Author: Adrianna Tomasello

Following President Biden’s latest action to cancel and reduce student loan debt for an additional 160,000 Americans, DNC National Press Secretary Nina Raneses released the following statement: 

“President Biden is continuing to deliver on his promise to provide student debt relief for millions of middle-class Americans, with his latest actions providing $7.7 billion in relief for an additional 160,000 borrowers. While President Biden continues to provide life-changing relief for hardworking Americans and uplift communities of color through debt cancellation, Republicans continue to push a MAGAnomics agenda that rigs the economy against the middle class. When voters head to the ballot box this November, they’ll remember that President Biden’s economic agenda is giving Americans a fair shot, unlike Trump’s plan to help out his Wall Street exec friends and special interest cronies.”

NEW: Thanks to President Biden, more than 160,000 Americans will have their student loans canceled — providing an additional $7.7 billion in relief for borrowers.

CNN: “The Biden administration on Wednesday announced the cancellation of an additional $7.7 billion in student loans for 160,000 Americans in its ongoing efforts to relieve soaring college debt.”

CBS News: “With the latest round of forgiveness, the administration has erased a total of $167 billion in student loans for 4.75 million people, or about 1 in 10 student loan borrowers, the Department of Education said.”

Bloomberg: “Individuals enrolled in the government’s income-driven repayment plans and public servants who have worked for at least a decade will benefit from the actions.”

Associated Press: “The Education Department announced the latest round of cancellation on Wednesday, saying it will erase $7.7 billion in federal student loans. With the latest action, the administration said it has canceled $167 billion in student debt for nearly 5 million Americans through several programs.”

New York Times: “The steady drumbeat of loan forgiveness announcements from the White House this year has become a centerpiece of Mr. Biden’s re-election pitch, in which he has consistently described overcoming the cost of education as a primary hurdle for working families.”

President Biden has worked tirelessly to fulfill his promise of relief for borrowers — and he has already reduced and canceled more student debt than any other president in history.

CNN: “About 4 million people have seen their federal student debt canceled under Biden, totaling about $144 billion.”

The Guardian: “Biden launches ‘most affordable ever’ student loan repayment plan”

ABC News: “Biden’s new payment plan, known as the SAVE Plan, offers a faster path to forgiveness than earlier versions. More people are now becoming eligible for loan cancellation as they hit 10 years of payments, a new finish line that’s a decade sooner than what borrowers faced in the past.”

CNBC: “Including Wednesday’s round of relief, the Biden administration has so far excused the debt of 4.75 million borrowers, totaling $167 billion in aid. Much of that total comes from expanding the reach of and making fixes to these programs. Historically, borrowers found these aid options were hard if not impossible to navigate, and many complained they weren’t receiving the relief to which they were entitled, consumer advocates say.”

White House Fact Sheet: “President Biden will announce plans that, if finalized as proposed, would cancel up to $20,000 of the amount a borrower’s balance has grown due to unpaid interest on their loans after entering repayment, regardless of their income.”

President Biden has made higher education more accessible to historically underserved communities by providing millions in debt relief.

USA Today: “Such debt disproportionately affects people of color, who don’t have the levels of generational wealth of many of their white counterparts. Black students in particular struggle with student debt.”

The Nation: “How Student Loan Cancellation Helps Asian Americans”

CNBC: “In October, when the Biden administration turns the $1.7 trillion federal student loan system — dormant for more than three years — back on, millions of people are expected to struggle financially. But the problems may be especially severe and long-lasting among Latino borrowers, who tend to earn less than non-Hispanic whites and fall behind on their loans at a higher rate, consumer advocates say.”

Forbes: “How Biden Forgiving Another $9 Billion In Student Loan Debt Helps Close The Racial Wealth Gap”

“The burden of student loan debt has reached crisis levels, disproportionately affecting students of color and amplifying the racial wealth gap. Now, President Biden’s latest step will help 125,000 borrowers by erasing $9 billion in debt through existing programs. This debt load is not distributed evenly across populations, it falls disproportionately on students of color and their families who are actively trying to close the racial wealth gap.”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump continues to rail against student loan forgiveness, hand-picking Supreme Court justices who ultimately struck down debt relief for 40 million Americans. 

CEPR: “On student debt relief, [Project 2025’s] Mandate for Leadership proposals would roll back much of what the Biden administration accomplished for student borrowers and loan-burdened public servants. Indeed, their ideal wish is that ‘there should be no loan forgiveness.’

“If the first Trump administration was any indication, a second would work to eliminate the federal tools that could help student borrowers instead of addressing the student debt crisis.”

NBC News: “Trump also attempted to cut billions from the department’s budget that would have ended subsidized student loans and the public service loan forgiveness program.”

CNBC: “Former President Donald Trump has a long record of opposing debt cancellation. Trump also sided with the Supreme Court in its ruling striking down Biden’s plan.”

Daily Mail: “Former President Donald Trump … went after President Joe Biden for his student loan forgiveness plan.”

Trump campaign press release: “Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down massive wins for the American people— halting Joe Biden’s unconstitutional student loan gimmick, restoring fairness to the college admissions process, and applying the strongest safeguards to First Amendment rights in a generation. One thing is clear: these wins were only made possible through President Trump’s strong nomination of three distinguished and courageous jurists to the Supreme Court.”

Associated Press: “Education advocates say President Donald Trump’s budget contradicts his campaign pledge to make college more affordable with its proposed elimination of subsidized student loans and cuts in other programs that help students pay tuition. … When he accepted the Republican presidential nomination last year, Trump had said, ‘We’re going to work with all of our students who are drowning in debt to take the pressure off these people just starting out in their adult lives. Tremendous problem.’”

The post NEW: President Biden’s Latest Student Loan Debt Cancelation Uplifts Hardworking Americans  appeared first on Democrats.

Today, The New York Times released a deep dive on RFK Jr.’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, and her turbulent past as a self described “Silicon Valley Princess.” The story underscores how little Shanahan was vetted before she was chosen as Kennedy’s running mate. It lays bare her disqualifying baggage and complete lack of qualifications to serve as a VP nominee, making clear that she was only picked for her money.

Recently, The Washington Post highlighted RFK Jr.’s bizarre non-relationship with Shanahan. She’s admitted she only had a few personal conversations with RFK Jr. before being asked to be his running-mate and that she was okay with being subbed even the day before the announcement. Del Bigtree, RFK Jr.’s communications director, even went as far as to say “The only perspective [he’s] focused on is Bobby’s.” 

In response, DNC Spokesperson Matt Corridoni released the following statement: 

“Nicole Shanahan was chosen as RFK Jr.’s running mate for one reason and one reason alone: her checkbook. RFK Jr.’s campaign is desperately in need of money and she’s more than happy to be the ATM as they try to buy their way onto the ballot. Access to unlimited funds does not a Vice President make. New reporting has made clear Shanahan wasn’t vetted and isn’t ready to step up and lead in a time of crisis – she is just the only person who said yes to a desperate and vanity-driven campaign.” 

ICYMI: The New York Times: ‘Silicon Valley Princess’: Inside the Life of Nicole Shanahan, R.F.K. Jr.’s Running Mate

By: Kirsten Grind 

• Ms. Shanahan, 38, a onetime Silicon Valley lawyer, has never held public office and has scant name recognition. But she was selected after Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Ventura fell through as vice-presidential candidates and Mr. Kennedy’s campaign needed money to fund its efforts to get onto state ballots, three people familiar with the events said. And money was something that Ms. Shanahan could provide in abundance.

• Mr. Kennedy, who is running as an independent, picked Ms. Shanahan without his advisers having looked fully into her history or where her money was coming from, two people familiar with the campaign said. By then, she had already become a crucial financier of his run.

• Ms. Shanahan began attending campaign events with Mr. Kennedy this month. At a fund-raiser in Nashville last week, she announced that she had given another $8 million to the campaign and said, “I think I know what they’re going to say — they’re going to say Bobby only picked me for my money.”

• Ms. Shanahan has a fortune of more than $1 billion that stems largely from her divorce settlement last year with Sergey Brin, a founder of Google, whose net worth exceeds $145 billion, three people with knowledge of her finances said.

• In a February interview with The Times, Ms. Shanahan described herself as a onetime “Silicon Valley princess.”

• “Status is very important to Nicole, and the amount of money you have,” said Daniel Morris, a photographer based in Puerto Rico who was friends with Ms. Shanahan and her first husband, Jeremy Kranz, a technology investor.

ICYMI: The Washington Post: ‘I ran into her yesterday’: RFK’s strange non-relationship with his VP pick

By: Ashley Parker and Meryl Kornfield

• The public disconnect between Kennedy and Shanahan lends heft to a theory percolating in political circles: that while Shananan’s money may be incredibly valuable to Kennedy’s quixotic bid for the White House, the woman herself is a bit extraneous.

• Kennedy’s communications director, Del Bigtree, put an even finer point on how the Kennedy operation seems to view its vice-presidential pick when asked by a Washington Post reporter who in the campaign might be able to speak on Shanahan’s behalf.
  
• “I’ve never had a conversation with her about who shares her perspective,” Bigtree said. “The only perspective I’m really focused on is Bobby’s.”

• In February, [Shanahan] gave $4 million to his super PAC for a 30-second Super Bowl ad, but because of the rules restricting communication between a campaign and its super PAC, “no one on the campaign even had a personal relationship with me,” she explained on a podcast with Sage Steele, a former ESPN host.

• “I had only spoken to Bobby personally a few times before that,” Shanahan told Steele on the May 1 podcast. “I had zero idea in my mind that I would ever be asked to run as his running mate.”

• And as recently as last Tuesday, Shanahan returned to the idea that she might simply be serving as a placeholder for Kennedy’s true vice president.

• “I won’t lie, the day before the announcement, I was still, you know, texting and sending messages asking if I was the right person,” she said in a Zoom prayer circle hosted by the campaign. “I have no ego in this. I want the best person in this role.”

• Shanahan also may not have been interrogated about her policy positions, and whether they align with Kennedy’s. At times, the two have seemed to diverge on abortion rights, an issue that is expected to prove pivotal in the November contest.

• Another, smaller moment of discordance emerged during the first episode of Shanahan’s own podcast. While interviewing Kennedy — her inaugural guest — Shanahan brought up the idea that their campaign could result in a “contingent election,” in which no candidate reaches the required 270 electoral college votes and the House of Representatives then decides the outcome. 

• But Kennedy’s campaign has tried to distance itself from the idea of a contingent election, going as far as to fire a New York-based staffer who suggested that the campaign’s goal was to force a contingent election to deprive President Biden of a second term.

• Even some Kennedy fans have expressed skepticism at his choice for a No. 2. “Team Kennedy dropped the ball by introducing an unfamiliar and unconventional choice as his running mate, then neglecting to effectively set her up for smart messaging under their guide, instead of letting rushed assumptions and paranoia shape first impressions,” Jessica Reed Kraus — a California-based influencer who has posted approvingly about both Kennedy and former president Donald Trump — wrote on her Substack.

The post Nicole Shanahan is a Checkbook for RFK Jr., Not a Serious Running Mate  appeared first on Democrats.

After Vice President Harris’s keynote speech at the Service Employees International Union convention, DNC Deputy National Press Secretary Nina Ranseses released the following statement: 

“President Biden has delivered on his promise to be the most pro-union president in American history — standing alongside workers in ways no President has as unions win historic contracts and at a moment when support for labor is at its highest level in more than half a century. Meanwhile, Trump and MAGA Republicans are scabbing for union-busting CEOs and pushing for legislation that prioritizes billionaires and corporations over unions and workers. Trump stocked his administration with anti-union officials who rolled back workplace protections, shut down factories, and shipped jobs overseas – and his ‘Project 25’ plans are stacked with even more disastrous economic plans to bankroll Republicans’ billionaire donors at the expense of hardworking Americans. Let’s face it: President Biden is delivering on being the most pro-union president in United States history, and Donald Trump is a scab that stands alongside billionaires. ”

Unions across America are proudly endorsing President Biden and Vice President Harris this election

NBC: “SEIU’s April Verrett said that while some working class voters may see an appeal in Trump, the union will “have to help people cut through the noise and get to the truth.”

“The massive union, which represents nearly 2 million workers in health care, property service and the government, has pledged to spend $200 million to help President Joe Biden and Democrats in key battlegrounds this year, an effort that will begin in earnest next week.”

Washington Post: “Biden endorsed by United Auto Workers, shoring up union vote in automaking swing states”

The Hill: “AFL-CIO backs Biden in early 2024 endorsement”

The Biden – Harris administration has been the most pro-union in American history – becoming the first President to join workers on a picket line and standing up to union-busters and billionaires who rip off working Americans.

NBC News: “President Joe Biden made history Tuesday when he visited a picket line in Michigan in a show of loyalty to autoworkers who are striking for higher wages and cost-of-living increases.”

Center For American Progress: “The Biden administration is advancing reforms to boost American workers’ earnings and wealth, empower them to unionize and bargain, and hold lawbreaking corporations accountable. By focusing on workers in the service sector as well as those in construction and manufacturing, the administration is helping reach working-class Americans, narrow racial pay gaps, and strengthen the middle class.”

Associated Press: “Despite concerns that a prolonged strike could undermine the economy, particularly in the crucial battleground state of Michigan, the Democratic president encouraged workers to keep fighting for better wages at a time when car companies have seen rising profits.”

IBEW Media Center: “We’re thankful that the Biden administration played the long game on sick days and stuck with us for months after Congress imposed our updated national agreement,” Russo said. “Without making a big show of it, Joe Biden and members of his administration in the Transportation and Labor departments have been working continuously to get guaranteed paid sick days for all railroad workers.”

Thanks to President Biden, America is seeing a historic manufacturing boom.

In Pennsylvania alone:  

• “The American Rescue Plan enabled Allentown to invest over $2.3 million in a new fire training facility and emergency operations center.
• “The Department of Energy awarded $3.75 million to the Mid-Atlantic Center of Excellence at Lehigh University, which will expand the center’s engagement with unions, trade schools, and community colleges, and develop new ways to build workforce pipelines to jobs at small manufacturers in the region.”
• “The Department of Transportation awarded $200,000 to the Lehigh Carbon Community College for scholarships for former and current military service members and families to pursue training to become commercial truck drivers.”
• “The National Science Foundation awarded a $1 million Engines Development Award to Vytal Plant Science Research, which is partnering with the Northeast Ben Franklin Technology Partners to create an industrial bio-products hub in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.”
• “The Department of Commerce designated Allentown a ‘Recompete area,’ making it eligible to compete for an award of up to $50 million to support small manufacturers and workers in the region.”

White House Fact Sheet: “Since President Biden took office, Allentown has experienced historic employment growth, small business creation, and investments. The Allentown unemployment rate is down to 3.9% — a 20-year low. A greater share of Allentown residents are employed today than before the pandemic. Nearly 32,000 more workers in the Allentown area have jobs under President Biden. Workers are taking home more pay as well, with personal income in Allentown up over 3% after adjusting for inflation compared to before the pandemic.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $14.2 billion in public infrastructure and clean energy investments in Pennsylvania and spurred $3 billion in private sector investments in related sectors.”

The Keystone: “US Sen. Bob Casey announced on Monday that the North Central Pressed Materials Strategy Development Consortium received a $400,000 grant thanks to the Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grant program created by President Joe Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act.

“According to Casey’s office, the grant will help position North Central Pennsylvania as a leader in the pressed materials industry, which is critical in the manufacturing of microchips and processors. “I fought for this award to help North Central Pennsylvania realize its potential as a manufacturing powerhouse,” Casey said in a statement.”

Bloomberg: “US Steel CEO Hails IRA as a ‘Manufacturing Renaissance Act’”

Wall Street Journal: “Shift to EVs Triggers Biggest Auto-Factory Building Boom in Decades”

Yahoo News: “Under President Biden, however, a manufacturing boom finally seems to be getting started. Since the beginning of 2022, construction spending on new factories has more than doubled, from an annualized rate of $91 billion in January 2022 to $189 billion in April 2023, the latest data available. That’s the biggest jump, by far, in data going back to 2002.”

The Hill: “A surge in manufacturing construction across the country is grabbing the attention of economists and workers on the ground as legislative efforts to reinvigorate the U.S. industrial base are bearing fruit.”

REMINDER: Trump’s failed economic agenda hurt working families and incentivized companies to ship jobs overseas, leaving American workers behind.

CNN: “Trump told GM workers he could save their plant, but it’s gone for good”

Washington Post: “Trump promised this Wisconsin town a manufacturing boom. It never arrived.”

Wall Street Journal: “President Trump’s trade war against China didn’t achieve the central objective of reversing a U.S. decline in manufacturing, economic data show, despite tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods to discourage imports.”

New York Times: “After Years of Growth, Automakers Are Cutting U.S. Jobs”

Bloomberg: “The Offshoring of U.S. Jobs Increased on Trump’s Watch”

Washington Post: “Trump promised ‘America First’ would keep jobs here. But the tax plan might push them overseas.”

Reuters: “Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency four years ago, in part, by a promise to Midwest factory workers that he would stop companies like Schneider Electric SE from moving jobs out of the country. He didn’t stop them.”

The Guardian: “Promises to save US manufacturing and prevent American jobs moving abroad were a key part of Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. But since Trump took office in January 2017, nearly 200,000 jobs have been moved overseas, based on Trade Adjustment Assistance certified petitions.”

Washington Post: “Trump promised ‘America First’ would keep jobs here. But the tax plan might push them overseas.”

ITEP: “The Trump-GOP tax law enacted in December 2017 creates clear incentives for American-based corporations to move operations and jobs abroad, including a zero percent tax rate on many profits generated offshore.”

Trump stocked his administration with anti-union officials and slashed labor department spending by over a billion dollars.

Associated Press: “During Trump’s presidency, the National Labor Relations Board reversed several key rulings that made it easier for small unions to organize, strengthened the bargaining rights of franchise workers and provided protection against anti-union measures for employees.

“The Supreme Court’s conservative majority — including three justices that Trump nominated — overturned a decades-old pro-union decision in 2018 involving fees paid by government workers. The justices in 2021 rejected a California regulation giving unions access to farm property so they could organize workers.”

The New Yorker: “Trump’s Labor Secretary Is a Wrecking Ball Aimed at Workers”

The New York Times: “Trump’s New Top Labor Official Is Expected To Advance An Anti-Labor Agenda.”

Bloomberg Industry Group:  “The White House asked Congress to reduce labor department spending By $2.4 billion in fiscal year 2018, a roughly 20 percent decrease that would largely be accomplished by slashing the nation’s workforce training programs.”

Wall Street Journal:  “The White House proposed a $1.2 billion, or 9.7%, decrease in funding for the Labor Department in the 2020 fiscal year. To cut costs, the Trump administration on Monday suggested eliminating workforce programs ‘that are ineffective, unproven or duplicative.’ The federal government runs more than 40 workforce development programs that cost about $18 billion annually, the proposal noted.” 

Bloomberg: “Consistent with previous years, a $1.3 billion trim proposed for the department targets the Employment and Training Administration, which typically accounts for about three-quarters of overall DOL spending. ETA spending would be cut by $1.2 billion, to $8 billion.”

The post REMINDER: President Biden and Vice President Harris Show Up for Workers, While Donald Trump is a Scab Who Only Shows Up for His Billionaire Buddies appeared first on Democrats.

In response to MAGA minion Tim Scott saying Donald Trump is “right” about rolling back reproductive freedoms, DNC spokesperson Aida Ross released the following statement: 

“Tim Scott thinks Donald Trump is ‘right’ about his extreme anti-choice agenda that killed Roe v. Wade and threatens women across the country with a national abortion ban. While Trump brags that states’ draconian abortion bans are ‘working very brilliantly,’ Scott already endorsed a nationwide law to outlaw abortion that would deny women critical care and even threaten doctors with jail time. Scott may think Trump’s extreme agenda to roll back our freedoms is ‘right’ – but voters have shown us election after election that they strongly disagree.”

Tim Scott said Donald Trump is “right” on abortion when he overturned Roe and paved the way for extreme abortion bans across the country.

Scott: “President Trump has got the issue right. It is a state issue, it belongs to the states.”

Scott has a long record of backing national abortion bans, including repeatedly co-sponsoring legislation in Congress that would ban abortion nationwide and threaten doctors with jail time.

Tim Scott: “We have to have a federal limit on how far we can go, and that is something that we have to discuss.”

Congress.gov: S.2464 – Life At Conception Act Of 2016, 114th Congress, 1/21/16 [Tim Scott, co-sponsor]

Congress.gov: S.231 – Life At Conception Act Of 2017, 115th Congress, 

1/24/17 [Tim Scott, co-sponsor]

Congress.gov: S.159 – Life At Conception Act Of 2019, 116th Congress, 

1/16/19 [Tim Scott, co-sponsor]

Congress.gov: S.99 – Life At Conception Act Of 2021, 117th Congress, 1/28/21 [Tim Scott, co-sponsor]

Congress.gov: S.3275 – Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Of 2020, 116th Congress, 2/11/20 [Tim Scott, co-sponsor]

PolitiFact: “45 Republicans in the U.S. Senate sponsored or co-sponsered the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, that would impose a prison sentence of up to five years.”

Here’s what Scott thinks Trump is right on: women suffering under cruel abortion bans across the country.

Alabama: “Abortions became almost entirely illegal in Alabama on June 24. A 2019 state abortion ban took effect making it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest.”

Arizona: “Arizona Supreme Court rules a near-total abortion ban from 1864 is enforceable”

Arkansas: “Arkansas bans nearly all abortions after Roe v. Wade overturned”

Florida: “Florida’s new restrictions will chip away at the little abortion access left in the South”

Georgia: “Georgia abortion ban remains in effect after state Supreme Court ruling”

Kentucky: “Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances.”

Louisiana: “Louisiana abortion ban preserved after lawmakers kill bill to call public vote”

Missouri: “Republicans block attempt to add rape, incest exemptions to Missouri’s abortion ban”

North Carolina: “North Carolina’s abortion law may make traveling to end a pregnancy impossible for some in the South”

North Dakota: “North Dakota court keeps strict abortion ban in place even in cases of medical emergencies”

Oklahoma: “Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances.” 

South Carolina: “South Carolina’s new all-male highest court reverses course on abortion, upholding strict 6-week ban”

South Dakota: “Abortions now illegal in South Dakota following Supreme Court’s ruling”

Tennessee: “Amid uncertainty and anger, Tennessee’s abortion ban takes effect”

Texas: “Texas passes law banning abortion after six weeks”

Wisconsin: “Wisconsin Republicans approve bill banning abortions after 14 weeks of pregnancy”

North Dakota: “North Dakota governor signs law banning nearly all abortions”

Reminder: Trump loves to brag about how he overturned Roe v. Wade and paved the way for cruel abortion bans…

Trump: “I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of … Roe v. Wade.”

Trump: “We broke Roe v. Wade and we did something that nobody thought was possible. We gave it back to the states, and the states are working very brilliantly … But they’re working, and it’s working the way it’s supposed to.”

Trump: “For 54 years they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it, and I’m proud to have done it. … Nobody else was going to get that done but me, and we did it, and we did something that was a miracle.”

Trump: “After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the ‘shock’ of everyone … Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Thank you President TRUMP!!!”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Claims Credit for All Abortion Bans”

Business Insider: “Trump boasts he’s ‘proud’ about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, the issue that has become ballot-box poison for Republicans”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Says He’s ‘Proud’ to Have ‘Terminated’ Abortion Rights”

Trump campaign radio ad: “And Trump nominated conservative judges, leading to Roe v. Wade being overturned.”

FWIW: “This week, we found more evidence that the Trump campaign has no interest in ‘moderating’ on the issue of abortion. On Monday, his team began running new Facebook video ads targeting voters in Iowa, referring to Trump as ‘THE MOST Pro-Life President in history.’”

Trump: “I’m the one that got rid of Roe v. Wade, and everybody said that was an impossible thing to do. I put on three Supreme Court justices. Very few people have had that privilege or honor.”

Trump: “Getting rid of Roe v. Wade was an incredible thing for pro-life because it gave pro-life something to negotiate with. Pro-life had absolutely nothing, being stuck in Roe v. Wade, to negotiate with. … And look, everybody that was president wanted to get rid and tried to get rid of Roe v. Wade … For fifty years, this has been going on. I was able to do it, and I was very honored to do it.”

And would gladly ban abortion nationwide if elected to a second term.

Associated Press: “Trump says he will support national ban on abortions around 15 weeks of pregnancy”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Wants to Ban Abortion Nationwide: Report”

Trump: “There of course remains a vital role for the federal government in protecting unborn life. And it’s very important.” 

Trump on if he would sign a six-week national abortion ban: “I’m looking at all options.”

The post NEW: Tim Scott Thinks Donald Trump’s Extreme Anti-Choice Agenda on Abortion Is “Right” appeared first on Democrats.

As Donald Trump receives emotional support in New York today from his House GOP MAGA minions, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s need to blanket himself in emotional support is just as pathetic as the ultra-MAGA election deniers providing it. It’s unclear who this goon squad of far-right extremists, election conspiracy theorists, and third-tier Fox guests is supposed to impress, but it is just another reminder to the American people that Trump’s GOP inner circle has been reduced to out-of-touch, election-denying weirdos.”

Trump is relying on his MAGA minions to provide him with emotional support – and they are desperately obliging.

Jay O’Brien, ABC News: “Spotted in court today with Trump: 

Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

Rep Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL)

Rep Ralph Norman (R-SC) a notable former top Nikki Haley endorser 

Rep Lauren Boebert (R-CO)

Rep Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)

Rep Michael Cloud (R-TX)

Rep Bob Good (R-VA), chair of House Freedom Caucus

Rep Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

Rep Andy Ogles (R-TN)

Rep Eli Crane (R-AZ)”

Axios: “Trump grip tightens with high-profile loyalty test”

NBC News: “Trump’s vice presidential contenders show their support — and loyalty — in court”

Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert are two peas in a MAGA pod – they are extreme election deniers who have embraced conspiracy theories and dangerous rhetoric.

Associated Press: “When Lauren Boebert was asked in May about QAnon, she didn’t shy away from the far-right conspiracy theory, which advances unproven allegations about a so-called deep state plot against President Donald Trump that involves satanism and child sex trafficking.”

Boebert: “Everything that I’ve heard of Q, I hope that this is real because it only means that America is getting stronger and better, and people are returning to conservative values.”

Colorado Newsline: “Rep. Boebert involved in ‘beginning stages’ of White House Jan. 6 planning, ex-aide says”

The Independent: “Matt Gaetz invokes Trump’s infamous call to Proud Boys at trial: ‘Stand back and stand by’”

Axios: “Gaetz: ‘We’re proud of the work we did’ on Jan. 6”

The Hill: “Gaetz on Jan. 6: ‘We’re ashamed of nothing’”

The Guardian: “[Gaetz] condemned for inviting Holocaust denier to State of the Union”

CNN: “Rep. Matt Gaetz hires former White House speechwriter who attended 2016 conference with white nationalists”

Trump would rather spend his time golfing at Mar-a-Lago or in backroom fundraisers with billionaires instead of talking to voters on the campaign trail.

Axios: “Trump’s basement campaign”

Associated Press: “As Biden tours the country and visits swing states, Trump is fundraising and playing golf”

NBC News: “Trump tells billionaires he’ll keep their taxes low at $50 million fundraising gala”

CNN: “Trump has spent most of his court-free days without public campaign events”

Daily Beast: “Trump Claimed Trial Interferes With His Campaign, but on His Day Off He Went Golfing”

The post Trump Summons Election Denier MAGA Minions for Emotional Support appeared first on Democrats.

In response to Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson claiming border security is a top priority for the House GOP after falling in line with Donald Trump’s demands to tank the bipartisan border deal, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“If border security was truly a ‘top’ priority for MAGA Mike Johnson and the House GOP, then they wouldn’t have followed Donald Trump’s orders to tank the toughest, fairest border deal in decades to try and score partisan political points. Johnson’s words come cheap but he can end his blockade of this bipartisan legislation anytime he wants and show he’s serious about securing the border.” 

NEW: Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson said border security is a top priority for the House GOP…

NBC News: “If the GOP can capture total control of the government… [Johnson] said border security would be at the top of the legislative agenda right out of the gate.”

… yet he caved to Donald Trump’s demands by opposing the bipartisan border deal.

Vox: “Trump made this clear when he reportedly urged Republicans in Congress to turn against the bipartisan Senate border security bill scheduled for a vote Wednesday so that he could keep the issue alive through the presidential election. His supporters have largely fallen in line.”

New York Times: “Republicans Against Border Enforcement”

Rolling Stone: “Border Patrol Supports ‘Strong’ Immigration Deal. Republicans Don’t Care”

Trump: “Please blame it on me.”

Trump: “I think [Republicans] are making a terrible mistake if they vote for the bill.”

CNN: “The border compromise would represent a dramatic change of immigration law on lines many Republicans have long supported.”

CNN: “Trump, who is hoping to make immigration a key plank of his presidential campaign, has suggested on Truth Social that approving additional resources for the border would make Republicans ‘look bad.’”

Johnson called the bipartisan border security bill “dead on arrival” – despite repeatedly calling for action to secure the border and saying it “is a job for Congress.”

Johnson: “Our immigration system is broken. Reforming that system is a job for Congress.”

Johnson: “The crisis at our southern border has deteriorated to such an extent that significant action can wait no longer.”

Johnson: “I do think it’s past time to secure the border.”

Two-thirds of Americans support the bipartisan border security deal that Trump directed MAGA Republicans to reject.

Navigator Research: “Two in Three Americans Support the Bipartisan Immigration Deal”

“Two in three Americans supported the bipartisan immigration deal reached in the Senate, but that will not be taken up for a vote in the House… On the Republican approach to the recent immigration package, Americans’ greatest concerns are that they are focused on the wrong issues and playing politics.

“The immigration deal earns support across party lines, including among three in four Republicans (net +58; 74 percent support –16 percent oppose), two in three independents (net +48; 64 percent support – 16 percent oppose), and three in five Democrats (net +32; 59 percent support – 27 percent oppose).”

Third Way: “Voters like the deal, both as a whole and individual components… Across the board, both swing and base voters are remarkably aligned in favor of the big security components of the deal… It’s not just the tough on the border policies that voters like—they also understand that a major piece of restoring order must be providing orderly pathways for people to come to this country in other ways.”

The post SHOT/CHASER: MAGA Mike Johnson Says Border Security Is a “Top” Priority – After Tanking the Bipartisan Border Deal appeared first on Democrats.

As Donald Trump fundraises with MAGA extremist JD Vance today, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Donald Trump and JD Vance have so much in common: They’re both election-denying conspiracy theorists desperate for attention – so it’s no wonder they’re together begging billionaires for cash in Cincinnati today. Vance has already refused to accept this year’s election results, echoed Trump’s baseless lies about his loss in the 2020 election, and attempted to whitewash the January 6 attack on our Capitol. With dangerous election-denying MAGA minions like Vance at his side, Trump is once again making it clear to the American people that the future of democracy is on the ballot in November.”

MAGA minion JD Vance refused to say outright that he would accept the results of this November’s election.

New York Times: “J.D. Vance Says He Would Accept the Election Results, With a Caveat”

HuffPost: “[Vance] said he would accept a Biden win only if he considered the election to be legitimate. … Vance’s comments illustrate a new tactic by Republican lawmakers, who are now placing conditions on accepting election results.”

Vance continues to echo Trump’s baseless lies about his loss in the 2020 election and attempts to whitewash January 6.

ABC News: “JD Vance says he’s wouldn’t have certified 2020 race until states submitted pro-Trump electors”

New York Times: “[Vance] has said that, unlike Vice President Mike Pence in 2020, he would have helped Mr. Trump overturn the results, by accepting Trump electors that had not been elected by voters.”

The Guardian: “Potential Trump running mate JD Vance says he still questions results of 2020 election”

The Hill: “JD Vance says he is ‘skeptical’ Pence’s life was in danger on Jan. 6”

Politico: “[Vance] downplayed the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, when Pence was forced to evacuate the building as rioters called for his hanging.”

Trump is refusing to commit to accepting the results of this November’s election and doubling down on his election denialism.

NBC News: “Trump again won’t commit to accepting the presidential election results”

CNN: “Former President Donald Trump refused to unconditionally accept the results of the upcoming 2024 presidential election. … It’s the latest comment by Trump in which he has sought to undermine confidence in the American electoral system in the event he loses in November.”

Washington Post: “Top Republicans, led by former president Donald Trump, are refusing to commit to accept November’s election results with six months until voters head to the polls, raising concerns that the country could see a repeat of the violent aftermath of Trump’s loss four years ago. … Trump also has suggested he may not accept the results of the next election.”

Politico: “Donald Trump suggested he may not accept the results of the 2024 election in the key swing state of Wisconsin in an interview with the state’s largest newspaper, where he also falsely claimed he won the state in 2020.”

Associated Press: “[Trump] is flooding the airwaves and his social media platform with distortions, misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories about his defeat.”

NBC News: “Re-litigating the 2020 election, repeating false claims it was stolen and casting aspersions on the security of mail voting remain major fixtures for [Trump] on the stump. … He regularly refers to the 2020 election as ‘rigged’ on his social media channels.”

Associated Press: “Trump, running for the White House for the third time, has signaled that the 2020 election will remain an integral part of his 2024 presidential bid.”

Trump continues to praise and promise pardons for violent January 6 rioters – who he calls “hostages” and “patriots.” 

TIME: “Trump has sought to recast the insurrectionist riot as an act of patriotism. ‘I call them the J-6 patriots,’ Trump tells TIME. When asked whether he would consider pardoning every one of them, he says: ‘Yes, absolutely.’”

​​Washington Post: ​​“Former president Donald Trump on Thursday praised and embraced a woman convicted of defying police orders on the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. … Trump has steadily escalated his advocacy for people charged in the Capitol riot, including by pledging to pardon them if he returns to the White House, praising them as patriots, participating in a recording with Jan. 6 prisoners singing the national anthem, and playing it at his first rally of the 2024 campaign last month.”

The Hill: “Trump describes imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters as ‘hostages’”

Washington Post: “Trump vows pardons, government apology to Capitol rioters if elected”

NBC News: “Former President Donald Trump promised Wednesday night that if he is elected he will pardon a ‘large portion’ of the people convicted of federal offenses for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.”

Trump: “January 6, it was the largest crowd I’ve ever spoken to. And they were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. That was an unbelievable — and it was a beautiful day.”

Business Insider: “Then-President Donald Trump didn’t want to specifically call for the Justice Department to prosecute January 6 rioters or forcefully condemn those who stormed the Capitol as unrepresentative of the MAGA movement.”

NBC News: “Trump spoke at a fundraiser for Jan. 6 defendants”

Trump has threatened political violence and promised a “bloodbath” if he loses in November, and he is vowing to be a dictator on “day one” if he wins.

TIME: “Donald Trump Says Political Violence ‘Depends’ on ‘Fairness’ of 2024 Election”

Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN: “Many people have lost American presidential elections over the last 230 years – Trump is the only one to say about violence if he loses ‘it depends.’”

NBC News: “Trump says there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses the election”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Says There Will Be a ‘Bloodbath’ and Elections Will End if He Isn’t Reelected”

New York Times: “Trump Defends His Warning of a ‘Blood Bath for the Country’”

The Atlantic: “Trump Says He’ll Be a Dictator on ‘Day One’”

Associated Press: “Trump declines to rule out abusing power to seek retribution if he returns to the White House”

Washington Post: “Trump calls political enemies ‘vermin,’ echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini”

The Guardian: “Donald Trump says he will lock up his political enemies if he is president again.”

The post Donald Trump Fundraising With Fellow Election-Denying MAGA Extremist JD Vance appeared first on Democrats.

As President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to deliver historic progress in reducing costs and expanding access to health care, Trump is threatening to terminate the Affordable Care Act and put the health care coverage of 4.3 million Latinos at risk.  For Latino communities who already face health care disparities, this isn’t just about politics — it’s about our livelihoods. 

DNC Director of Hispanic Media Marco Frieri released the following statement: 

“Donald Trump has proven time after time just how out of touch he is with the American people as he continues to attack the lifeline that the ACA, Medicare, and Medicaid have proven to be for our nation. For Latinos who have historically faced disparities in access to care, the ACA is transformative – more Latinos gained access to quality and affordable care under the ACA than any other community. President Biden and Vice President Harris have made strengthening and protecting health care a key part of their agenda, but if Donald Trump gets his way, he would ‘kill’ the ACA, and the uninsured rate would skyrocket. Latino voters know that this November, the only candidate who will fight for our health care is Joe Biden.”

President Biden is expanding and protecting the life-changing Affordable Care Act, which led to more than 15 million Latinos gaining health insurance. 

CBS News: “Data shows that prior to the 2013 implementation of the Medicaid expansion — a provision of the ACA that made more families eligible for Medicaid coverage — 40.2% of the Hispanic population, 24.4% of the Black population, and 14.5% of the White population were uninsured in America. However, by 2021, those numbers dropped significantly to 24.5%, 13.5%, and 8.2%, respectively.”

NBC News: “Hispanics have the highest rate of people without health insurance coverage and saw the largest drop in people without insurance under Obamacare.”

KFF: “Since implementation of the major ACA health coverage expansions in 2014, people of color have experienced large coverage gains that helped narrow the longstanding racial and ethnic disparities in coverage. These gains reflected increases in both Medicaid and private coverage. Hispanics experienced the largest coverage gain.”

CNN: “Obamacare sign-ups hit record 21.3 million as Biden pushes his efforts to lower health care costs”

“Nearly 5 million more people signed up for Obamacare policies for this year compared with last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, said Wednesday. Notably, about a quarter of people selecting plans were new consumers.”

The Hill: “Biden touts Affordable Care Act enrollment spike” 

“The White House is reporting strong enrollment numbers through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) one week after enrollment began, with 300,000 new customers signing up for plans already.”

Washington Post: “ACA linked to reduced racial disparities, earlier diagnosis and treatment in cancer care”

President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act requires pharmaceutical companies to rebate Medicare for price hikes that exceed inflation, caps seniors’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month, and makes adult vaccines available to Medicare enrollees at no cost.

CNN: “More Americans can now get insulin for $35” 

“Congress, the White House and new players in the market have increased pressure on insulin manufacturers to lower their prices. Eli Lilly and Sanofi announced that they would institute $35 caps shortly after President Joe Biden called on drugmakers to do so in his State of the Union address last year.”

NBC News: “Major drug companies including Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb have committed to participate in Medicare drug price negotiations with the federal government, the Biden administration said Tuesday. … The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services named the first 10 prescription drugs subject to price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act a little over a month ago.”

Axios: “The Biden administration is set to announce the first batch of prescription drugs that will be subject to new price negotiations with Medicare, kicking off formal discussions with drugmakers who are fiercely challenging the effort.”

Kaiser Family Foundation: “The Inflation Reduction Act requires drug manufacturers to pay a rebate to the federal government if prices for single-source drugs and biologicals covered under Medicare Part B and nearly all covered drugs under Part D increase faster than the rate of inflation (CPI-U).”

Kaiser Family Foundation: “The Inflation Reduction Act limits monthly cost sharing for insulin products to no more than $35 for Medicare beneficiaries.”

CNN: “Medicare enrollees can now get additional vaccines at no cost, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Before this year, vaccines for Covid-19, the flu, pneumonia and hepatitis B, for higher risk patients, were covered by Medicare Part B with no cost sharing. Now, all adult vaccines covered by Medicare Part D that are recommended by a federal advisory committee on immunization are available to enrollees at no cost.” 

Health.com: “[The Inflation Reduction Act] caps Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket spending under the Medicare Part D benefit, first by eliminating coinsurance above the catastrophic threshold in 2024 and then by adding a $2,000 cap on spending in 2025.” 

Meanwhile, Donald Trump wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, even though it would be devastating for millions of Latino families.

Trump: “The cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good Healthcare. I’m seriously looking at alternatives. We had a couple of Republican Senators who campaigned for 6 years against it, and then raised their hands not to terminate it. It was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up!”

Trump: “Obamacare is a disaster. And I said, ‘We’re gonna do something about it.’”

Daily Beast: “Trump Revives Plan to Dismantle Obamacare if Elected in 2024”

Mediaite: “‘OBAMACARE SUCKS!!!’ Trump Rants About New Plan — Years After He Promised It Was ‘Two Weeks’ Away”

New York Times: “Trump Administration Files Formal Request to Strike Down All of Obamacare” 

CNN: “Obamacare has gotten popular. Trump doesn’t care”

New York Magazine: “Why a Second Trump Presidency Might Try Again to Repeal Obamacare”

And Trump and his extreme MAGA minions also want to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, ripping away its lifesaving provisions such as capping seniors’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month – a provision that’s critical for Latinos who suffer from diabetes at a disproportionate rate. 

Axios: “Failure to include a monthly $35 insulin cap in the climate and health care bill that passed the Senate last weekend could especially affect Latinos.

The big picture: CDC data shows Latinos are 70% more likely than their white non-Hispanic peers to be diagnosed with diabetes.”

Axios: “RSC budget revives conservative health priorities”

“The Republican Study Committee today laid out a budget proposal that suggests a health policy blueprint if the GOP controls the White House and at least one chamber of Congress next year.

“The health care section… calls for killing the Inflation Reduction Act and its drug price provisions. … It would remove many of the Affordable Care Act’s protections for pre-existing conditions.”

The Hill: “The [Inflation Reduction Act] has been in Republicans’ crosshairs ever since it passed. If they win the White House and both chambers of Congress in the upcoming election, they’re likely to aim for at least a partial repeal.”

President Biden is strengthening  Medicare and Medicaid, while Donald Trump is trying to gut these programs and Republican governors continue to refuse to expand Medicaid in their states — keeping anywhere between tens of thousands to over a million of their constituents from accessing affordable health care. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: “Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers”

White House Fact Sheet: “The President’s Budget extends the life of the Medicare HI trust fund indefinitely, the Medicare Office of the Chief Actuary estimates. It achieves these gains without any benefit cuts—while, in fact, lowering costs for Medicare beneficiaries”

New York Times: “U.S. Labor Market Strength Steadied Social Security and Medicare Funds”

“The financial health of Social Security and Medicare, two of the nation’s most crucial safety net programs, has improved this year as a stronger-than-expected U.S. economy attracted more workers to the labor market, buttressing funding for the critical programs.“

Forbes: “Trump Floats ‘Cutting’ Spending On Entitlements Like Social Security And Medicare”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Floats Cuts to Social Security and Medicare”

New York Times: “Texas has one of the highest rates in the nation for people undergoing diabetes-related amputations, at about 52 per 100,000 hospital admissions. The problem in San Antonio is even worse than in the rest of Texas, especially for men, who are roughly three times more likely to lose a foot or leg to diabetes than women — possibly because of cultural stigmas that prevent many Latino men from looking closely after their health.”

“Republicans in Texas have consistently opposed expanding Medicaid for low-income residents under the Affordable Health Care Act of 2013”

PBS: “According to the Georgetown analysis, the rate of Latino children without health insurance in states that had not expanded Medicaid by 2019 was more than 2.5 times higher than that in states that had expanded—14.9% compared with 5.8%.”

KFF: In Florida, 570,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid if expanded.

KFF: And 29% of the uninsured Floridians who would be covered if Florida expanded Medicaid are Hispanic. 

KFF: In Georgia, 359,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid if expanded.

KFF: In South Carolina, 141,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid if expanded.

KFF: In Texas, 1,214,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid if expanded.

Thanks to the ACA, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, and 6.1 million Latinos gained access to preventative care services without added out-of-pocket costs.

Dept. of Health and Human Services: “The law requires insurers to cover HIV screening without cost-sharing for individuals at high risk of infection. This is important for Hispanics/Latinos, who represent 20 percent of the total estimated number of HIV diagnoses among adults and adolescents. An estimated 6.1 million Latino Americans with private insurance currently have access to expanded preventive services with no cost-sharing because of the Affordable Care Act.”

Kaiser Health News: “Following the ACA’s enactment in 2010 through 2016, coverage increased across all racial/ethnic groups, with the largest increases occurring after implementation of the Medicaid and Marketplace coverage expansions in 2014. Nonelderly Hispanic people had the largest percentage point increase in coverage, with their uninsured rate falling from 32.6% to 19.1%.”

Dept. of Health and Human Services: “Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies can’t refuse to cover you or charge you more just because you have a ‘pre-existing condition’ — that is, a health problem you had before the date that new health coverage starts. They also can’t charge women more than men.”

The post While President Biden Is Protecting and Expanding Affordable Health Care for Latinos, Trump Is Threatening To Rip It Away  appeared first on Democrats.

In response to MAGA minion and former Trump administration secretary of housing and urban development calling for a national abortion ban, DNC spokesperson Aida Ross released the following statement:

“Just like his former boss Donald Trump, Ben Carson wants to outlaw abortion nationwide and rip away our fundamental freedoms. Carson doesn’t even support exceptions for rape and incest as part of the draconian MAGA platform he’s backing. Voters have already rejected Carson and Trump’s extreme anti-choice agenda at the ballot box before – and they’re ready to do it once again this November.”

MAGA minion and former Trump administration Cabinet member Ben Carson is calling for a national abortion ban — with no rape or incest exceptions — and cuts to federal assistance for single mothers. 

NBC News: “‘What is needed is legislation that guarantees the right to life for all American citizens, including those still in the womb,’ Carson — a noted pediatric neurosurgeon who was the Trump administration’s secretary of housing and urban development — writes in ‘The Perilous Fight,’ which was released Tuesday. ‘Therefore, we must be boldly vocal about saving our fellow human beings through the legislative process. They are counting on us!’”

“Carson has long been conservative on the issue of abortion. When he was running for president in 2015, he likened women who terminate pregnancies to ‘slave owners’ on NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press.’”

“Carson also said that he was open to considering allowing women to terminate pregnancies to save their lives but that he did not believe in exceptions for rape and incest.”

“In his new book, in addition to calls for banning abortion, Carson also calls for cuts to federal assistance for single mothers.”

Carson is in lockstep with Trump, who said he’d sign a national abortion ban if elected to a second term.

Associated Press: “Trump says he will support national ban on abortions around 15 weeks of pregnancy”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Wants to Ban Abortion Nationwide: Report”

New York Times: “Trump Privately Expresses Support for a 16-Week Abortion Ban”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Floats National Abortion Ban After Claiming He’s ‘On the Side of Women’”

Trump: “There of course remains a vital role for the federal government in protecting unborn life. And it’s very important.” 

Trump on if he would sign a six-week national abortion ban: “I’m looking at all options.”

Trump: “We’ll pick something that’s going to be very, very good for pro-life … I’m going to be in there pushing.”

Trump loves to brag about overturning Roe v. Wade and paving the way for extreme abortion bans across the country.

Trump: “I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of … Roe v. Wade.”

Trump: “We broke Roe v. Wade and we did something that nobody thought was possible. We gave it back to the states, and the states are working very brilliantly … But they’re working, and it’s working the way it’s supposed to.”

Trump: “For 54 years they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it, and I’m proud to have done it. … Nobody else was going to get that done but me, and we did it, and we did something that was a miracle.”

Trump: “After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the ‘shock’ of everyone … Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Thank you President TRUMP!!!”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Claims Credit for All Abortion Bans”

Business Insider: “Trump boasts he’s ‘proud’ about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, the issue that has become ballot-box poison for Republicans”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Says He’s ‘Proud’ to Have ‘Terminated’ Abortion Rights”

The post 🚨NEW: Trump’s MAGA Minion Ben Carson Backs National Abortion Ban – With No Exceptions for Rape and Incest appeared first on Democrats.

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a time to celebrate and honor the AANHPI community’s accomplishments throughout history. President Biden and Vice President Harris have tirelessly worked to ensure that AANHPI communities have access to educational and economic opportunity, from delivering $5 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to support AANHPI-serving institutions to investing in AANHPI entrepreneurs. Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, the Small Business Administration provided over $22 billion in loans to AANHPI entrepreneurs, contributing to the highest Asian American employment and entrepreneurship rates in over a decade. 

DNC Deputy National Press Secretary Nina Raneses released the following statement: 

“President Biden and Vice President Harris are breaking systemic barriers and expanding economic and educational opportunities for AANHPI communities. The Biden-Harris administration has distributed nearly $22 billion in Small Business Administration loans to AANHPI entrepreneurs and given $121 million in Department of Labor grants, all of which helped lead to the highest Asian American employment and entrepreneurship rates in over a decade. President Biden and Vice President Harris believe in building the economy from the bottom up and middle out, which is why their administration continues to support AANHPI small businesses and help students afford higher education. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s failed MAGAnomics agenda created incentives to ship jobs overseas, implemented tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, and left middle class families behind. This November, we have a clear choice: President Biden’s plan to uplift all Americans, including our AANHPI communities, or Donald Trump’s plan to leave working families behind while the ultra-rich line their pockets with tax breaks.”

AANHPI small businesses are thriving thanks to President Biden’s economic agenda.

Forbes: “Three-Year Small Business Boom Is Unprecedented”

“AAPI businesses have benefited from a stronger economy, with over 2.91 million AAPI owned businesses and counting, fueling job creation and economic growth in their communities.”

White House Fact Sheet: “Promoting Economic Opportunity for AA and NHPI Communities. By signing into law the historic American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act implementing robust regulatory reform, the Biden-Harris Administration has led the most equitable economic recovery on record, creating more than 12 million jobs since coming to office and helping create new economic opportunities for all Americans, including AA and NHPI workers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs.”

Meanwhile, Trump prioritized big corporations over small businesses during his presidency — and he’s promised to do it again if reelected. 

New York Times: “Republicans argue that this will benefit small businesses. In fact, a large majority of small-business owners already have personal tax rates below 25 percent. This provision would aid a small group of developers, investors and other tycoons who work in professions or industries where it is relatively easy to set up pass-through businesses. Like, yes, Mr. Trump and his family, who make their money from one such industry: real estate.”

Economic Policy Institute: “The TCJA overwhelmingly benefited the rich and corporations while overlooking working families”

Vox: “Trump said this tax break was for small businesses. It’s giving $17 billion to millionaires this year”

“If many average Americans aren’t noticing or loving the tax cut bill yet, it might be understandable — it benefits the wealthy by design. And a congressional report released this week shows that one specific new deduction for so-called ‘pass-through’ companies is heavily benefiting the rich. … The Republican tax bill cut the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent and disproportionately benefits corporations and the wealthy.”

President Biden has made higher education more accessible to AANHPI communities by providing millions in debt relief and creating initiatives to directly support historically underserved communities.

White House Fact Sheet: “In March 2023, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) awarded approximately $54 million in funding for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) to address violations of the Fair Housing Act and end housing discrimination. Included within these awards were seven FHIP grants that serve the AA and NHPI community. The grantees will provide education and outreach, translate materials into Asian and Pacific Islander languages and conduct enforcement related activities to address discriminatory acts against the AA and NHPI community.”

The Nation: “How Student Loan Cancellation Helps Asian Americans”

Forbes: “How Biden Forgiving Another $9 Billion In Student Loan Debt Helps Close The Racial Wealth Gap”

“The burden of student loan debt has reached crisis levels, disproportionately affecting students of color and amplifying the racial wealth gap. Now, President Biden’s latest step will help 125,000 borrowers by erasing $9 billion in debt through existing programs. This debt load is not distributed evenly across populations, it falls disproportionately on students of color and their families who are actively trying to close the racial wealth gap.”

Meanwhile, Trump is hellbent on ABOLISHING the Department of Education and tried to slash billions in funding during his time in office. 

CNN: “Trump wants to close the Department of Education, joining calls by GOP rivals”

Associated Press: “Trump has pledged to terminate the Department of Education, but he also wants to exert enormous influence over local school districts and colleges.”

Inside Higher Education: “President Trump called for a $7.1 billion cut to funding at the Education Department with a proposed budget that retreads familiar higher education ideas for this White House. … The proposal marks the third straight year that President Trump has asked Congress for major cuts to education spending — the proposal would mean a 12 percent cut for the Education Department from fiscal year 2019 — and to overall discretionary expenditures.”

Instead of pushing an economic agenda that would help AANHPI families, Trump would double down on his extreme MAGA tax scam that would help his ultra-rich friends and hurt the middle class. 

Trump: “I will never let the Trump tax cuts … I will never let them be taken away.”

Trump: “You’re all people that have a lot of money … You’re rich as hell …We’re gonna give you tax cuts.”

Trump: “We will replace Biden’s tax hikes with the beautiful Trump tax cuts. You know, we have to extend the tax cuts.”

Trump on whether his second term tax policies would echo those of his first term: “Yes, and I’d do even more taxes.”

Washington Post: “The former president’s closest economic advisers are plotting an aggressive new set of tax cuts to push on the campaign trail and from the Oval Office if he wins a second term. Trump and his advisers have discussed deeper cuts to both individual and corporate tax rates that would build on his controversial 2017 tax law. … Trump’s advisers, though, have discussed proposals to make deeper cuts to the overall corporate tax rate, potentially to as low as 15 percent, or to use the revenue from the proposed tariffs to pay a dividend to U.S. households. Further cutting corporate taxes … would primarily benefit large firms.”

Bloomberg: “[Trump] intends to center his economic plans on extending and deepening the Republican tax cuts from 2017.”

Vanity Fair: “Donald Trump Wants to Give His Favorite Corporations Another Giant Tax Cut in a Second Term: Report”

The post REMINDER: President Biden and Vice President Harris Are Expanding Opportunities for AANHPI-Owned Businesses and Making Higher Education More Accessible appeared first on Democrats.