🤫 Women pols under siege

Plus: Summit lineup | Tuesday, December 07, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios Sneak Peek By the Axios Politics team ·Dec 07, 2021 Welcome back to Sneak. Our thanks to all those who answered the call — military and civilian alike — 80 years ago today. ⚡ Situational awareness: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) refused to commit to voting this year on the Build Back Better agenda, the Wall Street Journal reported (subscription). Smart Brevity™ count: 971 words ... 3.5 minutes. Edited by Glen Johnson.     1 big thing: Women politicians under siege Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Kevin Dietsch, Stefani Reynolds, and Alex Wong/Getty Images   Women in Congress feel besieged and singled-out amid surging threats against lawmakers at all levels, with some frustrated more hasn't been done to halt the trend, Axios' Sophia Cai and Andrew Solender write. Why it matters: As record numbers of American women are being elected to public office, their growing political power is being met with death and rape threats, sexist and racist abuse and online disinformation. Collectively, it's discouraged women from running for office. The recent salvos against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) are just the latest example. The district office of Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) was burglarized and vandalized last week— an incident she condemned with the support of Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.). Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) told Axios her office received "a tremendous number of very vile calls and voicemails" after her tough questioning of then-Attorney General William Barr in July 2020. "They were misogynistic over and over again. They were vile, vulgar." The trend isn't confined to Democrats. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted a video on Friday in which she played several death threats she's received. Female politicians face more personal online attacks than their male counterparts, researchers have found, and it's worse if they're also from racial, ethnic, religious or other minority groups. Capitol Police chief Thomas Manger told the Associated Press in September he expects his department will log 9,000 threats against all members by the end of the year, nearly double the 4,894 threats received in 2018. One female member of the Senate told Axios, "I try not to think about it." Keep reading.     2. Report hits DOJ over lack of police-shooting data Demonstrations followed the shooting of Dijon Kizzee by Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies in 2020. Photo: David McNew/Getty Images   A new government accountability report reviewed by Axios says the Justice Department failed to consistently publish an annual summary of police excessive force data from 2016 to 2020, as required by federal law. Why it matters: The data is crucial for the DOJ to monitor excessive force cases, and used to investigate law enforcement agencies with patterns of abuse. The DOJ can pivot off it to pursue court action to force reforms, writes Axios' Russell Contreras, co-author of Axios Latino. Driving the news: The U.S. Government Accountability Office on Tuesday released a report examining the Department of Justice's efforts to collect relevant data and investigate allegations of excessive force. The report found that from 2016 to 2020, the department didn't publish an annual summary of data about excessive force for any of those fiscal years because officials didn't assign roles and responsibilities for doing so. The FBI initiated a new data collection effort in 2016 but the agency since has seen insufficient participation by the estimated 18,000 state and municipal law enforcement agencies around the country. The report said the FBI did little to address it. The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment after Axios supplied a copy of the report. Keep reading.     3. Young Dems more likely to shun other party Data: Generation Lab; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios Nearly a quarter of college students wouldn't be friends with someone who voted for the other presidential candidate — with Democrats far more likely to dismiss people than Republicans — according to new Generation Lab/Axios polling reviewed by Axios' Neal Rothschild. Why it matters: Partisan divides — as each side inhabits parallel political, cultural and media universes —make a future of discord and distrust in the U.S. all the more likely. By the numbers: 5% of Republicans said they wouldn't be friends with someone from the opposite party, compared to 37% of Democrats. 71% of Democrats wouldn't go on a date with someone with opposing views, versus 31% of Republicans. 30% of Democrats — and 7% of Republicans — wouldn't work for someone who voted differently from them. Between the lines: Democrats argue that modern GOP positions, spearheaded by former President Trump — are far outside of the mainstream and polite conversation. Some have expressed unyielding positions on matters of identity — including abortion, LGBTQ rights and immigration — where they argue human rights, and not just policy differences, are at stake. Women are more likely than men to take a strong partisan stance in their personal choices. Keep reading.     A message from Facebook Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations, including Section 230     Aaron is one of 40,000 people working on safety and security issues at Facebook. Hear more from Aaron on why Facebook supports updating regulations on the internet's most pressing challenges, including reforming Section 230 to set clear guidelines for all large tech companies.     4. First look: Summit for Democracy speakers Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images   Opposition leaders from Belarus to Venezuela and Hong Kong will speak during the inaugural "Summit for Democracy" this week, according to an official schedule obtained by Axios' Stef Kight and Zachary Basu. Why it matters: The Biden administration has timed the summit with the rollout of a number of pro-democracy initiatives, including the first-ever U.S. government strategy for countering corruption.The summit has sparked debate about how democracy is defined, and whether the U.S. has alienated allies by picking and choosing which countries deserved an invite — including several that have experienced democratic backsliding. China and Russia also have condemned the summit, accusing the U.S. of a "Cold War mentality." China in particular was infuriated by Taiwan's invitation. Highlights: Both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will give remarks, with the president opening and closing the two-day event. "Day Zero" of the summit will kick off at 6am ET on Wednesday with remarks from Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, journalists in the Philippines and Russia, respectively, who won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. Keep reading.     5. Leaders clinch deal for crucial votes Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer passes waiting reporters today. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images   Congress has found a shortcut to pass its annual defense funding bill and raise the debt limit, Axios' Alayna Treene writes. Driving the news: The House will vote tonight on two major bills — one creating a one-time, fast-track process for the Senate to raise the debt ceiling with just 51 votes, and another passing its annual defense bill. These are two huge pieces of legislation now expected to pass with ease, and they should face little pushback once they reach the Senate. It's also a huge victory for congressional leaders, given most in the Capitol expected the process to be brutal and messy. Keep reading.     6. Pic du jour Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images   The wreath left by President Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the National World War II Memorial commemorates Pearl Harbor Day.     A message from Facebook Facebook's safety teams protect billions of people every month     We've quadrupled our safety and security teams to 40,000 in the last 5 years. It's working: in the past few months, we've taken down 1.7 billion fake accounts. But our work to reduce harmful content on our platforms is never done. Learn more about how we're working to help you connect safely.   📬 Thanks for reading. 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