Xavier Becerra Passes First Hurdle

Republicans vote No.

Democratic Los Angeles Congressman Xavier Becerra today cleared the first hurdle to becoming California's next attorney general.

A state Assembly committee controlled by Democrats voted six-to-three to support him. Becerra would replace Kamala Harris, who was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Becerra told committee members he wants to work with the state legislature.

"I hope you'll find me as someone who will listen," said Becerra. "More than that, I'm ready to do stuff. I'm probably on the downside of my life and certainly of my career in public service. And I intended to make sure I do something with it."

Becerra - who turns 59 later this month - is the first in his family to graduate from college. His mother was born in Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. after marrying his father.

"I understand exactly what my parents made possible for me," said Becerra. "And what my wife and three daughters have put up with. And so I want you to know that I take this very seriously. I look forward to working with you because each and everyone one of you can make a difference for this state and for our country. And I hope to partner with you so we can get some stuff done."

Republicans on the panel questioned Becerra on how he would work with law enforcement to curb crime. All three Republicans on the nine-member committee voted "not to confirm." Becerra promised to vigorously defend California laws from federal interference.

Becerra will now be considered by the full Assembly chamber. The Senate is also scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing.

Reposted from http://www.capradio.org/articles/2017/01/10/attorney-general-nominee-becerra-clears-first-hurdle/

Hearings Today - Anti Immigrant Trump Appointees

THIS WEEK: KELLY, SESSIONS CONFIRMATION HEARINGS: The Senate will hold confirmation hearings Tuesday for two nominees who'll affect immigration policy: retired Marine Gen. John Kelly (Department of Homeland Security) and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions (Justice Department). The hearing for Labor nominee Andrew Puzder was originally set for this week but is now postponed to Jan. 17.

Kelly has gotten a warm reception from Democratic members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Still, Kelly will be grilled about the immigration policies of President-elect Donald Trump. The border wall (Mexican-financed or otherwise) will come up. So will Trump's threatened termination of President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants deportation relief to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children. And it's hard to imagine a hearing that doesn't touch on Trump's idea to deport millions of immigrants with criminal records, or Trump's proposed reinstatement of a registry to track visitors from certain Muslim countries. 

How might an Attorney General Sessions affect immigration policy? Well, the Justice Department may be asked to defend the constitutionality of re-establishing a registry of visitors from Muslim countries (or Trump's more constitutionally-dubious ban on Muslims entering the United States), Matt Zapotosky and Sari Horwitz report in the Washington Post. Advocacy groups also fear that Sessions will use information obtained through DACA to deport undocumented immigrants. 

Sessions' views on immigration are well-known. In 2007 he opposed legislation supported by then-President George W. Bush that gave legal status to millions and enhanced border security. Armand DeKeyser, Sessions' former chief of staff, told the Post that Sessions' hardline views were influenced by a listening tour in the late 1990s visiting city police chiefs and county sheriffs. "In the years that followed his listening tour," Zapotosky and Horwitz report, "Sessions came to believe that the undocumented immigrants in rural Alabama were taking the jobs of other residents. He advocated against even legal immigration, arguing that anyone coming to the United States should benefit the citizens already here." More here.

Kamala Harris for Attorney General

California is on the verge of making history — and you can help make it happen. San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris is running for California Attorney General, and if she wins, she would be the first ever Black woman to serve in that role.

But we’re not supporting her because she’s Black — we’re supporting her because she’s visionary.¹ Harris is working not only to get violent criminals off the streets, but also to find ways to keep vulnerable youth out of prison and on the path toward a productive future. And, as she’s done in the past, she’ll use rehabilitation programs to reduce the number of repeat offenders clogging up California’s courts and prisons.²

Kamala Harris is the kind of leader we need to help change our broken criminal justice system. Tuesday’s race is likely to be close. Harris’ main opponent, Chris Kelly, is a former business executive who is pouring millions of his own fortune into attack ads that distort Harris’ record.³

We hope you’ll take a few moments to learn more about Kamala Harris, vote for her on Tuesday, and ask your friends and family to do the same.

 You can learn more about Harris and find out how you can help her campaign, here:

http://www.kamalaharris.org/