Latest news with #DNC
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
State, national Democrats meet in Little Rock to sketch out party's future
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin leads a meeting of the DNC Executive Committee in Little Rock on May 30, 2025. (Screen grab from livestream) Ahead of a meeting of the Democratic National Committee's Executive Committee in Little Rock on Friday, DNC chair Ken Martin said the national party is committing the largest financial assistance to state Democratic parties ever. 'The DNC will push out over a million dollars every month to the state parties,' Martin said in an interview. That includes $22,500 a month to the Arkansas Democratic Party to help it mobilize its efforts to improve the party's position in the Natural State, he said. 'Arkansas is one of the only states where we saw legislative gains (in 2024),' he said. Democrats gained a single seat in the 100-member Arkansas House in the state's only majority-Latino district last year. 'There's real opportunity for us, but that means we have to take advantage of it. Arkansas is really an important part of the calculus of how we build our future,' Martin said. Little Rock was a hub of Democratic Party activity this week. The Association of State Democratic Committees met Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The DNC Executive Committee met Friday at the Doubletree Hotel on Markham. At Friday's meeting, Martin talked about steps he's taking to make the party more transparent and democratic in the wake of Kamala Harris' loss to Donald Trump and the election of a narrow Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also presented lists of his nominees for various party committees that will be voted on when the DNC meets in August. Martin's remarks in the meeting echoed his comments in an interview with the Arkansas Advocate Friday morning. He acknowledged that Democrats are not popular with many voters and that the party faces a crisis. 'People don't have faith and trust in the party,' he said. Asked what will change people's minds, Martin cited Missouri, where measures on paid family leave, minimum wage and abortion protections were on last year's ballot. 'All of them passed overwhelmingly… Those same voters went down the ticket and voted for Trump and independents. So clearly, the policies that we support as Democrats are wildly popular throughout the country. What isn't popular is the Democratic Party … so for us, when we talk to voters and make an appeal to them, we need to talk to them about the issues that they already know will make a material difference in the lives of their families and communities,' he said. He also said party leaders need to change their Washington, D.C.-oriented mindset. 'We have to actually understand that some of these areas that we've lost over time are because we didn't make the investment of time, energy and money. We stopped organizing. We stopped working in places like Arkansas in a meaningful way. As a result they become red,' Martin said. 'We didn't come here just because Little Rock is beautiful. We came to send a message,' he said. 'I've watched Arkansas change over the years, and I know we can change it again.' He said he's focused on rebuilding the party infrastructure, especially in Republican-controlled states like Arkansas. He noted that political power in the U.S. is shifting to the South, where six of the 10 fastest-growing states are. 'If we don't lay down a foundation here, we won't be prepared to meet that moment when it comes upon us. I don't want to be caught flatfooted when the map shifts. If we do get caught flatfooted, we could be in a permanent minority for a long time.' He cited research that showed public perceptions of the two political parties have changed. 'A majority of Americans now believe that the Republican Party best represents the interests of the working class and poor and the Democratic Party is the party of the wealthy and elites. Just to prove the point, the only two groups we overperformed with in the presidential campaign were college-educated voters and wealthy households. 'That's not sustainable,' the DNC chair said. Democrats need to focus on an economic agenda that gives people some hope that better days are in front of them not behind them, he said. 'It's about focusing on an agenda that will give people a sense that we see them, we hear them and we've got some ideas on how we can actually improve your lives,' he added. 'We have to give them a sense that we give a damn about them and their families and we're going to fight for them.'
NBC News
a day ago
- Health
- NBC News
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst defends proposed Medicaid cuts: 'We all are going to die'
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, was repeatedly pressed on cuts to Medicaid in the House's budget bill at a town hall in her home state on Friday, and pushed back on an attendee who said the cuts would lead to deaths. "People are not — well, we all are going to die, so, for heaven's sakes," she said, prompting resounding jeers. The exchange began with an attendee complaining to Ernst that the bill would give significant tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy while kicking some people off Medicaid and food assistance programs. Ernst said the only people who face getting booted are those who should not be on Medicaid in the first place. 'They're not currently eligible by the original definition of Medicaid, and they will be moved off of those Medicaid rolls, again still allowing those that are truly eligible for Medicaid to remain on those rolls," the senator said. She later claimed that 1.4 million undocumented immigrants are receiving Medicaid benefits. That figure, which the White House and other top Republicans have also cited, is based on a Congressional Budget Office analysis that said that one provision of the bill would cause 1.4 million people to lose coverage (including but not limited to those without verified immigration status.) "They are not eligible, so they will be coming off," Ernst said, which is when she was interrupted by the attendee who yelled, "People are going to die!" After Ernst gave her fatalistic response, she complained to the attendee, "What you don't want to do is listen to me when I say that we are going to focus on those that are most vulnerable." Democrats pounced on Ernst's "going to die" line, with DNC chair Ken Martin saying she "said the quiet part out loud." Martin said the remark shows Republicans don't care about "whether their own constituents live or die as long as the richest few get richer, and that's precisely why they're ramming through a budget bill that would rip away health care and food from millions of Americans, including kids and seniors." An Ernst spokesperson said, 'While Democrats fearmonger against strengthening the integrity of Medicaid, Senator Ernst is focused on improving the lives of all Iowans. There's only two certainties in life: death and taxes, and she's working to ease the burden of both by fighting to keep more of Iowans' hard-earned tax dollars in their own pockets and ensuring their benefits are protected from waste, fraud, and abuse.' Ernst also got into testy exchanges about DOGE cuts and her support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Butler County town hall, but was asked repeatedly about the proposed Medicaid changes. "Everyone says that Medicaid is being cut. People are going to see their benefits cut. That's not true," she said earlier in the town hall, to shouts from the crowd. Ernst predicted the changes would strengthen Medicaid in the long run. "What we do need to do is make sure that those that are part of a vulnerable population have access to Medicaid and receive those full benefits. So, what we're trying to do is strengthen Medicaid by directing the dollars to the people that actually meet the requirements of the program," she said. "We will do much better."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How low will Democrats sink before the DNC acts?
Midway through this month, Democratic Representative Hakeem Jeffries sent out a fundraising text saying that he 'recently announced a 10-point plan to take on Trump and the Republicans.' But the plan was no more recent than early February, just two weeks after President Trump's inauguration. It's hardly reassuring that the House minority leader cited a 100-day-old memo as his strategy for countering the administration's countless moves since then to dismantle entire government agencies, destroy life-saving programs and assault a wide range of civil liberties. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is so unpopular with the Democratic base that a speaking tour for his new book — abruptly 'postponed' just before it was set to begin more than two months ago — still hasn't been rescheduled. The eruption of anger at his support for Trump's spending bill in mid-March made Schumer realize that being confronted by irate Democrats in deep-blue states wouldn't make for good photo ops. Last month, a Gallup poll measured public confidence in the Democratic congressional leadership at just 25 percent, a steep drop of nine points since 2023 and now at an all-time low. Much of the disaffection comes from habitual Democratic voters who see the party's leaders as slow-moving and timid while the Trump administration continues with its rampage against democratic structures. Away from the Capitol, the party's governing body — the Democratic National Committee — is far from dynamic or nimble. Maintaining its twice-a-year timetable, the 448-member DNC isn't scheduled to meet until late August. In the meantime, the DNC's executive committee is set to gather in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Friday for its first meeting since December. That meeting is scheduled to last three hours. The DNC's bylaws say that the executive committee 'shall be responsible for the conduct of the affairs of the Democratic Party in the interim between the meetings of the full (Democratic National) Committee.' But the pace of being 'responsible' is unhurried to the point of political malpractice. The extraordinary national crisis is made even more severe to the extent to top Democrats do not acknowledge its magnitude. Four months into his job as the DNC's chair, Ken Martin has yet to show that the DNC is truly operating in real time while the country faces an unprecedented threat to what's left of democracy. His power to call an emergency meeting of the full DNC remains unused. This week, Martin received a petition co-sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America and RootsAction, urging the DNC to 'convene an emergency meeting of all its members – fully open to the public – as soon as possible.' The petition adds that 'the predatory, extreme and dictatorial actions of the Trump administration call for an all-out commensurate response, which so far has been terribly lacking from the Democratic Party.' Among the 7,000 signers were more than 1,500 people who wrote individual comments (often angrily) imploring the DNC to finally swing into suitable action. As several dozen top DNC officials fly into Little Rock's Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, they will bring with them the power to begin shifting the direction of the Democratic Party, but the chances of a positive course correction look meager. The DNC's current executive committee is a bastion of the party establishment, unlikely to signal to grassroots Democrats and the general public that the party is no longer locked into automatic pilot. The pattern is a sort of repetition compulsion, afflicting Democratic movers and shakers along with the party as an institution. While many journalists focus on the ages of congressional leaders, the lopsided power held by Democrats in their 70s and 80s is merely a marker for a deeper problem. Their approaches are rooted in the past and are now withering on the political vine. Even with the rare meeting of the DNC's executive committee just a couple of days away, the official Democratic Party website was still offering no information about it. The apparent preference is to keep us in the dark. But anyone can sign up to watch livestream coverage from Progressive Hub, during a four-hour feed that will begin at 12:30 pm Eastern time on Friday. Along with excerpts from the executive committee meeting as it happens, the coverage will include analysis from my RootsAction colleagues Sam Rosenthal, who'll be inside the meeting room in Little Rock, and former Democratic nominee for Buffalo mayor India Walton. The livestream will also feature an interview with Congressman Ro Khanna, who has endorsed the call for an emergency meeting of the full DNC. Right now, the Democratic Party appears to be stuck between Little Rock and a hard place. The only real possibilities for major improvement will come from progressives who make demands and organize to back them up with grassroots power.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is the government trying to lower the age of dependents?
(NewsNation) — A claim made on social media that the federal government would be lowering the age of who is considered a 'dependent' from 18 years old to 7 years old is false. The claim stems from a provision in the budget bill, dubbed the 'big, beautiful bill' by President Donald Trump, that adjusts the work requirements for certain food stamp recipients under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Video reportedly shows DNC official questioning Biden's power in WH The bill's mention of age 7 refers only to caregiving and does not redefine who qualifies as a 'dependent' for federal benefits. Under the current rules for SNAP's work eligibility, nondisabled adults without dependents must work or participate in job training to receive SNAP benefits. Parents are exempt from this requirement if they have a dependent under 18 years old. In the bill's provision to the law, the exemption is narrowed and requires work or training unless a SNAP recipient is caring for a child under the age of 7. The bill does not change the following: the ages of children who can be claimed as dependents on a tax return, the fact that children over 7 can still qualify for public aid and the legal definitions of a dependent in the IRS and other federal codes. The budget bill is currently in the Senate. If signed into law, the updated SNAP provision would require parents of school-aged children to meet the new work requirements to maintain benefits. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
2 days ago
- General
- Fox News
FBI 'closing in' on suspects in case of DC pipe bombs placed on eve of Jan 6
The FBI is ramping up its investigation into pipe bombs planted in Washington, D.C. on the eve of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots in 2021. One top official is now suggesting that after four years, the bureau is getting close to a major break in the case. "I want answers on this, and I'm pretty confident that we're closing in on some suspects," FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino told "Fox & Friends" Thursday, noting the case is a top priority. The FBI renewed its focus on the unsolved case earlier this year. In January, investigators released new video footage showing the person who planted the bombs outside the headquarters of both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C. Bongino criticized what he described as a lack of attention to the case during the Biden administration, despite the broader focus on the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, for which over 1,000 people were arrested and convicted. "We were told by partisan actors out there, this was the insurrection, the world was [going to] fall apart, and no one seemed to show any interest in this case," he argued, adding that he and FBI Director Kash Patel have made the pipe bomb investigation a priority for their department. Besides the video footage, in January the FBI also released more details about the suspect's physical characteristics. They believe the individual to be about 5-foot, 7-inches and to have worn a grey hoodie, face mask, black gloves and Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes. Investigators claim they've followed hundreds of leads, reviewed thousands of video files, and conducted over 1,000 interviews in the case. Bongino emphasized the importance of public involvement and said social media is a vital tool for generating new case leads. "Every time I put a tweet out, we get tips. We got a fascinating tip on one of these cases. One of the three," Bongino said, referring to three high-profile cases: the 2021 pipe bombs, the 2022 leak of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision on abortion and the cocaine discovered in the White House in 2023. "I don't [want to] say which one, but I'm pretty confident that we're going to close out one of them, hopefully, soon." Although no one was injured in the 2021 pipe bomb incident, authorities say the attack could have been deadly. Then Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was inside the DNC's offices when the pipe bomb was discovered. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also passed by the bomb before it was discovered and safely removed by authorities. The FBI is offering a $500,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
