Update News: Democratic July 16th 2025

Wednesday, July 16

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Senators want answers on use of DHS database to purge voters

• Democratic senators pressed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for answers on the department’s expansion of a database that verifies voter citizenship to purge voters, citing concerns over the program's lack of oversight.

SCOTUS pauses ruling that weakened VRA

• Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh paused the 8th Circuit ruling that blocked voters and advocacy groups in seven states from filing lawsuits under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act while the court considers whether to halt the decision. The order keeps the court-ordered legislative districts in place for now. 

DOJ urges court to dismiss lawsuit against Trump's anti-voting executive order

• In a motion filed this week, the DOJ argued the court should dismiss a case against President Donald Trump’s anti-voting executive order without even reaching the merits because plaintiffs lack standing.

  
  
  
  

• Even if they had standing, the DOJ argued, the plaintiffs also fail on the merits because the president enjoys broad powers over the executive branch. 

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Witness requirement challenge heads to Minnesota Supreme Court

• The Minnesota Supreme Court agreed to hear a pro-voting lawsuit challenging the state’s requirement that absentee voters must obtain a witness signature to cast a ballot. Previously, a state appeals court ruled that the requirement does not violate federal law.

Trump is using TikTok to claim imperial powers

• Since the first day of his second term, Trump has disregarded an act of Congress banning TikTok in the U.S. Recently published letters reveal that in doing so, he and Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed astonishingly broad monarchical authority that undermines the separation of powers and rule of law.

Lawsuits blocked much of Trump’s anti-voting executive order. GOP states are implementing it anyway

• Judges blocked much of Trump’s anti-voting order — but GOP officials in Texas, North Dakota and Missouri are using it anyway to push voter purges, strict ID laws and data sharing with federal agencies.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder doesn’t recognize the DOJ

• Bondi is turning the Department of Justice into a political arm of the GOP. Former Attorney General Eric Holder sat down with Marc to discuss the weaponization of his old department.  

Coming up tomorrow 

• The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for senior DOJ official and 3rd Circuit Nominee Emil Bove, among others. More than 75 former federal judges have called for the rejection of his nomination.

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