AAUW Washington Update

Meghan Kissell 

Senior Director, Policy & Member Advocacy 

Act

In June, members of Congress hostile to Title IX introduced resolutions to overturn the new rules. This congressional attack comes on the heels of a series of lawsuits from 26 states to try to prevent the new rules from being implemented.  

Title IX is critical to allow all students to be able to receive the education they deserve, one free from harassment and gender discrimination. The new rules, which are scheduled to go into effect on August 1, will help mitigate the impact of the experience of sexual assault and harassment in education. They articulate specifically how Title IX supports pregnant and parenting students. They also clarify that all students – including LGBTQ+ students – have the right to a safe and inclusive learning environment. 

The U.S. House Committee of Education and Workforce held a mark-up on June 13, and there could be a full vote as early as later this month. If this resolution were to succeed, it would overturn the entire rule, and could prevent future efforts to reinstate these protections.  

Take Action: Join AAUW’s demand that Congress stands up for students and reject H.J. Res. 165. 

Learn – Election Year Tools You Can Use 

At AAUW, we believe that when women vote, we change the conversation. This year, we want every woman to understand the connection between voting and policies affecting education and economic security for women. With so much at stake, our It’s My Vote! campaign provides nonpartisan resources and training so women have the information they need to ask critical questions so they can make an informed decision this election cycle.  

Here’s a few ways you can get started: 

• Review our 2024 Voter Issue Guide. This guide from the AAUW Action Fund reviews eight issue areas critical to this election season and includes questions to ask candidates are they seek the privilege of your vote. Available in English and Spanish, it can also be a helpful resource for organizing local candidate forums.  

• Webinar: Developing Local Head-to- Head Voter Guides – June 26. On Wednesday, June 26 at 7 p.m. ET, AAUW’s public policy team will discuss ways to read past the rhetoric and assess what policy solutions candidates are bringing to the table. Our Head-to-Head Voter Guide templates are a great way to educate your community.  

• Host a Presidential Debate Watch Party – June 27. Debates are a window into a candidate’s values and priorities. While debates are serious business, debate parties (online or in-person) can be fun! Check out these awesome debate party games and bring people together while watching the news as it happens. Try Debate Bingo here or Dirty Laundry here.

• Use social media to energize and encourage other voters. Using social media can be an effective way to raise awareness about AAUW issues. This month AAUW will have a series of posts that spotlight the issues in the voter issue guide. Please share them and use #itsmyvote. 

• Don’t forget to check your voter registration! We get it, sometimes we move and forget to update our voter registration. Check your today, and then text the link to 3 friends or family members to make sure they are registered this year! 

Engage

Voting Rights 

• Our democracy works when everyone can fully participate. AAUW opposes the disingenuous Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, introduced in the House of Representatives on May 8, and joined coalition partners in encouraging Congress to take actions that will strengthen protections against discrimination in voting and promote democracy.  

Education 

• AAUW is advocating for gender equity priorities — advancing economic security, education (including doubling the maximum federal Pell Grant award), reproductive health and rights, and more — in the federal government’s Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process and is urging Congress to block harmful policy riders. The U.S. House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education is set to consider the FY25 education appropriation bill on June 27. 

• On May 21, the U.S. Department of Education announced an additional $7.7 billion of student debt relief for eligible borrowers enrolled in Public Service Loan Forgiveness, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, or who received income-driven repayment account adjustments. One out of ten federal student loan borrowers in the United States have now been approved for some form of student-debt relief.  

Economic Security 

• LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day is recognized on June 13 during Pride Month to raise awareness of how the patchwork of anti-discrimination laws in our country denies LGBTQIA+ communities the economic security that all people deserve. Join us for a social media storm at 2 p.m. ET using #LGBTQIAequalpay and ask Congress to pass the Equality Act. This bill would provide consistent and explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service. 

• A recent update to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bearing the Cost report found that, in 2023, Black and Hispanic women lost billions of dollars in wages compared to white men due to occupational segregation. AAUW advocates for comprehensive pay equity legislation to help curb occupational segregation and eliminate the gender and racial pay gaps. Join us in recognizing Black Women’s Equal Pay Day on July 9, 2024. 

• AAUW and coalition partners urged Senate leaders to bring the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (H.R. 7024) to a floor vote or attach the bill to must-pass legislation. The bill includes provisions to expand the Child Tax Credit, critical relief that would facilitate economic stability, assisting with families' basic needs like housing, groceries, and care while reducing the child poverty rate. 

Honoring Our Past 

• The AAUW-endorsed Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act (H.R. 1088/S. 4243) would posthumously honor Shirley Chisholm, the first African American Congresswoman and an AAUW member. The bill, introduced in the Senate on May 13, is Congress’ highest award in recognition of Chisholm’s activism and groundbreaking achievements.