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Trump Watch: 6 Things We’re Watching This Week

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February 6, 2017
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We’re two weeks into the Trump administration, and clearly we’re already seeing disturbing and unacceptable attacks on our constitutional rights.

Just today, Betsy DeVos, an unqualified billionaire who supports the harmful practice known as "conversion therapy," was confirmed as Education Secretary. DeVos and her family have funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into opposing marriage equality and funding conversion therapy.

Several other developments — including the appointment of a startlingly antigay cabinet, and the erasure of LGBT and HIV content from the White House website — do not bode well for LGBT and HIV rights. While some may say that President Trump largely remains a mystery on LGBT and HIV issues, we've already seen enough to know what to expect:

Executive Orders

Rumors abound that Trump will issue a sweeping executive order that will encourage widespread discrimination against LGBT people and women.

Lambda Legal attorneys are ready to file suit if this executive order is issued.

Neil Gorsuch

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced he expects confirmation hearings for Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court to be completed within six weeks.

Lambda Legal’s Fair Courts Project reviewed all of Judge Gorsuch’s record and found him to be unacceptable and hostile toward LGBT people.

Jeff Sessions

The Senate may vote this week on Trump’s nominee for Attorney General.

Sen. Sessions has shown over and over how much he disdains LGBT people. He:

  • Supported adding a permanent amendment to the U.S. Constitution to prevent marriage equality;
  • Opposes open military service by LGBT people;
  • Opposes protecting LGBT people from being fired from their jobs;
  • And even voted against the federal Hate Crimes law.

Call your Senators and tell them to vote NO on Sessions.

Tom Price

Trump’s dangerous choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services could face a confirmation vote as early as this week.

In particular, we are deeply concerned by his vocal opposition to the Affordable Care Act—the most effective piece of legislation in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the history of the epidemic—as well as his harmful opposition to LGBT equality in vote after vote in Congress.

Call your Senators and tell them to vote NO on Tom Price.

Obamacare

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is one of the most important weapons in the fight against HIV. It also allows transgender people access to health care without discrimination.

Congress opened the door to a repeal of the law, but four congressional committees still have to weigh in before it goes up for a vote in either chamber.

There’s still time to call your Senators and Representative and tell them to save Obamacare.

Office of National AIDS Policy

The office’s webpage disappeared from the White House website on Inauguration Day. The staff was terminated. It still remains to be seen whether the administration intends to replace the staff, or shut down the office altogether.

Lambda Legal will continue to watch this administration’s every move.

We will sue to block every law targeting LGBT people and anyone with HIV. Learn more about Lambda Legal’s coordinated national strategy to defeat the Trump agenda, and help us fund the Resistance.

Resistance