holliswein's blog

As the nation celebrated and memorialized Rep. John Lewis' life this week, nearly every eulogy and commentary mentioned the Voting Rights Act. The House on Monday voted to rename H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019, to the John Lewis Voting Right Act. No other American is as closely associated with the fight to protect voting rights than Lewis.

 

We were honored to have Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Jan Schakowsky join us this week for our Power of Women virtual fundraiser, which also celebrated JAC's 40th year.

 

We can never rest when it comes to protecting women's reproductive rights.

 

Last week we breathed a sigh of relief when the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. This law would have left the state with only ONE abortion clinic. 

 

Our country reached a milestone this week, but we won't be celebrating. The Senate confirmed President Trump's 200th judge. He has already filled nearly 30 percent of federal appeals court seats. Just one of Trump's 53 confirmed appeals court judges is Hispanic and none are Black. His lack of commitment to diversity is consistent with his overall values.

 

This week the nation's highest court handed down two critical rulings that will impact millions of peoples lives. They did their job, absence of politics.

 

Earlier in the week, the Supreme Court ruled that LGTBQ people cannot be discriminated in the workplace. Yesterday, the Court blocked Trump's attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This was an Obama-era program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation.

 

 

All eyes were on Georgia's primary election last Tuesday. The Peach State was seen as a barometer of what we can expect in terms of voting this November. Georgia had purchased new voting machines and mailed out ballots to voters. However the election was a mess and Georgia lived up to its reputation for voter suppression.

 

As we end an incredibly painful week in America, we are further reminded about the work and healing we need to do to repair and improve our country and to finally end systemic racism. We are hurting as a nation and in our communities. Our spirit is bruised and battered.

 

We have seen these graphic images again and again. Each time it fills us with pain and renewed calls for change. Yet we are left frustrated and feeling hopeless, just waiting for the next horrific event to rip at our souls.

 

President Trump's attack on the media to delegitimize them and cast doubt has been a prime focus of his since he took office. But on Thursday, he attacked the very media that allowed him to build followers for his hateful, spiteful, and untrue speech. He signed an executive order targeting social media companies, namely Twitter and Facebook, for applying fact checks to two of his tweets.