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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.
Let's
protect our midterm elections from foreign interference! "On Tuesday, the
Trump-appointed heads of US intelligence agencies testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that Russia ... is determined to
interfere with our mid-term elections. Despite the intelligence agencies’
consensus, Trump has declined to impose sanctions on Russia." Clearly, it's up to
Congress to do something about it, so "Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL)
and Chris Von Hollen (D-MD) recently introduced the Defending Elections from
Threats by Establishing Red Lines Act (“DETER”). The DETER Act would automatically impose severe sanctions on
Russia if
Putin interferes in our elections." Let's tell our Senators to sign
on to this bipartisan bill.
2.
Yesterday,
the Senate put forth four immigration bills and they all failed. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/15/17017682/senate-immigration-daca-bill-vote-failed Let’s
tell our MoCs that we expect them to continue to work on a bill that will
protect the DREAMers and their parents, and family unification.
3.
Three of
the ten deadliest mass shooting in modern US history occurred during the past
five months, the latest the horrifying killing of 17 children and adults in a
Broward County, FL high school yesterday by a 19-year-old armed with a
semiautomatic rifle. According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, a total
of 30 verified mass shooting incidents have been recorded this year, as of
February 14: http://www.gunviolencearchive.org Instead of calls to check the
proliferation of guns or even to ban automatic weapons, we are instead faced
with the Republican push for concealed-carry reciprocity, which would make gun
permits like driver's licenses: if you are allowed to carry a concealed weapon
in your home state, you can carry it in public in all of them: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/concealed-carry-reciprocity-act-showdown/ After sailing through the House and
garnering Trump’s support, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act is co-sponsored
by about 40 senators. The best tribute we can offer the latest victims of
rampant gun violence is to call our senators and demand the defeat of this bill
and the introduction of laws controlling the sale, permitting, and circulation
of guns.
4.
Republicans
on the House Intelligence Committee have delayed scheduling this year’s annual
hearings from the Directors of the FBI and CIA on global threats. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-intelligence/trump-russia-probe-muddies-house-hearing-on-u-s-threat-assessment-sources-idUSKCN1FZ04R Perhaps they fear that Democrats might ask
FBI Director Christopher Wray about key provisions that were left out of the
Nunes memo. Even Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has claimed that Russia is
poised to hack the 2018 election. http://www.businessinsider.com/tillerson-russia-meddling-in-us-2018-elections-us-not-more-prepared-2018-2. Let’s tell our representatives that
learning about global threats to our elections and other aspects of our
national security is important, and ask them to pressure the House Intelligence
Committee to schedule these hearings ASAP. You can also contact the Republican
Members of the Intelligence Committee here: https://intelligence.house.gov/about/hpsci-majority-members.htm
5.
The
Senate Judiciary Committee today approved the nomination of Trump judicial pick
Michael Brennan, sending him on to the full Senate. The fact that they’re
moving forward with Brennan is an attack on a decades-old tradition that keeps
extremists off the courts (https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/24/trump-court-pick-michael-brennan-faces-senate-judiciary-committee/1061965001/). In his hearing, he refused to acknowledge
racial bias in the justice system, a particularly disturbing comment in light
of his expressed skepticism about the glass ceiling. And the progressive Alliance
for Justice has found he’s
willing to accept largely unchecked executive power, a view more dangerous than
ever in the age of Trump. Let’s call our senators and tell them that between
standing up for Senate tradition, insisting that social realities be recognized
and the importance of checks and balances, there’s more than enough reason for
them to say no to Michael Brennan.
6.
In the
same week that Trump’s budget called for drastic cuts to non-military spending,
we learn from budget directory Mick Mulvaney that the military parade Trump
longs for would cost between $10 and $30 million. $30 million would
provide food stamps for a year for 20,000 people: https://www.npr.org/2018/02/15/585924807/trumps-military-parade-could-cost-as-much-as-50-million Mulvaney told the House Budget
Committee that they’d “have to appropriate funds for it or . . . find funds”;
some have suggesting finding these funds in the existing Defense or Homeland
Security budgets—or in that of the National Park Service. Let’s tell our
MoCs that we oppose spending any of our taxes to indulge the egotistical whims
of an infantile president.
7.
The
Center for Disease Control is cutting global disease prevention programs by 80%
and dramatically downsizing its efforts in 39 out of 49 countries. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/02/01/. As the goal of this work is to stop future
outbreaks of disease at the source BEFORE they become global pandemics, the
results of this decision could be potentially devastating. Let’s tell our MoCs
that funding for global disease prevention should be a budget priority that
transcends partisan politics. We can give the same message to the Department of
Health and Human Services (202) 205-5445 or Secretary@HHS.gov and the White House, too.
8.
The
Census Bureau must submit a final list of the 2020 census questions to Congress
by March 31. Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants these to include a
question about citizenship status, but on Monday, 19 Democratic and
independent state AGs and one governor sent a letter to Commerce Secretary
Wilbur Ross, who oversees the Census Bureau, saying that including this
question would “risk an unconstitutional undercount” and “fatally undermine the
accuracy of the 2020 census”: https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press_releases/multi-state_letter_2020_census.pdf The CDC and public health experts
agree, pointing out that $600 billion is appropriated to state and local
governments based on the census; this includes federal block grants for
children’s health and preventive care services as well as funding for food
programs, school programs and transportation services:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/us/politics/citizenship-question-census-public-health.html We should let Ross know what we
think: 202-482-2000 or U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20230.
9.
“Attorney
General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday warned the U.S. Senate Judiciary
Committee to not approve a draft criminal sentencing reform bill that he claims
would reduce sentences for “a highly dangerous cohort of criminals.” The bill,
unveiled by a bipartisan group of lawmakers last fall, aims to lessen prison
sentences for non-violent drug offenders and it would also do away with the
three-strike mandatory life provision. It would also give judges more
discretion in how they sentence non-violent offenders. At the same time, it
would toughen sentencing in some cases by adding mandatory minimums for crimes
such as interstate domestic violence and trafficking in fentanyl-laced heroin.
During his (Sessions) time in the Senate, he helped to kill a similar bill that
was backed by many of his Republican and Democratic colleagues on the Judiciary
Committee.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-senate-crime-justice/u-s-attorney-general-opposes-plan-to-reform-prison-sentencing-idUSKCN1FY2YH Non
violent offenders don’t need to waste prison space when more serious criminals
should have those spots. That would make us all safer. Let you Reps know this
is a no brainer YES VOTE.
10. The Department of Homeland Security has
drafted a new regulation that expands the government’s powers to deport lawful
immigrants “who are, or are at risk of becoming a public charge.” http://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/373686-congress-can-and-should-stop-trumps-plan-to-banish-more-immigrants?userid=200565. Immigrants are denied from applying for
most public benefits for five years, but there have been certain exceptions for
food and medical care. Under the new regulation 1.9 million legal immigrants
who have legally been granted exceptions and received services could be
threatened with deportation. Supposedly this policy change is to save taxpayer
dollars, but let’s remind our MoCs that immigrant families who are eligible for
services use benefits significantly less than those who are native born https://niskanencenter.org/blog/report-myth-government-dependent-immigrant/ and ask them to do everything possible to
prevent this change in policy. We can also express our disapproval directly to
DHS: Tweet @DHS.gov, or visit their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/homelandsecurity/?ref=br_rs. Here is their Comment Policy. http://www.facebook.com/#!/policy.php?ref=pf.
11.
The
Department of Education (DoE) admits their refusal to respond to civil rights
complaints filed by transgender students who are barred from using bathrooms
that correspond with their gender identity. Last week more than 700 parents of transgender children signed a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos
condemning her failure to protect transgender students and calling on her to
recognize the basic human and civil rights of transgender young people in our
nation’s schools. Meanwhile, Secretary DeVos complained about being criticized for not
upholding the rights of students. Let's read more at HRC. Let's contact the DoE and the DoE
Office for Civil Rights to
let them know that we support transgender students and expect their civil
rights to be upheld.
12. “In a 225-192 vote Thursday, most House Republicans
and a dozen Democrats passed a bill that makes it harder for disabled
persons to sue for discrimination, in an effort to prevent opportunistic
attorneys from taking advantage of business owners.” http://www.newsweek.com/house-republicans-americans-disabilities-act-civil-rights-808106 This
bill now moves on to the Senate. Let’s
make sure our senators vote against this bill that discriminates against some
of us.
13. Next week is a state work period for our
MoCs. Let’s check to see if they are
having a townhall: https://townhallproject.com/ If so, let’s make plans to attend. If not, let’s find another way to interact
with them while they are home. We have a
lot to talk with them about.
Election 2018 –
General
1.
Warriors
head coach Steve Kerr provided a powerful statement following Wednesday's mass
shooting at a Florida high school that left at least 17 dead. You can and
should read his complete statement here. FYI, Steve Kerr’s father was murdered
by the Islamic Jihad on the morning of January 18, 1984, while he was serving
as president of the American University of Beirut in Beirut. You don’t have to
be a Warriors fan to follow Steve Kerr’s lead . . . His message in part,
“We can do something about it. We can vote people in who actually have the
courage to protect people's lives, not just bow down to the NRA because they've
financed their campaign for them," he said.” https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Warriors-Coach-Steve-Kerr-Critical-of-Government-Leaders-Following-Florida-School-Shooting-474118123.html Let’s
keep that in mind when we vote in November. We don’t want candidates who take
NRA money.
Election 2018 –
By State
1.
LA: There’s a special election in Louisiana State
House District 86 tomorrow, featuring three Republicans and Democrat
Michael Showers. Showers is a 24-year Navy veteran with deep roots in the
district (http://www.actionnews17.com/legals/pine-grove-man-charged-on-felony-theft-drugs-warrants-2214407/mediaid/26426). If we’re in this area, let’s make sure we
get out and cast a ballot for him!
Other Actions
1.
Shannon
Watts,
who started Mom’s
Demand Action
after the Sandy Hook massacre said, “We deserve to live in a country where
students and teachers are able to feel safe in their classrooms without the
threat of gun violence lingering over their heads. Every parent in America
should know that their kids will be home for dinner after school." She went on to say, “We cannot just be
heartbroken over this, we must also act. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved
with your local @MomsDemand Action chapter. We must all be part of the
solution.” We can also join here: https://momsdemandaction.org/take-action/
2.
From DemLabs: with
help from Esri we have created a StoryMap on mass shootings in a form where the
scope of the tragedy is easily understood and shared. The map is interactive and the size of
each circle indicates the number of people injured per incident. It
directs people to groups such as Every Town For Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action
and Sandy Hook Promise working on the issue:
http://bit.ly/DemLabs_StopGunViolence Our
goal with these StoryMaps is to present information in a form that can help
bring about change and showcase groups working on the issue.
3.
Fox News
anchor Shep Smith took time in his broadcast after the Parkland
massacre on Wednesday to read a list of all the fatal school
shootings since Columbine:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/02/15/fox-news-anchor-shepard-smith-emotionally-lists-all-25-fatal-school-shootings-since-columbine/340108002/ Let’s take a moment to thank Mr. Smith:
Twitter: @ShepNewsTeam or at Fox New, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY
10036
4.
The
Washington Post did a feature on Cox Farms in Centreville, Virginia where the
family that owns the farm took the seemingly non-controversial stance of
putting “Resist white supremacy” on their farm entrance sign and then much
backlash ensued: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cox-farms-resist-white-supremacy-farm-virginia-centreville-black-lives-matter-immigration-facebook-a8208246.html Let’s
thank them for standing up for their values amid the furor:
info@coxfarms.com or 15621
Braddock Rd Centreville,
VA 20120
5.
From Chop
Wood/Carry Water: Let's go to Drain the NRA's new website--just launched today, ironically--and check
it out. It's got tons of information on who is taking NRA money and what we can
do to divest from them. We'll also find
a list of companies that are supporting the NRA by offering
its members discounts. Let's pick one and call, write, or tweet at them.
6.
Trump’s
budget explodes the deficit while slashing over a trillion dollars from
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. We can tweet against these
outrageous demands, using this sheet from CAPAction Fund. Tweets are
prewritten, so all we need to do is click on them. http://bit.ly/2GcC9qt We can read The Washington Post’s
analysis of the budget here: http://wapo.st/2o4A3Bx
7.
Every
day, enough Americans are murdered with guns that we essentially suffer a
Virginia Tech shooting every 25 hours. That means it's ALWAYS time to talk
about gun control (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34996604). Let's call our members of Congress
and our state legislators and ask them what they're doing to 1)
ban bump stocks, 2) stop concealed carry reciprocity from undermining state gun
control laws (Congress only), 3) put universal background controls in place and
4) promote the use of gun safes, trigger locks and smart gun technology that
can keep us safe. And let's consider volunteering for and donating to some of
the organizations fighting for common sense gun control, like Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, the Brady Campaign to
Prevent Gun Violence, Giffords, Sandy
Hook Promise,
or Guns
Down.
And we can keep up with the latest developments in the fight to protect our
kids from guns by subscribing to the free daily e-newsletter from The Trace.
8.
More and
more people are being arrested for minor infractions and end up being detained
in jails due to their inability to pay bail. This basically amounts to people
being jailed for being poor (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122725819), and "6 out of 10 people in local
jails are members of racial or ethnic minorities" (https://www.aclu.org/files/pdfs/votingrights/votingwhileincarc_20051123.pdf). This by itself is atrocious, and
additionally, many of the 11 million people that cycle through the jail system
each year (http://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2015/08/14/jailsmatter/) retain the right to vote, but are unable to
exercise their right from behind bars (http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/10/11/reaching-voters-jail). Let's look up the voting laws in our state
(http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx) and make sure our legislators know we want
every person who is eligible to vote to be encouraged to make their voice
heard, no matter where they may be at the time of an election. We can also read
the ACLU's tool kit on advocating for incarcerated voters (see PDF p.10 and on:
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
Victory Guide is hosting a free
webinar to help progressive grassroots organizations and candidates for office
better use technology during this election cycle, covering everything from
voter outreach to volunteer recruitment to information sharing. This event will
be held on Thursday, February 22nd at 1pm. We can sign up at this link and spread
the word on Facebook here.
2.
The Student Debt
Crisis is offering a webinar on February 27 to
cover topics such as student loan repayment plans and Public Service Loan
Forgiveness as well as to share major policy updates related to Trump Budget FY
2019, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, and the future of the Public
Service Loan Forgiveness program. We can register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/89256543428317955
3.
Women’s March tweeted last evening that their Youth
Empower group is working with partners to announce a national mass school
walk-out for students, parents, teachers, and allies. Details are to be announced sometime today.
States
1.
Most: New York’s Attorney General, Eric
Schneiderman, tweeted yesterday, “If the federal government won’t act, your
state can. Call your governor, your AG, your state reps, your mayor, your city
council, and ask them what they are doing to #EndGunViolence Demand accountability.” NY Governor Andrew Cuomo thinks that the rest
of the states should look at NY’s Safe Act to see what was enacted there after
Sandy Hook. http://www.syracuse.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/02/cuomo_nation_should_follow_nys_lead_to_stop_gun_violence.html Let’s
talk with our state and local officials to get things changed in our states.
2.
FL: Here’s another one of those, it’s not the
right time to talk about gun control.” This one from the Governor of Florida,
the state that suffered this loss of life at a high school on Wednesday.
“Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday punted on questions about
whether policymakers should take a stand on mental health and gun control,
saying that "there's a time" to have such conversations. There's a time
to continue to have these conversations about how through law enforcement, how
through mental illness funding that we make sure that people are safe,"
Scott said at a news conference in Parkland, Fla. Scott's comments came
hours after a gunman opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in
Parkland, leaving 17 people dead. Scott,
a Republican, has an "A+" rating from the National Rifle
Association's Political Victory Fund.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/373962-florida-gov-theres-a-time-to-talk-about-gun-control-mental Floridians,
your governor has an A+ rating from the NRA. Time to vote him out or convince
him you’d like him to have a failing grade from the NRA.
3.
FL:
Florida prosecutes more children as adults than any other state and fails
to meet state and federal obligations by providing little to no education when
children are locked up in adult facilities. (Source: SPLC) The Florida Legislature this year is
considering SB1552, SB936 and HB509 which would eliminate certain offenses
and limit the number of children who are eligible to be prosecuted as
adults. If we are Floridians, let's contact our state
senators in
support of SB1552 and SB936. Let's tell our state representatives to support HB509.
4.
WY: Efforts
to call for a US constitutional amendment that would move toward changing the
role of money in politics through a statewide ballot initiative have fallen
short for the 2018 election. However its proponents are confident they will
have the petition signatures they need for the 2020 ballot. Let's read more at
the Gillette New Record. If we are Wyoming residents, let's find out
more about the initiative and how we can get our own signatures on the
initiative for 2020 at Wyoming Promise.
Reading/Watching
1.
“Gun Control is a Pro-Life Issue: - https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2012/12/17/gun-control-pro-life-issue
2.
Some Medicare changes have already been signed
into law: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/president-trump-signed-these-medicare-changes-into-law-heres-what-to-watch-for
3.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s
(ICE) investigative office has worked to keep its internal handbook out of American
courts. The handbook, published publicly this week, shows how the federal
government pursues denaturalization against naturalized citizens and has
instructions on how to prosecute cases efficiently to strip citizenship as
quickly as possible. Let's read more at The Intercept. Let's be aware that this less-visible way to
marginalize people and disrupt their lives.
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