Today, though it's hard to believe, women in the US are still rallying for equality under the law in many domains.  On May 30, 2018, Illinois became the 37th, and next-to-last state needed, to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, which would finally enshrine gender equality in the U.S. Constitution. Virginia could be the 38th state to ratify it this month (it has passed the VA Senate and is awaiting the vote of the Assembly).

The documentary "Equal Means Equal" (shortened 30-minute version) gives the exciting and long history of the efforts to pass the ERA. The time could be now!  Read a few reviews of this important film:

“SEARING. An unflinching look at the fight for equal civil rights for all.” -Los Angeles Times

“Successfully demonstrates that the time is right to now revisit the ERA, and clearly shows that many of our societal problems are inter-connected, the origins of which can be traced to the discrimination of and violence towards women.-Forbes

The film will be followed by a ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION with experts and the audience

Why, in the year 2019 with #me too and so many opportunities for American women, do we need the Equal Rights Amendment?

• The Constitution is the bedrock of our nation’s laws. Since 1950, all major constitutions have included gender equality and so should ours!
• Better judicial review: currently gender discrimination cases are treated with “intermediate scrutiny” versus the “strict scrutiny” guaranteed to race, religion, and country of origin (covered by the Fourteenth Amendment).
• Women’s rights ARE civil rights.

Come rally with Democrats Abroad France, along with Women's March Global, Page, Indivisibles, Our Revolution Paris and other groups

Due to conflicting conditions in Paris, Democrats Abroad France along with sister organizations, will gather in a rally on January 20 (instead of January 19 - which is the official date of the 2019 marches around the world).

Themes for this year will be STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, EQUAL MEANS EQUAL, EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW, LEGALIZING EQUALITY IN THE CONSTITUTION, and PASS THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, among others of your own choice.

Keep updated on our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/DemocratsAbroadFrance/

RSVP is not obligatory, but it would give us a vague idea of how many people to expect.  

Political Forum invites you to your monthly roundup of news, with discussion led by the inimitable Jean-Pierre LaRochelle.  Want to be informed and speak your mind?  This is the meeting for YOU.

The Global Women's Caucus invites you to join us for another Books Abroad meeting on Sunday, February 3, 2019 to discuss Roxane Gay's latest publication Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture. This work, edited by Gay, is a collection of stories from people whose experiences may sound all-too-familiar.

In her review in The Guardian, Hannah Jane Parkinson writes, "Gay notes in her introduction that she originally envisioned Not That Bad as a series of journalistically reported essays and features, genuine dispatches. Instead, the book is mostly confessional, first-person storytelling. And the storytelling is very good – observationally sharp, the writing often as vivid as bruises." In our discussion, we'll unpack these painful, but important stories and position them within the greater context of a country that allows for gender and sexual violence and often silences survivors. 

A theme of this year's Women's March (please see the GWC website for resources and events near you) is combating violence against women with a sub-theme of pushing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Please join us as we continue listening to these important voices and discuss real steps that we can take--like passing the ERA--to eradicate rape culture.

Rsvp HERE to receive the Webinar link

The Global Women's Caucus invites you to join us for another Books Abroad meeting on Sunday, February 3, 2019 to discuss Roxane Gay's latest publication Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture. This work, edited by Gay, is a collection of stories from people whose experiences may sound all-too-familiar.

In her review in The Guardian, Hannah Jane Parkinson writes, "Gay notes in her introduction that she originally envisioned Not That Bad as a series of journalistically reported essays and features, genuine dispatches. Instead, the book is mostly confessional, first-person storytelling. And the storytelling is very good – observationally sharp, the writing often as vivid as bruises." In our discussion, we'll unpack these painful, but important stories and position them within the greater context of a country that allows for gender and sexual violence and often silences survivors. 

A theme of this year's Women's March (please see the GWC website for resources and events near you) is combating violence against women with a sub-theme of pushing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Please join us as we continue listening to these important voices and discuss real steps that we can take--like passing the ERA--to eradicate rape culture.

Please RSVP below to receive the Webinar link

Democrats Abroad went into action on Saturday evening Nov. 10 as Donald Trump arrived in France. Their candlelight vigils showed him what they think about his 'leadership.'   SUPPORTING the TRUE American values including humanitarian concern for others, the first amendment, respect for science, respect for journalists, freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation, equality for women and people of color, care for the environment and dedication to fair play and true democracy. HONORING American victims of right-wing hate crimes inspired by Trump's rhetoric. And RESPECTING our Constitution and the right to pursue investigations without hindrance.

The new Democratic National Committee  created an infrastructure to support candidates up and down the ballot and organize year-round -- leading to wins in some places that would've seemed unthinkable two years ago. Here are some of the ways Democrats gained ground across the country :

• 29 House seats flipped so far -- with a good shot at flipping at least half a dozen more once all the results come in;
• Seven governors' seats flipped;
• Six legislative chambers flipped -- bringing the total number we've flipped up to seven this cycle;
• Four Republican state legislature supermajorities broken;
• In total, Democrats flipped over 290 individual state legislative races last night -- bringing our total on the cycle up to over 330!
• Four states voted to expand voting rights, including a constitutional amendment in Florida that will restore voting rights to more than 1 million people with felony records;
• Three state Supreme Court seats flipped;
• Three red states voted to expand Medicaid;
• Two states voted to raise their minimum wages;
• One U.S. Senate seat flipped -- congrats to Jacky Rosen.

And here are some of the incredible candidates who won historic victories last night:

Democrats Abroad France organized rallies and candlelight vigils across the country with “Families Belong Together” events in Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, and Toulouse to protest Trump’s pointlessly cruel “Zero Tolerance” policy towards refugee and immigrant families, and a July 4th “Vive La Resistance” apero/picnic by the Seine in Paris with coalition partners to register voters and organize for the Fall.  On June 30th we marched in the LGBTQ Gay Parade.  With just four months ahead of us, we must continue to mobilize voters to speak out and defend our Democratic Party values.

Every year, Democrats Abroad France remembers the fallen soldiers who bravely died while serving in the US Armed Forces.  Decorating graves to remember the dead is an ancient tradition that continues to this day. In America the tradition began with those who died in the Civil War.  All are invited to attend.  Since 1918 is the 100th Anniversary of WWI, the ceremonies will be grandissime.    We will be laying wreaths in ceremonies throughout France on the graves of these heroes on the following dates:

Memorial Day Ceremonies Meuse-Argonne May 27th at 11am 

Memorial Day Ceremonies May 27th at St. Mihiel 4pm 

Memorial Day Ceremonies Lafayette Escadrille May 27th at 10am

Memorial Day Ceremonies Surennes May 27th at 2.30pm

Memorial Day Ceremonies May 27th Oise-Aisne at 3pm

Memorial Day Ceremonies Epinal May 27th at 10:30am 

For more information, contact: ammattson52@gmail.com or brooke.elizabeth.burns@gmail.com

On April 5, we honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. The event was held in the sanctuary of the American Church in Paris where Dr. King himself spoke in October of 1965, and the Church was full. The program was organized by co-Chair of the Diversity Caucus, Reed Kennedy, and included a welcome from church clergy, excerpts from Martin Luther King's writings. music, and speeches as well as a panel discussion on the life and legacy of the civil rights icon. A key moment featured author Jake Lamar reading the moving Letter From Birmingham City Jail from the same pulpit where Dr. King spoke.

For those of you who could not make it to the event, here are links for few pictures (photo credit: Richard Allen) as well as athe livestream video .

Donald Trump was elected on the promise to change the face of American politics and bring power back to the people. The nation is today divided and more polarized than ever before. While looking back on 2017, what can we predict for American politics in 2018?   Hall Gardner, Christopher Dickey, Anne Deysine and Joe Smallhoover examined these issues on  January 22 at the American University of Paris.  You can watch the informative discussion of this memorable evening HERE.

Hundreds of people turned up at Place du Trocadero in the rain that had little effect on the happy, spirited, diverse crowd. There were speakers, witty creative signs, a sea of pussy hats, lots of press and many groups: Indivisibles, Our Revolution, Women’s March-Paris, Page-Paris, and more. Folks gathered to support women, Dreamers, Democrats, immigrants, people of color, transgender people, abortion rights and real news – in addition to fighting Trump and his entire agenda.

It felt good to know that the movement didn’t end last year, and au contraire, seems to be picking up more steam.

If you missed the exciting rally, you can watch it here 

France Our famously high-rated and humane French health care system could serve as a model for a country like the USA. While it is not completely single payer, it is a universal system that gives government control over its parts, notably private insurance and drug costs that kick in in addition to government guarantees. The Obama system was a great beginning toward this goal, one that could be streamlined and simplified to hold down administrative costs and maintain high quality care. We have to fight to keep it.

A new generation of Democratic leaders is rising to the fore within Democrats Abroad France!  Many thanks go to Jonathon Holler and Amy Levy-Dutailly who led Young Democrats Abroad France into the formation of a bonafide Youth Caucus over the past two years.  On April 29th at Les Marquises Bar in Paris a new steering committee of young, committed activists was elected.  Congratulations All for stepping up to the plate under the leadership of Co-Chairs, Caitlin Waters and Alex Rehbinder. And best wishes to Jonathon (recently elected to the Democrats Abroad France Executive Committee as Vice-Chair - our youngest ever) and Amy who has gone on to lead the International DA Youth Caucus. Here are the names of the new team:

It’s been a big week for the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) in Washington DC.

Rep Maloney introduces Same Country Exception Bill

On Tuesday April 24, 2017 Americans Abroad Caucus[i] Chair Rep Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced HR2136, the Overseas Americans Financial Access Act (OAFAA) in the House of Representatives.  The bill embodies our FACTA reform recommendation, the Same Country Safe Harbor Exemption from FATCA reporting for Americans abroad.   '

Congresswoman Maloney’s House speech introducing the bill is here.  

This reform has the support of our non-partisan colleague organisations representing Americans abroad, as well as the National Taxpayer Advocate. We plan on supporting the bill strongly in our Congressional Door Knock next month.  We will also publish an information pack for the Global Action Team to share with Country Committees and Local Chapters interested in gathering members to write letters or postcards to Representatives seeking their sponsorship of the bill.

House Holds Hearings on FATCA Consequences 

The OAFAA bill was introduced ahead of hearings held Wednesday April 25th by the Government Operations Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee “Reviewing the Unintended Consequences of the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act”.  Democrats Abroad, working through legislative aides on Rep Maloney’s staff, has been trying since the hearing was scheduled to get a witness on the list to testify.  As Republicans control the Committee (and all Congressional Committees) it was not surprising that we were not successful.  Nevertheless Democrats Abroad made a submissionto the Subcommittee and we expect it will be published with the rest of the hearing submissions in due course.

Of course a written statement is not as powerful as speaking directly to the Committee in the hearing.  Had we testified, Democrats Abroad would have reiterated our support for a switch to Residency-based Taxation.  Failing that, we support the Safe Harbor exemption from FATCA reporting for Americans abroad.

Our scepticism about this hearing has always run high.  Government Operations Subcommittee Chair Mark Meadows (R-NC) introduced a FATCA Repeal bill in the House of Representatives last month.  The same bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who testified at the hearing as a witness.  Senator Paul, as you may know, was a plaintiff, now an appellant, in the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of FATCA.  The rest of the witnesses bar one were also strident FATCA opponents, including famed Citizens United lawyer Jim Bopp who represents Republicans Overseas. 

The one witness who spoke in support of FATCA is a retired legislative aide.  She worked for retired Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and is deemed to be the architect of FATCA.  She spoke strongly of the law’s importance as a critical deterrent to tax evasion – and not in favour of the Safe Harbor. 

Fortunately Democratic members of the Subcommittee members Rep Maloney and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District of Columbia) spoke strongly in support of the Safe Harbor as a mechanism for both relieving the FATCA burden and maintaining the law’s original intent to discourage and apprehend tax evaders.

By the end of the hearing Chairman Meadows indicated he is open to compromise in developing a FATCA remedy for Americans abroad.  That may stretch credulity given Meadows’ lead sponsorship on the House bill to repeal FATCA, but we will are taking his comments at face value.  He asked the witnesses to get back to the Subcommittee with three recommendations to modify FATCA.  Democrats Abroad will also make a submission providing recommendations.  And we will continue to monitor the Government Operations Subcommittee and Chairman Meadows, looking for opportunities to work with them and others in developing a remedy that both addresses the problems FATCA is causing for ordinary, hard-working Americans abroad and protects its ability to fight financial crimes that underwrite terrorism and facilitate trafficking in drugs, arms and humans, as well as fight tax evasion. 

Thanks to Katie Solon and Joe Smallhoover 

Many thanks to International Chair Katie Solon and DA France Chair Joe Smallhoover for attending the hearing on Democrats Abroad’s behalf.  They had valuable discussions on the edges and in the breaks of the hearing with FATCA reform allies and opponents, as our FATCA advocacy work clearly will go on.  Katie and Joe also met Wednesday with officials at Treasury who have carriage of FATCA.  

Our engagement with regulators and legislators about FATCA is in its 6^th year.  We are grateful to all those who have contributed to this important advocacy work over that time. 

Please contact us at any time with questions or comments.   

Respectfully submitted,

FBAR/FATCA Task Force

Carmelan Polce, Chair (Singapore)

DeeDee Gierow (Sweden)

Michael Ramos (Australia)

Joe Smallhoover (France)

Orlando Vidal, Ex Officio (UAE) 

Links herein to documents published by Democrats Abroad are posted on the Democrats Abroad wiki.  They should not require a log in but please contact Carmelan if you are having trouble accessing them.

To the ExPat community, FBAR and FATCA legislation matters.  Democrats Abroad has long been doing something about it.  We've been lobbying for the Safe Country (or Safe Harbor) Exemption for years--a change in the legislation's implementation that, while not perfect, could provide access to banking facilities to millions of overseas Americans who currently have little or no such access. The Republican National Committee (RNC) put FATCA repeal in its 2016 platform, but where does this stand today?  To learn more about the Democratic position,  Democrats Abroad FATCA/FBAR Task Force prepared an information paper and update on where the legislation stands.  Read about it HERE

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Julia Bryan, Chair - Democrats Abroad

We need Democrats like you to commit to Democrats Abroad - your Democratic Party for overseas Americans. Contribute to Democrats Abroad today and help us fight back against the Trump agenda, register Americans all over the world for upcoming elections, reach out on issues that concern you and build a brighter future for our country and the world. With your help, we can make the difference. We did it all over the country in 2018! And we are already working on 2020!

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