Civil Rights
Nearly 50 House Democrats are calling on a top government watchdog to investigate the force-feeding of immigrant detainees who have been on hunger strikes in protest of abusive conditions and prolonged imprisonment.
With the decadesold Violence Against Women Act left out of a recent funding bill, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici met with staff of The Harbor in Astoria on Tuesday to discuss how the decision could impact the organization and the services it provides around domestic violence and sexual assault in Clatsop County.
A funding bill approved by Congress and President Donald Trump this month did not extend the landmark act, which has lapsed. First enacted in 1994, the act provides grants and other support to groups that work on issues related to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Nearly 50 Democratic lawmakers called for a watchdog investigation of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday after the agency confirmed it had been force-feeding immigrant detainees on a hunger strike.
Reporting by The Associated Press revealed late last month that nine Indian men who were refusing food at a Texas detention facility were being force-fed through nasal tubes against their will.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), joined by Reps. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) José E. Serrano (NY-15), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), introduced a critical legislative package to protect immigrant rights.
<p style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: Open Sans; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 26px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Rep. Veronica Escobar and Rep.
The Democratic majority on the U.S. House of Representatives' education and labor committee has created a new subcommittee on civil rights and human services, which also will include a focus on equal employment opportunities, nutrition programs and the Older Americans Act.
Representative Suzanne Bonamici, an Oregon Democrat and former consumer protection lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission, will lead the subcommittee. She also will serve on the higher education and work-force investment subcommittee.