Congress - Observer News Group

Lawmakers Greenlight Reparations Study for Descendants of Enslaved Marylanders

by Stefi Mar | Apr 15, 2025 | Bakersfield, Congress, Los Angeles, Valleys | 0

Maryland lawmakers have approved Senate Bill 587, authorizing the creation of the Maryland Reparations Commission. The body will study and make recommendations for reparations to descendants of enslaved people and others harmed by centuries of discriminatory policies.

Ranking Member Maxine Waters, House Leaders Cheer Successful Effort to Defend American Consumers and the CFPB in Court

by Kathleen Untalan | Mar 30, 2025 | Maxine Waters, Congress, Donald Trump, Los Angeles, National Politics, Politics, Valleys | 0

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Reckless Messaging Breach Alarms Oversight Group

by Stefi Mar | Mar 25, 2025 | Bakersfield, Congress, Donald Trump, Featured, Los Angeles, Valleys, World & Nation | 0

Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight, issued a sharp rebuke of the
current administration’s handling of sensitive national security matters following recent
reports that high-level officials used encrypted messaging apps to discuss active military
operations.

Trump Targets Public Education with Mass Job Cuts

by Stefi Mar | Mar 19, 2025 | Bakersfield, Congress, Donald Trump, Front Page, Los Angeles | 0

The Trump administration has taken its first steps in dismantling the Department of Education, slashing more than 1,300 jobs and closing regional offices in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland. According to Rachel Oglesby, the department’s chief of staff, employees were informed via email Tuesday that the Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed Wednesday for unspecified “security reasons” before reopening Thursday. “Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.

Stopgap Bill Advances as Congress Moves to Prevent Shutdown

by Stefi Mar | Mar 18, 2025 | Bakersfield, Congress, Featured, Los Angeles, Valleys | 0

A newly introduced stopgap bill in Congress aims to extend government funding through the end of the 2025 fiscal year, providing critical financial support for federal agencies and essential programs. The legislation, formally titled the “Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025,” is designed to avert a government shutdown, but its broader implications extend across the country.

‘We’re Not Running from Our Own House’: CBC Declares War on Trump, Musk, and Project 2025

by Stefi Mar | Mar 11, 2025 | Bakersfield, Congress, Los Angeles, Politics, Valleys, World & Nation | 0

In what might be an unprecedented show of force, a powerful contingent of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) met with African American journalists inside the Democratic Whip’s Conference Room at the U.S. Capitol, laying out their battle plan against Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the far-right’s dystopian blueprint known as Project 2025. CBC Chair Yvette Clarke, First Vice Chair Troy Carter, Whip Sydney Kamlager-Dove, former Chair Steven Horsford, Reps. Jahana Hayes, Summer Lee, and the ever-outspoken Jasmine Crockett made it clear—while they lack the votes to halt Trump’s cruel and life-threatening policies, they are on the offensive with one goal in mind: retaking the House next year to neutralize his agenda.

Rep. Al Green is Censured by The U.S. House After Protesting Trump on Medicaid

by Stefi Mar | Mar 11, 2025 | Bakersfield, Congress, Donald Trump, Front Page, Los Angeles, Politics, State, Valleys | 0

In one of the quickest punishments of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the modern era, Congressman Al Green (D-TX) was censured by a 224-198 vote today in the House. His censure featured no hearing at the House Ethics Committee and his punishment was put on the floor for a vote by the Republican controlled House less than 72 hours after the infraction in question. Of the last three censures of members of the U.S. House, two have been members of the Congressional Black Caucus under GOP control. In 2023, Rep. Jamal Bowman was censured.

Federal Firing Leaves Gaping Holes

by Stefi Mar | Mar 11, 2025 | Bakersfield, Congress, Donald Trump, Front Page, Los Angeles, National, Valleys | 0

The federal government has many loose ends to tie after firing massive numbers of government employees and contractors, particularly in one department that once dealt with diversity. To protect fired employees from retaliation, an anonymous contractor terminated on Valentine’s Day, February 14, has expressed concerns that they still have government devices and equipment and active government emails.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters, House Democrats Turned Away at Housing Agency During Attempt to Hand-Deliver Letter to Secretary Scott Turner Amid Elon Musk-DOGE Infiltration and Looming Mass Staff Terminations

by James Luckey | Mar 4, 2025 | Congress, Crypto, Donald Trump, Featured, Los Angeles, Maxine Waters, Valleys | 0

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Democrats Rethink Strategy as Trump Prepares for Congressional Address

by Stefi Mar | Mar 3, 2025 | Bakersfield, Congress, Donald Trump, Los Angeles, National, Politics, Valleys | 0

As Donald Trump prepares to address Congress for the first time since reclaiming the White House, Democrats are shifting their approach. Gone are the walkouts and viral protests—this time, they aim to counter Trump’s rhetoric with a more strategic response. “In 2017, a lot of us felt like Donald Trump was an anomaly. In 2025, he won the election. Everybody knows who he is,” said Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.). “I think we have to be very strategic as Democrats.”