Blog of Rights
Georgeanne M.
Usova
03/09/2011

New White House Report Reaffirms Need for Paycheck Fairness Act

By Deborah J. Vagins, ACLU Washington Legislative Office & Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office at 5:19pm

Last week, the White House Council on Women and Girls released a landmark report on the state of women in the U.S. that has been called the most comprehensive report of its kind in nearly five decades. Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well Being compiles data from a variety of sources to show how women's lives are changing across the nation. The White House gathered statistics on a wide variety of topics, including health, education, employment and more.

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12/02/2011
Prison Rape Elimination Act

Justice for All Victims of Sexual Assault

By Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office at 12:57pm

Last week, President Obama signed a bill in honor of Kate Puzey, a 24-year-old Peace Corps volunteer who was murdered while serving in West Africa.

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11/08/2011
Voter ID

So You Think You Can Vote?

By Deborah J. Vagins, ACLU Washington Legislative Office & Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office at 10:35am

This Election Day, we are faced with a dramatic rollback of the right to vote.

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08/01/2011

No Discretion, No Justice: The Irresponsible, Destructive HALT Act

By Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office & Joanne Lin, Washington Legislative Office at 4:34pm

Ariadna Recinas, a single mother, small business owner, and the sole breadwinner for her six children, including four US citizens, was granted cancellation of removal, an important form of immigration relief that allowed her to stay in the U.S. and continue to support and care for her family. The Board of Immigration Appeals concluded that, in this particular case, deporting her to Mexico would cause exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to her children. But under Rep. Lamar Smith’s (R-TX) “Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptation” (HALT) Act, Ms. Recinas would have no immigration options and would certainly be deported, thereby leaving four U.S. citizen children with no parent in the U.S. 

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11/22/2011
H.B. 56

Alabama's Extended Family

By Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office & Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office at 5:54pm

A congressional delegation traveled to Alabama Monday to learn the impact of the law on families, students and businesses in the state.

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11/22/2011
H.B. 56

Alabama's Extended Family

By Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office & Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office at 5:54pm

A congressional delegation traveled to Alabama Monday to learn the impact of the law on families, students and businesses in the state.

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11/16/2011
Voter ID

ACLU Testifies at Voter Suppression Forum on the Hill

By Deborah J. Vagins, ACLU Washington Legislative Office & Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office at 1:40pm

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives held a forum on Monday to shine a light on recent regressive voting laws throughout the country.

Laura W. Murphy, director of ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office, reminded the panel that for decades, African-Americans who wanted to exercise their right to vote were beaten, chased by dogs, bludgeoned by police, and sometimes killed. Congress’ historic role in passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 stopped this type of violence and mistreatment, but still, the threat to our fundamental right to vote lives on today and the need for congressional action remains.

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04/04/2013
Women's Rights in the Workplace

Mr. President, Walk With Us On Our Journey for Equal Pay

By Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office & Deborah J. Vagins, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 3:16pm

Today, the ACLU joined over 100 organizations to send a letter to President Obama asking for executive action to combat pay discrimination.

For far too long, equal pay has been out of reach for many women as a result of workplace discrimination. We know that President Obama agrees, because he made the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act the first bill he signed into law and has repeatedly called on Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.

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06/04/2012
Equal Pay

The Paycheck Fairness Act: It's Time to Stop the Catch 22

By Deborah J. Vagins, ACLU Washington Legislative Office & Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office at 11:16am

Last week, Terri Kelly testified before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee about pay discrimination. In her nine year career as a pharmaceutical sales rep, Kelly was extremely successful—one of the best-performing reps in the nation. But despite all her hard work, she knew that she was being paid far less than another employee hired around the same time and in the same position: her husband.   Because her employer had a policy in place prohibiting employees from either asking about or sharing information about their wages, Kelly was only able to find out that she was being discriminated against because she happened to be married to her coworker. 

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07/13/2011
Prison Rape Elimination Act

Immigrants in Detention: Forgotten Victims of Prison Rape

By Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office & Georgeanne M. Usova, Washington Legislative Office at 4:23pm

Imagine you are arrested — not for committing a crime, but because of your immigration status. You are then taken to an unfamiliar location and locked up in a detention center, far away from your family and friends, to await complicated, confusing, and potentially very lengthy and confusing deportation proceedings. Most of your interactions are in English, your second (or perhaps even fourth) language. You don't have any legal representation to explain what your rights are or how to apply for relief you may be eligible to receive. And in the midst of this stressful time, you are sexually assaulted by a guard — the very person assigned to protect you from harm. What would you do? Would you tell someone, or stay silent for fear that speaking up might increase your chances of deportation or further abuse? If you decided to come forward, whom would you tell, or trust?

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