Regarding his state's high maternal death rate, @SenBillCassidy says:

“If you correct our population for race, we’re not as much of an outlier as it’d otherwise appear.”

A third of Louisiana's population is Black. The Senator's statement is rooted in white supremacy. (1/8)

https://twitter.com/VanityFair/status/1527782041382690817

I’ll paraphrase the Senator’s statement. Sen. Cassidy is saying that his state’s maternal death rate wouldn’t be so high if you didn’t count Black women.

He suggests that “correcting” the data means eliminating Black maternal health outcomes entirely. (2/8)

#OTD in 1993, the Motor Voter Act became law. This legislation allowed Americans to register to vote when they apply for or renew a driver's license.

In its first year, this law helped 30 million Americans register to vote. (1/4) A year ago, I introduced the Filer Voter Act. Based on the Motor Voter Act, my bill would allow Americans to register to vote when they file their taxes. (2/4)

Today is the first day of #BlackHistoryMonth.

Racism is still entrenched in the fabric of American society.

I’m optimistic for a future where it isn’t. But the road to that future is a long and challenging one. (1/16) In 1967, #MLK wrote, “The roots of racism are very deep in America. Historically, it was so acceptable in the national life that today it still only lightly burdens the conscience.”

Despite our progress as a country, Dr. King’s words ring true 55 years later. (2/16)

This is madness. People are struggling and we’re fighting over how many people we want to EXCLUDE from the relief checks.

What about the family w/ several kids who made 160k but lost their job in 2020? Or the person who made 80k pre-pandemic but lives in a high cost- of-living state like NJ or NY? We’re going to cut them out?

https://twitter.com/aoc/status/1367219546315227144

Today, @RepJohnKatko and I are reintroducing the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act.

The COVID-19 crisis has brought much needed attention to the serious mental health crisis many communities had already been facing. A 2019 study found that suicide attempts rose 73% in 20 years among Black youth.

Our bill would authorize funding to support research, improve the pipeline of culturally competent providers, build outreach programs that reduce stigma, and develop training programs.

If we look at history, insurrections occur when conditions become dire, the needs of people are ignored, and they get desperate.

A botched pandemic response + impotent economic relief in the face of crisis + a demagogue who shifts blame and stokes hatred = where we are today.
1/ To be clear, those who stormed the capital must be prosecuted and punished for their crimes, but if we don’t address the pain people are facing ACROSS the country, by people of all political leanings, we will never be able to bring our country back together.
2/