We're NOT Doomed: May 26, 2026
With a Republican there would have been a different outcome
This is a new series: Why You MUST Vote Blue in November (no matter who that candidate may be.)
Okay, so the title is a big long, it’s a work in progress.
What’s the first reason?
The Rules Committee.
In State legislatures and DC alike, the majority party has the majority of members on most Committees.
This is bad for us right now on all committees, but it’s especially bad on the US House Rules Committee.
Even though Republicans have the slimmest of majorities, the Rules Committee has 4 Democrats and 9 Republicans.
Now, these are some of our BEST Democrats. We’ve got Rep Jim McGovern (MA-02), Rep Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) and Joe Neguse (CO-02).
I can’t overstate how incredible these four are, but they are only four people. They can only do so much when the nine Republicans vote against them every single time.
But it’s just one committee that is this uneven, it can’t matter that much, right?
Well, The Rules Committee is the most important committee in the entire House.
Every single bill has to go through this committee, as they decide what rules the bill will be voted on under. How much debate there will be, what the process of adding amendments will be, and more.
The Rules Committee is so powerful that in many cases they can amend all or most of a bill, and even deem it passed under certain circumstances.
This committee is the biggest reason that the minority have very little power in the House and one of the clearest examples of why it doesn’t matter how centrist a Democrat is, as long as they caucus with the Democrats.
A centrist Dem is still a Dem and with the majority we control all committees, including this one. Without it, we don’t.
It’s really that simple.
So when the question is, should you vote for a Democrat who is relatively conservative, not fill in that bubble on your ballot, or vote for a third party candidate who can’t win, the answer is you vote for the conservative Democrat.
They are still a warm body in the Democratic Caucus. Which, at the end of the day, is always 100% better than the most moderate Republican because of the majority.
And, the best way to make sure that conservative Democrat’s vote doesn’t matter, is making sure we have enough Democrats in the House that a few voting the wrong way doesn’t matter.
Henry Cuellar is better than a Republican, so are Marie Perez-Glusenkamp (who has to be one of the top 2 in WA’s jungle primary) and Don Davis. Every single time.
We need those nine seats on the Rules Committee.
And if this doesn’t convince you, don’t worry, this is just the first reason. Hopefully, after hearing enough of them you’ll start to get it.
The majority is more important than the perfect Democrat. Remember that.
California
Wed, April 15 - John Eastman was finally disbarred. It show that there is justice coming for those who have helped destroy this country. The State Bar Court submitted their recommendation in March 2024, and two years later, the California Supreme Court disbarred him.
State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona said:
After extensive proceedings before the State Bar Court’s Hearing and Review Departments, both of which found Mr. Eastman culpable of serious ethical violations, the Court has imposed the discipline warranted by the clear and convincing evidence that he advanced false claims about the 2020 presidential election to mislead courts, public officials, and the American public. The Court’s order underscores that Mr. Eastman’s misconduct was incompatible with the standards of integrity required of every California attorney.
It’s a reminder that justice doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen. When this federal government is out of power, it’s gonna feel slow day to day, but that’s just because every “i” needs to be dotted and every “t” needs to be crossed.
This makes me feel less Doomed because it’s proof that in most, if not all cases, we WILL succeed in the end.
Eastman is a bad man and was a bad lawyer and now he can no longer do damage as a lawyer and that’s huge. It’s also a reminder of why voting for judges and in state legislative races is so important. Not every State Supreme Court would have ruled this way.
Pennsylvania
Mon, April 20 - The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has ruled that the state cannot ban Medicaid funding from being used for abortions.
This law has been on the books since 1982. In 2019 15 abortion clinics filed a lawsuit against this decades old law.
The lawsuit argued that it’s sex based discrimination, and violated the state’s Equal Rights Amendment. This argument also worked in several other states. Forcing a person with a low income to carry an unwanted pregnancy could affect their ability to work or get the healthcare they need.
In 2024 the State Supreme Court ruled that it violated their ERA, and now the Commonweath Court has ruled the same. It took seven years, but the argument was successful in the end.
In a 4-3 decision Judge Matthew Wolf, writing for the majority said:
We conclude that the Commonwealth has failed to rebut the presumed unconstitutionality of the Coverage Exclusion—which is a sex-based classification—by showing it is the least intrusive means of pursuing compelling state interests. Accordingly, we hold that the Coverage Exclusion violates the Equal Rights Amendment and is unconstitutional.
The commonwealth had to prove that it wasn’t sex based discrimination, and they couldn’t. They also didn’t try very hard, as Governor Josh Shapiro wanted this law gone too.
In his statement, he said:
I’ve long opposed this unconstitutional ban, and as Governor, I did not defend it – because a woman’s ability to access reproductive care should never be determined by her income.
This is a reminder of how important the ERA is, at state, but also federal level, across the country. Also a reminder of the importance of a Democratic Governor. The outcome could have been different if the state had fought to defend the law.
Seeing a law like this go down in flames makes me feel less Doomed!
Australia
Mon, April 20 - Queer men can finally donate blood in Australia. Well not all queer men, but trans and gay men who have been in long monogamous relationships now can for the first time.
From now on, all people who want to donate blood will be asked the exact same questions. There will no longer be a separate discriminatory set of questions for queer men.
And for those who still aren’t eligible, they might be able to donate plasma instead.
Lifeblood Red Cross’ CEO Stephen Cornelissen said:
This is something we’ve been researching and working on for some time together with governments, LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups and the broader community, and we’re excited to be welcoming many more new donors into our centres to donate blood and platelets from today.
He continued:
We know previous rules have been difficult for people in the LGBTQIA+ community, so we’d like to thank them for their support during this journey towards a more inclusive donation experience.
These rules are some of the last remaining vestiges of AIDS fears from the 1980s and 90s.
This is long overdue, but it makes me feel less Doomed to finally see it happening now.
So those are today’s stories to make you feel less Doomed. And I hope they are a reminder of why we need Democrats in office at all levels.
Make sure to join my voting group, Election Day is Every Tuesday, so you don’t miss a single election, so you can help get Dems elected!
And as always, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!