5/8/18
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. It was
reported over the weekend that CIA Director nominee Gina Haspel was seeking to
withdraw her name due to her controversial past regarding use of torture.
However, the Trump administration encouraged her to stay in and she has:
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/386304-white-house-steps-up-efforts-to-confirm-cia-director Let’s
continue to stay in touch with our Senators to let them know that she is not
the right fit for this nomination.
2. The U.S.
State Department has frozen funding for the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as
the White
Helmets, who are volunteer rescue workers in Syria (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-freezes-funding-for-syrias-white-helmets).
This comes as a result of Trump's freeze on
the $200 million used for recovery efforts in Syria, back in March. Let's
contact the State Department and tell them that continuing to withhold
funding for the White Helmets and other recovery efforts in Syria is cruel and
unnecessary, and that we want this funding to be reinstated ASAP. Address: U.S.
Department of State 2201
C St., NW Washington, DC 20520 Phone: 1-202-647-4000
3. From Calvin's List:
"The Senate is now due to weigh in on HR23,
the Gaining Responsibility on Water Act of 2017. This basically aims to
take the legs out from under California’s stricter conservation law aimed at
protecting fish and other aquatic life (and in doing so, allow for the complete
draining of 60 miles of river!), and end programs aimed at restoration and
protection of native fishes like salmon.
This bill is strongly opposed by sportsman advocacy groups as
well. HR23 has already passed the House, so please contact your senators
and ask them to OPPOSE this pro-agribusiness bill."
4. From Postcards from Kate: Paul Ryan apparently fired Rev. Patrick
Conroy several weeks ago for having prayed in November that Congress
"guarantee that there are not winners and losers under new tax laws, but
benefits balanced and shared by all Americans." Ryan let his fellow
Congress members believe that Conroy had resigned, but after it came out last
week that he had not, protest resounded, and Conroy was reinstated to his post.
Read more here. Let's send a note of
congratulations to the Reverend on his reinstatement, and a note of thanks to
him for standing strong in his faith. (The
Reverend Patrick J. Conroy, Chaplain, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S.
Capitol, Room HB25, Washington, DC 20515-6655)
5. House
Republicans are preparing to sign on to Donald Trump’s self-aggrandizing plan
for a military parade in Washington by adding it to the annual defense policy
bill, which will be taken up by the House Armed Services
Committee tomorrow.
(https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-04/trump-s-military-parade-would-be-endorsed-under-republican-bill).
This is an outrageous proposal which will serve no one but Trump’s ego and
waste taxpayer money we should be using to keep our promises to veterans. Let’s
contact our members of the House and let them know we want them oppose a single
cent being spent on Trump’s parade.
6. Rep.
Steven King (R-IA) has added an amendment to the Farm Bill that would restrict
states from setting their own rules on animal welfare, such as requiring
chickens to be kept in non-confining cages. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-king-amendment-farm-bill-20140123-story.html.
This would invalidate rules already on the books of several states, “and some
legal experts say it will also invalidate hundreds of state laws on animal
protection, food safety and even labor welfare.” Let’s tell our Representative
to make sure this amendment, along with the egregious work requirements proposed for Food Stamp
recipients and deregulations of pesticides, is
eliminated before the final vote.
7. A recent
story in Politico calls up
important questions on the ethical implications of the role Secretary of
Transportation, Elaine Chao, is playing in her father’s international shipping
company. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/06/elaine-chao-father-james-transportation-department-569686.
Secretary Chao, whose husband is Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, has
appeared publicly in photographs with her father, with the Department of
Transportation logo behind them, despite regulations that prohibit public
officials from using their office for any private gain for themselves or
others. Let’s tell our MoCs that we are concerned and ask them to look into
this issue.
8. A large
array of organizations from the faith, human rights, civil liberties, and open
government communities, among many others, have written to the Senate to oppose
Gina Haspel’s nomination for CIA Director. If we are in need of cogent
arguments to make to our senators urging them to vote against the confirmation
of Haspel, we should read their letter-- https://ccrjustice.org/coalition-letter-opposing-gina-haspel-cia-director --and
then call our senators before the Wednesday hearings.
9. Having
explained his “zero-tolerance” policy last month, Attorney General Jeff
Sessions announced Monday that the Justice Department will begin
prosecuting every person who illegally crosses into the United States along the
Southwest border, and Kirstjen Nielsen, the homeland security secretary, sent
the order to border agents on Friday. Under the new directive,
undocumented immigrants will be sent directly to a federal court while children
will be put in the custody of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee
Resettlement—the same HHS that told Congress in April that it had lost track of
nearly 1,500 migrant children it placed with sponsors in the United States. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/07/609225537/sessions-says-zero-tolerance-for-illegal-border-crossers-vows-to-divide-families In
the past, families who were stopped after crossing the border were released
into the United States to await civil deportation hearings with their children.
We should tell Sessions and Nielsen what we think of their unremitting
criminalization of immigration and this appalling new practice of separating
children from their parents: DOJ, 202-514-2000 or 950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,
Washington, D.C. 20530 and DHS, 202-282-8000 or Washington, D.C. 20528. Let also make sure our MoCs know that we do
not want children used this way when all their parents are doing is trying to
improve their lives.
10 Interior Secretary Zinke, in what he called "the
first of many steps Interior will take to secure the homeland", will start
sending U.S. Park Police and National Park Service officers to help patrol the
southwest border of the US on May 13. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/386570-interior-is-sending-officers-to-assist-patrolling-the-us-mexico Let’s let Zinke know that we want those
workers to do the job they were hired to do:
https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/u-s-department-of-the-interior Let’s tell our MoCs the same.
Election 2018 –
General
An election guide from Postcards for America: In this Google doc (in process),
each State shows ALL Democratic Candidates running for Congress, Governor, Lt
Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State (if applicable) with links to their
websites and Twitter. Each has a link to a Twitter Thread, a Shareable Facebook
Post and a Document. For most States, there are also Info & Links for Voter
Registrations, Absentee Ballots, Early Voting & Voter ID, Age Requirements
and being a Poll Worker. Let’s check this out and use and
share it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit
1. We all
know that getting the vote out is essential to good government, but that voter
turnout is traditionally low. The first step is getting folks to register to
vote. Let’s take a look at these 15 ways we can help get more people registered
to vote and try to use some of them: https://politicalcharge.org/2018/03/10/15-ways-you-can-help-get-more-people-registered-to-vote
2. We’re a
week away from another set of special elections in Pennsylvania, and we’ve got
some great chances to flip seats and send a message to a state GOP more
concerned with undermining democracy than helping their constituents (http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2018/04/11/PA-House-GOP-gerrymander-redistricting-plan-majority-more-power/stories/2018041101970). Let’s help out! We can phone bank for
Helen Tai in the 178th House District at this link. And we can sign up to text voters with
Red2Blue for Helen and other Democratic candidates here.
3. Today’s special
elections include three (3) campaigns for which Postcards to Voters volunteers
sent cards to get out the vote. 1)PA-Campaign 72: Helen Tai for State House. 2) PA-Campaign 79: Clark Mitchell for State House. 3) AL-Campaign 80: Juanita Healy for State House. Those of us who write
postcards know that Tuesday election returns have become what Fantasy
Football Sundays are to football fans. If we want to write cards for current
open campaigns, we can sign up here. Let's make Tuesdays exciting!
4. Election
2018 results: Postcards to Voters’
volunteers wrote to voters in Saturday’s election in Texas. We wrote for both
candidates knowing that they are in deep red territory and could not win this
election cycle. As expected, they both lost. Democrats have a long way to go in
these districts. However, this is a great start and we've recruited more Texas
postcarders. We thank these two change-agents for running. 1) Campaign 74: Cecil Webster for State House. 2) Campaign 76: Norma Hutchins for Prosper Town Council. We can check
out Postcards to Voters' current open campaigns on their volunteer sign-up
page here.
Election 2018 –
By State
1. ALL: Koch-affiliated groups are putting $20 million into an effort to
boost support for the $1.5 trillion in tax cuts Congress approved last year.
Paid canvassers are going door-to-door across the country to "sell"
the tax cuts. Let's read more at Bloomberg.
While conservatives have money to spend to hire people to do their work, we
have the grassroots' energy and volunteer-power to counter their actions. Let's
stay energized and keep working toward the Midterm elections.
2. CA: Under California’s open primary
system, the top two vote-getters in the June 5th primary, regardless
of party, move on to the general election in November. If the vote is
too scattered, there’s a risk that no candidate who reflects our
values will appear on the November ballot. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-top-two-primary-changes-analysis-20180319-story.html Let's
closely examine the candidates and consider who might best ensure that we have
a real choice on the ballot.
3. IN: State primary is today, May
8. Information here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit
4. NC: State primary is today, May 8. Details here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit
5. NM: Today, May 8, is the last day to
register to vote in the primary. It is
also the first day of early voting. More
info here: http://www.sos.state.nm.us/Voter_Information/voter-information-portal.aspx
6. OH: State
primary is today, May 8. Details here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit
7. SC: Friday, May 11 is the voter
registration deadline for the primary election on June 12.
8. UT: A broad coalition of Utah
organizations representing doctors, conservative activists and narcotics
officers has hired a pool of well-paid canvassers to speak with voters who
signed a medical marijuana ballot initiative, urging them to remove their
names before the May 15 deadline. Let's read more at the Salt Lake Tribune. If
we are Utah voters who signed to get this issue on the ballot, let's be aware
of these tactics and make other Utah voters aware as well. We want this issue
on the ballot for all Utah voters to decide.
9. WV: State primary is today, May
8. More information here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit
Other Actions
1. Last
summer, a group of women quickly raised $124,000 to buy and deliver 1,500 boxes
of baby essentials to moms in Syrian refugee camps. Recently they asked doctors
still in Syria: What can we do right now to help? The answer: More Baby Boxes. In honor of #MothersDay and the brave women
in Syria, we are launching the next round of #ParcelOfLove. The goal: 2,000
Baby Boxes. Join us! Donate: hchearts.org/parcel-of-love Then, tell your family and friends to do the
same: bit.ly/ParcelOfLove Together we will show Syrian women they are
not alone.
2. Corporations
shouldn't be legal persons, but the people running DICK's Sporting Goods
deserve our thanks. Not only did they stop selling assault-style rifles and
high-capacity magazines, but they also destroyed their stock of such items
instead of selling it. Now, they're even lobbying to get common-sense gun
reforms passed into law. Thanking them directly is always good
(1-877-846-9997), and there's also a petition here: https://go.ameripacfund.com/page/s/End-Americas-Gun-Crisis
3. While
the NRA was in Dallas for its annual convention, Ellen’s, a Dallas restaurant,
pledged to donate the week’s proceeds to organizations working for sensible gun
laws. In response, the NRA called for a boycott of Ellen’s. Now, the restaurant
is being heavily trolled. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/06/us/nra-boycott-ellens-dallas.html Let’s
express our support. We can grab a meal to two at Ellen’s, https://www.gritsrule.com/ ,
or send Ellen’s a supportive postcard (1790 N Record St, Dallas, TX 75202), or
“like” their Facebook page,
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1. Tonight, in NYC, is Progressive HackNight,
a bi-weekly gathering of coders and creatives, makers and doers, to foment
and inspire action. We can use our collective talents and abilities to push
forward pro-social change in benefit of the common good. This time, we can
help Radical Health, a minority-women owned, social impact organization. They
want to ideate, plan, and design a chatbot system that will help
under-represented groups, especially women of color, in navigating the health
care system. This event is open to technologists, organizers, data enthusiasts,
ux/ui, creatives, project managers, product managers, coders, etc, of all
backgrounds/experiences. We can also
participate in a coworker.org lead discussion on knowing your rights, and
what power techies have in their workplaces. We can RSVP and find more
info here. We bring our ideas and skills, they’ll bring the pizza! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/29-working-hacknight-progressive-hacknight-may-8-2018-tickets-45580111340?aff=es2
2. Non-profit org Higher Heights "seeks to elevate Black women’s voices to
shape and advance progressive policies and politics." To that
end, they're "hosting a series of online trainings designed uniquely
for and by Black women who are considering running for office. Join Black
women for across the country for a power packed 60 minutes with leading experts
that will provide basic tools and information from fundraising and communications
to developing an action plan." Find out more, and sign up, here: http://www.higherheightsforamerica.org/webinars2017
States
1. MOST: Connecticut is becoming the tenth
state to join the National Popular Vote compact, in which states agree to turn
over their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national
popular vote. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/07/609060190/connecticut-oks-bill-pledging-electoral-votes-to-national-popular-vote-winner The
Compact will take effect when enough states have joined it to reach 270
electoral votes. Let’s check the status of the National Popular Vote Bill in
our state, https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/,
and let’s urge our state legislators to move this democracy-enhancing bill
forward. https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/
2. MI: The Michigan Senate has passed S.B. 897,
which would require Medicaid recipients to work at least 29 hours a week in
order to receive health care coverage. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) has
detailed the many ways that Medicaid work requirements can be harmful and
unrealistic: https://kaiserf.am/2DnnsDK What's
also concerning, though, is that this bill offers exemptions for areas with a
certain rate of unemployment, which will likely lead to disparities between
services for rural and urban areas of Michigan, which also means disparities
between white and black Michiganders (https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/3/17315382/medicaid-work-requirements-michigan-race).
Let's be sure to call these members of the House Appropriations Committee (as
recommended by Michigan Resistance)
and ask them to oppose this unnecessary bill: Jeff Yaroch (R-33)
517-373-0820, Scott VanSingel (R-100) 517-373-7317, Tommy Brann
(R-77) 517-373-2277, Chris Afendoulis (R-73) 517-373-0218, Dave Pagel
(R-78) 517-373-1796
Reading/Watching
1. Alexander Hertel-Fernandez’s new book, Politics
at Work: How Companies Turn their Workers into Lobbyists. This piece on
the book brings attention to the practice of corporations to influence the vote
of their employees to benefit the corporation. It point out the conflicts of
the employee’s choice versus the corporation’s choice. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/07/politics-at-work-employee-mobilization-lobbying
2. “William Barber Takes on Poverty and Race in the
Age of Trump” - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/05/14/william-barber-takes-on-poverty-and-race-in-the-age-of-trump
3. "The 14 Most Common Arguments against
Immigration and Why They’re Wrong" - https://www.cato.org/blog/14-most-common-arguments-against-immigration-why-theyre-wrong
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