential cuts would come from section three, which lists seven potential changes to Medicaid, a program that provides health coverage to low-income people. The policies include per capita caps, work requirements, and lowering the federal medical assistance percentages (FMAP) floor.
"In order to make his rich, billionaire buddies richer, Trump wants to kick millions off healthcare coverage and starve families. How does this help working families thrive?" Michigan state Rep. Carrie Rheingans (D-47) asked on social media. "In this leaked list of cuts, 'lower FMAP floor' for Medicaid means states pay a higher proportion of Medicaid costs for enrollees—this just shoves [federal] costs to states so billionaires get more yacht money."
Section four of the document calls for "reimagining" the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to cut $151 billion, with changes that include repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund, limiting eligibility based on citizenship status, and reclaiming $46 billion from subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.
The fifth section lays out $347 billion in cuts by "ending cradle-to-grave dependence," targeting initiatives including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), often called food stamps.
Section six claims "reversing Biden climate policies" would cut $468 billion: $300 billion by discontinuing some provisions from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure legislation, $112 billion by rolling back electric vehicle policies, and $56 billion by repealing green energy grants from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The seventh section is a catchall, listing up to $1 trillion in potential cuts through moves that include ending student debt forgiveness, restricting emergency spending, and reforming federal employee benefits. Section eight identifies up to $527 in potential tax offsets from requiring Social Security numbers for the child tax credit and green energy credits.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who recently agreed to use the budget reconciliation process to cut $2.5 trillion, "can't afford any Republican defections if he wants to pass a package on party lines," Politico reported. "Even proposed cuts to green energy tax credits, worth as much as $500 billion, could be tricky—as the document notes, they depend 'on political viability.' Already 18 House Republicans—14 of whom won reelection in November—warned Johnson against prematurely repealing some of the IRA's energy tax credits, which are funding multiple manufacturing projects in GOP districts."
Sharing the report on social media Friday, Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) stressed that "Republicans want to cut vital food and healthcare support programs to pay for a tax cut for billionaires and large corporations. The GOP wants working families to pay for their billionaire handouts."
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Trump Pardons for Jan. 6 Insurrectionists Would Be 'Affront to Our Democracy'
"Political violence is a hallmark of authoritarianism and a direct threat to a functioning democracy," said Public Citizen's co-president. "The January 6 perpetrators—including Donald Trump—should be shunned, not celebrated; punished, not pardoned."
Jan 06, 2025
Two weeks away from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to office, democracy defenders, including a former Capitol Police sergeant, are sounding the alarm over the Republican's promised pardons for people convicted over the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
Trump faced two criminal cases for his fight to overturn his 2020 loss, which culminated in inciting some supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the results four years ago. In an NBC News interview last month, Trump said he was inclined to issue pardons, and "while there may be some exceptions," he will likely act on the "first day" he is back in the White House—"maybe the first nine minutes," as he told Time. His comments have led defense attorneys to seek delays until he takes office.
"Political violence is a hallmark of authoritarianism and a direct threat to a functioning democracy," said Robert Weissman, co-president of watchdog group Public Citizen, in a Monday statement. "The January 6 perpetrators—including Donald Trump—should be shunned, not celebrated; punished, not pardoned."
The group's other co-president, Lisa Gilbert, said that "Trump has once again showed us his disregard for the rule of law as he signals his eagerness to pardon the criminals responsible for the deadly insurrection."
"The incoming administration believes that their word trumps historical facts," Gilbert asserted. "A potential flurry of pardons of January 6 attackers would be an affront to our democracy and a blatant rewrite of history. Attempting to overturn an election through violence should neither be celebrated nor pardoned. We condemn former and future President Trump's commitment to a corrupted justice system."
According toCBS News:
Prosecutors have charged more than 1,580 defendants with crimes tied to the January 6, 2021, riot, including more than 170 who are accused of using deadly or dangerous weapons like fire extinguishers and bear spray against officers. While a majority were charged with nonviolent misdemeanor crimes, some were accused of conspiring to use force to resist the peaceful transfer of power. Others admitted to fighting officers and attacking members of the media.
More than 1,000 defendants have since pleaded guilty, and about 220 more were convicted at trial. Federal investigations said they are also seeking the public's assistance in locating at least five known fugitives.
According to the Justice Department, 1,100 defendants have already had their cases fully adjudicated, and hundreds have already completed prison terms.
"Trump did not pay for inciting January 6, escaping conviction in his Senate impeachment trial," freelance journalist Martin Pengelly highlighted in a Monday analysis for The Guardian. Since then, he has "called January 6 prisoners 'patriots' and even characterized the day they smashed their way into Congress—some looking for lawmakers to capture or kill in a riot linked to nine deaths—as 'a day of love.' At rallies, and at his Florida home as his return to power draws near, Trump has played a recording of January 6 prisoners singing the national anthem."
There are at least nine deaths tied to the insurrection: four Trump supporters—including Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer as the MAGA mob tried to enter the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives—and five officers. Officer Brian Sicknick, who suffered strokes after being assaulted by rioters, died the next day, and four others have died by suicide.
"For my efforts doing my duty as a Capitol Police sergeant, I was beaten and struck by raging rioters all over my body with multiple weapons until I was covered in my own blood," Aquilino Gonell recalled in a Sunday opinion piece for The New York Times. "My hand, foot, and shoulder were wounded. I thought I was going to die and never make it home to see my wife and young son."
"I required multiple surgeries, years of rehab, and treatment for recurrences of the post-traumatic stress disorder I was diagnosed with in the Army," explained Gonell, who has testified in court and given victim statements. "Although I left the Capitol Police force, I remain haunted by that day. Now Mr. Trump's promised actions could erase the justice we've risked everything for."
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), noted Monday that "today, Members of Congress return to the U.S. Capitol to do one of our most important constitutional duties—certify the results of the presidential election and ensure a peaceful transfer of power."
Despite Trump's performance during his first term, 2020 loss, the devastating tantrum that followed, and related and unrelated legal trouble—including arguments that he is constitutionally disqualified from holding office again after engaging in insurrection—the 78-year-old Republican won both the Electoral College and the popular vote this past November.
"What we do today will be in stark contrast to what happened four years ago, when insurrectionists—fueled by sitting President Donald Trump—attacked the U.S. Capitol in the most violent attack since the War of 1812," Jayapal said, acknowledging the members of law enforcement whose deaths and injuries resulted from the 2021 attack. "Today, we remember their courage and bravery even as Republicans have refused to put up a congressionally mandated plaque to honor those officers."
"As we certify the elections today, let us never forget how close we came four years ago to losing our democracy completely. As someone who was trapped in the gallery that day, I remember vividly how close we came to not making it out alive. I will never forget the pounding on the doors, the shouting and screaming of both those trying to overrun our democracy and those putting their lives on the line to defend it," she continued. "I also will never forget the handful of brave Republicans who, in the weeks following, stood up to put country over party during Trump's impeachment trial."
"If Donald Trump moves forward with pardoning the January 6 rioters, as he has pledged to do, he will once again be doing violence to our country and our democracy and encouraging it again in the future," Jayapal warned as she kicked off her fifth term, vowing to "work to protect and strengthen our democracy every single day."
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland—an appointee of outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden often criticized for not targeting Trump more aggressively for his actions on that day—said in a Monday statement to The Associated Press that prosecutors at the Department of Justice "have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity."
"They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country," added Garland—whom Trump is set to replace with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, after ethics issues led to the withdrawal of his first choice, former Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
Trump has named loyalist Kash Patel as his pick to direct the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an agency of the Justice Department. Both his and Bondi's nominations require confirmation from the Republican-controlled Senate. CBS pointed out that "if confirmed, Bondi and Patel—who has said he opposes the January 6 prosecutions—would have the power to shut down the Capitol breach investigations altogether and weigh in on the administration's clemency strategy."
Newly elected CPC Chair Greg Casar (D-TX-35) said Monday that "four years ago, Americans watched right-wing extremists storm the Capitol live on television. But behind the scenes, Republican officials continue to undermine our citizens' rights every single day."
"Trump's election will be certified, and his administration will be filled with more certified liars, grifters, and corrupt billionaires than any other in American history," Casar added. "But when Trump's Republicans try to cut Social Security and Medicare to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, you can count on progressives to fight back for everyday Americans."
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