Civil Rights
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats in the House approved sweeping anti-discrimination legislation Friday that would extend civil rights protections to LGBT people by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The protections would extend to employment, housing, loan applications, education, public accommodations and other areas.
Called the Equality Act, the bill is a top priority of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said it will bring the nation "closer to equal liberty and justice for all."
MEANWHILE ON THE HILL: The Learning Policy Institute is hosting a discussion on what the federal government should be doing to enforce student civil rights protections while supporting state and local efforts to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline policies. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) is slated to attend.
ICE Agent Shoves Portland Lawyer: A federal immigration officer refused to show an arrest warrant and shoved a criminal defense lawyer as he tried to step on an elevator with his client on the fourth floor of the Multnomah County Courthouse on April 26. Courthouse arrests of immigrants have drawn intense criticism from civil rights advocates and court employees across the nation. Those tensions flared in Oregon when ICE agents clashed with Portland defense lawyer John Schlosser, who captured the confrontation on video. U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici decried what she watched.
An attorney's video showed federal immigration officials as they arrested a man inside the Multnomah County Courthouse on Friday, drawing renewed attention to the longstanding but controversial practice of making arrests when people show up for unrelated court business.
Defense lawyer John Schlosser asked immigration agents to produce a warrant or other proof to show they were arresting the right man. Schlosser's verbal exchange with authorities escalated when he attempted to board the same elevator they were using.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said she knew about the alarming levels of attempted suicide among transgender young people and the harmful effects of bullying and harassment in schools towards transgender students. That knowledge however didn't stop her department from rolling back nationwide guidance meant to protect transgender students. Democrat Suzanne Bonamici quizzed DeVos about studies that showed lower attendance rates and high rates of depression due to bullying and harassment, as well as high rates of attempted suicide during House Committee hearing.
Education Secretary and woman-of-the-people Betsy Devos appeared before the House Education and Labor Committee this week to testify about her widely-criticized moves to reverse course on Obama-era affirmative action and trans-inclusive guidelines.
In an uncharacteristic moment of transparency, DeVos conceded to knowing the potential her policy-making — or un-making, as it were — could have in endangering the lives of transgender youth.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said that she was aware of research showing how harmful her anti-transgender guidance two years ago was.
DeVos appeared before the civil rights subcommittee of the House Education Committee.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has admitted that she knew her departments actions against transgender students could directly impact their mental health and wellbeing.
Appearing before the House Education and Labor Committee, the usually evasive and opaque DeVos was pressed to directly answer a question from Civil Rights Subcommittee Chairwoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oreg.).