11/28/17
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.
Maybe we are tired.
Maybe we are busy with holiday plans.
Maybe we are just fed up. But,
this tax bill will hurt so very many people that we have to make the extra
effort to be just as diligent opposing it as we were the healthcare bill. This tax bill will likely hurt people we know
and love. This bill gives permanent tax
breaks to the wealthy and to corporations.
It does not help small businesses or non-wealthy people, in fact it
hurts more than originally thought and it adds $1.5 Trillion to the deficit
which will cut Medicare, agricultural subsidies, student loan programs and many
other programs that benefit so many. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/27/senate-gop-tax-bill-would-hit-lower-income-americans-most-cbo-report.html In
addition to calling senators, let’s see what else we can do using Invidisible’s
TrumpTaxScam page: https://www.trumptaxscam.org/, especially the tool to call voters in
crucial states encouraging them to contact their senators: https://www.trumptaxscam.org/calls-to-kill-the-tax-scam/
2.
Even more specific, the Congressional Budget Office
released its latest report on the Senate tax bill this past Sunday, and
here’s the verdict according to the Washington Post: “The Senate Republican tax
plan gives substantial tax cuts and benefits to Americans earning more than
$100,000 a year, while the nation’s poorest would be worse off, according to a
report released Sunday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget
Office. . . . Republicans are aiming to have the full Senate vote on the tax
plan as early as this week, but the new CBO analysis showing large, harmful
effects on the poor may complicate those plans.” By 2019, those earning
less than $30K would be worse off; by 2021, those making $40K or less would be
net losers; and by 2027, most people earning less than $75K, would be worse
off—and the big beneficiaries would be those with incomes from $100-500K:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/11/26/senate-gop-tax-bill-hurts-the-poor-more-than-originally-thought-cbo-finds/ And, of course, those with less
income will also be hardest hit when Republicans decide to cut the programs on
which they depend in order to reduce the inevitable budget deficit. We
need to impress on our senators that to doubly penalize those with the fewest
resources is not acceptable to us. Let's CALL our senators now!
3.
The Senate has not yet announced whether its tax bill
will, like that of the House, repeal the 1954 Johnson Amendment. That
amendment—albeit rarely enforced— threatens religious organizations and
charities with loss of their tax-exempt status if they endorse or oppose
political candidates. Were it repealed, we should expect a dramatic
increase in untraceable political spending and the creation of “sham churches”
to take advantage of this new avenue for political spending; unlike donations
to candidates, “super PACs” and party committees, these contributions to
churches and charities would be tax-deductible. According to the NY
Times, “Thousands of religious leaders, as well as groups and denominations
like the United Methodist Church, the National Council of Churches and the
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, say rolling back the Johnson
Amendment would be the biggest threat to the stability and mission of their
organizations in a generation.”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/10/tax-bills-repeal-johnson-amendment-could-cost-taxpayers-more-than-1-billion/852554001/ Do we really want to grant tax-exempt non-profit status to churches and charities that serve as conduits for political spending? Let’s make sure our senators know that we want the Johnson Amendment to stand as is.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/10/tax-bills-repeal-johnson-amendment-could-cost-taxpayers-more-than-1-billion/852554001/ Do we really want to grant tax-exempt non-profit status to churches and charities that serve as conduits for political spending? Let’s make sure our senators know that we want the Johnson Amendment to stand as is.
4.
Trump and the GOP are still rushing towards a vote on
their Reverse Robin Hood tax bill, but they may be in trouble. They can only
lose two Republican votes, and Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Ron Johnson
(R-WI) have already said they oppose the legislation in its current form (http://time.com/5038387/republican-tax-bill-senate-critics/), but the bill is still evolving. Let’s
keep the pressure on! We can text bank to push voters in key states to contact
their members of Congress in opposition to the tax scam with MoveOn at this link, and do the same via phone with Indivisible or the ACA Defenders.
5.
This is the conclusion of Sarah Kendzior’s newest piece
in The Globe and Mail about net neutrality: “And here we lie at the
interconnected horror of the Trump administration's autocratic maneuvers.
Consider this scenario for 2018: The repeal of net neutrality will stem the
flow of information, making voter suppression harder to document. The packing
of the courts will make the voter suppression that is documented harder to
challenge. And the long-standing solution to purveyors of unpopular policies –
vote them out – will be, by definition, impossible, since the election is
rigged and the rigging uncontestable. This carefully constructed web of
repression is how democracy dies.”:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/gutting-net-neutrality-is-a-death-knell-for-the-resistance/article37088279/ Clearly, this is a big issue. Let’s
each please reach out to at least five people today to ask them to be in touch
with the FCC Commissioners who have not come out against repealing net
neutrality: The five FCC commissioners will cast the deciding
vote December 14 on this essential issue. The two women on the
FCC have come out as No votes. We need only to convince ONE of the other
members to flip to a No vote to save Net Neutrality: A) Ajit Pai:202-518-7399 / email: Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov/ Twitter: @AjitPaiFCC, B) Michael
O'Rielly: 301-657-9092 / email: mike.o’rielly@fcc.gov Twitter
@mikeofcc, and C) Brendan Carr: 202-719-7305/ email: Brendan.Carr@fcc.gov/
Twitter: @BrendanCarrFCC
6.
We cannot stop at contacting the FCC commissioners, because
large swathes of the fabric of our democracy are now digital, we must end
political deadlock on the issue of net neutrality and urge our MoCs to stand
with Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) in calling for
bipartisan legislation to require equal access to all internet content. Failing
to do so could bring dire consequences, and soon. "Consider this scenario
for 2018: The repeal of net neutrality will stem the flow of information,
making voter suppression harder to document. The packing of the courts will
make the voter suppression that is documented harder to challenge. And the
long-standing solution to purveyors of unpopular policies – vote them out –
will be, by definition, impossible, since the election is rigged and the
rigging uncontestable. This carefully constructed web of repression is how
democracy dies."
7.
The Clean Power Plan has been repealed by Trump, et
al. https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/04/trump-vs-the-climate-the-fights-only-just-starting/
However, the EPA is still seeking comments regarding the repeal. There
will be a public hearing November 28th-29th in West Virginia and
public comments on the repeal will be accepted until January 16th, 2018.
Let's make sure that we leave a comment to voice our opposition to the repeal,
and support the continuation of the Clean Power Plan:
8.
Let's not forget that Congress has STILL not renewed
CHIP. "CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that
earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid yet still cannot afford insurance.
In some states, CHIP covers pregnant women. Each state offers CHIP coverage,
and works closely with its state Medicaid program." https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/childrens-health-insurance-program/ Today in CO: "The Department of Health
Care Policy and Financing (Department) began sending informational letters to Children’s Health
Plan Plus (CHP+) members advising them to start researching private
health insurance options. Federal funding for the program ended on September
30, 2017. Colorado has sufficient funds to operate the CHP+ program until January
31, 2018; today’s letter is intended to urge CHP+ members to be prepared in the
event the federal government fails to reinstate funding." https://www.colorado.gov/hcpf/news/families-begin-receiving-letters-future-chp There are 9 million children nationwide
covered under CHIP. Let's tell our MoCs that they need to renew CHIP funding
and ensure these children will continue to have health insurance!
9.
While current law specifies work-related breastfeeding
practices, the wording is such that it includes only hourly workers. Senator Merkley and Representative Maloney
have introduced the Support Working Moms Act, which would amend the Fair Labor
Act to include break time for nursing mothers who are salaried executive,
administrative, and professional employees, including teachers. This
legislation would be essential for health policy and mothers in the
workplace http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/swma Let's call our MoC and ask that they
support S. 2122/H.R. 3255. We can also use WeTweet's tool to send a message on
Twitter:
10. Here
are two more ways to make our thoughts about net neutrality known: A) Call the FCC's customer service number
at 888-225-5322. Leave a message with the simply saying you
oppose any effort to weaken net neutrality, and B) Step 1: Go to gofccyourself.com,
Step 2: Click "express" (over to the right), Step 3: Tell the FCC
that you support Net Neutrality
11. From
Postcards
for America: The National Park Service has
extended the public comment period on raising the peak-season entrance
fee proposal until December 22, 2017. https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/11-21-2017-fee-proposal.htm We
can comment here: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=83652
12. We
were already disturbed by Secretary of State Tillerson’s failure to fill key
roles in the State Department, but now we’ve learned that he has fired “most of
the department's leading African-American and Latino diplomats.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/361783-state-department-wracked-by-departures-under-trump-report Let’s contact the State Department (https://register.state.gov/contactus/contactusform or 202-647-4000 or U.S.
Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520) and our MoC
to protest the dwindling numbers in the State Department and the increasing
lack of diversity.
13. The
longest lasting effect of any presidency is the appointment of federal judges
and Trump is filling the federal courts with ideologues, many of whom are
unqualified for the bench. Because federal judges have life tenure, Trump has
the ability to shape the federal courts for decades to come and many of his
picks are deeply disturbing. There were more than 100 vacancies when Trump
assumed office, more than twice the number when President Barack Obama was
inaugurated. This is because Republicans had refused to confirm Obama’s
nominees during his last two years in office. An additional 60 vacancies have
opened in the last 10 months. It is estimated that even if he serves only one
term, Trump will have selected about 30 percent of the federal judges in the
country. Let's read more at The Sacramento Bee. Let's continue to contact our own
Senators about unqualified nominees and we can also contact members of
the Senate Judiciary
Committee.
14. Case
in point, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing this week on David
Stras, Trump’s nominee to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and in the
process will overturn the century-old “blue slip” tradition which has curbed
extremist judges from getting lifetime appointments. They’ll do so on behalf of
a reactionary conservative who has ruled against the rights of workers,
children with disabilities and sexual assault survivors (http://www.startribune.com/senate-will-proceed-with-hearing-for-minnesota-appellate-nominee/458099463/). If we’re represented by a Senator on the Judiciary Committee, let’s contact them and let them know that
moving forward with this hearing is unacceptable and part of a continuing
assault on a nonpartisan judiciary. And we can all contact our senators and let
them know that if Chuck Grassley succeeds in ramming Stras through, we want
them to oppose his confirmation. We can find more info and talking points from
the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights at this link.
15. While
others in the federal government are willingly taking part in ethics
investigations regarding allegations of sexual misconduct, in case we've
forgotten, here's the list of
women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. Let's continue to tell our MoC's that we
want an ethics' investigation into Trump's behavior. We can write to the six
member Senate Ethics' Committee at 220 Hart Building, Washington, DC 20510
or call (202) 224-2981.
16. Schumer
cited the rising popularity of home genetic kits and ancestry services, such as
Ancestry, 23andMe and MyHeritage, and said some of their terms-of-service
agreements weren't clear on just what companies could do with your genetic
information. Here's what many consumers don't realize, that their sensitive
information can end up in the hands of unknown third-party companies," he
said. "There are no prohibitions, and many companies say that they can
still sell your information to other companies." The senator said he was
calling on the Federal Trade Commission to "take a serious look at this
relatively new kind of service and ensure that these companies can have clear,
fair privacy policies." https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/amp/senator-calls-more-scrutiny-home-dna-test-industry-n824031. Many of us use these services
for searching out family connections for genealogy, and adoptees searching for
bio families. We all deserve to have rights over our own DNA. Let’s
support this action and thank Senator Schumer.
1.
Postcards to Voters is in the final stretch of writing
get-out-the-vote postcards for Democrat Doug Jones
in Alabama. Jones' challenger is extremist and accused pedophile Roy Moore. If we have not yet written five (5)
postcards to Doug Jones, let's consider joining the Postcards to Voters team
now. Volunteers across the country have already written over 100,000 postcards
but 50,000 addresses remain. Election day is Dec. 12 so time is of the essence.
Creativity is not required! We can use any old postcards we have, buy the
pre-stamped ones, cut our own. Whatever it takes! Postcards to Voters provides
the "script" for us to write and the voter addresses. To get started,
click here OR send an email to:
join@TonyTheDemocrat.org OR text HELLO to ABBY The Address Bot
at 1-484-ASK-ABBY (which is 1-484-275-2229) Let's support the cause by writing 5
postcards.
2.
Trump’s election has galvanized the progressive
movement, including bringing in many people who’ve never been politically
active before. In November 2018, we’ll have the chance to channel this surge of
activism into winning back the House of Representatives. Let's check out Swing Left's Guide to Taking Back the House. Swing Left’s plan is to direct the massive
energy of the Left to the places and actions that will have the most impact in
the midterm elections. Three (3) key tactics that anyone can do to help
flip the House, no matter where we live: 1) Voter Contact: Ultimately,
we’ll win by getting more Swing District voters who share our values to vote on
Election Day, and nothing is more effective at turning out voters than
face-to-face conversations. 2) Grassroots Fundraising: Nominees usually
emerge from primaries cash poor, while their incumbent opponent has been
amassing funds for years. That’s why we’re raising as much money as early as possible,
to give the Democratic challengers to Swing District Republicans a running
start. 3) Cultural Mobilization: Midterm elections typically don’t get the
attention they deserve. Our goal is to get everyone talking about the midterms
in ways that inspire action—and ensure the elections stay top of mind, all year
long. We Rogan's Listers understand the importance of starting our work for the
2018 Elections now. Let's start talking to voters about 2018 now by finding out
about and discussing the records of our own incumbent legislators who will be
up for re-election.
3.
These folks found a clever way to make an impact in a
red area while they live in a blue area.
It is called “Eat to Unseat”. In
their words, “Recently, I had an idea. What if we gather friends together for a
potluck dinner once a month, or every two months, or whenever we can fit it in.
Then, we find a Democrat somewhere in the U.S. who is trying to unseat a
Republican and donate funds to their campaign that we would have spent going
out for dinner. Or a Democrat at risk of losing their seat to a Republican. You
get the idea. Let's change the balance of power as soon as we can! I like the idea because I love sharing a meal
with friends, and it feels like something strategic we could do together that
might make a difference.” We can learn
more about how we can do this, too, here:
https://www.facebook.com/EatToUnseat/
State
Actions
1.
FL: If we are
Floridians, we can now register to vote on-line. Let's check out registertovoteflorida.org. Here's an article from the Tampa Bay Times if we want more
background information. Florida has a partisan gerrymandering problem (article Jacksonville
Business Journal). If we
are are non-party affiliated voters registering for the first time or updating
our information, let's consider registering as Republicans. What we register as
does not affect who we vote for or give money to. This will allow us to vote in
Republican primaries (Florida has closed primaries) and help make future
partisan gerrymandering ineffective.
2.
FL: If we are Floridians, let's check out the 103
proposals for changing the Florida constitution in this Sun-Sentinel article. The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC)
convenes only once every 20 years and is a historic opportunity for Floridians.
Florida is the only state in the nation that offers this unique process with
high-level input from citizens. Through the CRC, Floridians can speak directly
before Commissioners and propose constitutional amendments that could
potentially go onto Florida’s 2018 General Election ballot for voter
consideration. We can get involved, including submitting comments and
contacting the commissioners, by using the resources at Florida Constitutional Revision Commission.
3.
OH: More than a
quarter of Ohio’s registered voters didn’t cast ballots last year. And for some
of them, that could have been one inactive election too many. Ohio has been
removing voters who haven’t cast ballots over a period of six years – unless
they contact their board of elections during that time. It’s a process that’s
at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court
case expected to be
argued early next year. If we are Ohioans who skipped voting in any elections,
let's check on our registration information by searching here (Ohio Sec. of State site) and
encourage our fellow Ohioans to do the same. To update our information or to
register to vote in Ohio, we can print and use this Voter Registration and
Information Update form and
send it in to our local county Board
of Elections. Ohio
does not have on-line registration.
4.
OR: 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 2 days to get 14 more supporters. We can
them reach their goal by Dec1 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/64819-oregon-aca-signups Find
out more about how Thunderclap helps grassroots organizing here: https://www.socialworkhelper.com/2013/10/02/thunderclap-can-help-grassroots-organizing/amp/
5.
WA: 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 2
days to get 14 more supporters. We can help them reach their goal
by Dec1 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/65113-washington-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.
From one of our own:
During his speech at an event on Monday honoring the Navajo Code Talkers
of World War II, Trump referred to Sen. Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/361990-trump-calls-warren-pocahontas-at-event-honoring-native-american
While he did not think it was an inappropriate or racist, we do. Let’s send the Navajo Code Talkers
Association our respect, thanks, and apologies at Navajo Code Talkers
Association, Navajo Code Talkers Foundation, Inc., PO Box 1266, Window Rock, AZ
86515 / Tel: 928-688-5202 / Fax: 928-688-5204 / website:
2.
Women's March is planning a creative action in NYC on
12/2 to raise awareness and put pressure on Congress to pass a clean #DreamActNow. The action requires a specific amount of
participants. If you or someone you know would like to participate, please sign
up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpW7Du0Qpai0hsLyQCBB2ilCiPbIQA5ocNRkAtW2d0bFND8Q/viewform
3.
Duty to Protect & Herd
on the Hill are delivering
copies of the book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists
and Mental Health Experts Assess a President" & constituent letters to
US Senators. Bill Moyers interviewed
America’s leading psychohistorians, Robert Jay Lifton who wrote the forward: http://billmoyers.com/story/dangerous-case-donald-trump-robert-jay-lifton-bill-moyers-duty-warn/ We
can be included as signatories, by signing here BEFORE November 29, 2017: https://goo.gl/forms/p7tZyEkru6rEl8Jh1
4.
Here are some ready to tweet Tweetsheets on the tax
bill from #TheResistance Tweetsheets. We
can sign up for their weekly tweetsheets.
https://resistancetweetsheets.wordpress.com/2017/11/27/theresistance-tweetsheets-post-thanksgiving-pot-luck/
5.
According to the AARP, 64% of workers aged 55 and over
report age discrimination in the workplace. https://twitter.com/AARP/status/923527133695266817 Let’s educate ourselves—and our older
friends and family—about age discrimination and what we can do to fight
it https://www.aarp.org/work/employee-rights/info-02-2009/age_discrimination_fact_sheet.html
6.
Time magazine has been sold to an entity backed by the
right-wing Koch brothers. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42133002 Let’s keep our eye on deals like this
as we monitor the quality of the news we’re receiving.
Petitions
1.
Let’s sign Sen. Kamala Harris’s petition to the FCC to
keep net neutrality: https://pac.petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-the-fcc-to-preserve
2.
Let’s also sign Sen. Maggie Hassan’s petition to GOP
senators letting them know we do not want this tax bill: http://act.maggiehassan.com/page/s/stop-the-gop-tax-bill
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms
to attend/organize
1.
Time is running out for DACA recipients, as Congress
fails to pass any meaningful legislation to protect DREAMers http://politi.co/2jLpc0T While it is important to keep calling
our MoC, we must also make sure that we are showing up in person to add to the
pressure to pass a clean DREAM Act. Our Dream, a collaborative campaign focused
on passing the DREAM Act, is asking that we sign up to host sit-ins at our MoC
offices on December 4th and 5th. Let's sign up and stand up for our
DREAMers https://actionnetwork.org/forms/fight-for-our-dream
2.
Not One Penny (https://action.notonepenny.org/page/event/detail/394/wrby) and Tax Scam Caroling (https://act.moveon.org/event/tax-scam-attend/search/) have events planned all over the country
this week. Let’s join them! If we don’t see one listed near us, let’s
start one!
Reading/Watching
2.
“The Stakes Are About To Get Really High For
Republicans” - https://www.npr.org/2017/11/27/566461512/week-ahead-the-stakes-are-about-to-get-really-high-for-republicans
3.
Brown University’s Costs of War Project has been
documenting the human, economic, and social & political costs of the
post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and related violence in Pakistan and
Syria. Here are just three of their many findings: A) “370,000 people have died due to direct
war violence, including armed forces on all sides of the conflicts,
contractors, civilians, journalists, and humanitarian workers.” B) “It is
likely that many times more than 370,000 people have died indirectly in these
wars, due to malnutrition, damaged infrastructure, and environmental
degradation.” C) “The human and economic costs of these wars will continue for
decades with some costs, such as the financial costs of US veterans’ care, not
peaking until mid-century.” Let’s spend
some time on the website educating ourselves about the costs of these
wars: http://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/
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