July, 23 2018, 12:00am EDT
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Announces Bid for House Democratic Caucus Chair
Today, Congresswoman Lee sent a letter to her Democratic colleagues announcing her candidacy for Chair of the Democratic Caucus in the 116th Congress. Below is the text of the letter:
Dear Colleague:
I am so inspired to fight alongside you as we work to win back the majority. There is nothing more important than returning bold Democratic leadership to Congress. With that in mind, I'm excited to announce that I am seeking the position of House Democratic Caucus Chair for the 116th Congress.
My candidacy is based on three deeply held beliefs.
WASHINGTON
Today, Congresswoman Lee sent a letter to her Democratic colleagues announcing her candidacy for Chair of the Democratic Caucus in the 116th Congress. Below is the text of the letter:
Dear Colleague:
I am so inspired to fight alongside you as we work to win back the majority. There is nothing more important than returning bold Democratic leadership to Congress. With that in mind, I'm excited to announce that I am seeking the position of House Democratic Caucus Chair for the 116th Congress.
My candidacy is based on three deeply held beliefs.
The strength of our caucus lies in our diversity of experiences and ideas. Whether it's working across the aisle to enact HIV/AIDS laws, or bringing the Sanders and Clinton campaigns together behind a cohesive and progressive Democratic Platform, my career has been dedicated to finding common ground and delivering results. Over the years, I have fought to lift families out of poverty and empower everyday people. As your Caucus Chair, I will ensure that we hear every view, respect every member, and welcome every voice.
Our caucus is at its best when everyone has an opportunity to contribute and collaborate. My top priority will be offering new ways to engage all members. I will provide robust member services to empower everyone in our caucus and develop more forums to showcase your innovative work. It is important to me to build on Chairman Crowley's work equipping all offices with the cutting-edge, creative tools -- and especially digital resources -- to engage directly with constituents.
Our caucus has the talent and the vision to improve the lives of all people. We must shine a light on our greatest strengths: our members, our Democratic energy and compassion, and the agenda that reflects our collective vision.
I look forward to listening to your ideas, answering your questions and working to earn your vote. By putting people first, we will regain the majority and strengthen it for the future. It is an honor to fight this battle together.
Sincerely,
Member of Congress
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a Democrat, represents the 13th District in California.
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The House voted 219-199 for Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act (FANFSA), which won support from 96 Democrats and 123 Republicans, including the lead sponsor, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio). Named for the constitutional amendment that protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, H.R. 4639 would close what campaigners call the data broker loophole.
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The House notably included an amendment forcing a wide range of individuals and businesses to cooperate with government spying operations but rejected an amendment that would have added a warrant requirement to the bill, which the Senate could vote on as soon as Thursday.
Noting those decisions on the FISA reauthorization legislation, Ruddock stressed that "today's vote is a victory but follows a recent loss and ongoing threat as that Section 702 bill moves to the Senate this week too."
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Jeramie Scott, senior counsel and director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center's Project on Surveillance Oversight, also praised the House's FANFSA passage on Wednesday.
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Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel at ACLU, similarly said Wednesday that "the bipartisan passage of this bill is a flashing warning sign to the government that if it wants our data, it must get a warrant."
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Since 2011, the U.N. Security Council has rejected the Palestinian Authority's request for full member status. On April 2, the Palestinian Observer Mission to the U.N. requested that the council once again take up consideration of its membership application. According to the first State Department cable, U.N. meetings since the beginning of April suggest that Algeria, China, Guyana, Mozambique, Russia, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, and Malta support granting Palestine full membership to the U.N. It also says that France, Japan, and Korea are undecided, while the United Kingdom will likely abstain from a vote.
Along with the United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom are permanent members of the UNSC, so they also have veto power.
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