Press Releases

***Watch the conversation here***

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), DWC member Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), and Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly hosted a town hall in Tucson, Arizona focused on defending democracy and women’s voting rights. The Democratic Women’s Caucus hosted the town hall as part of its mission to reach women and girls across the country and to show up where Republicans won’t. 

Throughout the conversation, Chairwoman Leger Fernández and DWC member Grijalva focused on how Congressional Republicans have systematically attacked women and working families to stay in Trump’s good graces. The Congresswomen highlighted that each of the House Republicans in the neighboring districts have continually voted to cut healthcare and SNAP benefits from their constituents, while voting for tax breaks for billionaires and increases in funding to ICE.

DWC Member Adelita Grijalva & Chairwoman Leger-Fernández on the importance of hosting town halls and meeting with constituents: 

“We’re not afraid to talk to you about what we’re doing and about what you like and don’t like because we represent everyone in our community. I have always believed that one of the most important parts of this job is to listen and tell your stories when I go to Washington, because I have to make sure your voice is represented and your voice is powerful. So the opportunity to be here with all of you together—this is what democracy looks like. It is an investment in time and in dedication to making sure that everyone's rights are heard, ” said DWC Member Adelita Grijalva.

“Why is it important? It is important because we are here to listen to your concerns and you, I hope, are going to ask us hard questions. We need to do exactly as Congresswoman Grijalva said: take those stories back. If we don’t take those back or don’t know what your current concerns are, we cannot adequately and truly authentically represent you,” said DWC Chairwoman Rep. Leger-Fernández.

DWC Chairwoman Leger Fernández on why you need to use your vote to hold members of Congress accountable: 

“Their vote cut access to healthcare, their vote cut access for women who need that healthcare to be able to access medical care during their pregnancies, their vote cut access to nutrition for those beautiful babies and those children. Those were their votes,” said Rep. Leger Fernández.

“More importantly, if you’re not going to be a congressperson that stands up to the President and stands up for your people, then you should not be in that portrait. You are not representative,” said DWC Chairwoman Leger-Fernández.

DWC Member Grijalva & Chairwoman Leger-Fernández on what is at stake: 

“They voted instead to give ICE $140 billion and recently for another $70 billion. The Democratic Women’s Caucus has said that’s not what the priority of the American people is right now. The priority is: how do you make life affordable for me? How do you respect our communities? How do you talk to each other about members of the same community,” said DWC Chairwoman Leger Fernández.

“There’s an attack on our first amendment. There is an attack on being able to protest a government that you don’t agree with. The attacks on our democracy are blatant,” said DWC Member Grijalva.

DWC Chairwoman Leger Fernández on why the Democratic Women’s Caucus is talking to women across America and sharing voting resources: 

“We’re showing up at town halls like this because it is important that we protect the right to vote and that we fight against the zombie bill, the SAVE Act. We need to remember what the SAVE Act does. The SAVE Act would make it harder for you to register to vote and for you to vote,” said DWC Chairwoman Leger Fernández.