Democratic house of representatives

Video Player Close U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States, Feb. 25, 2021. The U.S. House on Thursday voted to pass an act that will prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The legislation would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure that LGBTQ Americans are protected against discrimination in employment, education, housing, credit, jury service and other areas. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) WASHINGTON. Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House on Thursday voted to pass an act that will prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Decades in the making, the Equality Act was passed in the Democratic-controlled lower chamber in a 224-206 vote. Only three Republicans crossed the party line to vote yes with all the Democrats. The legislation would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure that LGBTQ Americans are protected against … [Read more...] about U.S. House passes legislation advocating for LGBTQ rights

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden's push for a US$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill took a step forward on Friday (Feb 19) as a US House of Representatives committee unveiled the legislation Democrats hope to pass by late next week. The 591-page bill, stitched together by the House Budget Committee, would carry out Biden's proposals to provide additional money for COVID-19 vaccines and other medical equipment. Biden was set on Friday to tour a Pfizer vaccine manufacturing plant in Michigan amid efforts to ramp up production, with only about 15 per cent of the US population vaccinated against the coronavirus so far. But the main components of the massive aid plan focus on stimulating the country's economy, which has struggled over the past year under job layoffs and shuttered businesses resulting from a pandemic that has killed nearly 500,000 Americans. The plan would offer direct payments to households, extended federal unemployment benefits, aid to state and local governments, … [Read more...] about US House Democrats advance US$1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid bill

WASHINGTON: After meeting with Republican senators at the White House on Monday (Feb 1), President Joe Biden appeared poised to push forward with his US$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan even if it fails to draw Republican support. While the White House termed Biden's discussion with 10 Republicans who pitched a downsized relief effort as "productive," the Democratic president told the senators their plan did not go far enough. Biden told the group "that he will not slow down work on this urgent crisis response, and will not settle for a package that fails to meet the moment," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. READ: Democrats may move forward on COVID-19 aid without Republicans: Schumer READ: 15.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in United States The Republicans who attended the meeting are pushing a COVID-19 relief proposal about one third the size of Biden's. Earlier on Monday, top Democrats in the US Senate and House of Representatives filed … [Read more...] about Despite ‘productive’ Republican meeting, Biden will not accept a scaled-down COVID-19 Bill: White House

WASHINGTON: The US House was expected to vote Friday on President Joe Biden's US$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, but a Senate ruling means the final version will not include a minimum wage hike as sought by Democrats. Biden had campaigned extensively on raising the national minimum wage to US$15 an hour, from a rate of US$7.25 that has stood since 2009. He aimed to include it in the huge COVID-19 rescue plan under consideration by Congress and have it signed earlier this month. But the minimum wage effort ran aground Thursday night when the Senate parliamentarian ruled that it can not be included in the sprawling aid plan as written under certain rules. Despite the setback House Democrats are pressing on, keeping the minimum wage provision in even as it will be dead on arrival in the upper chamber. A House vote was expected Friday evening. The rules of so-called reconciliation relate to budgetary bills that are allowed to bypass Republican filibuster efforts in … [Read more...] about US House tees up US$1.9 trillion COVID-19 plan but wage hike falters

WASHINGTON: Congressional Democrats have begun discussions with the White House on ways to crack down on Big Tech including making social media companies accountable for the spread of disinformation on matters such as the U.S. Capitol riot and addressing the abuse of market power to harm corporate rivals. The conversations, described by a lawmaker and congressional aides, have included the contentious topic of what to do with a measure called Section 230, part of a 1996 law called the Communications Decency Act, that shields social media platforms from lawsuits over much of the content posted by users. Democratic President Joe Biden as a candidate last year called for revoking Section 230, and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump unsuccessfully pressed Congress to repeal it. Many lawmakers in recent years have called for laws and regulations to rein in dominant tech companies such as Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google, Amazon.com Inc and Apple Inc. … [Read more...] about Exclusive: Big Tech’s Democratic critics discuss ways to strike back with White House