NBC News Justice Correspondent Pete Williams has some news for President Donald Trump: You’re wrong.

Williams is a consummate professional who for 27 years has consistently without bias reported the major stories on his critical beat: the Supreme Court, the DOJ, and DHS. He has won three Emmy awards.

On Monday Williams responded to tweets President Trump posted, falsely claiming that he alone has the power to open or close the nation’s economy, and that he would do so shortly.

….It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons. With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue. A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2020

The President is wrong, as Williams notes.

“For the purpose of eliminating confusion, here are the facts,” Williams says, almost mocking Trump. according to NBC News correspondent Ken Dilanian. “The authority to require businesses to close in a public health crisis is what is known as a ‘police power,’ and it is reserved by the Constitution to the states, not to the federal government.”

The Republican Party’s talking points of late – aside from Donald Trump has “done nothing wrong” – are either that the only thing Democrats are running on is being anti-Trump, or Democrats have no policies at all, or their policies are “extremist.”

Republicans are also trying to paint one Democratic primary upset in New York as if the entire party has become Socialists.

Every one of those talking points are false.

And regardless of your personal view on Socialism, the Democratic Party isn’t the “Socialist Party,” as Republican politicians and voters insist.

But maybe they should be looking a little harder – at their own beliefs.

In a lengthy just-published article, “Inside the progressive movement roiling the Democratic Party,” Reuters includes the results of their new poll.

One of the questions: Would you support or oppose a policy of Medicare for all?

Guess who supports the policy of Medicare for all?

Obviously a majority of Democrats, by a huge margin: 84.5%.

But also, a majority of Republicans: 51.9%.

Overall, seven out of 10 Americans support Medicare for all. Less than one out of 10 Americans are undecided. Just 20.6% are opposed.

But remember, it’s the Democrats who have “extremist” policies – which Republicans agree with.

Call it “extremist,” call it “Socialism,” call it whatever – Americans are for Medicare for all.

Image by Molly Adams via Flickr and a CC license

A group of senators are hoping to pass into law the Census Equality Act, an effort to count LGBTQ Americans in the 2030 U.S. Census.

The bill was introduced by Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Tom Carper, D-Del. Tuesday.

“The spirit of the census is that no one should go uncounted and no one should be invisible,” Harris said in a written statement. “We must expand data collections efforts to ensure the LQBTQ community is not only seen, but fully accounted for in terms of government resources provided.”

Accurate census data could better distribute funds and resources to the communities most in need. For example, census results could show whether or not affordable housing is available to LGBTQ elders or if transgender Americans are receiving the support they need in through federally funded health care initiatives.

According to verbiage in the title of the bill, it would seek “to improve Federal data collection by requiring the collection of information on sexual orientation and gender identity in the decennial census and the American Community Survey.”

Tracking of LGBTQ individuals was expected in the 2020 U.S. Census, but that was revoked. At the time, the National LGBTQ Task Force posted the photo below in response.

According to NPR, if the Census Equality Act becomes law, sexual orientation and gender identity questions would have to be added to forms for the census by 2030 and for the American Community Survey – a survey that about 1 in 38 households are required by federal law to complete every year – by 2020.

As far as confidentiality, the bill reads: “All information collected relating to sexual orientation or gender identity of a participant in the decennial census or the American Community Survey shall be maintained by the Bureau in accordance with the confidentiality and privacy standards and policies mandated by sections 9 and 214 of title 13, United States Code.”

However, the question of safety is of paramount concern – especially in rural America. It is still illegal to be fired in the U.S. for being gay. At the time of this publication, firing someone for being a homosexual is legal in 30 states, according to the HRC.

Currently, the U.S. Census and American Community Survey forms allow participants to select “male” or “female” only.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced in March 2018 that the 2020 Census questionnaires would offer “same-sex”and “opposite-sex” designations. Demographers anticipate this could produce the most comprehensive data yet on same-sex couples living in the U.S.

Co-signers of the bill include democratic senators, but no initial GOP support. Currently, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Kirsten Gillibrand, N-New York, and Cory Booker, D-New Jersey have offered their support.