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(WASHINGTON) — Over 100 black congressional staffers and several black lawmakers staged a walkout at the Capitol Thursday afternoon, leading a silent protest on the steps of the Capitol over the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner on Staten Island, New York, both black men, at the hands of white police officers.
Reps. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and Marc Veasey, D-Texas, were among the lawmakers participating in the walkout. Senate Chaplain Barry Black led the group in prayer, saying they were working as a "voice for the voiceless."
WASHINGTON (AP) — A gathering of black congressional staffers and other Capitol employees stood silently on the House steps Thursday and raised their hands in the air to protest of the killing of unarmed black men by police.
They bowed their heads as Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black prayed, "Forgive us when we have failed to lift our voices for those who couldn't speak or breathe for themselves" — emphasizing "breathe" in reference to Eric Garner, who died after a policeman grabbed him in a chokehold in New York.
Unless it's a part of their job description, Capitol Hill staffers generally shy away from the press. But Thursday afternoon, nearly 150 of them walked out of their offices to participate in a walkout to protest theEric Garner and Michael Brown grand jury decisions and the deaths of other unarmed African-Americans. The walkout took place on a critical day as their bosses struggled to pass a budget in time to prevent a government shutdown.
WASHINGTON — A gathering of black congressional staffers and other Capitol employees stood silently on the House steps Thursday and raised their hands in the air to protest the killing of unarmed black men by police.
WASHINGTON — A gathering of black congressional staffers and other Capitol employees stood silently on the House steps Thursday and raised their hands in the air to protest of the killing of unarmed black men by police.
They bowed their heads as Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black prayed, ‘‘Forgive us when we have failed to lift our voices for those who couldn't speak or breathe for themselves'' — emphasizing ‘‘breathe'' in reference to Eric Garner, who died after a policeman grabbed him in a chokehold in New York.
Washington — A gathering of black congressional staffers and other Capitol employees stood silently on the House steps Thursday and raised their hands in the air to protest the killing of unarmed black men by police.
They bowed their heads as Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black prayed, "Forgive us when we have failed to lift our voices for those who couldn't speak or breathe for themselves" — emphasizing "breathe" in reference to Eric Garner, who died after a policeman grabbed him in a chokehold in New York.
Washington, D.C. — Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, released the following statement after voting against H.R. 5759, the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014, a Republican bill aimed to override the President's Executive Action on Immigration:
Congressional leaders haven't forgotten about hundreds of children halfway around the world, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who can't go home.
They have sent letters to Congolese officials, imploring them to let children who have been adopted by people in the U.S. and other countries finally go to their forever families.
But the Congolese leaders haven't issued exit papers for more than a year, leaving hundreds of children in limbo.