Last week I had the privilege of testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch. Wth the Court split four-to-four on so many critical issues, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
But even beyond issues, what’s at stake with this nomination is the very shape of our democracy: the way we make decisions about everything from who gets health care to whether working families will live in poverty—and whose voices are heard in that process.
March 23, 2017 (New York, NY) – At the conclusion of the four day Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Heather McGhee, President of Demos, released the following statement:
“Today, I had the opportunity to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about Demos’ deep concerns over the nomination of Judge Gorsuch for a lifetime appointment on the highest court.
We’ve created our own bracket here, matching up colleges not by the number of McDonald’s High School All-Americans on their roster, but by whether or not they provide access to an affordable education and whether they are engines of upward mobility for working-class students.
You can be sure that communities are fighting back against the far-reaching, multi-headed, xenophobic and draconian first wave of Trump’s immigration enforcement apparatus. Everyone who believes in equality and justice can assist in this community-led battle for the soul of our democracy.
The state legislature should support the Maryland Law Enforcement and Governmental Trust Act (“Trust Act”) and its model of limiting state and local involvement with federal immigration law enforcement.
Wednesday, February 8 (NEW YORK, NY) – Heather McGhee, President of Demos, a New York-based public policy organization and think tank, issued the following statement in response to the introduction of the 2017 New York Votes Act by New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman:
Doing “everything right” — making all the optimal life choices to build wealth and get ahead, despite obstacles — is still not enough for black and Latino households to accumulate as much wealth as their white counterparts.
Washington DC – In the closest confirmation vote for a Secretary of Education to date, Betsy DeVos was confirmed by the narrow margin of 51-50, with the historic tie-breaking vote coming from Vice President Mike Pence. Following the decision, Mark Huelsman, Senior Policy Analyst and higher education expert at Demos, issued the follow statement:
“The unprecedented level of uncertainty shown by both Democrats and Republicans surrounding Betsy DeVos’ ability to serve as Secretary of Education should have been enough to disqualify her from assuming this position.
Washington, DC – Next week, the Senate will vote on President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Education, Betsy DeVos. Ahead of the vote, Mark Huelsman, Senior Policy Analyst and higher education expert at Demos, issued the follow statement:
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Senior Fellow Wallace C. Turbeville, a beloved member of the Demos family since 2012. Wallace “Wally” Turbeville was among our country’s most respected and influential thought leaders and advocates for systemic financial reform as a core fight in the struggle for economic and racial justice.
En los primeros días de la administración del Presidente Trump, nuestra nación ya ha sufrido un ataque directo en contra de nuestra democracia. Sus peligrosos planes de emitir Órdenes Ejecutivas anti-inmigrantes amenazan destruir nuestra base como una sociedad libre.
In a scary indication of just how far Republicans will go to carry water for Donald Trump, high-level party figures are now trying to bully the head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
We are concerned that given Ms. DeVos’ track record to privatize public education and her lack of a clear position concerning the affordability crisis in higher education, the committee cannot properly assess whether Ms. DeVos is fit to run the U.S. Department of Education.
Our research shows that state and local policies shielding immigration status information are generally permitted. Local law enforcement’s refusal to honor federal immigration detainer requests is also permitted and may even be required to avoid liability for constitutional violations.
Nuestras investigaciones demuestran como las normas estatales y locales que protegen a información sobre el status migratorio de la gente son generalmente permitidas. Por parte de la policía local, la denegación de honrar a solicitudes que detengan a los inmigrantes, también es permitida y aún puede ser requerida para evitar violaciones de la Constitución.
What to do when the leader of your party faces unprecedented ethics challenges, including being in violation of the Constitution’s prohibition on payments from foreigners the day he becomes President?