Hi John,

New year, new….sletter! Rolls right off the tongue, right John?!

As we settle into the new year, a lot of people take the time to reflect and make resolutions for the year ahead. Some people want to read more, others want to use their phones less, maybe others want to read less and use their phones more! Whatever floats your new decade boat. But here at the National Women’s Law Center, we’re pretty focused on our resolution: to make sure that an impeached president doesn’t have the privilege of making lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary.

MORE JUDGES, MORE PROBLEMS

The judges Trump appoints today will continue to make decisions about our democracy for years to come. A president who has been impeached for violating our democracy shouldn’t get to continue shaping the very institution charged with upholding our democracy while undergoing an impeachment trial. That’s why we’re demanding the Senate, led by Mitch McConnell and in charge of confirming federal judges, stop the federal judiciary process until it has conducted a full and fair impeachment trial. It’s what’s right, what’s fair, and what must be done. Contact your senators today.

Throughout his term, Trump has used his presidency to wage a war of bigotry against Black and brown people, LGBTQ people, immigrants, women, and so many more. But nowhere has that effort been more concentrated or more visible than in his efforts to stack the federal courts with like-minded extremist judges. Trump has already appointed one-fifth of the nation’s federal trial judges and a quarter of its federal appellate judges (and, of course, two Supreme Court justices). He’s far outpacing Obama’s rate (who, it’s worth mentioning, was blocked time and time again by the Senate, led by Mitch McConnell) and Trump’s picks have been uniquely unqualified, not to mention racist, anti-abortion, and misogynistic.

• Tell your Senators: No new judges until there’s a full and fair impeachment trial.
• Read: Our letter, alongside 28 other advocacy organizations, calling on the Senate to stop the federal judiciary confirmation process.

FEATURED: OUR VISION FOR 2020

Ever since #MeToo went viral in 2017, we’ve been calling on state lawmakers across the country to meet the bravery of the survivors who have come forward by enacting real policy change to stop and prevent sexual harassment. Our goal is for 20 states by 2020 to pass substantive change on this issue, and we’ve already had over 300 lawmakers from 40 different states and the District of Columbia take the pledge to strengthen protections against sexual harassment by the end of 2020.

Yes, this is from the movie "300." Yes, we acknowledge this is a stretch.

But state lawmakers aren’t the only folks who can take action to stop and prevent sexual harassment — members of Congress can too, by passing the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act which will ensure that no matter who you are or where you work, you are protected from harassment and abuse in the workplace. Demand your representatives pass the BE HEARD Act today!

Must-Dos:

• It’s the start of tax season, which means it’s as good a time as any to tax the patriarchy (and read up on the history of tax prep servicers’ efforts to prevent you from being able to file your taxes for free?! Rude.)
• Tell your representatives that we need a federal safeguard for abortion, and we need it now. Demand they support the Women’s Health Protection Act.

Must-Reads:

• The Trump administration is releasing a rule that would undo an Obama-era rule designed to fight racial segregation in housing by strengthening the Fair Housing Act (because of course it is). Reminder: before he discriminated against people of color from the perch of the oval office, the Trump family was doing it from Trump Tower. The Trump Management Company was investigated by the Nixon Department of Justice for discriminating against people of color in his own real estate and violating — wait for it — the Fair Housing Act.
• This is why courts matter: “What Happened When Trump Reshaped a Powerful Court.”
• As we approach the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade next week, a new study just came out finding that the vast majority of people who had abortions felt only positive or neutral about their abortions five years later (84%) versus having negative feelings (6%).

Your Feminist Moment of Joy

Duchess Meghan Markle and her husband, Harry, have taken a step back from their royal duties to the British crown and will be splitting their time between North America and the United Kingdom while becoming financially independent. Meghan Markle’s treatment by the British tabloids has been, well, a royal pain and steeped in racism. We tend to think the crowning achievement for anyone in life is figuring out what works best for you and your family, even if that means ditching the royal family.

Wishing you a lifetime of decisions that work for you (and Meghan Markle) and no more lifetime appointments for Trump!

Sincerely,
Hannah Finnie
Senior Manager of Campaign and Digital Strategies
National Women’s Law Center