Category Archives: Front Page

The For the People Act Will Transform Our Democracy for the Better

The For the People Act Will Transform Our Democracy for the Better

Audrey Carroll
February 1, 2021

The For the People Act (H.R.1/S.1) is comprehensive legislation that will make sweeping reforms to restore and protect our democracy. Making pro-democracy reforms is the first step to making progress on all our other policy issues. NETWORK supports the For the People Act because Catholic Social Justice teaches us that we have a responsibility to participate in our civic society, and this civic duty begins with voting. Protecting the sacred act of voting means ensuring that every eligible voter is able to exercise this right to make their voices heard. No individual or community should be disenfranchised based on their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, or class. Among other critical reforms to strengthen our democracy, The For the People Act would ensure that elections are free, fair, and accessible in every state. Every Members of Congress should be supporting this pro-democracy bill.

H.R.1/S.1 Will:

Protect and Expand Voting Rights

- H.R.1/S.1 will include voting protections such as automatic and same-day voter registration, prohibiting the purging of eligible voters from registration rolls, restoring voting rights to people with prior felony convictions, standardizing access to early and absentee voting, and prohibiting known voter suppression tactics.

End Partisan Gerrymandering

- H.R.1/S.1 will ban the practice of partisan gerrymandering and require states to establish independent redistricting commissions with a clear process for public participation in congressional redistricting. Districts that are drawn fairly with public input help ensure a government that reflects and responds to the people rather than the will of politicians.

Prioritize the Will of the People over Profit

- H.R.1/S.1 will get dark money out of politics by improving transparency in campaign finance and strengthening disclosure for political ads and donors so voters know who is trying to influence them.
- H.R.1/S.1 will create an alternative campaign finance system by matching small donor contributions. This will allow Americans of all economic means to amplify their voices in our democracy.

Strengthen Ethics Rules

- H.R.1/S.1 will fortify ethics laws and strengthen enforcement by closing loopholes for lobbyists, requiring presidential candidates to release their tax returns, and supporting the oversight of watchdogs to enforce the law.

Protecting our democracy and making our election systems fair and accessible means we can hold our elected officials accountable for progress on key issues of justice such as living wages, health care for all, immigration reforms, racial equity, and more. The Biden Administration has named democracy reform as a first priority and the new Senate leadership has followed the House example by designating the For the People Act as their first legislative priority in the 117^th Session.

Passing federal democracy reforms couldn’t be more urgent. We know that gerrymandered State legislatures across the country are already looking to crack down on voter access based on lies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election cycle. In addition, the congressional redistricting process, which takes place every ten years, is around the corner and could result in 10 more years of extreme partisanship due to gerrymandering. It will be an uphill battle but we hope to see swift passage of the For the People Act early in the session as a first step to achieve the common good in our society.

Protecting Expression, Not Criminal Acts

Protecting Expression, Not Criminal Acts

India-Grace Kellogg
January 28, 2021

For the past year, our nation’s capital has been flooded by protestors. The Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other people of color’s deaths at the hands of police re-invigorated a debate on what ”acceptable” protests look like. To many, the debate highlighted a clear break in the types of information that citizens are receiving about important topics, whether through their own lived experiences or through the media they are consuming. On one side, Black Lives Matter protestors were considered justice seekers facing violent suppression of their Constitutional right to protest while the other side balked at property damage, arguing that it was about looting and not protesting. When the Proud Boys and other pro-Trump groups arrived in Washington, D.C., a shift in police reaction and rhetoric angered many and highlighted the disparity in the way protestors are handled depending on what they look like and what causes, and perhaps more importantly who, they are supporting.

Complex and deeply personal to each person in this country, the debate on how people in the United States should express their views has always been, in itself, a part of who we are as a country. Our First Amendment rights invite debate with our government and, importantly, dissent to the majority opinion. The breach of the U.S. Capitol building may have seemed brazen and paralyzing to many watching it, but in hindsight, it may be the logical course of events in a country where a leader contributed to decimating trust in our democracy. But, in the aftermath of the events on January 6, 2021, it seems dire to address, factually, the ways we express grievances to our government, and name when that expression no longer honors the values and intent of our Constitution. Those who walked up the steps of the Capitol building, even those who simply passed the first barricade were not the first to step past the boundaries of what the Constitution protects under the First Amendment. Their violent trespassing, many of them armed and with an intent to harm elected officials, was far outside of the bounds of free speech protected by the First Amendment.

Earlier, at a protest on December 12, 2020, Trump supporters openly burned a Black Lives Matter flag taken from the Asbury United Methodist Church, a historic Black church. Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who admitted to burning the flag but later pleaded not guilty, faces destruction of property charges and was ordered to stay out of Washington by a judge. The D.C. police department labeled the burning of the flag a potential hate crime.

In the District of Columbia, hate crimes such as this act as an enhancement of the crime committed. Under D.C. Statute §22-3703, Bias-Related Crime Act, a person found guilty of a bias-related crime will be fined or imprisoned up to one and a half times the maximum fine or designated term. A bias-related crime means that a criminal act demonstrates the accused prejudice toward a victim. The statute covers a multitude of bases for the accused’s prejudice, including race, color, religion, and political affiliation. While the statute specifies a limited amount of crimes, Aboye v. U.S. established that the term “designated acts” means any criminal act under D.C. law. Therefore, anyone who commits a crime in D.C. that demonstrates their prejudice against the victim of that crime can be charged with an enhanced sentence under §22-3703.

Looking specifically at the actions of the Proud Boys and Enrique Tarrio on December 12, bias-related crime charges could be brought. If it can be established that burning the Black Lives Matter flag demonstrates Tarrio’s prejudice to the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or political affiliation of the Asbury United Methodist Church, Tarrio could be charged with a bias-related crime. However, the crime must not have been committed but for the prejudice. (Lucas v. United States) The prosecution would need to show that Tarrio would not have burnt the Black Lives Matter flag but for his prejudice. While this is a decision left to the discretion of the prosecutor, the potential legal repercussions of burning a Black Lives Matter flag are important to highlight.

While the public debate may often rely on the morality and the nation’s values relating to how we protest, there are legal realities involved that cannot be ignored. The violent attack on the Capitol was not the first, and most likely will not be the last, time that white supremacists and other pro-Trump groups claim Constitutional rights to excuse their criminal actions.

The Constitution does not protect all expression nor does it protect violent actions, as a long history of legal debates have proven. Many states have enhanced penalties for bias-motivated crimes, many that have been challenged for violating the First Amendment. The D.C. Bias-Related Crime Act was upheld as constitutional to the extent that it provides an enhanced penalty for crimes that an individual commits against a victim simply due to their own prejudice against the victim’s protected characteristic (Lucas v. United States).

The First Amendment protects many forms of expression but it does not protect criminal expressions of prejudice against another’s protected characteristics. The precedent concerning what expression is protected by the Constitution is vast and the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States serve to uphold the intent of the Constitution over what many may consider to be justice for those harmed by certain type of expressions. The Proud Boys and those who claim that they are seeking to uphold the values of our country may claim to be within their rights and to be fighting for our nation, but their actions are not protected by the very Constitution they claim to be protecting. While we as a country should and will continue to debate the nuances of protests and their aftermath, we should also continue to do the work of understanding what we are truly debating – when does our expression of disagreement step past what our national conscience believes should be protected? And why?

NETWORK Supports Raising the Federal Minimum Wage

Caraline Feairheller
January 28, 2021

On January 25^th, 2021 Representative Bobby Scott and Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2021 which seeks to gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2025.

NETWORK agrees that it is well past time to raise the wage. It is shameful that low income workers have gone over a decade without a raise from the federal minimum wage. The multiple pandemics of COVID-19 and structural racism have exposed how immoral the $7.25 wage is as essential workers are being asked to risk their safety while still living below the poverty line. The legislation is a crucial step in addressing income inequality and would lift the pay of nearly 32 million workers which in turn would stimulate the economy and promote job growth.

The legislation would not only make efforts to close the racial wealth gap, but also gradually phase out the subminimum wages for tipped workers, youth workers, and workers with disabilities. As Pope Francis says in Evangelli Guadium, “The dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies.” The dignity of each person can be recognized through fair wages.

Just Released – NETWORK’s 2020 Congressional Voting Record

In 2020, the United States faced unprecedented threats to the health and wellbeing of our democracy, including the dual crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism. The COVID-19 pandemic ravaged our communities and hit communities of color the hardest. Despite this, Congressional negotiations stalled month after month, as Senator McConnell refused to agree on measures needed to support workers and families.

President Trump and his administration exhibited failed leadership in response to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, with perilous consequences. The Trump administration’s failed leadership cost the lives of our neighbors, our family, and our community members who were essential workers, health care workers, teachers, and grandparents. NETWORK supported President Trump’s impeachment, but the Senate failed to end President Trump’s increasingly dangerous presidency with nearly every Republican Senator voting to acquit President Trump on both the first and second articles of impeachment.

In 2020, Members of Congress had a moral responsibility to legislate with the best interests of our people at heart and prioritize addressing the racial disparities in the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s Voting Record demonstrates how elected officials voted in 2020 on policies related to COVID-19 relief, democracy, workers’ rights, impeachment, police reforms, and more. Members’ scores are a reflection of their commitment to the wellbeing of our democracy and to protecting the lives of people and families across the United States. These votes have consequences for our nation and for our people. Download the 2020 Congressional Voting Record.

President Biden Rescinds Muslim Travel Ban on Day One

Colleen Ross
January 25, 2021

Last week, as one of 17-Day One executive actions, President Biden rescinded Donald Trump’s travel ban on Muslim-majority and African countries. During the Trump presidency, this travel ban faced numerous legal challenges in its various forms. The Supreme Court ultimately approved this callous and discriminatory policy, which resulted in more than 41,000 people denied visas. Now, this harmful expression of Islamophobia and anti-blackness has been terminated.

The travel ban kept family members apart from one another, ended job opportunities, and upended students’ academic careers. While the battle over the travel ban in courts was about legality and intent, the travel ban raised moral questions about the United States identity as a nation that welcomes immigrants and values family unity.

Muslim advocates and people across the country opposed to this discriminatory policy pushed back every step of the way. President Biden’s quick action to rescind the ban is a good first step, but much more will have to be done to reunite families and restore the U.S.’s relationship with foreign countries. In Congress, passing the No Ban Act, which NETWORK supports, would prevent future discriminatory policies being passed.

Welcoming individuals of all backgrounds is a value we must continue living up to in our nation, and a basic tenet of Catholic Social Justice. Now that the travel ban is overturned, we continue working to instill justice and respect for immigrants into all of our policies.

President Biden Extends Federal Eviction Moratorium on Day One

Audrey Carroll
January 21, 2021

On the first day of the Biden-Harris administration, President Joe Biden signed a series of executive orders. Among these was an order to extend the federal moratorium on evictions through the end of March. The moratorium is implemented through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and seeks to aid tenants financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday the new director of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky, MD, released a statement saying, “I will extend the order halting residential evictions until at least 3/31/21. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a historic threat to our nation’s health & has also triggered a housing affordability crisis that disproportionately affects some communities.”

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one in five households were behind on rent in December 2020. President Biden’s executive order provides vital relief for renters struggling to make payments and maintain their housing, especially essential workers and Black and Brown communities who have been the most impacted by COVID-19. Without this action by President Biden thousands may have lost their homes, says president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition Diane Yentel. However, the order lacks enforcement from a federal agency to penalize landlords who unlawfully evict tenants. The CDC order is not an automatic eviction ban, but provides some immediate security for renters as the Biden administration continues to work on their American Rescue Plan which will allocate $25 billion in rental assistance.

No one should live in fear of losing their housing or falling behind on rent. NETWORK agrees with Pope Francis, who said during his 2015 visit to the United States, “We can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing.” We at NETWORK support the swift actions taken by the Biden-Harris administration on Day One to provide assistance to renters, with an emphasis on alleviating the housing crisis in communities of color. We look forward to working alongside President Biden and our partners to advocate for policies that recognize safe, affordable housing as a human right.

President Biden Acts to Rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement

Caraline Feairheller
January 21, 2021

On the first day of the Biden-Harris administration, President Biden signed an executive order to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. This order reversed the 2017 Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. As NPR reports, “It will take 30 days for the U.S. to officially rejoin the agreement, but meeting its targets is going to be a taller order. The U.S. is the second-largest producer of carbon emissions, behind China, and has contributed more to global climate change over time than any other country.”

We at NETWORK applaud the Biden administration’s commitment to global solidarity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and confronting the realities of climate change. As Pope Francis says in his encyclical Laudato Si’, “Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.” (Paragraph 25)

We know that humans are intimately connected with all life on earth. Recent reports show that the global climate crisis has and will continue to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable unless bold action is taken. We look forward to working with the Biden administration to support bold actions that deepen our care for the Earth and for one another.