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
House is planning on voting today on H.R. 38, the so-called “concealed carry
reciprocity act” which would dramatically weaken gun control laws across the
country (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/12/republican-house-vote-concealed-carry-gun-background-checks/547454/). As we approach the fifth anniversary of
the Sandy Hook shooting, we need to be demanding real solutions to gun violence
instead of reckless attempts to undermine existing laws. Let’s join Everytown
for Gun Safety in contacting our reps ASAP and letting them know we want them
to oppose this legislation at this link: act.everytown.org/sign/send-letter-your-representative-reject-hr-38. And let’s also reach out to our senators
to let them know if this bill passes the House, they should make sure it goes
no further.
2.
Lest
we think public education is unaffected by the Republican tax bill, we need to
think again. Under both the House and Senate bills, those who can afford
to save money monthly for private or parochial school tuition will see their
savings earn interest and capital gains without taxation; even home schoolers
can withdraw $10,000 each year from tax-favored savings accounts. However
unjust, this provision would appear to leave public schools—attended by
90% of school-age children—untouched, but not so! Just as the predicted
deficit produced by the Republican giveaway to the wealthy will spur automatic
cuts in programs like Medicare and Medicaid, so this giveaway to private school
families is paired with a drastic curtailing of state and local tax (SALT)
deductions. In the past, state, county and city governments have
struggled to raise taxes or pass bond measures for public schools, but at least
they were able to argue that increases in sales or income tax rates could be
deducted from federal income taxes. No more. In both the House and Senate
bills, the current SALT deductions would be reduced to a single deduction of up
to $10,000 of property taxes each year and nothing else, leaving local
governments no way to offset their expenditures on public education: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/us/politics/tax-bills-private-schools-public-schools.html If we need yet another argument to
urge Republicans to vote against this disastrous tax bill, we might point out
that most voters with children use public schools! We can use this tool, created by Network for Public Education Action and Opportunity Action to tell our MoCs that this is not
right: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-no-tax-deals-to-fund-private-school-tuition-for-the-rich
3.
Sen.
Elizabeth Warren tweeted yesterday, “Both GOP AND Democratic Senators are
trying to roll back rules for banks that took nearly $50B in taxpayer-funded
bailouts.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/11/13/senate-lawmakers-strike-deal-to-free-dozens-of-large-banks-from-rigorous-post-crisis-rules/?utm_term=.8967828fee2d Consumers
need protection more than banks. These
are the Dems: Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Heidi
Heitkamp (D-ND), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Claire McCaskill (D-MO),
Gary Peters (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Warner (D-VA), & Angus King,
(I-MA) Let’s contact these senators and ask them why they are siding with big
banks instead of consumers.
4.
Conservative
policymakers love to tout the stimulating effect that increasing profit has on
innovation, which is the key driver of our increasingly technology-based
economy. They tried to sell their latest tax cut scam this way, but now there's
ground-breaking research that shows their premise to be false, finding instead
that "if women, minorities, and children from low- and middle-income
families invented at the same rate as white men from high-income (top 20%)
families, there would 4 times as many inventors in America as there are
today." (https://www.vox.com/2017/12/4/16706352/innovation-inequality-race-gender). When we call our MoCs to condemn the tax
cut scam, we should mention this as yet another reason it's a bad idea.
Research also discovered that educational experiences and opportunities were
critical, especially during childhood, so let's also give Betsy DeVos an earful
(perhaps at her education/community foundation, 616-643-4700) about leveling the educational playing
field for ALL of our children, for the good of our economy and our country.
5.
It can
be hard to keep track of all the moving parts amidst the swirl but issues for
DACA recipients are bound up in the Congressional budget battle:
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/363237-immigration-in-spotlight-as-budget-battle-intensifies Let’s let our MoC know that we expect
a clean DREAM Act to protect these 800,000 young Americans.
6.
If
Congress wants to avoid a government shutdown, they need to pass a spending
bill by this Friday. This is a prime opportunity for Democrats to get
must-pass legislation through, including a clean DREAM Act to protect DACA
recipients http://bit.ly/2BM8WkT Let's call our MoC and tell them that
we only want them to support the spending bill if it includes a clean DREAM
Act. United We Dream and the Defend Our Dreams coalition has offered a call
script: “I am calling on the Congressperson to vote for a clean Dream Act in
the must-pass spending bills that are coming up – one that ensures immigrant
youth can continue to go to school, work, pay taxes without fear of deportation
and does not build border walls, detain and deport other immigrants.”
7.
In
light of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s findings that tens of
thousands of comments filed in response to the FCC's net neutrality proposed
repeal had likely been fake, Democratic senators have sent a letter to FCC
Chairman Ajit Pai http://bit.ly/2A1bqhT The letter requests that the FCC
delay its vote on net neutrality regulations, until a thorough, transparent
investigation has been completed regarding the faked comments http://bit.ly/2AVL7tJ Let's check to see if our senators
signed the letter, and if so, thank them. Then, let's also contact Chairman
Pai, supporting a postponed vote, until an investigation has been
completed Office phone: 202-518-7399 e-mail: Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov or Twitter: @AjitPaiFCC
8.
The
ACLU is looking into the case of an American citizen who has been held in Iraq
without access to a lawyer for more than two months on the suspicion that he
has fought with the Islamic State. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-11-30/judge-orders-us-to-disclose-details-of-american-held-in-iraq and https://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/detention/trump-administration-just-admitted-secretly-detained-american-has?redirect=blog/trump-administration-just-admitted-secretly-detained-american-has-asked-lawyer-it-wont-give-him Let’s register our concern with our
MoC and the White House (https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact) about denying US citizens their basic
legal rights.
9.
Trump
campaigned on keeping jobs in America, but since his election, the top 100
federal contractors have shipped “a record 10,269 American jobs abroad,”
according to a report from Good Jobs Nation, “an organization that advocates
for contract workers.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-29/federal-contractors-under-trump-are-offshoring-at-a-speedy-clip Let’s ask our MoC what they’re doing
to create (and keep) jobs here in America.
10. Now that both Houses have passed Tax Scam Bills, the
House and Senate will meet in Committees to reconcile their versions . There
are widening fissures as The Freedom Caucus wants to take away concessions
promised to Collins and Flake. The more divisions and delays, the weaker
support becomes. We can find out more about our next steps in fighting this tax
scam from Celeste Pewter, who explains the process and what we can do Including
getting our Governors involved in the fight, writing op eds, and, of course
calling our Representatives! Let’s check
it out here: http://itstimetofight.weebly.com/tax-bill.html
1.
AL -
SPECIAL ELECTION NEXT WEEK! Democrat Doug Jones is running against accused
pedophile and Republican Roy Moore for US Senate. Moore was twice removed
as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court for defying federal court orders:
first over a Ten Commandments monument in the Alabama Judicial Building and
then over the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay
marriage. Businesses are already concerned that electing Moore will
be bad for Alabama's businesses, talent recruiting and attracting to students
to universities. Let's read more at NPR. If we are Alabamians, let's make a
plan to vote on Tuesday, Dec. 12 and urge our family and friends to, too!
2.
Tomorrow,
Thursday is the last day to get an absentee ballot in Alabama. Check here for instructions: http://sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/absentee-voting
3.
Looking
towards the 2018 elections, Crooked Media and Swing Left are joining together
to launch the Crooked 7 Fund: a fund which will be used to help unseat seven of
the most vulnerable seats in California. In these districts, constituents voted
for Hillary Clinton, yet their representatives have voted almost strictly in
line with Trump. For those of us with the means, we can donate to the fund
here:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/crookedseven We can also learn more about Swing
Left's District Funds and select specific districts to donate towards
here: https://swingleft.org/district-funds
State
Actions
1.
MI: From
Women's March - Michigan: "Michiganders will unite one year
later at the steps of the state Capitol on January 21, 2018, to
celebrate the strides we've made so far and to make plans to build our
future." To find more information, we can check out the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/193884877838229 or visit the organization
website: https://womensmarchmichigan.org/
2.
NH -
Election 2018. An amendment to [NH] House Bill 372 backed by the State
Election Law Committee has prompted backlash. In 2015, the
state Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional a 2012 state law that
required New Hampshire voters to be New Hampshire residents, not simply people
who are domiciled in the state. Now, Republican state senators are
proposing essentially re-implementing the residency requirement with
legislation to ensure that “the terms residence, domicile and inhabitant shall
have the same meaning for all purposes in statute.” And that includes voting. Let’s read the full article at WMUR. If we are New Hampshire voters,
let's contact our NH
state representative to
oppose this amendment.
3.
MS:
When Trump shows up this weekend at the grand openings of the Museum of
Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, his presence will
be peacefully protested at a “Turn Your Back on Hate” event organized by
Pantsuit Nation Mississippi Chapter. http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2017/dec/05/silent-protesters-may-greet-trump-opening-mississi/ The protest will likely take
place December 9, 2017, 11AM-2PM CST. If we’re in Mississippi, let’s plan
to attend and let the organizers know by signing up here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/124367101679442/ They’ll keep us apprised of time and
location.
Other
Actions
1.
The
Republican National Committee spent only three weeks distancing themselves from
Roy Moore and now are right back at his side: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/04/roy-moore-republican-national-committee Let’s let them know that we have not
forgotten his accusers and that they can no longer refer to their family values:
on Twitter @GOP or via phone 202-863-8500
2.
The
eve before the Alabama special election, there is going to be a “"Drain
the Swamp" Rally with Judge Roy Moore”.
https://www.facebook.com/events/534189683608352/ It
is a free event, but tickets are required:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/election-eve-drain-the-swamp-rally-with-judge-roy-moore-tickets-41053635529
Wouldn’t it be a shame if we got tickets and we not able to go?
3.
The
House Budget Committee explains on its webpage “The Need for Macroeconomic
Analysis”: “We can’t build a healthy economy if we don’t even know how our
decisions affect the economy. That’s why we have two nonpartisan
organizations that do cost estimates for every bill we consider: The
Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation.” https://budget.house.gov/the-need-for-macroeconomic-analysis/ But apparently “we” only have to
attend to their analysis if “we” like what it says. Now that the CBO and the
JCT have both challenged the Republican line that the tax bill is “revenue
neutral,” as Mitch McConnell insists, suddenly the economic analysis is
“suspect,” and the Republican leadership is circulating two pages of “response
points,” giving senators an arsenal of excuses to talk around the unfavorable
projections, according to the NYT which acquired the documents. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/1/16721394/republican-reject-jct-score-tax-bill If we believe that there is, in
fact, a “need for macroeconomic analysis” when the entire tax system is up for
grabs, we must call out the lies and excuses of Republican lawmakers as loudly
and publicly as possible--in letters to the editors of our local papers, in
op-ed pieces, on radio call-in programs.
4.
Patagonia,
an American outdoor clothing and gear retailer, slammed Trump after he
announced plans to shrink the size of two national monuments. The
California-based company on Monday modified its homepage to initially display a black screen
with the message "The President Stole Your Land" to rally the public
into joining its cause which, according to some local media reports, includes a
possible legal action against Trump. We can read more at CNBC. If we are giving or getting outdoor
clothing and gear this season, let's consider purchasing from Patagonia to show our support for their
environmental positions.
5.
“President
Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are trying to pass a budget with
extreme cuts to our environmental agencies, putting our air, water and health in
danger. Join us in sharing your story
about why a healthy environment is critical for the well-being of you and your
family. “Let’s share our stories: https://ourenvironment.org/
6.
Each morning
at a public elementary school in Powell County, students finish their breakfast
and trod out of the cafeteria and into the gym, where they listen to Christian
music. And they pray. But Devin Estes, a 10-year-old
fifth-grader, stays behind in the cafeteria. He doesn't believe in
God. And that's why other kids, and teachers, at Stanton Elementary School
are picking on him, he says. The school's program appears to violate
the Constitution, according to Heather Weaver, a lawyer who specializes in
religious freedom issues and works for the American Civil Liberties
Union. One teacher once quizzed him on his religious beliefs and joked
that nonbelievers would be eaten by bears, like children who mocked the prophet
Elisha in one Old Testament story, Devin said. Let's remember: This is a
public school. Let's read more about this at the Courier-Journal. Let's write to Donna Hale, Board
Attorney,
7.
Email: donna.hale@powell.kyschools.us. Superintendent Michael Tate is set to
retire at the end of 2017 but we can contact Tate at Powell, County Schools,
691 Breckenridge Street, Stanton, KY 40380, Phone:606-663-3300. We can also contact James Crase,
Principal, Stanton Elementary School, PO Box 367,
Stanton, KY 40380, Phone: 606-663-3311. For a little irony, the Stanton
Elementary site has a "report bullying" button on its
home page.
8.
NO
MOORE! A 3-minute action you can take to
vote with your pocketbook: fill out the Chamber of Commerce contact form
and tell them you will avoid visiting AL if Moore is elected. https://alabamachambers.org/contact-us/ #boycottalabama
9.
Philadelphia resident
Phillip Garcia, editor-at-large of The Rumpus and a Temple University Ph.D.
candidate, tweeted Friday that the city had informed them of
being elected as an election judge to serve on a board for Ward 21, Division 10
of the city. "They say that one vote doesn't matter, but I literally wrote
in my own name and won an election because I guess no-one else ran/voted for
this position," Garcia tweeted Friday. Let's read more at The Hill. Let's be inspired by this "every
vote counts" story. If we are considering running against a previously
uncontested GOP candidate in a local election, perhaps 2018 is our year. Let’s
at least make sure that every open seat has a Democratic candidate running.
10. If we are curious about all this Postcards
to Voters stuff we’ve been hearing about, we can watch this short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7nt-g5X4bM Then,
we can go check out their website and get involved: https://postcardstovoters.org/
Petitions
1.
It's
been over two months since Republicans let funding expire for the Children's
Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and community health centers, even though there
is bipartisan support to renew the program. Nine million children covered
by CHIP and 25 million adults who use community health centers will be left without
coverage. There is a 5-year- extension bipartisan
CHIP bill still sitting in the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. Debbie Stabenow has introduced similar
legislation to cover community health centers.
Let’s join Sen. Stabenow in asking Congress to please pass this important, life-saving
legislation now: https://stabenow.bsd.net/page/s/add-your-name-fund-chip-and-community-health-centers-now-
2.
“Killing
net neutrality would mean that your internet provider could dictate the speed
of websites, charge higher fees to access certain parts of the internet, and
prioritize their services over their competitors’…Until we take back Congress
and put net neutrality into law, the free and open internet as we know it is in
jeopardy. Tell Trump’s FCC to keep their hands off our internet!” Let’s sign this petition to protect net neutrality: https://www.pactionpac.com/net_neutrality/kim
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms
to attend/organize
1.
Today,
Dec. 6, the Dreamers have planned a convergence on Washington to call for a
“clean” Dream Act. They are asking allies who cannot be in DC to call Congress,
one call for each of the 11,000-young people brought here as children and now
threatened with deportation. If we can commit to one call, here’s the
link where we can make a pledge: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/i-commit-to-calling-congress-on-dec-6th-to-demand-a-clean-dream-act?source=direct_link&/
2.
Today,
December 6th, “RISE District will host a Facebook Live Conversation at
7 PM EST. We have an inspiring panel from various local organizations lined up.
We will be discussing best practices and tactics of training, engaging and motivating
volunteers of the future. Together, we will rise for change! More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1404520982990461
3.
Tomorrow, Thursday,
December 7th, there will be nationwide protests at Verizon stores to fight back
against Verizon and the FCC's attack on net neutrality. Verizon has already
taken to fighting states on their potential backlash against upcoming net
neutrality rules: http://wapo.st/2ASrUZV Let's use Battle for the Net's map to
see where our nearest protest is, then join in (or create one) to show our
opposition to any repeals on net neutrality:
https://events.battleforthenet.com/#eventType=protestrally We
can also check here: http://verizonprotests.com/
4.
Anti-tax
bill protests are being held all over the country. Let’s check in with Not One Penny and see if
we can find one near us. This page will
also show us how to host one, too: https://notonepenny.org/take-action/#events We
can also check Stop Trump Tax Cuts to see if there is anything different listed
there: http://stoptrumptaxcuts.com/events/
5.
FREE CLASS: The Candidate's Secret Weapon: Monday, Dec 11, 1:00pm Eastern time --
If we are thinking about running for office, or know women who are, we can take
this free webinar to learn how to be an effective candidate. Hosted by Dr.
Melissa Bird, writer, professor, and speaker and Executive Political
Coach, activist, and writer, Melanie Childers, we can learn
everything we must have before starting and a few things we might not know,
even if we're already campaigning. Topics
include A) The 9 areas we MUST nail to get our mindsets right to run an
awesome campaign, B) How to tap into what fires us up and create an amazing
platform, C) What we need to create the confidence to run, D) How to powerfully
fundraise with passion and conviction, and E) How to get comfortable being in
the spotlight. We can learn more about
the event and sign up here: http://bit.ly/2Ayt7oy
6.
Republicans
are continuing to use their domination of state legislatures to push an
extremist agenda, featuring bills restricting women’s and LGBT rights and
strengthening the power of the wealthy (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/bill-restricting-abortions-resurfaces-in-pa-legislature-20171204.html). The State Innovation Exchange is
organizing a webinar on December 19th to preview what the right wing
will focus on at the state level in 2018 and to offer guidance on how to fight
back. We can register at this link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2723450007270105091.
Reading/Watching
1.
“The
Trump administration is reportedly weighing proposals for a global, private spy
network that would evade U.S. intelligence agencies and report directly to the
White House and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The plans have been developed by
Blackwater founder Erik Prince and CIA veteran John R. Maguire, with help from
Oliver North, who played a prominent role in the Iran Contra scandal, The
Intercept reported late Monday. Pompeo can’t trust the CIA
bureaucracy, so we need to create this thing that reports just directly to
him,” a former senior U.S. intelligence official with firsthand knowledge of
the proposals told The Intercept. “It is a direct-action arm, totally off the
books. The whole point is this is supposed to report to the president and
Pompeo directly.”
2.
How to
talk with your family and friends over the holidays: https://onbeing.org/blog/sharon-salzberg-how-to-talk-with-your-relatives-over-the-holidays/
3.
A
little political holiday humor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHu-2vyvaQY&app=desktop
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