Monitor Weekly: Gupta Testifies on Voting Discrimination, Education Fund Releases Major Voting Rights Report
Saturday, September 28
TOP STORY
Leadership Conference Supports House Impeachment Inquiry. Because nothing short of our democracy and rule of law are at stake, we formally announced our support on Wednesday for the House impeachment inquiry. "It matters because the rule of law is not an abstract idea -- indeed, it is the very foundation of our democracy," said Vanita Gupta, our president and CEO. "And it is the very tool that has allowed the civil and human rights movement to successfully fight discrimination, ensure opportunity and inclusion, and push for justice. As history teaches us, our democracy cannot protect itself. We must protect it -- especially from our own leaders when they violate their sworn oath to our nation." Read more here.
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IN OTHER NEWS
Policing Campaign Testifies in DC, Launches in Dallas. We recently testified before the House Judiciary Committee during its oversight hearing on policing practices, underscoring the importance of public safety for all communities and emphasizing the critical need to implement transformative policing practices to increase accountability and build community trust. Read testimony from Lynda Garcia, our policing campaign director, here. Two days later, we were in Dallas introducing our policing campaign's report and toolkit for the city to advance 21st century and data-driven best practices in policing. Read more here.
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Congress Holds Historic Muslim Ban Hearing. The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship held a historic hearing this week to hold the Trump administration accountable for its cruel Muslim ban and to examine the NO BAN Act, which would repeal the ban and prevent future discriminatory bans. We were proud to support the testimony of Muslim Advocates -- a member of The Leadership Conference -- and individuals who have been directly impacted by the ban. Read the written statement of Farhana Khera, president and executive director of Muslim Advocates, here -- and watch her powerful testimony here.
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Senate Confirms Scalia as Secretary of Labor. On a party-line vote, the Senate on Thursday confirmed Eugene Scalia as our nation's next Labor Secretary. "The Secretary of Labor must be our nation's chief advocate for working people. But Eugene Scalia has spent the bulk of his career representing corporations and business organizations," Gupta said. "Now that he is confirmed, we urge Secretary Scalia to commit himself to promoting and enforcing the dignity, safety, and rights of working people." Read our letter urging opposition to Scalia's confirmation here.
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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
We released a video this week highlighting the importance of protecting our federal courts from Trump's unqualified judicial nominees. WATCH:
Watch our video highlighting the importance of protecting our federal courts.
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WHAT WE'RE READING
This week, All Voting is Local (a collaborative campaign housed at The Leadership Conference Education Fund) joined students from Central State and Wilberforce universities, Ohio's two HBCUs, to announce a year-long voter empowerment campaign to tackle barriers to voting for students. The year-long campaign aims to tackle troubling findings revealed in a new All Voting is Local report, Needs Improvement: Barriers to the Ballot at Ohio's Historically Black Colleges and Universities. READ:
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Join the Fight
Work for civil and human rights.
Join The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund in the fight for justice. We're hiring for a variety of positions -- view the job descriptions here.
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The Leadership Conference and Civil and Human Rights.
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