Garamendi joins meeting with Biden
One of President Joe Biden’s campaign promises was to create a package that would modernize transportation infrastructure in the United States, including creating millions of jobs to repair the country’s transportation systems, providing every city with 100,000 or more residents access to zero-emissions public transit options, expanding broadband and allowing the automobile industry to prioritize technology created in America.
Biden is continuing to emphasize this plan during his presidency and he shared his vision with a bipartisan group of eight congressional representatives
from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in an Oval Office meeting Thursday that also included Vice President Kamala Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Among the representatives who took part in the meeting was Rep. John Garamendi, D-Solano, who told The Reporter he was very pleased by what was presented.
“He laid out that vision of things that America needs to do to have a modern American infrastructure: streets, roads, trains, planes, harbors, research facilities,” he said. “He went through all of these things and said, ‘We have to have this if we’re going to be competitive and if we’re going to have the jobs necessary for Americans.'”
Garamendi said Biden assured that he wanted every taxpaying dollar that goes into such projects would go toward purchasing American-made goods and services. He said he
“stood up and cheered” because that is something the congressman has been promoting for years through his “Make it in America” agenda.
Garamendi has authored numerous bills to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States and allow the country to purchase goods made in America. Early in his presidency, Biden signed an executive order to support “Buy American” policies for goods and services. Subsequently, Garamendi reintroduced his American Food for American Schools Act, which would mandate that school districts buy domestically sourced ingredients for meals.
Garamendi said progress has been made over the years, regarding American materials being used to create transportation infrastructure, and he believes the president is “all in” on furthering this goal.
“I talked about that with him, encouraged him to
continue to be strong on that,” he said.
Other things that Biden reportedly discussed at this meeting included updating maritime ports to dredge deeper channels, building American ships, upgrading airports, improving communication infrastructure, enhancing electrical grids, providing more electric vehicle charging stations and improved dams and levees.
“(These are) things that we’ve been working on in our district (California’s 3rd Congressional District) for as long as I’ve been in Congress,” Garamendi said.
Garamendi said Biden also discussed areas that the congressman believes the 3rd District is a leader in. These included the pharmaceutical supply chain, which is served by Genentech in Vacaville; and having a well-educated workforce, which Garamendi believes that Solano Community College and the University of California, Davis accomplish.
“They are educating the next generation of biotech chemists and technicians and researchers,” he said.
Garamendi said Biden also touched upon issues
he would like to see addressed in his district. These included bridge improvements, and Garamendi specifically cited the Yolo Causeway, a raised highway viaduct along Interstate 80 that connects West Sacramento to Davis. The California Department of Transportation has announced plans to widen the causeway, although construction is not slated to begin for at least another three years.
Garamendi said the causeway in its current state has created “a major chokepoint” for traffic on I80.
Garamendi said he expects a comprehensive bill within four to five months.
The other committee members who participated in the meeting were Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon; Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C.; Sharice Davids, D-Kansas; Garret Graves, Republican Louisiana; Rodney Davis, R-Illinois; John Katko, R-New York; and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania.
MINNEAPOLIS >> The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Friday ordered a judge to reconsider adding a thirddegree murder charge against a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death, handing a potential victory to prosecutors, but setting up a possible delay to a trial set to start next week.
A three-judge panel said Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill erred last fall when he rejected a prosecution motion to reinstate the third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin. The panel said Cahill should have followed the precedent set by the appeals court last month when it affirmed the thirddegree murder conviction of former officer Mohamed Noor in the 2017 shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. The unarmed Australian woman had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault.
The appeals court sent the case back to Cahill for a ruling consistent with its ruling in the Noor case, giving the judge some leeway to consider other arguments that the defense might make against reinstating the charge. “This court’s precedential opinion in Noor became binding authority on the date it was filed. The district court therefore erred by concluding that it was not bound by the principles of law set forth in Noor and by denying the state’s motion to reinstate the charge of third-degree murder on that basis,” the appeals court wrote.
It was not immediately clear if Friday’s ruling would force a delay in jury selection for Chauvin’s case, which is due to start Monday. He’s currently charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Prosecutors did not immediately return a message seeking comment on whether they would seek a delay. Chauvin’s attorney had no comment.
Chauvin has the option of appealing the ruling to the Minnesota Supreme Court, which would force Cahill to delay the trial, said Ted Sampsell-Jones, a criminal law expert at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law. But if Chauvin decides not to appeal, the professor added, “then Judge Cahill will almost certainly reinstate the third-degree charge.”
And if Chauvin decides not to appeal, SampsellJones said, Cahill could still begin jury selection Monday, then decide in the next three weeks — before opening arguments — whether to reinstate the charge.
A reinstated third-degree murder count could increase the prosecution’s odds of getting a murder conviction.
“We believe the Court of Appeals decided this matter correctly,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement. “We believe the charge of 3rd-degree murder, in addition to manslaughter and felony murder, reflects the gravity of the allegations against Mr. Chauvin. Adding this charge is an important step forward in the path toward justice. We look forward to presenting all charges to the jury in Hennepin County.”
BEIJING >> China’s No. 2 leader set a healthy economic growth target Friday and vowed to make the nation self-reliant in technology amid tension with the U.S. and Europe over trade and human rights. Another official announced plans to tighten control over Hong Kong by reducing the public’s role in government.
The ruling Communist Party aims for growth of “over 6%” as the world’s second-largest economy rebounds from the coronavirus, Premier Li Keqiang said in a speech to the National People’s Congress, China’s ceremonial legislature. About 3,000 delegates gathered for its annual meeting, the year’s highest-profile political event, under intense security and anti-virus controls.
It has been shortened from two weeks to one because of the pandemic.
The party is shifting back to its longer-term goal of becoming a global competitor in telecoms, electric cars and other profitable technology. That is inflaming trade tension with Washington and Europe, which complain Beijing’s tactics violate its market-opening commitments and hurt foreign competitors.
The NPC meeting focuses on domestic issues but is overshadowed by geopolitics as Xi’s government pursues more assertive trade and strategic policies and faces criticism over its treatment of Hong Kong and ethnic minorities. The ruling party has doubled down on crushing dissent as Xi tries to cement his image as a history-making leader reclaiming China’s rightful place as a global power.