Aruba to me... Saturday July 10, 2021 T: 582-7800 www.arubatoday.com facebook.com/arubatoday instagram.com/arubatoday Page 8 Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper As frustration mounts, a White House push on voting rights By JONATHAN LEMIRE, ZEKE MILLER and ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a call to “save American democracy,” the Biden administration has unveiled new efforts to protect access to the ballot amid rising com- plaints from civil rights activists and other Democrats that the White House hasn’t done enough to counter Repub- lican-led state legislatures attempting to narrow voting procedures. President Joe Biden met with civil rights lead- ers Thursday in the West Wing, while Vice President Kama- la Harris announced $25 million in new spending by the Democratic National Committee on actions to protect voting access ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Biden and his team stress ongoing legal efforts to safe- guard voting rights. They’ve also promised a major legis- lative push after Senate Republicans blocked a sweep- ing election overhaul last month. The president has told reporters he plans on “speaking extensively” on voting rights and that he would be “going on the road on this issue.” Friday, the White House announced that Biden would travel to Philadelphia on Tuesday to discuss “ac- tions to protect the sacred, constitutional right to vote.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president will “go to the birthplace of democracy to make the case for the moral imperative of making voting more accessi- Marc Morial, center, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban League, talks with reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 8, 2021, following ble to people across the country.” a meeting with President Joe Biden and leadership of top civil rights organizations. Continued on Page 2 Associated Press A2 SATURDAY 10 JULY 2021 UP FRONT As frustration mounts, a White House push on voting rights Continued from Front Although not abandon- ing hope for a legislative There has been growing breakthrough, the West frustration among those Wing has been shifting fo- in Biden’s own party who cus to other measures to view GOP actions on vot- protect the vote, including ing as an existential threat legal action by the Depart- to both Democrats and de- ment of Justice and in indi- mocracy. vidual states, according to Pressure only mounted af- the officials. There also will ter a Supreme Court deci- be an emphasis on boost- sion limited the ability of mi- ing voter turnout, with aides norities to challenge state pointing to the successes laws that Democrats say Democrats had in getting are discriminatory under out votes last year during the Voting Rights Act. Bi- the height of the pandem- den has brought in outside ic. Biden believes “that vot- advocates for meetings at ing is a fundamental right the White House and has for the American people,” consulted advisers on the said White House press sec- best strategy for combat- retary Jen Psaki this week. ting new laws. “He is going to use every “We will not leave any lever at his disposal to ad- stone unturned to save Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about voting rights at Howard University in Washington, vocate for that.” American democracy,” Thursday, July 8, 2021. Officials concede, though, Associated Press said Marc Morial, head that turning out voters is al- of the National Urban “This campaign is ground- “Folks, it is never too early to licans have similarly dis- ways harder in a nonpresi- League, as he stood with ed in the firm belief that defend your rights,” Harris missed a separate bill, the dential election year. Some the Rev. Al Sharpton and everyone’s vote matters said. “With these new laws John Lewis Voting Rights frustrated aides, seeing the other civil rights leaders -- that your vote matters,” that have been passed, or Advancement Act, which impasse in the Senate, be- after Thursday’s meeting. Harris said. “We want to they’re trying to, we have would restore sections of lieve too much focus has “This is an attack on a very help to make sure your to start now to finish strong.” the Voting Rights Act that been placed on federal fundamental value that un- vote is counted, and that But some Democrats and the Supreme Court previ- legislative measures. They dergirds this country. When is because our democracy voting rights activists be- ously weakened. think that civic and busi- we look at what’s happen- is strongest when everyone lieve that the White House The stalemate has in- ness groups can also play ing in this nation, we see an participates.” did not start nearly soon creased focus on the Sen- a role in fighting the voting effort to impose a system, Several states enacted enough. “Our backs are ate filibuster, which, if left restrictions, noting that an American apartheid.” new voting laws, and oth- against the wall. This is in place, would seem an outcry in Georgia helped During the meeting, Biden ers are debating them, af- the moment. We have no insurmountable obstacle water down some of the and Harris assured the civil ter Republicans seized on more time,” said Sherrilyn to sweeping voting bills in GOP’s proposed plans. rights leaders that they former President Donald Ifill, president of the NAACP Congress. With Republi- The Supreme Court’s 6-3 would push Congress to Trump’s false claim of mas- Legal Defense Fund. “I told cans unanimous in their op- ruling last week upheld pass voting legislation, while sive voter fraud in the 2020 the president: We will not position, it would take the voting limits in Arizona that doing everything within the election as a pretext for be able to litigate our way elimination or modification a lower court had found administration’s power to passing new legislation cur- out of this threat to Black of the filibuster for two bills discriminatory under the secure full voter participa- tailing ballot access. citizenship.” still on the table to have a federal Voting Rights Act. tion in elections, according Democrats have grown “We must have the presi- chance at passage. Mod- It was the high court’s sec- to a White House summary. nervous that the new laws dent use his voice,” Ifill said. erate Democrats like Sen. ond major decision in eight This Thursday’s speech from could suppress turnout for Democrats on Capitol Hill Joe Manchin of West Vir- years that civil rights groups Harris, tasked with lead- next year’s midterm elec- already tried to respond ginia and Sen. Kyrsten Sin- and liberal dissenting justic- ing the administration’s re- tions when the party is trying with a sweeping voting ema of Arizona so far have es say weakened the civil sponse to voting issues, was to hold on to very narrow and elections bill. But Sen- expressed reluctance to rights-era law intended to expected to be the first margins in both chambers ate Republicans united change Senate rules that eradicate discrimination in from her in a series. of Congress. to block it. Most Repub- protect the filibuster. voting.q A3 U.S. NEWS SATURDAY 10 JULY 2021 Loan relief approved for more for-profit college students By COLLIN BINKLEY to complete its training to AP Education Writer become a court reporter. The U.S. Education Depart- Only about 6% of students ment on Friday announced actually ended up gradu- it will forgive student loans ating, the department for more than 1,800 bor- found, and those who did rowers who attended a took much longer than the trio of for-profit colleges college said it would. that made false recruiting Last month, the Biden ad- claims and left many stu- ministration erased stu- dents unable to find jobs. dent debt for more than The Biden administration 18,000 borrowers of the ITT is erasing more than $55 Technical Institute, another million in debt for former defunct for-profit college. students of Westwood Col- And it March, it cleared lege, the Marinello Schools $1 billion in debt for former of Beauty and the Court students of ITT and the Co- Reporting Institute. All three rinthian Colleges chain. In chains have been closed total, the administration for years after facing ac- has granted claims totaling cusations of fraud and de- $1.5 billion for nearly 92,000 ception in their advertising. borrowers. It is another step in the The borrower defense pro- Education Department’s In this March 17, 2021, file photo, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during a press gram is among several effort to clear a backlog briefing at the White House in Washington. targeted for an overhaul Associated Press of claims in the borrower by the Biden administra- defense program, which He added that the new careers all over again after lege had a history of failing tion as it seeks to undo offers loan forgiveness to round of approvals should they transferred. to deliver the education it Trump-era policies. Former students who were de- “serve as a warning to any The company also made promised, the department Education Secretary Betsy frauded by their schools. institution engaging in simi- false claims about a crimi- said, in some cases leaving DeVos issued new rules Applications piled up when lar conduct that this type of nal justice program in Il- students without instructors meant to scale back loan the Trump administration misrepresentation is unac- linois, saying graduates for months. As a result, some forgiveness, which she said stalled the program while ceptable.” could get jobs as police cosmetology students nev- had become too easy to it rewrote the rules, leav- Most of the newly ap- officers in the Chicago er learned key skills like how obtain.