Dear John,

Though we have much to celebrate this week — including the glass ceiling-shattering election of Kamala Harris, the first woman and first Black and South Asian vice president — I must also warn you that we have no time to waste. As Trump continues to refuse to publicly accept the results of the election or concede, the Trump administration has also already begun to use the “lame duck” period—the time between now and when President-elect Biden is inaugurated and a new Congress convenes—to do as much damage as it can. 

This week on MsMagazine.com, Carrie Baker writes: 

"With two months left in office, Trump is attempting to hobble the next administration by making it difficult for Biden and Harris to reverse some of Trump’s most harmful policies. 

The Trump administration is rushing through last-minute regulations and signing contracts with Republican governors designed to prevent the incoming administration from restoring civil rights protections and expanding health care access...

Activists are organizing to block these new regulations, and if they are adopted they will surely be challenged in court. But legal challenges would take time…” Read the full article below. 

In brighter news, the Ms. team has also launched an ongoing series that will lay out exactly what we can expect from the incoming Biden/Harris administration. President-Elect Biden has pledged to pursue an “aggressive and comprehensive plan to further women’s economic and physical security and ensure that women can fully exercise their civil rights” during his time in office, with a focus on five areas: health care, economic security, work and family, violence against women and global women’s rights. This week, we outlined Biden’s healthcare plan, which you can read below. And be sure to check back next Wednesday for the next installment! 

All of this to say: this is a moment of great possibility for feminists—but it’s a moment of great danger, as well. So yes, let us celebrate feminist victories! But remember that we must also hold the Trump administration to account on their way out the door—women’s rights, and our democracy itself, depend on it. 

For equality,

Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor