congress Archives - Rolling Out

Voters are sending two openly gay Black politicians from New York to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021. Ritchie Torres, 32, is a member of the New York City Council, where he has served for the past seven years representing the Bronx borough. He won the primary in New York’s 15th Congressional District in…

*Open Letter* “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” – Corinthians 1:10-18 Dr. Franklin, This letter comes…

In an effort to stave off a catastrophic economic crash and aid families, businesses and schools during the nationwide shutdown, Congress reached an agreement on a $2 trillion stimulus package. Some conservatives, however, took umbrage that the deal included $13 million earmarked for Howard University, one of the country’s premier HBCUs. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida,…

Nassim Ashford is a Mercer University senior who has been selected for one of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Emerging Leaders Internships and will spend this semester working on Capitol Hill. Ashford completed graduation requirements for his bachelor’s degree a semester early and plans to participate in commencement in May. While in college, he…

Former U.S. Rep. John Conyers has passed away at age 90. The legendary congressman had a career in politics that lasted over 50 years, making him the longest Black person to serve in the U.S. Congress. A native of Detroit, Conyers worked to establish a national holiday for Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Conyers introduced…

Rep. Elijah Cummings’ death has resonated across the country. On Thursday, Oct. 17, Rep. Cummings died at age 68. Cummings represented Maryland’s 7th District in Congress since 1996. He also served as chair of the Oversight Committee that had been investigating President Donald Trump regarding several issues and was an advocate for reforming criminal justice,…

Journalist and author Ta-Nehisi Coates took a moment to verbally dismantle U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Speaking on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at a U.S. House hearing on reparations, Coates blasted McConnell for his overt disapproval of slave reparations. One day earlier, the Kentucky Republican publicly shunned the idea. “I don’t think reparations for…

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, continues to produce the world’s best in leadership, education and politics. This midterm election proves this, as 12 Morehouse Men won or retained elected office across the country. Whether it was mayor, city council or Congress, many in the halls of power will now…

The only three Black United States senators in Congress are authoring a bill together that would make lynching a federal hate crime for the first time in U.S. history. The bill would enable lynching to be a part of the hate crime package alongside existing crimes such as murder. What is probably shocking to most…

While a healthy paycheck contributes to employee satisfaction, money won’t keep the best employees if other more important aspects of their employment are not met, according to one of the nation’s principal authorities on leadership science. “If the workplace environment doesn’t fit with the conditions where the brain can thrive, they probably won’t hold on…

Congressman Al Green, D-Texas, has announced that he intends to bring an impeachment vote against President Donald Trump today. Green will use a rule to allow a privileged motion to bring the vote forward, hr announced on C-SPAN today. The motion will allow him to force a vote in the House within a two-day span…

Today, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) made the announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2018 after a series of sexual misconduct allegations. Conyers is one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus and also the longest-serving member of Congress, having been elected in 1964. Allegations of improper behavior came out recently after…

After weeks of negotiations to try to repeal Obamacare, the Republican-controlled Congress has pulled its controversial American Healthcare Act, presumably at the request of President Donald Trump. It is being reported by media outlet CNN that Trump and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan spoke at 3 p.m. and the decision was made to pull…

The popular Black cultural phenomenon known as dabbing has reached the highest parts of Washington, D.C. power. During a special Republican party swearing in of new congressmen by Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, he came face to face with the dab. The move was performed by Cal Marshall, the son of newly elected Congressman Roger…

Noted journalist and TV host Tavis Smiley recently wrote about a fear he developed following a question a student posed at a recent event. The student asked Smiley, “Mr. Smiley, do you believe that given the crisis state of our democracy, we Black folk could ever find ourselves enslaved again?” Smiley wrote a response to the student and his…

Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania offered House Speaker Paul Ryan his resignation from the House effective October 3 following his conviction on charges of racketeering, fraud and money laundering. “I’m very sad about the verdict the jury rendered yesterday and because of that, my resignation is effective Oct. 3, 2016. Despite my resignation I…

Paulette McKenzie Leaphart believes that the ugly truth of breast cancer is often overlooked. Although pink ribbons, campaigns and clothing can raise awareness, the scars and pain that breast cancer inflicts on its victims and families can get lost in the hoopla. Leaphart wants to change that. A breast cancer survivor who underwent a double mastectomy,…

Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson (D) represents a cross section of voters in the diverse 4th Congressional district. He has held office since 2007 and sits on the US Judiciary Committee on Armed Services and the Committee of the Judiciary. He has been a stalwart supporter of issues that have affected the economically disenfranchised as well…

As the presidential primary voting has progressed, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are running neck-and-neck among Democrats. Although the two candidates are Democrats, they are ideologically opposed on many levels. Rolling out spoke with U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia’s 4th District, about the presidential race and Clinton and Sanders. As we go into this heated presidential race with…

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Georgia, like many in Congress, is seeing a move toward the dismantling of public education. In place after place, charter schools are popping up all over the country. In Georgia voters will soon be able to vote on the “Opportunity School District” referendum. This controversial legislation in Georgia and others like it may lead to…