Democrat Terry McAuliffe speaks as rival Glenn Youngkin leads
Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who is currently trailing Republican Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia governor's race, took the stage in McLean, Virginia, without conceding. He thanked his family, campaign staffers and supporters. Watch his remarks here.
news.yahoo.comDemocratic lawmaker proposes a national online privacy standard as states move forward with their own laws
As states move forward with their own digital privacy laws in the absence of federal regulation, Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., is reintroducing a bill aimed at creating a national standard for digital privacy rights. But DelBene's bill would preempt it and other state laws to create a uniform standard across the U.S.That sets her bill apart from several other Democratic bills that explicitly allow for states to have their own digital privacy laws so that they may build on the protections of the federal standard. The U.S. is playing catch-up to Europe on privacy and must set its own standards to get there, she said. DelBene said she's optimistic that Congress will pass digital privacy legislation soon, but she also said she's aware there are plenty of other straightforward bills that still haven't made it through. "And if we don't we will see more states make a different challenge for ourselves in terms of trying to rationalize all of that going forward."
cnbc.comHouse OKs George Floyd Act as Democrats avoid 'defund' clash
Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – House Democrats passed the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing nationwide, avoiding a potential clash with moderates in their own party who were wary of reigniting the “defund the police” debate they say hurt them during last fall's election. Approved 220-212 late Wednesday, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is named for the man whose killing by police in Minnesota last Memorial Day sparked demonstrations nationwide. “We want to feel safe when we encounter law enforcement. “Our law enforcement officers need more funding not less,” Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis. Another possible point of contention is provisions easing standards for prosecution of law enforcement officers accused of wrongdoing.
With Biden's backing, Dems revive bill to overhaul policing
House Democrats are hustling to pass the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing. The bill would ban chokeholds and “qualified immunity” for law enforcement and create national standards for policing in a bid to bolster accountability. “Our law enforcement officers need more funding not less,” Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said during Wednesday's debate. AdPolice unions and other law enforcement groups have argued that, without such legal protections, fear of lawsuits will stop people from becoming police officers — even though the measure permits such suits only against law enforcement agencies, rather than all public employees. California Rep. Karen Bass, who authored the bill, understands the challenge some House members face in supporting it.
Dems propose $1,400 payments as part of Biden virus relief
Less than three weeks into his presidency, Biden has declared that vanquishing the virus and resuscitating the economy are his top priorities. AdHouse Education and Labor Committee Democrats also previewed their plans Monday. Couples who make up to $150,000 would be entitled to $2,800 relief payments, which would gradually diminish and fully disappear for those earning $200,000. Biden has said he will not allow the per-person payments to fall below $1,400 but has indicated flexibility on the income thresholds. A federal law known as COBRA already allows them to temporarily keep their old employer’s health plan, but they typically have to pay prohibitively high premiums.
How this child tax credit proposal could give some families monthly $300 checks
President Joe Biden wants to get more money to certain American families by expanding the child tax credit for one year. That could come through monthly checks of up to $300 per month per child instead of one lump sum at the end of the year. The president included the child tax credit changes in his new $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief proposal. The child tax credit is available to certain families who claim children as dependents, provided they meet certain qualifications, according to the IRS. The problem, DelBene said, is that many families don't qualify for the child tax credit under current rules.
cnbc.comHouse Democrats Introduce Bill Requiring All Insurance Plans to Cover Full Cost of COVID-19 Testing
// // ////WASHINGTON Today, House Democrats introduced legislation requiring all health insurance plans to cover the full cost of COVID-19 testing for U.S. consumers. The No Cost for COVID-19 Testing Act codifies the promises made by insurers to cover COVID-19 at no cost to patients and fills potential gaps in coverage for people in self-insured plans. Without federal action, uniform coverage requirements across all health insurance payers will not exist. The No Cost for COVID-19 Testing Act would create a uniform, federally required standard that all insurers cover the full cost of testing. To read the bill text for the No Cost for COVID-19 Testing Act, click here.
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