CHICAGO— Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, criticized Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the GOP vice presidential nominee, for supporting the child tax credit.
Vance has called for a $5,000 child tax credit. DeLauro noted that Vance has not supported the child tax credit pending in the Senate. Vance was among five Republicans and three Democrats recorded as “not voting” on a bill that would have expanded the child tax credit. Two independents who caucus with the Democrats, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Joe Manchin (I-W.V.), voted against the bill alongside 42 Republicans.
“Maybe there's an uncanny grasp of the obvious here. Margaret, I don't know,” said DeLauro when asked by Axios senior contributor Margaret Talev during an event hosted by the news outlet.
A few thousand protesters have gathered at Union Park for a rally and march focused on the Israel–Hamas war. Some protesters chanted in favor of divestment from Israel.
Brian Hartling was holding a sign condemning President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Hartling said Harris didn't have his vote.
Nadine, who did not share her last name with The Epoch Times, came to Chicago to convince voters like Hartling.
The U.S. manufacturing industry is in a recession, former President Donald Trump said on Monday.
Speaking at a campaign event in York, Pennsylvania, the Republican presidential nominee doubled down on his criticisms of the U.S. economy, including the decline in real (inflation-adjusted) incomes.
Trump homed in on the current state of the manufacturing sector. The GOP challenger stated that, under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, manufacturing has slipped into a recession and thousands of jobs have been lost since the beginning of the year.
CHICAGO—On the fringes of Union Park, Hassan Abdel Salam was opening up a cardboard box containing posters reading, “Abandon Harris ‘24.”
He was previously involved in the “Abandon Biden” movement, which set a deadline of Oct. 31, 2023, for the president to advocate for a permanent cease-fire in the Israel–Hamas war.
“The Abandon Biden campaign’s goal is to ensure that Biden loses the swing states,” its website states.
CHICAGO—Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who challenged President Joe Biden in the Democratic Presidential primary, told The Epoch Times that Vice President Kamala Harris needs to focus on policy issues at the Democratic National Convention.
“Policy will have to be issued. There’s no question that former President Trump is going to want to make it about policy,” Phillips said. He implied that the Trump campaign’s populist agenda, particularly as advocated by Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), should be contrasted with Harris's agenda.
“What I do want to see her do is demonstrate her chops … there should be more policy discussion,” Phillips said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre provided insights into President Joe Biden’s upcoming speech as Air Force One made its journey to Chicago Monday.
“This is a fulfilling moment for him. He is eager to talk about the historic results he has delivered for the country," she said to members of the press.
CHICAGO—Mohammed Khatib, a Democratic National Convention delegate from Florida, said the Democratic Party must declare the Israel–Hamas War a "genocide" against Palestinians if it wants to win the support of pro-Palestinian Democrat voters.
"Kamala Harris ... has to recognize the injustice and has to make serious actions to call for ending this injustice," Khatib told The Epoch Times in an interview.
Since October 2023, Israel has carried out military operations in the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian-occupied territories in the Levant in retaliation for terrorist attacks committed by Hamas. Despite efforts by the Biden administration for a cease-fire, the violence shows no signs of stopping.
CHICAGO—Artemis Langford, a delegate from Wyoming, said young voters are key to a Harris–Walz victory.
“We make memes because we want to share our fun and joy … It not only helps the campaign, but also those down ballot races for Democrats everywhere across the country,” Langford told The Epoch Times.
Langford also said the enthusiasm around the revamped campaign is driving youth to devote themselves to the Harris–Walz ticket.
CHICAGO—Former Democrat presidential candidate Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) said protests outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago could hurt the party’s chances in November.
“If they create scenes that I know Donald Trump would love to see, they are literally [and] simply elevating his candidacy and diminishing the opportunity that they seek,” Phillips told The Epoch Times on the floor of the convention.
“Pragmatism is something that I hope every protester could learn a little bit about.”
Pennsylvania’s Gov. Josh Shapiro appeared before the Democratic National Convention’s Labor Council meeting on Aug. 19, promising the pro-union voters that under a Harris presidency, America will never become a right-to-work nation.
Right-to-work refers to legislation intended to protect workers from being forced to join a union in order to get work.
CHICAGO—Ludi Hughes, a Democratic National Convention delegate representing New Jersey, told The Epoch Times that President Joe Biden's decision to step down from his re-election bid will be judged favorably by history.
Hughes, a Filipino-American, said Biden did the right thing by both stepping away and giving Vice President Kamala Harris his endorsement for the Democratic Party's nomination.
Hughes said she supports Harris because she's an Asian-American and she's well qualified to hold the highest public office in the United States. Hughes cited Harris's record as a prosecutor and attorney general
CHICAGO—The Trump campaign is holding daily press conferences at the Trump Hotel in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention, and Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) were the featured guests on Aug. 19.
They focused on inflation and policies they say are detrimental to the nation.
CHICAGO—Liz Shuler, president of AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, said that Vice President Kamala Harris has strong support among union households in battleground states.
AFL-CIO issued a statement on July 3, endorsing President Joe Biden and Harris.
Two people were arrested on Sunday evening near the organized protest site for the Democratic National Convention, according to the Chicago Police Department.
On Aug. 19, Briggs Le Mon, 23, and Christopher Enterline, 28, were charged with multiple misdemeanors for "defacing a business" on the 100 block of East Wacker Drive. The block is directly north of Chicago's Millennium Park. Numerous protests are taking place in the strip of parkland in the so-called Loop.
The Chicago Police Department told the Epoch Times both suspects were taken into custody near 600 South Wabash Avenue.
CHICAGO—Brian Rhoades, 30, a volunteer for a Chicago-based voter mobilization group that mails postcards to voters in rural areas, said the gig has given him a sense of agency he hadn’t felt in previous elections.
“To this point, I've been watching everything happen around me, and it's just like being an observer instead of a participant … I finally feel like a participant,” he said of his work with Progressive Turnout Project.
“We are expected to send out about 36 million postcards this year, and they estimate that we are adding about 180,000 votes in the communities just by doing our postcard program alone. So that's not including our canvassing and everything else as well,” Rhoades told Epoch Times.
CHICAGO—While Democrats may credit the Biden–Harris administration’s track record for building Vice President Kamala Harris’ momentum, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) says “this momentum is only created by the press.”
“She doesn’t answer any questions. … There's no way she can justify the economic policy she's divulged right now,” he told The Epoch Times at a press conference at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.
The Wisconsin senator said he found it “breathtaking” to see what he saw as the lack of scrutiny and “cheerleading” for Harris.
CHICAGO—Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) told reporters that he believes crypto currency is now a bipartisan issue for lawmakers.
“There’s so many, let’s say, kind of grassroots younger Democrats, younger Republicans who are so interested in this issue,” he said on the first day of a Democratic National Convention, which is themed around the future.
“We see it bubble up even as they’re talking about other things, whether it’s affordable housing or whether it’s, you know, getting their piece of the American Dream," Krishnamoorthi said.
Young people who may have scoffed at President Joe Biden are back on board with Vice President Kamala Harris on top of the ticket, according to Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
In a press gathering at the Democratic National Convention, Duckworth said young Americans are “super energizing” the Harris presidential campaign and down-ballot Democratic candidates.
She said millennials and members of Generation Z from Illinois are “jumping on board” organized groups to work in support of Sen. Tammy Baldwin's (D-Wis.) reelection campaign in nearby Wisconsin.
CHICAGO—Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, made an appearance at the Asian-American Indian-Pacific Caucus meeting where he received a cheerful ovation and afterward was surrounded by attendees looking to get a selfie with him.
The gathering is one of many caucus meetings at the McCormick Center, where the convention daytime activities are happening.
Walz had a message for AAPI caucus members: Campaign intensely for the Democratic ticket that features Vice President Kamala Harris at the top.
Michigan delegate Andrea Pierce told The Epoch Times that if Vice President Kamala Harris wants the votes of the people she represents, she needs to close down the Line 5 pipeline.
“I represent Native Americans,” she said. “I'm chair of the Anishinaabek Caucus, and our biggest issue is Line 5.”
“We need a presidential order to shut it down completely,” she added. “So that's a big issue for me and for 12 tribes in Michigan. If she wants our vote, they're going to have to shut down Line 5.”
President Joe Biden, who was just a month ago expected to secure his re-nomination at this week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago, will instead deliver a speech to pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Originally set to take the stage as the party’s nominee for a second term, Biden will now address the convention only on its opening night, endorsing Harris as the Democratic nominee and emphasizing the importance of the November election.
Biden is scheduled to give the keynote address at the convention at 9:50 p.m. CT. Other key speakers Monday include First Lady Jill Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
A mile or two west of the Democratic National Convention, the streets of the Fulton Market District were eerily quiet on Monday morning.
The district is usually a busy neighborhood, especially on a weekday. It’s home to many restaurants, bars, and corporate offices, including the headquarters of McDonald’s (located on the site once occupied by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios). The word on the street is that many workers were told they could stay home to avoid the blocked streets, increased law enforcement presence, and anticipated protests.
Ahead of the first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), officials from the Harris–Walz campaign and the DNC provided a preview of what to expect during tonight’s speeches at the United Center, the home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.
The officials focused on tonight’s main speaker: President Joe Biden, who dropped his re-election campaign last month, the first incumbent president to do so since Lyndon Johnson in 1968.
Officials said that the evening will be a celebration of the president, who is slated as the final speaker.
Here’s to Expect From the DNC
Starting Monday, Democrats will hold their long-anticipated national convention during which the party will outline to voters their vision for the future and is expected to rally behind their presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.Earlier this month, Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were formally nominated after a virtual roll call—a departure from tradition where the formal nomination occurs at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
The vice president and governor will give speeches delivered on the final two nights of the event.
This is set to be a very different convention than voters expected at the beginning of the election cycle, when President Joe Biden led the ticket for Democrats.
However, a pressure campaign forced Biden out of the candidacy after an underwhelming debate performance shock up the political landscape.
Since Harris took over the ticket, Democrats have enjoyed a boost in polling. Still, the stakes are high for Harris and the Democrats, who will need to put on a united front after months of division within the party.
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), were nominated at the Republican National Convention last month.
When and Where
The DNC will be held from Monday, Aug. 19, to Thursday, Aug. 22, in Chicago.Democrats have a long history of holding their conventions in the windy city—this will be the 12th time since 1864 that the convention has been hosted there.
The last DNC to be held in Chicago was in 1996, when President Bill Clinton was easily re-nominated by his party.
The main event this year is being held at the United Center, a convention center that doubles as the home stadium for the Chicago Bulls basketball team and the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team.
Around 50,000 attendees are expected, including the party’s approximately 5,000 delegates. Like most major political events, it won’t be open to the public.
However, it will stream on a variety of platforms, according to the party.
In addition to the normal media coverage of the event each night, voters will also be able to watch the convention online, courtesy of C-Span.
The event will also be streamed in its entirety via Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube using the vertical style popularized by those apps.
Speakers
The convention will feature speeches from an array of Democrat notables.Biden will be among the first speakers.
As is tradition at these events, neither Walz nor Harris are expected to speak until the final two days: Walz is likely to speak on the second to last day of the convention, and Harris on the final night.
Speaker are expected to appear according to this schedule:
- President Joe Biden
- Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
- Former President Barack Obama
- Former President Bill Clinton
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
- Vice President Kamala Harris
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
- Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
- Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.)
Platform
During the convention, Democrats will also formally adopt their party’s draft platform.It also details Democrats’ position on an array of issues.
It reiterates Democrats’ demands for a federal codification of Roe v. Wade—unsurprising as abortion is one of Democrats’ strongest polling issues.
Economically, there’s not much in the platform that’s especially new: it calls for the federal minimum wage to be raised to $15 an hour by 2026, policies to increase the affordability of childcare and healthcare, and making the Child Tax Credit permanent.
Additionally, the platform repeats Democrats’ long-held demands for higher taxation of very wealthy individuals and corporations.
The draft platform also calls for securing the southern border while providing a “pathway to citizenship” for the millions of illegal immigrants in the country.
However, this platform, released in early July, hasn’t been updated since Biden dropped out.
Now, hours before the convention kicks off, it still lists Biden as the party’s candidate.
Protests
While Democrats seek to project an image of unity, there’s one factor that’s outside of the party’s control: expected protests from interest groups on the left.Namely, protestors are expected to move full steam ahead with protests originally planned against Biden.
The event already has the highest possible federal security classification.
By Joseph Lord