Over a million rally against Supreme Court's upcoming ruling that could take away abortion rights

TWITTER

Washington DC had one of the largest rallies Saturday.

Over million people in over 400 events across the nation Saturday demonstrated in support of abortion rights. The rallies were parked by a pending Supreme Court decision that could deal a serious blow against abortion rights.

A leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women Health Organization written by Justice Sam Alito indicated that a majority of justices intend to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision which has established a constitutional right to abortion for nearly 50 years.

"If Roe is overturned, the impact would be swift and devastating and would severely limit abortion access in at least 26 states and territories, leaving nearly 40 million individuals without access to a crucial part of reproductive care," says the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum.

“Now, more than ever, it is imperative we protect our right to choose and access safe and legal abortions –especially in the midst of the growing assault on abortion access and, most recently, with the leaked draft opinion by Justice Alito signaling intention to overturn Roe v. Wade," said Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

"I am especially invested in this fight as I know that the impacts of these abortion bans are felt most acutely by communities of color, including the Asian American Pacific Islander community," Chu continued.

"Roe cannot and must not fall," says Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). "The path to proper abortion care is already arduous for AAPI communities – filled with language barriers, cultural stigmas, and low rates of insurance for our most vulnerable members. Although opportunities to defend abortion rights in court are shrinking, we can still protect abortion access state by state."

WOMENS MARCH SAN FRANCISCO

Hundreds of demonstrators marched in San Francisco, one of 450 rallies held in the U.S.

The Guttmacher Institute in 2021 released the first-ever study to detail abortion rates among specific Asian populations in the United States. The study, which focuses on Asian groups in New York City, finds that the abortion rate for Asian women is lower than the rates for most other major ethnic and racial groups.

• During 2014-2015, the abortion rate for Asian women in New York City was 12.6 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44 years, lower than the rates for other major racial or ethnic groups (33.8 for all women, 15.7 for White women, 63.5 for Black women and 33.9 for Hispanic women). 
• Among country-of-origin groups, Indian women had the highest rate (30.5 abortions per 1,000 women), followed by Japanese women (17), Vietnamese women (13), Chinese women (8.8), and Korean women (5.1). 
• The abortion rate for U.S.-born Asian women was about 1.5 times higher than for foreign-born Asian women, although differences varied by country of origin. For example, the abortion rate for U.S.-born Chinese women was nearly twice as high as that for foreign-born women, while among Japanese women, there was a nearly five-fold difference in the abortion rate between foreign-born and U.S.-born women. 

"Our most vulnerable communities, including people of color, low-income communities, and survivors of abuse will bear the brunt of the consequences of this unlawful and unjust rollback of set precedent," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA., who is one of four members of Congress who had an abortion. "We cannot and will not go back on decades of reproductive freedom because of extremist, right-wing Justices trying to infringe on our constitutional right to choose.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal endorses legislation expanding Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative justices are from top left, clockwise: Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justices Clarance Thomas, Sam Alito, Amy Coney Barrett,
Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.

ANALYSIS

Led by Representative Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, announced the caucus' endorsement of legislation to expand the U.S. Supreme Court by four seats, bringing the number of justices to 13. 

The Judiciary Act of 2021 was introduced in the House by three CPC members, Representatives Jerrod Nadler (NY-10), Hank Johnson (GA-04), and Mondaire Jones (NY-17), and in the Senate by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA).

“After thoughtful consideration, the Progressive Caucus membership has determined that the urgent work to restore American democracy must include expanding the Supreme Court,” said Jayapal, one of four Indian American members of Congress. 

“The current bench was filled by a partisan, right-wing effort to entrench a radical, anti-democratic faction and erode human rights that have been won over decades. 

Jayapal points out that "In recent years, this court has gutted the Voting Rights Act and public sector unions, entrenched unconstitutional abortion bans, and failed to overturn the blatantly discriminatory Muslim Ban.”

In 2022, the Supreme Court expects to issue rulings that could adversely affect the long-standing Roe v. Wade, the right of women to have an abortion; as well as issue a decision on Harvard's admission process that could impact affirmative action programs that use race as one of its factors; the legality of GOP-led efforts that would benfit the Republican Party by weakening the political voice of voters of color and other minorities by gerrymandering; and the question of adding more laws that would hinder or restrict voting.

The high court is dominated by six conservative activist justices, three of whom were appointed by former Donald Trump after they were vetted by the Federalist Society, a prominent conservative legal group. The six include Chief Justice Roberts and his conservative cohort: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and the newest member Amy Coney Barrett.

The Progressive Caucus with the backing of advocacy groups including Demand Justice, Stand Up America, and Take Back the Court argue that the Supreme Court has been expanded in the past—contrary to Republicans' claims that the Judiciary Act of 2021 is somehow "radical."

"Congress has actually changed the Supreme Court's size seven times through legislation, previously having set the number of justices on the Court to as few as five and as many as 10," Take Back the Court's website notes. 

President Franklin Roosevelt even advocated increasing the court bench to 15.

The SCOTUS had only eight justices for almost year in 2020 when Senate Republicans violated all historical norms by refusing to hold hearings on President Obama's nominee, present Attorney General Merrick Garland, to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia until the seat could be filled by a Republican president.

The impact of this conservative court could have major ramifications for the country for the next half-century. At stake are liberal laws that brought more equality and equity to people of color and benefited the middle class such as Social Security, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act and Voting Rights.

Just this past year, 

• The court ruled against revealing the sources of dark money that fueled GOP political efforts and supported Trump rallies and spread his lies, weakened;

• Ruled against the right of unions to organize at worksites;

• Set the stage for more restrictive voting laws by ruling in an Arizona case banning  voting in the wrong precinct and a ban on third-party collection of ballots from voters unable to vote in person.

Today's SCOTUS is very conservative, reports Five-Thirty-eight. According to the Supreme Court Database, 60% of all decisions last term went in a conservative direction, as well as 59% of close decisions — which is to say, decisions in which the minority side had three or four votes

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, perhaps the most outspoken of the court’s three liberals, minced no words in describing the repercussions if the court were to uphold Mississippi’s controversial ban on abortions by the 15-week of a woman's pregnancy effectively banning Roe v. Wade.

“Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?” she asked Mississippi’s solicitor general during oral arguments last year. “I don't see how it is possible.”

“The critical issues that impact our day-to-day lives – such as voting and civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate justice, and consumer and workers’ rights – are being decided by a GOP-packed conservative supermajority on a United States Supreme Court, which is destroying its own legitimacy with partisan decisions that are upending decades of precedent and progress in this nation,” said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-GA, a Progressive Caucus member and chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet. 

He concludes: "The need to expand the Court is necessary to safeguard the liberties of all who live in this country.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution -- this is an analysis, meaning it is news laced with my opinions. For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

AAPI applaud Infrastructure and Jobs Act signed by Biden, but look forward to "Build Back Better" Act

Presidnt Biden and Rep. Pramila Jayapal work for passage of massive Build Back Better plan.

President Biden signed the $1-trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was almost universally praised by AAPI leaders, they also want an additional investment in shoring up the safety net for struggling families and individuals.

“I’m proud that last night, we voted to provide tangible investments for AAPI communities in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including expanding broadband access to close the digital divide and supporting AAPI small businesses through the codification of the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency," said Rrep. Judy Chu.

"We also took another step closer to passing the Build Back Better Act. This bill, which will provide relief for millions of AAPI immigrants, and make key investments in affordable quality childcare and paid leave, will be transformative for AAPI families across the country."

A vote on the legislation is expected to take place before the Thanksgiving weekend.  The vote will take place after Congress' Congressional Budget Office turns in its fiscal analysis. The CBO said it anticipates publishing a complete cost estimate for U.S. President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" plan by Friday, Nov. 19.

The Infrastructure and Investment Act signed Tuesday will help rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails; expand access to clean drinking water; work to ensure access to high-speed Internet throughout the Nation; tackle the climate crisis; advance environmental justice; and invest in communities that have too often been left behind.

The "once in a generation" investment will create good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably for decades to come.

It is hoped that the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will be followed by the passage of the Build Back Better Plan, stated a Fact Sheet from the White House. "The Build Back Better plan includes key funding for social infrastructure that many members of marginalized communities will benefit from such as expanded healthcare coverage and paid leave benefits. We cannot complete a full recovery if we do not make investments in our social infrastructure to match our investment in physical infrastructure," the statement read.

The bottom line is the Build Back Better plan will create jobs, cut taxes, and lower costs for working families—all paid for by making the tax code fairer and making the wealthiest and large corporations pay their fair share. 

“Those are the things that are going to immediately affect people’s pocketbooks, and that is why it is so important to pass the Build Back Better Act, which I think is actually going to help people survive through this time of recovery,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal said on MSNBC’s “MTP Daily.”

Biden and Vice President Harris have also repeatedly expressed their strong support for including immigration reform in upcoming reconciliation legislation to enable Dreamers, TPS recipients, farmworkers and essential workers to gain long-awaited pathways to citizenship. Reconciliation will go directly to the President and not need to pass through the Senate, which would probably hurdle a GOP-led filibuster.

Jayapal, leader of the Progressive Caucus in the House, has been one of the strongest proponents for passage of the Build Back Better plan. She believes that the moderate Democrats who held up an earlier vote over concerns of inflation have come around and will vote for the measure. 

The Build Back Better bill includes:

Lower Prescription Drug Costs. Americans pay 2-3 times more for their prescription drugs than people in other wealthy countries, and nearly 1 in 4 Americans struggle to afford prescription drugs. President Biden’s plan will lower prescription drug costs for Americans by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices, so consumers are no longer at the whim of pharmaceutical companies.

Lower Child Care Costs. Only 57.9 percent of all three- and four-year-old Asian American children are enrolled in preschool or kindergarten programs and half of Asian American women live in areas where the supply of child care is too low to meet demand. President Biden’s plan lowers child care costs and makes universal preschool a reality, providing parents access to high-quality programs in the setting of their choice. The Build Back Better Agenda would also institute 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, to help improve the health of new mothers and reduce wage loss.

Lower Health Care Costs. More than 1.5 million AA and NHPIs were uninsured in 2019 before President Biden took office, coverage under the Affordable Care Act (even with the ACA’s premium subsidies) was too expensive for many families, and almost 1.3 million people of color were locked out of coverage because their state refused to expand Medicaid. President Biden’s plan lowers health care costs for those buying coverage through the ACA by extending the American Rescue Plan’s cost savings, which helps 197,000 uninsured AAPI people save an average of $50 per person per month, and allowing more than 150,000 uninsured AAPI people to gain coverage. The plan also adds dental, vision, and hearing coverage for the more than 2.3 million AAPIs on Medicare and closes the Medicaid gap for low-income Americans.

Lower Higher Education Costs. Education beyond high school is increasingly important to succeed in the 21st century economy, even as it has become unaffordable for too many families. The Build Back Better Agenda would provide two years of free community college—boosting the earnings of low-wage high school graduates by nearly $6,000 per year. President Biden’s plan also increases the maximum Pell Grant award by almost $1,500, and invests billions in subsidized tuition for low- and middle-income students at minority-serving institutions. The plan also invests in evidence-based strategies to strengthen completion and retention rates at institutions that serve high numbers of low-income students, particularly community colleges.

Lower Housing Costs. 26 percent of Asian American renters and 27 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander renters pay over half their income in rent. The Plan’s investments help lower housing costs and increases the supply of affordable housing through tax credits and government financing, including constructing and rehabilitating more than one million sustainable rental housing units and more than 500,000 homes working families can afford. It will also make investments to preserve existing public housing as well as remove lead-based paint from housing units.

Tax Cuts for Families with Children. 9 percent of Asian American families and 16 percent of Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander families fall below the poverty line, struggling to pay expenses like food, rent, health care and transportation for their families. President Biden’s plan will extend the Child Tax Credit expansion in the American Rescue Plan, lowering taxes for middle class families by providing the families of more than 66 million kids and nearly 600,000 AAPI people in the U.S. a major tax cut – cutting the AAPI poverty rate by 21.7 percent.

Tax Cuts for Workers Without Children. The President’s agenda permanently extends the American Rescue Plan’s increase to the Earned-Income Tax Credit from $543 to $1,502. This will benefit roughly 17 million low-wage workers, including cashiers, cooks, delivery drivers, food preparation workers, and child care providers.

Workforce Training. The U.S. has chronically underinvested in workforce development, and millions of jobs have been going unfilled in growing sectors such as construction and health care. Through high-quality career and technical education pathways and Registered Apprenticeships, President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda will invest in training programs that will prepare millions of American workers for high-quality jobs in growing sectors.

Clean Energy Jobs. When President Biden thinks about climate change, he thinks jobs. To position the U.S. to tackle the climate crisis and advance environmental justice, the President’s plan would create good-paying, union jobs, establish an energy efficiency and clean energy standard, expand and extend clean energy and electric vehicle tax credits, and enlist a new Civilian Climate Corps. As part of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, the Build Back Better Agenda would also restore American manufacturing with R&D investments—including critical investments to compete on clean energy.

Investments in Teachers and Schools. Even before the pandemic, our schools faced an estimated teacher shortage of 100,000, undermining the education of our children and students of color in particular. President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda will upgrade school infrastructure, address teacher shortages and improve teacher preparation, expand free school meals to an additional 9.3 million children during the school year and help families purchase food during the summer.

9/11: September 11 Congressional Resolution introduced acknowledging gov't role in targetting South Asians, Muslims, Sikhs

From top left, clockwise: Representatives Judy Chu, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Pramila Jayapal.

A Congressional resolution was introduce acknowledging that in the aftermath of terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, individuals experienced hate and were targeted by the government on account of their faith, race, national origin and immigration status, and suggesting various forms of relief for those individuals.

U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal, WA-07, Ilhan Omar, MN-05, Rashida Tlaib, MI-13, and Judy Chu, CA-27, introduced Thursday a Congressional Resolution acknowledging the hate, discrimination, racism, and xenophobia that Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities across America continue to experience two decades after the 9/11.

“We must fully condemn all manifestations and expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, scapegoating, and ethnic or religious bigotry while also finally acknowledging the climate of hate that Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities have experienced in the two decades since September 11, 2001,” said the Congresswomen. 

“As we acknowledge that our own government implemented harmful policies that unfairly profiled and targeted Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities, we must also celebrate that these very communities have met these challenges with unwavering courage, strength, compassion, and resilience while uniting in the aftermath to advocate for civil and human rights — work which continues to this day to benefit all Americans.”

“Twenty years ago, our Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian communities experienced the acute pain of racist hate violence fueled by our country’s deeply entrenched polices of imperialism, surveillance, and racial profiling,” said Lakshmi Sridaran, the Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). “We are hopeful that this resolution will center the accountability of Members of Congress to rescind the policies of the War on Terror and truly ensure the safety of all communities of color.”

The resolution also puts forward a series of recommendations to support those affected by the profiling and targeting that has occurred during the 20 years since the Sept. 11 attack. This includes:

• Creating an interagency task force to work with community-based organizations to review these government policies, investigate and document their impact, and dismantle those policies which continue to profile and unfairly target these communities.

• Holding hearings by congressional and civil rights bodies to explore the findings and recommendations of this interagency task force in consultation with and centering community-based organizations.

• Allocating resources to community-based organizations outside and independent of law enforcement that center the experiences and demands of Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities to support the needs of victims of hate and state violence, including language support, mental health, comprehensive support, system navigation, and crisis response and recovery

• Calling on the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the National Institute of Health, and the National Science Foundation to work together to study the impact of hate, government targeting, and profiling on physical and mental health.

Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities have long experienced discrimination and violence in the U.S., which intensified after the attacks. During the first week after the attack, community organizations documented 645 incidents of bias and hate against Americans perceived to be of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent. This climate of hate also led to bullying and violence in their everyday lives, in their workplaces, businesses, community centers and houses of worship.

The government also targeted Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian and Sikh communities with overreaching policing, surveillance, and criminalization policies that resulted in wrongful interrogation, coercion, detention, deportation, arrest, and incarceration. 

Principles like due process, presumption of innocence, and evidence of wrongdoing were replaced with humiliation, mob mentality, and guilt by association, contends the lawmakers. Border officials and government authorities also cast aside constitutional rights and engaged in discriminatory searches and seizures. 

Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and immigration authorities arrested and detained as many as 1,200 Muslims immediately after the September 11 attack, and none of these “special interest” detained people were ultimately indicted for terrorist activity. This hate and government targeting impacted the ability of these communities to exercise their constitutionally protected rights including to organize, speak, travel, and worship freely.

Among the host of local, state, and national organizations endorsing the resolution, are:

 American Friends Service Committee; American Immigration Lawyers Association; American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN); Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF); Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF); Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders for Justice San Antonio, TX; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC; Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus; Asian Law Alliance; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO; Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote); Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Florida; Defending Rights & Dissent; DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving; Empowering Pacific Islander Communities; Ensaaf; Grassroots Asians Rising; Immigration Hub; International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP); Japanese American Citizens League; Muslim Advocates; Muslim Justice League; National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF); National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development; National Council of Asian Pacific Americans; National Japanese American Memorial Foundation; National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA); North Carolina Asian Americans Together; Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Sikh Coalition; and the South Asian Americans Leading Together.

“This resolution is a good step in acknowledging the serious and detrimental mistakes made as a nation in the aftermath of 9/11,” said Abed Ayoub, the National Legal & Policy Director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). “Hate crimes and discrimination faced by Arab, Muslims, and South Asians continue to this very day, and we need to work collectively to push back against the hate. 

"Additionally, for two decades the expansion of government surveillance and overreach under the guise of national security has gone almost completely unchecked; targeting primarily Arab, Muslim, and South Asian communities. It is time Congress reins in the post 9/11 surveillance programs and restores our rights and liberties."

“While we reflect on the pervasive hate and Islamophobia that has only deepened over the last 20 years, we must acknowledge the ways our own government has fueled harmful stereotypes and actively and systematically targeted Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian and Sikh communities,” said Hammad Alam, the Staff Attorney & Program Manager at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus. 

“This resolution is a critical step in acknowledging the government targeting of our communities which predates 9/11 but exponentially grew afterwards. As we witness the devastating impacts of the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq, Congress must support community-based organizations who are leading movements to fundamentally shift the foreign and domestic policies at the root of this violence,” said Fatema Ahmad, the Executive Director of Muslim Justice League. 

A copy of the resolution is available here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: More commentary, observations, tips and references from an AAPI perspective on Twitter. Follow me @dioknoed.

Star-studded AAPI Inaugural Ball celebrates Kamala Harris' history-making inauguration

On the eve of the Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President, a host of Asian American and Pacific Islanders held the AAPI Inaugural Ball online.

The virtual event was organized by IMPACT and Run AAPI in coordination with the Presidential Inaugural Committee. It honored and recognized Biden and Harris, the first woman, first Indian American and first African American ever to be elected Vice President of the U.S.

Near the end of the virtual event Harris appeared and told her now-familiar story of being raised by a single mother, who immigrated to the U.S. from India.

Kamala Harris celebrated with the AAPI community the night before her inauguration Wednesday.

“My mother Shyamala Gopalan arrived in the United States from India,” Harris said. “She raised my sister Maya and me to know that though we may be the first, we should not be the last. And I have carried that lesson with me throughout my career.”

The hour-long Zoom celebration featured remarks from a wide array of AAPI political leaders, organizers and artists including OMB Director-designate Neera Tanden; Reps. Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Andy Kim, and Raja Krishnamoorthi; former Olympian Michelle Kwan; actors Kal Penn, John Cho, Kumail Nanjiani, and Chloe Bennet; and performances by Japanese Breakfast, Ari Afsar, and Raja Kumari. 

The celebration should be viewed on Youtube which allows the viewer to see the live reactions of those who tuned into the event. Link Here.

The virtual AAPI Inaugural Ball on Youtube includes responses from scores of viewers, right.

Pramila Jayapal says Republicans exposed her to COVID-19; asks for fines and ban on maskless Congress members

SCREEN CAPTURE / PBS

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL

United States Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, received a positive COVID-19 test result Monday after being locked down in a secured room at the U.S Capitol where numerous Republican lawmakers recklessly refused to wear masks in the moments after the attempted coup on January 6.

Dr. Brian Monahan, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress, advised representatives and Congressional staff on Sunday that those in the secured room could have, “been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection.” The duration in the room was multiple hours and several Republicans not only adamently refused to wear a mask but mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one.

“Too many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously, and in doing so, they endanger everyone around them. Only hours after President Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, our country, and our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemic — creating a superspreader event on top of a domestic terrorist attack,” said Jayapal. 

Since it was learned that Jayapal had the coronavirus, two other members of Congress -- Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., and Bonnie Coleman, D-N.J. -- were found to have contracted the deadly virus that has claimed over 376,000 lives in the U.S. They believe they were exposed to COVID-19 while sheltering in locations secured from the rioters trying to disrupt Congress' certification of the Electoral College votes.

“It angers me when they (Republicans) refuse to adhere to the directions about keeping their masks on,” said the 75-year old Coleman in an interview. “It comes off to me as arrogance and defiance. And you can be both, but not at the expense of someone else.”

“While I am isolating per the Capitol Physician’s instructions, I will continue to work to the best of my ability because the deep urgency of our many crises is paramount. I share the outrage and anger of my constituents and those across this country who have watched Donald Trump fail to combat this raging pandemic and refuse to take care of Americans who are suffering, dying, and devastated. Now, we have also watched him openly fuel and incite these insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol and our democracy on January 6—so I will not rest until I do everything in my power to remove this President from office.”

“I am also calling for serious fines to be immediately levied on every single Member who refuses to wear a mask in the Capitol,” Jayapal said in a press release. “Additionally, any Member who refuses to wear a mask should be immediately removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms. This is not a joke. Our lives and our livelihoods are at risk, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy.”

Jayapal began quarantining immediately after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, fearing and foreseeing exactly what would occur given the number of maskless lawmakers sitting in the same room as her and her colleagues. In an interview with The Cut on Thursday, she said, “I’m quarantining now because I am convinced that where we ended up, in the secured room — where there were over 100 people and many were Republicans not wearing masks — was a superspreader event.”

AAPI lawmakers shelter in place, anger against Trump mounts

SCREEN CAPTURE / MSNBC

Radical insurgents break into the Capitol building.

Jan. 6, 2021 is a day that will live in infamy and shame. The rioters broke into the Capitol building where lawmakers were confirming the electoral votes of last November's election.

Asian American and Pacific Islander members of Congress reacted to the unprecedented coup attempt.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth had to pause to collect herself before continuing her emotional speech lambasting the "tinhorn dictator," Donald Trump.

"This assault on our nation’s Capitol is a coup attempt and all those involved should be prosecuted as such," wrote Rep. Ted Lieu, D-CA. "Also, for those Dems saying we shouldn’t impeach @realDonaldTrump again? You are wrong."

Once Vice President Mike Pence was whisked away by Secret Service in the middle of the Senate debate, Lieu tweeted, "Now is the time for @VP @Mike_Pence to start the 25th Amendment process."

The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allows the vice president and a majority of Cabinet secretariesto declare Trump "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office" in writing and remove him from office.

Trump could also be impeached again, which requires a simple majority of the House and two-thirds of the Senate for removal.

Lawmakers in the Capitol tweeted their responses after assuring their families that they were safe:

“The assault of the Capitol was the direct result of a Republican party that has been willing to indulge white supremacy and conspiracy theories throughout the Trump Presidency," said Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

"The repeated attempts to undermine confidence in our elections – even after yesterday’s siege ended – are irresponsible and reprehensible. It is beyond tragic that a life was lost yesterday (Jan. 6), ending America’s proud history of bloodless transfers of power. This should have been avoided. Yet over half the House Republicans voted to reverse the outcome of this election and some are spreading lies about who was responsible."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

Biden still hasn't named an AAPI Cabinet Secretary

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

President-elect Joe Biden may be making political blunder if there are no AAPI Cabinet Secretaries.

With only a few Cabinet Secretaries remaining, patience is running thin among AAPI political activists, leaders and their supporters who want President-elect Joe Biden to name an AAPI to fill one of the three remaining slots.

In fact, Biden's Cabinet could end up having more Republicans than Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

On Dec. 29, 116 current and incoming members of Congress, led by Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), sent a bicameral letter to Biden urging him to name an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Cabinet Secretary.

“We can assume that it’s because they don’t respect the AAPI community, they don’t think we have political power, we’re not making enough of a public stink,”said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA. “I mean, there are all kinds of assumptions that we could draw. We’ve been trying not to draw those assumptions, but it gets harder and harder, as we see our requests be ignored.”

Each of the last four administrations included at least one AAPI as a Secretary. So far, in a departure from the past four administrations, none of the 12 Cabinet Secretaries nominated thus far by the President-elect have been AAPI.

The remaining slots are for Labor, Commerce and Attorney General. The Washington Post reports that Biden is considering naming Republicans for Commerce and AG. Boston Mayor 

AAPI leaders have been lobbying for California's Labor Secretary Julie Su to be named as Labor Secretary but according to the Boston Globe Biden favors Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

In the letter sent on Dec. 29, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus members said they are asking for a face-to-face an emergency meeting with Biden before another Cabinet is announced. 

“For too long, AAPIs have been overlooked in critical decisions pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and AAPIs continue to be left out of important policy discussions impacting communities of color. We see this in topics ranging from the disproportionate health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to critical policy priorities like immigration reform,” wrote CAPAC. 

When pressed to name an AAPI secretary, Biden transition officials have appear to believe that Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris, whose mother was from India, should mollify AAPI politicians. They also point to the selection of Katherine Tai as U.S. trade representative and Neera Tanden as the nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget, both Cabinet-level roles.

Vivek H. Murthy, whose parents, like Harris’s and Tanden’s, were from India, has been named Biden’s surgeon general-designate, though the role is not a Cabinet-level one.

The other nominations rank lower than Cabinet secretaries and oversee departments with far smaller budgets. For example, the budget for the Department of Health and Human Services is about $87 billion; for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, it’s $69 million.

AAPI leaders also say that when Black leaders ask for more Black representation, Harris, whose father is from Jamaica, is not thrown back at them.

CAPAC members reportedly met with Harris to express their concerns and she said that she would relay their worries to the transition team.None of the five co-chairs of the Biden transition team are AAPI and of the 15 transition team members, there are only two AAPI members, Felicia Wong, President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute ad Vivek Murthy, who has been named as Biden's Surgeon General.

The CAPAC letter concluded: "The need for diversity at the highest levels is not for the sake of optics. It’s about ensuring all experiences are reflected in our decision making. As we know, ‘personnel is policy.’ And when we have diverse leaders in positions of power, it leads to more inclusive policies that better serve the entirety of our country. That is why we strongly believe there must be an AAPI Cabinet Secretary in your administration, just as there has been for over 20 years.”

 "We are thrilled that incredible Black, Hispanic, Native American, women and LGBTQ leaders have been named as Cabinet Secretaries, breaking abrriers for communities who have been left out for so long. But without an AAPI Cabinet Secretaryi, the inclusionary vision of this Cabinet is incomplete."

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Biden could help Dems take Georgia's Senate seats by nominating an AAPI to his Cabinet

Asian Americans helped flip Georgia to Joe Biden last Nov. 3.

ANALYSIS

For all the wrong reasons, the Huffington Post headline grabbed my attention: "Biden Transition Team Won’t Commit To Asian American Cabinet Secretary."

In a meeting with 19 members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus last week, the President-elect Joe Biden's transition team was careful to not show their hand.

AAPI members of Congress want the transition team to acknowledge the support from Asian American voters. They complain that too often, Asian Americans are left out of conversations about a range of policies — including immigration — a source told Vox. There have also been concerns that there were no AAPI co-chairs on Biden’s transition and inauguration efforts.

Numerous sources including Stacey Abrams, the woman most credited for turning out the vote in Georgia, admit that Biden would not have won Georgia if not for the massive turnout of the AAPI electorate. Abrams, numerous AAPI organizations are hoping for a similar turnout on Jan. 5. 

“The surge in Asian American turnout — especially amongst first-time, younger Asian American voters — helped Biden flip the state,” said Sam Park, Georgia’s first Democratic AAPI state legislator. “If Rev. Warnock and Jon Ossoff are to be successful, turnout amongst the Asian American community will be critical.”

At stake is control of the U.S. Senate. if the two Senate seats go to the Democrats, they would have a majority in the Senate and they could remove Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, the major roadblock to the incoming administration passing the legislation to fulfill its campaign promises.

With Georgia's Senate runoff elections only weeks away, Biden could help energize the state's AAPI voters with a selection of an Asian American or two to Cabinet Secretary status and thusly, possibly guarantee a clear road for the Democrats' legislative efforts, if Georgia's Senate seats flip to the Dems.

Biden made history when he picked Indian American Kamala Harris as his running mate. The excitement of his selection swept through the Asian American community produced the highest turnout of AAPI voters ever in the early voting and on Nov. 3 just a few weeks ago. In key districts around the country, the small, but overwhelming preference for Biden and Harris pushed swing districts into the Democrats' camp.

That initial euphoria is gone now. The enticing promises of having a Cabinet that "looked like America"  -- yes, we're including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders along with Blacks and Latinos --- have dissipated into frustration and disappointment. Thus far, most of Biden's Cabinet nominations have gone to the same ol' white men Biden has worked with in the past -- experts in their fields but nevertheless, friends and loyalists.

Thus far, Biden has nominated Neera Tanden — who is the president of the Center for American Progress and is of Indian descent — as director of the Office of Management and Budget; and Katherine Tai as his Trade Representative, both important positions but not one considers as high as a post of Secretary rank.

Tanden's nominations has created the most controversy of all of Biden's picks because she had dared call out the hypocrisy of Republican senators. Her nomination is iffy, at best.

Biden wants Dr. Vivek Murthy, an Indian American, as his Surgeon General but CAPAC members point out that the Surgeon General is not a member of the President's Cabinet. The transition team made it clear that it is not likely the position would be elevated to Cabinet-level, a suggestion made by CAPAC.

Among the names being recommended by CAPAC is California Labor Secretary Julie Su, the daughter of Chinese immigrants and a longtime advocate for low-wage workers, to lead Biden’s Labor Department; and California’s transportation chief David Kim as the Department of Transportation Secretary..

The Caucus points out that previous administrations -- even Trump's -- have had more AAPI representation among Cabinet Secretaries:  three in the Obama administration; two in the Trump administration.

“It is vital that those in the highest positions in the executive branch of government reflect the great diversity of our nation, and that includes the selection of AAPIs for Cabinet positions,” Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), the first vice chair of CAPAC, told Vox in a statement. “The Biden administration should not go backwards. It should be more diverse and inclusive than past administrations, not less.”

Making the AAPI members of Congress more impatient is that there are only nine Secretary-level posts left.

AAPI lawmakers are not the only ones seeking better representation in the Biden administration. Other interest groups are pressuring Biden for better presence in the Cabinet, as candidates for more positions — including attorney general, agriculture secretary, labor secretary, and transportation secretary — are named.

The cultural concept of indebtedness -- and returning that debt -- is shared among many Asian cultures. The strength of that more survived the trip across the Pacific. It still exerts a powerful feeling and affects decision-making among Asian Americans. Since Nov. 3, how AAPI voting surge for Biden appears to have been at best, forgotten; or, at worst, shrugged off. 

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, was among those Congressmembers who expressed dismay at the disappointing response of Biden's transition team, she said. “Frankly, it feels extremely disrespectful to the AAPI community.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

After celebrating historic Biden-Harris victory, AAPI advocates gird themselves for next steps

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris proclaim their victory Saturday, Nov. 7.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders celebrated Joe Biden's triumph at the polls, but having Kamala Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants on the same ticket heightened the emotional and historic note to the history-making political victory.

Harris, whose mother is from India, "broke one of the highest glass ceilings today by becoming the first woman, first Asian American, and first African American Vice President-elect in our nation’s history," said a statement from the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. 

"As the daughter of immigrants, she is a living example of the American Dream and a testament to millions of young girls across the nation that the sky is the limit." 

RELATED: AAPI celebrities overcome with joy

In a statement, the U.S. India Political Action Committee called Harris' election "one of the most inspirational days for young girls everywhere, especially Black and Indian girls. A victory for decency, class, truth, maturity and unity."

The U.S.-India Business Council e-mailed a statement to journalists congratulating  Harris and President-Elect Biden, calling their victory "truly a barrier breaking moment, and one that celebrates the diversity of America."

"America needed a leader who would be serious about solving the biggest health challenge of COVID and would set a positive tone in the nation and the world. Joe Biden is such a person and it is a big plus to have Kamala Harris as the vice-president to guide this nation towards the right direction,” said Dr Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE) and Founder of EcoSikh.

Many  members of the AAPI communities noted that the Democrats' win was even more special considering the current administration's policies hurt immigrants and people of color.

"The last four years have been tough for Asian Americans, communities of color, and countless Americans. Starting with the Muslim Ban, President Trump’s policies made the poorest among us choose between feeding our families and a chance at a green card.," stated the Asian American Federation. "His policies also cut off pathways that brought immigrant families together and stoked the fires of racism that hurt us and our Black and Brown sisters and brothers, particularly during the pandemic."

For many, it was the first time that they took an active part in a political campaign and from their comments, the Biden-Harris campaign may be the launching pad for greater political participation.

"While this is a victory, we will not lose sight of the fact that representation alone is not power and that institutional systems have not changed," warns the Asian American Advancing Justice-Los Angeles statement. "There is still work to be done on issues that are essential to our community. We will work together to address anti-discrimination, immigration, human rights, healthcare access, voting rights and fair representation,"  

"Our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander brothers, sisters, and siblings deserve equity, peace, and justice that are only achieved with true democracy ... Election 2020 fortifies our commitment to the individuals who need us. No matter what happens in the White House, we will not stop striving for civil and human rights for our people.”

Filipino Americans for Biden-Harris issued a statement Sunday: "As Filipino Americans and others are aware, the Biden victory marks not just the end of the campaign, but the beginning of the real challenge of uniting what has become a divided country. Filipino Americans will have a role to play in this effort as well, by supporting the work of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as they implement their plan to control the spread of the coronavirus, get supplies to front-line healthcare workers, revitalize the economy and provide parents, seniors, families and entire communities with the hope and resources they need to survive and thrive in the face of what has become a challenging world."

The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, looking to the future and fearful that the conservative Supreme Court will rule against a woman's right to choose used the moment to look to the future and. asked Biden and Harris to balance the Supreme Court by adding new members.

"With the Supreme Court appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, Trump has created a supermajority on the court of justices who are opposed to our values and priorities," said the NAPAWF statement. "We’re done waiting for devastating decisions to come down that take away our ability to make decisions about the formation of our families, provide for our loved ones, and to even exist in this country without fear. It’s time to expand the courts.”

Stop AAPI Hate cautioned that despite the pending change of administrations, acts of hate agaginst Asian Americans continue to rise.

"Over the past eight months, Stop AAPI Hate has received reports revealing that Asian Americans have been the victims of thousands of racist attacks since COVID-19 began to spread in our country and continue to live in a climate of fear and discrimination that impacts their daily lives. These attacks have been exacerbated by anti-Asian American rhetoric pushed forward by elected officials, as well as by dozens of policies from the previous administration. 

"It’s vital that the incoming administration takes immediate responsibility for challenging and addressing the racist hate that is in danger of permeating our society and undoing the xenophobic policies that target the Asian American community,” continued the statement from Stop AAPI Hate.

"Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities have turned out in record numbers this election cycle to make their voices heard. And Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have contributed greatly in their communities to make their voices heard in national politics, priorities and policies. In fact, our community turned out in historic numbers — by voting early, by mail or on Election Day," said the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum.

"The election of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris is a rebuke on the dangerous policies put forth by the Trump administration and will restore decency, productivity and progress to the White House," said the health advocates.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, who released a video of her dancing on h"er front porch celebrating the Biden-Harris victory, stressed the importance of being active advocates of democracy.

“Today is so much bigger than these two individuals or one political party. Today is only possible because people across our state and throughout our country put aside cynicism, doubts and fears to step up, speak out and organize—not only for this election but for the past four years of the Trump presidency," she said.

 

“Our work is only beginning. Our task is to keep momentum high and to remember that without young people, people of color, progressives, working people and the most vulnerable turning out in record numbers and tipping us to victory in key states, we would not have won," said Jayapal. "We must now organize for people-first policies that make opportunity for all a reality, to finally reckon with white supremacy and anti-Blackness and to chart a course that never, ever leaves even one of us behind."