Civil Rights
In Oregon, Utopia PDX has been working with lawmakers like Oregon Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to prioritize COFA migrants in health care insurance and services. In Washington, PICA-WA has hosted town halls to weigh the needs of NHPI communities and have submitted reports to the governor's office. Both groups have also been helping with economic needs, such as housing and food. In Hawaii, various organizations launched the NHPI Collective Covid-19 Awareness Prevention Campaign to curb the effects of the virus.
"Today is #HumanRightsDay around the world, but not in Saudi Arabia: @LoujainHathloul is standing trial today in a secretive 'Specialized Criminal Court' on bogus espionage charges. They must #FreeLoujain," tweeted US Representative Suzanne Bonamici on Thursday.
Oregon's four Democratic representatives — Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader — backed the bill. Republican Rep. Greg Walden voted no. Some equity activists were critical of elements of the bill, but the longtime reform group NORML captured the view of many legalization supporters with an email subject line that read "Massive Victory!"
I called my staff and I said, "I need to go to the airport. Meet me out there." So I went with Sarah, my district director, and I think she reminded me that she was going directly from her daughter's birthday party to the airport. And we arrived at the airport, and I know Senator [Jeff] Merkley was there as well, and a lot of people from the community. The PDX International Airport is operated by the Port of Portland, and they had set up to make sure that we had a safe place to make our voices heard, kept an area clear for protesters.
"The right to protest is fundamental to American democracy. Protest has been at the heart of movements for social and racial justice throughout this country's history. Protest is essential and effective. It unites people seeking justice, brings attention to pressing moral issues, and can hold elected officials accountable.
"Such actions not only threaten to exacerbate existing structures of racism in the education system and broader society, but also infringe on an ideal the Department regularly invokes -- free speech," wrote Education and Labor Committee chairman Bobby Scott and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, chair of the panel's civil rights and human services subcommittee.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), said it was "disgusting that this administration permanently separated families, leaving 545 children alone." Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) also criticized the Trump administration. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) said the Trump administration "had no plan for reunification before initiating this cruel & inhumane policy of child separation, and the damage it has done is immeasurable." House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) called the report "outrageous & unacceptable" and accused the Trump administration of xenophobia.
I called my staff and I said, "I need to go to the airport. Meet me out there." So I went with Sarah, my district director, and I think she reminded me that she was going directly from her daughter's birthday party to the airport. And we arrived at the airport, and I know Senator [Jeff] Merkley was there as well, and a lot of people from the community. The PDX International Airport is operated by the Port of Portland, and they had set up to make sure that we had a safe place to make our voices heard, kept an area clear for protesters.