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Colin Allred: His Own Man

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “…refusing to expand Medicaid is also the wrong thing to do. It’s just not who we are as people. To me, this is all about values and it should be a value of ours to try and make sure that as many of our neighbors as possible can go see a doctor when they need to.”

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The Dallas Weekly, Staff Report

The Dallas Weekly recently got a chance to have some one-on-one time with North Dallas’ own Congressional freshman phenom, Representative Colin Allred, the first Democrat to represent Texas’ 32nd district since its creation in 2003. In defeating Pete Sessions, who had held that district since then, Allred pulled off an upset that – in normal times – would have automatically catapulted this dynamic civil rights attorney into the national spotlight.

However, there is no question that the 2018 midterms were unlike any previous election cycle this century. On the Democratic side, record numbers of women and the most ethnically diverse coalition ever ran on an equally diverse range of issues. Healthcare in particular has become one of the most prominent indicators of the Democratic Party’s expanded range, as defending the ACA is now considered the moderate position in contrast with more progressive single payer systems like Medicare For All.

Into this slew of contradictions stands Representative Allred, a self-proclaimed moderate who considers his advocacy for positions on different sides of the aisle “pragmatic.” And in the theme of this new class, defies the definitions simple labels imply. For example, while Congressman Allred is a staunch proponent of strengthening the ACA, he also endorses the expansion of Medicare. Voted co-president of the freshman class by his peers, yet one of the last holdouts when it came to endorsing Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. Contradictions.

Still, those contradictions just might make Congressman Allred a perfect fit for his North Dallas district. His desire to serve his constituents reveals the earnestness of a man who was not only born and raised in the district, but also still calls that district home. Indeed, of all the questions posed to the Congressman, his most detailed response was to our query about his goals for his district.

Congressman Colin Allred (CA): “We – my staff and I – want to restore the constituent work of being an advocate and resource for the people in the district. I want folks to feel like they have someone in office they can call who will do everything we can to help with whatever their issue is. If you have an issue with your Medicare or Social Security or if you’re a veteran and you’re having trouble getting your benefits…reach out to us and we will go to bat for you and make sure that you get the services that you need.

“I want to make sure people understand that I’m their member of Congress, their advocate and that they can reach out to me regardless of party affiliation. I also want folks to feel like I’m present and that I’m accessible. I’ve held a number of town halls, making sure I stay in contact with people, making sure that they understand what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. Because even if folks disagree with me, I want to hear their opinion so I can try to explain to them why I disagree.

“I’m a strong believer that there’s a lot we can agree on with folks on the other side and that if we could spend a little bit more time talking about those things…things like infrastructure, lower prescription drug prices, lower healthcare costs, job training…that we can move the ball forward in a way that satisfies not only my district, but the American people. I think people expect us to work together.

Dallas Weekly (DW): Bipartisanship? That seemed like something even the least jaded reporter would believe in today’s political environment, so we pressed for details, asking first about his colleagues in the Foreign Affairs Committee, which had recently been rocked over comments made by Representative Ilhan Omar.

(CA): “The committee is one that works very well. Over the past two weeks, a number of bills that we’ve put out have had bipartisan support on important issues. Like today, we voted on some bills regarding Venezuela, regarding the Russian influence in Crimea, things that are really important for our international relations and those as well are all bipartisan, so it’s a committee that I think, so far, we’ve had a lot to agree on.”

“I certainly disagree with some of the comments that the representative made but I also think that we have to be worried about Islamaphobia, and about people using identity as a wedge to divide us. I think we need to focus on what unites us as much as possible.”

(DW): A reasonable answer for sure, but what about increased tensions on the Committee itself? Or between Congresswoman Omar and Chairman Engel?

(CA): “Honestly, I’ve been focused on the work we’ve been doing. The things that we’re doing extend far beyond our individual relationships. We need to make sure we’re exercising our Article 1 [of the Constitution] power as Congress to reassert our control over foreign policy matters that I think for too many years have been slipping to the Executive, especially under this President.”

(DW): Again, a remarkably positive approach. Not that we truly expected him to gossip about his colleagues, but it was still quite refreshing to hear such a thoughtful answer. And one that is, admittedly, quite charitable to his Republican colleagues while still acknowledging a recognition of issues causing conflict between Democrats and the Executive branch. Not bad.

We wanted to know more about his committee work. Noting his position on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, we chatted for a while about one of his campaign issues: high speed rail. Congressman Allred is a huge proponent of the proposed 90-minute Dallas to Houston line and thinks the highly-populous Texas triangle will ultimately provide a great opportunity for the state to lead the nation in the development of HSR. Asked about opposition from groups like “Texas Against HSR,” the Congressman replied:

(CA): “[The proposed Dallas to Houston HSR line] is following an existing corridor; that’s one of the reason why it was chosen, because it would have the least impact on the folks in the area.

“We’re going to have to make some tough decisions about how we’re going to connect people and continue to deal with our growth but I am positive and hopeful that we can get this project done in a way that’s consistent with our values and is respectful of the homeowners as well.

“Perhaps, but for now, those rural homeowners still aren’t interested. In fact, Texans Against HSR recently won a fairly significant ruling against Texas Central, which was declared “not a railroad” and therefore, ineligible to survey or acquire land by eminent domain. Texas Central is appealing the ruling, but it’s clearly a setback for the project.”

(DW): Next, we asked about Healthcare. At a recent town hall, the Congressman derided the “hidden tax” Texans were being forced to pay for healthcare thanks to Republican efforts to weaken and sabotage the ACA. We asked him to expand on that assertion.

(CA): “Healthcare shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Finding ways to lower the cost of healthcare and expand coverage should be something we can agree on. To me, it’s one of the pillars of opportunity we have to have in this country.

“When I talk about a hidden tax, there are actually a couple of parts to it. Number one: we haven’t expanded Medicaid coverage in Texas and we should because we are paying into the system and our money is going to other states that did expand Medicaid. Expanding Medicaid would bring a lot of that money back to Texas so it just makes fiscal sense to do that. Number two: when we have folks who don’t have insurance, who have to go to Parkland [Hospital] to get care, we have to bear the cost of that care as a community. But we’re bearing it when they are at their most ill – when it’s most expensive – when some of those issues might have been taken care of at an earlier, less expensive stage if they had access to preventative care along the way.

“And refusing to expand Medicaid is also the wrong thing to do. It’s just not who we are as people. To me, this is all about values and it should be a value of ours to try and make sure that as many of our neighbors as possible can go see a doctor when they need to.”

(DW): So what does the Congressman think about President Trump’s reported budget containing $845 billion in cuts from Medicare and $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts?

(CA): “Budgets are about values. It’s a statement of values. When a president puts out a budget, it’s supposed to reflect what they think is important and it’s very clear from this budget that this president does not think that Medicare is something that is valuable and that people who depend on it – people like my mom whose Medicare paid for her breast cancer surgery and for her treatment – aren’t of value. I just don’t think that matches the North Texas that I know, so I reject that.”

(DW): Now that we were talking about the President, we asked the Congressman what he thought about Speaker Pelosi’s recent statement coming out against impeachment.

(CA): “I’ve never been somebody who thinks we should talk loosely about impeachment. From the very beginning I’ve always thought it a very serious topic, that should be treated very seriously and not done in a partisan way. If it ever happens, it needs to be done in a way that’s right for the country. And so I agree with what the Speaker said in that regard. This is not something that should just be pursued by Democrats; it would have to be something that the country perceives needs to be done for the good of the country. I think what we need to be doing is focusing on the things that I think the American people expect us to do and not get stuck in what would be at this point just a partisan battle over how one feels about the President.”

(DW): We then noted that we knew how he felt about at least one person becoming President and asked him to explain his early endorsement of former HUD Secretary, Julián Castro, who recently made headlines over his strong support for reparations.

(CA): “Well Julián is a friend of mine. I worked for him at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and so I’ve seen him work and think he’s a great Texan and great American and I’m certainly proud that he has taken this step. Julián has always been a straight shooter. He says what he believes whatever the topic is and I think that’s something we need more of in politics: people who say what they believe.”

DW: Finally…let’s talk baseball. Noting that his athleticism as a former NFL player surely couldn’t have gone unnoticed by his colleagues, we wanted to know just how quickly he was recruited for the Congressional baseball team. Laughing heartily, the Congressman fessed up.

(CA): “The chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus in the last Congress was my good friend Cedric Richmond, who was a baseball player in college as well as the main reason why Democrats have been winning the baseball games in recent years…was literally recruiting me during the campaign while he helped me out. So, yeah, it started really early. Thing is, I played baseball in high school. It was my favorite sport when I was growing up and so we’ll soon see if I still have the old skills.”

So ended our introduction to this thoughtful, congenial, independent-minded new Congressman who defies labels yet stands out all the same. An unapologetic advocate for family leave who will cite studies showing a correlation between paternity leave and increased quality of life and increased productivity as readily as he will go to bat for his constituents (neighbors) over missing federal benefits shows that Texas 32nd district is in good hands.

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Trump Set to Sign Largest Cut to Medicaid After a Marathon Protest Speech by Leader Jeffries

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The bill also represents the biggest cut in Medicare in history and is a threat to the health care coverage of over 15 million people. The spending in Trump’s signature legislation also opens the door to a second era of over-incarceration in the U.S.

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By Lauren Burke

By a vote of 218 to 214, the GOP-controlled U.S. House passed President Trump’s massive budget and spending bill that will add $3.5 trillion to the national debt, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The bill also represents the biggest cut in Medicare in history and is a threat to the health care coverage of over 15 million people. The spending in Trump’s signature legislation also opens the door to a second era of over-incarceration in the U.S. With $175 billion allocated in spending for immigration enforcement, the money for more police officers eclipsed the 2026 budget for the U.S. Marines, which is $57 billion. Almost all of the policy focus from the Trump Administration has focused on deporting immigrants of color from Mexico and Haiti.

The vote occurred as members were pressed to complete their work before the arbitrary deadline of the July 4 holiday set by President Trump. It also occurred after Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries took the House floor for over 8 hours in protest. Leader Jeffries broke the record in the U.S. House for the longest floor speech in history on the House floor. The Senate passed the bill days before and was tied at 50-50, with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski saying that, “my hope is that the House is gonna look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.” There were no changes made to the Senate bill by the House. A series of overnight phone calls to Republicans voting against, not changes, was what won over enough Republicans to pass the legislation, even though it adds trillions to the debt. The Trump spending bill also cuts money to Pell grants.

“The Big Ugly Bill steals food out of the hands of starving children, steals medicine from the cabinets of cancer patients, and equips ICE with more funding and more weapons of war than the United States Marine Corps. Is there any question of who those agents will be going to war for, or who they will be going to war against? Beyond these sadistic provisions, Republicans just voted nearly unanimously to close urban and rural hospitals, cripple the child tax credit, and to top it all off, add $3.3 trillion to the ticking time bomb that is the federal deficit – all from a party that embarrassingly pretends to stand for fiscal responsibility and lowering costs,” wrote Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) in a statement on July 3.

“The Congressional Budget Office predicts that 17 million people will lose their health insurance, including over 322,000 Virginians. It will make college less affordable.  Three million people will lose access to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). And up to 16 million students could lose access to free school meals. The Republican bill does all of this to fund tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires, and corporations,” wrote Education and Workforce Committee ranking member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) in a statement. The bill’s passage has prompted Democrats to start thinking about 2026 and the next election cycle. With the margins of victory in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate being so narrow, many are convinced that the balance of power and the question of millions being able to enjoy health care come down to only several thousand votes in congressional elections. But currently, Republicans controlled by the MAGA movement control all three branches of government. That reality was never made more stark and more clear than the last seven days of activity in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

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WATCH: NNPA Publishers Pivot To Survive

7.2.25 via NBC 4 Washington

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7.2.25 via NBC 4 Washington

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9oZc5Sz0jQQ&feature=oembed

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#NNPA BlackPress

Congressional Black Caucus Challenges Target on Diversity

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — we found that the explanations offered by the leadership of the Target Corporation fell woefully short of what our communities deserve and of the values of inclusion that Target once touted

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Target is grappling with worsening financial and reputational fallout as the national selective buying and public education program launched by the Black Press of America and other national and local leaders continues to erode the retailer’s sales and foot traffic. But a recent meeting that the retailer intended to keep quiet between CEO Brian Cornell and members of the Congressional Black Caucus Diversity Task Force was publicly reported after the Black Press discovered the session, and the CBC later put Target on blast.

“The Congressional Black Caucus met with the leadership of the Target Corporation on Capitol Hill to directly address deep concerns about the impact of the company’s unconscionable decision to end a number of its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts,” CBC Chair Yvette Clarke stated. “Like many of the coalition leaders and partner organizations that have chosen to boycott their stores across the country, we found that the explanations offered by the leadership of the Target Corporation fell woefully short of what our communities deserve and of the values of inclusion that Target once touted,” Congresswoman emphasized.  “Black consumers contribute overwhelmingly to our economy and the Target Corporation’s bottom line. Our communities deserve to shop at businesses that publicly share our values without sacrificing our dignity. It is no longer acceptable to deliver promises to our communities in private without also demonstrating those values publicly.”

Lauren Burke, Capitol Hill correspondent for Black Press of America, was present when Target CEO Cornell and a contingent of Target officials arrived at the U.S. Capitol last month. “It’s always helpful to have meetings like this and get some candid feedback and continue to evolve our thinking,” Cornell told Burke as he exited the meeting. And walked down a long hallway in the Cannon House Office Building. “We look forward to follow-up conversations,” he stated. When asked if the issue of the ongoing boycott was discussed, Cornell’s response was, “That was not a big area of focus — we’re focused on running a great business each and every day. Take care of our teams. Take care of the guests who shop with us and do the right things in our communities.”

A national public education campaign on Target, spearheaded by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the NNPA’s board of directors, and with other national African American leaders, has combined consumer education efforts with a call for selective buying. The NNPA is a trade association that represents the more than 220 African American-owned newspapers and media companies known as the Black Press of America, the voice of 50 million African Americans across the nation. The coalition has requested that Target restore and expand its stated commitment to do business with local community-owned businesses inclusive of the Black Press of  America, and to significantly increase investment in Black-owned businesses and media, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU, Black-owned Banks, national Black Church denominations, and grassroots and local organizations committed to improving the quality of life of all Americans, and especially those from underserved communities. According to Target’s latest earnings report, net sales for the first quarter of 2025 fell 2.8 percent to $23.85 billion compared to the same period last year. Comparable store sales dropped 3.8 percent, and in-store foot traffic slid 5.7 percent.

Shares of Target have also struggled under the pressure. The company’s stock traded around $103.85 early Wednesday afternoon, down significantly from roughly $145 before the controversy escalated. Analysts note that Target has lost more than $12 billion in market value since the beginning of the year. “We will continue to inform and to mobilize Black consumers in every state in the United States,” Chavis said. “Target today has a profound opportunity to respond with respect and restorative commitment.”

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