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People For in Action
March 29, 2019 10:23 am | By Marge BakerWith Daniel Collins and Other Ninth Circuit Judicial Nominees, Senatorial Courtesy Has Been Replaced by Outright Disrespect
On November 13, President Trump nominated Daniel Collins of California to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit over the objection of home state Democratic senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris. Despite their objection, the…
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News and Analysis
March 28, 2019 6:31 pm | By Elliot MincbergConfirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears: Trump Circuit Judges Cast Deciding Votes to Limit Review of Harsher Sentences
Two Trump judges appointed to the 11th Circuit – Judges Newsom and Branch - voted in favor of a 7-4 decision by the full court to deny rehearing of a case where the dissenting judges claimed that an individual improperly received…
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People For in Action
March 28, 2019 12:11 pm | By Tori SlattonPFAW Joins Coalition of Activists at the Supreme Court to Rally Against Gerrymandering
On March 26, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in three consolidated cases concerning the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering. Although this practice has long been used by both parties to redraw districts in a way that favors one party over…
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Federal Update
March 27, 2019 10:49 am | By Paul GordonTrump and Barr Ask Court to Kill the Entire Affordable Care Act
Republicans are at it again: They are trying to destroy Obamacare through the courts, since they fear the electoral consequences of actually repealing it through the legislative process (assuming they could). Even worse, their legal argument is pitiful. Several GOP-controlled…
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News and Analysis
March 27, 2019 10:25 am | By Diane LavioletteConfirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears: Trump Circuit Judge Votes Against an Individual’s Due Process Rights to Accurate Deportation Information
In February 2019, Trump Second Circuit Judge Richard Sullivan dissented in a 2-1 decision and voted against an individual’s Fifth Amendment right to receive accurate deportation information prior to entry of a guilty plea. Jimmy Lozano was born in the…
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Op-Ed
March 26, 2019 2:57 pm | By Jen HerrickEveryone Deserves Full Protection Under the Law
It's time to update our nation's civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ+ people. This post originally appeared on OtherWords.org. Our country has made significant strides in advancing LGBTQ+ rights over the last 15 years. The 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling…
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People For in Action
March 25, 2019 2:40 pm | By Jen HerrickPFAW and AAMIA Renew Paycheck Fairness Act Support
On January 29, People For the American Way and PFAW's African American Ministers In Action joined allied organizations in commemorating the tenth anniversary of President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. That vital law repaired the damage done…
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People For in Action
March 25, 2019 10:11 am | By Jen HerrickNew York Budget Should Include Small Donor Matching Funds
People For the American Way and Fair Elections for New York are continuing the push to turn New York into a pro-democracy leader. On March 21, we sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo and state legislative leaders urging them…
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News and Analysis
March 22, 2019 3:50 pm | By Christin “Cici” Battle, Drew Courtney, Elliot MincbergThe Progressive Happy Hour: Confirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears
Over the past two years, Donald Trump has made good on his promise to transform the federal judiciary by appointing far-right judges for lifetime seats. The Supreme Court and lower federal courts have a direct impact on our rights and…
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News and Analysis
March 22, 2019 2:58 pm | By Paul GordonConfirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears: Trump Judge Grasz Sets Up a Catch-22 for a Party without a Lawyer
“Confirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears” is a blog series documenting the harmful impact of President Trump’s judges on Americans’ rights and liberties. Eighth Circuit Trump judge Steven Grasz was the deciding vote upholding the dismissal of a prisoner’s claim that prison…
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News and Analysis
March 21, 2019 6:52 pm | By Kayla ButlerSenator Sheldon Whitehouse Joins PFAW Telebriefing on Disastrous Record of Trump’s Judicial Nominees
On March 12th, 2019, PFAW hosted Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) for a member telebriefing about the damage being done by Trump’s judges and the ongoing fight to preserve a fair and independent judiciary. PFAW Vice President for Communications and Research…
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People For in Action
March 21, 2019 6:40 pm | By Tori SlattonPFAW Joins Coalition of Activists on Capitol Hill as the For the People Act Passes the House
In the 2018 midterms, voters demanded real and substantive reform in Washington. House Democrats in the 116th Congress swiftly responded by unveiling H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping bill that addresses government corruption, attacks on voting rights,…
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Federal Update
March 21, 2019 5:06 pm | By Elliot MincbergConfirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears: Trump Supreme Court Justices Vote to Authorize Indefinite Detention of Immigrants Years After Release for Minor Crimes
“Confirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears” is a blog series documenting the harmful impact of President Trump’s judges on Americans’ rights and liberties. Trump Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch cast the deciding votes and voted with the majority in a 5-4…
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News and Analysis
March 20, 2019 3:16 pm | By Diane LavioletteConfirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears: Trump Circuit Judge Casts Deciding Vote to Dismiss Appeal Against Government’s Breach of a Plea Agreement
In March 2019, Trump Eleventh Circuit Judge Elizabeth Branch wrote and cast the deciding vote in a 2-1 decision that dismissed an individual’s ability to bring a direct criminal appeal against the government for breach of a plea agreement. In U.S.…
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News and Analysis
March 20, 2019 3:11 pm | By Elliot MincbergConfirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears: Trump Judge Tries to Excuse Immigration Board’s Failure to Consider Child Hardship from Parent’s Deportation
In March 2019, Trump Sixth Circuit Judge John Nalbandian dissented from a decision, which was joined by a George W. Bush appointee, that ruled that the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) had abused its discretion by failing to even discuss…
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Federal Update
March 19, 2019 6:12 pm | By Paul GordonHolding Senators Accountable for Voting to Confirm Bad Judicial Nominees
“Everyone should have their day in court.” This common metaphor is a powerful one, because it brings to mind our ideals of fairness and justice. In a court of law, anyone—poor or wealthy, popular or reviled, powerful or powerless—who believes…
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People For in Action
March 19, 2019 1:17 pm | By Jen HerrickU.S. Should Invest in Young People’s Health and Rights
One of the important questions that must be answered by government funding negotiators is whether the U.S. will invest in young people's health and rights. From teen pregnancy and HIV prevention to sex education and more, People For the American…
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People For in Action
March 19, 2019 11:47 am | By Jen HerrickPFAW and AAMIA Support the Native American Voting Rights Act to Remove Barriers to the Ballot for Native Peoples
Our democracy should welcome every eligible voter's chance to participate in civic life. A critical component of achieving this vision is political equality for Native Americans. People For the American Way, PFAW's African American Ministers In Action, and allied organizations…
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News and Analysis
March 18, 2019 3:56 pm | By Paul GordonLindsey Graham’s Convenient Alternate History on Judicial Nominations
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham has proven himself an expert in the genre of alternate history, at least in the area of judicial nominations. In the short time he has been chairman, he has held committee hearings and/or votes…
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News and Analysis
March 18, 2019 2:11 pm | By Elliot MincbergConfirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears: Amy Coney Barrett Tries to Overturn Law Banning People Convicted of Felonies from Possessing Firearms
“Confirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears” is a blog series documenting the harmful impact of President Trump’s judges on Americans’ rights and liberties. In March 2019, Trump Seventh Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett dissented from a decision by two other Republican appointees…