Press Releases
WASHINGTON – Members of the Quiet Skies Caucus (QSC) sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson expressing their concerns over the FAA’s nationwide survey about aircraft noise annoyance. The letter points out that the noise metrics are outdated and do not accurately reflect the level of disruption caused by aircraft noise.
“These metrics are the very foundation of the FAA’s understanding of aircraft noise in the United States,” the members wrote. “If these metrics are not reliable, that calls into question the FAA’s entire framework of regulations and programs to reduce aircraft noise. It also suggests the FAA may not be doing enough because, to date, it has not understood the true scope of the problem.”
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Karen Bass, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement:
“I am very concerned by the allegations of human rights violations and atrocities in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Reportedly, thousands of civilians have been killed, raped, or assaulted due to the escalated dispute between the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Karen Bass issued the following statement:
“The Senate confirmation of former Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Marcia Fudge to serve as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development is a historic selection, as Congresswoman Fudge will be the first African-American woman to lead the Department in decades, and only the second in our nation’s history.
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Karen Bass issued the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021:
“Thirty years ago today, Rodney King was viciously beaten by police officers in Los Angeles. It would be the first time the world would witness what African Americans had been organizing, marching and trying to change for more than 100 years. Personally, I was hopeful that once everyone saw what happens in Black communities, policing in America would change.
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) issued the following statement on the passing of civil rights leader Vernon Jordan.
“For decades, Mr. Jordan fought for the advancement of civil rights in this country. His contributions – first challenging segregation and discrimination as an activist in the 1960s and later continuing the fight in the leadership of the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund and then as President of the National Urban League – benefited us all.
WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement:
“I am deeply concerned for the safety of school children in Nigeria who have been kidnapped in the northwest part of the country in the last few weeks. Innocent children are being held for ransom when they should be protected and have a safe learning environment.
Rep. Bass Commends the Distribution of Vaccines to the African Continent by the WHO’s COVAX Facility
WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement:
“Today, the United Nations started to roll out vaccinations in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire as part of its larger campaign to distribute 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines across Africa. Equitable distribution of vaccines across the developing world remains a major hurdle to global health, and for months, the African continent has received no vaccines.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Passes Bass Bill To Strengthen Support For U.S. – Africa Partnership
WASHINGTON – Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to pass the Young African Leaders Initiative Act of 2021, authored by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Global Human Rights. The bill now awaits a vote by the full House before being sent over to the Senate, where, if passed, will be signed into law by President Biden.
“Already, President Biden has signaled to the world his support for strengthening our partnership with the continent of Africa and the countries there,” said Congressmember Bass. “The Young African Leaders Initiative flourished under President Obama and Vice President Biden. It is important that we pass this bill to solidify our embrace of the future of the continent.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) joined Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) in reintroducing the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act. This bill, cosponsored by 137 House members and led in the Senate by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), strengthens the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, and restores the separation of powers by limiting overly broad executive authority to issue future travel bans. Supporters of the NO BAN Act issued the following statements:
Organizational Endorsements
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) reintroduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 as protests against police brutality and lack of accountability continued. The most recent protests occurred last night in Rochester, New York, after a grand jury failed to indict the police officers who handcuffed Daniel Prude, placed a hood over his head and pressed him into the pavement until he lost consciousness. He died that night.
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 is a bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, empower our communities, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing systemic racism and bias to help save lives. Last Congress, the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act passed by a bipartisan vote of 236 to 181.