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By Michael Sozan

Oct. 25 --Last week, Senate Republicans again uniformly blocked Democrats’ attempt to begin debate on urgently needed voting rights legislation. The minority party’s filibuster of the Freedom to Vote Act—and their expected filibuster of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) in the coming days—are just two of several harmful blockades of voting rights bills over the past year, at a time when U.S. democracy is under increasing assault by partisan actors. With no other viable options left—and with President Joe Biden’s recent remarks signaling support for fundamental change of the filibuster rules—the Senate should expeditiously move to reform the arcane filibuster and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the VRAA with a simple majority vote.. -- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE

By Maggie Jo Buchanan

As litigation continues over efforts to address climate change, it is critical that America’s federal courts include judges with professional expertise advancing climate protection policies.

As the world continues to grapple with the climate crisis, the U.S. federal courts are set to play a key role in efforts to protect and improve the environment in the years ahead. In 2017, 654 climate change cases were brought in the United States within three years, that number nearly doubled, to approximately 1,200 cases filed. To best evaluate these claims, the United States needs a balanced judiciary made up of judges from a wide range of legal backgrounds.--." -- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE

By Rose Khattar, Andres Vinelli and Christian Weller

The Build Back Better Act and the already enacted bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help reduce inflationary pressures in the coming years and lower costs on essentials such as prescription drugs, energy, child care, and housing.

From CAPAC

November 15, 2021, Washington, D.C. — Today, members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) met with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

After the meeting, CAPAC Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) issued the following statement:

“Asian Americans are just 6% of the total US population, but make up 27% of America’s foreign-born population. That makes immigration – and reforms that allow families to stay together – incredibly important to our community, even though AAPIs are often overlooked in conversations about immigration reform...." -- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE

From NCAPA

Myth: Asian Americans are hurt by affirmative action Fact: Asian Americans benefit from affirmative action in both direct and indirect ways, and there is certainly no evidence of harm to Asian Americans by race-conscious admissions.

--- ACCESSIBILITY Affirmative action helps to ensure that our universities, especially highly selective elite universities, remain accessible to students of all backgrounds. Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Southeast Asian American students have the most to gain directly from these policies -- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE​

By Robin Bleiweis, Jocelyn Frye, and Rose Khattar

Women of color continue to suffer the most severe gender wage gap in the United States, a reality that reflects the effects of intersecting racial, ethnic, and gender biases that threaten the economic security of them and their families. ​

As breadwinners, workers, and caregivers, women of color have been the longtime yet unsung backbone of the U.S. economy. This integral role has been front and center during the devastating COVID-19 pandemic that has wreaked economic havoc in every corner of the country and continues to have lingering effects. Not only has the United States relied on women of color as essential workers to help keep the economy running, provide much-needed services, and sustain families throughout the pandemic, but it has also watched these women shoulder disproportionate job losses and caregiving challenges—all while they are earning just a fraction of what their white and male counterparts earn.-- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE