11/16/17
Contact Federal Government
Officials
Find representative’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/5i7SXC
********************************
Many
newspapers, including New York Times and Washington
Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles
each month. We can also check with our
local libraries to find out how to get online access through them.
1.
The tax bill has now become a healthcare bill. As if the original provisions in the tax bill
were not bad enough with so many cuts to the middle class and services to our
most vulnerable, along with the outlandish tax breaks to the wealthy and large
corporations, there are now provisions to cut the ACA individual mandate which
will effectively cut healthcare to 13 million which would help the GOP pay for
those tax cuts, but jeopardize citizen’s health to do so and destabilize the
marketplace. https://www.npr.org/2017/11/15/564272262/republicans-add-aca-mandate-repeal-to-tax-bill
Let’s keep letting all our MoCs know that we do not want this bill. The wealthy and large corporations are doing
well, unlike some of the middle and lower class this this tax bill will
hurt.
2.
Another way the tax bill is becoming a healthcare bill
is what it does to Medicare. As Rep. Joe
Kennedy (D-MA) tweeted, “Taking $25 billion annually from Medicare to pay for
tax cuts for wealthy corporations is an insult to every single hardworking
American.” https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/14/16651184/gop-tax-bill-medicare-cut-paygo We
need to use this info when we contact our MoCs.
We all know someone using Medicare, as we will one day ourselves. Let’s
tell our Medicare stories.
3.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) has come out against the tax
bill and other Republicans are starting to falter. http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/15/politics/ron-johnson-against-tax-bill/index.html Let’s use this Google doc spreadsheet to
see some talking points, a list of vulnerable Congress persons with contact
info, and more: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LgdtGmpTkWzogjsSjnhvaj7nYVR79COrBLADSh4XmqA/htmlview#gid=225580180
4.
Yesterday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee Oil approved a bill to allow gas drilling in Alaska's Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge. Scientist Jane Goodall
has asked all senators to stop this from happening. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-arctic-goodall/jane-goodall-urges-u-s-senate-to-halt-quest-for-arctic-refuge-oil-idUSKBN1DE33A
Environmentalists know this is one of the last pristine refuges in the
world and it shouldn’t be destroyed by greed and the unnecessary quest for
fossil fuel. Let’s let our senators know
that we agree that this bill should not be passed.
5.
Sparsely covered in the National press yesterday this
happened in California. “There were at least seven separate shooting
scenes in or near Rancho Tehama Reserve, an unincorporated community of about
1,500 people, Phil Johnston, assistant sheriff of Tehama County, told
reporters. The gunman, later identified as Kevin Janson Neal, 44, entered the
elementary school but was unable to get into the classrooms because school
officials had heard gunshots outside the building and locked the doors, he
said. Just before 8 a.m., the gunman, who was armed with at least a
semiautomatic rifle and two handguns, first shot a woman near his home with
whom he had an continuing dispute. But the remaining victims were shot at
random, the authorities said, as he fired at people walking on the streets,
driving in their cars and sitting in their homes.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/us/northern-california-shooting-school.html Four
people died and ten were injured including two children. Let’s call our
senators and ask them to support Senator Feinstein’s proposal to ban assault
guns.
6.
Around the world, one in three women will report having
experienced gender-based violence. This is an international human rights issue
that the United States has the opportunity to act on, with bipartisan
legislation introduced by Senators Collins and Shaheen http://bit.ly/2ht8dvM S.2120 - A
bill to prevent international violence against women, and for other purposes;
also known as the International Violence Against Women Act, would work towards
finding strategies to combat, prevent, and respond to gender-based violence,
and is supported by over 50 organizations. Let's call our senators and ask them
to cosponsor and support this important legislation.
7.
More details are coming out about Congress' widespread
issues with sexual harassment, including the large sum of money that has been
paid out to victims of discrimination and harassment http://bit.ly/2zKAczB Further, a look into the process which
victims of harassment and assault must go through as deeply concerning. The
Atlantic quotes Representative Jackie Spier: "“First, they have to submit
to 30 days of legal counseling.” Afterward, they have to decide whether to go
forward with 30 additional days of mediation. If so, said Speier, “they
have to sign a [non-disclosure agreement] that is ironclad, and it is in
perpetuity.” During mediation itself, said Speier, “often the perpetrator has
an attorney who can do things—and has done things—like tell the woman, ‘If you
pursue this, this is going to ruin your career.’” Post-mediation, the
complainant must wait 30 more days (but not more than 90!) before she can file
a lawsuit or request an administrative hearing. “Meanwhile,” said Speier, “they
are still sitting in this office in an unbearable situation.” http://theatln.tc/2h0sWqs This needs to change. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has
announced that she will be introducing legislation to address the many flaws in
the current system http://bit.ly/2js5uqN Let's keep our eyes out for this, and
in the meantime, contact our MoC and ask that they support legislation to help
combat the rampant sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination on Capitol
Hill.
8.
The authoritarian tactics which are used within the
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, are compounded by the
agency's lack of transparency and its secrecy in how it operates http://bit.ly/2htGOtx After ICE's failure to comply with
requests for information through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
regarding the recent Operation Mega, the National Immigration Project of the
National Lawyers Guild, Mijente Support Committee, and Detention Watch Network
are suing the agency http://bit.ly/2hFjMnj We can help add pressure by contacting
Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Elaine Duke and telling her
that we will not stand for the secret, unethical practices exhibited by
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and that we expect transparency from both
ICE and DHS. DHS comment line: 202-282-8495 Mailing address: The Honorable Elaine
C. Duke, Secretary of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528
9.
"The 654 miles of walls and fences already on the
US-Mexico border have made a mess out of the environment there. They’ve cut
off, isolated, and reduced populations of some of the rarest and most amazing
animals in North America, like the jaguar and ocelot. They’ve led to the
creation of miles of roads through pristine wilderness areas. They’ve
even exacerbated flooding, becoming dams when rivers have
overflowed. Now, DHS is eyeing unfenced areas in two Texas wildlife
refuges that conservationists consider some of the most ecologically valuable
areas on the border — home to armadillos and bobcats. If a wall were to slice
through these ecosystems, it could cause irreversible damage to plants and
animals already under serious threat." Let's read this article from Vox
"The ecological
disaster that is Trump’s border wall: a visual guide." Let's continue to tell all of our
MoC's: no funds for the border wall.
10. On
Tuesday, partly in response to AG Sessions Hill testimony, Rep. Jamie Raskin
(D-MD) introduced a National Shield Law (H.R. 4382) to keep reporters from going to jail who protect confidential
sources. Although written before this election, the Columbia Journalism Review
tells us why this is so important: https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/journalists_privilege_shield_law_primer.php
Let’s contact our representatives to let them know how crucial it is
that our journalists, most of whom are making sure that truths come out, are
protected.
11. Brett
Talley has been approved for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench by the
Senate Judiciary Committee despite his extremist views and being found
unqualified by the American Bar Association. Now, it turns out he failed to
tell the committee about a significant potential conflict of interest: he’s
married to a White House lawyer https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/13/trump-judicial-nominee-failed-disclose-conflict-hes-married-white-house-lawyer/859283001/) Let’s
contact our senators and tell them enough is enough. We want them to publicly
commit to opposing confirmation for Talley and ask the White House to pull his
nomination.
12. "Two
Philadelphia-area children are suing the President and two of his climate
skeptic cabinet members, Energy Sec. Ricky Perry and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Administrator Scott Pruitt, to try to stop them from rolling back existing
environmental protections including the Clean Power Plan. The plaintiffs, ages
7 and 11, are backed by the Clean Air Council, Philadelphia's oldest environmental
non-profit. The complaint alleges that the Trump administration's reliance on
"junk science" to undo climate regulations are a threat to the young
plaintiffs and other U.S. citizens." Let's read more at EcoWatch.
This lawsuit is in addition to the one previously filed on behalf of 21
children which is currently scheduled for a trial on Feb. 5, 2018.
We can read more here. Let's keep these young
people in mind for inspiration as we execute our own environmental
actions.
13. “The
Trump administration plans to allow hunters to import trophies of elephants
they killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia back to the United States,
reversing a ban put in place by the Obama administration in 2014, a U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service official confirmed to ABC News today.” http://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-admin-reverse-ban-elephant-trophies-africa/story?id=51178663 and https://blog.humanesociety.org/wayne/2017/11/interior-department-allow-imports-elephant-lion-trophies-africa-reversing-obama-policies.html Let’s express our disgust to Trump on this
greedy, ostentatious move: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/write-or-call
14. Esquire
political columnist Charles P. Pierce spells out the consequences that a tax
plan similar to the one the Republicans are proposing has had on the state of
Kansas. Let's read "Pay Attention to the
Kansas Disaster: It's What Republicans Want for the Whole Country." Let's use specific points from
this article in our next tax plan opposition calls to our MoC's. Let's tell
them, "We don't want to be like Kansas!"
15. Our
efforts to roll back the government’s power to spy on us are having an impact,
with even White House officials acknowledging they are going to have to accept
some new limits on their surveillance powers to get Section 702 reauthorized (http://www.ksdk.com/article/news/nation-now/cybersecurity-czar-white-house-must-compromise-with-congress-on-surveillance/465-5e0787ce-03c3-4154-bc7d-7e3735ac7928). Now it’s time to step up the pressure for
real reform, rather than some of the band-aids on the table. Let’s contact our
members of Congress and tell them we want them to insist on strong protections
against the surveillance state, including closing the back door search
loophole. We can find talking points and a petition to sign from Fight for the
Future at this link: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/congress-is-about-to-re-authorize-the-worst-surveillance-law-in-history.
16. Trump
and the GOP assure us all that providing tax breaks to the wealthy and to corporations
would create jobs in a trickle-down approach.
However, the people getting these breaks don’t agree that is how it will
play out. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/11/14/why-arent-the-other-hands-up-a-top-trump-advisers-startling-response-to-ceos-not-doing-what-hed-expect/?utm_term=.af3d7158b9f8
Let’s tell our MoCs that we learned long ago that trickle-down, even
when it is implemented, does not work.
It is demand, caused by citizens having more disposable income, that
creates jobs. The middle class needs the
tax breaks so they have more income with which to purchase goods and services.
17. Top
law enforcement officials, including multiple state attorneys general, secretly
dined with Republican donors at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort last weekend. http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/top-gop-law-enforcement-chiefs-held-secret-weekend-event-mar-lago-2614608 Let’s contact our MoC to tell them
that we haven’t forgotten that Trump is violating the emoluments clause and
that we still care about conflicts of interest like this.
18. As
reports emerge that 15% of US government agencies were utilizing the now banned
software from the Russian-owned company, Kaspersky Labs, it’s nice to hear that
something’s going right: The Department of Defense has teamed up with hackers
to identify weaknesses in the Pentagon’s system, and has identified almost 3000
bugs to fix. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-official-15-percent-of-agencies-used-kaspersky-software/2017/11/14/32019dec-c994-11e7-b506-8a10ed11ecf5_story.html?utm_term=.f2c744f2b328 and https://twitter.com/SenAngusKing/status/930801246788816896 and http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/11/technology/hack-the-pentagon-synack-bug-bounty/index.html Let’s keep up the good work, and
contact our Congressman asking him/her to support H.R.3393, the New Collar Jobs Act of 2017, to support and train
cyber-security experts in the USA.
1.
Here is a list of approved ways that we can help the
Doug Jones campaign in Alabama: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19aEec9d7Pw_ETLIIIgsyPIQcjlWxTPB_9LvxvTrfE8Y/edit
2.
With all the recent attacks on our right to vote, it's
easy to forget our other national scourge: abysmal voter participation rates.
According to Scientific American, proven strategies to "Get Out the
Vote" encourage a person to self-identity as a voter, both as a civically
engaged individual and as a member of a larger voting populace (the larger the
better, according to research), as indicated here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-science-can-help-get-out-the-vote/. For us this starts with modeling
voter behavior ourselves, so our families/friends/acquaintances see it
happening, and continues with talking with them about the importance of voting
and the logistics of doing so (both the when/where/how of actually casting a
ballot, and the prior work of getting registered). Volunteering for organized
GOTV efforts is important too, but let's remember how much good we can do
within our personal spheres, and long before election day!
State Actions
1.
FL: "Private schools in Florida will collect
nearly $1 billion in state-backed scholarships this year through a system so
weakly regulated that some schools hire teachers without college degrees, hold
classes in aging strip malls and falsify fire-safety and health records.” The
Orlando Sentinel's investigative 3-part report "Schools Without Rules" uncovers a lack of transparency and
accountability from private schools that receive state money. If we are
Floridians, let's tell our State senator and representative that we want
transparency. The Florida House is planning to hold a
hearing on this
issue. Let's stay on Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran to make sure
he follows through: 420 The Capitol, 402 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300. Phone: (850)
717-5000
2.
MA: With action on gun control being stymied by Trump
and the NRA at the federal level, the states are stepping up to prove that gun
safety laws work. Among the areas they’re focusing on is closing the gaps in
data on gun trafficking to help us find effective solutions (http://www.govtech.com/data/Tracing-Data-to-Reduce-Gun-Trafficking.html). In Massachusetts, S1292 would require the
state to collect, report and analyze data on multiple-gun purchases and analyze
whether the guns were later used in crime. We can join Stop Handgun Violence in
contacting the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland
Security and asking legislators to support this bill at this link:
3.
NY: New York has among the lowest voter turnout
rates among the states. A state-wide campaign, Easy Elections NY, invites
all activists and advocates dedicated to reforming New York’s voting laws to
come to their kick-off event in Albany on December 9 to discuss campaign
goals and initiatives and prepare our strategy for 2018. Those of us in
New York State who can should attend. Info is here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/easy-elections-ny-statewide-campaign-kickoff-ny-gathering-on-the-access-to-vote-tickets-39341279827
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/easy-elections-ny-statewide-campaign-kickoff-ny-gathering-on-the-access-to-vote-tickets-39341279827
4.
OR: Huge budget
cuts crippled outreach that lets people know when, how and where to sign up for
the ACA, so Indivisible ACA Signup Project is spreading the word through social
media. We can help them reach 89 more supporters by Nov. 15 to set off a
Thunderclap, a social media flash mob message blast. Please click, add your social media support
on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr, THEN cut, paste and share - thanks! https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/64819-oregon-aca-signups
Other Actions
1.
From one of our own: "When I looked in the paper
recycling bin on garbage night, I realized I was looking at a pile of
advertising for organizations to which I already contribute. In fact,
I've noticed that when I contribute, I get more paper in the mail. Many
of these are for environmental organizations. I'm not sure what to do. This
starts with me. Today I wrote to some of them asking how I can opt out of paper
mail. I've let them know that I no longer wish to contribute to them if this is
not an option." This article at EcoCycle gives us some of the ways we can
remove our names from mailing lists and reduce our paper mail. Let's do
our part to reduce paper waste.
2.
On Tuesday, the folks behind the game Cards Against Humanity
sent this to its subscribers, “There’s no time for questions—now is the time to
act. You give us $15, and we’ll send six America-saving surprises right to your
doorstep. It will be fun, it will be weird, and if you voted for Trump,
you might want to sit this one out.” By
Wednesday morning, it was sold out. The
first surprise to be revealed was entitled “Cards Against Humanity stops the
wall. The company announced it had bought a piece of vacant land along
the U.S.-Mexico border and employed a law firm that specializes in
fighting compulsory land acquisition. The aim, it said, was “to make it as
time-consuming and expensive as possible for the wall to get built.” Let’s
thank this company for their weird and innovative approach: Mail@CardsAgainstHumanity.com or 1923 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
3.
“French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that France
would cover the amount the U.S. contributed for climate science
research to a United Nations panel after President Trump signaled America
would exit the Paris climate change pact. “They will not miss a single
euro,” Macron said, according to Reuters, referring to the U.N.'s Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The U.S. has given the IPCC about 2 million
euros a year in the past.”http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/360546-macron-france-will-cover-us-share-of-funding-for-uns-climate I’m embarrassed that trump is not
allowing Americans to contribute our fair share for climate science research.
We can send a thank you tweet to President Macron. @EmmanuelMacron. Copy
and tweet this in French: merci de payer notre facture pour la recherche sur le
climat. (English translation. Thank you for paying our bill for climate
research.)
4.
Here's another way to reach out to our senators in DC: Stamps Licked can helps
us quickly create messages on progressive topics, which their partners at Herd
on the Hill will hand-deliver to our Senators' DC
offices. Free! We can also learn more on
their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stampslicked/
Petitions
1.
Let’s tell Congress to stop and not allow drilling in
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR):
https://petitions.signforgood.com/StopArcticDrilling
2.
DREAMers need our help.
They trusted us and now their lives depend on us. Let’s tell Congress to pass a clean DREAM
Act: https://action.unitedwedream.org/petitions/keep-the-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca-program
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize
1.
Although Fox News’ Sean Hannity, under pressure from
advertisers, is backing away from Roy Moore, he has not apologized for
downplaying Moore's assaults on a 14-year-old girl as "just kissing."
We can let Fox and his advertisers know that it's time for Hannity to go
by joining the #FireHannity Tweetstorm today from 9-10 am EST / 3-4pm.
(We can also tweet later and still have an effect) #GrabYourWallet and tell Fox News advertisers to
#FireHannity! Here is the TweetSheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PlVk4tjAPLkzbXkwb0DRaRD7g9Q2v598hjyzyN4Zygg/mobilebasic .
2.
With the President of the United States spurring on
racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia, we need to be prepared to step up as
individuals and communities against violence and harassment in public spaces (http://wvik.org/post/hate-crimes-and-harassment-how-intervene-bystander#stream/0). The American Friends Service Committee is
hosting a webinar to teach everyone tactics on bystander intervention so that
we can more effectively stand with our friends and neighbors in these
challenging times TODAY at 8:30pm Eastern. We can sign up for this
training here: https://secure.afsc.org/onlineactions/NfsG-c-gjk6SOtmYQF2Ysw2.
Reading/Watching
1.
Linda Sarsour on how anyone can be an activist: https://www.gq.com/story/how-anyone-can-be-an-activist
2.
“President Trump has made 1,628 false or misleading
claims over 298 days” -- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/11/14/president-trump-has-made-1628-false-or-misleading-claims-over-298-days/?utm_term=.e100b6b9cc26
3.
15,372 scientists have signed what they call “World
Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice” on the 25th anniversary of
the original “Warning to Humanity,” which was signed by 1700 scientists,
including the majority of living Nobel laureates in the sciences. They call on
us to “insist that [our] governments take immediate action” to arrest climate
change and ask us to “re-examine and change our individual behaviors” by, among
other things, “drastically diminishing our per capita consumption of fossil
fuels, meat, and other resources.” We can read the entire “Warning” in
BioScience at: http://scientists.forestry.oregonstate.edu/sites/sw/files/Ripple_et_al_warning_2017.pdf
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