The Holman Rule, established in the year 1876, empowers individual lawmakers with the authority to request amendments to appropriations bills, cut federal employees’ salaries down to $1 and eliminate governmental positions or programs of which they disapprove.
Sexual Assault Survivors Protest Jeff Sessions
This morning a group of sexual assault survivors, advocates and activists, led by national women’s advocacy group UltraViolet, went to Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) Capitol Hill Senate Office to present him with the Department of Justice’s definition of sexual assault and demand that he take violence against women seriously.
House GOP Promises Major Attack on Reproductive Healthcare
House Republicans announced this week that they intend to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and de-fund Planned Parenthood all in one budget “reconciliation” bill, a process that prevents Democrats from filibustering the measure and requires only a 51 vote in the Senate to pass, not the standard 60 vote threshold required for most controversial legislation.
LGBTQ Protections Expanded to State Services in Virginia
This past Thursday, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed off on an executive order prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity within state services and by state contractors.
House Select Panel Investigating Abortion Providers Comes to an End
This week the House Select Panel investigating abortion providers finally came to a close after over a year of waging a “McCarthyesque witch hunt,” abusing Congressional authority and subpoena power to intimidate, threaten and endanger the lives of abortion providers and fetal tissue research professionals.
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Stalking Awareness Month
Every year, an average of 7.5 million people experience stalking in the United States alone.
Republicans Scrap Plan to Eradicate Office of Congressional Ethics Following Backlash
On Tuesday morning, House Republicans decided to no longer pursue their plan to effectively eradicate the Office of Congressional Ethics after receiving widespread backlash from both sides of the aisle and the President-elect.
Trump’s Request for Global Gender Equity Program Details Leaves Many Fearing for their Future
This week the Trump transition team requested documents from the State Department outlining the details of their programs aimed at promoting gender equality, sending shock-waves through the Department and advocacy communities over fears that the programs might be cut.
President Obama Permanently Blocks Offshore Drilling in Regions of the Arctic and Atlantic
The ban is set to safeguard 115 million acres of U.S. government owned portions of the Arctic Ocean as well as 3.8 million acres of the Atlantic Ocean.
Afghanistan Women’s Advancement: Progress Report
Despite the persistent Taliban terrorist attacks, Afghanistan is a nation that continues to make considerable progress.
North Carolina State Lawmakers Embroiled in Partisan Controversies
The hostility between Republicans and Democrats in North Carolina has been ongoing since the contested election in November, when Governor McCrory refused to concede the election to Cooper, asserting without evidence that the election had been tampered through widespread voter fraud.
University of Minnesota Football Team Ends Boycott after Rape Details Released
Their decision to play in the Holiday Bowl Game came after the University’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action released an 80-page report on Friday detailing the gang rape of a female student on September 2.
Federal Government Blocks Mining Plans Near Boundary Waters in Minnesota
Last week the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture declined to renew a lease for a copper-nickel mine near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness over concerns that the mine could contaminate the area’s network of lakes, streams, and wetlands.
Texas Fetal Burial Rule Temporarily Blocked
The fetal burial rule approved by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
Civilians Attempt to Flee Amid Mass Casualties in Aleppo
Civilians in eastern Aleppo are attempting to evacuate today as militants allied with the Syrian government continually threaten the agreed upon ceasefire that would allow for innocents to flee the bombarded rebel-held neighborhoods.
Title X Protections Finalized during Obama Administration’s Last Days
Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services under the Obama administration finalized a regulation defending funding for family planning providers, such as Planned Parenthood, through Title X of the Public Health Service Act.
Ohio Governor Signs 20 Week Abortion Ban
Yesterday Governor John Kasich of Ohio signed into law a 20 week abortion ban, vetoing the “heartbeat bill” that had the potential to outlaw abortion as early as six weeks gestation based off the first detectable heartbeat.
Senators Introduce Bill to Protect Dreamers
Senators Dick Durban (D-IL) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) have introduced legislation to protect from deportation over 740,000 young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
Texas Sued Over New Fetal Burial Requirement
Today the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas over their new rule requiring fetal tissue from an abortion or miscarriage to be either buried or cremated, a mandate that abortion rights activists say will increase both the cost and the stigma associated with abortion.
Bill to Protect Military Sexual Assault Survivors from Retaliation Heads to President’s Desk
On Thursday the Senate approved a bipartisan bill that seeks to address retaliation against service members who report sexual assault.