Holliswein's blog

"When we're dancing with the angels, the question will be asked ... what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact?" asked the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD).

The 230 members of the House that voted for President Trump's impeachment heeded that call. It was not the politically popular thing to do since many hold seats in districts Trump won in 2016. But it was their moral obligation.

Throughout our nation's history men and women have stood up against great challenges to protect our democracy.

This week marked one year since HR 8, a bill to expand gun background checks, was introduced in the House. At that time, former Rep. Gabby Gifford (D-AZ) joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to unveil the legislation. That date also marked the anniversary of her horrific shooting eight years earlier in Tucson.

Today Gabby's husband, Mark Kelly, is running for the Senate in Arizona against Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ), one of the top recipients of NRA funds.

As we approach a new decade let us evaluate where we came from. At the beginning of this decade we were in the middle of President Barack Obama's first term. We had just passed a major piece of legislation in March 2010, the Affordable Care Act. JAC's issues were safe. Israel was bipartisan, women's health had less attacks, and climate change was real. Laws were being passed in both the Senate and the House.
 

Most students today can't distinguish advertisements from news articles, fake news from actual news, or content posted by partisan groups from content posted by unbiased sources, according to findings from a recent study conducted by Stanford University's Graduate School of Education.

This, coupled with this week's news that 2/3 of our nation's students are not good readers, raises concerns for our nation's future and implications at the ballot box.

The security of our elections has been scrutinized since the 2016 election. It was also a prevalent theme during the House Intelligence Committee's recent impeachment hearing. 

President Donald Trump and the GOP have suggested Ukraine meddled in the 2016 campaign. However, evidence points to the Russians. The fact that we are even discussing two foreign countries meddling in our election is reason for concern.

Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and friends and an opportunity to reflect. This year has been an incredibly tumultuous time in our country and Congress. Nevertheless, JACPAC candidates are working in Congress to help pass meaningful legislation to improve the lives of everyone in this country. This week we want to highlight some of our candidates and their achievements. Throughout the year we will continue to keep you updated on their work and the work of our other candidates.

This was an historic week on Capitol Hill. The hearings showed the best and the worst of our country. With dignity and respect for our democracy, House Intelligence Chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) lead the impeachment hearings. The Democrats refrained from partisan politics and sought to peel away at the many layers in the case. 

Many of the witnesses that were called to testify are dedicated, extremely knowledgeable public servants. Every day these people, along with their colleagues, work to protect our country. 

Sometimes the cases the Supreme Court chooses not to hear are as important as the cases they decide to hear. This week the high court decided not hear a case against gun manufacturer Remington Arms.

This is a legal victory for the Sandy Hook families, who originally brought the lawsuit. These families will now have their day in court. Gun manufacturers will no longer be shielded from legal action. 

The Democrats' successes in Kentucky and Virginia this week gives us some hope for protecting Roe v Wade and standing up to the NRA. But that hope is tempered with concern and caution following Jeff Session's decision to challenge Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL).

The courts this week took an important step toward protecting women's reproductive rights with two key rulings. 

Judge Myron Thompson, who was appointed by President Jimmy Carter, blocked Alabama's extreme abortion ban saying it "defies the United States Constitution." Alabama's law is the strictest in the nation. It contains no exception for rape and incest.