June, 26 2013, 10:09am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Email: media@reproductivefreedomforall.org
NARAL Pro-Choice America Celebrates Sen. Wendy Davis' Historic Filibuster in Texas
WASHINGTON
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue lauded Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis on her historic filibuster.
"Last night, Wendy Davis inspired people across the country and showed us what a true pro-choice champion looks like," said Hogue. "Outnumbered by anti-choice politicians in the Texas state Senate, yet supported by a galvanized crowd of protesters, Wendy stood victorious and made history in the fight to protect a woman's right to choose. We proud of her and our colleagues at NARAL Pro-Choice Texas for making this victory possible.
"But Texas women still face an anti-choice governor and an anti-choice majority in the legislature determined to pass a bill that would likely close all but five clinics in Texas that provide abortion care and basic health-care services. This could hurt tens of thousands of Texas women and families.
"This is why elections matter. We need more people like Wendy Davis. This fight doesn't just take place in legislatures; it takes place at the ballot box. Davis' filibuster happened the same night we celebrated the election of another pro-choice champion, Ed Markey, to the U.S. Senate. Thanks to Wendy's inspiration, and others like her, we will continue to work to make sure we help elect men and women to every level of office who will protect the constitutional rights enshrined in Roe v. Wade."
For over 50 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.
202.973.3000LATEST NEWS
China Announces 'Major Military Drills' Around Taiwan in Wake of Massive US Arms Sale
The Chinese military drills appear to be "an effort to gain air and maritime superiority and cut off external military support" for Taiwan, said one expert.
Dec 29, 2025
The Chinese military on Monday announced it was conducting "major military drills" around Taiwan weeks after the US announced an $11 billion arms deal with the island nation.
As reported by CNN, China is mobilizing its army, navy, and air force units around Taiwan in a move that it says should serve as a "serious warning" to any "external" forces interfering with the island, which China has long claimed as its territory.
Taiwan's government, meanwhile, responded by accusing China of conducting a campaign of "military intimidation," while vowing to "take concrete action to defend the values of democracy and freedom."
Su Tzu-yun, a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle that China's military drills appear to be "an effort to gain air and maritime superiority and cut off external military support."
William Yang, a senior Northeast Asia analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, told DW that while Chinese military exercises around Taiwan are now regular occurrences, the speed with which China ramped up its latest exercises "shows that the Chinese People's Liberation Army is becoming increasingly capable of rapidly deploying forces to combat-ready positions."
Although China did not mention the US directly when denouncing "external" powers, CNN noted that the decision to launch military drills came weeks after the US reached an $11 billion arms deal with Taiwan that included HIMARS rocket systems, anti-tank and anti-armor missiles, drones, howitzers, and military software.
China responded to this arms sale directly last week by announcing sanctions against US defense firms including Boeing, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, and L3Harris Maritime Services, according to the Guardian.
In announcing the sanctions against US firms, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson emphasized that "the Taiwan issue is the core of China's core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations," while warning that "any provocative actions that cross the line on the Taiwan issue will be met with a strong response from China."
Keep ReadingShow Less
'Trump's Economic Policies Did This': US Business Bankruptcies Surge to 15-Year High
At least 717 US companies filed for bankruptcy through November 2025—the highest figure recorded since the aftermath of the Great Recession.
Dec 29, 2025
Businesses in the United States have filed for bankruptcy this year at a level not seen since 2010 as President Donald Trump's tariff regime has jacked up costs for companies in manufacturing and other major sectors.
Citing data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, the Washington Post reported over the weekend that at least 717 US companies filed for bankruptcy through November 2025, the highest figure recorded since the aftermath of the Great Recession and a 14% increase compared to the same period last year.
"Companies cited inflation and interest rates among the factors contributing to their financial challenges, as well as Trump administration trade policies that have disrupted supply chains and pushed up costs," the Post noted. "But in a shift from previous years, the rise in filings is most apparent among industrials—companies tied to manufacturing, construction, and transportation. The sector has been hit hard by President Donald Trump’s ever-fluid tariff policies—which he’s long insisted would revive American manufacturing."
Recent data shows that the US has lost 49,000 manufacturing jobs since Trump's return to office.
The bankruptcy figures add to the growing pile of evidence showing that Trump's tariffs and broader policy agenda have harmed the US economy—weakening job growth, driving the unemployment rate up to the highest level since the Covid-19 pandemic, and worsening the nation's cost-of-living crisis.
Democrats immediately seized on the new reporting as evidence of Trump's failed stewardship of the US economy, messaging that's likely to be central as the 2026 midterms approach.
Trump's economic policies did this. pic.twitter.com/tRfcNxAyAU
— Sean Casten (@SeanCasten) December 27, 2025
Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Monday that "when Donald Trump signed his Big Ugly Bill into law, he cemented the Republican Party as the party of billionaires and special interests—not working families, farmers, or small business owners."
"While millions of working families are already being squeezed to afford groceries, utilities, and rent, Trump chose to strip them of their healthcare and food assistance just so he could give his ultrawealthy friends and donors an extra buck," said Martin. "Make no mistake: Trump’s ‘signature achievement’ will be the nail in the coffin for the Republican majority when voters head to the polls next November."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Trump Slashes US Humanitarian Aid Pledge as His Cuts Kill Hundreds of Thousands Globally
One tracker estimates that the Trump administration's assault on foreign aid programs has killed more than 700,000 people so far—a majority of them children.
Dec 29, 2025
The Trump administration on Monday announced a commitment of $2 billion to United Nations humanitarian assistance efforts, a fraction of what the US has previously provided as President Donald Trump's foreign aid cuts continue to wreak deadly havoc worldwide.
The US State Department said the funds will be tied to reform efforts pushed by the administration, as it warns individual UN agencies to "adapt, shrink, or die"—all while giving massive handouts to billionaires.
"The agreement requires the UN to consolidate humanitarian functions to reduce bureaucratic overhead, unnecessary duplication, and ideological creep," said the State Department.
Al Jazeera reported that the reduced commitment "is a sharp contrast to the assistance of up to $17 billion the US has provided as the UN’s leading funder in recent years."
"The $2 billion will create a pool of funds that can be directed at specific countries or crises, with 17 countries—including Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Syria, and Ukraine—initially targeted," the outlet noted. "Afghanistan is not included on the list, nor is Palestine, which officials say will be covered by money included in Trump’s yet-to-be-completed Gaza plan."
The Associated Press observed that "even as the US pulls back its aid, needs have ballooned across the world: Famine has been recorded this year in parts of conflict-ridden Sudan and Gaza, and floods, drought, and natural disasters that many scientists attribute to climate change have taken many lives or driven thousands from their homes."
The new funding pledge comes after the Trump administration's lawless dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which was the United States' primary body for foreign aid.
Experts say the destruction of USAID at the hands of billionaire Elon Musk and others inside the Trump White House has killed hundreds of thousands of people across the globe—and could kill millions more in the coming years.
A conservative tracker maintained by Boston University epidemiologist Brooke Nichols estimates that the Trump administration's assault on foreign aid programs has killed more than 700,000 people—a majority of them children.
In a blog post for the Center for Global Development earlier this month, Charles Kenny and Justin Sandefur wrote that "while quantification is difficult, there is little doubt many people have died as a result, and without action many more will die in the future."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular