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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.
There
was good news and bad news in the Senate yesterday. The good news is that the Senate reached a
two-year spending bill that both addresses the GOP’s need for more military
spending as well as the Democrat’s need for more social spending. Everyone agrees it is not ideal, but it will keep
the government working. It includes a ten-year-commitment
to CHIP, a two-year authorization of community medical centers, disaster aid
funding, opioid treatment, infrastructure dollars, and more. The bad news is that to get this, a guaranteed
DACA vote will happen in the Senate next week instead of being part of the bill
or happening before. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/7/16987122/congress-massive-budget-deal-explained While
it is not everything we wanted at once, let’s contact our senators to tell them that we are watching for the promised
DACA vote next week.
2.
There
was also good news and bad news in the House yesterday. The good news is that Nancy Pelosi announced
her opposition to leaving DACA out of the budget bill and “set the record for
the longest-continuous [over eight hours] House floor speech” as she told
stories of DREAMers. Her purpose was to persuade Paul Ryan to offer the same commitment
to a floor vote on DACA next week. The
bad news, he refused. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nancy-pelosi-holds-fake-filibuster-on-house-floor-on-dreamers/ The
House Dems now say they will not agree to the budget bill without that commitment.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/7/16986300/house-democrats-paul-ryan-promise-daca-vote Today
is the day to flood our representatives’ offices with calls asking for that commitment
and to let the vote happen next week.
3.
While we
were aware that something like this might have happened, “The U.S. official in
charge of protecting American elections from hacking says the Russians
successfully penetrated the voter registration rolls of several U.S. states
prior to the 2016 presidential election.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/russians-penetrated-u-s-voter-systems-says-top-u-s-n845721 Meanwhile,
Tillerson tells us that we will be no better prepared for the 2018 elections: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/07/tillerson-russians-already-meddling-u-s-midterm-elections/314560002/ All the more reason we ask our MoCs to sign
on as co-sponsors to the Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing
Redlines (DETER) Act, (S.
2313/ H.R.
4884) which
lays out specific foreign actions against U.S. elections that would warrant
penalties from the federal government. Then,
let’s get this passed and enforced.
4.
The FCC
has taken one of the first procedural steps necessary to begin the 60-day
countdown for Congress to overturn the net neutrality repeal with a
Congressional Review Act (CRA) http://bit.ly/2GIUnRw We still need one more vote in the
senate to pass the CRA. If our senator is still undecided, let's be sure to
contact them and ask that they support net neutrality. We can also contact our
representative in the House, to be sure that when the CRA gets to them, they
vote in favor of it. We can check and see where each member of Congress stands
on the issue at Battle for the Net https://www.battleforthenet.com/
5.
The
Trump administration is looking at placing lifetime caps on Medicaid services:
http://bit.ly/2BJCVgj A policy change like this is cruel;
disability and chronic illnesses do not abide by an individual's access to
healthcare. If people are not able to afford health services, it not only
lowers their quality of life, but it can also be fatal. Let's contact the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma and tell
her not to enact lifetime caps: Twitter: @seemaCMS 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
6.
The
United Nations has asked its member states to observe an Olympic truce during
the February 9-25 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and
for one week afterward. And the government of South Korea has asked the United
States to delay its provocative military “exercises” over South Korea until
after the truce. VP Mike Pence will be in attendance at the Olympics; let’s
urge that he agree to this request from our ally and extend the truce
indefinitely: 202-456-1111 or by petition http://www.codepink.org/olympic_truce
7.
The
House of Representatives is planning to vote on the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) Education and Reform Act (H.R.
620)
next week. “H.R. 620 would create
additional barriers to seeing our rights enforced under the ADA and make it
harder to participate in mainstream society. Importantly, H.R. 620 would not
solve the problems it claims to address. It would not stop fraudulent lawsuits
or demand letters, but it would weaken the civil rights of people with
disabilities! Moreover, it would eliminate any reason for businesses to comply
with the ADA unless they receive a legal notice first.” For more information, click here: http://www.advocacymonitor.com/action-alert-save-the-ada-h-r-620-to-be-voted-on-next-week/
8.
Since
October, E. Scott Lloyd, the director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement
(ORR), has tried to prevent at least four pregnant teenagers in ORR custody
from exercising their constitutional right to an abortion, and in at least one
instance he tried to intervene with a medical abortion that had already begun (http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-abortion-trump-migrant-20171221-story.html). If Scott Lloyd can’t be trusted to respect
the rights of these young women, he can’t be trusted to do his job. Let’s join
5 Calls in contacting Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and asking
him to fire Lloyd (https://5calls.org/issue/scott-lloyd-blocking-legal-abortions).
9.
Trump
has proposed opening 90% of U.S. waters to offshore drilling in what would be a
massive windfall for Big Oil and a massive disaster for our environment (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drilling-offshore/trump-administration-aims-to-open-nearly-all-u-s-offshore-to-oil-drilling-idUSKBN1ET1OW). Folks living along our nation’s shores
have emphatically rejected this plan. We need to continue letting the
administration know it. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is currently
collecting comments on this proposal. Let’s let them hear from us at this link. (We can also join 350.org and protest at BOEM public hearings
near us, which we can find details on at
this link).
10. In trying to sell Trump’s DACA plan, Chief of
Staff General John Kelly said this: “The difference between [690,000] and
1.8 million were the people that some would say were too afraid to sign up,
others would say were too lazy to get off their asses, but they didn’t sign
up.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/06/dreamers-daca-john-kelly-trump-immigration Let’s let General Kelly know that
what is lazy is propping up this banana republic rather than fighting to
maintain our republic: The White House: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house
11.
The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), under increasing pressure to thin
the ranks of the endangered species list, is quietly conducting a review of the
Florida key deer’s protected status. The change immediately drew criticism
from environmental groups, who warned it violated federal rules and worried
about including politically motivated appointees without expertise. The key
deer population lives exclusively in the Florida Keys. Let's read more at
the Miami Herald. Let's contact Principal Deputy
Directors Greg Sheehan at the FWS to oppose de-listing the threatened key
deer. We can also tell our MoCs that we support the Endangered Species
Act and want continued protection for the key deer.
12. The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources will consider legislation this week that would weaken environmental
safeguards on, or outright give away, more than 630,000 acres of national
forests, wildlife refuges and other public lands, clearing the way for private
developers. These bills are: a) S. 1222, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.),
which would exempt 8,000 acres of federal land from laws requiring taxpayers to
be compensated when federal lands are sold or disposed of. b) S. 1481, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski
(R-Alaska), which would give away more than 175,000 acres (273 square miles) of
public lands in Alaska to private corporations. c) S. 2206, sponsored by Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.),
which would remove protection from nearly 450,000 acres of national forest land
in Montana. Let's read more at the Center for Biological Diversity then let's contact our Senators to tell
them we oppose environmentally harmful bills S1222, S1481 and S2206.
Election 2018 -
General
1.
In a
special election for house seats in the Missouri legislature, Democrats picked
up a seat with an approximate 31-point swing over how the district went for
Trump: http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/372670-dems-pick-up-deep-red-legislative-seat-in-missouri This is more proof that Democrats need
to be running every district, for every seat. Let’s make sure we know the lay
of the land in our own districts and support candidates who will help turn the
tide.
2.
Postcards
to Voters campaign #53 is for Terry Jones in Alabama! Let's help a retired public school teacher
with 30 years in front of classes win his special election to the State House.
Terry can teach them a few lessons on how to solve problems! Returning writers
can text Abby the Address Bot at (484) 275-2229 for Democratic voter addresses.
New writers can check in here: https://postcardstovoters.org/volunteer/
3.
Let’s
get our voting issues squared away! Let’s:
A) Find the date of our state’s 2018 primary election and mark our
calendar: www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2018-state-primary-election-dates.aspx, B) See if we’re registered to vote:
https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/, and, if not, C) Register to vote and learn
about the voter ID requirements in our state, https://vote.gov
Election 2018 –
By State
1.
ALL: Now that we know that Russia did indeed hack
into our election systems in 2016: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/07/russians-penetrated-us-voter-systems-nbc-citing-top-us-official.html let’s use this guide from Postcards
for America to
ask what our own state election officials what they are doing about it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VbKp00FvoYEcm0ri9AcFmOO7IhbK92xQ7yXkTQOq0Ro/edit
Other Actions
1.
Leaving
aside the authoritarian aura of the “grand military parade” Trump wants to
stage on Pennsylvania Avenue (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/07/583903933/trump-reportedly-wants-pentagon-to-stage-military-parade-down-pennsylvania-ave), there is the sheer cost of this vanity
project. The last such parade, held in 1991 at G.W. Bush’s behest, cost
$21 million, adjusted for inflation: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/sen-durbin-trump-s-military-parade-would-be-fantastic-waste-n845476 Presumably this one would cost
more—even as cuts are made to agencies responsible for veterans housing and
healthcare, public education, healthcare, the environment, diplomacy. Let’s
tell the White House we don’t want his war parade—or if his ego demands it, he,
not the taxpayers, can pay for it. And beyond this, let’s tell DC Mayor
Muriel Bowser to use her authority to block this parade: at Contact her
directly 202-727-2643 or eom@dc.gov, or Office of the Mayor, 1350 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW, Suite 316, Washington, DC 20004 or by petition at http://act.winwithoutwar.org/sign/stop-trumps-war-parade-mayor/
2.
In one
of the more chilling pieces of news over the past year, a Pennsylvania state
representative, Chris Dush is calling for the impeachment of the five
Pennsylvania Supreme Court judges who upheld a decision about the need to
redraw gerrymandered districts: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/372655-gop-state-lawmaker-wants-to-impeach-judges-after-pennsylvania Let’s let Rep. Dush know that his
antics are authoritarian: http://www.repdush.com/contact.aspx
3.
Let's
join the National Audubon Society, National Geographic, Bird Life
International, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in a yearlong celebration of
birds. Not only is it the 100th anniversary of the signing of the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), a pivotal piece of legislation that continues
to save countless birds’ lives, but birds are also facing many new and
serious threats, including attacks on the MBTA itself. We can read more about
the Year of the Bird at Audubon. We can help support birds by
participating in the 21st annual Great Backyard Bird Count which will be
held Friday, February 16, through Monday, February 19, 2018. In
just 15 minutes in our own backyards we can help expand our understanding
of birds. Let’s visit the official website at birdcount.org for more information. Let's make this a
fun family activity!
4.
“ProPublica
reporter Julia Angwin is collecting political ads on Facebook, all across the
country. Just in case someone needs to check on them later. Like if the
Russians bought thousands of ads to sway an election. And she needs your help. She
and her team built a browser plugin that collects ads from Facebook
and asks users like you to decide if the ads are political or not. Ads marked
as political are gathered into a giant database - the only repository of these
ads available to the public.” Let’s see
how we can help: https://www.wnyc.org/story/political-ads-facebook/
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
States
1. ALL:
“Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) called on Republican state Sen. Jeff Kruse to
resign after a report by an independent investigator found he repeatedly
subjected women to uncomfortable hugging and unwanted touching — sometimes on
the Senate floor or in the governor’s office — even after repeated warnings. He
did some of these things even while cameras were rolling, the investigator
found.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/02/07/ore-legislator-groped-grabbed-women-right-on-the-state-senate-floor-says-official-report/?utm_term=.34020c7acda2 The congress and senate are trying to clean
up these issues in Washington, D.C., but our state legislators should be
issuing those protections for sexual harassment and/or assault as well. Let’s
pressure own state legislators if they aren’t dealing with these issues to take
care of it immediately.
2.
AL: Planned Parenthood is asking for constituents
to PLEASE call Doug Jones ASAP and thank him for his vote protecting women's
health. They said he is receiving quite a few calls condemning him for his vote
and we need to let him know that HIS VOTERS think he did the right
thing. Please call him at 202-224-4124.
3. FL:
Workplace insurers have been avoiding paying workers’ compensation benefits by
“aiding in the arrest and deportation of unauthorized immigrants who are
injured on the job”—even though these workers are legally entitled to these
benefits. https://www.propublica.org/article/florida-bill-seeks-to-stop-arrests-of-injured-immigrant-workersA
bill introduced in the Florida Senate would end this practice. If we are in
Florida, let’s contact our state legislators and ask them to sponsor and
support Senate Bill 1568. www.leg.state.fl.us/Welcome/index.cfm
Reading/Watching
1.
Last week, Michelle Obama gave a keynote speech
at the School Counselor of the Year celebration, part of the Reach Higher
initiative she started to promote higher education. Let’s listen to her
inspiring speech:
2.
As we work for racial justice, let's note the
disparity in how the media and legal system respond to large gatherings of
white people, vs. people of color. "Black Lives Matter New York president
Hawk Newsome said, “Somehow, it seems there's a line drawn in the sand where
destruction of property because of a sports victory is OK and acceptable in
America. However, if you have people who are fighting for their most basic
human right, the right to live, they will be condemned." https://www.teenvogue.com/story/super-bowl-lii-destruction-in-philadelphia-was-a-white-riot
3.
Cape Town, South Africa, a city of 4 million
people, is just weeks away from becoming the world’s first major city
to run entirely out of water. Climate change is obviously a factor in Cape
Town’s water crisis, as South Africa faces a hotter and drier future, but it’s
not the only one. Politics and misgovernment have played a role as well. http://fortune.com/2018/02/07/water-shortage-cape-town-south-africa/
Let’s also check out the Climate Reality Project to increase our understanding
of what is happening and why.
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