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Biden For President Launches Students for Biden-Harris Organizing Program

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Blue Virginia
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8

From the Biden for President campaign:

Biden For President Launches Students for Biden-Harris Organizing Program

On the Heels of Super Tuesday and a Powerful Joint Endorsement From 15 Leading Youth Vote Groups, Students for Biden-Harris Will Mobilize the Power of Students Across the Country

Today, Biden-Harris 2024 announced the launch of Students for Biden-Harris (SFB), a national organizing program designed to reach and mobilize young voters across the country to reelect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The program will be a key pillar of the campaign’s work to reach young voters where they are – on campus, online, and beyond. Today’s announcement comes following the historic joint endorsement from 15 leading youth vote groups, including Voters of Tomorrow, Planned Parenthood Generation Action, and Students Demand Action. In tandem with Students for Biden-Harris, these groups will collectively mobilize over 1,000 campus, local, and state chapters/affiliates and over 500,000 volunteers, reach over 26 million people on social media, and make over 155 million direct voter contacts.

Students for Biden-Harris will mobilize student volunteers on campuses across the country to organize, register, and engage their peers in support of President Biden and Vice President Harris. Today’s announcement will kick off a recruitment blitz – building SFB chapters and recruiting organizers on campuses across the country. SFB chapters and organizers will be trained on relational and digital organizing tools, like the Reach app. These trainings have already begun in Wisconsin and earlier this month, Vice President Harris joined 70+ young activists in North Carolina during a Reach training.

The campaign will also conduct targeted outreach to priority campuses in battleground states – including large universities, HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and AANHPI-serving institutions – building on historic and early investments in digital and paid media to reach young voters and voters of color.

Students for Biden-Harris will also host regular national virtual and in-person events and training sessions, beginning with a kick-off event on Thursday, March 14, with Biden-Harris 2024 National Advisory Board Member and first Gen Z member of Congress Maxwell Frost.

“Students for Biden will be critical to winning this November. Young voters have so much at stake in this election: their economic futures, the ability to make their own health care decisions, to love who they love, and to live free from the threat of gun violence. This campaign knows the importance of empowering young Americans with the tools and resources they need to talk to their friends about the stakes of this election,” said Biden-Harris 2024 Youth Engagement Director Eve Levenson. “As the campaign heads into the general election, we’re running full-steam ahead – working tirelessly and leveraging every opportunity to connect with young voters and reassemble the winning Biden-Harris coalition.”

“Young voters were crucial in delivering the election for President Biden and Vice President Harris in 2020 – and they will be just as consequential in 2024,”  said Biden-Harris 2024 National Advisory Board Member Congressman Maxwell Frost. “Throughout this first term, both the President and Vice President have been bringing in young voters and taking action on the issues most important to the electorate. Whether it’s tackling the climate crisis, fighting gun violence, or being the most pro-union administration, we are making progress on the vision of a more equitable world. A second Donald Trump term would not just halt the work, but bring us backwards. The organizing that Students for Biden-Harris will do is essential to winning the election.”

Vice President Kamala Harris also delivered a message today on the launch of Students for Biden-Harris:

Young Americans represent a key constituency in the Biden-Harris coalition and will be critical to winning in November. Young voters consistently support Democrats at higher rates than older voters, and there has been a surge of young voters – particularly young women – registering to vote since Roe v. Wade was overturned. In 2020 young voters preferred President Biden by 24 points over Donald Trump. In the 2022 midterms, young voters preferred Democratic candidates by a 28-point margin.

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Paid for by Biden for President

Monday News: “Biden marks start of Ramadan by recognizing ‘moment of immense pain’ for Muslims”; “Trump’s envy of Hitler revealed by his own ex-chief of staff”; At Oscars, Kimmel Says Britt an “adult woman with the brain of a child”; “People or profits: arena drama reflects a familiar struggle”

By
lowkell
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31

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, March 11.

Video: Sen. Mark Warner on Face the Nation Talks About Need to Arm Ukraine; Israel vs. Hamas; China as Long-Term Greatest National Security Threat; Foreign Interference in Our Elections; etc.

By
lowkell
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6

See below for video of Sen. Mark Warner (along with Senate Intel Committee Vice Chair Sen. Marco Rubio) on Face the Nation this morning. According to Sen. Warner:

  • “I would define the immediate [greatest national security] threat of making sure we push back Putin’s aggressive behavior in Ukraine, that we try to resolve the circumstance in Gaza where we can eliminate Hamas but also recognize the humanitarian challenge. But frankly over the longer term, the bigger challenge I think remains China – we’ve never had a nation of equivalent economic size and they are investing in technology domain after technology domain where they hope to not only be number one but frankly dominate the field.”
  • “I also think potentially out of this enormous tragedy the tragedy of October 7th and now the humanitarian tragedy of 30,000 Palestinians killed, you’ve got to look at some level of optimism Israel had already aligned with a number of the Sunni states in the region. I was recently in Saudi Arabia I think they would like to find some level of peace post the Gaza conflict with Israel ,a stronger defense relationship with the United States. I do think we need to acknowledge the the Shia-driven effort to not only push us out but also undermine the Sunni states in the region, and there could be an opportunity for a grander alliance but that will mean the violence has to stop. And you know, I think we both have a lot of respect for Bill Burns, the CIA director, who has been doing yeoman work trying to negotiate this hostage exchange which would lead to at least that short-term cease fire.”
  • “I think a lot of the arms, food, other things that have supported Hamas, was the fact that they have this tunnel network which is close to 500 kilometers. I don’t think any of us fully expected that, and they have been able to secure that. The fact that we are 140 days roughly into this invasion, I think most of us even in the region thought the Israeli Defense Forces would be able to take out Hamas; 140 days, in they’ve basically taken out only about 35% of the Hamas fighters and literally have only penetrated less than a third of the tunnel network. And…if this was us trying to take out this tunnel network, could we do it quicker more efficiently, and candidly the answer was maybe we could be a bit faster but when Hamas is gruesomely holding the hostages to prevent some of the take out of the tunnels, this is one of the lessons… The idea that you’re going to eliminate every Hamas fighter I don’t think is a realistic goal.”
  • “There has to be a future for the Palestinian people.”
  • “President Trump said change the law so I can do more [at the border]. I respectfully believe that what Senator Lankford  put forward was as tough a border deal as could get passed in this Congress and even next Congress. Because unless there is a 80-member shift one way or the other in either political party, I think politics is the art of the possible. I think it was a good deal. And I agree with Marco; we need to get the money  to China and Taiwan, we need to get the money both  humanitarian and for Israel. But I think the issue that I’ve been is most wrapped around is if we walk away from the people of Ukraine at this point after in the last two years, the Ukrainians with our help and the Europeans’ help at literally the cost of less than 3% of our defense budget have eliminated 87% of the Russian pre-invasion ground forces, 63% of their tanks, 32% of their armored personnel carriers. If we don’t stand by Ukraine right now, the rest of the world  should never trust us again. And this notion that, and I go back to our early comments, these authoritarian nations are watching each other. If people say Xi is a threat and if they don’t believe that if President Putin is successful in Ukraine and that will then put NATO and American troops in harm’s way, Xi will take lessons from that. I think there is enormous linkage, so I do hope we’re finding a way. I think most of us, the vast majority frankly – I think 300 votes plus in the House for Ukraine – if that was put up as a standalone, but I hope we get it done…”
  • “We have nation states – China, Iran, Russia – who know that interfering in our elections is both effective and cheap. We have a lot more Americans who have for a variety of reasons less trust in any of our institutions, including our voting system. We have a court case that was in the Fifth Circuit that have restricted the voluntary communication between social media and the FBI…and you have that cauldron of change going on and then you throw in artificial intelligence tools that can bring deep fakes or voices or other manipulation at a speed and scale that’s unprecedented, and we’re going, we have dealt with this at a classified level, we’re going to have  a public hearing on this. We need to make sure that the American public is educated and at least aware and thinks thinks before they believe everything they see.”

Sin-ay-dee-ay, Sigh-knee-die, Seen-ay-dee-ay: However You Pronounce It, the 60-Day, 2024 Virginia General Assembly Is Now Past Sine Die; Next Up, the “Veto Session”

By
lowkell
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1

by Cindy, cross posted from VAPLAN

Sine die is Latin for “without day,” and is used in legalese to mean “indefinitely.” There are multiple ways to pronounce this (sin-ay-dee-ay, sigh-knee-die, seen-ay-dee-ay), but basically it means the legislature adjourns without any specific date to reconvene, unlike during session when they adjourn and agree to reconvene the following day, for example. And after sixty grueling days, that’s where we were at yesterday!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK, Del Cia Price takes point of personal privilege to speak about reproductive health and the right to contraception: “Imagine having to do double the work to prove you belong in a board room or a court room or even this room, and while you’re doing that extra work you’re bleeding and cramping, and the only thing that helps you get out of the door in order to get to work was contraception, a drug or device, because of a serious health condition. That, Mr. Speaker, is the reality for many across our Commonwealth.”

Bills passed in the final week:

  • Bills (SB454-Marsden and HB1491-O’Quinn) to allow Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy to recover costs of experimental work on small modular nuclear reactors through ratepayer adjustment clauses passed both chambers.
  • HB959 to bring towing rules in Northern Virginia in line with the rest of the Commonwealth requiring written authorization from a property owner before cars on the property can be towed passed both chambers with near unanimous support.
  • A bill (HB81-Simon) to eliminate the common-law crime of suicide passed on a party-line vote in the Senate and with bipartisan support in the House.
  • Bills (HB398-McQuinn; and SB586-Pekarsky) to prevent suspensions and expulsions from school without first attempting alternative evidence-based restorative methods passed the House and Senate.
  • A bill (HB1354-Martinez) to prohibit declawing cats passed with bipartisan support.
  • Senate (SB719-Bagby) and House (HB1244-Cole) versions of a bill to restrict the use of solitary confinement passed on party-line votes.
  • SB334 (Salim) to prevent plea bargaining that requires someone to give up 4th Amendment rights or the right to expunge or seal their criminal records passed both chambers on party-line votes.
  • And, importantly, the conference committee budget bills HB29 and HB30 were voted on the House and Senate floors. The budget includes 3% raises for teachers and state employees, money for WMATA, mandatory RGGI rejoining, and no language relating to a Capitals-Wizards arena in Alexandria.

Governor’s actions on early bills:

  • By the Virginia Constitution, a Governor has seven days to act on those bills passed with at least seven days remaining in session. He thus acted on about 75 bills on Friday. These and his actions on all other bills will be taken up by the General Assembly at the reconvene session April 17.
  • He signed 64 bills into law, including:
    • HB174 (Henson) and SB101 (Ebbin) affirming marriage is lawful regardless of sex of individuals.
    • HB477 (Coyner) and SB50 (Locke) extending the sunset date of the Eviction Diversion Pilot Program.
    • SB46 (Van Valkenburg) and HB48 (Helmer) to prohibit legacy admissions in Virginia public universities.
  • He vetoed 8 bills, including:
    • HB46 (Bennett-Parker) and SB47 (Favola) restricting who a firearm can be transferred to following a domestic abuse conviction or protective order. Youngkin’s explanation here.
    • HB833 (Cousins) and SB115 (Lucas), which passed the Senate 40-0 and the House 56-43, affirming that possession or use of marijuana do not constitute child abuse or neglect for purposes of child custody or visitation. His explanation here.
    • SB606 (Van Valkenburg) and HB1177 (Sickles), which would require Virginia to rejoin ERIC, the Electronic [voter] Registration Information Center, which MAGA conspiracy theories focus on. His explanation here.
    • SB235 (Hashmi) and HB571 (Delaney), which clarify that law on parental notification of material with explicit content is NOT to be interpreted as permission to ban books. His explanation here.
  • He sent back amendments on another 12 bills, including:
    • HB819 (Mundon King) and SB238 (Hashmi) mandating insurance coverage of contraceptives. His amendment adds a religious exemption–which is already implied by the SCOTUS Hobby Lobby ruling.
    • HB498 (Cohen), which requires School Boards to establish a policy for notifying parents at the beginning of the school year about the safe storage of firearms around children. His “poison pill” amendment adds a re-enactment clause that the bill doesn’t take effect until the DOE creates a list of parent rights and responsibilities over a bunch of other items totally unrelated to the intent of this bill.

A “BFD”: Team Biden-Harris Raises $10 Million in 24 Hours Following President Biden’s “Home Run” State of the Union

By
Blue Virginia
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4

Good news from the Biden campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2024

A “BFD”: Team Biden-Harris Raises $10 Million in 24 Hours Following President Biden’s “Home Run” State of the Union

Historic, 24-hour raise powered by grassroots enthusiasm

In the 24 hours following President Biden’s State of the Union address, Team Biden-Harris Raised $10 Million – the largest 24 hour haul of the campaign so far. Today’s fundraising announcement comes following a week of historic fundraising milestones:

  • Following Super Tuesday, on Wednesday we raised $1.5 million online alone – one of our top performing days since launch.
  • During the State of the Union, Team Biden-Harris broke one-hour online fundraising records three hours in a row.
  • February was Team Biden-Harris’ best grassroots fundraising month since launch – and fourth consecutive record-breaking month.

In response to this historic haul, Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez released the following statement:

“Ten million dollars in 24 hours. To quote the boss, that’s a BFD.

“We thank our grassroots supporters who are motivated more than ever to reelect President Biden and Vice President Harris. The President’s State of the Union address reminded so many of our supporters who is fighting for them, and the stakes of this election for our freedoms, our rights, and our democracy.

“We send our condolences to the other guy and his flailing, poor campaign. Turns out attacking women’s rights, cutting taxes for the rich, and attacking American democracy isn’t exactly a winning message.”

Sunday News: “The Biden Plan to Ditch Netanyahu”; “Forget ‘polarization.’ It’s the GOP’s radicalization.”; SNL Mocks Katie Britt’s False, Crazy SOTU Response; “Youngkin mercilessly mocked by Louise Lucas after arena plan falters”

By
lowkell
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16

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, March 10.

Del. Rozia Henson: “Virginia will now join 16 other states that also have affirmative marriage equality language in their respective Codes”

By
Blue Virginia
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4

From Del. Rozia Henson:

GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN SIGNS MARRIAGE EQUALITY LEGISLATION, CODIFYING SAME-SEX AND INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE LICENSE PROTECTIONS IN VIRGINIA

Governor Glenn Youngkin signs historic bill introduced by Delegate Rozia A. Henson, Jr. (D-Prince William) to codify marriage license protections for same-sex and interracial couples in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) has signed House Bill 174 into law. Introduced by Delegate Rozia Henson (D-Prince William), HB 174 adds affirmative language to the Virginia Code that will guarantee the issuance of marriage licenses without regard to sex, gender, or race of the two adults seeking to enter into a marriage effective July 1, 2024.

Senator Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Delegate Henson introduced identical bills in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates respectively — both of which have successfully passed each chamber of the General Assembly with bipartisan support. Virginia will now join 16 other states that also have affirmative marriage equality language in their respective Codes: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hamphsire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

“Senator Ebbin and I introduced legislation to codify marriage equality in Virginia’s Code so that all marriages are protected under Virginia law,” said Delegate Henson. “I am pleased that Governor Youngkin has recognized this historic moment and acted on the bipartisan support of the General Assembly.”

Delegate Henson also adds, “Signing this bill into law will ease concerns from the LGBTQ+ community in Virginia following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) reversal on abortion rights by the Supreme Court and Justice Thomas’ comments in his concurrence.”

Marriage equality opponents previously testified to legislators in 2023 supporting a ban on marriage equality in Virginia, reasoning that “The [Supreme] Court is clearly in position to reverse its erroneous 2015 decision.”

Virginia House Democratic Caucus Closes Session on Time with Legislation Designed to Move Virginia Forward and a Fiscally Responsible Budget

By
Blue Virginia
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3

From the VA House Democratic Caucus:

Virginia House Democratic Caucus Closes Session on Time with Legislation Designed to Move Virginia Forward and a Fiscally Responsible Budget

House Democrats Send 711 Bills, Responsible Budget to the Governor’s Desk

RICHMOND, VA – Today, after 60 days, Virginia House of Delegates adjourned sine die — sending 711 bills and a fiscally responsible budget to the Governor’s desk, on time. The budget passed the House with bipartisan support with a 62-37 vote.

Speaker Don Scott said, “I was honored to be elected Speaker, and I’m incredibly proud of the work we have achieved this session. Our constituents sent us here to govern and to govern effectively. We did that, and on time. Some thought that our narrow majority wouldn’t be enough to lead, but we stuck together and reached across the aisle to get essential legislation on the Governor’s desk. We sent him 84 7-day bills, 64 of which have been signed into law. Together we have protected the right to marriage, protected access to reproductive healthcare, protected the right to vote and made our communities safer.”

“I am incredibly proud of the work we’ve done this session,” said House Majority Leader Charniele Herring. “On the first day of Session we stood with our colleagues in the Senate to tell Virginians across the Commonwealth that we heard them loud and clear when they told us that they wanted a Legislature that moves Virginia Forward. I’m excited to say that we’ve accomplished that goal. I want to take a moment to say how proud I am of every single one of the Delegates in our Caucus, especially our freshmen, who showed up everyday to tackle the biggest issues facing our residents and our Commonwealth.”

“This session, House Democrats have shown up for women, we’ve shown up for our children, and we’ve shown up for working families. We’ve got a budget and passed legislation that pays our teachers what they deserve, that allows women to access contraception and decide when they want to start a family, and that raises the minimum wage for hardworking Virginians. That is what the people asked of us last November and that is what we did,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Kathy Tran.

House Appropriations Chairman Torian said, “This budget represents the priorities of people who have been forgotten for so long. We sought to present a budget that spoke to the needs and concerns for the people of the commonwealth. This is a budget that includes pay raises for people who need them, that improves K-12 education and makes education affordable for people in Virginia.”

The General Assembly will reconvene on April 17th, 2024.

*******************

From the VA Senate Democratic Caucus:

Senate Democrats Celebrate Adjournment with Monumental Budget Victory

Richmond, VA — Today marks the conclusion of the Virginia General Assembly’s session, as members adjourned Sine Die, culminating in the bipartisan passage of HB 29& HB30 the 2024-2026 Biennium budget. The budget, a testament to cross-party collaboration, was approved with impressive bipartisan votes of 36–4 and 24–14, respectively. The members of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus issued the following statement:

“In November, Virginians delivered our renewed and new Democratic majorities a clear mandate to provide a check on Governor Youngkin’s out-of-step agenda. We began this session articulating our priorities to safeguard women’s reproductive rights, foster safe communities through common-sense gun violence prevention measures, protecting Virginians’ right to vote, building an economy that benefits every Virginian, and guaranteeing our children’s futures with access to a world-class education. This session, we are honored to have not only met but exceeded these expectations.

The enactment of the 2024-2026 Biennium budget marks not just a milestone but the dawn of an unwavering dedication to pivotal matters at heart. We stand in ovation and in support for the exemplary efforts of Chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations, L. Louise Lucas, whose fierce advocacy has engineered a budget that champions the needs of everyday Virginians—a stark contrast to Governor Youngkin’s proposal, which soley caters to a select elite. This budget is a mirror to the progressive strides Virginians yearn for, placing a spotlight on education rather than tax cuts, thereby channeling significant investments into our youth rather than affording tax relief to the affluent. It underscores our enduring pledge to the health and early development of every Virginian, with substantial investments that broaden healthcare access and fortify early childhood education. This document is more than a budget; it’s a testament to our collective vision for a more equitable and thriving Virginia.

We take pride in having delivered on our promises to the electorate. The Senate Democrats are dedicated to serving all Virginians and pledge to continue governing with accountability and foresight.”

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Audio: VA House Appropriations Vice Chair Mark Sickles Says Gov. Youngkin Screwed Up by Not Reaching Out to Sen. Louise Lucas on Proposed Arena, but “in the legislative process…there’s always a deal to be made – potentially”

By
lowkell
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5

Yesterday on WAMU’s “The Politics Hour,” Del. Mark Sickles – Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee – was on to discuss the question, “Is it game over for the proposed Alexandria arena?” The answer, basically, was that “we didn’t really get to the point of negotiations on any of that [transportation improvements, labor, etc.] because of concerns about the debt, the long-term debt, and what it could mean over time, that Senator Lucas has.”  Also, as Del. Sickles added, Youngkin really screwed up by not reaching out to Sen. Lucas:

“This job is as Governor is very different from being the CEO of a company, where you can just cut the deal with the top folks and pass it on. You need to do the leg work. This Administration really hasn’t discovered the secret to doing that yet, on this or many other issues. So I agree with your  assessment that if you’re implying that [Youngkin] had not spent time with Senator Lucas early on on this very major project, even though there are no General Funds in it, that he probably should have done that…This job is harder than he probably thought it was when he came down here. And, you know, he spent maybe  the first two years with his eyes elsewhere and and not really on getting to know us in the legislature very well, and depending on at the time he had a small majority in the House of Delegates, which we elected Democrats last last year…”

However, as Del. Sickles noted, “in the legislative process, there’s always hope, there’s always tomorrow, there’s always a deal to be
made – potentially.” So we’ll see…but it “ain’t over ’til it’s over.”

 

VA Sen. Barbara Favola: Youngkin “once again stood with extremists and against women”

By
Blue Virginia
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4

From VA State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington)’s office:
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