Special Elections and Black History Month

Dear Friends,

Tuesday, Democrats up and down the ticket demonstrated that they are building on the hard work of the 2022 midterm cycle. Several decisive races across the country show that voters continue to choose Democratic candidates fighting for them.

First, we saw Representative-Elect Jennifer McClellan secure a nearly 50-point victory in Virginia’s fourth congressional district, building up on a 30-point democratic success in 2022 and a 36-point win in 2020. She will become the first Black woman elected to Congress in Virginia with her victory.

In addition to this historic first, we saw many other critical races. In Wisconsin, we saw record turnout for the Supreme Court primary elections; Janet Protasiewicz secured nearly half of the vote. Cassie Chambers had the most substantial win of the night in Kentucky, overperforming by almost 30%. Finally, in New Hampshire, Chuck Grassie was able to retain his seat, giving the Republicans only a 2-seat majority in the state house.

Thank you for your tireless work that helps advance Democratic values and for fighting with us for a better future.

Best,
Brencia Berry
Director of Coalitions and Community Engagement
Democratic National Committee

Congratulations to Representative-Elect Jennifer McClellan!

Former Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan will become the first Black woman to ever represent the commonwealth of Virginia. Representative-Elect McClellan succeeds the late Representative Donald McEachin, maintaining the seat in Democratic hands.

Happy Black History Month!

Please see a message from the DNC Black Caucus Chair, Virgie M Rollins, below:

Greetings,

Congratulations to those around the country and abroad who made 2022 a success!

While others may have doubted, calling for a "red wave", we were steadfast, hosting Regional Summits to energize voters and support Black leaders. Yet again, Black voters stopped that wave and made sure that Democrats won up and down the ballot.

This month, it is critical that we continue to bring Black history to the forefront and to take pride in Black history as we move forward.

In solidarity,
Virgie M Rollins
Chair, DNC Black Caucus

The Biden-Harris Administration has celebrated Black History Month in a variety of ways as well:
VPOTUS Invites HBCU Students to the White House
On Thursday, Vice President Harris and Senior Advisor for Public Engagement Keisha Lance Bottoms hosted HBCU student journalists from across the country at the White House where they discussed issues impacting students and their institutions.
Emmett Till: Nearly 70 Years Later
The President hosted a screening of “Till,” the story of Mamie Till-Mobley who pursued justice after the lynching of her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, in 1955. In attendance were 150 guests, including actors, film producers, partners of the film, family members of Emmett Till, civil rights leaders, historians, student groups from Mississippi and Illinois, and community activists who are working to combat hate-fueled violence in Buffalo, New York and Charleston, South Carolina.

Prioritizing Equity Since Day One
On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985 to emphasize the enormous human costs of systemic racism and persistent poverty, and provide a powerful and unprecedented mandate for all federal agencies to launch a whole-of-government approach to equity. To strengthen the federal government’s ability to address the barriers that underserved communities continue to face, today, President Biden signed a new Executive Order,
Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government ([link removed]) . This second Order reaffirms the Administration’s commitment to deliver equity and build an America in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.

HBCU Love
On Friday, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Jake Sullivan met with 18 leaders of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to discuss a range of issues, including partnerships to advance national security, recruitment of graduates from their campuses for national security careers, and campus security. This was the first ever engagement with HBCU leaders by a national security advisor.

Just down the hall, the White House Office of Public Engagement also hosted over 60 Historically Black College and University (HBCU) student veterans and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) students from seven HBCUs for the White House Student Veterans and Cadets Forum. This was a first-of-its-kind event to amplify the President’s ongoing commitment to supporting HBCUs, service members, veterans, and their families.

Supporting Minority-Owned Businesses
Last week, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman and Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo hit the road to support local businesses across the country.

The Biden-Harris Administration Saves Homebuyers and Homeowners $800 per Year

The Department of Housing and Urban Development will reduce its annual mortgage insurance premium by 0.30 percent, from 0.85% to 0.55% for most new borrowers. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary Marcia Fudge made the announcement today in Bowie, Maryland.

On average, American families will save roughly $800 a year. You can read more on the new change at the link below:

FACT SHEET: BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES ACTION TO SAVE HOMEBUYERS AND HOMEOWNERS $800 PER YEAR ([link removed])

Bloomberg: US to Cut Mortgage Insurance Costs for Some New Homeowners ([link removed])

Reuters: White House to roll out plan to lower first-time home buyers’ mortgage costs ([link removed])
Wall Street Journal: Biden Administration to Cut Mortgage Insurance Costs for Lower-Income Buyers ([link removed])

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Ongoing Efforts to Cleanup Ohio Train Derailment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Norfolk Southern to conduct all necessary actions associated with the cleanup from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. EPA’s order marks the transition of the multi-agency response from its “emergency phase” to a longer-term remediation phase.

As part of EPA’s legally binding order, Norfolk Southern will be required to:
* Identify and clean up contaminated soil and water resources.
* Reimburse EPA for cleaning services to be offered to residents and businesses to provide an additional layer of reassurance, which will be conducted by EPA staff and contractors.
* Attend and participate in public meetings at EPA’s request and post information online.
* Pay for EPA’s costs for work performed under this order.

Read more on the EPA’s efforts at the link below:

Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Deploys Additional Federal Resources to East Palestine, Ohio - The White House ([link removed])

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