This week Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) successfully amended the State Department funding bill for fiscal year 2018 to preserve funding for the position of Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues for which funding had been originally excluded. The amendment was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and now heads to the Senate floor for a vote.
Trump Plans to Reinstate Ban on Transgender Troops
President Trump announced via Twitter on Wednesday morning that he plans to reinstate a ban on transgender individuals serving military “in any capacity” in the United States military. There are currently 1,320 to 6,630 transgender people serving in the military.
Senate Healthcare Bill Hits Parliamentarian Road Blocks
Republicans will need 60 votes in the Senate to move forward with some of the worst provisions for women’s health included in their Trumpcare plan, including the defunding of Planned Parenthood, restrictions on abortion coverage, the continuous coverage penalty, and elimination of the guarantee of essential health benefits for Medicaid, among others.
Motion for Temporary Restraining Order Filed Against Anti-Abortion Extremists Heading to Kentucky
Just days before Operation Rescue/Operation Save America (OR/OSA) plans to bring hundreds of protestors to Louisville, Kentucky to blockade the state’s only remaining clinic providing abortions, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky has filed for a court order prohibiting OSA participants from physically blocking or interfering with EMW Women’s Surgical Center.
Afghan Girls’ Robotics Team Competes in International Competition
The Afghan girls’ robotics team that struggled to get U.S. approval to enter the country for an international competition were granted silver medals on Tuesday for their “courageous achievement”.
DeVos Meets with Men’s Rights Activists Trying to Dismantle Title IX
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos met for 90 minutes with survivors of campus sexual assault last week, and then went on to a meeting with men’s rights activists to discuss dismantling Title IX enforcement guidelines that combat campus sexual assault. The men meeting with DeVos claim to be victims of false accusations of campus assault.
Women’s March Organizes Peaceful Protest in Response to NRA Videos
Last Friday, the Women’s March and several other organizations participated in a 17-mile, two-day rally in the Washington, D.C. area to protest the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) promotion of violence against progressive activists—especially women and people of color—in two recent incendiary videos, as well as the lack of action the NRA took in response to the shooting death of Philando Castile.
Afghan Female Pilot Flies Around the World to Inspire Women
Shaesta Waiza, the youngest certified female pilot from Afghanistan and the founder of Dreams Soar, is flying around the world to serve as an inspiration for other women and girls.
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.
Anti-Abortion Extremists Descend on Kentucky’s Last Clinic
In less than one week, Operation Save America (OSA)—an anti-abortion extremist group—will be descending on Louisville, Kentucky for their annual national action with the goal to “break America’s covenant with death” by blockading the entrance to the last abortion clinic left in the state.
Feminist Protest Pressure Trump Administration to Grant Afghan Girls Robotics Team Visas
The Department of Homeland Security has issued humanitarian paroles to the Afghan all-girls robotics team that had been previously denied State Department visas to come to Washington DC for an international robotics competition. The girls have now arrived in the United States for ten days to compete in the FIRST Global Challenge.
Senate Committee Votes to Give Free Birth Control to Non-Active Service Members
Last month, the Republican-controlled Senate Armed Services Committee passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that, if passed by Congress, would give free birth control to all members of the military and their dependents. Currently, women in the military are only granted this benefit while on active duty.
Senate Healthcare Bill Would Cut Nearly 1.5 Million Jobs
The majority of the job losses—919,000 jobs—would be in the healthcare industry, but there would be a ripple effect that could lead to a loss of half a million jobs in other sectors, including construction and real estate, finance, retail trade, and public employment.
Defense Department Delays Plan to Allow Transgender Recruits
Military officials will now have until December 1, 2017, to conduct a review process to determine whether allowing transgender people to enlist will affect the “readiness or lethality” of the United States Armed Forces.
Title IX Complaint Filed Over School’s Refusal to Start Girls Football Team
“For girls who are afraid to play football or don’t feel like it’s the type of things that they should do, I think it’s time for us to be trailblazers and take away the stereotype that girls can’t play football,” Sam said.
US Denies Visas to Afghan Girls Robotics Team, Sparks Feminist Protest
The teenagers risked their lives making the 500-mile journey across Afghanistan twice to interview for visas at the U.S. embassy in Kabul— the site of several recent deadly attacks. Despite their efforts to secure a 7-day visa, the girls were rejected.
Maternal Mortality Rates are Rising in the United States
The United States saw a dramatic 27 percent jump in the maternal death rate from 19 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 24 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014. In 2015, the rate once again went up to 26.4 deaths per 100,000 live births, and it is black women who are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth related incidences than white women.
German Parliament Votes to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
The German Parliament has voted 393-226 in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, and the bill now heads to the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper house, where it is expected to pass. A recent poll found that two-thirds of Germans support legalizing same-sex marriage.
Trump’s Temporary Muslim Travel Ban Goes Into Effect
Travelers from Libya, Syria, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan will be banned for 90 days if unable to provide a “bona fide relationship” connection to the United States. The Supreme Court ruled to allow the ban until the Court can hear the case in October and make a final ruling.
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Another Civil Rights Opponent Nominated for Job in Justice Department
President Trump has nominated attorney Eric Dreiband, a man who has spent his career opposing equality movements, to head the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. The role of the Civil Rights Division is to hold corporations and states accountable for compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.