7/31/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
Fax legislators for free:
or use
Resistbot: https://resist.bot/
White House contact: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house
********************************
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.
“The Trump
administration is considering bypassing Congress to grant a $100 billion tax
cut to wealthy Americans by allowing taxpayers to account for inflation while
determining capital gains tax liabilities, the New York Times reported on
Monday.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tax-capitalgains/trump-administration-eyes-capital-gains-tax-cut-for-wealthy-ny-times-idUSKBN1KK2GL The
last tax cut, passed by Congress this session, also concentrated on the wealthy
and corporations with threats of cuts to the safety net. Let’s let our MoCs know that if any of them
are party to cuts to the safety net that we will vote them out. Let’s also remind the White House all that is
not getting done because of tax cuts to the wealthy.
2.
Yesterday,
Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions created a Religious Liberty Task Force. “Sessions' task force will aim to ensure the
Justice Department is upholding the executive order President Trump issued in May 2017 ordering the executive
branch to protect religious freedoms. It will do so "in the cases they
bring and defend, the arguments they make in court, the policies and
regulations they adopt, and how we conduct our operations,” according to the
attorney general.”” https://www.bustle.com/p/a-religious-liberty-task-force-has-been-created-heres-what-we-know-9928710 Under
the guise of liberty, this task force seeks to protect conservative Christians. Let’s let Sessions and our MoCs know that
there are plenty of other group of people in this country who could really use
some liberty and protection.
3.
As it is
becoming more widely recognized that the U.S. has a frightening rate of
maternal mortality, one of the most important things we can do is to find out
the causes of maternal injury and death, so that we can come up with effective
solutions. California has been doing this since 2006, when it established
the California Maternal Quality Care
Collaborative,
and formed a maternal morbidity review committee to look at the details
surrounding each case of maternal death, and has since cut its maternal
morbidity rate by half (https://www.npr.org/2018/07/29/632702896/to-keep-women-from-dying-in-childbirth-look-to-california). There is already bipartisan legislation
that has been introduced, which would provide funding for a maternal morbidity
review committee in each state. Let's make sure that our MoC are ready to cast
a vote in support of the Preventing Maternal Act in the House (H.R. 1318), and the Maternal Health Accountability Act
in the Senate (S. 1112).
4.
In order
to thoroughly vet Brett Kavanaugh as a SCOTUS nominee, it is essential to
examine his record from when he served as judge, and also, importantly, in his
role as a member of the Bush administration (https://wapo.st/2mTPUT8, https://bit.ly/2NX6w8e). This push for transparency is important so
that our senators may have a better understanding of Kavanaugh and whether he
is the best person to serve on our Supreme Court. Let's make sure that we are
not only calling our own MoC to tell them we support this examination of
Kavanaugh's record, but let's also contact the Senate Judiciary Committee to
ensure that they fully investigate his record before they decide whether to let
the nomination proceed to a full Senate vote. We can find a call script and
phone numbers at 5Calls: https://5calls.org/issue/judiciary-committee-review-kavanaugh-documents
5.
Trump
had an extra-disturbing rant on Twitter this weekend about the press:
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/399421-trump-calls-media-very-unpatriotic-for-reporting-on-government His actions are the
hallmark of an authoritarian. Let’s let our MoC know how despicable this is but
more importantly, let’s each pause to say thanks and offer support to 2-3
journalists whose work we are relying on.
6.
Today is
the FINAL day to submit a public comment in opposition to Trump's proposed gag
rule, which would stop funding from going to health care providers who even
talk to women about the option of having an abortion. This rule would deny
millions of women, disproportionately poor and women of color, from getting
basic care (http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180728/family-planning-gag-rule-debated-in-advance-of-public-comment-deadline). Let's join Planned Parenthood in making
our voices heard. We can find out how to comment at this link: https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/what-is-the-domestic-gag-rule.
7.
As if
there weren't enough guns on America's streets already...."Do-it-yourself,
downloadable guns are incredibly dangerous. And a State Department special
exemption would allow a company run by a self-proclaimed anarchist to post its
gun blueprints online in the form of files that can be sent directly to a 3D
printer to print guns on demand." Let's use Everytown's form to send a
message to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and tell him this dangerous idea
should be on a permanent no-fly list: https://act.everytown.org/sign/stop-downloadable-guns/
8.
Don't be
fooled by Trump's false narrative about Americans' hostility towards
immigration. Clear majorities of us support both the right to immigrate to the
U.S. and providing a path to citizenship for those who do so (https://theconversation.com/americans-are-not-as-divided-or-conservative-on-immigration-as-you-might-think-99058). When speaking with our MoCs, or with other
citizens, remember: "Only conservative whites were happier, less angry,
less sad and felt more at home in response to restrictive treatment. Everyone
else fared better when told that their state was considering adopting policies
that welcomed immigrants."
9.
While
the GOP tried to use “trickle down” again on us with the tax cut, once again it
did not work out that way. Most
companies did not allow that to happen, again.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/30/eye-popping-payouts-for-ceos-follow-trumps-tax-cuts-747649 Let’s tell our MoCs that it is time to move
on from trickle down and enact some tax reform that truly helps the middle
class. If they can’t do it, we will
elect people who can and who are not beholden to big money interests.
10. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee
approved seven more of Republican regime's judicial nominees, including four to
federal appeals courts. Eleventh Circuit nominee Justice Britt Grant was
considered in yesterday's (Monday's) full Senate session. Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell has already cancelled most of the senate's August
recess. They will be out the week of Aug. 6 and back to Washington
on Monday, Aug. 13. (Source: The Hill.) We can anticipate that they will be
working to confirm more judicial nominees. Let's read more about the ones that
just passed the committee at Courthouse News. We need to continue to let our senators
know of our opposition to the most extreme nominees.
11.
Caterpillar
is the latest company to raise their prices on products as a result of the
administration’s tariff policies. http://thehill.com/policy/finance/international-taxes/399476-caterpillar-to-raise-prices-due-to-trump-tariffs-on. And farmers themselves, as well as
several Republican Senators, are opposed to the administration’s plans to spend
$12 billion of taxpayer money on a bailout to make up for lost income. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/24/trumps-12-billion-aid-for-farmers-risks-unintended-consequences.html. Let’s tell our MoCs to pass legislation to
stop the tariff wars and work on assuring long-term stability to our
agricultural community.
Election 2018 – General
An election guide
from Postcards
for America: In this Google doc (updated
regularly), 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:
1.
It's
been a long summer going door-to-door in the Florida heat, but thousands of
activists devoted to strengthening democracy are doing just to that to make
sure ending felony disenfranchisement wins at the ballot box in November (https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/07/19/a-long-hot-summer-of-building-support-to-grant-felons-the-right-to-vote/). Let's help them out. Tonight, we can
take part in a nationwide virtual phonebank to rally supporters for Amendment 4
starting at 5:30pm Eastern. We can sign up here:
https://secure.everyaction.com/7qG9FiWLj0O_F5Hq63txXw2?group=21&role=238585&shifts=34730&location=620. And if we can't make it tonight, we
can sign up to phonebank any time here or join their text team here.
2.
From
RollingStone: "The
Hateful 8: Meet the Biggest Bigots On the Ballot in 2018." From holocaust denial to racism and
homophobia, these men have loud opinions – and they want your vote! Let's stay
aware of these bigots and support the Democrats running against them,
especially if they are in our states/districts.
3.
The
BlueWave Candidate database is now complete at the Federal and State levels. We
can use it to find Resistance Candidates to support locally and wherever else
we want. We can check out their social media, volunteer, donate and spread the
word about them to our friends too! Kudos to Edward Smith of Equal Vote Local
and everyone who helped him put this this valuable resource together! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gVTxDYgGNgzvCgUveNvHfwHvTG4pFuxSIRSmTBJStIE/htmlview#gid=0
Election 2018 –
By State
1.
Upcoming
voting dates and deadlines:
|
July 31
|
Kansas
|
Early Voting begins
|
Primary
|
|
August 1
|
Arizona
|
Early Voting begins
|
Primary
|
|
August 2
|
Oklahoma
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Runoffs
|
|
August 2
|
Tennessee
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 6
|
Wyoming
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary (postmark)
|
|
August 6
|
Alaska
|
Early Voting Begins
|
Primary
|
|
August 6
|
Kansas
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
August 6
|
Ohio
|
In person absentee voting ends
|
Special-12th congressional district
|
|
August 7
|
Kansas
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 7
|
Michigan
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 7
|
Missouri
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 7
|
Ohio
|
Election date
|
Special-12th congressional district
|
|
August 7
|
Washington
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 9
|
Connecticut
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 9
|
Hawaii
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
August 10
|
Wisconsin
|
In person absentee voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
August 10
|
Wisconsin
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 11
|
Delaware
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 11
|
Hawaii
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 12
|
Rhode Island
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 13
|
Alabama
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Municipals
|
|
August 13
|
Arkansas
|
Early Voting ends
|
State Senate Dist 8
|
|
August 13
|
Minnesota
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
August 13
|
Vermont
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
August 14
|
Vermont
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 14
|
Wisconsin
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 14
|
Connecticut
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 14
|
Minnesota
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 14
|
Vermont
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 14
|
Wisconsin
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 14
|
Arkansas
|
Election date
|
State Senate Dist 8
|
|
August 15
|
Massachusetts
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 17
|
New York (state)
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 18
|
Florida
|
Early Voting Begins
|
Primary
|
(source: by date:
https://goo.gl/gjFv2u by state:
https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)
Other Actions
1. Sixteen-year-old
Jody Bell, who will be a senior this fall at Greenwich High School (CT), has
designed an online resource to help immigrant children and teenagers learn how
to prepare for the possible deportations of parents or guardians. Bell
participated in a "12-week mini-MBA" program for girls at
the new Connecticut-based organization Girls With Impact. Bell was among the first group of
graduates. She launched her website, In Case of Deportation, this month. Let's read more at APNews. We can send a support email to Jody
through her website here.
Let's make sure others know about this important resource.
2. Lori
Stegmann, a Republican commissioner in northwest Oregon says she can no
longer stand by the party because of Trump's "racist tactics."
Stegmann changed her political affiliation to become a Democrat. Stegmann
said, ""I have not changed but the Republican party clearly
has...There’s too much at stake in our country right now and we have to speak
out..." Let's read more at USA Today.
We can read more about Lori and find her email/phone contact information at
the Multnomah County
website. We can send postcards of support and
welcome to: Commissioner Stegmann (District Four), 501 SE Hawthorne
Blvd., Suite 600, Portland, OR 97214.
3. From
Sleeping Giants: Uhhh
what?? Why is Spotify is
streaming Alex Jones' Infowars? Help us find out! "If you are talking about being KKK and
doing that kind of stuff, I think it's pretty obvious that we don't want you on
the service," said Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on stage in May 2018. So this must be an oversight...right? Here's the email for Seth Farbman, Spotify's
CMO:
seth@spotify.com
seth@spotify.com
4. From
Herd on the Hill: Are
you frustrated that your Members of Congress are refusing to hold town halls,
not answering their phones, and letting voice mailboxes fill up? Do you want to
make sure your Member of Congress considers your views? Herd on the Hill volunteers visit the DC
offices of your elected officials, taking you with us through your messages and
calls. Let’s check this out and use it:
http://herdonthehill.org/
5. The
National
Immigration Law Center (NILC) is asking that if we currently have
DACA or have had it in the past, or know someone who fits that bill, that we
let them know that NILC has teamed up with United We Dream, Center for American
Progress and Professor Tom Wong from the University of California, San Diego to
conduct a survey on how having DACA has affected those who’ve received it and
the communities where you live and work.
It only takes 10-15 minutes.
Please take a moment to complete the survey: http://bit.ly/2018dacasurvey.
6. Any
information submitted through the survey will be entirely confidential.
7. As
Midterms are approaching, some of us are asking how we can sustain momentum and
keep our activist groups going. Resistance School is offering a free online
training that could help. In it, Instructor Michael Blake will help us
learn how to build coalitions using the unique expertise of many individuals
and sustain movements over long periods of time. We can click here to
preview the course and then sign up if we like.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
Movement
Voter Project is holding two
calls today, Tuesday July 31 to let people know how they can plug into
becoming house party hosts and donor organizers! More information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1051862484963388/ We can join
one of these calls to get more involved!
We can register for one of the two times here:
2.
The immigrant-led activist group Cosecha is calling for us to take the next step, with
a national day of action to end cooperation with ICE today, Tuesday, July
31st, demanding cities, counties, companies and all institutions stop
working with them. Let's get involved. We can learn more here: http://www.lahuelga.com/abolishice#copy-of-call-to-action and we can check out the #WeWillNotBeComplicit
Action Guide at this link.
3.
The Grannies Respond/Abuelas
Responden caravan is leaving NYC today, July 31,
heading to McAllen, TX to protest the crisis at the border. Caravans are starting up all over the country
to join in and meet up on Aug 6 in McAllen. We can find a caravan near us or create one
ourselves for our area: https://www.granniesrespond.org/ridewithus If we can’t go, let’s follow their progress
here: https://www.facebook.com/granniesrespond/
4.
On August 4, March for Our Lives, Road To
Change, and National Organization for Change are marching on the NRA. The main march will be in Fairfax, VA at NRA
headquarters. We can find more
information here: https://www.marchonnra.org/ and we can find an even here: https://www.marchonnra.org/findmymarch If none are
near us, we can register an event here: https://www.marchonnra.org/regevent
States
1.
MANY: “Election machine manufacturers have resisted
meaningful oversight from both states and Congress about their security
practices, and have actively deceived the press about the use of remote
monitoring software on election equipment in the past,” https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/russians-are-targeting-private-election-companies-too-and-states-arent-doing-much-about-it
Let’s contact our state election officials to
ask how they are safe-guarding our votes and if we all have a paper ballot
backup everywhere in our state: https://www.nased.org/members/
Reading/Watching
1.
“Social Justice Is a Form of Worshipping God” - https://sojo.net/articles/social-justice-form-worshipping-god
2.
“Russian Meddling Helped Trump Win” - https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-07-24/russian-meddling-helped-trump-win-in-2016
3.
“Paper
ballots are hack-proof. It's time to bring them back” - https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/06/25/paper-ballots-hackproof-bring-them-back-glenn-reynoldscolumn/416652001/
