House Democrats Introduce Legislation to Nullify Radical Expanded Global Gag Rule

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wednesday, April 29, 2026, A group of Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) members and House Democrats introduced the Protecting Human Rights and Public Health in Foreign Assistance Act, legislation that will nullify the Trump administration’s radical, unprecedented expansion of the Global Gag Rule (GGR). The Members leading the legislation are Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucu...

Following Letter from DWC Members, DOJ Inspector General Launches Investigation Into Mishandling of the Epstein Files

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Thursday, April 23, 2026, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) formally notified the Democratic Women’s Caucus that they will launch an investigation into the Department of Justice’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. This investigation follows a January letter from the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC), in which 67 DWC members led by DWC Policy Task F...

DWC Members Urge Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to Drop Lawsuit Targeting Women’s Networking Event

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Monday, April 20, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Member April McClain Delaney (MD-06) led a letter to U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Andrea Lucas expressing DWC’s deep concern with the EEOC’s recent lawsuit that accused a Coca-Cola distributor of discrimination because the company hosted a networking and professional development event for women employe...

Dingell, Simon, Pettersen Introduce Resolution Marking Care Workers Recognition Month

| Posted in Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Democratic Women's Caucus Caregiving Task Force co-chairs Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12), and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07) introduced a resolution establishing April as Care Workers Recognition Month to honor the roles and contributions of care workers. “Caregiving is a core part of our economy,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “But we have a caregivin...

DWC, House Democrats Slam Republican Rewrite of Women’s History Museum Bill, Demand Restoration of Bipartisan Version with the Latino Museum

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Thursday, April 16, 146 Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) and House Democratic Caucus led by DWC Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and DWC Executive Steering Committee Members Judy Chu (CA-28) and Debbie Dingell (MI-06) sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (LA-04) urging him to restore the longstanding, bipartisan version of H.R. 1329, the Smi...

With Gonzales & Swalwell Out, Democratic Women’s Caucus Leadership Commits to Continued Advocacy for Survivors

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Tuesday April 14, 2026, Reps. Tony Gonzales (TX-23) and Eric Swalwell (CA-15) resigned from Congress following reports of sexual abuse of their staff, in violation of the Congressional Code of Conduct. This came after Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Teresa Leger Fernández announced that she would introduce a privileged resolution to expel Rep. Gonzales who admitted ...

Once Upon a Hill: How Epstein survivors fueled Leger Fernández’s fight against Swalwell, Gonzales

| Posted in DWC in the News

Read the article here. The episode underscores how the DWC has asserted itself as a key enforcer of accountability in misconduct cases, pushing leadership and rank-and-file Democrats to act swiftly even when it involves their own. Their response mirrors the caucus’s broader focus on survivor advocacy, including its work around survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual violence, and signals a more aggr...

Punchbowl News-The Daily Punch: Iran, FISA, Reconciliation 2.0 and Expulsions: Congress’s Week

| Posted in DWC in the News

Listen to the podcast here. And quickly I'll add that Teresa Leger Fernández, the Chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, was one of those voices saying, “I will vote to expel Swalwell,” given Gonzales also comes up for expulsion. If you have a leader of a caucus, an important and influential caucus like the DWC saying that, I think that shows substantial support.

Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Calls for Resignation of Reps. Gonzales and Swalwell Following Reports of Sexual Abuse of Staff

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) called for the immediate resignation of Representatives Tony Gonzales (TX-23) and Eric Swalwell (CA-14) following allegations that they sexually abused their staff members. “Men in power rely on the silence of the women they have abused. Both Reps. Tony Gonzales and Eric Swalwell believed it was acceptable to ...

The Washington Post: Swalwell suspends campaign for Calif. governor amid sexual misconduct claims

| Posted in DWC in the News

Read the article here. “This is not a partisan issue,” Jayapal said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press," adding that it was important to send a message to staffers on Capitol Hill that their bosses cannot treat them in the ways Swalwell and Gonzales were alleged to have done. “Men in power rely on the silence of the women they have abused,” Fernández, who is chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, sa...

DWC Chair Condemns Rep. Eric Swalwell; Calls for Support for Survivors

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, April 10, 2026, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) released a statement following reports of sexual misconduct by Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-14): “The reports of sexual assault perpetrated by Rep. Eric Swalwell are horrific. My heart is first and foremost with the brave women who have come forward. We stand with you. We know that women in this...

Dem Women’s Caucus Calls for Investments to Help Women and Families in 2027 Appropriations

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), DWC Vice Chairs Hillary Scholten (MI-03) and Emilia Sykes (OH-13) and Policy Task Force Co-Chairs Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Deborah Ross (NC-02) sent a letter to U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (OK-04) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (...

The Hill: Democratic Women’s Caucus outlines 2027 budget priorities

| Posted in DWC in the News

A letter written by leaders of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) outlines the group’s appropriations priorities for fiscal 2027, days after the White House unveiled its budget requests. The letter, sent Tuesday to House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and shared with The Hill, urges the panel to prioritize investments that “meaningfully...

Pam Bondi’s Ousting Doesn’t Get Her Off the Hook Says DWC Chair, We Demand Accountability for Survivors

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, April 2, 2026, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) released the following statement on Trump’s firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi: “Pam Bondi consistently failed women across the country during her time as Attorney General—including through her egregious cover-up of the Epstein files and disrespect for survivors. Bondi continuously shield...