Hi John,

I’ve lived in D.C. for the better part of a decade, and I love it here. I get to cheer on the Washington Spirit at Audi Field, take my dog for long walks at the National Arboretum, and be a part of the vibrant literary, cultural, and queer communities here.

But I won’t lie: it’s been a tough year to call D.C. home.

First the administration illegally fired thousands of federal workers, throwing many D.C. residents’ lives (and the local economy) into chaos. Then Trump and his allies in Congress threatened D.C.’s right to govern itself—which continues to this day. Then Trump deployed the National Guard to D.C. to assert federal dominance over the city, a classic authoritarian move he’s since replicated in Portland and Chicago.

And then there’s his inhumane deportation regime. When I walk home from the bookstore or grocery store on my street I've frequently seen National Guard members and ICE agents stationed outside corner stores, racially profiling people and detaining folks just trying to go about their days—reminding me of just how little say I have over the city and country I call home. It goes without saying that I am privileged: my only thought when I've seen ICE agents is frustration and despair—I’m not concerned I may be detained or separated from my loved ones.

And then there was the government shutdown—the longest ever in American history.

Trump’s Shutdown

The shutdown hurt people everywhere: federal workers furloughed while their livelihoods became political bargaining chips for Trump and his congressional allies; families who suddenly lost their child care because Head Start ran out of funding, scrambling to figure something, anything, out so they could go to work; children and adults going hungry because Trump and his allies were willing to let people on SNAP starve so they could get what they wanted: raising health care costs for millions.

All that’s to say: I’m lucky the shutdown only impacted my ability to take my dog to the National Arboretum or to work from the cafe at the National Portrait Gallery (which both closed as federal institutions). And still, I’m angry. I’m angry for the people who endured far more than I did, like my federal employee friends who were furloughed without pay for nearly six weeks. I’m angry that Americans endured 43 days of the shutdown just to hear that Congress caved.

Because under the deal they reached the government is only funded through January and there’s no guarantee that Congress will extend the tax credits that have made health care plans on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affordable. If they don’t, millions of people on ACA plans will see their out-of-pocket premiums double. And that’s while our economy is sluggish and people—especially women, immigrants, and Black people—are leaving the workforce. Meanwhile, Trump’s allies in Congress say they won’t extend the tax credits unless they get what they want: even more restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion.

People aren’t political bargaining chips. They’re people who can’t plan their lives because of this uncertainty and chaos. Trump and some members of Congress clearly think it’s okay to leave people in purgatory while they wait out a deal that suits their billionaire special interests.

At the National Women’s Law Center, we won’t cave, and we won’t stop fighting. While the government was shuttered, we projected images onto the agency that runs SNAP holding this administration accountable for letting families go hungry. We directed tens of thousands of people to email Congress to hold the line for women and families’ health care and coordinated hundreds of calls to the Senate in the final hours before the final vote.

And as the next deadline on January 31 to strike a new funding deal comes close, you can rest assured we will continue to be in touch with you, with our partners across the country, and with Congress to make sure the next deal actually helps women and families instead of hanging them out to dry.

Must-Dos

• Even though WNBA players are smashing records—in points scored and viewership ratings—the league is still refusing to negotiate in good faith with the players’ union while they renegotiate their contract. Tell the WNBA to stop ignoring players’ demands and pay them fairly. 
• Tell the Senate to oppose this federal district judge nominee who hates abortion (and precedent). Louisiana Supreme Court Justice William Crain campaigned for his current position as a staunch anti-abortion advocate, even though Roe v. Wade was still the law at the time, which he was bound to follow as a judge. He also ruled against an incarcerated woman who faced retaliation for speaking up for other women who reported sexual assault. Now, Trump wants the Senate to confirm Crain to a lifetime position as a federal judge. Tell the Senate to oppose this nominee who has proven time and time again he’ll be anything but an impartial, fair-minded jurist.
• Check out our supporter shop if you’re on the hunt for gifts for your loved ones that will *also* support your favorite organization fighting for the rights of women and girls! I can tell you from experience that the “I Took an Oath” and “Courage Is Contagious” tees get a lot of compliments. I’m also eyeing the “Burn Down the Patriarchy” candle and matchbooks for some friends.

Must-Reads

• Get up to speed on the trans sports ban cases the Supreme Court is hearing in January. These cases threaten all women and girls in sports. As my colleague Auden writes: “Cisgender women and girls are also being harmed by these sports bans, which have resulted in gender policing, scrutiny, and even harassment of anyone who looks and acts outside the confines of someone else’s idea of femininity.” Read more. 
   
• Political violence against women is no joke. Threats to women lawmakers and election officials and “jokes” about preventing women from voting are part of a concerted effort to push women out of positions of influence and power. Read more about this troubling right-wing trend to suppress women’s political participation. 
   
• Yes, men get breast cancer too. My incredible colleague Sydney brought attention to yet another way the Trump administration’s gender war is screwing everyone over. His latest victim? Male veterans. Citing his day-one executive order to “root out gender ideology in the government,” the Trump administration made it harder for male veterans—and only male veterans—who get breast cancer to get needed VA benefits. I guess to them breast cancer is only real when women get it? Read more. 

Whew! That’s it from me after a long month (and a long year). As we approach Thanksgiving/National Day of Mourning I’m grateful for the loved ones who keep me sane, and getting to be in community and conversation with all of you, who give me hope that a better world is possible.

In solidarity,

Hannah Finnie
she/her
Writer/Editor
National Women’s Law Center