Abortion Abortion Providers Health On the Hill Reproductive Rights

Biden Announces Reversal of Trump’s Domestic Gag Rule

On Wednesday, the Biden Administration announced that they would be taking steps to undo the Trump-era domestic “gag” rule, which prevented clinics that referred patients for abortions from receiving federal funding. The proposed Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule would revoke the Trump restrictions eventually, but not immediately. If implemented, the rule will […]

Afghanistan Global On the Hill Womens Rights

Afghan Women Negotiators Warn of “State Collapse” Should the US Leave Too Soon

In a hearing held by the Women, Peace, and Security Caucus, Afghan women negotiators emphasized that the United States’ support is critical to the peace process and democracy and that the U.S. “leaving should not result in state collapse and collapse of institutions.” The Afghan women negotiators cautioned that the Afghan peace process requires patience, […]

Courts On the Hill

Biden Announced First Judicial Picks

On Tuesday, President Biden announced his first slate of judicial nominees, including nominating U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the appeals court in Washington.  Jackson is one of Biden’s 11 nominations and one of three Black women that he is nominating for appeals court vacancies. She is also the first Muslim American to serve […]

Abortion Abortion Providers Health On the Hill

Biden Administration to Amend Trump Federal Family Planning Program Rules

The Biden administration has announced that it will rewrite the rules for the Title X federal family planning program put in place by Donald Trump, which forced Planned Parenthood and other independent clinics who provide abortion and reproductive health care to withdraw from the program in 2019.  Trump’s changes to the program, which provides reproductive […]

On the Hill

House Votes to Remove Arbitrary Timeline on the ERA and Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act

Today, the House of Representatives voted 222-204 to remove the arbitrary timeline on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. “Today the United States House of Representatives voted that there is no time limit on equality,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “Now it’s up to the Senate to agree and clear […]

On the Hill Politics Race

The US House Passes Landmark Voting Rights Bill

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping voting rights act designed to combat nationwide state level voting restrictions proposed by Republican lawmakers in the wake of the 2020 election. The For the People Act, more commonly known as H.R. 1, would expand voting rights, overhaul campaign finance rules, and reform redistricting laws. […]

On the Hill Police Race

House Passes Police Reform Bill in Honor of George Floyd

On Wednesday night, the House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a policing reform bill named for the Black man who was killed in May by a Minneapolis police officer. George Floyd’s murder sparked more than 7,000 demonstrations across the country with communities protesting police violence. The bill seeks to ban chokeholds, end […]

LGBT Rights LGBTQ On the Hill

House Passes Equality Act

On Thursday, the House passed the Equality Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Act would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to create protections for LGBTQ+ people.  The bill passed in the House with a close 224-206 vote, receiving unanimous support from Democrats and three Republican votes.  The Equality […]

Climate Change On the Hill

Deb Haaland Faces Difficult Confirmation Hearing

Deb Haaland, Congresswoman from New Mexico and President Biden’s Secretary of the Interior nominee, is facing the second day of her confirmation hearing today before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.  Haaland’s nomination is historic– if confirmed, she will be the first Native American Cabinet secretary.  In her hearing so far, she has faced […]

Climate Change On the Hill

US Officially Rejoins the Paris Climate Agreement

The U.S. has officially rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change this Friday after President Biden issued an executive order last month initiating the move. Former president Donald Trump famously withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement early in his presidency, using his tenure to roll back environmental protections put in place by the Obama […]

Health On the Hill Race

Rep. Underwood, Rep. Adams, and Senator Booker Introduce Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act to Address Maternal Mortality

This week, Congresswomen Lauren Underwood and Alma S. Adams and Senator Cory Booker, along with members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021. The bill builds on existing legislation to address every dimension of the maternal health crisis in America comprehensively. The purpose of the bill is […]

Activism On the Hill

The Feminist Majority Joins The ERA Coalition in Urging Biden-Harris Administration to Prioritize Enshrining the ERA into the US Constitution

The Feminist Majority has signed on to a letter sent by The ERA Coalition to the Biden-Harris administration calling for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to finally be enshrined in the U.S. Constitution within the first 100 days of the Biden presidency. President Biden and Vice President Harris are both strong supporters of the ERA. […]

Immigration On the Hill

Biden Signs Series of Executive Orders Reversing Trump Era Immigration Policies

On Tuesday, President Biden signed three executive orders aimed at reversing the “zero tolerance” immigration policies of the Trump administration. Biden said during the signing that “I’m not making new law. I’m eliminating bad policy.” One of the orders establishes a task force that will work to reunite migrant families that were separated at the […]

Economy Health On the Hill

Biden and Senate Republicans Hold a Meeting to Discuss COVID Relief Plan

President Biden has proposed a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package, and a group of Republican Senators have countered with a narrower $618 billion proposal. Both plans call for $160 billion to be put toward a national vaccination program, expansion of testing and equipment, and reimbursement of hospital medical providers. While the Republican plan matches the […]

Abortion Health On the Hill Reproductive Rights

Biden Executive Order Ends Global Gag Rule and Strengthens Health Care Access

Today, President Biden will sign a series of executive orders that will end the global gag rule which prevents nongovernmental organizations from receiving U.S. aid if they provide or recommend abortion care. They will also order a review and assessment of the Title X domestic gag rule, as well as strengthening access to the Affordable […]