4/30/18
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. This
week in Congress: Our legislators are on
recess and in their home districts. Let’s attend a townhall if we can: https://townhallproject.com/
2. Every
five years, the Farm Bill is renewed, offering usually bipartisan funding for
agricultural, environmental and nutritional programs. This year, the bill
is so partisan, it passed out of the House Agriculture Committee on a party
line vote and is now headed to the House floor. Some examples of the
harm this bill would do: 1) encouraging profligate pesticide use by
preempting state pesticide laws, weakening federal protections for wildlife and
endangered species from pesticides, exempting pesticides from the Clean Water
Act, expediting EPA approval of pesticides without agreed-to protections, and
delaying EPA pesticide protections; 2) adding work requirements to
recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), targeting
food access for struggling families; 3) weakening low-income children’s
access to fresh fruits and vegetables in schools, allowing schools to instead
buy junk food with no restrictions on added sugar, salt or fats; 4)
eliminating the Conservation Stewardship Program, leaving farmers with fewer
resources and options to implement conservation on their farms; 5)
allowing mining and oil and gas drilling on agricultural conservation lands;
and 6) weakening protection of endangered species from logging. The
National Resource Defense Council gives more specifics on the bill at https://www.nrdc.org/experts/mae-wu/hyper-partisan-house-farm-bill-should-be-plowed-under. Let’s
tell our representative that we oppose the 2018 Farm Bill, the Agriculture and
Nutrition Act (H.R.
2). A
vote is expected in early May.
3. He spoke
hoping the lawmakers would remember the needs of the less wealthy. He invited a Muslim to deliver the opening
prayer in October. And now Father Pat
Conroy, the House chaplain for the last seven years, will be leaving following
Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) request for his resignation. (https://www.npr.org/2018/04/27/606428892/ryans-dismissal-of-house-chaplain-sparks-outrage-and-suspicion) Let’s write and thank Fr. Conroy, who will be
leaving later in May, for his steadfastness in remembering the poorer amongst
us and for his religious inclusivity. The
Reverend Patrick J. Conroy, Chaplain, U.S. House of Representatives. U.S.
Capitol, Room HB25, Washington, DC 20515-6655
4. From Alt
National Park Service: Have you heard of H.R.
3144? A small group led by Republicans in
Congress spearheaded a bill that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on
Wednesday. If the bill becomes law, it could lead to the eventual extinction of
wild salmon in the Columbia and Snake rivers—iconic species in the Pacific
Northwest that the federal government is required by law to protect. House
Resolution 3144 seeks to overturn multiple federal court decisions that protect
endangered salmon and steelhead. It undermines bedrock environmental laws and
forbids any action that might reduce power generation at Columbia and Snake
River dams without an act of Congress—from spilling more water over dams in the
spring to help endangered fish migrate, to studying the possibility of removing
the four aging lower Snake River dams. Further, it mandates that salmon
populations be managed based on a 2014 federal plan that was rejected in two
court decisions as being illegal, for not doing enough to save the fish from
extinction. Wednesday's vote advances the bill to the U.S. Senate. Please call
your senators and tell them to vote “NO”!
5. While
some political action committees (PACs) do good, there are an increasing number
of scam PACs that shake down the public
for political campaign contributions, and then spend little to nothing on
political activity, instead using the money to enrich their founders. The
dysfunctional Federal Elections Commission is doing little to protect the
public from Scam PACs. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/04/scam-pacs-misleading-donors/ Let’s
tell our MoCs that Congress needs to step in and stop these scams.
6. “In
letters to the chairpersons of two key committees, more than 40 House Democrats
wrote Tuesday that they would strongly oppose the Education Savings Accounts
For Military Families proposal [currently H.R.
5199] or any school voucher or privatization
effort from being included in the annual National Defense Authorization Act.” (https://www.stripes.com/news/democrats-fight-effort-to-divert-public-school-funds-for-military-families-to-private-vouchers-1.523791) Let’s tell our representatives that we do not
want this as a stand-alone bill or hidden within the National Defense
Authorization Act.
7. Should
parents running for office be able to use campaign funds for childcare, so they
can conduct their work as a candidate? A
candidate in New York has petitioned the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for
just that. Hillary Clinton is calling on
the FEC to make it allowable. (http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/385285-clinton-calls-for-fec-to-let-campaigns-use-funds-for-childcare) We need more working parents in legislatures
and this would help that happen. Let’s
add our voices: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/federal-election-commission
8. The
Environmental Justice Right to Know Act (yet unnumbered) is aimed at protecting
workers in hair salons, nail salons, and agricultural settings from the
pesticides and toxic chemicals that they may be exposed to in their jobs.
(Description and link to text of bill: https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-cortez-masto-introduce-legislation-to-shine-light-on-hazardous-occupational-exposures ) Let’s tell our senators that we care
about the health and safety of poor and marginalized workers and we want them
to pass this legislation.
9. Perhaps
no other group in Congress better represents the values of democracy, equality,
justice than the Congressional Black Caucus. https://cbc.house.gov/issues/ Yet, “of the six top leadership
positions [in the House of Representatives], only one is held by an
African-American, Assistance Minority Leader Jim Clayburn. Congressional Black
Caucus members make up nearly a quarter of House Democrats.”
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/25/congressional-black-caucus-looks-to-seize-more-power-545945 Let’s tell our Democratic reps that we
want more CBC members in positions of power in Congress.
10. During a House committee hearing, EPA
Administrator Scott Pruitt conceded that he did know about and had given
authority to his chief of staff to give raises to EPA employees; something
Pruitt had previously denied (https://www.vox.com/2018/4/26/17285884/scott-pruitt-epa-congress-house-condo-phonebooth-travel, http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/385004-pruitt-epa-staff-was-given-authority-to-approve-raises-for-staffers). Let's continue contacting Pruitt and
telling him it's time to resign: Phone: (202) 564-4700 Mailing Address:
Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Administrator 1101A 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20460 or
https://www.epa.gov/home/forms/contact-epa, or on Twitter: @EPAScottPruitt
11.
An
excellent suggestion from Jennifer Hofmann’s Americans
of Conscience Checklist: “Thank
four Republican members of the Senate Judicial Committee for voting
for the bill (S.
1735)
that protects special investigations of the president. It must be difficult to
do something your party finds threatening, so I especially appreciate your
leadership. Thank you for your service to our democracy.” A) Sen. Chuck Grassley, 721 Federal
Building, 210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, B) Sen. Lindsey Graham, 508
Hampton Street, Suite 202, Columbia, SC 29201, C) Sen. Jeff Flake, 2200
East Camelback Road, Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ 85016, and D) Sen. Thom Tillis, 310
New Bern Avenue, Suite 122, Raleigh, NC 27601
12. From forced labor (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/04/opinion/migrants-detention-forced-labor.html), to family separation
(https://www.npr.org/2018/02/27/589079243/activists-outraged-that-u-s-border-agents-separate-immigrant-families), to rape and sexual abuse (https://theintercept.com/2018/04/11/immigration-detention-sexual-abuse-ice-dhs/), to courthouse arrests (https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/03/15/ice-arrests-courthouses-are-disrupting-justice-two-lawsuits-claim/N7IhXiHlEuw3Qdz1XDlt4I/story.html) , the US treatment of immigrants and
immigrant detainees is beyond deplorable and threatens the civil liberties of
us all—including US citizens http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-citizens-ice-20180427-htmlstory.html. Let’s tell our MoCs that we expect them to
face and fix these problems.
13. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) has suggested that the
wave of Republican retirements from Congress may be due to fears of
assassination:
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/385219-republican-rep-worries-assassination-risk-prompting-lawmaker-resignations Let’s remind Rep. Brooks that there is
a lot that Congress could be doing to strengthen laws to reduce gun
violence:
14. Vice President Mike Pence will be speaking
this week at the NRA convention in Dallas, a decision that has drawn criticism
from many gun control advocates including actress, Alyssa Milano, who has
started a petition on MoveOn calling this a “slap in the face to
Americans hurting from gun violence." Adding irony to insult, no firearms
will be allowed at Pence’s presentation. https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2018/04/27/alyssa-milano-moveon-petition-mike-pence-cancel-nra-convention/559378002/. Let’s tell VP Pence that it’s divisive,
hurtful, inappropriate and insulting for him to speak to the NRA, and he should
instead use his leadership to finding common-sense approaches to curbing gun
violence. We can use the White House comment line; write to him at Office of
the Vice President, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, DC 20500; leave a comment on his Facebook
page; or tweet @VP
15. In another attack on First Amendment Rights,
ICE has detained Manuel Duran, a journalist who has been covering protests on
immigration policies. As an undocumented immigrant, he is now being held in
Louisiana and threatened with deportation. http://www.newsweek.com/ice-arrests-manuel-duran-journalist-covered-protest-immigration-agencys-875279. The Southern Poverty Law Center and Free
Press have been initiated a campaign to demand his immediate release. You can
find out more and sign a letter here, or even better, contact the ICE regional
community relations office CommunityRelations.NewOrleans@ice.dhs.gov, or (504) 310-8822.
16. Trump’s Department of Agriculture has tried
quietly to propose a new rule, misleadingly called the “Modernization of swine
slaughter inspection rule”; it privatizes pork inspection, turns food safety
over to untrained plant managers, and by allowing the unlimited increase in
slaughter line speeds, puts public health, animal welfare, and worker safety at
risk in an industry which already has worker injury rates 3 times the national
average and illness rates 17 times higher:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/17/trump-administration-usda-swine-slaughter-rule-pigs-pork Public uproar has led to two extensions to
the comment period, the latest deadline is May 2. To comment online, go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=FSIS-2016-0017 ; by mail:
Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection
Service, Patriots Plaza III, Mailstop 3782, Room 8-163A, Washington, D.C.
20250-3700 All comments must include the
agency name and docket number: FSIS-2016-0017.
17. Serious
concerns still plague preparation for the 2020 census: Providence RI was
supposed to be one of four starkly different places where new digital equipment
and counting methodologies were to be tested, but Congress’s refusal to provide
funds has left Providence the single test site.
Moreover, Ron Jarmin, director of the Census Bureau, estimates that the
inclusion of a citizenship question, at Trump’s insistence, will mean about 1
percent more people will fail to respond to the survey—that number sounds
small, but it is greater than the population of many small states and, as
Jarmin admits, the impact would be concentrated in minority communities: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/28/us/2020-census-test-rhode-island.html We
must push our MoC to intervene before this rigged census results in even
greater inequalities in the US.
Election 2018 –
General
1. Postcards
To Voters launched two (2) postcarding campaigns this weekend for candidates in
deep red districts. 1) AL - Campaign 80: Juanita Healy for AL House District 4. 2) CA - Campaign 81: Dean Johansson for Yolo County District Attorney. If
we are already volunteers, let's write 5 cards today. If we are new to the
effort, we can sign up as a Postcards to Voters' volunteer here.
2. There
are so very many reasons people don’t vote, even if they are registered. This recent survey has some revelations. (https://www.countable.us/articles/3884-poll-offers-answers-people-don-t-vote)
Let’s do our best to find ways to help get more people registered AND
voting in 2018.
3. Getting
young voters engaged is key to making the “Blue Wave” happen. So, “Let America
Vote [has] announced the launch of Cap, Gown, Vote! (CGV) — a national
initiative in partnership with mayors across the country to increase voter
registration among high school students.” So far, they’ve partnered with nine
mayors nationwide. How can we become student ambassadors and help get the vote
out at school? How do we get our mayors involved? Find out more here about this
fantastic collaborative effort to register more new voters! https://capgownvote.org/about
Election 2018 –
By State
1. FL: Special elections May 1: A) FL House of Representatives
District 39. Let’s be voters for Democrat Ricky Shirah, https://www.rickyshirah.org/, and B) FL House of Representatives District
114. Let’s be voters for Democrat Javier Fernandez, https://javierforflorida.com/
3.
States
with primaries or runoff elections in May:
MAY 8: Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina.
MAY 15: Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
MAY 22: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Texas
Check out your state primary date here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/us/elections/calendar-primary-results.html Be ready to vote and make it a
family affair. Take your young children and make it a teachable moment for our
future voters.
Other Actions
1. U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection
(CBP) are conducting raids on Greyhound buses, without warrants. (http://wapo.st/2Gi7GLr http://cbsn.ws/2ucnE4I). ACLU affiliates in ten states have
penned a letter to Greyhound Lines, Inc., asking the company to change its
policies and prohibit warrantless searches, as is their right under the Fourth
Amendment. Let's join the ACLU in their push. We can sign a petition to
Greyhound at this link. We can also reach out directly to ask
Greyhound president and CEO Dave Leach and Senior Legal Officer Tricia Martinez
to change their policies: 1) Dave Leach President and Chief Executive Officer
Greyhound Lines, Inc. 350 N. St. Paul Street Dallas, TX 75201; 2) Tricia Martinez Senior Legal Officer
Greyhound Lines, Inc. 350 N. St. Paul Street, Dallas, TX 75201 e-mail: Tricia.martinez@greyhound.com; 3) on Twitter @GreyhoundBus.
2. "Safety Pin Box is a monthly subscription box for white
people striving to be allies in the fight for Black Liberation. Subscriptions
are a way to financially support Black woman and femme freedom fighters while
completing measurable tasks in the fight against white supremacy."
Let's check this out and sign up for a sample task here:
3. Americans
were once so determined to eliminate poll taxes we amended the Constitution to
get rid of them. But politicians who want to suppress the African-American vote
have brought them back in the form of voter ID laws. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-texas-voter-id-law-20170823-story.html). While we work to get those laws off the
books, we can’t let folks be denied their rights because they can’t afford to
use them. Let’s donate to Spread The Vote to support their work to get everyone
the ID they need.
4. “The
Obama Foundation is looking to hire a diverse cohort of passionate,
mission-oriented, and qualified interns to serve in our Chicago and D.C.
offices. This internship is open to current undergraduate and graduate students
who are eligible to work in the United States.”
If we are, or know someone who fits this bill, here’s the application info
for the Fall semester internship program:
https://www.obama.org/internship/
5. Hate crimes are on the rise since Trump was elected and more and
more of them are done explicitly in his name. Let's read up on what we can do if we witness hate or harassment, and consider making a
donation to an organization that fights hate and hate crimes: ACLU, Southern
Poverty Law Center, Human Rights Campaign: Hate Crimes, Safety Pin Box.
6. If we,
or our postcarding group, are looking for a weekly list of issues and writing
opportunities, check out this week’s WhatIfKnits: http://www.whatifknits.com/
7. Because
recreational use of marijuana is legal in Washington, Seattle City Attorney
Pete Holmes and Mayor Jenny Durkan have moved to vacate past convictions and
outstanding possession charges (http://fortune.com/2018/04/28/seattle-vacates-marijuana-possession-convictions/). Holmes notes it one small step
"to right the injustices of a drug war that has primarily targeted people
of color," (https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-asks-judge-to-clear-hundreds-of-past-pot-convictions/281-546913584). Let's send both Attorney Holmes and Mayor
Durkan a "Thank you!". Mailing address: City Attorney Pete
Holmes 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2050, Seattle, WA 98104-7097 Phone: 206-684-8200
Mayor Jenny Durkan: P.O. Box 94749 Seattle, WA 98124-4749 Phone: 206-684-4000
8. Fox News
host Sean Hannity fancies himself as a protector against the “elites” but now
we know he has been gobbling up low-income properties and evicting residents at
much higher rates: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/27/sean-hannity-eviction-orders-georgia-apartment-complex Let’s let Hannity know what we think of
his actions: Fox News, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
States
1. MOST: In the absence of federal
action, seven governors (CT, DE, MA, NJ, NY, RI, Puerto Rico) have now joined the
States for Gun Safety Coalition to study gun violence as a public health
issue. https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2018/04/25/7-governors-launch-unprecedented-effort-to-study-gun-violence-384339 The work will be done with the help of
researchers from the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium. http://rockinst.org/gun-violence/researchers/ . Let’s contact our governors, https://www.usa.gov/state-governor , and tell them to join the coalition.
2. CO:
The Voter Registration Individuals Criminal Justice Act “would pre-register
parolees so they would automatically be able to vote upon completion of their
sentences,” https://www.courthousenews.com/colorado-bill-aims-to-register-10000-parolees-to-vote/ It was just voted out of the Colorado
House Committee on State, Veterans, and Military Affairs last week. Let’s tell
our state representatives to expand voting rights by passing this bill: find
rep https://openstates.org/
3. NH: Last Thursday, the New Hampshire House voted to abolish the death
penalty, but Governor Sununu has stated that he will veto it (http://www.wmur.com/article/nh-house-votes-to-repeal-death-penalty-law-but-sununu-promises-veto/20074706). SB 593-FN has already been passed by the Senate.
Let's be sure to contact the governor and tell him we want him to sign the
bill: Office of the Governor State House 107 North Main Street, Concord,
NH 03301 Phone: (603) 271-2121 Fax: (603) 271-7680 We can also contact our
state senator and representative and tell them that if Governor Sununu does
veto the bill, they have our full support to override it: https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/
4. OK: "The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved a measure that
would allow adoption and foster care agencies to reject same-sex couples on
religious grounds," (http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/385228-oklahoma-house-approves-controversial-lgbtq-adoption-bill). SB
1140 had
already passed the Senate, and it now heads to the governor's desk for her
signature. Let's be sure to contact Governor Mary Fallin ASAP and tell her we
don't want her to sign this discriminatory bill: Oklahoma State Capitol 2300
N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 212, Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Phone: (405) 521-2342
Fax: (405) 521-3353
Reading/Watching
1. " To
better understand the history and current state of American diplomacy,
Pulitzer-winning author Ronan Farrow interviewed every living Secretary of
State for his book 'War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of
American Influence.'" Let's listen to Stephen Colbert's interview with
Ronan Farrow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbpmel4_55M
2. Amid the Opioid Epidemic, White Means
Victim, Black Means Addict:
3. Experts in authoritarianism advise us to keep a
list of things subtly changing around us, so we’ll remember. Amy Siskind
is keeping that list for us. Amy writes, "In some ways this week felt
normal as leaders of France and Germany visited the White House, and the
leaders of North and South Korea met for a historic summit and spoke of the
denuclearizing the peninsula. " Let's review Amy
Siskind's list week 76.
4. To help us see how our hard work really does help,
here is our weekly dose of Small Victories: https://mailchi.mp/peaceisloud/small-victories-what-can-happen-when-you-fight
