Hope for #VAWA4ALL, vigilant against gun violence, and paid leave for federal workers: Your civic action to-do list for 12-9-19
3. After negotiations on a bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) stalled last month, Senators Feinstein and Ernst have agreed to come back to the table to work on a compromise.
In a nutshell: Any bipartisan bill must meet the needs of ALL survivors. VAWA must maintain existing protections, allow tribes to prosecute rapists who harm women on tribal lands, include housing protections, and close the “boyfriend” loophole so convicted abusers can’t access guns.
Take Action: Join JWI and the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. EST for a Twitter storm to advocate for a #VAWA4ALL.
2. There were 65 shootings in the United States this past weekend and two mass shootings on military bases in the past week. This is clearly a crisis. Where are our elected leaders?!
In a nutshell: We have become numb to the everyday gun violence in this nation; even mass shootings have become commonplace. This is NOT acceptable.
Take Action: It is up to each of us to keep the pressure on our elected officials to take action to reduce this violence. Email your Senators and tell them to support commonsense federal policies that will save lives! Also, learn about your state laws on gun registration, background checks, and who is legally allowed to own a firearm.
1. Paid family leave could become a reality for hundreds of thousands of federal workers, and set a precedent nationwide.
In a nutshell: As part of negotiations for a must-pass defense bill, Congress and the White House have reached a tentative agreement to provide 12 weeks of paid family leave for federal employees who have a new child.
Take Action: Providing paid family leave for federal civilian employees is an important first step, but we all must continue to pressure Congress to make sure that everyone in the U.S. is guaranteed #paidleave!