This Monday August 19th, the Trump Administration, through its Department of Health and Human Services, issued an ultimatum: family planning providers must state in writing that they would stop making referrals to doctors who perform abortions or the federal government would stop allocating Title X family planning funds to those organizations. Title X is the premier reproductive health care program started by President H.W. Bush in 1970, It provides low or no cost services to 4 million people. Title X provides funding for health services, birth control, and pregnancy tests, as well as screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and breast and cervical cancer. Title X assures access to these services to 1.5 million low-income women each year. Title X has never been used to fund abortions, according to Planned Parenthood.
On Monday, Planned Parenthood, which serves 40% of all people through the Title X program, declared the new rule is unethical and withdrew is involvement in the Title X program rather than refusing to allow its health professionals to make referrals for abortions. Planned Parenthood, the American Medical Society, other organizations and more than 20 states, have challenged the gag rule in courts. However, a federal appeals court in July said the rule could take effect while the legal cases are pending. For more background on this important issue, click HERE for an article in the August 19th New York Times.
Wednesday, August 21st is considered by national Planned Parenthood to be a National Day of Action. Actions, including visits and talks with legislators, however, can be made throughout the week.
Planned Parenthood and their allies are calling on the public to urge Congress to restore Title X funding that does not block referrals for abortions in the FY 2020 budget. This federal budget must be adopted by September 30, 2019 or the government will shut down. The U.S. House did its part by passing a spending bill that includes the Title X in the way that it has operated for decades. Now the Senate must must push for a spending bill that includes this Title X protection.
This new Trump administration rule represents attacks by the religious right and by political conservatives on women’s right to have access to a full range of health care services.MUUSJN has consistently opposed this gag rule as an immoral denial of women’s rights. Both Senator Stabenow and Senator Peters have strong pro-choice voting records: https://ontheissues.org/Senate/Debbie_Stabenow.htmhttps://www.prochoiceamerica.org/2019/06/17/naral-peters-endorsement/
Everyone should be able to get the health care they need without the fear of being turned away, shamed or treated unfairly. Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (administered through the Department of Health and Human Services) prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability. This protection extends to most hospitals, health care providers offices, health insurance companies, state marketplaces, and entities receiving federal funds such as Medicare (except Part B providers), Medicaid and CHIP. This law was the first broad federal protection against sex discrimination in health care. This law (Section 1557) means that individuals seeking health care can not be discriminated against based on the color of their skin, their gender, the sexual orientation, how old they are, if they have a disability, which language they speak or their nationality.
However, the new Trump Administration rule would illegally allow discrimination back into our health care system. The latest version of the Trump rule allows attacks on LGBTQ people, people seeking reproductive health care, including abortion; rolling back protections for people with limited English proficiency; and immigrants. Specifically, the proposed rule:
(Source: The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). Advocacy to oppose the new regulations is called for by the National LGBTQ Task Force; In Our Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda; National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum; and the NWLC
Click HERE to submit your testimony through a National Women’s Law Center web portal
It can be powerful if your comments include stories about how people will be impacted by these new regulations. This action was strongly recommended by MUUSJN’s Interfaith Reproductive Justice Coalition. For more information on the Coalition, call Randy, 248-549-5170.
On August 3rd, the last migrant children were removed from the Homestead Immigrant Detention Center near Miami, Florida. With leadership from the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), UU’s and other people of faith have been signing petitions, holding vigils, contacting members of Congress and protesting at the Detention Center for some time now demanding that this and other prison like detention centers be closed.
According to an article in the August 3rd Miami Times Herald (Click HERE), children were picked up in vans between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. Saturday August 3rd. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that “all (children) sheltered in the Homestead facility have either been reunified with an appropriate sponsor or transferred to a state-licensed facility within its (Office of Refugee Resettlement) network of care providers as of August 3rd.”
Susan Leslie, the Unitarian Universalists Congregational Advocacy and Witness Director, reported that in its coalition work, other detention camps in Tomillo and Carrizo Springs, Texas have been shut down. Also Ft. Sill, Oklahoma was prevented from becoming a detention camp. Homestead, reportedly, is the only for profit detention facility for children in the U.S. and has not been subject to state regulations.
There is still reason for concern about how children will be treated in the state-licensed facilities. All children should be placed with families rather than being warehoused in detention centers.
Contact your members of Congress. Ask them to support the Child Prison Camps Act and Families Not Facilities Act. To send an email to Michigan Senators or your U.S. Representative click HERE to go the AFSC Action Center. If you’d like to call your Senators and your Representative, click HERE for MUUSJN’s list of Michigan members of Congress.
This legislation would:
Democratic Presidential candidates will debate in Detroit on July 30th and 31st. This is an opportunity for Michiganders to express their views at public events and learn more about where the candidates stand on issues. This email provides information about both these opportunities. During July, UU’s adopted “Actions of Immediate Witness” to work for immigration reform and the Green New Deal.
Four events in two days this week in advance of Presidential Debates:
Click HERE to Learn Candidates Views in This Guide: (Click headings about DACA, Illegal Entry & The Wall and other issues) (published by Politico, July 16, 2019)
Refreshments served. COLORS restaurant will have a One Fair Wage brunch menu for purchase.
Click HERE to reserve a place at this free event via Eventbrite.
MUUSJN and other allies helped pack the court when the Michigan Supreme Court heard testimony on whether the legislature’s lame duck “adopt and amend” strategy to gut the One Fair Wage and the Earned Paid Sick Time policies was constitutional. Click HERE for more information on the House’s minimum wage bill.
The United States and Iran are moving closer to war every day. The Trump administration is playing a dangerous game of rapidly escalating tensions between our two countries, increasing the risk of accidents and miscalculations.
Call your U.S. Representative to support a bi-partisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to prohibit funding for military action with Iran unless Congress has declared war or authorized military action. A VOTE COULD HAPPEN THIS WEEK. This amendment, being co-sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna(D-CA) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla), a frequent Trump supporter, is being co-sponsored by Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
“Last week we watched President Trump come within minutes of striking Iran and involving the U.S. in yet another trillion dollar war in the Middle East”, Kohanna stated (per the HILL, 6/25/19).
On June 28th, the Senate voted 50 – 40 to adopt a similar amendment. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell used a parliamentary maneuver to require 60, vs. 50, votes for passage. The House vote is needed to block a needless, destructive and immoral war with Iran.
MUUSJN will be participating with other faith leaders to oppose war with Iran at a Michigan United press conference with Rep. Andy Levin at 12:30 p.m. Monday, July 8th at Central United Methodist Church, 23 E. Adams Detroit.
Besides withdrawing from a 2015 nuclear arms containment treaty, the Trump administration instituted sanctions to cripple the Iranian economy. The U.S. deployed battleships and a battery of Patriot missiles off Iran’s coast. Iran responded by shooting down a U.S. drone. President Trump claimed he exercised restraint by not attacking Iran. However, #45 ordered 1,000 more troops into the area, expanded economic sanctions on Iran’s leaders and said any Iranian attack on “anything American” would be “met with “overwhelming force” which could mean “obliteration”.
(Talking points from the American Friends Service Committee)
An unauthorized war in Iran would violate human dignity, undercut efforts to meet our nation’s pressing needs and undermine our democracy.
Together, we can do great things. This action alert is posted on our Facebook. Go there and share!
A broad national coalition of organizations, including MoveOn, the American Friends Service Committee, United We Dream, the National Network for Immigrant Rights, the ACLU, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee are urging the public to demonstrate on Tuesday, July 2nd at noon at “Close the Camps” protests being in or in near the offices of three Michigan members of Congress:
1. YPSILANTI – Office of Rep. Debbie Dingell, 301 W. Michigan Avenue, Ypsilanti. Host: Jessica P. “We will turn our outrage into action. We will demand that Rep. Dingell use her full power to demand the Trump administration close the camps immediately, free the children, reunite them with their families.
2. SOUTHFIELD – Office of Rep. Brenda Lawrence, 26700 Lahser, Rd., Southfield. Host: Katherine C. Silence is violence. We must continue to raise our voices. Congressman Lawrence is with us. We stand in solidarity with parents whose children were torn from their arms.
3. BATTLE CREEK – In front of the Office of Rep. Justin Amash, 70 Michigan Ave. W. Battle Creek. Host: Cathy O. Protest to stop the horrible treatment of the refugees and immigrants. Amash’s office is in Suite 212, but it is doubtful he will be there so we will picket outside the building.
To see if any additional protests have been scheduled or to organize one in your community, go to: https://www.closethecampsnow.org/event/close-camps-now/search/
On July 12th, hundreds “Lights For Liberty” “Vigils to End Human Detention” are being held across the nation, including at least 11 in Michigan. These protests are being organized by a large coalition of organizations including: Indivisible, the ACLU, the Women’s March, etc. For more information, click this link: https://www.lightsforliberty.org/
Here’s the time, date and places for these Michigan vigils:
Visit this link to see if additional vigils are being organized in Michigan: https://www.lightsforliberty.org/ (Events are listed by states.)
So there are many opportunities for people to stand up for the dignity of immigrants and protest the injustice or how they are being treated by our current administration.
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this Friday on S. 1039, a bill called the “Prevention of Unconstitutional War With Iran Act of 2019” (Sen. Tom Udall, (D-New Mexico). This bill, adopted earlier in June in the House, is meant to cut off funding for a war in Iran. The U.S. Constitution declares that a U.S. President cannot declare war without Congressional approval. We’re on the brink of a needless, destructive and costly war with Iran. Besides withdrawing from a 2015 nuclear arms containment treaty, which Iran has been in compliance with, the Trump administration instituted sanctions to cripple the Iranian economy. The U.S. deployed battleships and a battery of Patriot missiles off Iran’s coast. Iran responded by shooting down a U.S.drone. President Trump claimed he exercised restraint by not attacking Iran. However, #45 ordered 1,000 more troops into the area, expanded economic sanctions on Iran’s leaders and said any Iranian attack on “anything American” would be “met with “overwhelming force” which could mean “obliteration”.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said this is a blind escalation with the hope that the Iranians will come to the table in the end or the hope that the Iranians will rise up and topple the regime”. Senator Murphy further said the threats from Iran were a “predictable response to the Trump Administration’s attempt to squeeze Iran with severe economic sanctions and to isolate the regime diplomatically”. U.S. saber rattling has come perilously close to triggering an all out war. It violates common sense and undermines our core value of treating our fellow human beings with dignity.
Go to MUUSJN’s Facebook page and share with others: www.facebook.com/muusjn/
On June 4th, Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo) and, on June 5th, Senator Jeremy Moss introduced bills to amend Michigan’s main civil rights law, the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act, to protect the LGBTQ community. The new amendments would protect people based on their “sexual identity or expression” (who they are) and their “sexual orientation” (who they love). The Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act, passed in 1976, makes it illegal to discriminate in matters of housing, public accommodations and employment based religion, race, color, national origin, sex marital status, age, height, weight or family status.
Michigan’s Civil Rights Commission, in 2018, deemed that LGBTQ people are a protected class. The new bills would add the force of law to back up these human rights protections. Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced her support for these amendments when they were introduced even though Republican leaders have said they don’t plan to move on them. Similar bills have been introduced in the Michigan legislature nearly a dozen times without getting adopted.
This is where the Arc of Justice comes in. Justice seeking people need to inform Michigan legislators that the public SUPPORTS LGBTQ rights. It just WRONG that LGBTQ persons can legally be married in Sunday, but can still be fired from their job or evicted from their apartment on Monday because of who they are or who they love.
According to an April 2019 Quinnipiac poll, 92% of all Americans DON’T think that “employers should be allowed to fire someone based on their sexual orientation or sexual identity”. Currently, 21 states have provisions in their laws protecting their LGBTQ residents. 40 Michigan communities have passed ordinances that protect the rights of their LGBTQ citizens. Large corporations have often been ahead of politicians in terms of promoting equality for people in the LGBTQ community. They want to hire and retain the best people. They see equality policies as being good for business. On June 5, 2019, Glassdoor, a company that assists with job searches, wrote about the “Amazing Companies that Champion LGBTQ Equality Hiring Now”. Click HERE for this story.
As advocates, we must encourage elected officials to catch up with the public and with large businesses — to move our state forward on the arc of justice.
Some conservatives believe that under the umbrella of “religious liberty” people with “firmly held convictions” should be able to deny rights to LGBTQ people. MUUSJN, along with allies in the women’s and LGBTQ justice movements, strongly DISAGREES. Our religion calls us to show respect for the dignity of ALL people. Religion should not be used as an excuse to discriminate against women and people from LGBTQ communities.
A national coalition of organizations is inviting the public to demonstrate for gun violence reform throughout the nation. In Michigan, there are at least eight wear orange demonstrations in: Lansing, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Ypsilanti, Detroit and Saginaw.
For more details on each of event search by city or a zip code on this site: www.wearorange.org
Here’s the time, date and places for these Michigan demonstrations:
UU’s are invited to request Linda Brundage, a member of the UU Church of Greater Lansing and Executive Director of the Michigan Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence Prevention, to be a speaker on the problems of gun violence and what we can do about it: 517-337-3024
WHY DOES THE WEAR ORANGE CAMPAIGN USE THE COLOR ORANGE? This is how the Wear Orange campaign explains it:
“Orange is what hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others from harm. Orange is a bright, bold color that demands to be seen. Orange expresses our collective hope as a nation – a hope for a future free from gun violence.”
