THE VOICE

Volume 28 . Issue 7 . July 2026

SUSAN DOLLAR

President

I realize that the 4th of July has passed but we can still celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country! I know it can be hard to feel a sense of pride, given the current administration and the political climate, but we have a lot to be proud of. This month, let's look back and celebrate all the great things that have been accomplished under Democratic leadership - things such as:

Women's Suffrage: President Woodrow Wilson signed the 19th Amendment into law in 1920, which granted women the right to vote.

The New Deal (1930s): Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Democrats created Social Security, established the first national minimum wage, and implemented emergency work programs to pull the nation out of the Great Depression.

The GI Bill (1944): Provided returning World War II veterans with funds for college, housing, and job training, fueling the growth of the American middle class.

Voting Rights Act (1965): President Lyndon B. Johnson championed landmark legislation that dismantled state-level mechanisms designed to disenfranchise racial minorities.

Medicare & Medicaid (1965): Enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson, creating universal health insurance for seniors and healthcare access for low-income Americans.

Civil Rights Act (1968) & Fair Housing Act: Advanced under Democratic leadership, these laws prohibited discrimination in housing sales, financing, and rentals.

Respect for Marriage Act (2022): Democrats helped pass legislation to ensure federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages nationwide.

Affordable Care Act (2010): President Barack Obama signed legislation that expanded health insurance coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans and instituted protections for pre-existing conditions.

Social Programs: Expanded Unemployment Benefits and the National School Lunch Act.

Fair Labor Standards Act: Ended the cruel practice of child labor and established the standard 40-hour workweek.

National Labor Relations Act: Protected the rights of workers to organize and collectively bargain.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): Passed under President Joe Biden to modernize roads, bridges, public transit, and expand broadband internet.

PACT Act (2022): Signed by President Joe Biden, marking the largest expansion of veterans' health care and benefits in history.

Inflation Reduction Act (2022): Delivered the largest federal investment in combating climate change and reducing prescription drug costs.

On this 250th anniversary, we can look back at these Democratic achievements and take pride in knowing that we have made our country a better place for everyone. We can take heart in these accomplishments and be ready to forge ahead into the future. So take a bit of time this summer to recoup, reflect on how far we've come, and be rested and ready to get to work this fall!

THERE IS NO JULY BAD MEETING

Our next meeting will be on

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026

11:30 a.m. at the Longhorn Cafe (upstairs)

Stay tuned for news about our August guest speaker.

As always, arrive early if you plan to eat.

BE INSPIRED

Watch President Obama's Full Remarks at the

Obama Presidential Center Grand Opening Ceremony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAnuAGLMJog

Watch Former First Lady Michelle Obama's Full Remarks at the

Obama Presidential Center Dedication:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SyRLxPFCZg

ALSO:

This past week, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in the legal fight over birthright citizenship. In a major victory, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship is unconstitutional. In its 6-3 decision, the court struck down President Trump’s 2025 executive order, which sought to strip citizenship from American children born to undocumented parents.

You may remember a special election for a State Senate seat earlier this year in Tarrant County (home to Fort Worth), long described as the last reliably red urban county in America. The Democrat won that race by 17% in a district that Trump had won in 2024 by 14%. That’s a 31-point swing in just a little more than a year.

You’ve certainly seen the phenomenon known as James Talarico, electrifying voters across the state, in the usual places like Austin, Dallas and Houston and the unusual ones as well, like Brazoria. But you may not have heard that he’s joined by Democrats running for every single State House, every State Senate and every Congressional seat in Texas for the first time since 1974.

And then this – last month Quentin Wiltz was elected mayor of Pearland, the largest city in Brazoria County. His victory made him the first Democrat elected in decades and the first Black mayor in Pearland’s history.

Song of the Month:

This Land Is Your Land

by Woody Guthrie

This land is your land and this land is my land

From the California to the New York island

From the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters