 Congresswoman Marcia Fudge Confirmed as Secretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentToday the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Congresswoman Marcia Fudge as President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in a statement: “Congratulations to my good friend and colleague Marcia Fudge on her historic confirmation as the 18th Secretary of HUD. Although she and her scholarly advice will be sorely missed in Congress, her command of the issues impacting our most vulnerable, at-risk Americans will undoubtedly have a life-altering impact on countless individuals and families. As CBC Chair, I look forward to working closely with Secretary Fudge in the weeks and months ahead to ensure everyone can build back better.” In remarks to his Senate colleagues, Sen. Sherrod Brown said: “Before the U.S. ever had its first case of COVID-19, a quarter of all renters were already paying more than half their income for housing, and the Black homeownership rate was nearly as low as it was in 1968, when housing discrimination was legal. HUD should play an essential role in fixing that, and I’m confident that under Marcia Fudge’s leadership, it will. “She understands the importance of expanding opportunity to every zip code, and allowing more families to have the peace of mind and the economic security of a safe home they can afford. Congresswoman Fudge will work to help protect our kids from lead poisoning, to restore the promise of fair housing, and to give communities the help and resources they need to thrive. “She brings to the job critical experience serving as a mayor in the industrial heartland, for the kind of community that is either overlooked, or outright preyed upon, by Wall Street and big investors. She understands our communities, and she will lift up the voices of all the people who have been left out of our housing policy — people who work hard to try to keep a roof over their families’ heads, but whose hard work never seems to pay off like it should.”  Pass the PRO ActEarlier this week President Joe Biden endorsed the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, “which would dramatically enhance the power of workers to organize and collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.”Our labor laws are outdated and no longer protect our right to form and join unions. The PRO Act is the most significant worker empowerment legislation since the Great Depression. The PRO Act will:Hold corporations accountable for union-bustingProtect workers’ rights to form and join unions, including in new industries like Big TechRepeal “right to work” lawsOn Tuesday, the U.S. House passed the PRO Act by a 225-206 vote and sent the bill to the U.S. Senate. Call Sen. Rob Portman now and ask him to support the PRO Act! Emerge will be offering four virtual regional boot camps in 2021 for Democratic self-identified women running in the 2021-22 election cycle. The Midwest boot camp will be held in late April-early May, and the application deadline is March 19. Click here for more information.Thursday, March 11 — ACLU Ohio Legislative Update on Reproductive Rights in OhioTuesday, March 16 — Butler County Democratic Party St. Patrick’s CelebrationThursday, March 18 — Cleveland Stonewall Democrats Meeting with State Rep. Monique Smith and State Rep. Phil RobinsonSaturday, March 20 — Cleveland Heights Women’s History Month CelebrationTuesday, March 23 — League of Women Voters of Ohio Conversation about Equitable Public School FundingWednesday, March 24 — Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus Congressional Candidates ForumThursday, March 25 — Summit County Historical Society Women’s History Project Woman of the Year Awards Ms. Magazine: The Feminist Majority Foundation Celebrates the Passage of the American Rescue Plan: “A Victory for Women”The passage of the American Rescue Plan today is a victory for women, especially women of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and low-income and middle-class families. It is the most progressive act passed since Medicare and Social Security, slashing childhood poverty in half by giving money directly to the families that need it most.Washington Post: Millions couldn’t afford diapers before the pandemic. Now, diaper banks can’t keep up.In 2020, the National Diaper Bank Network distributed more than 100 million diapers to 220 diaper banks across the country, a 67 percent spike year-over-year. Most public aid programs don’t cover diapers, which run about $80 a month per child.CNN: For the first time, girls were eligible to be Eagle Scouts — and nearly 1,000 earned the elite rankGirls were first allowed to join BSA in February 2019. There are currently about 140,000 girls in Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA, BSA told CNN. |
