Friend,
I am deeply concerned about the state of politics, democracy and our rights across our country. In Tennessee, two black lawmakers were expelled from the legislature for leading a protest. In Texas, a federal judge ruled to revoke FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. A US Supreme Court justice flaunts ethics rules. And, more broadly, we are seeing the breakdown of our courts and legislative systems as districts become more gerrymandered and anti-democratic bills that further voter suppression are passed. This is all connected.
I am often asked what the Lieutenant Governor does. My response is that there are three clearly defined constitutional duties, but in addition to that I often consider myself an ambassador to democracy. I use my platform to help people find ways to engage with our Democracy so their voices can be heard, and when I see democracy being threatened, I speak out.
Texas Abortion Pill Ban
Last week, a notoriously conservative federal judge in Texas ruled to reverse the FDA’s approval of the common abortion pill mifepristone. By ignoring science and the majority opinion of US citizens, his ruling could block national access to the pill. The two-pill regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol make up the safest and most effective mode of medication abortion during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. It’s also the most common form of abortion in the U.S.-- as of 2020, more than 50% of all abortions were done by medication. Removing this option is a direct economic and social attack on women.
Why did this ruling occur? Anti-abortion groups sued the FDA over mifepristone, saying that the FDA fast-tracked the regulatory process and did not have sufficient scientific evidence to prove the pills safety. Since its approval more than 20 years ago, however, extensive research has shown that the pill is both safe and effective. The FDA and several major medical groups have refuted the claims made by these anti-abortion groups, but Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk still ruled in favor of revoking the approval. The federal government has already filed an appeal for this ruling.
What does this mean? It is unclear how soon this ruling might go into effect and the details of what will happen. This has raised a lot of concerns with patients and providers. For now, the medication is still available. However, if this ruling is upheld, the drug may become banned nationwide. Misoprostol, the second of the two-pill regimen, will still be available and can be taken on its own to induce abortion. Though this drug is also very safe and effective, it tends to have more severe side effects when taken alone rather than when it is taken in conjunction with mifepristone. The removal of Mifepristone will cause additional senseless harm to women.
Americans support reproductive liberties. 53% believe that abortions should be legal in most or any circumstances according to a Gallup poll. In Vermont, citizens just voted 76% to 24% to enshrine reproductive liberty in our state’s constitution. The recent wave of right-wing legislation banning reproductive liberty are not in line with what Americans and Vermonters want. Additionally, they are being created through undemocratic means and further the oppression of women and those who can get pregnant in this country. A safe, effective, and widely used abortion medication should not be banned due to the political leanings of the courts that are stacked due to political manipulation. This manipulation is undemocratic and undermines our faith in democracy.
Many state legislatures and the U.S. House’s representation is heavily skewed to the right of where the majority of Americans stand due to unprecedented gerrymandering of state and federal districts. When our elected leaders exploit the rules to pick their voters rather than have the voters voices more accurately represented by a fair and balanced process, it undermines the majority opinion planned for by our founding fathers.
Tennessee Legislators Expelled
In Tennessee last week, we saw the unprecedented expulsion of two black male lawmakers for breaking decorum. The two legislators, along with their white colleague (who was spared from expulsion), led a protest in the well of the legislative chamber with gun control activists calling for legislative action in response to the recent school shooting in Nashville. In response to the shooting, the Republican supermajority legislature had offered thoughts, prayers, and a plan to increase the number of guns in schools by putting more money into training veterans and former law-enforcement officers to serve as school resource officers. Frustrated student activists took to the streets and to the state house to demand a different type of action.
As the presiding officer of the Vermont Senate, I am deeply committed to decorum. It is important to keep our system fair and respected so the work that we do in the legislature can hold legitimacy around the state. While there are several ways for legislators to express their views during debates and discussions, sometimes people speak “out of order” and are admonished. This has happened in Vermont, but I have NEVER seen nor considered the removal of an elected official as punishment for speaking out of turn. Simply enough, the chamber could have been called to recess and order restored. These two representatives were elected to be the voice of tens of thousands of individuals and removing them was a very serious decision that should only happen in the case of severe violations of the law. Because no one should be above the law.
The removal of Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson in Tennessee was not only a politically motivated attempt to silence the voices of people who stood in opposition to the Republican supermajority’s lack of action on gun control, but also a racially motivated attack on black legislators. Though Rep. Gloria Johnson played a similar role to Reps. Jones and Pearson in leading the protesters, she did not face the same consequence of expulsion that they did. When asked why she wasn’t expelled, she said the reason is “pretty clear...I am a 60-year-old White woman, and they are two young Black men.”
Taking away the voices of people who do not agree with you politically is not the sign of a healthy democracy. Protest and dissent are at the core of our political system. Without it, there is little that can be done to fight against the tyranny of the majority. The expulsion of these two democratically elected state representatives, in such unprecedented circumstances, has continued to dissolve faith in our political system.
Justice Thomas and Ethics in politics
Recently, it was revealed that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas received millions of dollars of undisclosed gifts from a single billionaire friend and donor, Harlan Crow. Crow, a real estate developer and Republican mega-donor, paid for multiple vacations and trips for Justice Thomas and his family, including a single trip that is estimated to have cost over $500,000.
This revelation has raised serious red flags about ethics in politics. How is it possible for anyone to think that accepting lavish gifts from political donors is ok? In Vermont, I and many others have worked to create more transparency in the ways that people in power are influenced by those with huge sums of money. Whether it be campaign donations or lobbyist gifts, we have made some of the most transparent and limiting laws in the country. If a lobbyist purchases a gift for a legislator valued at more than $15, such as a drink or dinner, it must be reported to the Secretary of State for all Vermonters to see.
People in power have a moral obligation to act as ethically and transparently as possible. While our system was created by white men, it was modeled with the idea that everyone should have an equal voice in decision making process. This flaunting of power and blatant disregard for the ethical standards of the highest court in our country contributes to the erosion of faith in our political system.
--------------------------------------------------------------
These three events put together epitomize the consequences of more than 50 years of attacks on our government by right-wing think tanks and politicians. Criticism and disagreement are important to the political process, but what we have seen goes well beyond that. Ronald Regan voiced this sentiment clearly when he said: “The most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” In the 50 years since, verbal attacks on our governance have driven a wedge that has distracted us from the real issues people face. By provoking fear and anger, political talking heads have focused on government and “others” as the cause of everyday Americans economic struggles.
Meanwhile, we have seen taxes on the wealthiest drastically reduced while taxes and fees on working people have gone up.
We have seen jobs exported overseas for profits while everyday people struggle to find gainful employment.
We have seen our environment getting destroyed while the wealthiest build gated luxury retreats in isolated locations.
We have seen women’s rights being revoked for the first time in our nation’s history.
All of this is connected. We must come together to fight for our freedoms and our rights. It is time to engage both locally and nationally if we want to ensure that we have a political system that works for all people and not just the wealthy few.
Our democracy is under attack, and we need people like you to use your voice to help get it back on track.
Thank you-
Lt. Governor David Zuckerman