3/21/18
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.
Speaker
Paul Ryan has raised the possibility that the Fix NICS bill, which would
improve reporting to the national instant background check system and help
ensure people we all agree shouldn't be able to purchase guns are stopped from
doing so, will be included in the omnibus spending bill (http://thehill.com/homenews/house/379304-ryan-congress-may-add-background-check-bill-to-funding-package?userid=33307). This legislation has bipartisan support,
but it has been held up by Republican insistence that it be paired with
concealed carry reciprocity. Let's contact our MoCs and let them know we demand
they do something about gun violence and including Fix NICS in the
appropriations bill without weakening other gun control laws would be a good
start.
2.
Russia
hacked into state voter systems in the 2016 election, successfully penetrating
several. Due to Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge the Russian attack, we
have not done nearly enough to secure and upgrade our election systems since
then (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/16/states-move-protect-voting-systems-russia-little-help-congress/338411002/). House Democrats have been pushing to
include funding in the next spending bill to help states convert to paper
ballots and protect their systems against cyberattacks. Let’s call our reps and
tell them we want that money included in the omnibus bill. We can find scripts
and talking points from The Loyal Opposition here.
3.
Continuing
its campaign to blame all social ills on immigrants, the White House announced
a plan that linked border security to the opiate crisis: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/379147-trump-lays-out-plan-to-combat-opioid-epidemic The president is also calling for executions
of drug dealers. However addiction experts claim that nearly 2 million opioid
users became addicted through legal prescriptions. Let’s tell our MoCs that we
prefer the recommendations of the president’s own panel, which focuses on
“limiting opioid prescriptions, increasing the availability of
overdose-reversal drugs, and expanding treatment options.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/danvergano/trump-drug-dealers-execution-opioids
and
to denounce the president for using the opioid epidemic as another excuse to
spread hateful rhetoric about immigrants.
4.
In
January, the Republican administration announced an overhaul of the HHS civil
rights office that would establish a new Conscience and Religious Freedom
Division, focusing on allowing physicians and health care workers to opt out of
procedures when they have religious or moral objections. Yet, “just over a week before the option to
comment closes on March 27, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department has
failed to post even one of the 30,000+ citizen comments it has received on a
proposed rule that would champion healthcare workers who refuse to provide care
on moral or religious grounds.” http://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/379324-trumps-administration-has-a-secret-war-on-transgender-health-care This is a dangerous and discriminatory path
that does not represent us. Let’s add
30,000 more citizen comments against this new rule: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=HHS-OCR-2018-0002-0001
5.
Progressive
groups have rallied against Trump judicial nominees Thomas Farr and Kyle
Duncan. The two men both have long histories of opposing LGBTQ and reproductive
rights (https://www.metroweekly.com/2018/03/progressive-coalition-rallies-supreme-court-protest-trump-judicial-nominees/). In addition, they’ve both
worked to defend racist
voter suppression laws. These are not men we want to see with people’s rights
in their hands. Let’s tell our senators to oppose them with this script from
friend of the List Jen Hoffman.
6.
Despite his
national security team telling him not to, Trump congratulated Putin for “winning”
the recent election in Russia. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/379428-trump-congratulated-putin-after-his-national-security-team-told-him Afterwards,
John McCain’s (R-AZ) words should have been on the lips of every one of
our legislators: “An American president does not lead the Free World by
congratulating dictators on winning sham elections. And by doing so with
Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied
the right to vote in a free and fair election.”
While we may not always agree with Sen. McCain, let’s thank him for
these words and wish him well: https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/well%20wishes
7.
Three
members of the Black Congressional Caucus have called for the string of now-solved bombings in Texas to be classified as terrorist attacks and also asked for an
investigation to determine whether these incidents are racially motivated. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/politics/congressional-black-caucus-members-austin-explosions/index.html. Let’s tell our MoCs to support their call
for an investigation.
8.
With so
much attention focused on Stormy Daniels, the Russia investigation, and the
Parkland shooting, the problem of continued disproportionate police killings of
black people has received much less attention in the media lately. According to
the Washington Post, 33 black people have already been fatally shot by police
in 2018, and only two of these incidents have been recorded on video. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/police-are-still-killing-black-people-why-isnt-it-news-anymore/2018/03/12/df004124-22ef-11e8-badd-7c9f29a55815_story.html?utm_term=.389304552617. Let’s make sure to stay aware of this
important issue and keep the pressure on Congress, our state legislators, and
our local police departments to create policy that stops this overt racism.
Election 2018 –
General
1.
If we
want to make sure we know when our primary elections are, who can vote in
them and what the deadlines are to register to vote, we can use this handy tool
from Politico to look this information up:
https://www.politico.com/election-results/2018/
2.
Then we
can use The League of Women Voter’s Vote411 Guide here, entering our address to
find our polling place, get a side by side comparison of candidates’ positions,
then print out a “ballot” with our choices to take to the polls: http://www.vote411.org/
3.
If we
are military and overseas voters, the League recommends the US Votes Foundation
site for detailed information on, eligibility, identification, deadlines
and procedures to make sure we are able to vote: https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/vote/eod.htm
Election 2018 –
By State
1.
ALL: EMILY's
List makes its picks -- check
here to see who they endorse in your state legislature elections. https://www.emilyslist.org/pages/entry/state-and-local-candidates
2. NY: Flippable.org has endorsed Shelley Mayer,
Democrat for NY’s 37th State Senate District. If she wins, she
could reverse the stranglehold that Republicans have on NY state politics.
Let’s read about Mayer and see how we can support her: https://blog.flippable.org/new-york-isnt-a-blue-state-yet-15331013eaca
Other Actions
1.
Just as
she did for the Women’s Marches and the Science March, illustrator Mary
Engelbreit has created some free, downloadable art for this Saturday’s March
for Our Lives. These images are not for
resale, but can be used for our own purposes, such as for use as posters,
t-shirts, signs, postcards, etc. Let’s
check them out: https://www.maryengelbreit.com/collections/free-downloads
2.
Fed up
with Facebook selling your personal data? Let's show them how much we hate
being exploited in the one way that really matters to a company; let's take our
business elsewhere. Alternatives are available (https://www.1and1.com/digitalguide/online-marketing/social-media/the-best-facebook-alternatives/, for example), so let's resolve to check
them out, then try one with our friends for a month or two. If it works, all
we'll need to do is not log onto Facebook again.
3.
Mississippi’s
governor signed the most restrictive abortion ban in the country into
law on Monday (http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/379235-mississippis-only-abortion-clinic-sues-over-nations-most-restrictive) The law is almost certain to be struck down
as unconstitutional, and the Jackson Women’s Health Organization has already succeeded in getting it blocked
for the immediate future.
Let’s show Mississippi’s women we have their backs. We can donate to the JWHO,
the state’s only abortion clinic, here. We can also support the Mississippi
Reproductive Freedom Fund and ARC
Southeast,
which help women cover the costs of getting an abortion. Let’s
tell Governor Bryant that we will not travel or do business in Mississippi
while this outrageous law remains in effect and that we will urge any
organization of which we are a part to follow suit: 601-359-3150 or fax 601-359-3741 or write PO Box 139, Jackson, MI 39205
or http://www.governorbryant.ms.gov/Pages/Contact.aspx
4.
Two
Broadway stars, Lin Manuel-Miranda and Ben Platt, have teamed up to create a
mash-up of songs from their hits with part of the proceeds going to March for
our Lives. The song, “Found/Tonight” “combines
music from both “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen.” The song was inspired
by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas who have now made it their mission to
fight gun violence. https://www.newsandguts.com/video/broadway-stars-team-song-gun-violence/ Let’s find it, listen to it, and know we are
contributing to a good cause.
5.
Facebook's
role in the scheme to allow Russia to meddle in the 2016 election violated
the privacy of 50 million Americans, and the best way to show our disgust is to
walk away from Facebook entirely. Barring that, however, the next best step to
take would be to disable FB's default setting to share/sell your personal data.
This is a simple 30-second operation, laid out in easy-to-follow steps
here: https://venturebeat.com/2018/03/19/how-to-opt-out-of-facebooks-platform-data-sharing/
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
“On March 24, the kids and families of March for
Our Lives will take to the streets to demand that their lives and safety become
a priority, and that we end gun violence in our schools and communities.” Let’s find one near us and attend: https://event.marchforourlives.com/event/march-our-lives-events/search/
2.
In addition to urging the passage of the Special
Counsel Independence Protection Act (S. 1735/H.R. 3654) and The Special Counsel Integrity Act (S. 1741/H.R. 3771), we should get
ready to respond should Mueller be fired, as many think possible despite
Republican fears: http://www.businessinsider.com/mueller-sent-questions-to-trump-dowd-before-calls-for-russia-probe-shutdown-2018-3 and http://thehill.com/homenews/the-memo/379230-the-memo-republicans-fear-disaster-if-trump-fires-mueller One way to
prepare is to make certain we know about plans to demonstrate our
disapproval. Here is a link to already-planned rapid-response events
across the country; it both tells us what events will occur in our area and
gives us a way to insure that we know when they are going forward: https://www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response/search/
States
1.
ALL: Whatever your political
affiliation... anyone who has been following the special election races knows
the feeling of losing by a handful of votes. For example, the vote in PA-18
this last week was conducted almost exclusively via electronic touchscreens,
and as Nate Silver reports, this leaves no recourse for those demanding a
recount. (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pennsylvania-18-district-lamb-results/) It's important now more than ever for ALL
of us to lobby for voter-verified paper ballots and rigorous post-election
audits, so that we can continue to have faith in the results of our electoral
process. This week Rogan's List will be providing several interconnected steps
we can take to hold our local election officials accountable. Let’s check here for Step 3: https://drive.google.com/open?id=13axoEjJ6rLOGrZHqSSA8nJIfAlvFr5Ra
2.
GA:
Republicans in the Georgia legislature are pushing a new measure to suppress
African-American votes. SB 363would eliminate early voting on
the Sunday before Election Day, often a high-turnout day for
African-American voters, and would force polls in in the majority
African-American city of Atlanta to close an hour earlier (https://electionlawblog.org/?p=98169). Let’s contact
our legislators and
tell them we want them expanding access to the ballot box, not cutting it off
to help their political interests. (Let America Vote will also connect us
directly if we text VOTE GA to 4493.)
3.
MI:
The Michigan chapter of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has been
working closely with the Michigan Educational Association and state legislators
on both sides of the aisle to create fair teacher evaluations. While some
legislation is forthcoming, AFT Michigan is asking that we contact our Michigan
House representatives in the House and ask them to support the legislation that
has already been introduced to help implement an effective evaluation system.
These bills include H.B. 5707 (http://bit.ly/2IFjR36), H.B. 5689 (http://bit.ly/2IzeVg1), and H.B. 5688 (http://bit.ly/2DHI2dl). We can also contact the Michigan Education
Reform Committee Chair, Tim Kelly, and ask him to pass these
bills: Phone: 517-373-0837 e-mail: TimKelly@house.mi.gov
4.
MI:
Today is the last day to submit a
comment regarding Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's (MDEQ) Lead
and Copper Rule: http://bit.ly/2DHIzvRhttp://bit.ly/2Gbn1gG We can submit a comment using Sierra
Club's form letter http://bit.ly/2G8s80Y
Reading/Watching
1.
“How
Black Middle-Class Kids Become Poor Adults” - https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/01/how-black-middle-class-kids-become-black-lower-class-adults/384613/
2.
“Fascism Has Already Come to America” - http://www.mtv.com/news/2998426/fascism-has-already-come-to-america/
3.
“Black Voters Need More Convincing From
Democrats In 2018” - https://www.npr.org/2018/03/17/593643801/black-voters-need-more-convincing-from-democrats-in-2018
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.