11/30/17
Contact Federal Government Officials
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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.
Instead of “business as usual” as McCain called for
earlier this year, the process being used to force bill through Congress is
very troublesome. There are no hearings,
no expert witnesses, provisions being made at lightening speed, so no one is
really aware of what this tax bill really entails. Fortunately, the non-partisan Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities has launched a live blog so we can find all of the
institute's latest analyses in one spot: https://www.cbpp.org/blog/tracking-the-congressional-tax-debate The bill has moved on to its next phase in
the Senate as the vote was passed to bring it to the debate portion of the
process. The final vote is expected by Friday.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/362447-senate-gop-votes-to-begin-debate-on-tax-bill Keep
calling. This is a great plan for the
wealthy and large corporations, not for the rest of us. Small business, middle/lower class, those on
Medicare, the disabled will get hurt. As Sen. Elizabeth Warren said, “It’s
about helping wealthy Republican donors who promised millions of dollars in
campaign contributions in return for billions of dollars in tax giveaways.” More info here: https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-tax/jct-estimates-amended-senate-tax-bill-skewed-to-top-hurts-many-low-and-middle
2.
Long an anti-deficit warrior, Speaker Paul Ryan is now
relying on fuzzy math to try to gain a legislative victory through passage of
tax “reform” (estimated to increase the deficit by $1.5 trillion (yes,
trillion, with a t): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-27/ryan-dismisses-deficit-concerns-to-chase-political-win-on-taxes Let’s let Speaker Ryan know that his
hypocrisy is showing: H-232 The Capitol, Washington, DC 20515 or by phone 202-225-0600 or on Twitter @SpeakerRyan
3.
There was a bit of good news on Tuesday:
Republican Senator John Kennedy R-LA) is planning to vote against judicial
nominee Brett Talley: http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/362254-gop-senator-says-hell-vote-against-trump-judicial-nominee As we reach out to our Senators about
the tax bill, let’s be sure to mention that Brett Talley should not be anywhere
near a lifetime appointment to the bench. His “not qualified” rating from the
American Bar Association speaks volumes.
4.
Lest anyone think that ISPs won't use paid
prioritization (aka internet fast lanes) to make more money, note that Comcast
has already started changing its public position in response to the FCC's
announced intention to repeal net neutrality rules (https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/11/comcast-quietly-drops-promise-not-to-charge-tolls-for-internet-fast-lanes/). We shouldn't be fooled by their empty
promises to "never block or throttle" content, either, because when
network bandwidth is limited, giving some content more of that bandwidth is
exactly the same as giving other content less. How do we know that bandwidth
will be limited? Because if it were unlimited, all content would travel at full
speed, and there would be no reason to buy/sell fast lanes at all. ISPs spent
millions lobbying against rules barring them from a profit opportunity that
they know exists, so let's redouble our efforts to show the FCC and Congress
that net neutrality is what we want for all our digital information, because in
our modern democracy, digital information access is a public good, our new
"town square." 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 ask our MoCs to contact them, too.
5.
Among the many other disasters the Republican Reverse
Robin Hood tax scam would create is that it effectively repeals the Johnson
Amendment, allowing houses of worship and other tax-exempt organizations to
enter the political arena (http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/11/29/johnson-amendment-nonprofits). Let’s contact our senators and remind
them that in addition to taking money from the middle class and giving it to
the rich, a yes vote on this tax bill will also undermine the separation of
church and state.
6.
Earlier this month the House Natural Resources
Committee passed a bill, called the "SECURE American Energy Act" (H.R. 4239), that can only be described as an oil
industry wish-list. H.R. 4239 would eviscerate one of the core provisions
of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA), the
law that for more than 45 years has been the bulwark of conservation for many
of our most iconic ocean species. The Protection Act works by placing
safeguards on human activities, like offshore oil exploration, that harm
whales, dolphins and other marine mammals. Simply put, H.R. 4239 would gut a
whole lot of those safeguards. Let's read more at EcoWatch and sign this petition from the Natural Resources Defense
Council to save the MMPA. Let's also send emails and postcards to our
representatives opposing HR4239 and specifying our support for the Marine
Mammal Protection Act.
7.
While Congressional Republicans rush to cut taxes for
the wealthy and raise them on the middle class, they continue to fail almost
nine million children and pregnant women who count on CHIP for their health
care coverage. It’s been months since funding expired, and still no action on
extending it. Even conservatives like Texas Governor Greg Abbott are pushing
for Congress to release more money (http://www.ktsa.com/governor-requesting-funds-chip/). If we’ve already contacted our own reps
recently to ask for action on CHIP, let’s contact our state governors and ask
them to reach out to our congressional delegations themselves to keep these
state-run programs in place and keep kids healthy.
8.
In July, the U.S. House of Representatives issued what
the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) called a "death
warrant" for 90,000 wild horses when it passed the "Stewart
Amendment" to a 2018 spending bill that would allow for the destruction of
wild horses and burros that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) considers to be
surplus. The Senate has yet to weigh in on the subject, but if it concurs, the
amendment could lead to the killing of more than 90,000 wild horses on the
range and in holding facilities. AWHC is calling on Congress to reject the
Stewart amendment in favor of appropriations language that would require the
BLM to use non-lethal birth control to manage America's wild herds, as
recommended by the National Academy of
Sciences. The Senate is
expected to release its 2018 Interior Appropriations bill later this month. We
can read the full story at EcoWatch.
Let's contact our Senators via email, postcard and their web contact forms to
let them know we support non-lethal birth control to manage the wild herds, not
slaughter.
9.
“FEMA paid a newly created Florida company for tarps to
help the thousands of people left homeless after Hurricane Maria, but the
company couldn’t deliver.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/28/puerto-rico-urgently-needed-tarps-delayed-by-failed-30m-fema-contract This is just another example in a long
list of failures associated with this administration’s response to the
hurricane. Let’s contact our MoC to demand effective aid and accountability.
10. “A
newly revealed incident reported by a USAID officer who is based at the
American embassy in Uzbekistan is raising suspicions Russia may have been
involved and could have had a hand in bizarre attacks targeting U.S diplomats
in Cuba, according to American sources.” https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/uzbekistan-incident-raises-suspicions-of-russian-involvement-in-cuba-attacks/ Let’s contact our MoC to ask
them what they’re doing to ensure that our diplomats are safe and that Russia’s
role in this incident is investigated thoroughly.
11. The
House Judiciary Committee voted H.R.38 (the NRA-backed Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017) out of
committee yesterday. It now goes to the
full House for a vote. This will would
allow permit holders to carry across state lines. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/29/house-committee-takes-up-nra-backed-concealed-carry-bill/903001001/ At a time when gun deaths are at the
national forefront, this bill will do nothing to address gun violence issues,
but will make them easier to transport.
Our representatives need to hear from us and we need to be louder than
the NRA.
1.
Postcards to Voters still needs help with getting postcards
sent out to Democratic voters in Alabama to help Doug Jones win the Senate seat
next month. Read more about it and sign
up here: https://postcardstovoters.org/volunteer/
State
Actions
1.
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 8 days to get 34 more supporters. We can
them reach their goal by Dec 9, 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/
2.
RI: 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 26 days to get 47 more supporters. We can
them reach their goal by Dec 27, 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/64554-rhode-island-enrollment-alert Find
out more about how Thunderclap helps grassroots organizing here:
3.
CT: 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 26 days to get 47 more supporters. We can
them reach their goal by Dec 27, 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/64553-connecticut-enrollment-alert Find out more about how Thunderclap helps
grassroots organizing here:
Other
Actions
1.
The American Conservation Coalition, a 501(c)(4)
nonprofit organization, is a right-leaning advocacy group that is partnering
with young GOP campus activists to advocate market-friendly clean energy policies.
We can read more at cnbc.com. Let's check out the American Conservation Coalition website which says, "We're giving
conservatives a voice on the environment." Let's make sure we tell
our conservative college-age friends and family about this pro-environment
organization.
2.
On Wednesday morning, Trump re-tweeted hateful
anti-Muslim videos first posted by the British ultranationalist Jayda Fransen
of the Britain First party. Trump was roundly condemned for doing so by British
Prime Minister Theresa May, who said, “Britain First seeks to divide
communities by their use of hateful narratives that peddle lies and stoke
tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people.” Parliament member David
Lammy (Labour Party) said, “The President of the United States is promoting a
fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and
convicted.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/us/politics/trump-anti-muslim-videos-jayda-fransen.html Let’s:
A) Tell Twitter’s Board of Directors that it’s time to shut down Trump’s
Twitter account because it is being used to spread the hatred and scapegoating
of Muslims. https://investor.twitterinc.com/contactboard.cfm, and B) Tell Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson it is his job to stop Trump’s Twitter fingers from wreaking havoc on
American diplomacy. https://register.state.gov/contactus/contactusform , or write Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson, US Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520, or
call 202-647-6575 (Office of Public Engagement).
3.
#TheResistance Tweetsheets have a new one up on the tax
bill. Ready-to-go tweets for us to
use: https://resistancetweetsheets.wordpress.com/2017/11/29/say-no-to-goptaxscam/
4.
From Postcards from Kate: The
US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides independent analyses of budgetary
and economic issues and produces reports and cost estimates for proposed
legislation. CBO is nonpartisan and a vital part of our checks and balances
system.
Most
recently, CBO released the analysis of the GOP Senate tax bill, finding that
it's bad for the poor, raises taxes on the middle class and gives substantial
tax breaks to millionaires and those earning $100K+ (big surprise). In
addition, the bill would add $1.4 trillion to the national debt and make health
insurance premiums rise, causing millions of Americans to lose health
insurance. Read more here. Let's thank the folks at CBO for bringing
the realities of this bill and many others for the last 42 years to light! Address:
US Congressional Budget Office, 441 D Street SW, Washington, DC 20515
5.
Making financial donations can sometimes be confusing.
Let’s check out Charity Navigator to get the inside look on what and how charities
do with the funds given to them. The
details and the rating system are helpful:
https://www.charitynavigator.org/
Petitions
1.
For the hunters and anglers among us who support
conservation: One of the best tools to improve important habitat for big game
species, like elk and mule deer, is in danger of being weakened. In 2015,
Western sportsmen and women joined a grassroots effort to help develop plans to
improve sage-grouse habitat, for the bird and the herd. Now the Department of
Interior wants to undo these plans. Hunters and anglers understand that the
connection between the health of big game species and the sage-grouse are
inextricable. There has been too much work done to allow the Department of Interior
to send the West backwards. Be heard for the bird! Hunters understand that
elk, mule deer and pronghorn herds will benefit from these conservation plans.
Speak up to keep these plans on track, edit and add your comment
before December 1st here: https://online.nwf.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2454 Since 1936, the NWF has been at
the forefront on issues concerning hunters and anglers, protecting and
enhancing fish and wildlife habitat for all species. Conservation is
non-partisan.
2.
It is hard to believe that Arctic drilling is part of a
tax bill, but it is. “Big Oil has been
fighting to open Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling for
decades, and every step of the way the American people have stood up and said
NO. “ It is our turn to say
“NO”: https://petitions.signforgood.com/StopArcticDrilling/
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms
to attend/organize
1.
The protests in favor of preserving net neutrality are
coming up on December 7th at Verizon stores: http://verizonprotests.com Let’s plan to attend as we are able or plan one if one is
not near us.
Reading/Watching
1.
Some insiders have called up some serious concern about
Trump’s mental state: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/from-access-hollywood-to-russia-trump-seeks-to-paint-the-rosiest-picture/2017/11/28/9e253bc4-d451-11e7-95bf-df7c19270879_story.html?utm_term=.eb9a21cf60db
2.
From The Intercept: Republicans plan to turn Puerto Rico into a theme park for
fossil-fuel corporations. excerpt: " The House
Committee on Natural Resources convened this week [Nov. 9] to discuss Puerto
Rico’s ongoing hurricane recovery efforts. They talked devastation, debt, and
regulations, and somewhere along the way, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, made a
statement that would have been easy to miss if you weren’t listening closely:
“Puerto Rico has the potential of being the Hong Kong of the United States,
where businesses would flood in there.” Hong Kong, in this case, is code
for lax labor laws and low taxes on corporations and the wealthy — an economy
structured mainly around pleasing the private sector. "
3.
“Millennial poll: Strong majority want a third political party” - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/millennial-poll-strong-majority-want-third-political-party-n824526
“Millennial poll: Strong majority want a third political party” - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/millennial-poll-strong-majority-want-third-political-party-n824526
