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Call to Action: Stand with Women Across the U.S. for a Day of Policy Action for the Violence Against Women Act
After years of negotiations, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have reached a deal on a framework to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with key improvements and protections to better meet the needs of abuse survivors. They plan to introduce the bill in late January. However, the senators are asking for people to voice support now. While they finalize the bill, Americans can build support for it among our senators. On January 19, MWEG will join the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence and women’s and interfaith organizations across the U.S. in calling on our representatives to…
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Arizona Call to Action: Ask Sen. Sinema to Continue to Champion Voting Rights by Ensuring That Procedural Changes Allow Voting Legislation
The Senate majority leader has indicated that there will be a cloture vote on the Freedom to Vote Act (FTVA) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (JLVRAA) this month. If these votes to open discussion on the bills are overcome by the filibuster, he has promised there will be talks about procedural changes in the Senate, including a conversation on adjusting the filibuster to allow important issues of the day to be debated. The filibuster can be used to protect the voice of the minority and to force meaningful dialogue on issues presented to the Senate. However, it also has a less noble history as a tool to…
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Updating the Electoral Count Act of 1887
For a downloadable two-page info sheet on the Electoral Count Act, click here or scroll to the bottom of this post. The Electoral Count Act (ECA) of 1887 sets out the process of casting and counting electoral votes after a presidential election. It is intended to encourage states to resolve controversial electoral outcomes prior to sending results to Congress in order to avoid the conflicts of interest and pursuit of partisan power that would likely occur if Congress were charged with resolving every election dispute. Unfortunately, the text of the ECA is confusing and antiquated, which means the counting of electoral votes remains vulnerable to abuse by partisan actors. The…
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Call to Action: Respond to the House Vote to Hold Stephen Bannon in Contempt of Congress
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday, October 21, to hold Stephen Bannon, a podcast host who served briefly as chief strategist to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress. Bannon refused to comply with subpoenas from the January 6 select committee for documents and testimony in regards to the January 6 attack on our government and the Capitol building. The House voted 229 to 202, with nine Republicans joining Democrats to recommend charges against Bannon. Attorney General Merrick Garland will make the final decision on whether to prosecute and has yet to indicate how the department will respond. To do Contact your members of the House to let…
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Call to Action: Ask Your Senators to Engage in Discussion of the Freedom to Vote Act
Equality, freedom, and representation are central to the practice of democracy. To remain a democratic republic, the U.S. must protect the voting freedom of every eligible American, ensuring our ability to participate in free and fair elections. Among American voters, there is wide bipartisan support for federal protection of voter rights. Recognizing this, historically both the Republican and the Democratic parties have overwhelmingly supported the Voting Rights Act and its renewals. Unfortunately, since the November 2020 election many state legislatures have passed legislation to restrict access to the ballot. In all cases these have been strictly partisan initiatives. The Freedom to Vote Act (FTVA) is intended to provide much-needed reforms…
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Open Letter to U.S. Senators Asking for Debate on S1 to Ensure Equal Citizen Access to Participate in Federal Elections
(To send this letter to your senators, please go here.) Dear Senators, E pluribus unum — out of many, one. We are deeply committed to this vision for our nation and believe it is reflected in our governing principles. As a nonpartisan organization made up of women with diverse political views, we have experienced the benefits of good faith discussion and compromise. As S1, the For the People Act, is brought to a vote, we ask you to come together with your colleagues and model open, intelligent, and collaborative governance, including honest debate. We ask for sincere engagement with legislative efforts that reflect the clear will of the American people…
