The videos of Tyre Nichols’ brutal beating and subsequent death in Memphis, Tennessee, has renewed conversations surrounding federal police accountability legislation such as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
“We need a national conversation on this,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Sunday on ABC’s This Week.
Congress is also back in session on Monday as lawmakers continue discussions about raising the debt ceiling to avert an economic crisis. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is slated to meet with President Joe Biden on Wednesday to discuss spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt limit.
Here’s what else is going on in politics.
- The public is equally concerned about Biden and Trump’s classified documents: Identical percentages – 67% – are concerned with classified documents found in both Biden and former President Donald Trump’s possession, an NBC News poll found.
- Rep. Ilhan Omar’s committee assignment to be decided: The House is expected to vote sometime this week on whether to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It’s unclear if there are enough votes for the effort that’s backed by Speaker McCarthy and Omar’s GOP opponents.
- Trump is back on the campaign trail: The former president made appearances in New Hampshire and South Carolina on Saturday after his campaign has largely been quiet since launching in late 2022.
Parents of Tyre Nichols to attend State of the Union
The grieving parents of Tyre Nichols will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Feb. 7.
They were invited by Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford, who is requesting a meeting with the president this week in a renewed push for police reform after the officers were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, official misconduct and oppression in the death of Nichols.
“Mr. Nichols was a beloved father, friend, and coworker, who should still be alive today,” Horsford, a Nevada Democrat, said in a statement. “The Congressional Black Caucus is disturbed by the gut-wrenching allegations underlying Tyre Nichols’ brutal death at the hands of law enforcement and we must work to ensure that our legal system holds accountable police officers who, with impunity, kill too many in our communities.”
Having Nichols’ parents at the State of the Union will likely ensure Biden mentions his death and police reform during his primetime speech next week.
— Candy Woodall
Biden to tout infrastructure law at Baltimore tunnel
President Joe Biden is focusing on his administration’s bipartisan accomplishments this week. He holds a 2:45 p.m. event in Baltimore to spotlight a major rail tunnel replacement funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law.
This focus comes as Biden gears up for his State of the Union address next month and a possible 2024 presidential campaign.
— Holly Rosenkrantz
Americans equally concerned about Biden and Trump’s classified documents
Sixty-seven percent of Americans are concerned about classified documents found in President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump’s possession, despite multiple differences in the number of documents found and how Biden and Trump responded to the discoveries, according to a poll released Sunday by NBC News.
The survey also found that 50% of respondents disapprove of Biden’s job performance compared to 45% who approve. The numbers don’t bode well for Republicans either, who have kick-started extensive investigations into the White House.
We asked:After Trump, Biden, Pence, are other former presidents holding classified documents?
Fifty-five percent of respondents said they believe House Republicans will spend too much time investigating Biden rather than focusing on other priorities. Fifty-four percent of respondents also said they believe Republicans will be too inflexible in their investigations.
– Ken Tran
‘We’re here’: Trump returns to the campaign trail in early voting states
Former President Donald Trump resumed public campaigning Saturday with renewed attacks on long-standing targets: President Joe Biden, the 2020 election, federal and state prosecutors, and a lengthening list of Republican opponents.
“We will do it again,” Trump told supporters while introducing his “South Carolina Leadership Team” during an event at the statehouse in downtown Columbia, capping a day-long trip that also took him to New Hampshire. Both states hold early primaries in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump in trouble:Republican support for his 2024 bid falls amid political, legal setbacks
The trip comes after more than two months of political turmoil for Trump following his mid-November announcement about his 2024 campaign. Agrowingnumber of Republicans say the former president cannot win next year and the party should look for another standard-bearer.
– David Jackson
Story Credit: usatoday.com