Eddie Bernice Johnson endorses Jasmine Crockett for her House seat

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) endorsed Texas state House Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) for the House seat she has held for decades.

Crockett announced her candidacy soon after Johnson said she would be retiring.

"A vibrant congressional district like TX-30 needs a representative in Washington with high energy, a passion to fight for us, shrewd intelligence, leadership, and an incessant drive," Johnson said in a statement soon after Crockett announced her run, The Dallas Morning News reported.

"After proudly serving the City of Dallas and Southern sector for 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, I firmly believe that Texas State Representative Jasmine Crockett is just the person we need in Congress at this critical time," she added.

Crockett said in a statement, "The Congresswoman was one or the first Black women elected to the Texas House and I am the most recent - this responsibility has not been lost on me."

"I intend to honor their service by continuing their legacy of coalition building, fierce bravery, and relentless tenacity in the halls of Congress," she added.

President Biden nominates Shalanda Young for OMB director

President Joe Biden has nominated Shalanda Young to serve as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, giving her an opportunity to officially take on the role she has been serving in as acting director for the past eight months.

Young received bipartisan support with a 63-37 vote when she was confirmed to the deputy director position in March, and if confirmed as budget director, she would become the first Black woman to hold the post.

"In her eight months as acting director of OMB, she's continued to impress me and congressional leaders as well," Biden said in a pre-recorded video announcing the nomination on Wednesday.

Young previously served as the staff director for Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, where Biden says she "earned the trust, respect and admiration of Democrats and Republicans alike."

Young has over 14 years of combined experience in various roles with the House Appropriations Committee, oversaw $1.4 trillion in annual federal funding and played a key role in shaping coronavirus relief legislation.

The Office of Management and Budget is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, policies, and procedures to see whether they comply with the president's policies and coordinates inter-agency policy initiatives.

Sen. Raphael Warnock statement on Ahmaud Arbery verdict

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga) released the following statement today after Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William Bryan Jr. were found guilty of murder in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery.

This verdict upholds a sense of accountability, but not true justice.

True justice looks like a Black man not having to worry about being harmed—or killed—while on a jog, while sleeping in his bed, while living what should be a very long life.

Ahmaud should be with us today.

Congressional Black Caucus statement on Ahmaud Arbery verdict

The Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement regarding the McMichael and Bryan Trial Verdict:

“This story — although devastating — is not new; we’ve seen this play out repeatedly. Vigilantes acting with racial animus take the lives of Black men and boys, and claim self-defense when confronted with the consequences of their actions. Travis McMichael; his father, Gregory McMichael; and William Bryan are criminals who deserve to be punished for their role(s) in murdering 25-year-old, Mr. Ahmaud Arbery,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty. “Simply put, none of these criminals had any concrete knowledge Mr. Arbery committed any crime on the day they murdered him. Further, the vitriol and racist tropes invoked by the defense to justify their client(s) illegally detaining, filming, and committing murder were applauding and extremely offensive.”

Beatty continued: Additionally, this heinous crime was captured on video, and the facts are there. Justice has been served. However, there is still much to work to be done. The Congressional Black Caucus will continue to champion criminal justice reform and common-sense gun control measures because vigilante justice has no place in our society. Our thoughts and our prayers remain with the family and loved ones of Mr. Arbery.”

“For more than a year, Americans have demanded justice for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed in cold blood while jogging unarmed. To our relief, the jury has held his killers responsible for their heinous actions,” said Congressman Steven Horsford. “In the aftermath of this horrific episode, Congress has a moral obligation to make our nation fairer and safer for all Americans. There must be accountability for hate, there must be criminal justice reform, and there must be common-sense gun reform. To honor Ahmaud Arbery and his family, we must act.”

“Anyone who saw the video of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder knows this is the correct verdict. I have been guilty of looking around a new construction being built. Automatically, a Black man must be stealing from the property rather than just being inquisitive. But even with this verdict, we still need to make the changes to society that would stop such senseless killings of African Americans nationwide. My condolences and prayers continue to go out to Mr. Arbery’s family and friends for their loss. But today, they know that justice was served and his killers will go to prison, ” said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr.

“Ahmaud Arbery should still be here today. People who murder others must be held accountable. Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William Bryan unjustly killed Ahmaud Arbery after they racially profiled him and deserve to be punished. Too many people have attempted to slander and victim-blame a young man whose only crime was jogging while Black. One day I hope that we are a nation where Black people can jog, play, protest, and exist without fear of hatred or violence. I will not stop fighting until that day is a reality. Today’s verdict was a step toward accountability and a justice system that extends equal protection under law to every American,” said Congressman Troy Carter.

NAACP President & CEO Releases Statement on Guilty Verdict in the Ahmaud Arbery Trial

NAACP President & CEO, Derrick Johnson released the following statement today after Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William Bryan Jr. were found guilty of murder in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery.

The verdict in the trial over the killing of Ahmaud Arbery is long overdue. Ahmaud Arbery's death was unnecessary and fueled by racist ideologies deeply engrained into the fabric of this nation. Generations of Black people have seen this time and time again, with the murder of Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, and many others. The actions and events perpetrated by the McMichaels and William Bryan leading up to Ahmaud's death reflect a growing and deepening rift in America that will be its undoing if not addressed on a systemic level. We must fix what is genuinely harming our nation: white supremacy. To address and begin to repair the harm and trauma caused by centuries of racism, violence, and murder, we need stronger federal and state actions to address and eliminate outdated racist policies, like citizens' arrest.

Although we still grieve the senseless murder of Ahmaud, today, we stand in solidarity with the family and Brunswick community and celebrate the guilty verdict that will bring some comfort and sense of justice to Mr. Arbery's family, friends, and community.