Today Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) introduced the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Act, which has 293 cosponsors and is expected to go to the U.S. House floor for a vote tomorrow afternoon. This bill will establish a Smithsonian museum dedicated to women’s history on the National Mall. “We are […]
Trump to Cut Safety Net Programs, Increase Security Spending in Proposed Budget
President Donald Trump is expected to propose a $4.8 trillion budget that includes cuts to safety net programs, government agencies, and foreign aid and increases to national security programs, according to a senior administration official. Trump is proposing a $4.4 trillion spending cut to safety net programs over 10 years. The budget includes $130 billion […]
Fact Check: Trump’s State of the Union Address
President Donald J. Trump delivered his third State of the Union address this Tuesday and spent approximately one and a half hours lying to the attending members of Congress, witnesses in the gallery, and the American public. Early on in his speech, Trump remarked that “jobs are booming” and “incomes are soaring,” but NPR Chief […]
Congresswomen Wear Suffragette White to State of the Union Address
Dozens of Democratic congresswomen wore white to last night’s State of the Union address in honor of the American suffragette movement and the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The symbolic move references the white outfits 20th-century suffragists often wore to represent purity and nonviolence as they fought for women’s right to […]
‘Women Win’: Warren Takes on Gender in Final Stretch Before Iowa Caucuses
Presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has dealt with issues regarding gender since the beginning of her campaign for the 2020 presidency. She is candid about this, often explaining the various times she has been told to “smile more,” has been called “angry” by an opponent, or been the subject of questions as to whether she […]
Elizabeth Warren Pledges Half Her Cabinet Will Be Women
Massachusetts Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren pledged that at least half of her top executive branch positions would go to women or non-binary people if she wins the presidency. Senator Warren continues in a recent push to convince voters that a woman can win the presidency. As the pivotal early primaries in Iowa and […]
Gender Gap Prominent in Support for Trump Impeachment
Recent polls have shown that American women support impeachment and removal from office by around 10 points more than men—a gender gap that is reflected in national politics as well. Since the 2016 election women in the U.S. have led the fight against the rampant misogyny, racism, and xenophobia that is the hallmark of the […]
The Fight for Paid Leave Takes Center Stage in House Oversight Hearing
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform, chaired by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), held a hearing yesterday on the critical lack of paid leave for employees who need to take time off to care for a new child, a sick family member, or their own health. Committee members and witnesses discussed the ongoing need […]
House Committee on Oversight and Reform to Hold Hearing on Paid Family Leave
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform will hold a hearing tomorrow on the critical lack of access to universal paid family and medical leave across the country. Chaired by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, sponsor of the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, the committee will hear testimony from key witnesses regarding the impact and possible long-term […]
Representative Carolyn Maloney Elected to Lead House Committee on Oversight and Reform
New York Representative Carolyn Maloney was elected chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Wednesday after winning a caucus-wide vote for the position, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a news release. As the most senior member of the panel, Maloney has been serving as acting chairwoman since the October 17th death of […]
House Oversight Committee Holds Hearing On State Reproductive Health Care Access
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform held a congressional hearing on November 14, 2019 to examine state efforts to undermine access to reproductive health care. Led by Acting Chairwoman Maloney, the committee examined “how states, emboldened by the Trump Administration’s sustained and systematic attacks on reproductive health care, are restricting access, and it will […]
Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments on DACA Case
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) case. The Obama-era federal program that has allowed over 700,000 undocumented immigrants to avoid deportation, was rolled back by the Trump administration. The initiative allows children of undocumented immigrants who’ve arrived in the US when at a very […]
Congressional Democrats Eye Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment After Virginia Elections
House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York, announced Friday that the House Judiciary Committee would be marking up a bill eliminating the deadline for states to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which was one state short of the 38 needed for ratification when the deadline passed in 1982. The markup of […]
Representative Katie Hill Resigns After Allegations of Sexual Misconduct
Freshman Representative Katie Hill resigned from Congress Sunday after facing allegations of improper sexual relationships with staffers in her office and on her Congressional campaign. “It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is […]
Congressional Representatives Emphasize the Importance of Preserving the Progress in Afghanistan
A bipartisan congressional dialogue by Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) and Rep. Martha Ruby (R-AL) at the United States Institute of Peace focused on the achievements accomplished in Afghanistan. Both members of Congress have been leading a group of congressional members to Afghanistan since 2007 and have seen the progress there after more than a decade […]
Planned Parenthood Super PAC Announces 2020 Push to Back Pro-Choice Candidates
On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood announced its’ plans to spend at least $45 million to support pro-choice candidates in local, state and national races. “This year what we’re finding is that people really understand exactly what’s at stake. The stakes are higher than ever, and our donors and our supporters understand that very clearly,” said Kelly […]
Supreme Court to Hear Louisiana Abortion Case Next Term
The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it will take up a controversial abortion case next term, a first since Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Grouch have joined the court. Many are worried that the now conservative majority court will use this as an opportunity to rule against abortion rights. The Louisiana case, June Medical […]
Trans Woman Fired for Coming Out Awaits Supreme Court Judgement
Aimee Stephens was fired from RG and GR Harris Funeral Homes in 2013 for coming out as trans to her (now ex) boss, Thomas Rost. Rost testified in court documents that he fired Stephens because she “wanted to dress as a woman” which would be a “distraction not appropriate” for grieving families. Following her firing, […]
Trump Administration Amends Rule to Weaken LGBTQ Employment Protections
Following a thread of Supreme Court decisions that protected business owners’ rights to discriminate on the basis of gender and sexual orientation, on August 15th, 2019 the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) — a branch of the U.S. Department of Labor — published a proposed rule that aims to expand the number of […]
2020 Democratic Candidates Hold Climate Crisis Town Hall Forum
Yesterday, ten of the Democratic presidential candidates vowed to take unparalleled action on climate change in the first prime-time televised forum dedicated to the issue in a presidential race, promising to undo the current administration’s environmental policies, allocate trillions of dollars to promote renewable energy programs and pressure companies to pay new fees and taxes […]