WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Republican National Convention concluded Thursday night with President Donald Trump vowing to defend “the American way of life” as he formally accepted the GOP nomination for president. “This is the most important election in the history of our country,” said Trump, who spoke from the South Lawn at the White House....
Congress goes on recess with no coronavirus relief measure in sight
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans hoping for another coronavirus relief bill from Congress will likely have to wait at least another month. House Democrats were unable to reach a compromise with Senate Republicans and White House officials in recent weeks — and now Congress is on its August recess. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, told San...
Election experts tell Congress more federal funding is needed
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congress must provide more federal funding to ensure a safe and successful election this fall, according to two election experts who testified this week. “With the election less than three months away, we need Congress to act now,” Sylvia Albert, the director of voting and elections at Common Cause, a nationwide network...
Lawmakers still battling over coronavirus relief
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislators continued to clash this week over coronavirus relief efforts as millions of Americans struggled with unemployment, looming evictions and rising virus death rates. “I see a light at the end of the tunnel; we just don’t know how long the tunnel is,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday during a press...
Trump’s census directive prompts emergency hearing
Washington D.C. — The Committee on Oversight and Reform recently convened an emergency hearing to discuss President Donald Trump’s efforts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the base count used to redistribute congressional seats after the census. “The president’s direction is unconstitutional,” said Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. “It is illegal, and it disregards the precedent set...
San Jose Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren grills Barr over federal reaction to protests
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Zoe Lofgren took Attorney General William Barr to task during a recent House Judiciary Committee hearing to discuss a range of issues related to President Donald Trump’s interactions with the Justice Department. The San Jose Democrat told Barr she believed the Trump administration deployed federal troops to the protests in Portland,...
Silicon Valley activists and legislators mourn Rep. John Lewis
WASHINGTON D.C. — Mourners gathered by the thousands around the U.S. Capitol this week, waiting in long lines to pay their respects to the late Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. Some honored his legacy as a civil rights icon by wearing masks or shirts emblazoned with the Black Lives Matter emblem. A few even had...
Ro Khanna says outdated IT hurt government’s COVID-19 response efforts
WASHINGTON D.C. — One Silicon Valley legislator said the federal government urgently needs to update its information technology systems — especially as it deals with the COVID-19 crisis. “Two years ago, I introduced and passed the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act to modernize federal websites and digitize government processes,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, told...
Anna Eshoo and mental health advocates push suicide prevention legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A few weeks ago, Palo Alto resident Victor Ojakian received an unexpected letter in the mail. It was from one of his son’s former classmates. The boys went to secondary school together and played some of the same sports, he said, but they weren’t best friends or even especially close companions. Yet...
Silicon Valley legislators weigh in on D.C. statehood
A historic vote in the House of Representatives recently moved the District of Columbia one step closer to achieving statehood— and Silicon Valley’s congressional leaders believe that’s a step in the right direction. “D.C. is home to over 700,000 residents, nearly half of whom are Black, yet these citizens do not have an equal voice...