Young Veterans Speak Out for 21st Century G.I. Bill

WASHINGTON, DC:  Today, hundreds of Young Democrats and young veterans are asking Congress to fulfill the promise we make to always stand by every man and woman who puts on the uniform in service to our nation.   Young Democrats are urging immediate action on the Webb-Mitchell “Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act,” a bill that will expand educational benefits for the men and women who serve in our military.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Supreme Court’s disappointing ruling upholding Indiana’s law requiring voter to present photo identification before casting a ballot has huge implications for millions of new voters, including young voters. Disenfranchising voter ID laws will severely limit the ability of young people to vote. Many young people do not have a driver’s license, only have a student ID, or do not possess identification with a current address.

“Young voters will feel the effects of these disenfranchising laws just at the time when turnout among turnout among young people is on the rise,” said David Hardt, President of the Young Democrats of America. “Make no mistake. These laws are a voter suppression tool, with young voters – who have been voting overwhelmingly for Democrats in recent elections – in the crosshairs.”

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The Young Democrats of America (YDA) is the nation's largest youth-led partisan political organization dedicated to building a solid youth voting bloc of Democrats nationwide. 

An action Alert from Atima Omara-Alwala, National Chair, Women' s Caucus
Young Democrats of America

April 22nd, 2008 is Pay Equity Day!

Currently, women earn 77 cents to the dollar, over a working lifetime, this wage disparity costs the average American woman and her family an estimated $700,000 to $2 million, impacting Social Security benefits and pensions.

In 1996, Equal Pay Day was created by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) as a way to raise awareness about the gap between men's and women's wages. The day, observed on a Tuesday in April, symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year. (Tuesday is the day on which women's wages catch up to men's wages from the previous week.) Because women earn less, on average, than men, they must work longer for the same amount of pay. The wage gap is even greater for most women of color.

As Young Democrats we are well positioned to make a difference in our communities. Follow the link below to "read more" to get a one pager of what you can do in your Young Democrat local chapters and/or your Women's Caucuses, to raise awareness and take action around an issue important to us all.

Washington, DC - On the fortieth anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination, we at the Young Democrats of America are reminded once again of the importance of working to build tolerance and understanding among Americans of every color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and national creed.  We are glad that Dr. King's legacy lives on in the efforts of so many, and we believe he would be proud to see that an African American and a woman are frontrunners in a race to become President of these great United States.

Click "read more" below for the rest.