NNPA NEWSWIRE — Now is the time for the Congress of the United States to act and to vote to pass President Joe Biden’s bold and consequential legislations: Build Back Better Framework and Infrastructure bills. Surveying across African American communities throughout the nation reveals overwhelming support for President Joe Biden’s legislative initiatives.
President Joe Biden
Federal Student Debt Forgiveness Program Receives Massive Makeover
ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — The newly revamped Public Service Loan Forgiveness program will eliminate federal loans for all applicants after borrowers make 10 years of payments. An estimated 22,000 borrowers are eligible to get their loans canceled and an additional 27,000 borrowers could be deemed eligible if they get their past payments certified. Overall, a total of 550,000 borrowers are expected to be positively impacted by these changes.
IN MEMORIAM: Colin Powell Remembered as a ‘Good Man,’ and ‘Great American’
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19,” the former General’s family wrote on Facebook. “We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American,” the family wrote. They reported that Powell had been fully vaccinated.
NNPA Meets with President’s Advisor
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The director noted that he was in the capitol on January 6 and understands how close the country came to experiencing a coup in this country. He noted that the President is vocally advocating, and his administration is pushing the restoration of voting rights. An act to address the issue is now sitting in the Senate.
OP-ED: Close the Medicaid Coverage Gap to Help Break the Cycle of Health Inequities
NNPA NEWSWIRE — I have been vocal about ensuring that we address this injustice as we structure the Build Back Better Act. I am imploring my colleagues to address the racial inequities exposed and exacerbated by COVID-19. This is a not a red state/blue state issue. This is a moral issue for all Americans. I don’t want this President and this Congress to ignore existing racial inequities. This is our opportunity to address the systemic inequities.
Dr. Tony Allen Appointed as Chair of President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Through the American Rescue Plan and by forgiving capital improvement debt of many these institutions, the Biden-Harris Administration has already committed more than $4 billion in support. Reestablishing the White House HBCU Initiative – and placing strong leadership at the head of the Board – will allow the administration to build on that financial commitment with continued institutional support, administration officials said.
All Eyes on Sens. Manchin and Sinema as President Biden Declares ‘A Meteor is Headed for our Economy’
NNPA NEWSWIRE — With President Joe Biden intimating a change to the archaic and racist Senate rule that requires 60 votes to pass legislation, the two public holdouts may have symbolically been pleading the fifth. But lawmakers cannot continue to ignore the dire consequences facing Democrats – and the nation.
Rep. Carter Urges Federal Agencies to Include DBEs in Post-Ida Recovery Contracting
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Judy Reese Morse, president and CEO of the Urban League of Louisiana, said the importance of involving businesses owned and run by people of color in the post-hurricane rebuilding of the local region would be far-reaching and much needed
President Biden Calls for End to Systemic Racism During CBCF Conference
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “I got here just a year after the Black Caucus started, 50 years, and the Black Caucus has gotten stronger every year with a powerhouse of ideas and a training ground for a lot of great leaders,” President Biden remarked. “The CBC has made a difference, and as we emerge from this pandemic, the time is right to root out systemic racism. The time is now for a moral response to heal the soul of this nation and to ensure that Black Americans are fully dealt into the economy, and to this society, they have built and shaped for centuries.”
COMMENTARY: Afghanistan: After 20 Years, Thousands Dead and Trillions Spent, Rep. Barbara Lee Proven Right
NNPA NEWSWIRE — In an August 30 statement on the Afghanistan withdrawal, Congresswoman Lee said: “Twenty years ago, it was clear that rushing into war without a clearly defined mission and exit strategy would risk perpetual war. The Special Inspector General of Afghanistan Reconstruction clearly illustrated in recent reports that ‘U.S. officials rarely had even a mediocre understanding of the Afghan environment, much less how it was responding to U.S. interventions,’ and that this ignorance often came from a ‘willful disregard for information that may have been available.’ In a world where the threat of terrorism cannot be ignored, hopefully we will learn the lessons from the past two decades and not repeat our mistakes.”

