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Democratic senators are starting to say the August recess, or at least part of it, should be in peril as the party falls further behind on its legislative agenda.

Bipartisan infrastructure talks have bogged down, and Senate Democrats have only just started work on a reconciliation package, which they hope to use to pass legislative priorities that dont have Republican support.

Negotiations on police reform, one of the few areas where senators feel more confident about a potential deal, have slowed down. And theres no progress to report on immigration reform or gun violence legislation. A GOP filibuster on Tuesday prevented the Democratic voting rights bill from even getting a debate on the Senate floor.

Senators are scheduled to leave town for a two-week recess starting Friday. After that, the Senate will be in session for four weeks, until Aug. 6, when it is scheduled to take another long recess until Sept. 13.

A growing number of progressives say Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerThe Innovation and Competition Act is progressive policy Infrastructure deal: Major climate win that tees up more in reconciliation bill Democrats seek to calm nervous left MORE (D-N.Y.) needs to think about revising the schedule, arguing the historic opportunity to pass a big, bold infrastructure bill is fast disappearing.

Im in favor of working right through the August recess, said Sen. Chris Van HollenChristopher (Chris) Van HollenSenators call on Biden to sanction Beijing over closure of Hong Kong's Apple Daily Democrats hear calls to nix recess Warren stalls confirmation of Biden pick in push for student loan reforms MORE (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee.

My view is we need to keep at it. Ive been a strong proponent of really working to get the caucus fully focused on working as fast as possible, he said of the slow-moving infrastructure negotiations.

Sen. Jeff MerkleyJeff MerkleyOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden announces bipartisan infrastructure deal | DOJ backs Trump-era approval of Line 3 permit |Biden hits China on solar panels Bipartisan agriculture climate bill clears Senate Democrats hear calls to nix recess MORE (D-Ore.), who saw his voting rights bill, the For the People Act, get blocked by Republicans, said hes also willing to stay in town during August, when lawmakers traditionally escape the towns hot, humid weather for other locations.

Im very supportive of accelerating the momentum to counter the delay-and-obstruct tactics of Republicans, Merkley said. We need to use every day we can possibly use this year.

Killing the entire August recess is very unlikely, and senior members of the Senate Democratic leadership dont seem all that enthusiastic about canceling part of the recess either.

When asked about calls by colleagues to work through August, Senate Majority Whip Dick DurbinDick DurbinPhotos of the Week: Infrastructure, Britney Spears and Sen. Tillis's dog Democrats hit wall on voting rights push Democrats hear calls to nix recess MORE (D-Ill.) quipped, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland?? Who else?

His implication: Its relatively easy for a senator from a nearby state to call for cutting a recess, which is intended to give lawmakers from far-away states more time to meet with constituents and hold town hall meetings.

Its because of this valuable face-to-face time with constituents that senators officially call the recess the state work period.

Asked last week about Sen. Ed MarkeyEd MarkeySenate plants a seed for bipartisan climate solutions OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden announces bipartisan infrastructure deal | DOJ backs Trump-era approval of Line 3 permit |Biden hits China on solar panels Bipartisan agriculture climate bill clears Senate MOREs (D-Mass.) call for cutting the recess, Durbin jokingly shot back: Will you tell Markey to get a life?

Still, Democratic leaders acknowledge pressure is building.

Merkley wants to keep forcing Republicans to consider the voters rights and election reform proposals, and he predicts additional battles.

He says election reforms need to pass before the end of the summer to give state election administrators time to implement legislation.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said hes frustrated with the glacial pace of the infrastructure negotiations and urged colleagues to consider working more in August to give themselves a shot to pass the reconciliation package before Labor Day.

Im running out of patience and the Senate is running out of time, so working for at least part of the August recess ought to be on the table, he said.

This infrastructure package is an historic opportunity that we need to do in August if we cant get it done in July, he said. It has to be done before September or at least have agreement on the basic outlines, even if some of the technical details need to be resolved.

Blumenthal said too much time has been spent waiting for various bipartisan groups of senators to reach a breakthrough on a scaled-down infrastructure package.

We cant go on with this group of eight, group of 20, no pay-fors right now we have this very amorphous and ambiguous idea that a bipartisan package would be a good thing, he added.

Merkley, Van Hollen and Markey, along with Sens. Alex PadillaAlex PadillaDemocrats hear calls to nix recess Schumer vows to only pass infrastructure package that is 'a strong, bold climate bill' Democratic divisions threaten Biden's voting push MORE (D-Calif.), Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenHeadaches mount for Biden in spending fight Senate plants a seed for bipartisan climate solutions White House adviser to MSNBC host: Biden deal 'wasn't a photo op' MORE (D-Mass.), Kirsten GillibrandKirsten GillibrandDemocrats hear calls to nix recess Overnight Defense: Joint Chiefs chairman clashes with GOP on critical race theory | House bill introduced to overhaul military justice system as sexual assault reform builds momentum House lawmakers introduce bill to overhaul military justice system MORE (D-N.Y.) and Bernie SandersBernie SandersPolitical campaigns worry they're next for ransomware hits Headaches mount for Biden in spending fight How Biden can reframe and reclaim patriotism, faith, freedom, and equality MORE (I-Vt.) have pressed Schumer and Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiPhotos of the Week: Infrastructure, Britney Spears and Sen. Tillis's dog Headaches mount for Biden in spending fight Wallace has contentious interview with GOP lawmaker: Aren't you the ones defunding the police? MORE (D-Calif.) to get a big, bold infrastructure investment package to Bidens desk before the end of summer.

In May, the senators wrote a letter to their leadership urging them to work with committee chairs to develop a rapid legislative timeline to enact an ambitious and comprehensive proposal before the August recess.

They argued that getting major infrastructure legislation passed by the end of July or early August would allow them to use the legislative recess to engage with our constituents in our districts to celebrate, highlight and guide community members through the concrete measures Congress has enacted.

Durbin on Wednesday acknowledged that unfinished business is piling up.

I dont know if well have to stay. I hope we dont, but weve got to get our work done, he said. Theres a lot to do and the Senate is a slow-moving vehicle, on a good day.

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairwoman Patty MurrayPatricia (Patty) Lynn MurraySenate Republicans urge CDC to lift public transportation mask mandate Democrats introduce equal pay legislation for US national team athletes Democrats hear calls to nix recess MORE (D-Wash.), who is working on the reconciliation package, said Democrats have a full plate.

Asked about calls from colleagues to cancel or cut short the recess, Murray said, I havent thought about it.

I think everybody is really pushing to get reconciliation done, and thats our goal, she said. Well get done what we can get done.

Jordain Carney contributed.

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Welcome to Pollapalooza, our weekly polling roundup.

Rising murder, aggravated assault and auto theft rates have increased concern about crime among the American public. According to polling from YouGov/The Economist, the share of Americans who say crime is the most important issue facing America has increased since President Biden took office to a greater degree than any issue except national security. Relatedly, a May 22-25 Fox News poll found that 73 percent of registered voters thought there was more crime nationwide than there was a year earlier. Only 17 percent thought there was less crime, and 7 percent thought the level of crime had stayed about the same.

Fewer, but still a majority, believed crime was up in their local area, too: 54 percent, compared with 28 percent who thought there was less crime in their area and 15 percent who thought it was about the same. (Its worth noting, though, that Americans perpetually believe that crime is on the rise, even when it is not.)

A Gallup poll earlier this year also found that only 27 percent of Americans were satisfied with the nations policies to reduce or control crime, and that 65 percent were dissatisfied. Thats a big change from 2020, when 47 percent were satisfied and 49 percent were dissatisfied.

Altogether, this has sparked a narrative that the rise in violent crime poses a political problem for Democrats, who are the ruling party and also traditionally perceived as softer on crime. But at this point, its not really clear that the crime issue will hurt Democrats and anti-police progressives politically. For starters, Americans are actually pretty divided on what the best solution to stopping crime is. In a YouGov/Yahoo News poll from May 24-26, 32 percent of adults said that law enforcement is not tough enough on most offenders but about the same amount, 27 percent, said law enforcement is too tough on most offenders. (Eighteen percent thought law enforcements level of toughness was about right, while 22 percent werent sure.)

The public is also pretty sharply divided on whether Democrats or Republicans are better on the issue of crime. When asked whether Biden or former President Donald Trump has done a better job handling crime, 34 percent of respondents to the YouGov/Yahoo poll said Trump, while 32 percent said Biden. (Fifteen percent thought the two were about equally good on crime.) Of course, this just mirrors peoples existing partisan preferences a majority of Republicans preferred Trumps handling, while a majority of Democrats preferred Bidens but that just bolsters the theory that crime isnt an issue thats changing anybodys mind.

Similarly, in elections so far in 2021, it also doesnt look like crime is driving voters toward more conservative candidates. True, this weeks Democratic primary for mayor of New York City focused heavily on crime, and the winner was most likely Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, arguably the races most pro-police candidate. But there are plenty of counterexamples: In the Democratic primary for Philadelphia district attorney, incumbent Larry Krasner the George Washington of the progressive criminal-justice movement handily defeated a moderate who attempted to tie Krasners policies to Philadelphias rising crime rate. And in this months special election for New Mexicos 1st Congressional District, the Republican candidate ran what was virtually a single-issue campaign on crime and policing issues; Democrat Melanie Stansbury ended up winning by 25 percentage points, exceeding the districts D+18 partisan lean.

Its possible crime emerges as a wedge issue in the 2022 midterms. But so far, theres little evidence that it is helping one party over the other.

According to FiveThirtyEights presidential approval tracker, 52.6 percent of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing as president, while 42.2 percent disapprove (a net approval rating of +10.5 points). At this time last week, 51.9 percent approved and 42.0 percent disapproved (a net approval rating of +9.9 points). One month ago, Biden had an approval rating of 54.3 percent and a disapproval rating of 40.3 percent, for a net approval rating of +14.0 points.

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Americans Are Worried About Crime, But That Doesnt Mean Theyre Blaming Democrats - FiveThirtyEight

Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Cori Bush (Mo.) and other progressives are introducing new legislation seeking to transform the nations public safety response by funding and researching non-carceral alternatives to police.

The Peoples Response Act, co-led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), would create a new public safety agency in the Department of Health and Human Services to fund research and grants into health-centered investments in public safety.

This would include launching a federal first responders unit to support states and local governments with emergency health crises, as well as some $2.5 billion for those governments and community organizations to hire first responders who are mental health and substance abuse counselors.

For too long, our flawed approach to public safety has centered criminalization, surveillance and incarceration, rather than care, justice and healing, Pressley said in a news release.

Bush said that the vision for the legislation is to transform public safety into a system of care rather than criminalization, healing rather than incarceration, and prevention rather than policing.

Last year, in the wake of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black people, activists renewed calls to defund police departments and reinvest in communities, namely in alternative responses to 911 calls, including with mental health expert responders.

In several high-profile cases, people have been killed by police after a 911 call seeking support for a mental health crisis or substance abuse issue.

In 2019, Fort Worth police shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson, a 28-year-old Black woman, in her own home after responding to a neighbors request for a welfare check.

In January, a police officer in Killeen, Texas, fatally shot Patrick Warren, who was Black and unarmed, on the lawn of his home, after his family called for mental health support.

And earlier this year, after a neighbor called 911 reporting a man who appeared drunk in a park in Alameda, California, police arrived and handcuffed Mario Gonzalez, thenkneeled on his back for minutes, killing the 26-year-old Latino father.

Since the wave of protests last summer against racist police violence, some cities have responded by redirecting funds budgeted for law enforcement to alternative public safety efforts.

Last week in Oakland, California, for instance, the city council voted to use some $18 million (out of an over $300 million annual police budget) to fund alternatives to policing, including having unarmed fire department staff respond to nonviolent 911 calls.

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Democrats Introduce Bill To Invest In Public Safety Alternatives To Police - HuffPost

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, Secretary Jason Rae and LGBTQ Caucus Chair Earl Fowlkes released the following statement on the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and the 51st anniversary of the first Pride parades:

Fifty-two years ago, transgender and lesbian women of color took to the streets against the injustice and discrimination the LGBTQ community had endured for years. A year later, Pride was born and the tradition of fearlessly celebrating their identities began. Today, we celebrate the hard-won progress forged by the trailblazers who put their lives at risk for the chance for all of us to live our true selves freely and without fear.

President Biden and Democrats are dedicated to achieving equality for LGBTQ Americans. In his first weeks in office, President Biden signed executive orders directing federal agencies to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and reversing the Trump administrations unacceptable ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the military. Not only has the president shown commitment to empowering the LGBTQ community with policies, hes demonstrated it with his administration personnel: Nearly 14 percent of the Biden administrations agency appointees identify as LGBTQ. The administration also includes the first openly gay person confirmed to serve in the Cabinet, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; and the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate, Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine.

There is more to be done to ensure that the right to live without persecution is cemented everywhere. This is why Congress must pass the Equality Act to codify into law civil rights protections for LGBTQ individuals and families across the nation. Pride is about resilience, justice, and love. We must recommit ourselves to the work for LGBTQ equalityso everyone can live freely and proudly.

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DNC on 52nd Anniversary of Stonewall Uprising - Democrats.org

Democratic senators, led by Cory Booker of New Jersey, say they worry about how Google's products and policies may perpetuate bias. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

Democratic senators, led by Cory Booker of New Jersey, say they worry about how Google's products and policies may perpetuate bias.

A group of Democratic senators is urging Google parent company Alphabet to investigate how its products and policies may be harming Black people.

In a letter to the tech giant's CEO, Sundar Pichai, and other executives, Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Mark Warner of Virginia, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said they worried about bias and discrimination, both in the products Google makes and the way it's handled workplace diversity.

"We are concerned about repeated instances where Alphabet missed the mark and did not proactively ensure its products and workplaces were safe for Black people," the senators wrote.

They highlighted several examples of Google products that appeared to produce biased results or potential harms for Black people.

"Google Search, its ad algorithm, and YouTube have all been found to perpetuate racist stereotypes and white nationalist viewpoints," they wrote.

They cited recent reporting from Vice showing that a new app to identify skin conditions hadn't been trained using a "sufficiently diverse" dataset and therefore wasn't effective on people with dark skin.

They also pointed to the controversial firing of prominent artificial intelligence ethicist Timnit Gebru, who was the first Black woman to be a research scientist at Google as well as a vocal critic of the company's diversity efforts.

The senators suggested the company has not made good on racial justice pledges Pichai made in a letter to employees and congressional testimony following the murder of George Floyd a year ago.

The first step, the senators said, is a "racial equity audit." They want Google to work with outside civil rights and legal experts to identify the root causes of any discrimination within the company and its tools, and what it can do to address the problems.

Google and other tech giants have long come under criticism for making slow progress in diversifying their largely white workforces. At Google, for example, only 3.7% of U.S. staff is black, according to its 2020 diversity report, compared with 2% in 2013.

The companies have also been slammed for not paying enough attention to the impact of their technologies on people of color and the way their design and development may perpetuate bias.

In their letter to Google, the lawmakers pointed to Facebook and Airbnb, which have done similar audits examining racial bias and discrimination on their platforms and within their companies after outside pressure from activists and lawmakers.

Facebook's audit, completed last year, gave a damning assessment of what the outside auditors called the company's "vexing and heartbreaking decisions" to prioritize free speech over civil rights.

The senators said a similar investigation is long overdue at Google.

"As Congress and the federal government do more to protect communities of color from civil rights violations online, companies need to do their part by examining areas for improvement and ensuring their workplaces are safe for members of these communities," they wrote.

"We can no longer rely on promises and need Alphabet to take affirmative steps to protect Black people and other people of color."

Google did not respond to NPR's request for comment.

Editor's note: Google, Facebook and Airbnb are among NPR's financial supporters.

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Senate Democrats Urge Google To Investigate Racial Bias In Its Tools And The Company - NPR