Legislation impacting women

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Safeguard American Eligibility Act or the SAVE Act.

Introduced on 05/07/2024 by Representative Chip Roy of Texas.

The SAVE Act would require all Americans to prove their citizenship with documentation unavailable to millions and completely change the way Americans register to vote. 

Government-issued driver’s licenses—including REAL IDs—as well as military or tribal IDs do not satisfy the bill’s requirements. 

A passport or a birth certificate with their legal name on it would be required to vote. This means that anyone who has changed their name who does not have a valid passport would be unable to vote. Such as married women, or anyone who has transitioned and changed their name. With it currently being reported that the trans community is having difficulties with getting passports, this is also a move to try to keep the trans community from voting. They might have to legally change their name back to their dead name to vote.

Note the specific mention of tribal IDs as well.

This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections.

Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents  documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.

The bill establishes criminal penalties for certain offenses, including registering an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.

Republican Representative Andy Biggs from Arizona introduces the bill 

"H.Res.7 - Recognizing the importance of access to comprehensive, high-quality, life-affirming medical care for women of all ages."

While at first glance this may look like this would benefit American women, Biggs has a history of being against abortion. On February 25, 2022, Congressman Andy Biggs, and 32 colleagues, introduced the No Pro-Abortion Task Force Act, to prohibit federal funds from being used to support Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force (which he calls "anti-life" on his website. This bill was introduced on 1/9/23 and was referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce on 1/9/23 with no further action. 

He also says on his website that he introduced a bill on May 15, 2019   

to end a tax deduction for abortions. This would be a precursor to Senator Mike Lee's bill   

"S.3607 - Abortion Is Not Health Care Act of 2024".

"For years, the pro-abortion movement has marketed abortion as a form of reproductive health care," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said in a statement provided to The Daily Signal.

Once you understand where this is coming from, there is alarming content in this bill.

For example,  "Recognizing the importance of access to comprehensive, high-quality, life-affirming medical care for women of all ages.". Life-affirming is a phrase often used by anti-abortion groups.

The bill also states " Whereas health care for women should also address the needs of men,  families, and communities as they relate to women’s health care." Why do the needs of men have anything to do with women's health care?

Currently this bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  

President Trump signs an order that implements the termination of all "discriminatory programs", including DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and  activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear. 

Because DEI is more than an abbreviation, here's a refresher on it:

Diversity represents the differences within the organization, and covers:

• Race
• Ethnicity
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Physical ability
• Religion
• Age
• Marital status
• Socioeconomic status
• National origin
• Veteran status
• Marginalized groups

Diversity is about making sure an organization represents a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

Equity makes  sure that every employee is treated fairly and has the same  opportunities for advancement as everyone else. 

While equality aims to treat everybody the same, equity provides everyone with what they need to be successful.

Inclusion is when every individual, or group of individuals, feels they belong in their workplace – they, and their contributions, are welcome, respected, valued, recognized and supported

President Donald Trump signs an executive order  prohibiting  transgender women and girls from competing in female sports.  

President Donald Trump signs an executive order reinstating the federal death penalty. 

President Trump sends out a memo to all heads of executive departments and agencies, threatening them that they serve at the pleasure of the president and that they can be removed at any time if they do not "faithfully fulfill their duties".

 This memo references Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as justification for this. A link to this can be found with the link to the complete ext of the order.

President Trump signs an order that directs the heads of federal agencies that provide research or  education grants to medical institutions, including medical schools  and hospitals, to take steps to ensure that institutions receiving  Federal research or education grants no longer provide  gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19. 

President Trump signs an executive order 

prevent or  rescind federal funds from K-12 schools that do not support his listed ideologies regarding appropriate patriotic curriculum, or by  concealing a minor’s social  transition from their parents, using preferred pronouns or a name not  corresponding to a student’s birth sex, and referring to a child as  non-binary.

The order also carries consequences for individuals who  facilitate “social transitioning,” tasking the U.S. attorney general and  state attorneys general to collaborate with local district attorneys to  “file appropriate actions against K-12 teachers and school officials”  who “unlawfully facilitat[e] the social transition of a minor student.”

President Trump signs an order that establishes a White House Faith Office, says that it will be led by Reverend  Paula White.

Paula White is a founder of the Without Walls Internation Church.  In 2004, Without Walls International Church reported a congregation of 20,000, the seventh-largest church in the United States. An audit later made public by a United States Senate committee chaired by Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley showed that Without Walls received $150 million from 2004 to 2006. The Senate report found the church White operated with her now ex-husband spent tax-exempt ministry funds one year to pay nearly $900,000 for the couple's waterfront mansion, over a million dollars in salaries to family members and paid for the Whites' private jet. White and her church did not cooperate with the investigation. 

 In a July 2018 interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network, White criticized immigration advocates who cited Jesus' migration into Egypt, saying "Yes, he did live in Egypt for three-and-a-half years. But it was not illegal. If he had broken the law, then he would have been sinful and he would not have been our Messiah." 

Paula White is a believer in prosperity theology, which maintains that material and financial success is seen as evidence of divine grace or favor and blessings. 

Excerpt from the order below.

 "Faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship have tremendous ability to serve individuals, families, and communities through means that are different from those of government and with capacity and effectiveness that often exceeds that of government.  These organizations lift people up, keep families strong, and solve problems at the local level.  

The executive branch wants faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to compete on a level playing field for grants, contracts, programs, and other Federal funding opportunities.  

The efforts of faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship are essential to strengthening families and revitalizing communities, and the Federal Government welcomes opportunities to partner with such organizations through innovative, measurable, and outcome-driven initiatives."

President Trump signs an order establishing February 9, 2025, as " the first ever Gulf of America Day". 

Not even going to bother posting a link to the actual order....

President Trump signs an Executive Order calling for an end to an act that prohibits American businesses from bribing foreign governments to gain business deals abroad.

This order instructs U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) of 1977.

President Trump signs an Executive Order calling for an end to the Federal Executive Institute.

The Federal Executive Institute (FEI), founded in 1968, is an executive and management development and training center for governmental leaders located in Charlottesville, Virginia.

 From their site:

"We believe great leaders can transform and improve government to best serve the American people. Whether you are an aspiring leader, new supervisor, or seasoned executive, our career-spanning, multilevel leadership curriculum guides you through development and career growth – for your current role or the one you aspire to.

 ...As a senior leader, you'll learn strategic leadership alongside high-performing, high-potential public servants across federal, state, local, and international governments. You'll return to your organization with increased capabilities, confidence, and commitment, ready to take on the most daunting challenges with:

• Increased self-awareness as an individual, team member, and leader.
• Enhanced leadership and management skills, especially in the areas of teambuilding, strategic thinking, influencing/negotiating, political savvy, and external awareness.
• Expanded professional networks, enabling improved inter-organizational collaboration and problem-solving.
• Broadened understanding of the U.S. Constitution as the foundation for federal public service.
• Improved ability to leverage the diverse talents of the federal workforce.
• Increased resiliency, mental and physical wellness, and work-life balance."

President Trump signs an executive order on that compels State Department staff to comply with his foreign policy goals and states that “Failure to faithfully implement the President’s policy is grounds for professional discipline, including separation.”

The order also provides for revamping the State Department’s set of policies and procedures, the Foreign Affairs Manual and the Foreign Affairs Handbooks.

This could pave the way for a massive restructuring of the State Department, replacing the existing State Department with appointees that are hand-selected by the president.

The revamping of policies could mean drastic changes in how foreign intelligence is handled as well as changes to staffing of consular offices.

As a portion of The Foreign Affairs Manual “deals exclusively with the adjudication of U.S. visas, both nonimmigrant and immigrant, providing consular officers with the guidance needed to make informed decisions based on U.S. immigration law and regulations.” This could also mean drastic changes to U.S. visa policies.

The version of the  Foreign Affairs Manual and the Foreign Affairs Handbook with the latest revisions from 1/17/25 can be found on the Good Reads page.

President Trump signs an executive order establishing the "Make America Healthy Again Commission".

While at first glance this may seem like a benign or even beneficial order, there are alarming things to notice. For example,

" To fully address the growing health crisis in America, we must re-direct  our national focus, in the public and private sectors, toward  understanding and drastically lowering chronic disease rates and ending  childhood chronic disease.  This includes fresh thinking on nutrition,  physical activity, healthy lifestyles, over-reliance on medication and  treatments, the effects of new technological habits, environmental  impacts, and food and drug quality and safety.  We must restore the  integrity of the scientific process by protecting expert recommendations  from inappropriate influence and increasing transparency regarding  existing data.  We must ensure our healthcare system promotes health  rather than just managing disease."

It also calls for an assessment from this commission, including:

" (iii)   assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of  selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood  stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs; 

 (ix)    restore the integrity of science, including by eliminating undue  industry influence, releasing findings and underlying data to the  maximum extent permitted under applicable law, and increasing  methodological rigor; ".

Which seems to be a call to possibly restrict necessary medications as well as trying to shut down actual health science in the belief that healthy eating is all that is needed to eliminate all health problems and issues.

President Trump signs an executive order to eliminate COVID-19 vaccine requirements in schools.

Trump signs executive order attempting to control Independent Agencies. 

From this order,  "...previous administrations have allowed so-called “independent  regulatory agencies” to operate with minimal Presidential supervision.   These regulatory agencies currently exercise substantial executive  authority without sufficient accountability to the President, and  through him, to the American people.  Moreover, these regulatory  agencies have been permitted to promulgate significant regulations  without review by the President.  

     These practices undermine such regulatory agencies’  accountability to the American people and prevent a unified and coherent  execution of Federal law.  For the Federal Government to be truly  accountable to the American people, officials who wield vast executive  power must be supervised and controlled by the people’s elected  President. "

  Trump signs "ecexutive" order (yes, it is spelled wrong on the website) to attempt to eliminate several important government entities and councils.

This includes:

• The Presidio Trust (which maintains  The Presidio, San Francisco's national park site)
• The Inter-American Foundation (which  invests in locally-led development across Latin America and the Caribbean to make these regions and their communities more prosperous, peaceful, and democratic.)
• The United States African Development Foundation (which invests directly in African grassroots enterprises and social entrepreneurs. USADF creates pathways to prosperity for marginalized populations and communities across Africa.
• The United States Institute of Peace. (which is a nonpartisan, independent organization dedicated to protecting U.S. interests by helping to prevent, mitigate and resolve violent conflicts abroad. Their work helps reduce the risk that the United States will be drawn into costly foreign wars.)
• The Advisory  Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (which has been the public voice in how foreign assistance is carried out in the United States since the committee was created in the wake of World War II.)
• The Academic  Research Council (which provides the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with advice about its strategic research planning process)
• The Credit Union Advisory Council (which advises  the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on regulating consumer financial products or services, offering the unique perspectives of credit unions.) 
• The Community Bank Advisory Council (which  advises  the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on regulating consumer financial products or services and offering the unique perspectives of community banks.)
• The Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Long COVID (which brings perspectives from outside the government to help inform action of the Executive Branch on Long COVID and other infection-associated chronic conditions by providing recommendations to the Secretary through the Assistant Secretary for Health.)
• The Health Equity Advisory Committee (which advises and make recommendations to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the identification and resolution of systemic barriers to accessing CMS programs and servea as a dedicated platform for CMS collaboration with key interested persons to advance health equity by identifying how CMS can promote quality and access for beneficiaries of all CMS programs.)