11/29/17
Contact
Federal Government Officials
********************************
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 been voted out of committee in the
Senate with concessions made to those GOP members who were leaning toward a no
vote. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/28/senate-budget-committee-advances-gop-tax-bill-moving-closer-to-floor-vote.html The full Senate vote will likely be
Thursday or Friday. We need to keep
calling. We need to keep telling our
stories of what provisions in this tax bill will do to us and to those we know
and love. We can still try to gain no
votes for the floor vote.
2.
From StampsLicked: You may have read that
Republicans are making a last-minute push to appease extreme Senators by
tilting their #taxscam even more toward billionaires. Let's
make sure Congress hears from us about it! Our partners at Herd on the Hill are hand-delivering your letters this
Wednesday, and having conversations DIRECTLY with congressional staff about how
we feel. Write a short letter now and make sure your Congressperson
hears from you! https://stampslicked.org/
3.
Apparently, the Republicans in the Senate are in such a
rush to pass their tax bill—and to keep us from knowing what its effects might
be—that they, like the House, may not even wait for a “dynamic” score from the
non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation—a score which would show the extent to
which the tax cuts will boost growth and avoid adding to the deficit, about
which some senators claim they are worried. Thomas Barthold, chief of staff
of the J.C.T., writing to Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), the ranking Democrat on the
finance committee, could not guarantee that the analysis would be ready in
time—though there is speculation it will be released Wednesday night—and
pointed out that even so it would not be able to account for last minute
changes in the bill. Nonetheless, the Budget Committee raced ahead, passing the
current Senate version along strictly party lines, thus enabling the Senate to
vote on the bill this week. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-senate-tax-bill-analysis-20171128-story.html We must keep up the pressure on not
only our own senators, but particularly on those Republican senators with
reservations—like Susan Collins, Jerry Moran, and Ron Johnson—and those with
reservations and nothing to lose—like John McCain, Jeff Flake, and Bob
Corker.
4.
Scott Pruitt continues to dismiss the need to combat
climate change and to push forward with his efforts to roll back Obama’s Clean
Power Plan (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/08/pruitt-says-alarming-climate-report-not-deter-replacement-clean-power-plan/839857001/). We have until December 15th to send
our public comments to the EPA to tell them that they are opposing both science
and the will of the American people. Let’s let them know we want more climate
action, not less at this link: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0355-0002.
5.
The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote
today on H.R. 38, legislation that will undermine common sense gun control
regulations across the country (http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171128/us-house-panel-may-expand-gun-rights). In the wake of yet another series of
deadly mass shootings, this is an irresponsible direction for the GOP Congress
to be taking our country in. For those of us whose House members are on the committee, let’s contact them and let them know we
want them to block this legislation from going any further. And for all of us,
let’s contact our reps and let them know that if this bill does get a floor
vote, we want them to oppose it and support stronger gun control laws.
6.
It's easy to get confused about all the different
action items concerning the FCC's attempt to repeal net neutrality rules
on December 14th, so here is a quick summary. First, the FCC's vote can be
prevented by the House, so call your reps: https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2017-10-26-the-fcc-will-soon-vote-to-kill-net-neutrality-but/ Second, we should lobby the 3 FCC
commissioners who are likely to vote 'yes' on repealing net neutrality, to try
to get them to vote 'no' instead.
Apparently the phone lines are either being inundated with calls or have
been shut off, so use other means if you can’t get through: (Ajit Pai: 202-518-7399 / email: Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov / Twitter: @AjitPaiFCC; Michael
O'Rielly: 301-657-9092 / email: mike.o'rielly@fcc.gov Twitter
@mikeofcc; Brendan Carr: 202-719-7305 / email: Brendan.Carr@fcc.gov /
Twitter: @BrendanCarrFCC). Third, the best long-term solution is to elevate the
mandate to protect net neutrality above the FCC's regulatory level by
enshrining it in law, like Senator Bill Nelson tried to do back in 2015 (http://thehill.com/policy/technology/248925-senate-dem-warns-net-neutrality-rider-could-prevent-compromise). Let's push forward on all 3 of these
items, because having an open, unbiased online information network is crucial
not only to the Resistance, but to democracy itself now (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/gutting-net-neutrality-is-a-death-knell-for-the-resistance/article37088279/)
7.
For the first time since June, a Russian fighter has
flown near a US military jet in an “unsafe” manner. The “Russian fighter flew
within 50 feet of a U.S. Navy reconnaissance jet over the Black
Sea with full afterburners on, causing violent turbulence that knocked the
American plane into a 15-degree roll.” http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russian-fighter-intercept-us-recon-plane-deemed-unsafe-51427970 Let’s ask our MoC what they’re doing
to ensure that our military is as safe as possible in their interactions with
the Russian military.
8.
Representative Mia Love (R-UT) promised a
"full-court press" on Trump to not expel nearly 60,000 Haitians who
have lived in the U.S. under provisional legal residency for more than seven
years. Love called the administration's announcement that it will not
renew the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) that has allowed Haitians displaced
by the 2010 earthquake to live in this country a "bad
decision." Love's parents emigrated from Haiti in 1973 during a time
of political repression. Love was born in Brooklyn, New York, two years
later. We can read more at Deseret News. Let's send notes of support to Rep. Mia
Love, 9067 S 1300 West, Ste 101, West Jordan UT
84088-5582. We can
also contact our own MoC's to tell them to join Rep. Love in calling on the
administration to renew the TPS.
1.
Democratic Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke has
officially launched his candidacy for US Senate against Ted Cruz. More
information about his campaign can be found here:https://betofortexas.com Let’s consider getting involved with Beto’s effort.
State
Actions
1.
MI: Following the release of the Line 5
independent alternatives analysis final report, the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality has announced that a 30-day public comment period has
begun http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135--452622--,00.html We can read the report, then leave a
comment regarding the report and its suggested alternatives to Enbridge's Line
5 pipeline at the Michigan Petroleum Pipelines website: https://mipetroleumpipelines.com/ We can also RSVP to attend the
upcoming public comment events via Oil & Water Don't ix: http://www.oilandwaterdontmix.org/events
2.
ALL: From The Boston Globe: "Some of the biggest Internet
providers want to make sure that once the Federal Communications Commission
votes to deregulate the broadband industry, states won’t be able to set up
their own, new regulations. Comcast and Verizon have both asked telecom
regulators to make it clear that the FCC’s new policy on Net neutrality would
preempt state and local regulations that might read differently. The request
marks the industry’s latest step to weaken federal rules that regulate
broadband companies like legacy telephone companies." Let's contact
our state attorneys
general to let them
know that we do not agree with this federal overreach on states' rights and
that we expect them to respond to this threat with legal action against the
FCC.
3.
MA: 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. They have 50
days to get 44 more supporters. We can them reach their goal
by Jan19 to set off a Thunderclap, a social media flash
mob message blast. First, we can click, add our social media support on
Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. THEN cut, paste and share:
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/65115-massachusetts-enrollment-alert Find
out more about how Thunderclap helps grassroots organizing here: https://www.socialworkhelper.com/2013/10/02/thunderclap-can-help-grassroots-organizing/amp/
4.
CO: 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. They have 9 days to get 34 more supporters. We can
help them reach their goal by Dec. 10 to set off a Thunderclap, a
social media flash mob message blast. First, we can click, add our social
media support on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. THEN cut, paste and share https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/64859-colorado-enrollment-alert
Find
out more about how Thunderclap helps grassroots organizing here: https://www.socialworkhelper.com/2013/10/02/thunderclap-can-help-grassroots-organizing/amp/
Other
Actions
1.
The trial for the Inauguration Day protesters has
begun, with medics, journalists, and legal observers being pressed with felony
charges http://bit.ly/2zKOzqx The J20 (January 20th) defendants
could face six decades in prison, some for doing so much as attending or
witnessing a protest. To help spread the word about this case, and to support
the defendants, let's visit the Defend J20 Resistance website where they have
primers, flyers, legal documents, and a link to the legal defense fund: http://defendj20resistance.org/ We can also send a "thank
you" to Black Lives Matter, D.C. chapter, for their statement of
solidarity (contact information in the link) http://bit.ly/2zMiZZI
2.
There are only a little over two weeks left of ACA's
open enrollment period. Let's make sure we're getting the word out for those
who have not yet signed up. We can become an ACA Defender through MomsRising, where we can learn how to best help spread
the word:
3.
Organizing for Action and Swing Left are continuing their series of webinars on how to effectively
communicate and hold meaningful conversations. This is especially timely as we
are in the midst of the holiday season, visiting friends and relatives who may
hold views very different from our own. Let's register for this series and
learn how we can productively communicate http://bit.ly/2hy5FQK
4.
The ironically-named Project Veritas hired a woman to
tell an untrue story to the Washington Post about being assaulted by Roy Moore
– in the hope of discrediting all the accusers:https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/a-woman-approached-the-post-with-dramatic--and-false--tale-about-roy-moore-sje-appears-to-be-part-of-undercover-sting-operation/2017/11/27/0c2e335a-cfb6-11e7-9d3a-bcbe2af58c3a_story.html?utm_term=.fc7aa93927df and https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/nov/27/washington-post-project-veritas-sting-report Thankfully, the not-fake-news
Washington Post was having none of it and launched a counter-investigation
about her unraveling claims. Let’s take a moment to thank WaPo editor Martin
Baron for the work of his organization at this critical time in the history of
press credulity: The Washington Post, 1301 K Street NW, Washington DC
20071
5.
On Monday, during a conversation with Navajo military
veterans, Trump offended all of us when he used the name “Pocahontas” as a
slur. To make matters worse, Trump chose to hold this conversation in front of
a portrait of Andrew Jackson, who was responsible for the Trail of Tears, which
resulted in a tremendous loss of life and property for the Cherokee
people. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/361990-trump-calls-warren-pocahontas-at-event-honoring-native-american Let’s show our support for Native
Americans by looking into the good work being done by the American Indian
College Fund (http://collegefund.org/) and see what we can to help out.
6.
Net Neutrality? What can we do? Let's
read this article from Motherboard: To Save
Net Neutrality, We Must Build Our Own Internet "We must end our reliance on big
telecom monopolies and build decentralized, affordable, locally owned internet
infrastructure. On Dec. 14, the FCC will vote to end net neutrality. It
is possible that a committee of telecom industry plutocrats who have from the
outset made it their mission to rollback regulations on the industry will bow
to public pressure before then, but let’s not count on it. There has never
been a better time to start your own internet service provider, leverage the
publicly available fiber backbone, or build political support for new,
local-government owned networks. Net neutrality as a principle of the
federal government will soon be dead, but the protections are wildly popular
among the American people and are integral to the internet as we know it.
Rather than putting such a core
tenet of the internet
in the hands of politicians, whose whims and interests change with their
donors, net neutrality must be protected by a populist revolution in the
ownership of internet infrastructure and networks. In short, we must end our reliance on big telecom monopolies and build
decentralized, affordable, locally owned internet infrastructure. The great
news is this is currently possible in most parts of the United States."
Let's keep watch for updates from Motherboard and look for groups near us that
may be interested taking on or advocating for similar projects. We can
follow Motherboard on
Facebook.
7.
This holiday, we can send a girl to school for a year
in honor of a friend or loved one. The International Rescue Committee can help
us do that: https://gifts.rescue.org/product/education/year-school-girl
8.
Many of us have relied on Townhallproject.com to find out whether our MoCs are
holding events for constituents. Now they are looking for help, particularly in
AZ, CO, NC, & VA! "We research every district and state for public
events with members of Congress. Then we share our findings to promote
participation in the democratic process. As a State Legislature Research
Volunteer, you are helping us expand this important resource to cover events
with state legislators in four key states - Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina,
and Virginia. Sign up using the form below to volunteer to research events with
state legislators twice a week." Fill out the form here:
Petitions
1.
“Foster
care LOSES 88 CHILDREN every week. In 2017, the
child welfare system has lost over 4600 children.” Let’s join in this petition
from #4600 and Counting to address this growing problem. There are lives at stake. https://www.change.org/p/us-department-for-health-and-human-services-if-a-school-lost-1-child-every-week-what-would-you-do
2.
Libraries need net neutrality. Let’s join with EveryLibrary ‘s petition to
keep it: http://action.everylibrary.org/netneutrality
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms
to attend/organize
1.
Today is National Call-In Day: No Tax on
Disability! Get more info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/134373263949405/?active_tab=discussion
Reading/Watching
1.
Let's bookmark ProPublica's
REPRESENT. This site provides information on lawmakers, the bills they
consider and the votes they take (and miss). You can browse the latest votes
and bills, see how often lawmakers vote against their parties and compare
voting records. (For those of us who are data wonks, there's an API.)
Here's a ProPublica article on Represent's most recent feature:
Policy Priorities, which helps researchers and journalists understand what
drives particular members of Congress and enables regular citizens to compare
their representatives’ priorities to our own and our communities. ProPublica continues
to do great work and provide vital resources to the resistance. If we are
able, let's donate to help them help us.
2.
“A Simple Checklist Inspires a New Kind of Activism” - http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/a-simple-checklist-inspires-a-new-kind-of-activism-20171128
3.
And, here’s our weekly pep talk, actions, and inspiring
stories from fellow activists, Small Deeds Done: https://smalldeedsdone.com/2017/11/28/joy-to-the-resistance-the-power-of-good-cheer/
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