11/17/17
Contact Federal Government
Officials
Find senator’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/RLiotu
Find representative’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/5i7SXC
Fax legislators for free: Reps: https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php
and Senate: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php
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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.
The House version of the tax bill passed the by a vote
of 227-205 yesterday and late last night the Senate Finance Committee approved
their version of the tax bill which now goes to the full Senate. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/16/trump-rally-house-republicans-tax-vote-244965 Now it is time to call, fax, tweet, email,
write your senator—and other senators who have shown themselves willing to
defend healthcare, education, and the social safety net, despite GOP
pressure—and urge them, even beg them, to oppose this dangerous Republican tax
“reform.” There is no more important action we can take today. Our best
bets among Republicans are Senators Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Susan Collins
(ME), Dean Heller (NV), John McCain (AZ), Rob Portman (OH), Lamar Alexander
(TN) and Lisa Murkowski (AK); all of these voted against the repeal of the
ACA. We should call on them to once again act responsibly by voting
against the Republican tax “reform.” We
can see how the Senate bill would affect our state’s citizen’s access to
healthcare here: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/news/2017/11/16/442906/senate-tax-bill-threatens-access-health-care/
2.
If the fact that it decimates the Affordable Care Act
and higher education, that it grants permanent tax breaks to the very wealthy
while “sunsetting” whatever tax benefits the rest of us get, that it guarantees
even greater economic inequality, aren’t enough to shore up our opposition to
the Republican tax bill, here’s another thing to consider: if Republicans pass
their bill and their rosy projections about economic growth turn out to be as
unrealistic as most economists say they are, Congress will face pressure to
address the deficit and cut spending. And where do we think these cuts
will come? Legislation that adds to the federal deficit must be paid for
with spending cuts or other offsets; if it isn’t, automatic cuts to programs
like Medicare kick in. The Congressional Budget Office says that a $25 billion
automatic cut to Medicare would be required, according to a 2010 law: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/15/us/politics/republicans-entitlement-programs-deficit.html
Republicans have tried to cut “entitlement” programs—Social Security, Medicare,
Medicaid—for years; only the popularity of these programs have saved
them. We must demand that our senators protect these programs from which
we all do (or will) benefit and to which we all contribute by opposing the
Republican tax bill.
3.
We all know that Congress will have to find a way to
pay for its generous tax cuts to the wealthy and large corporations. “Now, some Democrats are warning that the tax
rewrite would ultimately be financed by gutting entitlement programs like
Social Security and Medicare.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/15/us/politics/republicans-entitlement-programs-deficit.html Our legislators need to know that we hold
these programs sacred as they care for our most vulnerable citizen and are not
to be toyed with to give them less so the wealthy can have more.
4.
26 people, including children, were massacred in a
Texas church, after the Army, ignoring existing law, failed to report the
shooter's court martial, allowing him to buy an automatic weapon. Now a
bipartisan group of Senators, Cornyn, Scott (Rs)and Democrats Murphy and
Blumenthal( Ds), wrote a bill (yet unnumbered) prevent this from happening
again. Their bill punishes federal and state agencies that do not comply with
existing law and report criminal histories to a background check system
for gun purchasers. It rewards ones that comply. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-16/gun-background-checks-bolstered-under-bipartisan-senate-proposal
While this may seem a small attempt to solve a big problem, it is a rare bipartisan
approach to gun control in Congress and we should do everything we can to help
it succeed. Once this bill passes, it's easier for other, stronger bills to
follow. Let’s call our senators and voice our support.
5.
From Suit
Up Maine: UNQUALIFIED
AND EXTREMIST JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS: Demand Their Opposition – here’s how and
why: https://www.facebook.com/notes/suit-up-maine/unqualified-and-extremist-judicial-appointments-demand-their-opposition/1534692176616627/
6.
To pass their reverse Robin Hood tax scam, Republicans
are counting on offsetting cuts for the rich with a billion dollars in revenue
gained from selling oil-drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
(ANWR). In addition to endangering our environment, data from past sales
indicates this sale would bring in $850 million less than the GOP is claiming https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-31/arctic-refuge-oil-bonanza-more-likely-to-be-bust-for-gop-budget.
Let’s contact our reps and let them know we see this for what it is – sleight
of hand meant to give Big Oil and Trump’s billionaire buddies what they want at
the expense of our hard-earned money and our children’s future – and we want
them to oppose opening ANWR for drilling.
7.
Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced plans to allow states to implement
work requirements in order for individuals to receive Medicaid services http://bit.ly/2iZoBEL Work
requirements are unnecessary, and create an administrative hurdle which will
prevent low-income families from getting the services that they desperately
need. From the article, "According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF),
eight in 10 Medicaid recipients are in working families, while 59 percent of
recipients are working themselves. Those not working say there’s a major
impediment to doing so, according to KFF. Thirty-five percent cite an illness
or disability that prevents them from work, while 28 percent say they are
taking care of family, 18 percent say they’re in school, 8 percent say they’re
looking for work and 8 percent are retired." The Trump administration's
focus on tax cuts for the rich, and refusal of health services for the poor is
absurd. Let's contact CMS administrator Seema Verma to let her know how we feel
about this work requirement. E-mail: Seema.Verma@cms.hhs.gov Mailing address: Ms. Seema Verma
Administrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 7500 Security Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21244-8013
8.
Senators John Cornyn and Chris Murphy have introduced
bipartisan legislation which would focus on enhancing background checks for
firearm purchases http://bit.ly/2hF2zub The
bill would incentivize states to provide more detailed information to
the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. It would also
punish federal agencies who do not submit the required information. Let's call
our senators and ask that they support S. 2135: A
bill to enforce current law regarding the National Instant Criminal Background
Check System. We can also call Chairman Grassley ((202)
224-3744) and Ranking Member Feinstein ((202)
224-3841) of the Senate Judiciary Committee and ask
that they make this legislation a priority.
9.
In response to the rampant sexual harassment on Capitol
Hill: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/female-lawmakers-allege-harassment-by-colleagues-in-house),
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Jackie Speier have introduced
legislation to reform the reporting process and require sexual harassment
training for Congress
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/360489-lawmakers-unveil-me-too-congress-bill-to-overhaul-sexual-harassment-policies Let's
call our MoC and ask them to cosponsor and support the Member and Employee
Training and Oversight On Congress Act (ME TOO Congress) Act (not yet numbered).
10. Michael
Dourson’s deep ties to the chemical industry have sparked widespread concern
about his ability to lead the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention, the nation’s top regulator of toxic chemicals. Senators Thom Tillis
(R-NC) and Richard Burr (R-NC) have announced that they oppose his confirmation.
Dourson has been criticized for previous
work in that put the interests of industry above that of the environment. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/360615-2-gop-senators-oppose-trumps-epa-chemical-safety-nominee We
only need one more GOP vote to keep Dourson from confirmation. we want someone
who cares about public health, not the chemical industry’s bottom line, and we
want them to join Democrats and Republican Senators Burr and Tillis in opposing
Dourson.
11. The
coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a key point on
the migratory route of porcupine caribou herds: it is where female caribou
give birth and nurse their young. Last week, Republican Senator Lisa
Murkowski of Alaska, who chairs the US Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources, brought forward a motion that would open up the coastal
plain "for the leasing, development, production, and transportation of oil
and gas". The Gwich'in - about 9,000 indigenous peoples living in
more than a dozen communities in northern Canada and the United States - fear
oil-and-gas drilling will threaten that delicate habitat. "Eighty
percent of our diet is the porcupine caribou herd," said
Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, which
represents the Gwich'in on both sides of the US-Canada border. Murkowski
said the plan would generate more than $1bn in the first decade.
...critics [of the plan] have accused lawmakers of trying to sneak Arctic
drilling - a longstanding and strongly contested issue - into budget
legislation. Since it is technically a budgetary measure, known as
reconciliation legislation, Murkowski's proposal can be passed with a simple
majority in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate." Let's read
the full article at Aljazeera. Let's
contact our Senators, particularly if they are members of the Senate Energy and National Resources
Committee, to let them know we oppose drilling in the
ANWR.
12. Three
women from Windsor, Ontario, ages 67-75 who regularly volunteer as ushers at
the Fisher Theatre across the river in Detroit, were detained at the border
last weekend for three hours, fingerprinted, and sent home. They were told “that only religious and
non-profit groups in the U.S. are allowed to use non-American volunteers.” http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/local-seniors-volunteering-in-detroit-detained-at-border-fingerprinted-and-sent-home
Let’s let the U.S. Border Patrol that we are
pretty sure this is going a bit too far to protect us: https://www.cbp.gov/contact
13. The
SECURE American Energy Act (H.R. 4239). poses
too big a threat to the millions of people who live along our coasts, to marine
life, and to our climate. Those lands and waters belong to the American people.
The 19 Republicans who voted it out of committee have received millions of
dollars from oil and gas interests. https://psmag.com/environment/house-committee-on-natural-resources-hands-the-public-lands-to-oil-and-gas-interests Let’s tell our MoCs that we do not agree with
this and that the natural resources belong to all of us.
1.
Roy Moore is showing no signs of leaving the Senate
race in Alabama and, in fact, tweeted at Mitch McConnell to say “bring it
on”:
https://apnews.com/7db9f6b8b3694d2aa3216967ca414152/GOP-braces-for-extended-clash-in-Alabama Complex
back door efforts by the GOP to manage this situation will be unnecessary if
Democrat Doug Jones just wins on December 12th. Let’s keep up our efforts
there: https://dougjonesforsenate.com
2.
Good news! This week Democrats won two more elections!
In Oklahoma, Allison Ikley-Freeman, "a lightly funded, little-known
26-year-old lesbian" won by 31 votes in a district previously won by a
Republican by 15%. (Full story: Tulsa World).
"Ikley-Freeman, a mental health counselor, said she and her campaign team
worked hard at targeting voters they knew would turn out for her in a low-volume
election. “When we were knocking on doors, so many people said, ‘Thank you. We
didn’t know there was an election,” In New Mexico, "Albuquerque voters
lifted native son Tim Keller to victory Tuesday, electing him mayor in
what turned out to be a landslide. Keller, a Democrat and New Mexico’s
state auditor, beat outgoing City Councilor Dan Lewis, a Republican, by 24
percentage points in the mayoral runoff." (Full story: Albuquerque Journal).
If we have elections in 2018, let's make a plan to vote now. We can
check Ballotpedia to
find out about up-coming elections and dates.
State Actions
1.
AL: Baltimore Sun columnist David Zurawik says "On
CNN's "Reliable Sources" on Sunday, I explained how Sinclair
used its Alabama station, WBMA, last week to try to attack the credibility
of a Washington Post
article in which a women says Senate candidate
Roy Moore sexually assaulted her when she was 14 and he was 32. I also
explained how Breitbart promoted the WBMA
report with a headline on its homepage saying:
“Alabama ABC
affiliate can’t find one voter who believes WAPO
report about Roy Moore in man on the street segment. While the TV reporter says
she talked with “a lot of voters” for the segment, her report includes
interviews with only three people... As a media critic, what matters to me is
the way Sinclair compromised the integrity of a newscast with this
report." (Full story at The Baltimore Sun.)
If we are Alabamians who regularly look to WBMA as our local news' source, we
need to be aware that their integrity has been compromised by Sinclair Media
and that we may be hearing propaganda. Let's use our voices by changing the
channel.
2.
GA: A group of
citizens is trying to recall Sec. of State, Brian Kemp by circulating petitions
to get it on the ballot. They need to collect nearly 800,000 signatures of
registered voters by Dec. 27. http://www.cbs46.com/story/36840917/grassroots-organization-starts-petition-to-recall-georgia-sec-of-state-brian-kemp
We can keep up to date, get more information, and see how we can help
here: https://www.facebook.com/AVoiceforAllGa/
3.
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 only 21 days to get 90"more
supporters. Help them reach their goal to set off a Thunderclap, a
social media flash mob message blast. Please click, add your 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.
Don’t let recent election wins by Democrats lull us
into thinking gerrymandering is no longer a critical issue! The Virginia
legislature, where we enjoyed our biggest electoral turnaround in years, is
only at a near-tie and depends on recounts of a handful of votes in 3
districts. This, after Democratic voters in the state outperformed Republicans
by a 9% margin, is a clear demonstration of gerrymandered voting districts (https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/eric-holders-battle-against-gerrymandering).
We must keep fighting for initiatives like the National Democratic
Redistricting Committee: https://democraticredistricting.com/
and supporting anti-gerrymandering groups (http://reclaimtheamericandream.org/organizations-gerrymander/),
or our candidates will keep running with one foot in a bucket.
2.
Last week, Rogan’s List reported that Twitter
had verified the account of Jason Kessler, the white supremacist responsible
for organizing the Charlottesville rally that led to the death of Heather
Heyer. In response to pressure from people like you, Twitter has changed its
policy and has now removed the “verified” status from white supremacists like
Jason Kessler and Richard Spencer.https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/white-nationalist-richard-spencer-others-lose-twitter-verification-n821316 The
loss of this status will make it harder for potential followers to identify
white supremacist leaders, and will hinder mobilization efforts. Let’s thank
Twitter for taking a stand against white supremacy: @TwitterSupport
3.
For those of us putting together a Thanksgiving dinner,
the AFL-CIO has put together this list of union made-in-America products.
If we can. let's buy American this year.
4.
“For many of us, Thanksgiving is when we spend welcome
time with friends and family. It is also a time when we are asked to
think about what we’re thankful for. In a year when so many members of our
communities are under constant attack and living in fear, all of us at Hand in
Hand are dedicated to connecting our gratitude to efforts to create communities
that are safe and welcoming for everyone…. Use this toolkit to support
your conversations with friends and family this Thanksgiving. Let’s follow the
lead of the Dreamers, boldly demanding the protections they deserve while
refusing to negotiate away the rights of any other vulnerable communities. Let’s
work our hearts out to pass a clean DREAM Act and get permanent protection for
undocumented youth this year.” https://mysanctuaryhome.us/thanksgiving-toolkit
5.
Indivisible can help us write letters to the editor to
our local papers about the tax bill: http://act.indivisibleguide.com/lte/trump-tax-scam/
6.
From Amy Siskind:
The Koch brothers via Meredith just made a formal bid for Time Inc,
which also includes many familiar brands like Sports Illustrated, People and Fortune.
All soon to be in Koch hands. On top of the FCC news today which allow Sinclair
to vastly increase their footprint, and rumors that Murdoch is trying to buy
CNN, etc. Ugh. And while Trump continues his efforts to delegitimize our media.
People are asking what we can do. The only thing I can come up with other than
the resisting we are doing is to pay for subscriptions to media outlets you
click on. I'm going to make an effort to do more of this. Their business model
is either money from consumers and can remain profitable enough to be a public
company, or a billionaire will pick them off to fit their agenda. Food for
thought.
Petitions
1.
Hard to believe it, but we need to protect the Grand
Canyon from drilling. Let’s join Credo Action in telling Trump not to allow
destructive uranium mining there: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/save-grand-canyon
2.
Separation of church and state has always been a
hallmark of our republic. A section of the current tax bill does not follow
this and would weaken the Johnson Amendment which has worked so well for over
60 years to help keep this separation. Let’s sign this to keep church and state
separate: http://action.adl.org/johnson-amendment/
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
Tonight, 8:00 PM EST join Joan Blades of Living
Room Conversations and Rachel Bagby of Differ Well for 60
minutes of practical steps you can take for being lovingly present this holiday
season--despite differences among family and friends--and opening deeper
conversations that cultivate authentic relationships. Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6hpyrV3vTSWQDSgwuR3EIQ%20
2.
On November 21st at 7pm, “Join Resistance
School and Heather Booth, one of the leading
organizers and strategists on progressive issues and electoral campaigns and
Founder of Midwest Academy, for a training on Strategic Planning. This session
will train you in the art of political strategy and will equip you with the
skillset you need to develop a step-by-step framework for developing your plan
to effect change.” Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/ResistSchool/videos/1810363085927416/
Reading/Watching
1.
“What if we Treated Gun Violence Like a Public Health
Crisis?” - https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/11/15/564384012/what-if-we-treated-gun-violence-like-a-public-health-crisis
2.
“President Trump, please listen to a Sandy Hook Mom on
gun control” - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/15/president-trump-sandy-hook-gun-reform
3.
“How Trump Walked into Putin’s Web” - https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/15/how-trump-walked-into-putins-web-luke
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