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Missouri (MO) – 1st, Democrat

Hometown: St. Louis

Oath of Office: Jan. 07, 2023

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Image of Cori Bush

  • Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House Missouri District 1

2021 - Present

Compensation

November 8, 2022

August 6, 2024

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Cori Bush ( Democratic Party ) is a member of the U.S. House , representing Missouri's 1st Congressional District . She assumed office on January 3, 2021. Her current term ends on January 3, 2025.

Bush ( Democratic Party ) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Missouri's 1st Congressional District . She declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on August 6, 2024 . [source]

Bush was a 2018 Democratic candidate for Missouri's 1st Congressional District . She was defeated in the Democratic primary on August 7, 2018 . Bush was a 2016 Democratic candidate for the U.S. senator from Missouri. She was defeated in the primary election on August 2, 2016 .

  • 1 Biography
  • 2.1 U.S. House
  • 3.1 Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023
  • 4.1.1 Endorsements
  • 4.3.1 Candidate profile
  • 4.4.1 General election
  • 4.4.2 Democratic primary
  • 4.4.3 Republican primary
  • 4.4.4 Libertarian primary election
  • 6 Campaign finance summary
  • 7 Notable endorsements
  • 8.1 Netflix documentary about 2018 campaign
  • 8.2 Justice Department investigation (2024)
  • 10 External links
  • 11 Footnotes

Cori Bush was born in St. Louis, Missouri . Bush studied at Harris-Stowe State University and Lutheran School of Nursing. [1] Her career experience includes working as a pastor, a registered nurse, in childcare, and the co-director of The Truth Telling Project. [1] [2]

Committee assignments

Bush was assigned to the following committees: [Source]

  • Committee on Judiciary
  • Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
  • Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security , Vice Chair
  • Committee on Oversight and Accountability
  • Economic and Consumer Policy
  • Environment

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here .

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

See also:  Missouri's 1st Congressional District election, 2024

Missouri's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)

Missouri's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)

General election

The primary will occur on August 6, 2024. The general election will occur on November 5, 2024. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for u.s. house missouri district 1.

Incumbent Cori Bush and Wesley Bell are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 6, 2024.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for u.s. house missouri district 1.

Andrew Jones Jr. is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 6, 2024.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here .

See also:  Missouri's 1st Congressional District election, 2022

General election for U.S. House Missouri District 1

Incumbent Cori Bush defeated Andrew Jones Jr. and George Zsidisin in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on November 8, 2022.

Incumbent Cori Bush defeated Steve Roberts , Michael Daniels , Ronald Harshaw , and Earl Childress in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 2, 2022.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

  • David Koehr (D)

Andrew Jones Jr. defeated Steven Jordan and Laura Mitchell-Riley in the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 2, 2022.

  • James Snider (R)

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for u.s. house missouri district 1.

George Zsidisin advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 2, 2022.

See also:  Missouri's 1st Congressional District election, 2020

Missouri's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (August 4 Democratic primary)

Missouri's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (August 4 Republican primary)

Cori Bush defeated Anthony Rogers , Alex Furman , and Martin Baker in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on November 3, 2020.

Cori Bush defeated incumbent William Lacy Clay and Katherine Bruckner in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 4, 2020.

Anthony Rogers defeated Winnie Heartstrong in the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 4, 2020.

Alex Furman advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 4, 2020.

Candidate profile

Image of Cori Bush

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office:   None

Biography:   Bush attended Harris-Stowe State University and received a graduate RN diploma from the Lutheran School of Nursing. She worked as a pastor from 2011 to 2014. Bush was an organizer during the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, following the police-related shooting death of Michael Brown . At the time of the election, she was a nurse and co-director of the Truth Telling Project, a civil rights group.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here .

"I've struggled paycheck to paycheck asking 'Where's our progress?' and as a Black mom, I'm sick of having to say 'Just make it home safely' ... Lacy Clay hasn't risen to meet this moment ... It's time for a change, for new leadership that works for you."

"My opponent, Representative Clay, has taken thousands of dollars from investment firms, insurance companies, banks, pharmaceutical and agricultural corporations ... we must demand that our leadership denounce the influence of money in our politics ... which is why our campaign is 100% grassroots, funded by the people and for the people."

Show sources

Sources: Bush's 2020 campaign website , "Campaign Finance Reform," accessed July 24, 2020 , Bush's 2020 campaign website , "About," accessed July 24, 2020 , YouTube , "Our Time," July 22, 2020 ;  LinkedIn , "Cori Bush," accessed July 24, 2020 , St. Louis Public Radio , "After Years of Slow Progress, Post-Ferguson Political Agenda Picks Up Steam in St. Louis County," August 1, 2019

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Missouri District 1 in 2020.

Incumbent William Lacy Clay defeated Robert Vroman and Robb Cunningham in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on November 6, 2018.

Democratic primary

Incumbent William Lacy Clay defeated Cori Bush , Joshua Shipp , and Demarco Davidson in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 7, 2018.

  • Susan Bolhafner (D)

Republican primary

Robert Vroman defeated Edward Van Deventer Jr. and Camille Lombardi-Olive in the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 7, 2018.

Robb Cunningham advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 1 on August 7, 2018.

Ballotpedia rated the race for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat as a battleground , in part, because of the Democratic Party 's effort to turn a state that leaned Republican into Democratic territory. However, incumbent Roy Blunt (R) won re-election, defeating Jason Kander (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Blunt also defeated Jonathan Dine (L), Fred Ryman (Constitution Party), Johnathan McFarland (G), and write-in candidates Gina Bufe and Patrick Lee .

Kander's strategy was to run as a political outsider and try to paint Blunt as a Washington insider. According to The Kansas City Star , “Kander labels Blunt the 'consummate Washington insider' and insists Blunt has lost touch with voters who sent him to the Capitol. Kander further contends that Blunt is far too cozy with lobbyists and is in fact married to one while three of his children are lobbyists.” In response, Blunt tried to tie Kander to "Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, both of whom are unpopular in the state.” [26]

Satellite groups also sought to influence the race by spending $44,961,510. In the last weeks of the race, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee planned to spend $3.5 million to support Kander's bid to unseat Blunt. Republicans also spent money on the race to protect Blunt's seat and their majority in the Senate. The Senate Leadership Fund invested $2.5 million in Missouri in September. [27] [28] [29]

In his concession speech, Kander encouraged his supporters, especially his young supporters, to stay involved in politics despite the results. He said, "They need to know that I'm not OK with them stepping away, that this country is a place you've got to stay invested in. This generation is not going anywhere." [30]

In his victory speech, Blunt said, "What a great moment for our state." Blunt, who distanced himself from Trump during the campaign, was optimistic about Republican control of the presidency and Congress. He said, "A Republican president and a Republican Senate and a Republican House can do things to change this country and focus again on opportunity." [30]

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses.

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Cori Bush has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Cori Bush asking her to fill out the survey . If you are Cori Bush, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey .

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 16,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here .

You can ask Cori Bush to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing [email protected].

Email

Cori Bush did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Cori Bush did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

The following issues were listed on Bush's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here .

Campaign finance summary

Notable endorsements.

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Noteworthy events

Netflix documentary about 2018 campaign.

Netflix aired a documentary on May 1, 2019, called "Knock Down the House," which follows the campaigns of four women who ran for Congress in 2018. The women profiled are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and former House candidates Amy Vilela (Nevada) and Cori Bush (Missouri), as well as former Senate candidate Paula Jean Swearengin (West Virginia). The documentary also shows how the political action committees Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress operate when they recruit and help candidates run for office. [32] [33]

Justice Department investigation (2024)

On January 30, 2024, Bush announced that she was being investigated by the Justice Department for using campaign funds on security services. [34]

"As a rank-and-file member of Congress I am not entitled to personal protection by the House, and instead have used campaign funds as permissible to retain security services," Bush said in a statement. "I have not used any federal tax dollars for personal security services. Any reporting that I have used federal funds for personal security is simply false.” [35]

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  • ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ballotpedia staff , "Email communication with Jack Besser," August 26, 2020
  • ↑ Cori Bush for Congress , "About," accessed April 20, 2021
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," accessed April 15, 2022
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5376 - Inflation Reduction Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3617 - Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.1 - For the People Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.1808 - Assault Weapons Ban of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "S.1605 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022," accessed April 15, 2022
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.7776 - James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.6 - American Dream and Promise Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "S.3373 - Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.4346 - Chips and Science Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3755 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.1996 - SAFE Banking Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5 - Equality Act," accessed April 15, 2022
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.8404 - Respect for Marriage Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.6833 - Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.7688 - Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.8 - Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5746 - Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "S.2938 - Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.Res.24 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.," accessed April 15, 2022
  • ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
  • ↑ Kansas City Star , "Roy Blunt the insider vs. Jason Kander the outsider sums up U.S. Senate contest in Missouri," accessed September 27, 2016
  • ↑ OpenSecrets.org , "Outside Spending," accessed November 12, 2016
  • ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch , "Missouri Senate race unique in complex national cross-currents of 2016," accessed September 30, 2016
  • ↑ National Review , "Missouri’s Senate Race Wasn’t Supposed to Be This Close," accessed September 30, 2016
  • ↑ 30.0 30.1 The Military Times , "Incumbent Blunt defeats Kander in Missouri Senate race," accessed November 12, 2016
  • ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  • ↑ CNN, "Netflix documentary on campaigns of four Democratic women, including Ocasio-Cortez, set to be released in May," April 24, 2019
  • ↑ BuzzFeed News, "This New Documentary Shows Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Before She Was AOC," May 3, 2019
  • ↑ ‘’NBC News , "Justice Department investigating Rep. Cori Bush campaign's use of security funds," January 30, 2024
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cori bush committee and caucus assignments

How Cori Bush set out to change Congress from the inside

Behind the scenes of freshman Rep. Cori Bush's first weeks in Congress.

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, is photographed inside the U.S. Capitol Building on April 1, 2021.

Cori Bush had been through Black Lives Matter protests, overcome homelessness, gone public as a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor and even recovered from COVID-19 while running for Congress during the coronavirus pandemic .

On her third bid for office, she defeated in the Democratic primary an incumbent whose family dynasty had represented the first Congressional district of Missouri for over five decades.

But Bush, despite her years of activism and protest, had never faced anything like the deadly insurrection she lived through on her fourth day as a member of Congress.

"It wasn’t until a couple of days later, as I’m standing in my office, that it hit me, what had happened," Bush told " Good Morning America " about her first weeks in office. "It was like, oh my goodness, an insurrection happened. People broke into the U.S. Capitol. White supremacists ran through the Capitol building with Confederate battle flags."

"It just started to replay in my head. It just really hit me that we were in danger," she said. "I had to sit down."

In a series of interviews during her first several weeks in Congress, Bush -- the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress -- described what it was like to be spring boarded from being a Black Lives Matter activist to being a member of Congress during a time of racial reckoning as well as a global pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted Black Americans .

I remember when I was sworn in and there’s a picture of me with my hand up and you can see my tattoo on my chest

" Good Morning America " has been chronicling women who run for office in the U.S. What follows is a behind-the-scenes look at one woman's experience after winning office, as seen through the lens of Bush's first weeks in the halls of Congress.

PHOTO: Rep. Cori Bush is sworn in on the House Floor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3, 2021, during the first day of the 117th session of the House of Representatives.

No matter what legislation Bush sponsors or what speeches she makes, Bush said she knows that by simply being in Congress, she is enacting change.

She saw that in action her very first day on the job, Jan. 3, when she was sworn into the 117th Congress, one of 122 women sworn in that day, a record for female legislators.

A picture of her raising her hand and displaying a tattoo on her chest caught people's attention, she recalled.

"The comments, the quote tweets that I had," Bush said. "People saying, ‘I feel seen. I feel seen because you weren’t afraid to show that. We were told that we can’t do that, that it’s unprofessional, especially as Black women, because you have to work so much harder. You can’t wear things the way a white woman wears them. You can’t do that. You have to push harder."

PHOTO: Rep.-elect Cori Bush speaks to the press outside of the Hyatt Regency hotel on Capitol Hill on Nov. 12, 2020 in Washington, D.C.

Bush said she thinks daily about how every move has to be her "best move" because she is a Black woman in Congress, which is still an anomaly, even in 2021, after the two most recent election s brought record numbers of women of color to Capitol Hill .

When she was attending a new member orientation at the Capitol last year, she said she was addressed by other members as Breonna Taylor -- a 26-year-old emergency room technician who was killed by police in her Louisville, Kentucky, home during a botched police raid -- while wearing a face mask with Taylor's name on it.

"It hurts," Bush tweeted about the incidents . "But I’m glad they’ll come to know [Breonna Taylor's] name & story because of my presence here."

A few weeks into office, Bush said she “absolutely” feels added pressure as a Black female U.S. Representative, one of only 25 in this Congress .

"I feel it as a woman. I feel it as a Black woman, the pressure to perform in such a way to where people feel like you did a good job. In their eyes, you belong in that seat. In their eyes, you’re meeting their expectations at least," she said. "I do feel that pressure, because there are people who would like to see me fail."

In her first month in Congress, Bush sponsored or co-sponsored nearly 40 pieces of legislation on issues ranging from raising the federal minimum wage to improving voting access and paying reparations to Black Americans.

"I have spent a lot of time just studying up myself, trying to learn things that I’ve heard other people speak about that I just didn’t know much about," she said. "I even ask, like on my committees, 'What is it that I could be doing to try to get up to speed or to just better prepare myself to be ready for the workload?'"

The people Bush has surrounded herself with in Congress -- those she said she leans on for support -- include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., members of the so-called "Squad," who are all women of color who defied the odds to earn their seats, too.

Once I ran and won and then after the general election, there was no paycheck

"Ayanna [Pressley], she and I, we talk about all kinds of things," Bush said. "But she also just calls to check on me, just to see how I’m doing, to see how I’m navigating, just to check on me from Black woman to Black woman."

"Alex [Ocasio-Cortez] will call to check on me, just, ‘Hey, this is going on. Are you OK, sis?'" she said.

In the first several months after winning the Nov. 3 election, Bush was at the pinnacle of her career, but she was not getting paid to work, and the expenses just to start up her congressional office were piling high.

It’s a topic few lawmakers discuss openly: How do you pay for your first weeks as an elected official? As a regular American who ran a grassroots campaign, Bush’s concerns mirrored the financial concerns of her Missouri constituents, who have a median household income of just over $50,000 .

"I just didn’t really know or understand, [but] once I ran and won and then after the general election, there was no paycheck," Bush said. "And you immediately start doing things, you know, preparing ... but you don’t have a paycheck, and then even thinking, 'OK, you know, once I’m sworn in then I’ll have a check maybe a week or two weeks later, but no."

In the previous Congress, where members earned $174,000 a year, the median net worth of members was just over $1 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics , a nonprofit that tracks money in U.S. politics.

"You don’t receive your first check for a whole month," she said, noting the same was true for health insurance, and the same for her staff. "Because it’s Congress, I was really surprised by that."

Bush made it through the several-month period between the Nov. 3 election and receiving her first paycheck on a "tight budget," which consisted of payments trickling in from past speaking engagements. During the all-important transition to office, much of her time was spent searching for an affordable place to live in the Washington, D.C., area and shopping at Target and local thrift stores for a wardrobe .

I don’t know what I was expecting walking into Congress, but I know I was not expecting an insurrection

"That’s privilege in itself," Bush said of being able to pick up and move to a new city without an income. "For me, I had to figure out first of all, what is my budget looking like pre-first check, and how long can I survive that way paying rent? Credit-wise, can I just get the place that I want, and what does that look like?"

"Because I’m not moving my stuff from St. Louis, I had to buy all new furniture. I had to buy a laundry basket, like every single thing, shampoo," she said. "It was a lot at once."

Bush said too that she has had to deal with people's incorrect assumptions that she no longer struggles financially just because she earns a Congresswoman's salary, saying, "Even now, people just assume that now that I’m in the seat, everything has changed."

Cori Bush makes history as 1st Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress

Bush was still learning the basics of Congress on Jan. 6, when rioters sieged the Capitol .

"I don’t know what I was expecting walking into Congress, into this position," said Bush. "But I know I was not expecting an insurrection, and especially within just days of being sworn in."

PHOTO: Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, is photographed inside the U.S. Capitol Building on April 1, 2021.

At around 1 p.m. on Jan. 6, Bush sat in the gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives chamber as a joint session of Congress convened to count the Electoral College votes for the 2020 election .

Outside, rioters protesting the election's outcome stormed the Capitol building, resulting in an hours-long insurrection that left five people dead , including a Capitol police officer.

The energy in Washington that day triggered memories of events that were foundational for Bush. She recalled feeling on Jan. 6th like she would need to defend herself as she did at protests in Ferguson, Missouri, after the death of Michael Brown, Jr. , an unarmed 18-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a white police officer.

It was Brown's death on Aug. 19, 2014 , on a street just minutes away from Bush's home, that she said sparked her activism and changed the course of her life.

"I just remember at one point thinking, I feel like I need my bandanas, my T-shirt and my boots," Bush said of watching the siege from her office, where she had moved safely to from the House gallery. "I feel like I’m back there in that [Ferguson] mode."

"In that mode, you’re ready for anything," she said. "It’s almost like you are numb to what’s [happening]. You just move. You don’t feel afraid. You don’t feel hurt. You don’t feel upset even. You just feel like I’m doing what I have to do. What I need to do to protect people and myself."

Bush did not get home from the Capitol until around 4:30 the next morning, after Congress had reconvened and certified the election results.

"I think I finally fell asleep about 6 a.m., and then I had to be up at 9 a.m.," she said. "I didn’t have time to cry when I wanted to cry. I didn’t have time to break down or anything. I just had to keep going."

Congress never sleeps. It's just a 24-hour job

It was only weeks later, when Bush saw videos of the riot replayed during Trump's impeachment hearing , that she began to allow herself to feel some of the emotions she buried while the siege took place.

"I don’t think that I’ve really processed it much yet, but that second day of the impeachment hearing, I think that’s when I dug into it just a little bit," she said. "Just thinking about it myself, just watching it, I could see how much it was affecting me. I allowed myself to kind of just vent in my own home about how I felt and about how angry I was."

So far, more than 300 people have been charged in connection to the Jan. 6 siege, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

PHOTO: Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, is photographed outside the U.S. Capitol Building on April 1, 2021.

One lesson Bush learned soon after the Jan. 6 riot was that she was going to have to make time for self-care amid days that she said typically end with dinner at home around 10:30 p.m.

"Now work is just my life now, versus being a nurse and working a 12-hour shift and once I left the clinic or once I left the hospital, then my day is done," she said. "With Congress, these are things that have to be done, and the people of St. Louis are counting on me to be able to be on at all times."

Bush said she turned back to a self-care tool she learned from a therapist she saw during her second run for Congress, after surviving what she described as a violent sexual assault -- a traumatic experience she has been open about throughout her political career.

Bush spoke about her self-care tool -- making a point to celebrate small victories -- the week of Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate . She said celebrating small wins helps her move forward in situations that would otherwise be too overwhelming.

"I’m not able to take this journey that I’m on right now day by day. It’s a moment-by-moment thing," she said. "So, I have learned how to celebrate the little steps and the little things that I’m able to do or get accomplished or that are good in the midst of trying to deal with everything else that comes with being an activist, being a single parent, being a Black woman in America, being a congresswoman and everything else."

For Bush, a small victory could mean staying on schedule or acknowledging to herself that she performed well in a meeting.

Like many women, Bush has no problem speaking loudly for others, but said she has found it harder to speak up about her need for time for herself.

Jan. 13: The day she called the president 'white-supremacist-in-chief'

"In a day, I may know that today is a day that I need some self-care time, so it's being OK with saying to my team, 'I need some time today,'" she said. "Even if it’s just 15 minutes, even if it’s an hour or whatever it is, celebrate that, being able to advocate for yourself and also making that space."

Bush entered Congress thinking the first thing on her agenda would be speaking loudly in favor of COVID-19 relief payments.

Instead, the first piece of legislation she attached her name to in Congress was a resolution that would initiate investigations for “removal of the members who attempted to overturn the results of the election and incited a white supremacist attempted coup.”

The resolution, which Bush introduced with around 50 co-sponsors, did not produce any legislative results. U.S. Capitol Police announced soon after that they were investigating whether any members of Congress gave visitors access to the Capitol ahead of the Jan. 6 siege.

As of February, at least seven House and Senate committees also were conducting their own investigations into the attack . No members of Congress to date have faced charges or disciplinary actions related to the siege.

On Jan. 13, two days after introducing the resolution, Bush delivered her first speech on the House floor. In it, she called Trump, whose supporters stand accused of inciting the riot, the "white-supremacist-in-chief" and called for his impeachment.

"If we fail to remove a white-supremacist president, who incited a white-supremacist insurrection, it's communities like Missouri's 1st District that suffer the most," Bush said in her speech, delivered during the impeachment debate.

"The 117th Congress must understand that we have a mandate to legislate in defense of Black lives," she said. "The first step in that process is to root out white supremacy starting with impeaching, the white supremacist in chief."

In a sign of her say-what-you-mean and mean-what-you-say approach to Congress, Bush recalled the speech several weeks later as one of her most positive moments in Congress.

"All over the country, all over the world, people responded favorably, but locally just hearing how people felt, that was such a high point, because even people that may not have supported me in the primary were like, ‘Now we see,’ like, ‘Now I support her,'" Bush said. "So that was such a high point. Even my kids [were] reaching out to me and saying that their friends were watching it. That was just huge."

Bush describes the speech as a defining moment that reaffirmed to her that she could be the same Cori Bush in Congress as the Cori Bush who led protests on the streets of Ferguson.

"You know, before I made it to Congress, people would say, ‘Oh, your colleagues on the left aren’t going to like some of the things that you say,'" Bush said. "When I gave that speech, many of my Democratic colleagues came up to me and thanked me or congratulated me or gave me the high five or high elbow. On the side of the Democrats, no one was saying, ‘Cori Bush you went too far.’"

Bush said she was even happy to receive boos from some of her Republican colleagues, because it meant they heard her.

"They weren’t on their phones ignoring me. They weren’t having sidebar conversations," she said. "They were listening to Cori Bush from St. Louis, newly elected, newly sworn-in freshman say that the president is the white-supremacist-in-chief, so that meant everything."

Bush also did not avoid pointing out after the speech that while she was booed for calling Trump a white supremacist, one of her colleagues, a white woman who also spoke about white supremacy, was not booed.

The colleague, Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., the assistant speaker, said on the House floor: "This must be a turning point for America; a moment that we reject partisan excuses that allow white supremacy to continue terrorizing America, a moment that we come together and demand accountability as one body, as one America, united in our commitment to democracy and justice.”

A hallway confrontation with a fellow Member of Congress

Clark also pointed out the disparate reactions, writing on Twitter, "On the House floor, my colleague Cori Bush and I both called out the white supremacy at the root of the attack on our democracy. She was booed. I was not. The difference is skin color.”

Bush came to Congress not only at a time when the body was so divided she was literally calling for members' expulsion, but also at a time, during the coronavirus pandemic, when members could not socialize in person or even see each other's full faces because of masks.

Face masks were the point of contention, at least superficially, in a much-reported confrontation between Bush and another freshman member, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., while the two were walking on Capitol grounds.

In Bush's retelling of the encounter, she had been troubled to learn that some of her Democratic colleagues tested positive for COVID-19 in the days after huddling in police-protected rooms with some Republican members who reportedly refused to wear face masks during the Jan. 6 siege.

It was in that mindset that Bush encountered Greene as they each walked with their staff down a hallway on Jan. 13, the day of Bush's floor speech.

Bush described hearing Greene and her staff becoming "more forceful and aggressive" as she said they spoke about Black Lives Matter and Democrats and got closer behind Bush and her staff.

Bush said she and her team stepped to the side as Greene -- an outspoken Trump supporter who lost her House committee assignments after uproar over her past comments made prior to her election -- and her staff passed by in the hallway.

"She looked at me and I looked at her, and then I just said, ‘Put on a mask,’ you know, because she’s still talking, and she’s yelling into this phone, and you have people walking back and forth," she recalled. "I’m like, ‘Put on a mask.’"

"She starts to go off. Her team starts yelling at me, saying, ‘Stop inciting violence with Black Lives Matter,' and they just went on and on and on," recalled Bush. "I just kept saying, ‘Put on a mask. Put on a mask. Put on a mask.’"

Congress is slow-moving, but that's why we're here

Bush was so startled by the verbal encounter with Greene that she asked to move offices to be further away physically from her Republican colleague, a request that was granted by Democratic House leaders.

"I feel more comfortable. The team feels more comfortable," Bush said of her situation now in the new office.

Greene later issued a statement of her own in which she accused Bush of lying and trespassing, while also referring to Black Lives Matter as a "terrorist mob."

"Rep. Cori Bush is the leader of the St. Louis Black Lives Matter terrorist mob who trespassed into a gated neighborhood to threaten the lives of the McCloskey’s . She is lying to you. She berated me. Maybe Rep. Bush didn’t realize I was live on video, but I have the receipts," Greene alleged.

While a face mask appeared to be the tipping point, her encounter with Greene signified a broader frustration Bush said she has had with Congress since starting in January.

"It’s not even just about her," she said of Greene. "It's just about this culture right now of folks just doing whatever they want to do in Congress when it’s still a job. You receive a paycheck. It’s a job. It’s not volunteer work. This is a job."

Despite her frustration, Bush said she is willing to work with Greene and other colleagues she may disagree with because of lessons she learned in a lifetime of fighting against the odds.

"I’m OK with being able to work with people that I disagree with and/or that I actually have real problems with," she said. "If they have a vote that I need, if they’re holding something that I need where St. Louis benefits, I’m going to do what I need to do without compromising who Cori is ... but I’m going to let them know how I feel about them, too."

Bush's determination to get things done in Congress has come up against the reality of how slow progress sometimes can be in Congress

The federal minimum wage, for example, was last raised in 2009, by 30 cents, and before that had remained stagnant for almost a decade.

This year, a provision to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 -- something for which Bush is strongly in favor -- was dropped from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, even with a Democratic-led Congress and White House. Democrats in the Senate were forced to abandon their plans to raise minimum wage in the face of concerns among their own ranks, united Republican opposition and a short deadline on the bill.

Bush said she has not yet been disillusioned to the point of changing her strategy of calling for big, progressive change in Congress.

"[Congress] is slow-moving, at least so far what I’ve seen, but that’s why we’re here," she said. "If I sit back and am like, ‘OK, well this is how this place runs and so let me just be a part of the team,’ then why am I here? Why did I run to replace someone who had been here 20 years? He could still be here."

"I was coming in as a politivist . That means pressure. That means courage. It means advocating for the people," she said. "So that’s what I’ll continue to do. Stopping helps no one."

Bush -- who serves as deputy whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus -- has so far attached her name to more than 90 pieces of legislation , all with a running theme of leveling the playing field for all.

Less than 10 of those pieces of legislation have been agreed to or passed in the House, and none have become law. One amendment that Bush introduced, an amendment to H.R. 1, the For The People Act , was supported by progressive Democrats and would have restored voting rights for people currently incarcerated in state and federal prisons.

The amendment was rejected in March by a vote of 97-328 .

Bush's office still praised the vote as "historic ," noting it made it to the House floor and saw nearly 100 House Democrats supporting "ending felony disenfranchisement."

"We have been told to kind of take things, like, it’s OK to disagree, but for the greater good, keep that to yourself, and we’ll work it out another way," Bush said. "No. I’m not doing that, because when we don’t speak up, then we have people living through struggles like some of those that I’ve lived through and so many people in my district have lived through."

Bush sits on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the latter of which she used some of her time on to question Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about the diversity of the postal service's leaders.

"Do you see it as a problem that the board of governors of the United States Postal Service looks like a millionaire white boys club?" Bush asked DeJoy at a Feb. 24 hearing.

The next day, Bush tweeted a news article about President Joe Biden announcing that his next appointments to the Postal Service's board of governors would be a woman and two men of color.

Not the last Black Lives Matter activist in Congress

"We’re here to make sure that the people who elected us are brought to the forefront," Bush said of her approach. "And you’ve got to advocate for yourself, and you have to advocate for your district. You have to advocate for your issues that are most important to you."

PHOTO: Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, is photographed inside the U.S. Capitol Building on April 1, 2021.

This August will mark the seventh anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, Jr. .

In seven years, Bush has gone from a single mother who showed up at a protest for a Black man killed by a white officer to a member of Congress who is looked to as a leader of both the progressive and the Black Lives Matter movements.

“I didn’t want my son or daughter or anyone in my family to be the next hashtag,” she said of her motivation to protest and then to run for office. “I didn’t know what else to do to affect that kind of change other than showing up. We needed representatives there representing us, so I decided to run."

While Bush may feel the pressure of so many eyes and expectations placed on her, she said she is determined to pave the way so that she is not the last Black Lives Matter activist elected to Congress.

"The door is now open for so many others [to run for office]," she said. "We need justice for George Floyd. We need justice for Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and Mike Brown Jr., Anthony Lamar Smith and so many others ... and another way to get there is for more of us to run."

Bush said she will be leading the way. She is not unsettled that she is one of just a handful of Black women in Congress, nor is she overwhelmed at the magnitude of what she has set out to do.

"I feel encouraged, because I’m not watching this from home and just wishing that I could do something," she said. "I’m in a position to be able to do something -- and I’m not afraid to step up and do something."

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Democratic representative Cori Bush speaks to the press on Capitol Hill in October.

‘For me, it’s about the mission’: why Cori Bush is just getting started in Congress

Missouri congresswoman says she was sent to Washington to disrupt the political order that had long stopped working for people like herself

I f the American political status quo was working, Congresswoman Cori Bush might not have slept on the steps of the US Capitol to demand an extension of a coronavirus-era eviction moratorium. She might not have testified about her decision to have an abortion, consigning the details of her experience to the official congressional record. Perhaps she might not have run for Congress at all.

But as the St Louis congresswoman sees it, she was sent to Washington to disrupt a political order that had long ago stopped working for people like herself – a nurse, pastor and activist who has worked for minimum wage, once lived out of a car and raised two children as a single mother. And she says she is only just getting started.

“I ran and I lost and I ran and I lost. I kept running because there was a mission behind it,” Bush said in an interview. “It wasn’t about me wanting to be somebody in Congress – I know some people have those aspirations – but, for me, it was more about the mission. And I have not completed that mission yet.”

Halfway through an extraordinary first term, and gearing up for reelection, Bush is one of the most recognizable – and quotable – members of the House. Part of the progressive “Squad” , she believes deeply that her own personal hardships make her a better and more responsive representative. Her personal story is what connects her to her constituents and what sets her apart in Congress.

When her colleagues left Washington for their weeks-long summer recess without securing an extension of the federal eviction moratorium, Bush stayed behind . Having experienced the pain of poverty and eviction, she couldn’t fathom leaving hundreds of thousands of Americans vulnerable to homelessness as the coronavirus ravaged the US. In an instant, she decided to stage a sit-in on the steps of the US Capitol.

Her protest on the Capitol steps drew widespread national attention and effectively shamed party leaders into finding a solution where they had insisted there was none. Eventually, the White House extended the temporary ban on evictions.

Representative Cori Bush thanks demonstrators who joined her protest against residential evictions on Capitol Hill in August.

The hard-won victory was an important moment for Bush and her team. She said it proved to her constituents in St Louis that she would always put them first, even if it put her at odds with Democrats , party leadership, even the president of the United States.

“For us, winning that extension of the eviction moratorium was a huge part of the story of who we said that we would be in Congress, we said we would do the work, do the absolute most, and that was the absolute most we could do.”

Now, she continued, “the White House knows that about us, too.”

Bush describes herself a “politivist” – part politician, part activist. In her view, the roles are complementary, not oppositional.

“Oftentimes people expect you, because you hear it in your communities, that when you go to Congress, you’re going to change. That is the expectation,” she said. “I think that we’ve already been able to show that St Louis is first…. St Louis is the heart of every single thing that we do.”

Bush rose to prominence as a Black Lives Matter organizer in Ferguson, Missouri , where the movement was born after the 18-year-old Michael Brown Jr was shot and killed by a white police officer. The daughter of a local alderman, Bush said it wasn’t until the protests that she considered running for public office.

In 2020, Bush became the first Black woman to represent the state of Missouri when she was elected to Congress after two unsuccessful campaigns – first for Senate in 2016 and again in 2018 for Congress. To win, she unseated the Democratic incumbent, William Lacy Clay. Clay had held the seat for 20 years, having succeeded his father, William Clay Sr, a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, who was first elected in 1968.

She was sworn in three days before the Capitol was attacked by a pro-Trump mob.

“We were still moving into our office when the insurrection happened,” she said. “We didn’t have a panic button yet.”

“So that was our introduction to Congress,” she continued. “Since we started off in such an unexpected place, a horrible place, for us, it was just like, ‘OK, dig in.’”

While locked in their office, Bush and her staff drafted a resolution to “investigate and expel” any member of Congress who attempted to overturn the election results and “incited a white supremacist attack”.

The resolution reflected the increasing hostility between members of Congress. At times, Bush has said she feels targeted by her own colleagues.

Shortly after the attack, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, ordered the relocation of Bush’s office, after she asked to be moved away from congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene out of concern for her staff’s safety .

Cori Bush shares her own abortion story during a House committee hearing on reproductive rights on 30 September 2021.

Earlier this month, Bush joined House progressives in pressuring the party’s leaders to strip congresswoman Lauren Boebert of her committee assignments over her Islamophobic comments targeting Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who is Muslim. At a press conference, she unloaded on Boebert, calling her a “lying, Islamophobic, race-baiting, violence-inciting, white supremacist sentiment-spreading, Christmas tree gun-toting elected official” who is a “danger” to her country and her colleagues.

Like her colleagues in the “squad”, Bush has been unafraid to challenge Democratic leaders, even the president.

“I am who I am,” she said. “I don’t take off my activist hat to be able to legislate in Congress. And so that has been the guiding force this entire time.”

During a tense standoff over Biden’s agenda earlier this year, Bush charged Democratic leaders with breaking their promise to progressives by decoupling two pieces of Biden’s agenda – a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a sweeping social policy package. In a word, she captured progressives’ sense of betrayal: “Bamboozled.” TV network chyrons snapped to reflect the comment and soon Bush was on TV arguing their case. House leaders delayed the vote.

A month later, Bush was one of just six House Democrats to vote against the infrastructure bill that Biden signed into law last month. Not because she opposed the legislation, which would spend billions upgrading Missouri’s bridges and highways, but because she feared that passing the bill without the larger social policy that was a priority for progressives would sap them of their leverage.

Bush now fears she was correct. After a months-long effort to appease conservative Democratic senators, Joe Manchin announced that he could not support the $2.2tn social safety net bill, dooming its chances in the evenly divided chamber.

Bush, who previously denounced Manchin’s opposition to the package as “anti-Black, anti-child, anti-woman, and anti-immigrant”, laid the blame squarely on party leadership.

“Honestly, I’m frustrated with every Democrat who agreed to tie the fate of our most vulnerable communities to the corporatist ego of one Senator. No one should have backed out of our initial strategy that would have kept Build Back Better alive,” she tweeted . Tagging the president, she said: “You need to fix this.

Still, the activist in Bush is not done fighting for the measure, which passed the House in November. “We cannot spend the next year saying, ‘the House did its part, and now it’s the Senate’s turn,’” she said recently. “We need the Senate to actually get this done.”

Bush is also working to elevate issues of racial justice that she said the party does not do enough to prioritize.

Efforts to pass police reform collapsed earlier this year, and voting rights legislation remains stalled in the Senate. The supreme court will soon decide the future of abortion access.

Bush said her Capitol protest was inspired by the moment, but she does not rule out future action.

“If I feel led to move in that way, based upon whatever is happening, it is never off the table for me,” she said.

Some lawmakers are critical of her legislative style. They call it divisive at worst and naive at best. The suggestion is that she will eventually have to learn to compromise and play by the rules.

But in light of Manchin’s opposition, Bush is even more certain of her approach.

“If that were the gold star, we would be a lot further in this country,” she said. “There’s more than one way to get things done.”

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LEADER JEFFRIES ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS TO COMMITTEES FOR THE 118TH CONGRESS

WASHINGTON, DC – Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced today that the House Democratic Caucus has affirmed the recommendations of the Steering and Policy Committee for the following Members to serve on standing committees.

Agriculture

  • Ranking Member David Scott
  • Rep. Jim Costa
  • Rep. Jim McGovern
  • Rep. Alma Adams
  • Rep. Abigail Spanberger
  • Rep. Jahana Hayes
  • Rep. Shontel Brown
  • Rep. Stacey Plaskett
  • Rep. Sharice Davids
  • Rep. Elissa Slotkin
  • Rep. Yadira Caraveo
  • Rep. Andrea Salinas
  • Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
  • Rep. Don Davis
  • Rep. Jill Tokuda
  • Rep. Nikki Budzinski
  • Rep. Eric Sorensen
  • Rep. Gabe Vasquez
  • Rep. Jasmine Crockett
  • Rep. Jonathan Jackson 
  • Rep. Greg Casar

Appropriations:

  • Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro
  • Rep. Steny Hoyer
  • Rep. Marcy Kaptur
  • Rep. Sanford Bishop
  • Rep. Barbara Lee
  • Rep. Betty McCollum
  • Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger
  • Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
  • Rep. Henry Cuellar
  • Rep. Chellie Pingree
  • Rep. Mike Quigley
  • Rep. Derek Kilmer
  • Rep. Matt Cartwright
  • Rep. Grace Meng
  • Rep. Mark Pocan
  • Rep. Pete Aguilar
  • Rep. Lois Frankel
  • Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman
  • Rep. Norma Torres
  • Rep. Ed Case
  • Rep. Adriano Espaillat
  • Rep. Josh Harder
  • Rep. Jennifer Wexton
  • Rep. David Trone
  • Rep. Lauren Underwood
  • Rep. Susie Lee
  • Rep. Joe Morelle

Armed Services

  • Ranking Member Adam Smith
  • Rep. Joe Courtney
  • Rep. John Garamendi
  • Rep. Don Norcross
  • Rep. Ruben Gallego
  • Rep. Seth Moulton
  • Rep. Salud Carbajal
  • Rep. Ro Khanna
  • Rep. Bill Keating
  • Rep. Andy Kim
  • Rep. Chrissy Houlahan
  • Rep. Jason Crow
  • Rep. Mikie Sherrill
  • Rep. Veronica Escobar
  • Rep. Jared Golden
  • Rep. Sara Jacobs
  • Rep. Marilyn Strickland
  • Rep. Pat Ryan
  • Rep. Jeff Jackson
  • Rep. Chris Deluzio 
  • Rep. Don Davis 

Education and The Workforce

  • Ranking Member Bobby Scott
  • Rep. Raúl Grijalva
  • Rep. Gregorio Sablan
  • Rep. Frederica Wilson
  • Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
  • Rep. Mark Takano
  • Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal
  • Rep. Susan Wild
  • Rep. Lucy McBath
  • Rep. Ilhan Omar
  • Rep. Haley Stevens
  • Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández
  • Rep. Kathy Manning
  • Rep. Frank Mrvan
  • Rep. Jamaal Bowman

Energy and Commerce 

  • Ranking Member Frank Pallone
  • Rep. Anna Eshoo
  • Rep. Diana DeGette
  • Rep. Jan Schakowsky
  • Rep. Doris Matsui
  • Rep. Kathy Castor
  • Rep. John Sarbanes
  • Rep. Paul Tonko
  • Rep. Yvette Clarke
  • Rep. Tony Cárdenas
  • Rep. Raul Ruiz
  • Rep. Scott Peters
  • Rep. Debbie Dingell
  • Rep. Marc Veasey
  • Rep. Annie Kuster
  • Rep. Robin Kelly
  • Rep. Nanette Barragán
  • Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester
  • Rep. Darren Soto
  • Rep. Angie Craig
  • Rep. Kim Schrier
  • Rep. Lori Trahan
  • Rep. Lizzie Fletcher

Financial Services

  • Ranking Member Maxine Waters
  • Rep. Nydia Velázquez
  • Rep. Brad Sherman
  • Rep. Greg Meeks
  • Rep. David Scott
  • Rep. Stephen Lynch
  • Rep. Al Green
  • Rep. Emanuel Cleaver
  • Rep. Jim Himes
  • Rep. Bill Foster
  • Rep. Joyce Beatty
  • Rep. Juan Vargas
  • Rep. Josh Gottheimer
  • Rep. Vicente Gonzalez
  • Rep. Sean Casten
  • Rep. Ayanna Pressley
  • Rep. Ritchie Torres
  • Rep. Steven Horsford
  • Rep. Rashida Tlaib
  • Rep. Sylvia Garcia
  • Rep. Nikema Williams
  • Rep. Wiley Nickel
  • Rep. Brittany Pettersen

Foreign Affairs: 

  • Ranking Member Greg Meeks
  • Rep. Gerry Connolly
  • Rep. David Cicilline
  • Rep. Ami Bera
  • Rep. Joaquin Castro
  • Rep. Dina Titus
  • Rep. Ted Lieu
  • Rep. Dean Phillips
  • Rep. Colin Allred
  • Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
  • Rep. Greg Stanton 
  • Rep. Madeleine Dean 
  • Rep. Jared Moskowitz 
  • Rep. Jonathan Jackson
  • Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove

Homeland Security: 

  • Ranking Member Bennie Thompson
  • Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
  • Rep. Donald Payne
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell
  • Rep. Lou Correa
  • Rep. Troy Carter
  • Rep. Shri Thanedar
  • Rep. Seth Magaziner
  • Rep. Glenn Ivey
  • Rep. Dan Goldman
  • Rep. Robert Garcia
  • Rep. Delia Ramirez
  • Rep. Robert Menendez

Judiciary: 

  • Ranking Member Jerry Nadler
  • Rep. Zoe Lofgren
  • Rep. Steve Cohen
  • Rep. Hank Johnson
  • Rep. Adam Schiff
  • Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon
  • Rep. Joe Neguse
  • Rep. Madeleine Dean
  • Rep. Deborah Ross
  • Rep. Cori Bush

Natural Resources: 

  • Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva
  • Rep. Grace Napolitano
  • Rep. Jared Huffman
  • Rep. Mike Levin
  • Rep. Katie Porter
  • Rep. Melanie Stansbury
  • Rep. Mary Peltola
  • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
  • Rep. Kevin Mullin
  • Rep. Val Hoyle

Oversight and Accountability: 

  • Ranking Member Jamie Raskin
  • Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton
  • Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi
  • Rep. Kweisi Mfume
  • Rep. Jimmy Gomez
  • Rep. Maxwell Frost
  • Rep. Becca Balint
  • Rep. Summer Lee
  • Rep. Jared Moskowitz

Science, Space and Technology 

  • Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren
  • Rep. Val Foushee
  • Rep. Emilia Sykes

Small Business: 

  • Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez
  • Rep. Greg Landsman
  • Rep. Morgan McGarvey 
  • Rep. Hillary Scholten

Transportation and Infrastructure

  • Ranking Member Rick Larsen
  • Rep. Andre Carson
  • Rep. Julia Brownley
  • Rep. Don Payne
  • Rep. Greg Stanton
  • Rep. Chuy García
  • Rep. Chris Pappas
  • Rep. Jake Auchincloss
  • Rep. Rob Menendez

Veterans’ Affairs: 

  • Ranking Member Mark Takano
  • Rep. Morgan McGarvey
  • Rep. Delia Ramirez 

Ways and Means

  • Ranking Member Richard Neal
  • Rep. Lloyd Doggett
  • Rep. Mike Thompson
  • Rep. John Larson
  • Rep. Earl Blumenauer
  • Rep. Bill Pascrell
  • Rep. Danny Davis
  • Rep. Linda Sanchez
  • Rep. Brian Higgins
  • Rep. Terri Sewell
  • Rep. Suzan DelBene
  • Rep. Judy Chu
  • Rep. Gwen Moore
  • Rep. Dan Kildee
  • Rep. Don Beyer
  • Rep. Dwight Evans
  • Rep. Brad Schneider
  • Rep. Jimmy Panetta

clock This article was published more than  2 years ago

More than 40 House Democrats call for Boebert to be stripped of committee assignments over anti-Muslim attacks

A letter from five caucus chairs said there must be ‘consequences when members of congress demonize an entire religion and promote hate from their positions of public trust’.

Five House Democratic caucus chairs, along with 36 other members of the Progressive Caucus, are calling for Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) to be stripped of her committee assignments, citing her repeated “anti-Muslim” attacks against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

“There must be consequences for vicious workplace harassment and abuse that creates an environment so unsafe for colleagues and staff that it invites death threats against them,” the Democratic chairs wrote in a letter, alluding to threats Omar has received after the attacks by Boebert.

“There must be consequences when Members of Congress demonize an entire religion and promote hate from their positions of public trust,” they wrote.

The letter — signed by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus Chair David N. Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) — also criticized House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), saying he has not properly disciplined Boebert for her attacks.

“Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has absolutely failed in leading his caucus to condemn hatred and bigotry, much less to maintain any basic standards of decency within the halls of Congress,” the five Democratic leaders wrote. “He is unwilling or unable to control his own members from inciting violence against other Members of Congress or encouraging bigotry and hatred. If he cannot lead his own caucus, he certainly will never be able to lead the House of Representatives.”

Spokespeople for Boebert and McCarthy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At an event in her Colorado district last week , Boebert told supporters that an encounter with Omar was “not my first ‘Jihad Squad’ moment.” Boebert also shared a story in which she once rode a Capitol elevator with Omar and remarked to a Capitol Police officer: “Well, she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine.”

Omar said the story was “made up” and called for Boebert to be disciplined by House leaders.

Boebert sent a tweet Friday in which she apologized “to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar.” But in a phone call with Omar on Monday, Boebert refused to publicly apologize and instead accused the Minnesota Democrat of “anti-American and antisemitic” rhetoric, prompting Omar to end the call.

In a separate letter, the Progressive Caucus also called for Boebert to lose her committee assignments. That letter, led by Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), André Carson (D-Ind.) and Jayapal and co-signed by 34 other caucus members, including Chu, said Boebert’s actions make their work environment dangerous.

“We refuse to stand by as Islamophobia, anti-Blackness, anti-immigrant sentiment, and xenophobia are trafficked into the halls of Congress by members of the Republican party,” the lawmakers wrote. “Today, we are calling for Rep. Boebert to be removed from her committee assignments. Our response to behavior that creates a dangerous work environment and furthers a climate of toxicity and intolerance cannot be silence.”

House Republican leaders have been facing calls to condemn Islamophobic remarks by members of their conference, including Boebert and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), amid concern that their silence is enabling extremist rhetoric that contributes to bigotry and potential threats of violence toward Muslims.

And while the Democrats’ Thursday letters target Republican leadership, no decision has been made by Democratic leadership to strip Boebert of her committee assignments.

Some Democrats have begun to privately argue that if they punish Boebert for her comments, regardless of how dangerous they are, they would spend the rest of their term censuring Republicans for other problematic remarks.

During an interview Thursday on MSNBC, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) brushed off a question on whether Democratic leadership has had conversations about Boebert’s behavior.

“We’re having conversations as to the appropriate actions that ought to be taken,” Hoyer said, before noting that Democratic leadership is currently focused on making sure that a measure to fund the government is passed before Friday’s midnight deadline. “The Boebert issue is an important issue. Islamophobia and antisemitism and racism are all critically important issues that our country must get over, must oppose and must exercise from our public polity, if you will. And we’ll deal with that. But right now, we’re dealing with extraordinarily important issues, and we need to get those done.”

Hoyer said he did no anticipate a vote “certainly this week, or possibly next week” on Boebert’s committee assignments.

The caucus leaders said in their letter that Boebert’s attacks have led to “violent death threats” being leveled against Omar and a “chilling effect on other Muslim American staff members and people across this country.”

During a news conference Tuesday, Omar played to reporters a threatening voice mail that she said she received after Boebert accused her of “anti-American and antisemitic” rhetoric in a video posted on social media.

Omar and two other Muslim lawmakers in the House — Carson and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — urged McCarthy to make clear that such attacks will not be tolerated within his party’s ranks.

“We cannot pretend that this hate speech from leading politicians doesn’t have real consequences,” Omar said.

McCarthy has remained mum about Boebert’s behavior.

“It should not be a partisan issue to condemn the explicit harassment and dangerous abuse of a colleague based on their religion,” the caucus leaders wrote in their letter. “ … In refusing to hold his membership accountable, Representative McCarthy condones this hatred and the danger it incites.”

Boebert would not be the first current House Republican to lose committee assignments over incendiary remarks. Earlier this year, Greene was stripped of her committee assignments for supporting online comments encouraging violence against Democrats and peddling antisemitic tropes. In November, the House voted to censure Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) after he tweeted an anime video that depicted him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

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Congresswomen Watson Coleman, Bush Joint Statement on 52nd Anniversary of War on Drugs

Watson coleman, bush announce drug policy reform act reintroduction.

Washington, D.C. (June 17, 2023) — Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released a joint statement on the 52nd Anniversary of the War on Drugs announcing the reintroduction of the Drug Policy Reform Act:

“52 years ago, President Richard Nixon initiated a violent, racist campaign against Black and brown communities in this country. From the start, the War on Drugs has been about suppressing the voices and lives of the marginalized, not about health or safety.

“Unfortunately, our society continues to perpetuate the discredited War on Drugs today. Over a million people are arrested annually for drug related offenses. Yet overdose deaths and substance use disorders remain at shockingly high rates.

“Admitting mistakes is never easy, but lives are at stake. It’s long past time to recognize the substance use crisis as a public health issue and ensure proper redress and structural solutions rooted in equity and public health. That’s why we are proud to announce that we will soon be re-introducing the Drug Policy Reform Act , which would decriminalize all drugs, shift regulatory authority over drug policy to the Department of Health and Human Services, expunge and seal records, and make investments in health-centered approaches to substance use.

“We will continue to advocate for this vital legislation in Congress, and we urge the Biden Administration to take every possible step within its power towards a public health approach to drug policy. We must transform federal drug policy in our country, protect Black and brown communities, and save lives.”    

In 2021, Congresswomen Watson Coleman and Bush introduced the Drug Policy Reform Act which would, among other changes, decriminalize all drugs, shift regulatory authority over drug policy to the Department of Health and Human Services, expunge and seal records, and make investments in health-centered approaches to substance use.

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House Progressives Call for Rep. Lauren Boebert to Be Removed From Committee Assignments

December 2 , 2021.

WASHINGTON — Representatives Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) , Cori Bush (MO-01) , André Carson (IN-07) , and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) , were joined by 35 House progressives to issue the following statement today calling for Representative Lauren Boebert (CO-03) to be removed from her committee assignments following her Islamophobic comments and incitement of anti-Muslim animus.

“Rep. Boebert has repeatedly weaponized dangerous, anti-Muslim bigotry at our colleague Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-05). Instead of apologizing, Rep. Boebert has continued her Islamophobic rhetoric and chosen to spread hateful speech even further. In the face of death threats and vitriol being spewed at Rep. Omar, Representative Kevin McCarthy (CA-23)’s decision to allow and embolden continued hostility from his members speaks clearly to the Republican party’s willingness to allow hate and division to grow at the expense of our people, our values, and our institutions.

“But we refuse to stand by as Islamophobia, anti-Blackness, anti-immigrant sentiment, and xenophobia are trafficked into the halls of Congress by members of the Republican party. Today, we are calling for Rep. Boebert to be removed from her committee assignments. Our response to behavior that creates a dangerous work environment and furthers a climate of toxicity and intolerance cannot be silence. Congress cannot forgo accountability when a Member engages in hate speech that dehumanizes not only a colleague, but an entire people. We cannot be complicit as members of this body, who swore an oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States, trample on the fundamental right of religious freedom. 

“Muslims across the country are looking to Congress at this moment, watching to see if those they sent to represent their interests in Washington are going to stand up in the face of blatant, vicious Islamophobia. We owe it to them, and to every person who has been the recipient of harassment and verbal abuse based on their religion, race, gender, sexuality, or other identity, to stand up and show them that their votes to send us here mean something — that our values mean something, and are worth defending. We stand in solidarity with Rep. Omar, and urge every single one of our colleagues to join us in demanding action.”

The following members joined Reps. Bowman, Bush, Carson, and Jayapal in signing on to this statement: Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Judy Chu (CA-27), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Sara Jacobs (CA-53), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Kai Kahele (HI-02), Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Andy Levin (MI-09), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), Marie Newman (IL-03), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowksy (IL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Nydia Velzázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

Permalink: https://progressives.house.gov/2021/12/house-progressives-call-for-rep-lauren-boebert-to-be-removed-from-committee-assignments

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Patrick Healy

Patrick Healy

Deputy Opinion Editor

North Carolina Republicans Pick Their Man, and He’s a Doozy

Beyoncé’s songs sound “satanic,” and Jay-Z is “demonic.” Michelle Obama is a man. Gay and trans people are “filth.” The 1969 moon landing may or may not have been “faked.” Hitler is someone to be quoted, and of course, Donald Trump is someone to be believed on 2020 election conspiracy theories.

North Carolina Republicans sure know how to pick ’em.

In one of the more chilling choices of this Super Tuesday, G.O.P. voters in that state chose Mark Robinson as their nominee for governor, a man who says and seemingly believes some pretty weird things. North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, he has a long history of remarks that would have been the kiss of death in politics once upon a time but will put Tar Heel voters to the test in November.

Now, North Carolina is no progressive redoubt — this is the state of Jesse Helms, after all — but it’s also not a state that we think of as especially radical anymore. Barack Obama carried the state in 2008, and a Democrat, Roy Cooper, has been governor there since 2017. Robinson will face the state’s low-key attorney general, Josh Stein, who won the Democratic nomination for governor.

My colleague Frank Bruni wrote a great article last weekend about Cooper and other Democratic governors who have won in red states and battleground states by focusing on pragmatic voter concerns and bipartisan issues. That will clearly be Stein’s playbook in the fall. What will Robinson’s playbook be? Well, he’s awfully good at attacking people, and he likes to write in CAPITAL LETTERS on social media, so he’s right up Trump’s alley.

But Robinson — and North Carolina Republicans — will need to decide if being Trump adjacent is enough of a winning strategy. It might just be, with Trump probably on the ballot and turning out voters in November, too, but I think Bruni’s insight is a good indicator of how Democrats may prevail against Robinson. As we saw in 2022 with Kari Lake, Dr. Oz and some other Republicans, candidate quality still matters to voters in battleground states.

Michelle Cottle

Michelle Cottle

Opinion Domestic Correspondent

Sinema’s Retirement Is a Gift to Exasperated Democrats

First Joe Manchin. Now Kyrsten Sinema. The two Senate Democrats who the party most loved to hate are both headed for the door at the end of this congressional session.

Technically, Sinema was no longer a member of the blue team, having become an independent in December 2022 . But she was elected to the Senate as a Democrat in 2018, still aligns with the party on many matters and maintains her committee assignments. And she, like Manchin, knows how to get under Democrats’ skin in a way that only members of one’s own family can.

Sinema’s not-so-progressive position on economic issues has often drawn accusations that she is a tool of her corporate supporters. It didn’t help that rather than play down her differences with her party, she reveled in them. After a 2021 vote against including a minimum-wage increase in a pandemic-relief bill, she flashed a saucy thumbs-down to emphasize her opposition, prompting howls of outrage that she was being callous. And her unyielding support of the legislative filibuster was an enduring sore spot, for which Arizona Democrats censured her in January 2022.

What made Sinema extra annoying to many was that they simply could not understand why she did what she did. Manchin is from West Virginia. Of course he veers right from time to time. But Arizona is more purple than red. Why, Democrats wondered, couldn’t Sinema be more like the state’s junior senator, Mark Kelly? All her paeans to bipartisanship and finding common ground struck many progressives as self-serving, self-righteous drivel.

Some Arizona Democrats began recruiting a challenger for Sinema well before she quit the team, with Representative Ruben Gallego a leading contender. Gallego, a progressive, is in fact the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, while Kari Lake, the election-denying super-MAGA failed nominee for governor, leads the Republican pack. Democrats can now stop freaking out about whether Sinema running as an independent would split the vote to give Republicans the win. Win or lose, the path ahead is clearer and simpler for Democrats.

A recent Emerson poll showed Gallego comfortably ahead of Sinema. So maybe the embattled senator wanted to get out before she got pushed. Or maybe she just wants to settle back into the private sector for some major buckraking. Or maybe she is just tired of all the nastiness. Whatever her motivations, Sinema’s decision not to run again is a gift of sorts to her former party. For that, at least, it should thank her.

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W.J. Hennigan

W.J. Hennigan

Opinion Writer

How Hiroshima and Nagasaki Survivors Informed ‘The Brink’

It’s a strange thing that millions of people understand and accept that nuclear weapons can destroy life on Earth as we know it, yet we don’t discuss them very much. Sure, there are headlines whenever a world leader issues an implicit or explicit warning about using The Bomb, but it’s difficult to gauge what it means if the threat becomes reality.

Explaining that ominous “what if” is precisely what we set out to do with the first article in the new Opinion series, “The Brink,” about the modern nuclear threat.

The debates around nuclear weapons have fallen to a nuclear priesthood of strategists, generals and politicians, rather than the people most likely in the cross hairs of a nuclear attack. That needs to change.

To best understand the unnatural horrors of nuclear attack, we spoke to the only people who have experienced it: survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We spent days with them in Japan, listening to their stories, visiting their homes and neighborhoods, trying to fathom what occurred in August 1945.

The hibakusha, as they are called in Japan, described an unrelenting daily routine of agony and death, details of which are reflected in the essay’s interactive scenario. Men and women, now in their 80s and 90s, spoke about those days as if it were happening in front of them.

“There were so many dead bodies that they brought them to the elementary school, put them in seven trenches, poured gasoline on them and burned them,” Shigeaki Mori said in his living room. “The smell was terrible, unbearable for about three months.”

Hearing these anecdotes turned the errant nuclear threats of world leaders into a cold reality. We then took these individuals’ experiences and intertwined them with years-old scientific, environmental and government research that was publicly available.

On the rare occasion that nuclear war has been examined in film or the media, the focus has centered on apocalyptic but abstract visions of full-scale holocaust, with megaton hydrogen warheads raining down on city centers. In our essay, we sought to bring it closer to home by describing the detonation of a single small weapon, a threat looming over the active battlefields in Ukraine and perhaps future ones elsewhere.

The purpose of the project is to bring the peril of the current times back into the forefront of the American consciousness. The essay published on Monday is just the first step.

Charles M. Blow

Charles M. Blow

Opinion Columnist

Even Katie Porter’s Neighbors Might Not Vote for Her

“I was a little disappointed that Katie Porter chose to run,” Karl Rubin, an emeritus professor of math, told me on the patio of a community center on the campus of the University of California, Irvine, on Monday morning.

He said that Porter, currently a Democratic congresswoman from a suburban swing district south of Los Angeles, would be great as a senator and he would be thrilled to have either her or Adam Schiff represent California in the Senate, but he believed her choice to run left her House seat vulnerable to being taken by a Republican.

Rubin was one of 13 people I spoke to who work at the university, where Porter is a tenured law professor. They are all Democrats, except for one who registered Republican to vote against Donald Trump; they live in the same faculty and staff housing that Porter has lived in; they know her better than most.

And so it was particularly striking to hear so many of them say they are unhappy about her decision to give up her House seat to run for the Senate, even though the consensus was that they respected and admired her. In fact, only four of those 13 neighbors said that they were voting for her.

Caroll Seron, an emeritus professor of criminology, pointed out that some people were “quite disappointed” that Porter announced her run for Senate so soon after being re-election to her congressional seat; another colleague said Porter’s ambition got in the way of her service to the district.

There was a clear sense in this group of resignation rather than enthusiasm about Schiff, the front-runner in Tuesday’s primary, even from those supporting him. As Mark Fisher, a neurology professor who is voting for Porter, put it, Schiff “is not emotionally engaged” and “he’s too intellectual, too cerebral.”

Kev Abazajian, a physics professor, had a more policy-driven opposition to Schiff, calling him “almost a conservative” because “he’s never seen a war he doesn’t like, he wasn’t part of the progressive caucus, he was part of the Blue Dog coalition.” He added: “His record, other than defending democracy, which I appreciate, has not been great in terms of progressive values.”

But in the end, most of these voters seemed to believe that Porter’s blind ambition was going to lose out to Schiff’s bland ambition.

Parker Richards

Parker Richards

Opinion Staff Editor

It’s Time for Pedestrians to Assert Themselves

I’m not a naturally wrathful person. I don’t like to (and usually don’t) lose my temper. The exception is when drivers ignore pedestrian right of way. I will, whether I’m a few steps or a few miles into my walk, admonish them — loudly and none too gently. (They, of course, cannot hear me inside their cars.)

It’s hard to shake the impression that New York City’s drivers have become more aggressive. They run reds, viciously honk and yell at pedestrians who clearly have the right of way and generally endanger the lives of those on foot.

From 2009 to 2022, an average of 136 pedestrians were killed each year by traffic in the city. The numbers have gone down slightly — to 99 in 2023 — but cyclist deaths have climbed, though they remain a small fraction of pedestrian deaths. (The city’s decision to give pedestrians a head start at many intersections, where walk signals turn white before streetlights go green, may be helping.)

In the United States generally, walking has become far more dangerous. The number of pedestrian fatalities nationally has climbed more than 80 percent in the past 15 years, largely because of increasingly hazardous automotive design. Some police departments effectively no longer punish drivers for any traffic infractions. San Francisco’s police officers “have almost entirely abandoned enforcement of traffic laws,” The Times’s Heather Knight reported .

All of this calls not just for policy changes such as automobile regulation, improved policing and better urban planning but also for a more assertive pedestrian culture. Aggressive drivers have exacerbated this problem; aggressive pedestrians can help solve it.

That’s why I assert my right of way with my body, walking the moment I have a walk signal, even if a car that just ran a red light is already halfway across the intersection. It’s on the driver, the dangerous lawbreaker, to stop, not on me to change my walking habits. Of course, this doesn’t work for everyone — older and slower walkers or those with mobility issues may not be able to follow this advice — but one hopes we can all yell at drivers.

Let’s assert our rights as pedestrians and enjoy the basic freedom of walking, of not relying on highways and automobiles. Like latter-day Dustin Hoffmans, don’t be afraid to state that we’re walkin’ here .

Adam Sternbergh

Adam Sternbergh

Opinion Culture Editor

A Golden Age of Visionary Directors Has Just Begun

In an authoritative essay published in Opinion on Friday, the cultural historian Mark Harris considered the state of Hollywood, and the verdict was: not great. The business model may be irreparably broken, A.I. is looming, and the studio heads and the talent they rely on are still fuming over last year’s contentious strikes.

But Harris also noted that in Hollywood, corporate chaos often leads to creative flourishing, as in the late 1960s and early ’70s, when industry upheaval led to what we now consider a golden age for American film.

Is something similar happening now?

Just look to this past weekend’s big opening, “Dune: Part Two.” At first glance, this sequel might be easy to dismiss as another I.P.-driven franchise spectacle. But the director, Denis Villeneuve, has a singular visual style, and he has long declared “Dune” to be a personal passion project. For Hollywood, adapting the Frank Herbert novel the films are based on had proved thorny: The scuttling of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s effort caused such a stir that there’s a documentary about it, and David Lynch’s “Dune” was nearly a career-ending disaster . Villeneuve’s success is not a case of an interesting and idiosyncratic director being brought to heel in the service of some franchise’s uniform aesthetic; it’s his distinctive talents and vision that have made the “Dune” series soar .

The best picture nominees at this year’s Oscars tell a similar story. The Oscars have long been criticized for encouraging cookie-cutter, award-targeted films. But this year, the best picture list, with the arguable exception of “Maestro,” doesn’t feature much Oscar bait. Instead, it’s visionary directors all the way down, from Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwig to Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”) and Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”). The biggest Oscars controversy — that Gerwig was squeezed out of a crowded best director field — speaks to just how many worthy visionaries helmed films this year.

Make no mistake: As a business proposition, Hollywood is faltering. But when no one’s sure what works anymore, that can lead to an environment of reckless creative risk. That’s good news for the filmgoing audience; we’re already reaping the benefits onscreen.

Jesse Wegman

Jesse Wegman

Editorial Board Member

Suddenly, the Supreme Court Dislikes Election Chaos

At least it was unanimous.

The Supreme Court’s ruling Monday morning that Donald Trump may remain on the ballot — despite the plain language of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which says insurrectionists (even presidents on live TV) are ineligible to serve — was widely anticipated after oral arguments in the case last month.

But unlike the court’s similarly consequential 2000 decision in Bush v. Gore , the ruling in Trump v. Anderson was not 5 to 4, with conservative justices on one side and liberals on the other. Instead, the court agreed 9 to 0 with the basic proposition that states can’t enforce Section 3 against candidates for federal offices. (The three liberal justices wrote separately to argue that the court went much further than it needed to in deciding the case.)

And that’s about the best that can be said for the decision. The rationale of the opinion itself is much harder to swallow. If states can decide which presidential candidates are eligible, this “disruption,” the court said, “could nullify the votes of millions and change the election result.” It added, “Nothing in the Constitution requires that we endure such chaos.”

Nothing — really? Let me introduce you to federalism, the way elections are actually run in this country. Each state decides for itself which candidates will appear on its ballot, based on arcane laws regarding the number of signatures they need to gather. Ask Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate who is currently fighting to get his name on the ballot in states across the country, how that’s working out for him. Or No Labels, the bizarre group that has managed to secure a ballot line in 11 states so far, even without a candidate.

The point is that these widely varying state laws determine who is and is not on the ballot. As we saw in Florida in 2000, the placement of names on ballots can easily tip the vote in a given state and, with it, the entire election. That sure seems like a lot of chaos for the nation to endure.

If the court has decided that it would be better to have a uniform national standard for running federal elections, one that doesn’t unduly empower individual states to “change the election result,” I say hallelujah. Let’s abolish the Electoral College. But that’s not the system we live under.

The Tip Sheet: How Biden Can Flip the Script Against Republicans

Every Monday morning on The Point, we kick off the week with a tip sheet on the latest in the presidential campaign. Here’s what we’re looking at this week:

Four years ago, Super Tuesday turbocharged Joe Biden’s drive for the presidency. He beat rivals in nine states, changing perceptions about whether this centrist establishment figure could build a coalition of voters to go the distance. The simplest fact proved a powerful one: He looked like a winner. He laid to rest questions about his abilities and memories of ugly earlier losses. Soon Biden was leading the most unified Democratic Party that I’ve seen in my lifetime, determined to beat Donald Trump.

One year ago, Biden delivered a punchy State of the Union speech in which he challenged Republicans on Social Security, Medicare, the economy and bipartisanship and looked nimble in the face of hecklers. That performance laid to rest questions about his abilities to seek and win re-election — for a time, at least.

The big question Biden faces this week is whether, once again, he can lay to rest questions about his abilities. Winning the Super Tuesday contests won’t give him the same juice as 2020, however, since he’s all but uncontested.

That leaves Thursday’s State of the Union speech, and here Biden has an opportunity that I think he’ll take advantage of — to flip the script against his opponents and leave them facing questions.

Biden is skilled at rallying people and allies to his side when he has foils — Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Covid — and he will have the chance to do so on Thursday in the face of House and Senate Republicans who have killed the bipartisan border bill and delayed aid to Israel and Ukraine. He can paint Putin and Trump as Enemies No. 1 and 2 to democracy and more broadly frame Putin as a nuclear-armed evil in the world. And rather than brag about the economy, which risks sounding tone-deaf, he could take a page from Bill Clinton’s 2012 Democratic convention speech and lay out why there’s still so much economic pain and what he wants to do about it.

Biden can’t count on the courts to stop Trump (the Supreme Court ruled Monday that Trump can remain on the ballot in Colorado and elsewhere this year), and he can’t count on more people to give him credit on the economy. Just as he flipped the script on Super Tuesday in 2020 and got people to start seeing him as a winner, he will need to go on offense in the face of polls and doubters about his abilities. This week will be a big test of whether he can still go the distance.

Opinion Columnist, reporting from Los Angeles

The War That Will Haunt Democrats Through the Campaign

When Adam Schiff took the stage Tuesday night at his victory party at the Avalon, a historic nightclub in Hollywood, protesters interrupted his speech, chanting, “Cease-fire now.”

When he tried to talk over them, they continued chanting, switching to “Let Gaza live.” At one point, Schiff’s supporters attempted to drown out the protesters by chanting “Adam, Adam,” but the whole thing devolved into a cacophony of noise.

Schiff, who is now likely to be the next senator from California, quickly wrapped up his remarks, but as attendees left the event, they were greeted by more protesters chanting, “Not another penny, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crime.”

The protesters had won the evening. They had focused attention on their issue and signaled to Democrats, who many believe should be opposing the war in Gaza, that they will not simply allow events to continue as usual while a genocide is unfolding.

Some of the protesters held signs that read, “No more money for genocide.” Another read, “Adam Schiff supports genocide.”

This comes after demonstrators against the war publicly confronted Senator John Fetterman and two prominent representatives, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nancy Pelosi , and clashed with the police outside the Democratic Party headquarters in Washington.

Representative Adam Smith of Washington State said his home was vandalized by people who spray-painted “Free Gaza,” “Baby killer” and “Cease-fire!” on his garage door.

It all reminded me of Black Lives Matter activists drawing attention to their cause by interrupting Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders during campaign events in 2015.

But I would argue that these war protesters feel even more urgency and are possessed of even more moral conviction because tens of thousands of people have died in a war that many of its opponents insist is being condoned and financed by the United States under a Democratic president.

And last week UNICEF warned that an “explosion” in child deaths in Gaza was imminent if a burgeoning nutrition crisis there wasn’t resolved.

I predict that the targeting of high-profile Democrats will continue and will eventually create a spectacle for the president and vice president. This could produce some ugly scenes at the party convention this summer in Chicago if the war hasn’t come to some resolution by then.

That would create quite the historical echo. It was protesters against the Vietnam War who fought furiously with the police outside the Democratic convention in 1968, also in Chicago.

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Congresswoman Bush Urges Fair Resolution for Anheuser-Busch, Teamsters Amid Ongoing Contract Negotiations

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 28, 2024) — Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) sent a letter to Anheuser-Busch Companies and Sean O’Brien, President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters regarding ongoing contract negotiations affecting 5,000 workers at 12 Anheuser-Busch breweries across the country, including 465 workers in Missouri’s First Congressional District.

“ I hope that a fair solution can be reached in these negotiations between Anheuser-Busch and my constituents ,” wrote Congresswoman Bush. “ As the Member of Congress representing the St. Louis Brewery, I know how essential these workers are to our community, as well as the importance of job security for my constituents to ensure they can care for their families and plan for retirement. Furthermore, local businesses rely on the spending power of a steady and consistent customer base. ”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE .

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IMAGES

  1. ‘Defund The Police’ Advocate Rep. Cori Bush Spent $70K On Private Security: Report

    cori bush committee and caucus assignments

  2. Cori Bush Establishes Congressional Caucus to End Homelessness in the US

    cori bush committee and caucus assignments

  3. Cori Bush speaks out against treatment of Haitian migrants after her team's visit to Del Rio

    cori bush committee and caucus assignments

  4. For The 1st Time, Cori Bush Testifies About Getting An Abortion When She Was A Teen

    cori bush committee and caucus assignments

  5. Reps. Cori Bush and Ayanna Pressley Launch Congressional ERA Caucus—'Because Equality Is Overdue

    cori bush committee and caucus assignments

  6. Cori Bush pushes back on Joe Manchin's demands: "I do not trust his assessment"

    cori bush committee and caucus assignments

COMMENTS

  1. Committees And Caucuses

    Caucuses: Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Caucus (Co-Chair) Congressional Caucus on Homelessness (Co-Chair) Congressional Mamas Caucus (Co-Chair) Congressional Black Caucus. Congressional Progressive Caucus. Democratic Women's Caucus. Pro-Choice Caucus. Congressional Medicare for All Caucus.

  2. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives

    Democratic Caucus Chair; Rep. Ted Lieu Democratic Caucus Vice Chair; Additional Resources ... Official List of Members with Committee Assignments Official List of Standing Committees and Subcommittees Committee Repository ... The Honorable Cori Bush 2463 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC, 20515-2501 ...

  3. Cori Bush

    Cori Bush (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Missouri's 1st Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2021. ... Committee assignments U.S. House 2023-2024. Bush was assigned to the following committees: [Source] 2021-2022. Bush was assigned to the following committees: [Source]

  4. Cori Bush

    Cori Anika Bush (born July 21, 1976) is an American politician, nurse, ... Committee assignments. For the 118th Congress: Committee on Oversight and Accountability. Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, ... Caucus memberships. Congressional Black Caucus;

  5. Congresswoman Cori Bush Announces Judiciary and Oversight Subcommittee

    February 04, 2021 Congresswoman Cori Bush Announces Judiciary and Oversight Subcommittee Assignments. WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released the following statement after securing her subcommittee assignments for the 117th Congress: "The people of Missouri's First District sent me to Congress to do the most for all of us, starting with those who have the very ...

  6. Cori Bush

    Representative Cori Bush (1976 - ) In Congress 2021 - Present | Member Hide Overview . Image courtesy of the Member Read biography Website: https://bush.house.gov: Contact: 2463 Rayburn House Office Building (202) 225-2406 ... View Member Committee Assignments and Recent Votes (House.gov)

  7. Rep. Bush receives subcommittee assignments

    U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, on Feb. 4 announced her subcommittee assignments for the legislative session. Bush is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee in mid-December, at which time she said the appointment had been a long-time goal of ...

  8. How Cori Bush set out to change Congress from the inside

    A post shared by Cori Bush (@coribush) A few weeks into office, Bush said she "absolutely" feels added pressure as a Black female U.S. Representative, one of only 25 in this Congress. "I feel ...

  9. 'For me, it's about the mission': why Cori Bush is just getting started

    Earlier this month, Bush joined House progressives in pressuring the party's leaders to strip congresswoman Lauren Boebert of her committee assignments over her Islamophobic comments targeting ...

  10. Rep. Bush receives subcommittee assignments

    U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, on Feb. 4 announced her subcommittee assignments for the legislative session.

  11. In Infrastructure Votes, 19 Members Broke With Their Party

    The group known as the Problem Solvers Caucus, including Mr. Fitzpatrick, the Republican co-chairman, had once hoped to deliver as many as 29 Republican House votes for the bill, but saw members ...

  12. Leader Jeffries Announces Appointments to Committees for The 118th

    WASHINGTON, DC - Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced today that the House Democratic Caucus has affirmed the recommendations of the Steering and Policy Committee for the following Members to serve on standing committees. Agriculture. Ranking Member David Scott; Rep. Jim Costa; Rep. Jim McGovern; Rep. Alma Adams; Rep. Abigail Spanberger

  13. US Capitol Police subpoenaed for information on threats to Rep. Cori

    Rep. Cori Bush attends an event with the Congressional Tri-Caucus to condemn the the racist mass shooting in Buffalo, on the House steps of the US Capitol on May 19, 2022.

  14. Representative Cori Bush, RN

    Judiciary Committee. Congresswoman Bush also co-chair of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Caucus, Congressional Caucus on Homelessness, and Congressional Mamas Caucus. Congresswoman Bush is dedicated to doing the most for St. Louis, starting with those who have the least. Since being sworn in to Congress, Congresswoman Bush has introduced ...

  15. More than 40 House Democrats call for Boebert to be stripped of

    Five House Democratic caucus chairs, along with 36 other members of the Progressive Caucus, are calling for Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) to be stripped of her committee assignments, citing her ...

  16. Bush, Pressley Lead Resolution to Remove Rep. Boebert From ...

    Last week, Reps. Bush, Bowman, Pressley, Carson, Jayapal and 35 House progressives on a statement calling for Rep. Boebert to be removed from her committee assignments. A full text of the resolution can be found here. Congresswoman Cori Bush sits on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, serves as the Progressive Caucus Deputy Whip, and ...

  17. House Democrats Unveil Committee Assignments for 117th Congress

    The nominations were announced by the House Democratic Steering Committee and awaited approval by the full Democratic Caucus. "It is an honor to announce the nomination of these outstanding members to our exclusive committees for the 117th Congress," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said when the list was announced last week.

  18. Congresswomen Watson Coleman, Bush Joint Statement on 52nd ...

    Washington, D.C. (June 17, 2023) — Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released a joint statement on the 52nd Anniversary of the War on Drugs announcing the reintroduction of the Drug Policy Reform Act: "52 years ago, President Richard Nixon initiated a violent, racist campaign against Black and ...

  19. Cori Bush Makes History, Sworn-in to the 117th Congress

    January 03, 2021 Cori Bush Makes History, Sworn-in to the 117th Congress. WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), the first Black woman and first nurse to represent Missouri; the first woman to represent Missouri's First Congressional District; and the first activist from the movement fighting for Black lives to serve in the U.S. Congress, released the following statement ...

  20. House Progressives Call for Rep. Lauren Boebert to Be Removed From

    WASHINGTON — Representatives Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Cori Bush (MO-01), André Carson (IN-07), and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), were joined by 35 House progressives to issue the following statement today calling for Representative Lauren Boebert (CO-03) to be removed from her committee assignments following her Islamophobic comments and incitement of anti-Muslim animus.

  21. Cori Bush's "urgent" job listing surfaces amid criminal investigation

    Representative Cori Bush speaks to reporters as she arrives for a House Democratic caucus meeting with White House debt negotiators at the U.S. Capitol on May 31, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Bush's ...

  22. Bush, House Progressives Call for Rep. Lauren Boebert to Be ...

    December 02, 2021 Bush, House Progressives Call for Rep. Lauren Boebert to Be Removed From Committee Assignments. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representatives Cori Bush (MO-01), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), André Carson (IN-07), and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), were joined by 35 House progressives to issue the following statement today calling for Representative Lauren Boebert (CO-03) to be removed from ...

  23. Opinion

    Beyoncé's songs sound "satanic," and Jay-Z is "demonic." Michelle Obama is a man. Gay and trans people are "filth." The 1969 moon landing may or may not have been "faked."

  24. Congresswoman Cori Bush Secures Leadership Role on House Judiciary

    Congresswoman Cori Bush represents Missouri's First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. She is a Member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She serves as Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and is a proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

  25. Congresswomen Bush, Tlaib Urge President Biden to Prevent Rafah

    Washington D.C. (Feb. 29, 2024) — Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) sent a letter to President Biden urging the President to decisively oppose any invasion by Israeli forces or further bombardment in Rafah, and to facilitate an immediate, lasting ceasefire to save lives.

  26. This Black History Month, Congresswoman Bush Introduces Resolution

    February 29, 2024 This Black History Month, Congresswoman Bush Introduces Resolution Honoring John and Mary Meachum, St. Louis Abolitionists Washington D.C. (Feb. 29, 2024) — Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) introduced a resolution honoring Mary and John Meachum, two Black abolitionists from St. Louis who dedicated their lives to emancipating and educating enslaved Black people.

  27. ICYMI: Congresswoman Bush joins Congresswoman Watson Coleman in a

    Washington, D.C. (Feb. 26, 2024)—Last week, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) joined Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and 46 of her House colleagues in a letter to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requesting information on the efforts HUD can make to address the disparate impact of eviction on Black renters, women ...

  28. Congresswoman Bush Urges Fair Resolution for Anheuser-Busch, Teamsters

    February 28, 2024 Congresswoman Bush Urges Fair Resolution for Anheuser-Busch, Teamsters Amid Ongoing Contract Negotiations. Washington, D.C. (Feb. 28, 2024) — Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) sent a letter to Anheuser-Busch Companies and Sean O'Brien, President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters regarding ongoing contract negotiations affecting 5,000 workers at 12 ...