Americans for Democratic Action
Fighting for progress and resisting reaction since 1947
ADA: Updates (via Facebook)
Last week Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell laid down a challenge for us when, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade, he said, "What the court did in effect was return this very controversial issue to the people and their representatives so that it could be decided through the democratic process.” We are delighted to accept his challenge and wage the most determined fight possible to wrench control of our political system from those who want us governed by a right wing Christian theocracy based on an ideology of misogyny, racism and homophobia which worships on the altar of unregulated guns. We can think of no better pledge on this Fourth of July and we sincerely hope you will join us in this battle for the soul of our nation. That is why we will continue shining a liberal Spotlight on candidates for the House and Senate who will help ensure that we begin to reject the horrors that the past five years unleashed by the terrifying zealots who follow the lead of the former President. And, that is why today we are shining our Spotlight on Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. This is a district which Biden would have won by 5 percentage points but is still rated one of the few genuine toss-ups in the country.![]()
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The Republican nominee is state senator Barbara Kirkmeyer elected in 2020. She is another of the GOP anti-choice, pro-gun stars who vows to “beat back” Biden, Pelosi and Schumer and their “far left” agenda. She cites Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ leadership on fighting COVID (no, we didn’t make that up) and opposes all mandates as a government overreach. Predictably, she opposes Build Back Better and other Biden agenda items. She opposes critical race theory and promises to promote legislation which would teach students about American greatness. She may not be quite as whacky as Boebert and Greene but she is every bit as dangerous.![]()
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Her Democratic opponent is state representative Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician first elected in 2018. She is the child of undocumented immigrants who volunteered for Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign. He, in turn, named her a Champion of Change for her work with the Union of Concerned Scientists enlisting doctors across the country in the fight against climate change. While she was a medical resident, she helped organize her fellow residents for better working conditions, becoming a union representative with SEIU. She is pro-choice and says Kirkmeyer is too extreme in her opposition to gun control. She sponsored a bill giving free contraceptives and reproductive health care to undocumented immigrants. She worked to force drug companies to lower the cost of drugs and has worked to eliminate toxic pollution. In the most heavily Latino district in the state, she should have an advantage but that is far from certain. Hers is a race that clearly bears watching.![]()
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Fill out the form to get involved in ADA's efforts in the 2022 midterm elections! act.myngp.com/Forms/5239094841027067904
Today’s Spotlight is another reprise because it is an important one. In October when we first wrote about the battle for Nevada’s Senate seat, we knew there was the potential for a problem. Now, with the Nevada Senate primaries behind us and with the incumbent Senator Catherine Cortez Masto widely mentioned as the Senate’s most vulnerable incumbent Senator, we know just how vital our attention and support are.![]()
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Cortez Masto succeeded Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) when she was elected with only 47 percent of the vote in 2016. Since then, she has earned a 93 percent ADA voting record. In the face of ever increasing pressure, she has stood up for principle and never wavered. She is the first Latina elected to the Senate and has never forgotten her working class background. She advocates for Dreamers and works for comprehensive immigration reform which includes a pathway to citizenship for them. Her background as a civil attorney in Las Vegas, a federal criminal prosecutor and a state attorney general has given her a unique picture of the needs for both the law enforcement community and for those who demand fair and equitable law enforcement. As her state is devastated by drought and wildfires, she sees the urgent need to address climate change. She supports increased funding for growth in green jobs, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and expanding reliance on solar energy. She wants to expand Obamacare; has voted to increase the minimum wage; and is pro-choice. She supports LGBTQ+ rights including same sex marriage. And, her support for sensible gun control has earned her the wrath of the National Rifle Association. She serves on the Senate Committees on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Energy and Natural Resources; Rules and Administration; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Indian Affairs; and the Special Committee on Aging.![]()
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Opposing her will be another former state attorney general Adam Laxalt whose surname is revered in Nevada. His father is former New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici (R) so he comes from an exalted very conservative background. Laxalt has been endorsed by the former President (we don’t mean Obama) whose photo is front and center on his campaign website. He is another of the anti-choice, pro-gun advocates proudly touting his belief that sensible gun control laws are unconstitutional. He supports concealed care reciprocity legislation. He opposes HR1, the For the People Act, and other efforts to expand ballot access. He opposes sanctuary cities and wants to continue Trump’s immigration policies. In other words, he is the antithesis of Cortez Masto and needs to be defeated.![]()
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Fill out the form to get involved in ADA's efforts in the 2022 midterm elections! act.myngp.com/Forms/-8957095609374867456
Iowa ADAers - join us!Pro-choice supporters are gathering today starting at noon in front of the Ray Gun store in Cedar Falls, 205 Main St. ![]()
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It is our understanding that folks still be staying there into the evening, so just come when you can. ![]()
Keep your heads up and let’s fight back together.
Today at 5PM local time - at the Supreme Court and across the country - we show the lawless far-right Supreme Court justices that the public’s pro-choice majority isn’t going anywhere. Visit bansoff.org to find out where to take action today.
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) vehemently opposes the reckless decision of the United States Supreme Court that overturns nearly 50 years of precedent protecting the rights of women to make health care decisions on their own. Overturning Roe is an outrage!![]()
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The conservative majority of the Supreme Court, a majority gained through brazen political games in the Senate rather than regular order, has ignored decades of the court’s own precedent and countless lower court rulings to take away a right that every person under the age of 65 has had their entire adult lives.![]()
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Codifying women’s healthcare rights at the state and federal level should be a priority. ADA will also be working overtime to prevent anti-choice elected officials from gaining control of state legislatures, the House, and Senate to prevent any attempt to further expand this intrusion of women’s rights, workers’ rights, and individual liberty.
Enjoy a discussion of Patsy Mink and a new book about her, Fierce and Fearless, by watching this video on the 50th Anniversary of Title IX.
youtu.be
ADA was joined by authors Judy Wu and Wendy Mink to discuss their book about Patsy Mink. Celebrating 50 years of Title IX by honoring the late Rep. Patsy T. Mink, former ADA president with a portrait unveiling.
Billionaire Jeffrey Yass plays to win. He's built his wealth by gaming the system & paying taxes at lower rates. Now, he's using his wealth to bankroll candidates, win elections, & pass anti-tax laws, hurting all of us. #TaxThatYass #TaxBillionaires
Meet the Billionaire and Rising GOP Mega-Donor Who’s Gaming the Tax System
www.propublica.org
Susquehanna founder and TikTok investor Jeff Yass has avoided $1 billion in taxes while largely escaping public scrutiny. He’s now pouring his money into campaigns to cut taxes and support election ... We are not normally fear-mongers but we will admit we are genuinely worried. With inflation at record highs, we are very concerned that voters, understandably, will not vote for the greater good but, instead, for what they perceive as their own economic self-interest. We truly believe that the fate of our democracy may be at stake but we know that, with your help, we are up to the challenge. That is why we are bringing you these weekly election Spotlights.![]()
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And, that is why, today, we are turning our attention back to New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District which covers most of southern New Mexico. There, first term incumbent Yvettee Herrell (R) is facing a stiff challenge from Gabriel Vasquez (D). A member of the Cherokee nation, Herrell is a former real estate broker who served 4 terms in the New Mexico House. She is currently the only Republican in the New Mexico Congressional delegation. She is yet another of the anti-choice, pro-gun crowd and was the main sponsor of a bill to grant Canadian truckers protesting vaccine mandates temporary political asylum. She wants to strengthen our southern border by completing the former President’s ill-fated wall. She voted against the Build Back Better bill and opposes the Green New Deal and the Affordable Care Act. Her views on the Constitution are downright frightening: She says the 2nd Amendment is “a protection of a God given right.” And, goes even further stating, “The Constitution of the United States of America is not a living or changing document…” We hesitate to point out that, if it hadn’t changed, she would not be in Congress. She serves on the Committees on Natural Resources and Oversight and Reform and is a member of the Freedom Caucus.![]()
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Gabriel Vasquez (D) is working to ensure that Herrell is a one-term Member of Congress. He is a former businessman, who worked on the staff of New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich (D). He was executive director of the Las Cruces Hispano Chamber of Congress and currently serves on the Las Cruces City Council. Unlike his opponent who is a proponent of the “Big Lie” election fraud hoax, Vasquez will work to expand the right to vote in free and fair elections. He sees the virtue of cross-border connections to support businesses and families in New Mexico. He is pro-choice and promises to work to lower the cost of prescription drugs while expanding quality, affordable health care for all. He has worked for the conservation of public lands and to combat climate change. He wants to expand economic opportunity in part by reforming the tax code so it benefits hard-working families and not just millionaires. In brief, the differences between the two candidates could not be more stark.![]()
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Fill out the form to get involved in ADA's efforts in the 2022 midterm elections! act.myngp.com/Forms/8337008434704547840
It took a while but now we know what we are up against in the Senate race in Pennsylvania – a state we should be able to switch from red to blue; however, we are under no illusions about how difficult that will be; however, we are under no illusions about how difficult that will be. After David McCormick conceded last week to the former President’s handpicked candidate, made for television doctor Mehmet Oz, we knew we were in for a long battle but we also know we are ready for the challenge. This will be a study in contrasts from the physical to the political. ![]()
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When Republican Senator Pat Toomey announced his retirement, Oz moved to Pennsylvania solely to run for the Senate. He presents a slight, television-ready image which belies his ultra-Right politics. Oz is yet another anti-choice, pro-gun candidate whose website is filled with medical metaphors meaning absolutely nothing. His anti-choice stance makes no exception for rape or incest. He believes “every law-abiding American citizen should be allowed to buy the gun of their desire.” This man who holds dual Turkish and American citizenships wants to keep immigrants out and advocates building either a physical or a “technological” wall to achieve that goal. He believes “that the extreme left wants to use our schools to indoctrinate our children with an anti-American ideology.” His website is, otherwise, filled with meaningless platitudes designed to hide his ultra-conservative ideology.![]()
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On the other hand, Democrat John Fetterman is a behemoth of a tattooed man who is the absolute antithesis of the spit-polished Oz. And, the differences don’t stop there. Pennsylvania’s Lt. Governor, Fetterman, is a native-born Pennsylvanian who has devoted his life to the state. The former mayor of Braddock carries the zip code of his town tattooed on one arm. On the other are tattooed the dates on which people were murdered in Braddock while he was mayor. Seven of the nine were gun deaths and he pledges to work to reduce gun violence. For him, a woman’s right to choose her personal reproductive health care options is non-negotiable. He sees health care as a universal human right. He supports the rights of workers to organize free of employer intimidation and believes that organized Labor is the source of much of what has made our nation strong. He thinks the minimum wage should be raised to a living wage of at least $15/hour. He advocates transitioning to clean energy as quickly as possible and believes that good paying, union jobs will be created in the process. He is a firm supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and officiated at a gay marriage when it was still illegal. And, during a Democratic debate he asserted, “what we should be doing is looking for waste, fraud, and excess in our military budget and reinvesting that money in other areas like healthcare or education.”![]()
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As we said, the differences are striking. We can state forcefully that we have learned what having a television personality with no experience governing and right wing politics means. We hope the voters of Pennsylvania have learned as well and promise you we will do everything we can to work on voter education and get out the vote efforts there.![]()
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Fill out the form to get involved in ADA's efforts in the 2022 midterm elections! act.myngp.com/Forms/2428848673547878400
Amidst all the gloom and doom, there’s actually some good news to report. On May 17th, Jamie McLeod-Skinner defeated Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR) who has represented Oregon’s 5th Congressional District since 2009. With a 77 percent lifetime ADA voting record, he is definitely not the worst but his defeat gives us a chance to elect a true liberal to represent that district. (Roll Call rates it a toss-up) but it is an opportunity to expand the liberal majority in the House. That is reason enough to focus this week’s Spotlight on this race.![]()
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Attorney Jamie McLeod-Skinner is running to become the first LGBTQ+ person to represent Oregon in Congress. In addition to her law degree, she holds degrees in civil engineering and regional planning. She is an emergency responder and, in 2021, served as Interim City Manager in Talent, Oregon, where she led wildfire recovery efforts. She is an outspoken advocate for climate justice, reproductive rights, racial justice, working families, and bridging the urban-rural divide. She also is a former union member who understands the need for organized Labor and for adequate job training programs to address the needs of today’s economy. ![]()
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Her GOP opponent is the former mayor of Happy Valley, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who pledges to support “business and the police and to address the crisis on our Southern border.” She and her husband run several medical clinics throughout Oregon. She is an anti-choice, election denier. A supporter of the former President, in the past, she has received the backing of the Oregon Tea Party. She opposes minimum wage increases and says she wants to end “Cancel Culture” and “Critical Race Theory,” whatever they may be. Not surprisingly, she is ardently pro-gun. ![]()
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In other words, the contrast between the two candidates couldn’t be more stark. Clearly, a victory for McLeod-Skinner would be a real victory for liberals everywhere. ![]()
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Fill out the form to get involved in ADA's efforts in the 2022 midterm elections! act.myngp.com/Forms/1924445515282382848
One of the joys of looking for images of former ADA President Patsy T. Mink is that there are so many to share to show her in all of her moods. As the film about her says, she was “Ahead of the Majority.” She was also often the only woman in a room full of men. That didn’t stop her. She led the pack and was a pathfinder where ever she was. She was formidable, indeed. Join us to learn more about and celebrate Patsy. act.myngp.com/Forms/5743216524315852800
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Check back from time to time to see other ADA History.