DWC Members are United in Fight for a Better Future for Women; Stand with Epstein Survivors on State of the Union Day
Washington, DC,
February 24, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Tuesday, February 24, ahead of President’s State of the Union, the Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) and their guests have highlighted how life in America today is not working for women, their families, or their communities, and how Trump and Republicans’ policies are making it even worse. Members and guests—including over a dozen Epstein survivors—also demanded that the Department of Justice release the Epstein files and stop protecting perpetrators. The DWC was honored to help organize the survivors’ attendance at the State of the Union. Members uplifted our fight for accountability and transparency for survivors and DWC’s fight for a better future—including our work to lower costs, protect health care, ensure safety for all women & families—at press conferences, on local and national media, on social media, and at engagements across Washington, D.C. The Democratic Women’s Caucus will continue to fight for a better future for women and girls today and every single day. At a morning press conference, DWC Members and their guests highlighted how in Trump’s America costs keep rising, health care is slipping out of reach, and violence is a daily headline: “Time and time again, working women have been the first target of Trump’s twisted agenda. His policies have left American women feeling anxious, worried, and unsafe. Enough is enough. Women are fed up, and the Democratic Women’s Caucus will continue to lead the charge in the fight for a better future in Congress,” said DWC Communications Task Force Co-Chair Shontel Brown (OH-11). “Women are fighting battles most people will never see—fighting for the right to control their own bodies, stretching a paycheck across rent, groceries, and prescriptions, even skipping their own doctor’s appointment so their child can eat. We wear white for them, and for all the women who marched before us in this fight,” said DWC Progressive Caucus Liaison Jill Tokuda (HI-02). “Tonight, when Donald Trump looks out into that chamber at the State of the Union, he will see us—the women he tried to silence, the voters he underestimated, and the future he cannot control. We are done asking for power. We are claiming it.” “The true state of the union can only be measured by the status of women and families. I am honored to be joined by Kara, a small business owner whose childcare center helps sustain our workforce and drives our economy. She understands that restoring the Affordable Care Act tax credits matter and investing in childcare strengthens our communities,” said DWC member Gwen Moore (WI-04). At an afternoon press conference, DWC Members stood with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Democrats, and survivors to call for transparency and accountability:“Human trafficking persists largely due to our cultural discomfort with directly naming sexual violence. Talking about sexual assault not only makes us uncomfortable, it exposes failure. It reveals where power has been protected at the expense of the vulnerable. For more than thirty years, survivors have pushed, fought, testified, and organized to bring attention to the crimes of Epstein and his associates. Around the world, investigations have reached the powerful, but our Department of Justice and this administration have handled the release of information in a way that leaves survivors and the public asking why the United States appears reluctant to lead on accountability in a case that happened largely on our soil. The world is watching; survivors are watching; and it is embarrassing that we are not setting the standard,” said DWC Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03). “As a result of the courageous advocacy of Marina Lacerda and other Epstein survivors, the fight for transparency and accountability is alive and well,” said Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08). “When Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before the House Judiciary Committee two weeks ago, the world saw her turn her back on the survivors rather than apologize for the pain her Department of Justice has caused them. Today, the world will see Donald Trump have to face these survivors in the House Gallery and answer for why Ambassadors and Princes have been arrested in other countries, but here in America, not a single investigation has been announced into the predators of Epstein’s horrific sex trafficking ring. Thank you to my constituent Marijke, and all the survivors standing up once again to demand accountability from their own government,” said DWC CAPAC Liaison Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). “For years, Jeffrey Epstein built a system of abuse that relied on powerful allies and enablers who helped him hide in plain sight and kept survivors from being heard,” said Rep. James Walkinshaw (VA-11). “The truth is coming to light because survivors of Epstein’s abuse have shown extraordinary courage and refused to be silenced. I’m honored to host Jess Michaels as my State of the Union guest, and I’m grateful she accepted my invitation.” The following Members of Congress & Senators invited survivors to be their guests on Tuesday: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer: Dani Bensky House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries: Marina Lacerda House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam: Sky and Amanda Roberts, and a seat in memoriam of Virginia Roberts Giuffre House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garica: Annie Farmer DWC Chair Teresa Leger Fernández and Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon: Liz Stein Rep. Maxine Dexter: Lisa Phillips Rep. James Walkinshaw and House Rules Committee Ranking Member Jim McGovern: Jess Michaels Rep. Pramila Jayapal: Marijke Chartouni Rep. Emily Randall: Sharlene Rochard Rep. Julia Brownley: Lara Blume McGee Rep. Ro Khanna: Haley Robson Rep. Sydney Kamlager Dove: Jena Lisa Jones Rep. Eric Swalwell: Teresa Helm Throughout the day, DWC members wore white in honor of the suffragists and their vision for a better future as Trump and Republicans’ try to take women’s vote away:“The suffragists wore white as they protested, marched, and starved for the right to vote—which women finally got in 1920. 106 years later Trump and Republicans want to take that right away,” said DWC Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03). “Women are not safe in Trump’s America, as costs keep rising, health care slips out of reach, and violence becomes a daily headline. Tomorrow, Democratic Women’s Caucus members will wear white to honor the suffragists who believed a woman’s vote could change this country and their vision for that change. The Democratic Women’s Caucus is carrying their fight forward by defending voting rights and building a better future.” Tonight, DWC members are highlighting the attacks on women and families all across Washington, D.C. DWC members are attending President Trump’s State of the Union with guests that epitomize how Trump has harmed women and families. |