On Tuesday, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as a United States Circuit Judge for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. A law professor at the University of Notre Dame, Barrett has been widely opposed due to her past statements that judges’ Catholic beliefs should take precedent over the United States Constitution.
House of Representatives Passes Devastating Budget Blueprint
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget blueprint that would cut taxes for the wealthy, add as much as $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit, and cuts over a trillion dollars from Medicaid and Medicare.
Thousands of Wisconsin Voters Blocked by Voter ID Laws in 2016 Election
A recent study shows that as many as 23,000 eligible voters in Wisconsin were discouraged from casting a ballot in the 2016 presidential election due to the state’s voter ID laws.
Today is National Voter Registration Day
Today, September 26, is National Voter Registration Day. First celebrated in 2012, National Voter Registration Day serves to raise awareness about voter registration deadlines so that all eligible voters are able to participate in upcoming elections.
Republicans Race Again to Repeal Affordable Care Act and Cut Medicaid
The House and Senate intend to vote on a repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act before the end of September, renewing the fight to defend Medicaid and affordable, comprehensive healthcare access for people across the country.
County of Durham, NC Unanimously Endorses CEDAW
In a general meeting on September 11, the Durham County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt a resolution that endorses the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
What to Expect as Congress Heads Back to Washington
Members of Congress returned to Washington yesterday after a month long August recess and there is a long agenda on the docket, but their first priority will be to pass a budget bill that will fund the government for fiscal year 2018. If they do not pass a budget bill by September 30, the federal […]
Trump Administration Set To End DACA Immigration Program
President Trump has reportedly decided to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, as soon as Friday. Implemented under President Barack Obama, DACA is a two year, renewable program for undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as minors. Immigrant rights activists say the DACA program has improved the lives of thousands […]
Senate Democrats Skeptical of Health and Human Services Nominee
During Texas doctor Brett Giroir’s testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, he failed to defend the right of all qualified reproductive health providers to receive federal funding.
Nominee for FBI Director Pushed on Anti-Abortion Violence
Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Christopher Wray to serve as the new director of the FBI, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) pressed the nominee on his dedication to protecting abortion clinics from violence.
House Passes Bill to Dismantle Healthcare
On Thursday the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill that repeals the Affordable Care Act (ACA), ends Medicaid as we know it, defunds Planned Parenthood, and kicks 24 million people off of health insurance.
Congress Expected to Vote on Bi-Partisan Budget Agreement
Congress is expected to vote this week on a budget agreement that will keep the government funded through September, and that contains very few of the big ticket items the President had requested. The bill would be considered the first piece of bi-partisan legislation to move forward in the Congress since Trump took office.
Neil Gorsuch Confirmed to the Supreme Court
On Friday, the Senate confirmed Neil Gorsuch to serve as an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court by a vote of 54-45. He will be sworn in on Monday.
Senate Expected to Vote on Gorsuch Nomination Next Week
Thousands of grassroots activists and hundreds of civil rights, feminist, and other social justice organizations such as the Feminist Majority Foundation, NAACP, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the NOW, American Federation of Teachers, and Planned Parenthood Federation have publicly opposed Gorsuch due to his consistent rulings putting corporations above women, workers and everyday people.
Congressional Budget Office Releases Analysis of ACA Repeal
By 2026, 52 million Americans would be without health insurance, an additional 24 million than the CBO projected would have coverage if the Affordable Care Act were to stay.
Senate Confirms Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the EPA
Pruitt, a self-proclaimed “leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda,” is an avid climate change denier, fossil fuel supporter and collaborator with oil and gas companies.
Puzder Withdraws and a New Labor Secretary is Nominated
Today, President Trump announced Alexander Acosta, a former federal judge and current law school dean, as his nominee to serve as secretary of the Department of Labor following Andrew Puzder’s Wednesday afternoon withdrawal of his nomination.
Jeff Sessions Confirmed as Attorney General
On Wednesday evening, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions was confirmed as US Attorney General with a final vote of 52-47, after nearly thirty hours of debate, during which Democratic senators voiced their strong opposition to Sessions’ confirmation.
Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Education
“This is the first time in American history that a Vice President has ever had make a tie-breaking vote to confirm a Cabinet nominee, showing just how weak DeVos’ position really is,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “Every single Senator who voted “Yes” is personally responsible for the deciding vote, and those of us concerned with equity in education will not soon forget it.”
Treasury Secretary Nominee Mnuchin to Have Confirmation Vote this Week
“Mnuchin profited off of kicking people out of their homes and then gave false testimony about his bank’s abusive practices,” said Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH). “He cannot be trusted to make decisions about policies as personal to working Ohioans as their taxes and retirement.”
