New Dem Party chairman Perez pledges to repair, unite party

Newly elected Democratic national chairman Tom Perez pledged on Sunday to unite a fractured party, rebuild at all levels from "school board to the Senate" and reach out to chunks of rural America left feeling forgotten in the 2016 election. Speaking in television interviews, Perez indicated that an important first step was joining with vanquished rival Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, who agreed at Perez's invitation to serve as the Democratic National Committee's deputy chairman.

California’s Secure Choice program is neither secure nor a choice

California's "Secure Choice" program sounds harmless enough: A voluntary program - at least for now - that would enroll private sector employees who currently don't have a retirement plan into a state-run retirement savings account. When the initial program was announced in 2012 with authorizing legislation, taxpayers were skeptical.

gers of the Week: Sanctuary Churches, Havens for Undocumented Immigrants

Since President Trump took office less than one month ago, fears of increased deportations at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement have spread across the nation. While many local governments have made headlines for pledging to remain " sanctuary cities " for undocumented immigrants, religious institutions have begun to open their doors as well.

Young immigrants on edge as Trump administration ramps up deportations

For many immigration activists, the Wednesday deportation of Guadalupe GarcA a de Rayos - a Mexican-born mother of two American children who was convicted of using a fake Social Security number in 2008 - is a worrying sign. GarcA a de Rayos, who had been living in America for more than 20 years, wasn't considered a priority for deportation under the Obama administration, given the nature of her conviction.

The folks packing Republican town halls

These days, Deborah Johnson is on edge. She says she's worried she won't qualify for Social Security disability benefits, anxious about her middle son's recovery from a car accident last year, and feeling the pervasive effects of her complex post-traumatic stress disorder that dates back to an abusive childhood.

Sanders to Trump: Tell GOP you’ll veto entitlement cuts

"The American people are ... still waiting for that one tweet which says: I will keep my promise. I will not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and if Republicans give me legislation to do that, I will veto that legislation," Sanders said from the Senate floor on Thursday night.

Phoenix immigrant deported to Mexico amid protests

The deportation of an immigrant mother in Phoenix who was granted leniency during the Obama administration provides an early example of how President Donald Trump plans to carry through on his vow to crack down on illegal immigration. The case of Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos became a rallying cry Thursday for immigrant groups who believe Trump's approach to immigration unfairly tears apart families.

Will Trump take on the deficit?

Once more, the Congressional Budget Office has warned that federal deficits will continue to rise until current laws are changed. But so far, President Donald Trump shows no signs of making the deficit a priority or of undertaking the hard bipartisan work that will be required to make the necessary changes.

New documents show Trump retains direct tie to businesses

" New documents confirm that President Donald Trump retains a direct tie to his business interests through a revocable trust now being overseen by one of his adult sons and a longtime executive of the Trump Organization. Trump is the sole beneficiary of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, which is tied to his Social Security number as the taxpayer identification number, according to documents published online by the investigative nonprofit ProPublica.

New reports confirm Trump’s plan to disentangle from his business is a farce

As soon as he was elected in November, the unprecedented conflicts of interest Donald Trump would bring to the White House generated significant concern from leading ethics lawyers , transparency experts, and even the head of the Office of Government Ethics . After several delays, Trump unveiled his so-called plan to address the conflictsa S-a Swhich included him retaining full ownership of the Trump Organization.

House rolls back rule restricting gun sales to severely mentally ill

The Republican-led House voted Thursday to repeal an Obama-era Social Security Administration regulation to keep people with severe mental illnesses from buying guns. "The Social Security Administration not only overstepped its mission with this regulation, it discriminated against certain Americans with disabilities who receive Social Security benefits.

Claim accuses Wells Fargo of denying loans to young migrants

Perez applied for a student loan from Wells Fargo online to help cover the costs of her education at the Univ... . Mitzie Perez, a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Wells Fargo, poses for a photo in Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 30, 2017.

Trump budget pick: Changes are needed

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid need significant changes to be preserved for future generations, President Donald Trump's pick to head the White House budget office told Congress Tuesday. Rep. Mick Mulvaney's comments at his confirmation hearing stand in sharp contrast to Trump's campaign pledges not to cut the programs.

GOP Senators Already Object To Trump’s Budget Plans

President Donald Trump wants to push through major cuts to the federal budget, but Republican lawmakers are already raising objections to the rumored plan. Trump's ambitious reported plan to cut $10.5 trillion from the budget over the next ten years will face major obstacles, especially if the president avoids Medicaid and Social Security reform, Republican senators claim.