Washington, Douglass Commonwealth

This piece was originally published in the June 26, 2020 edition of CAP Action’s daily newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

“THE ENTIRE ACA THUS MUST FALL”

— Trump’s DOJ, in a brief filed last night asking the Supreme Court to repeal the Affordable Care Act in its entirety

What kind of person tries to take health care away from 23 million Americans in the middle of a pandemic?

The answer: Donald Trump.

Hear from the people whose lives are at stake, then share on Twitter and Facebook:

IN THE NEWS

• The House voted in support of Washington, D.C. statehood today, marking an historic milestone and bringing the nation’s capital the closest it has ever been to becoming a state. If passed, the District would become “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth,” incorporating both the city’s current name and that of the revolutionary Maryland-born abolitionist. Despite the fact that the District has a larger population than Wyoming and Vermont, residents have long been denied equal representation at the highest levels of government — and it’s far from over. Mitch McConnell and his Republican colleagues have pledged to oppose the bill when it reaches the Senate.
• Sadly, opposition to D.C.’s full representation at the Federal level isn’t surprising. For decades, members of Congress have made counterfactual, racist accusations that D.C. can’t govern itself. By denying statehood to the District, the federal government has systematically disenfranchised over 700,000 people, the majority of whom are people of color. You can read CAP’s full statement on today’s historic vote here and learn more about the fight for statehood here.
• The United States again outpaced our own record high increase in daily new confirmed coronavirus cases today. Experts say the pandemic is getting worse than it’s ever been here in the U.S., including back in April when we thought it had reached its worst point. Mike Pence, however, is following in Trump’s footsteps by ignoring the facts. When asked by reporters about the alarming case spikes in several states, all Pence had to offer today was thoughts and prayers. Sounds familiar.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• This week marks the 7th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark Shelby County v. Holder ruling, which gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and upended decades of progress in the fight against voter suppression. In the time since, state and local authorities have reverted to discriminatory practices that restrict the voting rights of Black, Latinx, Native, and Asian American people and have put up unnecessary roadblocks to the ballot.
• This anniversary is a critical reminder that voter suppression is still very, very real in America. It’s up to us to push back against it to ensure all Americans have access to the ballot. Stay tuned next week to find out how you can help make voting safe and accessible ahead of November’s election.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• How Trump endangers our health: Let us count the ways by Peter Morley (New York Daily News)
• The DC statehood fight is part of an ugly effort to disenfranchise Black and brown people by David Litt (NBC)
• As the US Economy Recovers, National Service Can Keep Vulnerable Young Workers Engaged in the Workforce by Livia Lam and Mary Ellen Sprenkel (CAP)
• STUDY: Climate Change Is Contributing to Negative Pregnancy Outcomes for Black Babies by Ayana Bird (Colorlines)

Good news: Last night, Colorado’s governor ordered prosecutors to reopen the investigation into Elijah McClain’s 2019 death at the hands of police. But the fight isn’t over. Sign the petition to demand the officers are brought to justice.