Politics

Voter, justice reform among CBC’s top goals: Bass

WAVE NEWSPAPERS — Voter suppression, criminal justice reform, job creation and housing costs are among the key areas the CBC will tackle in the coming months.

Published

6 years ago

March 6, 2019

Michael Livingston

By Michael Livingston

LOS ANGELES — Voter suppression, criminal justice reform, job creation and housing costs are among the key areas the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will tackle in the coming months, the agency’s new chair, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) said in a recent phone interview.

Earlier this month, Bass met with former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams to investigate voting irregularities in the deciding hours of the election — irregularities that many observers believe cost Abrams a victory over current Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

“We’re currently documenting all of the examples of voter suppression that took place in the 2018 election and then we will pass legislation to address it,” Bass said.

In April, Bass will return to her home state to address another issue she said is vital to the CBC: reform in the criminal justice system.

“We’re going to be looking at the reforms that have taken place in California and see how they have helped our community and what more needs to be done,” Bass said, referring to bail money reforms and a decision by Los Angeles County supervisors to replace Men’s Central Jail with a mental health hospital.

Bass said she plans to speak with people affected most by the criminal justice system — ex-offenders and their families.

“We’re also going to meet with people who were formerly incarcerated to talk about things that they need to integrate better into the community,” she said. No dates or details have yet been determined.

Since being named to the CBC post in November, Bass has been traveling coast-to-coast, identifying solutions to problems facing black Americans and speaking out against injustices.

Since November, she has admonished President Donald Trump and his administration over the recent government shutdown, sparred with acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker and raised the issue of helping refugees, migrants and asylum seekers from countries Trump called “s—hole countries” last year.

“Yes, that’s what happens when Trump doesn’t allow you to rest for one minute,” Bass said of her full agenda and busy travel schedule.

Another of Bass’ key goals as CBC chair is to increase the visibility of the caucus and better explain to the public what the caucus does and why it exists.

“We’re going to go into the communities and make sure they know what we’re doing,” Bass said. “They should know there are 55 members of the CBC that represent districts across the United States. There is no area of public policy that the CBC has not positively impacted.”

The caucus, often called the “conscious of the Congress,” traditionally uses its constitutional power and political resources to root out injustice and improve the lives of black and disenfranchised Americans. Five of its members chair full committees, Bass said, “and within those committees we will be able to increase resources and change policies in positive ways.”

Bass, a fifth-term congresswoman representing the 37th Congressional District, is the eighth woman to chair the caucus in its 47-year history.

Since being elected to lead the CBC, Bass has demanded the Trump administration accept Democratic proposals to re-open the government, supported a petition to combat human trafficking, and spoken out on national issues like the confirmation of William Barr to Attorney General and family separation at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“In our domestic child welfare system, the best interests of a child are determined by a social worker and a judge. Border Patrol officers are not trained to do this. They are not social workers,” Bass said. “The family separation policy at our border is a stain on this country’s history.”

Bass said her role as CBC chair won’t affect the work she’s already done in Congress. In addition to her new role, she also is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.

“I have worked hard all my life and I am so honored and excited for this role,” she said. “I will not have a problem meeting my responsibilities [in the 37th District] as well.”

This article originally appeared in the Wave Newspapers.

Michael Livingston

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Activism

Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

7 days ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.