Contact
Federal Government Officials
Find
elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Fax legislators
for free:
Or use Resistbot: https://resist.bot/
Or use StampsLicked to have messages
hand-delivered to our own legislators: https://stampslicked.org/
White House
contact: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house
1. “Senators
voted Thursday to recommend that the U.S. end its assistance to Saudi Arabia
for the war in Yemen and put the blame for the death of journalist Jamal
Khashoggi squarely on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a direct
challenge to both the longtime Middle East ally and President Donald Trump’s
handling of the relationship.” https://www.apnews.com/eef2ba95a9ac4376afb37d3db39eddb7 Let’s thank our senators for this just move
and encourage our reps in the House to find a way to do the same.
2. “A
7-year-old girl died while in custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
last week, according to a Washington Post report.” http://www.wtoc.com/2018/12/14/girl-died-customs-border-protection-custody-last-week-report-says/ With nearly 15,000 children now in near-full
detention camps, there will likely be more atrocities. https://www.npr.org/2018/12/13/676300525/almost-15-000-migrant-children-now-held-at-nearly-full-shelters and https://www.npr.org/2018/12/08/674327419/whistleblowers-warn-of-harmful-conditions-for-children-in-migrant-detention-cent This is not the first child detention death; https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/toddler-dies-ice-detention-centre-immigration-guatemala-mexico-us-border-mariee-juarez-a8676236.html We need to ask all our MoCs what they are
doing about this. This is inhumane and
cannot continue.
3. “House
Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady released his year-end
tax legislation (HR 88), and
buried on p. 142 is yet another repeal of the Johnson Amendment.“ The Johnson
Amendment is a provision in the U.S. tax code, since 1954, that prohibits
all 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations from endorsing or opposing political
candidates. Churches fall into this
category. One of Trump’s campaign
promises was to eliminate the Johnson amendment. https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2018/12/12/once-again-house-republicans-are-trying-to-repeal-the-johnson-amendment/ Let’s tell our MoCs that we want the Johnson
Amendment kept as an essential barrier between church and state.
4. Russian
Maria Butina has pled guilty to conspiring against our government in part by using
NRA contacts to create back channel communications to conservative political
groups: https://www.apnews.com/afc6c5855bb4402da306b5f48fc08e7f The
web between the Trump campaign and Russia is gaining more strands. Let’s let
our MoC know that we expect them to fulfill their oaths and find our way to the
bottom of these issues through true investigation and that we also expect them
to protect the Mueller investigation.
5. In
a close vote, the Senate has passed a resolution (S.J.
Res 64) “to overthrow a new
Treasury Department policy that
no longer requires some 501(c) tax-exempt nonprofits — including politically
active 501(c)(4) “dark money” groups — to disclose donor names and addresses in
tax returns submitted to the IRS.” https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/12/senate-votes-to-prevent-dark-money-from-getting-even-darker/ Let’s thank our senators for passing this and
urge our reps in the House to do the same.
6. Despite
evidence from our own intelligence agencies on the Saudi Prince's involvement
in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump continues to stand with
Saudi Arabia, claiming that they are a "great ally." https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-saudi-exclusive-idUSKBN1OB01C?utm.
And in passing the Farm Bill yesterday, Republicans in the House of
Representatives inserted a rule that a resolution stopping aid to the Saudi's
in their war on Yemen could not come to a vote for the rest of the year. https://www.newsweek.com/five-democrats-vote-republicans-block-vote-saudi-arabia-war-yemen-1256365. Let's
express our outrage to our
MoCs who voted for this rule, perhaps emphasizing
the irony of their willingness to perpetuate starvation abroad in the same bill
that's geared to help hunger in America.
7. Trump's
xenophobic policies continue, this time against immigrants who fled to the U.S.
during the Vietnam War (https://bit.ly/2Pz61kR).
The Trump administration has reinterpreted a U.S.-Vietnam
agreement from 2008 which protected
Vietnamese immigrants who arrived in the U.S. prior to 1995 from deportation,
and are now stating that there are no such protections, even for refugees. This
means that people who have lived in the United States for nearly half of a
century, and who may have been children when they arrived, are now at risk of
deportation. Let's contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ask them
to stop wasting their time and resources, and follow the 2008 agreement as
originally agreed upon and to stop the deportation of Vietnamese immigrants:
Phone: 202-282-8495 or Email: DHSExecSec@hq.dhs.gov
or Twitter: @DHS.gov or Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/homelandsecurity/ We
can also contact our MoC and ask them to join us in putting pressure on the
White House and DHS.
8. Last week, the administration asked the National
Institute of Health to stop acquiring fetal tissue obtained from women who have
had legal abortions, a move that will suspend studies in process that are
seeking a cure to the HIV virus.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/12/trump-administration-has-quietly-barred-nih-scientists-acquiring-fetal-tissue. Let's tell the White
House and our MoCs that the concerns of the religious right should not be
dictating policy that impedes public health and ask them to work toward lifting
this ban and assuring that finding a cure for HIV, a concern for members on both sides of the
aisle, remains a top
priority.
9. From one of our own: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently
released new proposed Title IX regulations that will protect sexual assaulters
and rapists – and make it harder to protect and defend survivors. These new
rules will make it easy for campus rape and assault to be swept under the rug.
That’s why we’re joining forces (Enough is Enough Voter Project, Women’s March
Sister Network, and National Women’s Law Center) launching a new campaign to
protect survivors: Save Title IX! The
public comment deadline is January 28. Enough is Enough
has given us more information and links to how we can help: https://enoughisenoughvoter.org/#save-title-ix
10. From
ADAPT:
Please call and/or email U.S. Congress members and ask them to pass HR 7217 with
the Money Follows the Person three (3) month extension as soon as possible!
This Bill will keep Money Follows the Person going in the states where it is
funded through January 2019 and allow the program to be fully reauthorized in
the next Congress. After the Houses passes it, we will need to contact Senators
and encourage them to pass it too. Money Follows the Person has delivered the
promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Olmstead mandate to
83,000 people. We want all people to have choice, freedom and community
opportunities. The program should be made permanent, but unless HR 7217 passes,
it won’t exist anywhere at all any more. We can find a call script to use as we
contact our representatives here.
11. HR1,
the very first bill that our newly-elected, Democratic-majority House of
Representatives will introduce next month, aims to expand voting rights and
fight campaign corruption. The bill will face savage opposition from those who
thrive in the current ecosystem of lobbyists and dark money, so HR1 and its
proud sponsors really need to hear our support. Calls and letters are always
welcome, but some of us can make a bigger splash with an actual visit to our
reps' district offices, and People for the American Way will even help set it
up and recruit supporters to show up, too! http://act.pfaw.org/event/declaration-american-democracy-district-visits/create/
12. Political
appointee and former adviser to Charles and David Koch, Daniel
Jorjani, will oversee Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests sent to
the Interior Department, a position typically held by career staff. Let's read
more at The Hill.
Let's be aware of this new gatekeeper of the FOIA.
13. The
Shark Fin Sales Act of 2017 (H.R. 1456)
now has 261 bi-partisan co-sponsors. https://awionline.org/content/shark-fin-sales-elimination-act-2017 Let's push the House to bring this bill to
the floor for a vote before this session ends. Let's contact our own
representatives, especially if they have not yet signed on as co-sponsors,
and House
Speaker Paul Ryan to let them know
we care about this issue.
14. Before
their session ends next week, Congress is trying to sneak through a rider on
the upcoming budget bill that would make it a crime for groups to boycott
certain countries--like, for instance, Israel--although there is nothing
illegal about boycotts; in fact, the Supreme Court has ruled that they are
constitutionally protected speech. Reportedly, Senate Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA.) are
leaning toward slipping the text into the spending bill, which needs to pass
for the government to stay open.: https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/rights-protesters/congress-trying-use-spending-bill-criminalize-boycotts-israel-and We
must let Schumer and Pelosi know that we regard this provision as a clear
violation of our First Amendment rights: Schumer (202) 224-6542 or FAX
202-228-3027 or 322 Hart Senate Off. Bldg., Washington DC 20510; Pelosi
202-225-4965 or 233 Cannon HOB, Washington DC 20515.
15. Trump’s
nominee for CEO of the US Agency for Global Media, which runs Voice of America
(VOA) as well as other government broadcasting networks (like Radio Free
Europe, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks), is Michael
Pack, a Steve Bannon collaborator who has condemned liberal “political correctness”
and runs a conservative filmmaking business. VOA alone is heard by 275 million
people in over 47 different languages; recent legislation concentrates
authority with the agency’s chief executive and would replace its current
bipartisan board with an advisory council:
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/04/673002168/voice-of-america-vows-independence-as-trump-calls-for-worldwide-network or https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/us/politics/voice-of-america-trump.html
The Senate has yet to ratify Pack’s nomination, but we must make sure our
senators oppose the appointment of a flagrantly right-wing ideologue to oversee
the agency that represents the US to the world.
Election/Voting
1. Let's encourage Florida voters to sign up for
Vote-By-Mail (VBM) with Postcards to Voters' Campaign
142: Florida Vote-By-Mail, St. Lucie County.
Although there was some controversy with Florida's VBM in the
midterms, 12.6 million ballots were received by mail and, of those, around
12,000 were initially held aside for some complication. Half of those ended up
being counted after the voters were contacted and showed up to fix whatever the
matter was. Data shows that VBM voters participated at a rate of 71%.
Let's request 5 addresses to Florida voters today and we gear up for 2019
elections.
Other
Actions
1. Here's our regular reminder that Govtrack.us, a
non-profit organization, "tracks the United States Congress and helps
Americans participate in their national legislature. We publish the status of federal legislation, information
about your representative and senators in Congress including voting records,
and original research on bills and votes." Their site has a number of
nifty features that are occasionally updated and added, like this subpage,
which "shows the outcome of all recorded votes on the Senate floor and
House floor." We can see the vote breakdown and how our MoCs voted by
clicking on particular pieces of legislation. A handy interactive tool: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes
2. NPR is sponsoring a student podcast contest
giving students an opportunity to say what is on their minds. Podcasts are to be submitted between January
1 and March 31, with winners being announced in April. Novices welcome! We can
find more information here: https://www.npr.org/2018/11/15/650500116/npr-student-podcast-challenge-home
3. From one of our own: Four Sovereign
Native Nations have pledged to honor the Paris Climate Accords, despite Trump's
refusal to commit the U.S. to the agreement. http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2017/06/sovereign-native-nations-ignored-white.html
Let's thank them: A) Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Building #1 N.
Standing Rock, PO Box D, Fort Yates, ND 58538, (701) 854-8500, B) Quinault
Indian Nation Tribal Community, PO Box 129, Tahola, WA 98587, (360) 276-8211,
C) Swinomish Tribal Community, 11404 Moorage Way, LaConner, WA
98257, (360) 466-7200, and D) Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska,
320 Willoughby Ave., Juneau, AK 99801, (907) 586-1432
4. “As we prepare to reflect on the year and enjoy
a holiday season of togetherness with our loved ones, we know this time of year
too many in our community struggle to keep the electricity on and their homes
warm. These are our Black elders
and countless Black families with young children at risk of staying in the dark
or freezing cold because of unaffordable energy bills.” Let’s join in the Color
Of Change’s Home For The Holidays initiative to give the gift of light
and warmth to Black families across Baltimore, Detroit, Flint, and Newark: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/homefortheholidays
State
Actions
1. FL: A
proposed state constitutional amendment to ban assault weapons is coming into
shape for the 2020 ballot. The amendment, sponsored by Ban Assault Weapons
Now (BAWN), would bar possession of “any semiautomatic rifle or shotgun
capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition at once.” For those who
already own the potentially barred weapons, they would be required to register
the weapon. Let's read more at Florida Politics.
We can donate to the cause at BAWN.
Let's help get this amendment on the ballot.
2. MI: “Scientists
and public health advocates are voicing concern over a bill currently making
its way through Michigan’s lame-duck Legislature. They say that SB
1244, sponsored by
state Senator Jim Stamas (R-Midland), could prevent the state from using the
most up-to-date science when determining what levels of toxic contamination
should trigger a cleanup.” http://www.michiganradio.org/post/toxicologist-warns-lame-duck-legislative-effort-change-toxic-cleanup-criteria-michigan Let’s call Governor Snyder to veto this bill
so that Michigan can set its own PFAS standards: (517) 373-3400
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1. From
the Newton
Foundation: Today,
Friday, December 14, marks the
6-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy. Today, there will be nationwide
vigils and events to #EndGunViolence.
Let’s find a vigil or event at this link: https://www.newtownfoundation.org/nationwide-vigils/ We can also use the link to register to host
a vigil or an event in our town or city and click on the following links to
download the 2018 National Vigil Toolkit and customizable posters to facilitate
your planning and to coordinate our collective gun violence prevention
message.
2. Whether we align ourselves with the Women’s March, or March On, or
Women’s March Alliance,
or WoMen
for All, or with no group at all, we have an
opportunity to make history and march once again on January 19, 2019. Check with
your favorite organization or local folks to help or to find out what is
happening.
Reading/Watching
1. Is the
Women’s March Melting Down? - https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/276694/is-the-womens-march-melting-down
2. If Trump
closes the border, regional economy could suffer 'catastrophic losses' - https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/sd-fi-border-closure-impacts-20181127-story.html
3. A devastating
report details a ‘monumental’ assault on science at the Department of the
Interior - https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-interior-science-20181210-story.html
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