Rep. Cori Bush slams Sen. Joe Manchin on spending bill opposition

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) released the following statement criticizing Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Monday hours after he publicly refused to sign off on the latest iteration of a $1.75 social spending package that House Democrats hoped to vote on this week.

"Joe Manchin does not get to dictate the future of our country.

I do not trust his assessment of what our communities need the most. I trust the parents in my district who can’t get to their shift without childcare. "I trust the scientists who have shown us what our future will look like if we fail to meaningfully address the climate crisis. I trust the patients and doctors crying out for comprehensive health coverage for every person in America.

"When I promised St. Louis a historic investment in children, in our seniors, in housing, and in our schools, I said that I would do everything I can to actually deliver change that our community can feel. "We cannot spend the next year saying, ‘the House did its part, and now it’s the Senate’s turn.’ We need the Senate to actually get this done.

"Joe Manchin’s opposition to the Build Back Better Act is anti-Black, anti-child, anti-woman, and anti-immigrant. When we talk about transformative change, we are talking about a bill that will benefit Black, brown and Indigenous communities.

"Those same communities are overwhelmingly excluded from the bipartisan infrastructure bill. We cannot leave anyone behind.

Senator Manchin must support the Build Back Better Act."

FBI investigating racial slur, fire at Black council member's home

The FBI is conducting a hate crime investigation in Connersville Indiana after the city's only Black council member's home caught fire Oct. 29. Investigators said they found a racial slur spray painted in black letters on the back porch of the home.

Schumer to force vote on John Lewis voting rights bill

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Monday that he will force a vote this week on a voting rights bill named after the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)

Schumer will force a vote on Wednesday on whether to debate the bill. It is expected to fail to get the 60 votes needed to advance.

"I will file cloture on the motion to proceed to the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, setting up a vote to take place on Wednesday," Schumer said from the Senate floor.

"If there's anything that merits debate here in the Senate, it's protecting the precious right of Americans to participate in our elections," Schumer added.

The voting rights bill named after Lewis would update the Voting Rights Act (VRA) to strengthen sections of the 1965 law that were gutted by the Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, which focused on Section 5 of the VRA that required Justice Department preclearance before some states could change voting laws, and the 2021 Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee decision, which advocates believe weakened Section 2 of the 1965 law focused on racially targeted voting policies.

Schumer pledged that if Republicans help start debate on the bill, which is unlikely, that they would have a chance to offer amendments. Even if Republicans allowed a debate on the bill, they could still block it from passing because it will need to overcome a second 60-vote hurdle.

"I am prepared to offer a full-fledged debate befitting this great chamber. Republicans will be given the chance to raise their objections, to offer amendments and make changes to the bill," Schumer said.

"I know that both parties have serious disagreements on this important issue, so we want to hear from the other side what they propose. But for that to happen, we need to start debate first. We need to vote to allow the Senate to work through its process," Schumer added.

[MSN]

Congressional Black Caucus Chair: CBC Very Satisfied with Biden's Spending Plan

The $1.75 trillion framework agreement for President Biden's "Build Back Better" plan represents a significant victory for the Congressional Black Caucus, who have been adamant that promises made to Black communities be kept by the White House.

In an CNN interview CBC Chairwoman Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) discussed how the Congressional Black Caucus was very satisfied with Biden's spending plan.

"We're very satisfied. This is transformational," Rep. Joyce Beatty, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, says about what is in Biden's spending bill.https://t.co/C6AoULezPx pic.twitter.com/LBip3L4fm1

— New Day (@NewDay) October 29, 2021

What President Biden's Revamped Build Back Better Act Includes For HBCUs

When it comes to President Biden's Build Back Better Act you may have heard about Biden's plans for subsidized child care, universal pre-kindergarten and extended child tax credits.

But tucked inside the president's new scaled-back $1.85 trillion framework is significant funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Here is a brief overview of what Biden is proposing fr HBCUs:

* Biden's revamped framework includes $10 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions – one of the few funding increases over what was proposed in the president's original $3.5 trillion reconciliation package.

* The bill sets aside $3 billion for grants to support research and development infrastructure at such institutions. There's also $6 billion in Title III and Title V federal aid for HBCUs, TCUs and minority-serving institutions over the next five years, which would be five times the amount these schools currently receive from these funding streams, according to the White House.

* Other HBCU funding includes $1 billion proposed for improvements of agricultural facilities at HBCUs that were established by 1890 land grants and $100 million for scholarships for students pursuing agricultural careers at these schools.

The significant boost for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions comes as Biden faces sharp criticism from leaders of Black colleges and universities after proposing about $2 billion for HBCUs in his initial plan.