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3/8/19 

Contact Federal Government Officials



1.    IMMIGRATION: Journalists, attorneys and activists are being tracked and detained by U.S. authorities at the border, and the U.S. Government has put together a secret database of people to target.    https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Source-Leaked-Documents-Show-the-US-Government-Tracking-Journalists-and-Advocates-Through-a-Secret-Database-506783231.html?  Apparently, our government cannot keep track of separated children, but has the time and resources to do this?  Let’s tell our MoCs to launch an investigation on this latest attack of our First Amendment rights.

2.   GUN CONTROL: The Republican-controlled Senate will hold a hearing on gun-control on March 26th, with a focus on encouraging states to enact “red-flag” laws, which would allow authorities to take away guns from people who have been pronounced dangerous by a court. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/433028-gop-controlled-senate-committee-to-hold-march-26-hearing-on-gun-control  While this is a good first step, it’s not enough. 37 Democrats have signed a letter asking the Senate to also look into requiring universal background checks, as required in H.R. 8, which recently passed in the House. Let’s continue putting pressure on our Senators to investigate universal background checks and eventually pass this bill. We can remind them of the recent study conducted by the British Medical Journal that found significantly fewer mass shootings in states that had stricter gun control laws.

3.   2020 CENSUS:  It seems that the Census Bureau and Homeland Security have struck an unprecedented deal intended to thwart court rulings against the Census citizenship question;  according to this agreement, DHS will share noncitizens’ full names and addresses, birth dates and places, as well as social security numbers and highly sensitive alien registration numbers with Census officials: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/06/census-bureau-immigrants-legal-status-data-trump-administration  Although a second federal judge ruled on Wednesday against the inclusion of a citizenship question in the 2020 Census, saying that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had acted in “bad faith,” broken several laws, and violated the enumeration clause of the Constitution by adding the citizenship question to the up-coming Census, apparently nothing will stop Ross:  https://www.npr.org/2019/03/06/698886346/second-judge-blocks-trump-administrations-census-citizenship-question-plans   While the Supreme Court will decide whether this question appears on the Census, we must tell DHS (202-282-8495), the White House, and our MoCs that we will not tolerate this sidestepping of the law and object to the retention of a Cabinet member who blatantly flouts the Constitution and the courts.

4.   CLIMATE CHANGE:  For the first time since 2012, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee convened to discuss climate change.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-05/republicans-who-couldn-t-beat-climate-debate-now-seek-to-join-it  This is remarkable as the GOP is the majority. Let’s thank the members of this committee and encourage them to continue seeking solutions:   https://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/members

5.   ANTITRUST: Right now, there is a proposed merger between T-Mobile and Sprint, which could result in a further monopolized wireless provider industry (https://thehill.com/policy/technology/432671-tlaib-progressives-urge-regulators-to-block-t-mobile-sprint-merger). House and Senate Democrats have sent letters to the FCC and Justice Department, urging them to reject the merger. Let's read through the letters, then contact both the FCC and Justice Department to tell them to reject the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint.

6.  IMMIGRATION (FAMILY SEPARATION): A humanitarian crisis, yes: https://medium.com/migratory-notes  A “national emergency” or a security crisis, no.   Wednesday’s testimony by Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen before the House Homeland Security Committee suggests that she regards her purported ignorance of the effects of family separation and her insistence that Trump’s is not a “manufactured” emergency (even though the drug smuggling and crime she cites would not be addressed by the Wall) as sufficient reason to facilitate Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy at the Mexican border:  https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/kirstjen-nielsen-testimony-live-stream-dhs-secretary-testifies-congress-today-2019-03-06/ and https://thehill.com/latino/432942-nielsen-testifies-five-things-you-need-to-know   Let’s let Nielsen know that her complicity in a policy that cages children, loses track of them, fails to respond to their medical needs, and minimizes their trauma is morally abhorrent and unacceptable to the American people and we await her resignation:  202-282-8495 or https://www.dhs.gov/contact-us

7.    MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT: “A hearing on sexual assault in the military Wednesday was personal for Sen. Martha McSally [R-AZ]. The freshman Arizona Republican revealed before the Senate Armed Services Committee she had been raped by a superior officer while serving in the Air Force.”   https://www.cbsnews.com/news/martha-mcsally-arizona-senator-reveals-she-was-raped-by-senior-officer-while-in-the-air-force/  Let’s thank Sen. McSally for her service and offer our condolences as well:  https://www.mcsally.senate.gov/contact_martha  Let’s also tell our MoCs that we need more protection against sexual assault everywhere. 

8.   CONGRESSIONAL RECESS TOWNHALLS:  With House on recess from March 16th through March 24th, let’s check to see if any of our representatives will be holding townhalls:  https://townhallproject.com/  If they are, let’s show up.  If they aren’t, contact them and ask why.

9.   DRONE STRIKE TRANSPARENCY: With an executive order on Wednesday, Trump revoked the Obama-era requirement that intelligence officials publicly report the number of civilians killed in drone strikes and other attacks on terrorist targets outside of war zones.  Apparently, Trump’s National Security Council regards our knowledge of military actions undertaken in our name as a “superfluous” distraction:  http://time.com/5546366/trump-cancels-drone-strike-rule/  We must tell the White House and the NSC that we think otherwise: NSC 202-456-1414 or Eisenhower Executive Office Bldg., Washington DC 20504

10. IMMIGRATION (REUNIFICATION):  Southwest Key is a nonprofit that runs shelters for unaccompanied minor immigrants whom U.S. border authorities have separated from their parents.  Many of these parents working to reunite with their children are being told by Southwest Key that they must use Copacabana Travel Management in Georgia even though the prices are much higher than other options.  https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/southwest-key-separated-migrant-families-copacabana-reunite/  Let’s let our MoCs know that we find this an unbearable hardship for these parents and ask them to make some changes.

1.     Phone number correction:  IMMIGRATION (REUNIFICATION):  29 formerly deported parents have been allowed back into the country to go through the asylum process and hope to be reunited with their children who were taken from them. http://time.com/5542477/migrant-parents-separated-children-reenter-us/  ICE is making custody determinations on whether the families will be detained or released to the sponsor families who are ready and eager to receive them. Please call 1-855-681-1349 and tell Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) to do the right thing: Release these asylum-seeking families to their sponsors immediately so they may reunite with their children.  (h/t Together Rising)

Election/Voting

1.   “So far in March, there are 22 elections scheduled. If one of these is your district, make sure you vote! For everyone else, please share this with your network to spread the word in order to increase awareness and turnout!” Let’s let  Political Charge tell us about them and then let’s help where we can:  https://politicalcharge.org/2019/02/28/elections-in-march-2019/

2.  Postcards to Voter's has launched Campaign 147: Brendan Csaposs for Baton Rouge, Louisiana Metro Council. The special election will be held on Saturday, March 30. The city’s Metro Council has had a Republican majority of 7 to 5. This Special Election has created an opportunity to change that by moving to a 6-6 even split and giving progressives greater footing to enact reforms in the state’s second-largest city. Let's request 5 addresses for this campaign today. If we are new, we can get started here.

3.   There’s a special election on April 2, 2019, in Wisconsin for a seat on the state’s Supreme Court. Let’s help Lisa Neubauer, who is currently Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, defeat Brian Hagedorn, former chief legal counsel to Wisconsin’s infamous Republican Governor Scott Walker, and start shifting the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a more progressive direction.  https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Supreme_Court_elections,_2019 Let’s sign up with Vote Forward, https://votefwd.org/ , and send letters to Democratic-leaning Wisconsin voters to urge them to vote. Even sending just five letters can make a difference!

4.  There's an upcoming special election in Pennsylvania and Sister District is supporting Democrat Pam Iovino in her bid to win in State Senate District 37. This is an important, winnable seat-- we can do this! Please find out how you can help, either by making a donation of any size or signing up to postcard. Here's the link.  (h/t Chop Wood Carry Water)

Other Actions

1.    LEGISLATIVE RESOURCE: ProPublica has created a new resource, the User's Guide to Democracy, to help us become more active and effective constituents. The guide provides "insights on what your representatives are doing and saying, tools for tracking legislation on issues that matter most to you, info on which industries and interests are funding your reps, an understanding of what lobbyist are (and aren’t) allowed to do, and advice on making your voice heard — and moving lawmakers on issues you care about." Let's check it out and add it to our toolbox.  

2.   POSTCARD PARTY:  If we have a group looking for new ways to get our Congress members’ attention, we can check out this strategy from Herd on the Hill. Our groups can have a "Can't Rely on Luck" party this week or next weekend to make shamrock-letters for our members of congress. Then we can either deliver them in our district during the March 18 week recess or send to Herd on the Hill to deliver in DC on March 14 when MoCs are still in DC. Online options through their partner stampslicked.org are also available. Here's more information about the Shamrock Call to Action:  http://bit.ly/ShamrocksForCongress and our Groups can sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVP84ab818geUMK1ICVxZLRSAMrYRMFdcPm1JlBJOpnjIe2w/viewform

3.   VOTER REGISTRATION:  The NAACP is gearing up to register voters and is looking for volunteers to help with peer-to-peer texting, phone banking, and canvassing. Let’s sign up: https://www.naacp.org/im-ready-help-register-voters/

4.   RANGELANDS:  Rangelands are non-forested, uncultivated lands that make up approximately one-third of the lower 48 states. Dr. Brady Allred, Associate Professor of Rangeland Ecology, University of Montana, explains rangelands and why we should care in greater detail in this Sage Grouse Initiative article. To track rangelands ourselves, we can download the Rangeland Analysis Platform app. This free tool shows rangeland resources from America's Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean. Let's be informed conservationists.

5.    GUN CONTROL LAWS:  On Tuesday at a gun violence prevention law hearing in New Hampshire, some of the GOP male representatives wore pearl necklaces to taunt the women who were testifying in the hearing – presumably to signify that these women who had been affected by gun violence were “clutching their pearls”:   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/06/new-hampshire-republicans-pearl-necklaces-gun-violence-victims  Preventing gun violence is a serious issue and constituent who take the time to speak up about it must be treated with basic courtesy and respect. Blatant contempt does not belong in the New Hampshire statehouse. We can write to Daryl Abbas, Scott Wallace, and David Welch, c/o New Hampshire State House 107 N Main St, Concord, NH 03303.  We can also email or phone them here:  Darryl Abbass (Daryl.Abbas@leg.state.nh.us or 603.560.1929), Scott Wallace (Scott.Wallace@leg.state.nh.us or 603.271-3529), and David Welch (welch4016@outlook.com or 603.642.4402)

6.  CAMAPAIGN WORKER TRAINING:  Here's a really exciting opportunity for those who've thought about becoming skilled campaign workers. "If we want Democrats to continue to succeed at the ballot box in 2019 and beyond, we need to invest the time and effort needed to ensure we have qualified staffers to run successful campaigns....The NDTC Staff Academy is a program designed to recruit, train, and place new staff on Democratic campaigns across the country, with an emphasis of expanding opportunities for people of color, women, and non-binary individuals." It's a one-week training program held in Chicago, and those accepted will have all expenses paid, including travel! Applications open on March 11:  https://traindemocrats.org/staff-academy-interest/  Let’s sign up or pass this information on to someone we know could benefit from it.

State Actions

1.    CA: Following California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's decision not to prosecute the officers who shot and killed Stephon Clark, Sacramento residents have been organizing protests in the streets, during a City Council meeting, and at the police department, and the Sacramento Police Department has responded with widespread arrests. In a recent article. the Sacramento Bee editorial board details the Sacramento Police Department's violence against citizens, clergy, and journalists, and provides a call to action: https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article227124549.html Let's read through the piece, then call our legislators and tell them we need them to pass AB 392, which would impose limits on police officers' use of deadly force, immediately. We can also follow Black Lives Matter Sacramento on Twitter to stay up-to-date on ways we can become more involved: https://twitter.com/blmsacramento

2.   FL: A bill SB588, Preemption of Local Regulations, advanced through a state Senate committee Monday. The bill would prohibit local municipalities from banning plastic straws for five years. Let's read more at The Hill. Let's tell our Florida state Senators that we oppose this government-overreach; municipalities should be allowed to govern themselves.

3.   GA: Georgia is one of five states in the U.S. that does not protect its citizens against hate crimes (https://bit.ly/2UbBJba). While a bill to rectify this (HB 426) was passed with overwhelming support in House Judiciary Committee, it has since stalled. Let's call our state legislators to tell them how important HB 426 is, ask them to support the bill, and show the rest of the country that bigotry is not accepted in Georgia.

4.   IA:  As the first state to caucus, Iowa plays a big role in conversations and debates about our Democratic candidates and about setting our overall Democratic agenda. With so many candidates declared, it can be hard to keep up. Thanks to the Des Moines Register, we now have a Candidate Tracker which tracks all of the 2020 presidential candidate public appearances around the state, updated regularly because details change frequently. We can check it out here and decide which candidate events we want to attend: http://data.desmoinesregister.com/iowa-caucus/candidate-tracker/index.php

5.   TN:  An immigrant rights group is opposing a bill in Tennessee that aims to require mothers to prove U.S. citizenship to receive government prenatal care and women, infants and children food benefits. At a news conference Tuesday, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition Co-Executive Director Stephanie Teatro said Republican Rep. Bruce Griffey's bill goes after U.S. citizen babies born to parents in the country illegally. Another Griffey bill is expected to limit birth certificates to only children of parents in the country legally, which the immigrant group also opposes. The bills follow 2018 anti-sanctuary city legislation passed by the GOP-dominated Legislature. 
      https://fox17.com/news/local/immigrant-group-blasts-tennessee-bill-to-limit-prenatal-care   Let’s contact our representatives and tell them we don’t want these bills to pass. Let them know Tennessee residents care about all mothers and babies. 

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.    Walmart is eliminating their Greeters program which employed many workers with disabilities. After strong backlash they now say they will make “every effort” to find alternative jobs for former greeters, but with no real guarantees in place, we must pressure them to be accountable. We can keep this story in the public eye on twitter when we join Action Together Network and The Blue Wave Report’s Twitterstorm this Sunday. March 10, from 8-9PM EST. We can find it more about the storm here and, when the storm starts, access prewritten tweets, ready for us to send out:  https://www.facebook.com/events/427125854497676

2.   Next Friday, March 15, there will be Youth Climate Strikes all over the world.  Let’s keep an eye on this site for updates of where and when we can attend and help: https://www.youthclimatestrikeus.org/strikes

Reading/Watching


1.    Will 2020 Democrats Help Trump by Destroying Each Other? - http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/will-2020-democrats-help-trump-by-destroying-each-other.html

2.    The Oppression of the Supermajority:  The defining political fact of our time is not polarization. It’s the thwarting of a largely unified public - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/opinion/oppression-majority.html

3.   How Greta Thunberg’s Lone Strike Against Climate Change Became a Global Movement - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/greta-thunberg-fridays-for-future-climate-change-800675/



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