Many topics call for attention
Issue areas
ISSUE OF OUR TIMES: Ending Racial Injustice
In the interest of focusing our energies, The Lincoln Dems recently voted to give particular attention to the following nine issues in 2023:
Women’s Reproductive Rights-and More-Under Threat
In a 5-to-4 vote on September 1, the Supreme Court allowed Texas to put into place the most restrictive abortion law in the nation. It bans abortions, with no exception for rape or incest, as early as the sixth week in a pregnancy based on the presence of a fetal heartbeat. Furthermore, the law empowers citizens to sue those who perform an abortion or anyone who aids and abets the procedure. If successful, the individual pursuing the lawsuit can receive $10,000. Are not such vigilante tactics encouraging citizens to enforce the law a form of bounty hunting?
Voting Rights: It’s On Our Agenda Now!
According to the Brennan Center for Justice’s article Congress Must Pass the For the People Act, “American democracy urgently needs repair. We now have a historic opportunity to bring about transformative change.” Please urge the Senate to act on this historic opportunity and pass the "For the People Act:" HR-1 has already passed the House 220-210, and S-1 is going to the Rules Committee chaired by Amy Klobuchar with hearings beginning on March 24.
The Filibuster: Revise, Reform, or Remove?
What exactly does the filibuster have to do with democratic practices? A filibuster, as practiced in the United States Senate, permits a Senator to stop legislation. As a last resort to keep legislation from passing, it was introduced in the mid-19th century and has been used most extensively to limit the extension of civil rights. At stake in this issue right now is the passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping voting rights bill. From many perspectives, the filibuster has has been transformed into a weapon for strangling functional government.
End Racial Injustice
The United States is a contradiction. Its founding principles embrace the ideals of freedom and equality, but it is a nation built on the systematic exclusion and suppression of communities of color. From the start, so many of this country’s laws and public policies, which should serve as the scaffolding that guides progress, were instead designed explicitly to prevent people of color from fully participating. Moreover, these legal constructs are not some relic of antebellum or Jim Crow past but rather remain part of the fabric of American policymaking.
Climate Change
Experts say the climate change problem can only be solved by large-scale, collective action. Entire states and nations have to decide to clean up their energy systems, using every tool available and moving as quickly as they can. So the most important thing you can do is to exercise your rights as a citizen, speaking up and demanding change.
Health Care Reform
Recent polls show health care is the top issue for many Americans. While millions have gained insurance coverage in the decade since the Affordable Care Act took effect, others remain uneasy about their ability to get the health care they need. With prices surging for prescription drugs and other out-of-pocket costs on the rise, many people worry they are a serious illness or surprise bill away from a personal financial crisis or even bankruptcy.