We, The Women – July 29th Edition
Young millennial women are always on the go, and sometimes we just don’t have the time to keep up on everything going on in Washington. Introducing We, The Women, your one-stop shop for all things politics. Keep up with the latest news that’s affecting our government while keeping up with your busy schedule!
Where in the World is Barack?
President Obama traveled to Galesburg, Illinois, Warren, Missouri and Jacksonville, Florida this past week where he made speeches in an attempt to continue to push his various economic ideas for the country. Among those things was increasing the national $7.25 an hour minimum wage, better education for our nation’s youth and more affordable health care for all. Obama also made a little time last Tuesday to host and congratulate the NCAA 2013 Men’s Division I champions, the University of Louisville Cardinals in the White House East Room. During their visit, the President was given a few gifts on behalf of the team. Click here to see just what gifts were given.
Woman of the Week
This week, we honor Lindy Boggs, former Congresswoman of Louisiana, who passed away this past Saturday at the age of 97. Boggs was the first woman from Louisiana to ever be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives when she won her seat in 1973. Shortly after that in 1976 she presided over the Democratic National Convention, making her the first woman to ever do so. Boggs was well known for her efforts to improve civil rights, draw more attention to women’s economic issues and institute more Head Start programs. We salute Boggs for winning over Washington with her grace and Southern charm and advocating for women all over the country. For the full obituary, click here.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:
Sex Scandal Circus
The mayoral race in New York City was turned into an absolute circus last week when information surfaced that proved that mayoral candidate and disgraced ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner had continued to engage in improper online sexual behavior with more than 3 women after similar incidents forced him to resign from his congressional seat in 2011. Since the images and correspondence with these women were exposed, Weiner refused to drop out of the mayoral race. In a press conference, Weiner’s wife Huma Abedin, a trusted aide of Hillary Clinton, made it clear to the public that she was aware of Weiner’s wrongdoings and has since forgiven him.
Weiner is not alone. This past week, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner refused to resign and instead decided to enter 2 weeks of “intensive therapy” after several women who worked with him in the past made severe claims of sexual harassment against him. Similarly, Eliot Spitzer has raised eyebrows with his decision to run for New York City Comptroller after he resigned as New York Governor when it was discovered that he had paid approximately $80,000 for prostitutes throughout his time as New York Attorney General and later governor.
The conversation around these three men have mainly focused on whether or not people who fail to use good judgment and treat women with respect in their private lives should be put into public positions of power where they are required to make judgments on behalf of a large group of people.
FBI Raid rescues over 100 teens in prostitution sting
Over the weekend, the FBI staged a successful sex-trafficking crackdown that spanned over 70 different cities and rescued 105 children, mostly young girls, while arresting 159 “pimps” that were taking advantage of these children, many of whom are believed to have come from broken homes. The operations happened out in the streets, in motels, casinos and even with the help of social media.
According to Ronald Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s criminal investigative division, many of the young girls forced into this lifestyle are often seduced by the pimp’s kind words and gestures. Once these pimps entice the young girls enough to get them to do what they want, they force them into this cycle in which they can be hooked onto drugs or abused. Although the number of children rescued was significant, the issue of human trafficking is still widely remains. It is estimated that 240,000 children in the United States are at risk of sexual exploitation. For the full story, click here.
GOP Members Threaten Government Shutdown over Obamacare
A small pool of Republican Congressmen, led by Utah Senator Mike Lee, is threatening a government shutdown in a last attempt to prevent the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, from becoming fully implemented. Members within the Republican Party have spoken out about this new extreme measure, calling it the “dumbest idea” and saying that “we should not be closing down the government under any circumstances.” With Congress’ approval rating barely hanging on with 12%, many have suggested that the lawmakers involved with this tactic focus on more pressing issues such as the economy instead of continue to fight over something that has already been signed into law and upheld by the Supreme Court. For more on the shutdown, click here.
