In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in this biweekly roundup.
Lest We Forget
“One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country. You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave.”
—President Trump to donors at an event, according to The Washington Post. His administration recently arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder whose spouse is a U.S. citizen, for his role as a pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University.
“Elon Musk is the one really pulling the strings in this puppet presidency. Americans are rightfully angry that an unelected billionaire who isn’t accountable to anyone but himself is making sweeping decisions that will impact their livelihoods. The longer this dangerous power grab goes on, the worse it will be for our country. It’s time to fire Elon Musk and put the American people first.”
—Common Cause president and CEO Virginia Kase Solomón
“Republicans’ disastrous funding bill is yet another attack on women and families. Our communities know that Musk is already destroying federal programs, cutting women’s health research, and closing Social Security offices across our country. Musk just told us he wants to eliminate Social Security and Medicare. Yet, Republicans’ bill gives Trump and Musk the authority to shut down any aspect of the government they don’t like. This bill will be disastrous for our communities and raise costs for our families.”
—Democratic Women’s Caucus chair Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) spoke out against the passage of a Republican funding bill.
“We’re losing access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare. We’re losing access to abortion care, and we’re seeing a continual attack on our reproductive rights. We are dealing with systemic racism, and we are at a crossroads. We have to address the elephant in the room, and racism is a huge part of the fabric of America, and a huge part of the problem in our healthcare system. If we don’t address this head on and we see what’s happening, then we will find ourselves right where we are now, where we were on Nov. 5, 2024.”
—Dr. Nikia Grayson, CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health, at the SHE Media Co-Lab at SXSW Austin
“Families want help to get students’ math and reading scores up and ensure their kids can thrive—instead, Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to the Department of Education and robbing our students and teachers of the resources and support they need, so that Republicans can pay for more massive tax cuts for billionaires.
“Students, families and teachers in every part of the country will pay the price for Trump’s slash-and-burn campaign to destroy public education in America. Fewer teachers, less accountability, less resources for students, and more chaos—it’s the last thing students and schools need, but it’s exactly what Trump is delivering.”
—Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) rebuked Trump’s mass firings at the Department of Education. Half of the Department of Education employees have been fired, as Trump moves to abolish the agency completely.
“The fight that we are in is not left versus right, blue state versus red state. It’s regular folks against the ultra-wealthy.”
—Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), at the Working People’s State of the Union
“Everybody’s allowed to have an opinion, but when your opinion reduces the civil rights of others, keep it to yourself. The attacks on trans people in this country are misogyny and racism combined in the ugliest and most obvious ways, and it makes me crazy. Trans women do not threaten my womanhood at all, nor any of ours.”
—Actor Sophia Bush at the SHE Media Co-Lab at SXSW Austin
“Collectively, we need to realize that [women] are 51 percent of the population and that we should be talking to our legislators. We should be voting. We should make sure that women’s health is top of everyone’s list when it comes to how we’re going to vote. We are probably the largest voting bloc out there, but unless we know that we need to go out there and make some noise and get advocated, it’s not going to get done. Because I will tell you this, I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and no one’s coming to save you—so if we don’t figure it out, it’s not going to get done.”
—Dr. Sharon Malone, chief medical officer at Alloy Women’s Health, at the SHE Media Co-Lab at SXSW Austin
“There were times that when that camera went on several of the liberal justices, they were on the brink of losing it. You could see it in their eyes, and you could hear it in the tone of their voice. They are being driven by their emotions. A Supreme Court justice had better be able to set their personal opinions and their emotions aside and rule on the law objectively. We don’t have that objectivity on this court.”
—Brad Schimel, a candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election in April, calling the liberal justices (all women) emotional.
In response, the four justices wrote:
“By suggesting that women get too emotional and are unfit to serve as judges and justices, he turns back decades of progress for women.”
“This is your country, and right now your country is an outlier. In the last 30 years, 60 countries have liberalized their abortion laws. Only four countries have regressed: The United States, Poland, Nicaragua and El Salvador.”
—Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights at the “Reproductive Freedom: Good for Workers, Good for Business” session at SXSW.
Milestones
+ During Trump’s first annual address to Congress, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was kicked out of the chamber for disrupting the speech. Other Democratic members held signs, walked out, or boycotted completely.
Ten Democrats joined House Republicans in formally censuring Green. “I’ll accept the punishment,” he said. “It’s worth it to let people know that there’s some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.”
+ Secretary of State Rubio announced that the administration has canceled 83 percent of USAID programs. Some programs have since had their terminations reversed, but others have been forced to lay off staff and will soon be shuttered permanently, even if they receive a reversal in the future. Many of the programs that remain are still not able to access the funding they need to restart their lifesaving work. This dismantling of USAID continues to have severe impacts on lives and communities around the world.
+ DOGE and the administration are continuing to disobey court orders, fire tens of thousands of federal workers and decimate USAID. In response, current and former federal workers are speaking up to fight back against lies and misinformation, share their experiences, and keep track of the lost jobs in the U.S. and around the world.
+ Elon Musk called Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) a “traitor” for sharing his experience visiting Ukraine. Kelly responded, “I’ve sworn an oath to this country, I’ve flown in combat, I served in the Navy for 25 years. It appears to me the oath that Elon Musk stands by is the oath to billionaires to make their lives easier, not the American people, not veterans.”
+ Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal group chat discussing plans for a military strike in Yemen. This leak, and the use of Signal for classified information, are a huge national security risk and could have violated federal laws.
+ After 20 percent of the HHS Office of Head Start and 25 percent of the Office of Child Care employees were fired (both housed within ACF), the Democratic Women’s Caucus led a letter demanding they be reinstated. “While Elon Musk believes that women and families who benefit from these programs are parasites, we know that these programs provide hard working families with crucial services. Thousands of families will feel the ripple effects of these firings across the country,” they wrote.
+ Ten Democratic senators joined the Republicans to pass a continuing resolution and avoid a government shutdown. The funding bill includes $13 billion in cuts to non-defense spending and forces D.C. to cut its own city budget by over $1 billion. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and others who voted for the bill face intense backlash from the public and progressive members of the party. Schumer cancelled scheduled stops on his book tour to avoid likely protests.
+ A coalition of educators, unions and school districts sued to stop the administration from destroying the Department of Education. “Dismantling the federal government’s role—whether it’s by an illegal executive order or widespread firings to bring critical services and support to a halt—will cause the most harm to students with the greatest needs, greatly diminishing our ability to provide all children with a free and equal education,” said American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts president Jessica Tang. “At the end of the day, the White House is not just illegally dismantling a department—they’re dismantling the futures of millions of children and working families across the country.”
+ Ten former HHS officials filed an amicus brief defending the rights of Planned Parenthood Patients. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic on April 2, and decide if states can prevent patients with Medicaid from accessing healthcare at clinics that also provide abortion care.
“Extreme political agendas have no place in healthcare and shouldn’t stand in the way of patients’ right to choose a medical professional they trust—including Planned Parenthood. Allowing South Carolina to strip Medicaid funding from these centers would shatter nearly sixty years of precedent and needlessly put health and lives at risk,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward.
+ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared that all gender marker changes on the state’s birth certificates or driver’s licenses will be revoked. His order seizes power from the judicial branch by nullifying all previous court orders allowing trans people to amend their documents.
+ The Trump administration withdrew $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, and threatened other schools that allow “illegal protests.” The Department of Justice created a list of universities they say failed to police anti-Semitism during the largely peaceful pro-Palestinian protests last year.
+ One former Columbia graduate student, Mahmoud Khalil, was arrested by ICE for helping lead protests. A Palestinian refugee, Khalil had his green card revoked by the administration, who attempted to deport him immediately. They were blocked by a federal judge, but Khalil remains in detention in Louisiana despite not being charged with a crime.
+ The U.S. Institute of Peace sued to block DOGE from taking over and installing a Trump-appointed president. A district judge chose not to grant a temporary restraining order while the case continues, despite DOGE gutting the independent agency’s Board and gaining access to their building with armed police officers.
+ Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and Al Green (D-Texas) introduced a bill to rename the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in honor of Jean E. Fairfax. Fairfax was a civil rights activist who focused on integrating public schools and organized an overhaul of the NSLP to serve more children experiencing poverty. Currently, the NLSP is named for Richard B. Russell, Jr, a supporter of segregation and white supremacy.
+ The chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee told their Congress members to avoid in-person town halls in their districts. Constituents have been making their voices heard on foreign aid cuts and federal employee layoffs. While some members are now urging DOGE to ease up on cuts, congressional leaders are claiming, without any evidence, that the attendees are paid protestors.
+ A Texas midwife was arrested for allegedly providing abortions. If convicted, she could face 20 years in prison. This is one of the first times a healthcare provider was charged with violating a state abortion ban.
+ Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) have introduced the Stop Comstock Act. The bill would prevent the 1873 Comstock Act from being used to ban the mailing of abortion pills.
“We applaud this effort to keep the antiquated Comstock Act from being misapplied. But, regardless of what happens in the political or policy spheres, access to abortion pills by mail cannot be stopped. Abortion pills are currently available by mail in all 50 states and that access will continue, no matter what,” said Plan C co-founder and access director Elisa Wells.
+ The Department of Justice abandoned a case against Idaho for a dangerous abortion ban that violates EMTALA, the federal law requiring hospitals provide emergency medical care for pregnant people. A federal judge recently issued a narrow injunction, ruling that the state ban must yield to EMTALA.
“The news that the Department of Justice has abandoned a case it brought against Idaho because Idaho’s abortion ban violates federal law shows a blatant disregard for federal law. … This politically motivated retreat will only increase the confusion doctors confront in trying to navigate a chaotic, hostile legal environment, putting patients at risk,” argued Carrie Flaxman, Senior Legal Advisor at Democracy Forward.
+ The Georgia House passed an anti-trans bill that could remove trans people from every aspect of public life. It bans trans people from using public accommodations in government and public buildings, and from playing sports. It also enshrines “mother” and “father” as immutable terms, potentially threatening the rights of LGBTQ parents.
+ The White House withdrew former Rep. David Weldon’s nomination to lead the CDC just before his Senate hearing. Several Republican senators had raised concerns about his dangerous anti-vaccine views. He is also the mastermind behind the Weldon Amendment, a funding policy rider that works alongside the Hyde Amendment to limit access to abortion.
+ A 10-year-old U.S. citizen being treated for brain cancer was deported to Mexico with her parents and siblings. The family was traveling within Texas for an emergency specialist medical appointment when they were stopped at an immigration checkpoint. Despite having paperwork from their doctors and lawyers, the family, including four kids who are citizens, were deported. “The fear is horrible. The authorities have my children’s lives in their hands,” said her mom.
+ Missouri lawmakers want to allow residents to donate to crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) instead of paying state income taxes. The proposed 100 percent tax credit would divert tax revenue to the antiabortion centers instead of essential services like healthcare and public education. Missouri is already among the leaders in per capita spending on CPCs, and Governor Kehoe proposed an almost 50 percent increase for the next fiscal year.
+ A Montana district court permanently blocked restrictions on abortion access for Medicaid patients. The restrictions would have particularly impacted people in rural and tribal communities.
+ Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), with the support of all House Democrats, reintroduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act just before the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. The bill would protect against discriminatory voting laws and require that areas with a history of racial discrimination get changes to their voting laws approved by the federal government.
+ Lawmakers in seven states have filed a variety of bills to expand access to abortion. They hope to move the bills quickly to avoid even more women dying after being denied critical abortion care.
+ Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman in Congress, died at age 49. She represented Utah’s 4th district from 2015 to 2019.
+ Monarch Collective’s fund investing in women’s sports has expanded to $250 million, thanks in part to Melinda French Gates. So far, they’ve invested in three National Women’s Soccer League clubs and expect to invest outside of soccer for the first time this year.
+ Youth-led gun violence prevention organization March for Our Lives was forced to lay off 13 of its 16 full-time staffers, due to financial challenges after the election. Jaclyn Corin, a Parkland shooting survivor and co-founder of the organization, has been announced as their new Executive Director.
How We’re Doing
+ In 2023, a New York man was found guilty of neglect for failing to stop his partner from using drugs while pregnant. He filed an appeal to end the patriarchal practice of allowing or forcing men to surveil and control their partners during pregnancy. There have been at least 56 similar cases in 14 states. Nearly 50 reproductive, civil and children’s rights organizations are supporting the man’s case.
“Forcing fathers to surveil their pregnant partners or face neglect charges threatens the dignity of New York’s families, exacerbates the harms and racial disparities of the family regulation system, and undermines children’s health, all while disrupting families. It also flies in the face of the New York Equal Rights Amendment, because requiring that pregnant women’s actions be controlled is pregnancy discrimination,” explained J.P. Perry, senior staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union.
+ Elon Musk claimed that DOGE has already cut $115 billion in funding. But a Musk Watch DOGE tracker found that the cuts able to be verified from DOGE information is just $7.7 billion.
+ In 2024, 93 percent of Trump voters said the economy was their most important issue. Now, 54 percent of Americans already disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.
+ Abortion bans led to an increase in birth rates, especially in areas far from abortion clinics. There was a 2.8 percent increase in births in counties where the distance to an abortion clinic increased from 50 miles to 300 miles. The largest increases were among Hispanic and Black women, women without a college degree and single women.
+ Almost 7 million Black women—or 57 percent of Black women ages 15-49—live in states that have banned or are likely to ban abortion care. 2.7 million of these women are economically insecure, and are more likely to be impacted by abortion bans and pushed deeper into poverty as a result.
+ Seventeen of the 26 antiabortion states have above average maternal mortality rates, and Black mothers in the U.S. are already three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Abortion bans destabilize maternal health further, by decreasing access to healthcare services and providers. One study estimates that a federal abortion ban would lead to a 39 percent increase in maternal deaths for Black women.
+ Fifty-seven percent of U.S. adults believe there’s too little emphasis on encouraging boys to talk about their feelings. Seventy percent of Democrats agree, versus 45 percent of Republicans. Almost half of Republicans think there’s too little emphasis on encouraging boys to stand up for themselves or teaching boys to become leaders, compared to about a quarter of Democrats.
