Politics

By Gram Slattery and Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican U.S. Senator Tim Scott plans to launch a presidential exploratory committee on Wednesday, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, a key step toward running for president in 2024.

If he were to run, Scott would challenge former President Donald Trump, who launched his campaign in November and recently became the first former U.S. president to be criminally indicted by a grand jury.

On Wednesday, Scott will be in Iowa, the lead-off state in the Republican presidential nominating process. He will then travel to New Hampshire on Thursday before coming back to his home state of South Carolina on Friday ahead of a local summit in Charleston.

On Saturday, he will give donors and prominent supporters a “political update,” according to an invitation seen by Reuters.

As the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, Scott, 57, has taken a leading role on police-reform efforts and has spoken frequently on racial issues.

Scott often called out Trump during his presidency over racially charged comments and blocked several of his judicial nominees for such reasons. At the same time, Scott has accused Democrats of exploiting racial tensions for partisan gain.

Scott has described being the victim of racial prejudice but has insisted, as he put it in a 2021 speech, that “America is not a racist country.”

Republicans who have formally launched campaigns for the party’s 2024 nomination include former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and activist investor Vivek Ramaswamy.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence are also expected to join the race, though neither have announced their candidacy. Polls show DeSantis as Trump’s closest rival for the Republican nomination.

Scott garners no more than 2% support in almost all polls, though supporters argue that will change as he becomes a better-known national figure.

(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Scott Malone and Gerry Doyle)

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By Sandra Stojanovic and Omar Younis

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) -Tennessee Democrats on Tuesday will press for the reinstatement of a second state representatives who was expelled for leading a gun policy protest on the floor of the statehouse, after the first was reinstated on Monday.

Justin Jones pumped his fist and declared “power to the people” as he returned to the state House of Representatives on Monday after being restored by the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County.

His colleague Justin Pearson, the other young Black legislator who was expelled last week, could get a similar vote for reinstatement on Wednesday when the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will consider reappointing him to his Memphis district.

“You might try and silence it. You might try and expel it. But the people’s power will not be stopped,” Pearson told supporters outside the council chambers in Nashville following Jones’s reinstatement. “This is what democracy looks like.”

In a joint statement after Jones’s reinstatement, William Lamberth and Jeremy Faison, who lead Tennessee’s House Republicans, noted that the state’s constitution “provides a pathway back for expulsion.”

“Should any expelled member be reappointed, we will welcome them,” Monday’s statement said. “Like everyone else, they are expected to follow the rules of the House as well as state law.”

Republican lawmakers last week kicked out Jones and Pearson for breaking decorum but came up one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to expel Representative Gloria Johnson, a white woman who joined Jones and Pearson in the demonstration but did not speak through a megaphone.

The conflict has captured national attention and served as a rallying cry for Democrats over the issues of democracy, gun violence and racial inequality.

A large crowd calling for gun control protested outside the statehouse March 30, and Jones and Pearson engaged in a call-and-response from the chamber’s floor with people who took their protest into the spectators gallery following the March 27 school shooting in Nashville that killed three 9-year-old school children and three adults.

On Monday, about 600 protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Council as it voted 36-0 to make Jones, 27, the interim representative.

The vote set off a celebration as supporters shouted “Whose house? Our house!” and “No Justin, no peace” while displaying signs that read, “Protect kids, not guns” and “Stop sales of AR15.”

Many of them followed Jones to the statehouse, cheering him as he was sworn in on the steps.

The House was in session as he then quietly entered the chamber and took his seat. A colleague shook his hand. Jones was introduced to cheers from the gallery, and he raised a fist in acknowledgement.

“I want to welcome the people back to the people’s house,” Jones said after House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, gave him an opportunity to address the assembly. “I want to welcome democracy back to the people’s house.” Jones then settled in to listen to debate and take part in voting.

Republican lawmakers hold a 75-23 supermajority and have shown little concern for reprisal from voters.

(Reporting by Sandra Stojanovic and Omar Younis in Nashville; Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Donna Bryson and Lisa Shumaker)

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By Brendan O’Brien and Jarrett Renshaw

CHICAGO (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden picked Chicago to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention, tapping a large liberal city in the heart of the Midwest to hold what could be his nominating party, officials said on Tuesday.

Chicago beat out New York, another progressive city, as well as Atlanta, a city in the presidential battleground state of Georgia that helped Biden win the White House and gain control of the Senate. Houston was eliminated earlier in the process.

“Chicago is a great choice to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention,” Biden said in a statement distributed by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Tuesday. “Democrats will gather to showcase our historic progress including building an economy from the middle out and bottom up, not from the top down.”

Chicago’s supporters made the case that it was diverse, liberal city that celebrated labor and civil rights. They also argued that it was located in the critical Midwestern part of the country that Democrats need to win if they want to retain the White House, including the competitive states of Michigan and Wisconsin.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a billionaire Democratic donor, also made clear that his state’s largest city had the financial resources and experience to run a smooth, large-scale event. The city has hosted several Democratic conventions, including the tumultuous and violent 1968 gathering during the Vietnam War.

The decision took Democrats in the South by surprise after they marshaled tens of millions of dollars in support for the bid and felt that there was some momentum behind it, especially after Biden endorsed putting South Carolina and Georgia before Iowa in the party’s nominating calendar.

“There’ll be some initial heartbreak, which I’m experiencing right now,” said Dominick Perkins, a top Democratic strategist in Georgia. “But people are still going to continue to do the work we’ve always done and we’ll continue to get the wins. This state is trending blue.”

The convention, where delegates will formally select a final Democratic nominee to run in the November 2024 presidential election, will run from Aug. 19-22 next year, the DNC said.

While he has not officially declared his candidacy, Biden has said he intends to run for re-election and is yet to face a serious threat for the nomination despite concerns about the 80-year-old president’s age.

(Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jasper Ward; Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Oatis)

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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) – Tennessee Democrats on Tuesday will press for the reinstatement of the second of two state representatives who were expelled for leading a rule-breaking gun policy protest on the floor of the statehouse, after the first was reinstated on Monday.

Justin Jones pumped his fist and declared “power to the people” as he returned to the state House of Representatives after being restored by the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County.

His colleague Justin Pearson, the other young Black legislator who was expelled, could get a similar vote for reinstatement on Wednesday when the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will consider reappointing him to his Memphis district.

“You might try and silence it. You might try and expel it. But the people’s power will not be stopped,” Pearson told supporters outside the council chambers. “This is what democracy looks like.”

Republican lawmakers ousted Jones and Pearson last week for breaking decorum.

The conflict has captured national attention and served as a rallying cry for Democrats over the issues of democracy, gun violence and racial inequality.

Throughout events, Jones and Pearson have attracted big crowds like the one that joined them on March 30 to protest Republican gun policies following the March 27 school shooting in Nashville that killed three 9-year-old school children and three adults.

On Monday, about 600 protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Council as it voted 36-0 on Monday to make Jones, 27, the interim representative.

The vote set off a celebration as supporters shouted “Whose house? Our house!” and “No Justin, no peace” while displaying signs that read, “Protect kids, not guns” and “Stop sales of AR15.”

Many of them followed Jones to the statehouse, surrounding him as he was sworn in on the steps and cheering as he reclaimed his seat.

Republican lawmakers have remained largely silent since voting to oust Jones and Pearson. During the debate they underscored the severity of disrupting the normal course of business and drowning out representatives with differing views.

They still hold a 75-23 supermajority and have shown little concern for reprisal from voters. They kicked out Jones and Pearson but came up one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to expel Representative Gloria Johnson, a white woman who joined Jones and Pearson in the demonstration but unlike them did not break the rule of speaking through a megaphone.

(Reporting by Sandra Stojanovic and Omar Younis; Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday he plans to introduce a resolution rejecting former President Donald Trump’s call to defund the Justice Department and FBI.

Trump, who is seeking to regain the presidency in 2024, made the plea to his fellow Republicans in Congress one day after being charged in New York with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He pleaded not guilty.

Schumer, a Democrat, said he would offer a Senate resolution rejecting Trump’s move, calling it a “a baseless, self-serving broadside against the men and women who keep our nation safe.”

The resolution would recognize the dedication of the people who serve in the law enforcement agencies, condemn calls to defund Justice and the FBI, and reject partisan attempts to degrade public trust in them, Schumer said in a statement.

While Democrats have a slim majority in the Senate, Republicans took control of the House of Representatives.

“The former President and his allies in Congress must not subjugate justice and public safety because of their own personal grievances,” Schumer said.

A resolution is often used to express lawmakers’ approval or disapproval of something they cannot vote on.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu, editing by Ed Osmond)

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CHICAGO (Reuters) – President Joe Biden and his party selected Chicago to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention, tapping a large liberal city in the heart of the Midwest to hold its nominating party, the Democratic National Committee announced on Tuesday.

Chicago beat out New York, another progressive city, as well as Atlanta, a city in the presidential battleground state of Georgia that helped Biden win the White House and gain control of the Senate. Houston was eliminated earlier in the process.

“Chicago is a great choice to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention,” Biden said in a statement. “Democrats will gather to showcase our historic progress including building an economy from the middle out and bottom up, not from the top down.”

Chicago’s supporters made the case that it was diverse, liberal city that celebrated labor and civil rights. They also argued that it was located in the critical Midwestern part of the country that Democrats need to win if they want to retain the White House. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a longtime and wealthy Democratic donor, also made clear that his state’s largest city had the financial resources and experience to run a smooth, large-scale event.

The convention, where delegates will formally select a final Democratic nominee to run in the November 2024 presidential election, will run from Aug. 19-22, the DNC said.

Biden called Pritzker to tell him about Chicago’s selection before leaving for Ireland, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

While he has not officially declared his candidacy, Biden is expected to be the party’s standard-bearer in the 2024 general election.

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Jasper Ward; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Oatis)

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By Sandra Stojanovic and Omar Younis

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) -Tennessee state Representative Justin Jones returned to the state House on Monday, pumping his fist and declaring “power to the people” as a Nashville-area council restored him to office following his expulsion over a gun protest.

Republican lawmakers ousted Jones and another young, Black legislator last week over their gun control protest on the House floor, capturing national attention with Democrats seeking to advance gun violence prevention and racial equality while Republicans wielded their supermajority power.

County legislatures are empowered to fill local vacancies to the Tennessee statehouse until a special election can be held to fill out the remainder of the two-year term.

The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted 36-0 on Monday to make Jones, 27, the interim representative. He had been elected to Tennessee’s House of Representatives last year.

Republicans on Thursday voted to kick out Jones and fellow Democrat Justin Pearson, but spared a white representative who joined them in their rule-breaking demonstration in the well of the House floor on March 30.

Unlike the other two, Gloria Johnson, the white representative, did not use a megaphone. The vote to expel her came up one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed, prompting criticisms that race was a factor.

Pearson could get a similar vote for reinstatement on Wednesday when the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will consider reappointing him to his Memphis district.

The three were protesting the legislature’s stance on guns in the wake of the March 27 shooting at a Nashville school that killed three 9-year-old students and three staff members.

The Covenant School shooting was one of 146 mass shootings in the United States this year, the highest number to date of any year since 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot or killed, excluding the shooter.

In yet another shooting on Monday, four people were killed by one of their coworkers at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Metro Council vote set off a celebration among some 600 protesters gathered outside, as people greeted Jones with cheers of “Welcome home!”

Jones then marched with Johnson back to the statehouse, carrying his nameplate, and was sworn in on the steps, surrounded by supporters.

He took his place while the House was in session, holding up a fist while supporters cheered from the gallery.

“I want to welcome the people back to the people’s house,” Jones said upon being reseated.

Addressing supporters before the vote, Jones accused the Republicans of operating “plantation politics” and abuse of power.

“Thank you, because it’s galvanized a nationwide movement,” Jones said. “The world is watching Tennessee.”

Council Member Delishia Porterfield, who lost to Jones in the 2022 primary for the statehouse seat, nominated him for reinstatement, saying their vote would “send a strong message to our state government and across the country.”

A spokesperson for House Speaker Cameron Sexton did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Before the vote, the spokesperson said the House would seat whomever the county legislatures appoint “as the constitution requires.”

Jones and Pearson, 28, have both said they would run again in special elections.

Although Republicans control the state legislature, Memphis and Nashville are heavily Democratic. Voters in Davidson and Shelby counties voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Joe Biden over Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential race.

The expulsions have become a rallying cry for Democrats nationally over the issues of gun violence and racial inequality, and an opportunity to push back against Republican dominance at the state level.

While Democrats are competitive nationally, winning the popular vote in seven of the past eight presidential elections, Republicans hold large majorities in many of the state houses where issues such as abortion and gun control are often decided.

(Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta, Gabriella Borter and Rich McKay; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Donna Bryson, Aurora Ellis, Jonathan Oatis, Lisa Shumaker, Leslie Adler and Kim Coghill)

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By Daniel Trotta

(Reuters) – A Nashville-area county council may return to the statehouse one of two Democratic Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled from the chamber last week over a gun control protest when it meets on Monday to fill the vacant seat.

Republicans who control the state House of Representatives on Thursday voted to kick out Justin Jones and James Pearson, two Black men who recently joined the legislature, over their rule-breaking protest on the House floor on March 30.

At least 29 of the 40 members of the Metropolitan Council for Nashville and Davidson County have said they back appointing Jones as an interim representative for his previous seat until a special election can be held, The Tennessean reported. Returning Jones would send a pointed message to the Republicans who accused him of violating decorum.

On Wednesday, a Memphis-area board of commissioners will consider reappointing Pearson to the seat he was removed from.

Jones and Pearson both said on Sunday they hoped to be reappointed and that they would run again in special elections.

Jones, Pearson and Gloria Johnson, a white representative, led the statehouse floor protest to demand stricter gun control laws after the March 27 school shooting in Nashville that killed three 9-year-old school children and three adults on the school staff.

Republicans also targeted Johnson but came up one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to oust her.

The expulsions have become a rallying cry for Democrats nationally on the issues of gun violence prevention and racial equality, and an opportunity to push back against Republican dominance at the state level.

While Democrats are competitive nationally, winning the popular vote in seven of the past eight presidential elections, Republicans control many of the statehouses where they have large majorities and where issues such as abortion and gun control are often decided.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris flew to Nashville on Friday to support the three Tennessee lawmakers targeted for expulsion.

“The issue, which gets back to these three, is that we need leaders who have the courage to act at statehouses and in Washington, D.C., in the United States Congress,” Harris, who is Black and Asian American, told a gathering at Fisk University, a historically Black school that Jones attended. “Have the courage to act instead of the cowardice to not allow debate.”

The Nashville-area Metropolitan Council called a meeting for 4:30 p.m. CDT (2130 GMT) on Monday to announce the vacancy of Jones’ seat, discuss the rules for filling vacancies and possibly vote for an interim successor, according the agenda.

In Shelby County, which includes Pearson’s Memphis district, the chair of the county board of commissioners announced on Sunday that a special meeting had been called for Wednesday to consider reappointing Pearson to his seat.

The board of commissioners appointed Pearson, 28, in January to fill a legislative vacancy. He then won a special election in March. A Memphis native, he previously worked as a community organizer and activist who participated in protests against an oil pipeline through Memphis that was canceled, according to his campaign biography.

Jones, 27, was elected to the House of Representatives last year. He attended Fisk on the John R. Lewis Scholarship for Social Activism and has been arrested more than a dozen times for nonviolent protests, according to his campaign biography.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta and Gabriella Borter; Editing by Donna Bryson, Josie Kao and Christian Schmollinger)

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday he plans to run for reelection in 2024 but was not prepared to announce it yet.

“I plan on running … but we’re not prepared to announce it yet,” Biden said in an interview with NBC’s “Today” show before the White House Easter Egg Roll.

Biden has said he intends to be the Democratic candidate in 2024 but has not made a formal announcement. Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have said they will run together.

Top White House advisers are set to make final decisions on launching Biden’s re-election campaign, NBC News reported, citing several unidentified sources.

“The decision part is over, but he resents the pressure to have to announce what he’s already decided,” one source familiar with the matter told NBC.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Toby Chopra and Jonathan Oatis)

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By Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – “Biden nominee Julie Su wants to turn the lights off” reads a billboard in West Virginia; another in Montana warns that Su, U.S. President Joe Biden’s nominee for labor secretary, will turn the state into California; in Arizona, the message is, “Su’s gig could be destroying your gig.”

In addition to these, newspaper and digital advertisements will start appearing with more frequency in these states as her confirmation hearing date set for April 20 approaches. The White House and the administration have been touting Su’s history of fighting for underpaid workers, while industry groups against her policies have begun to aggressively oppose her.

Su, a civil rights lawyer, former California labor commissioner, head of the state’s sprawling labor agency and child of Chinese immigrants, needs at least 50 votes in a Senate where Democrats have a slim 51-49 majority.

Support of all Democrats and Independents is not a given, and several industry officials told Reuters they believe Su will have a tough time getting confirmed.

Industry groups are focusing their campaign on Montana, Arizona and West Virginia, as they worry Su would push nationwide policies that are similar to what she oversaw in California where she supported laws such as the one that classified some gig workers as employees, which some businesses claim impacted their ability to rely on freelancers.

White House spokesperson Emilie Simons said the administration is “currently engaged with a broad coalition of supporters on Julie’s nomination, including elected officials, labor leaders, key stakeholders, and business groups.”

Simons said the White House has received “outspoken support for her nomination since the announcement was made.”

Rachel Tripp, a spokesperson for a coalition of lobby groups representing businesses, freelancers and franchisees – called “Stand Against Su” – which was recently formed to oppose her nomination said they are “working to have senators from across the aisle and from every region understand what’s at stake here.”

Crucial senators in Montana, West Virginia and Arizona, who voted for Su to become deputy Labor Secretary in 2021, are on the fence about her confirmation for the top job. All three senators, two Democrats and one Democrat-turned-independent, are up for reelection in 2024.

Their reluctance to back a woman they previously confirmed signals Biden’s push to rein in corporate power and push higher wages for workers faces stiff opposition in Congress, even with Democratic control of the chamber.

Biden’s nominee to lead the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division failed last year after industry opposition and Democratic defections and his nominee for the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, who called for tougher bank regulation, withdrew in 2021.

When it comes to Su, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia is undecided, while Jon Tester of Montana is reviewing Su’s record, his spokesperson said. Senator Kirsten Sinema’s aide she never previews her votes.

Billboards, newspaper and digital advertisements are flooding these and other states. Industry groups have written to Biden and lawmakers asking for a review of her record.

“We’re not wanting to see California’s failures spread to other states, and with somebody at the helm who was the chief enforcer of such policies in California,” said Karen Anderson, founder of Freelancers Against AB5, a state law Su championed that extends employee classification status to some gig workers.

The law is tied up in litigation, and it is difficult to assess its economic impact on workers or companies at this time.

Kristin Sharp, chief executive of the Flex Association, a trade group representing rideshare and delivery companies such as Uber and Lyft opposing Su’s nomination, said her group’s goal is to make sure “lawmakers know we need a labor secretary that embraces the opportunities that technology has unleashed for workers.”

WHITE HOUSE, UNIONS PLAN DEFENSE

The Biden administration is preparing for a tough road to confirmation, the sources said. Large labor unions including the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are crafting plans to defend Su, union officials said.

The AFL-CIO will target Montana, West Virginia, Arizona and Maine, communicating support for Su to its members to get them to contact their state senators. In Maine, unions plan to target senators Angus King and Susan Collins.

King voted to confirm Su in 2021. A spokesperson for Maine’s Republican Senator Susan Collins said she does not support Su’s nomination. She voted no on Su’s deputy secretary nomination in 2021, as did all Republicans.

“We knew from the get go that there was going to be a very aggressive campaign run by corporate special interests against her,” said Steve Smith, deputy Director of Public Affairs for Political and Organizing at the AFL-CIO.

Corporations are attacking Julie because “she’s such a strong advocate for workers and they know that,” Smith said.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington, Additional reporting by David Morgan and Rick Cowan in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Josie Kao)

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