Texas Democrats have fled the state to block a Republican bill that overhauls elections. Governor Greg Abbott says when they return to the state, they will be arrested for disrupting the legislative process. Rep. Jasmine Crockett told CNN, “I don’t worry. ... I understand that I’ve not committed a crime, so I can’t get arrested,” She said at most, Abbott can have them detained but not arrested. Abbott called a special session to pass an election overhaul bill. Republicans say it’s necessary to prevent irregularities and fraud. But Democrats say it amounts to voter suppression.
The White House is working with Senate Democrats on a multi-trillion-dollar spending package. The plan would significantly expand and reshape federal spending. Senator Bernie Sanders met with President Joe Biden to talk about an infrastructure bill Monday. That bill includes the Democrat’s social spending priorities. Sanders is chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He says the bill is a way for the government to help working families. Sanders initially proposed a $6 trillion package. Biden’s proposal comes in at $3.5 trillion. Manchin or any moderate Democrat can reduce the size of the bill if they don’t support it. Every Democrat will have to vote for it to get it through the evenly divided Senate.
As fall approaches, lots of questions arise around vaccine and mask mandates. States are weighing in with different takes. California is taking a hardline stance, saying K-12 students who don’t wear masks won’t be allowed to set foot on campus, regardless of vaccination status. Meanwhile, as to student debt, the Education Department is canceling $55.6 million in student loan debt for 1,800 former students who attended three institutions that the Department of Education found had defrauded them —Westwood College, Marinello Schools of Beauty, and the Court Reporting Institute. The Education Department found the three institutes all made “widespread, substantial misrepresentations” to students. All three schools are now closed.
Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.
