We Must Fill the Senate with Feminist Champions

This week’s confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett are a stark reminder that no matter who is president, women’s rights are at risk if Mitch McConnell is still running the Senate. That’s why NOW is working so hard to elect a new, feminist Senate this November.  

Imagine what a difference a feminist Senate could make—one that’s presided over by Vice President Kamala Harris. We could finally move much needed legislation and resources out of the Senate graveyard.  This election, it’s vital that we make sure we vote for feminist candidates down the ballot, from President to town clerk. This is how we will make the structural changes needed to change our society.  

Not only can we flip the Senate this year, but we can also change the direction of state legislatures that have been captured by extreme conservatives’ intent on turning back the clock for women.  Study your sample ballot, research the candidates, make a voting plan, talk to your friends and help turn out the largest feminist voting force in history! 

Here’s a good discussion about what Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment means for women’s rights from the NPR show On Point, along with some links to relevant readings.  And Vox asked the question, “If Roe v. Wade falls, what happens to abortion in America?” (Note a familiar image in the photo!) 

Although the Senate Judiciary Committee is certain to vote out this nomination this week, NOW is renewing our demand that the full Senate honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s final wish, and not fill her seat until a new President is inaugurated.  If you haven’t already done so, call your  Senators today to oppose a Senate vote before Election Day and sign our petition #Justice4AllNOW. 

 Despite the dangerous lies repeated by Donald Trump and his enablers, we are still in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, with the infection rate and death toll rising every day. Angelina Jolie wrote a compelling column n for TIME titled, “How the Pandemic Is Hurting Women in a World That Already Didn’t Care About Them.” Women can and will make the difference in how we handle the spread of the pandemic, as reported by CNN with new research.   

We must channel our outrage and direct our energy towards equality for all this election, and this includes voting for:  a new president, the first woman vice president, a feminist Senate, and a stronger majority in the House.  Can we do it?  Of course, we can. 

Finally, for some reflection, I leave you with a poem by Maya Angelou—“Phenomenal Woman.”