Last week, President Biden delivered on his 2020 campaign promise to provide welcome relief to the estimated 43 million Americans weighed down by the twin burdens of predatory student loan practices and the Covid-19 pandemic.  The plan provides for debt cancellation of up to $10,000 for borrowers making under $125,000 a year, with recipients of Pell Grants qualifying for up to $20,000. Nearly 90% of relief dollars will go to individuals earning less than $75,000 a year. In parallel, the ongoing pause on federal loan repayment has been extended through the end of 2022.  The effects for individual recipients are expected to be life-changing and the advancement in racial equity significant. In addition to immediate relief, the three-part plan also changes the terms of federal student loans going forward. Among other measures, monthly payments will be capped at 5% of a borrower’s discretionary income (down from 10%), and institutions of higher education will be held to new standards of accountability for rising tuition costs. Democrats Abroad is thrilled with this most recent example of Democrats delivering real, material improvement to the lives of the American people. Overseas U.S. citizens who want to find out more about the plan and how they might qualify for debt relief are encouraged to attend our webinar on Thursday, September 15. And don’t forget to request your ballot for November’s midterm elections at www.votefromabroad.org today so that we can keep moving our country forward!

  Today is Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Passed in 1920, the 19th Amendment prohibits States and the Federal Government from denying people the right to vote on the basis of sex. Bella Abzug, (D- NY), one of the DA Global Women’s Caucus founders, introduced the resolution in Congress, which designated August 26 as Women's Equality Day in 1973. 102 years later, we mark Equality Day not so much with celebration as with a sober assessment of the emergency we find ourselves in. The reality is that American women have fewer rights today than they did 10 years ago. Gains made by generations of women are systematically being legislated away from us. And the roadmap for the Republicans is clear as they openly gerrymander districts, change voting laws, and institute policies and practices to disenfranchise women, minorities, people with disabilities and – last but not least – us, the overseas voters. Right now, we have a narrow window of opportunity to turn the tide and stop the theft of our rights, our autonomy, and our dignity. The DA GWC has assembled a list of simple actions that anyone can take – the Get Out the Vote for Equality Toolkit - to help increase voter turnout and protect women's equality.  Join us in commemorating and celebrating this struggle by helping to mobilize our base for the ‘22 midterms so that we can all continue to exercise our right to vote. With nearly 9 million Americans living abroad, we have the power to make impactful and lasting changes this election. As the Republicans pursue tactics to undermine the democratic practice of free and fair elections, we will fight back by voting in numbers and sending the loud and clear message that we cannot and will not be silenced. Americans across the entire social, political, economic, and generational spectrum must set their differences aside and unite to use the power of our vote in numbers that will overwhelm the elaborate voter suppression blockade erected against us. November marks the pivotal moment in deciding our future. We have the chance to ensure that pro-choice and pro-equality candidates win their seats, and WE NEED EVERYONE ON BOARD. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. Overseas Voters: Register to vote in your State to receive your absentee ballot here.  Help us Get Out the Vote, by contacting everyone you know who is eligible to vote and making sure they are ready to cast their ballot as well.  Reach out to your friends and family – check out our GOTV Equality toolkit here. With your help, we can win in November! We stand on the shoulders of generations of women who marched, fought, and died for our rights. We will not let them down.   Ann Hesse, Chair, DA Global Women’s CaucusCandice Kerestan, International Chair, Democrats Abroad