Press Releases
WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) issued the following statement after the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act was passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
“This pandemic has exposed the most vulnerable populations in our country – especially the nearly half a million young people in our child welfare system and those who ‘age out’ of foster care every year.
WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement regarding the unlawful arrest of human rights lawyer and activist Nicholas Opiyo by the Ugandan authorities.
“I urge the Government of Uganda to release Nicholas Opiyo and investigate his unlawful detention by the Ugandan Security Forces. Mr. Opiyo must be given due process, and his unlawful arrest sends a strong message that the country has no regard for basic human rights and the rule of law.”
WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) issued the following statement after Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber was appointed to serve as California's Secretary of State. Prior to being elected to the California State Assembly in 2012, Dr. Weber served on the San Diego Board of Education, and as a Professor of African-American Studies at San Diego State University.
"Congratulations to the Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus – my friend Dr. Shirley Weber – on her appointment to serve California as the next Secretary of State.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressmember Karen Bass (D-CA) issued the following statement after Governor Gavin Newsom appointed California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to serve California in the United States Senate.
“I’ve known Alex dating back to when he served our city as the youngest-ever President of the Los Angeles City Council. We served together in the State legislature where he passed landmark legislation to make California the first state in the nation to require chain restaurants to post calorie information directly on menus.
WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement regarding the abduction of over 300 students in northern Nigeria.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressmember Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) led a letter to Attorney General William Barr requesting information regarding the use of ketamine and other sedatives or chemical restraints on individuals during their arrest or detention by law enforcement.
The letter was also signed by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Congressman David Cicelline (D-RI).
The Members wrote, in part:
WASHINGTON - This week, United States Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) and Karen Bass (D-CA) introduced H.R. 8915, the Preparing Superfund For Climate Change Act. The legislation would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to account for climate change in their plans for managing Superfund sites, which are polluted locations that contain hazardous toxic waste and other contaminants harmful to public health. U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) has introduced identical legislation in the Senate.
“Sea level rise on the coasts, 100-year river flooding and devastating fires across the west could reach several Superfund sites and send highly dangerous chemicals into our air, soil and water,” said Congressmember Bass.
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-37), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-1), Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, and Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-1), Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced the Diversity and Inclusion at the Department of State Act.
This legislation establishes a senior-level office of the Chief Diversity Officer to advocate for diversity within the Department, changes promotion and other practices to improve retention and equity, and includes Reps.
WASHINGTON - Today, the House of Representatives passed the One-Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act of 2020, which was authored by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime. H.R 8161 would create resource centers in communities to assist individuals exiting custody and formerly incarcerated individuals, removing burdens on parole and probation programs throughout the country. These centers will reduce the chance of reoffence by making basic resources available to individuals who would otherwise not have access to them. The hope is that formerly incarcerated individuals would be able to run these programs. Watch her remarks below.
Read more about the bill here.
WASHINGON - Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime entered the following testimony from Donte Westmoreland into the record of the subcommittee's oversite hearing on the Bureau of Prisons.
"Chairwoman Bass, Ranking Member Jordan, and Members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime: