Politics
Jo Freeman's Marching for Immigrants – Again; With the Theme of 'We Care'
Jo Freeman writes: Once inside [the Hart Office Building] women occupied a central atrium and intentionally disturbed the peace. The US Capitol Police said that they arrested 575, though some reports said there were over 600. After about ten percent of the women had been arrested, several Democratic Members of Congress came to greet the women. These included Sen. Ed Markey, Kirsten Gillibrand and Tammy Duckworth. Sen. Gillibrand sat down and linked arms with the protestors. Sen. Duckworth rolled in with her new daughter in her lap. Rep. Pramila Jayapal sat down and was arrested with the other women. Sen. Elizabeth Warren waved to them from an upper floor. more »
Listen to Children Who’ve Just Been Separated From Their Parents at the Border
The desperate sobbing of 10 Central American children, separated from their parents one day last week by immigration authorities at the border, makes for excruciating listening. Many of them sound like they’re crying so hard, they can barely breathe. They scream “Mami” and “Papá” over and over again, as if those are the only words they know. Then a distraught but determined 6-year-old Salvadoran girl pleads repeatedly for someone to call her aunt. Just one call, she begs anyone who will listen. She says she’s memorized the phone number, and at one point, rattles it off to a consular representative. “My mommy says that I’ll go with my aunt,” she whimpers, “and that she’ll come to pick me up there as quickly as possible.” more »
Congressional Action: Passing Bill Prohibiting Child Sex Dolls, Peer Counseling for Women Vets, Bill Including Funding For Office on Violence Against Women
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)/Education and the Workforce introduced a Bill; Oversight and Government Reform; House Administration (6/13/18)—A bill to permit leave to care for a domestic partner, parent-in-law, adult child, sibling, grandchild, or grandparent who has a serious health condition, and to allow employees to take, as additional leave, parental involvement leave to participate in or attend their children’s and grandchildren’s educational and extracurricular activities. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)/Finance (6/12/18)—A bill to ensure access to mental health and substance use disorder services for children and pregnant women under the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes. more »
Policy of Trump Administration: Office of the Attorney General, April 6th, 2018 Memo for Federal Prosecutors Along Southwest Border; MSNBC Videos
Atty General Jeff Sessions, April 6, 2018: "I direct each United States Attorney's Office along the Southwest Border to the extent practicable, and in consultation with DHS- to adopt immediately a zero-tolerance policy for all offenses referred for prosecution under section 1325(a). This zero-tolerance policy shall supersede any existing policies. If adopting such a policy requires additional resources, each office shall identify and request such additional resources." more »