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7/10/18 

Contact Federal Government Officials


Fax legislators for free:  Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/

 
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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.       Last evening, Trump chose Brett Kavanaugh as the Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Kennedy.  https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/09/brett-kavanaugh-who-is-he-bio-facts-background-and-political-views-703346  From of our own:  Let’s call our Senators and tell them they need to scrutinize Trump’s Supreme Court nominee not only on abortion but on voting rights, civil rights, protection of immigrants, separation of church and state, the ACA, and the environment. Tell them also that until Trump has been cleared of any collaboration with Russia there should be no vote. We cannot let a Supreme Court Justice be picked by a foreign power. Tell them to take all steps necessary to delay the vote. This is going to be one of those drumbeat items we call about over and over. If you know people in Maine, Alaska, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia also ask them to call. It wouldn’t hurt to throw in Tennessee and Arizona although those are long shots.

2.      The ACLU reports that the Trump administration is likely to miss the court-ordered reunification deadline for half of the youngest separated children:   
https://apnews.com/25528d4880b541b798ba26ba645627aa  Let’s let our MoC know that we expect our nation to focus on this issue with the same level of intensity that Thailand has managed for the children trapped in the cave and then let’s say the same to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and HHS Secretary Alex Azar: https://www.dhs.gov/contact-us and  https://www.hhs.gov/about/contact-us/index.html

3.      One way that we can take action to protect and expand voting rights is through automatic voter registration, in which all eligible voters are registered to vote when they interact with government agencies. At the federal level, the House and Senate have introduced the Automatic Voter Registration Act (S. 1353/H.R. 2876). Let's be sure our MoC cosponsor and support this bill. We can also check out the Brennan Center's Automatic Voter Registration page to see where our state stands, then contact our state legislators and ask them to introduce and support legislation to either implement or expand automatic voter registration.

4.      Now that the Dept. of Justice is seriously looking to denaturalize some citizens, it looks like they will start with this grandmother:  http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/396140-trump-justice-dept-suing-to-denaturalize-miami-grandmother  Let’s ask our MoCs what they are doing about such absurdities and wasting of our tax dollars that could be better spent elsewhere.

5.      A group of Republican senators has pushed Trump to submit the Kigali Amendment to the Senate for ratification. This treaty would phase out hydrofluorocarbons, a super-potent greenhouse gas commonly used in air conditioning and refrigerators (http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/391689-gop-senators-push-trump-to-submit-pollution-treaty-amendment-for). Let's tell our senators we want them to join this push and publicly commit to voting for this treaty and insisting Trump support it.

6.      The Senate is expected to vote this week on the nomination of Brian Benczkowski for head of the Department of Justice's criminal division. His nomination is highly concerning given his history with Alfa Bank, the Russian bank under investigation by the FBI for potential connections to the Trump organization (https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/25/politics/brian-benczkowski-confirmation-hearing/index.html). Let’s tell our senators that this is the wrong time to be putting people with Benczkowski’s potential conflicts in positions of authority at the Justice Department. We can use this script from 5Calls here.

7.      “The spotlight on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is about to become brighter as Congress weighs the Trump administration’s request for a huge spending boost even as a growing number of Democrats want the agency abolished.”  http://thehill.com/latino/395903-clash-looms-over-ICE-funding  With our disgust with ICE, this is not the time to give ICE more money to engage in more questionable tactics.  Let’s tell our MoCs know that we do not want more money to go to ICE, in fact we want ICE to be abolished or changed back to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. 

8.     While Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) left lunch at a restaurant on Saturday, protesters greeted him by asking where the babies were.  https://www.bustle.com/p/immigration-protesters-ask-mitch-mcconnell-where-are-the-babies-video-9693292  While McConnell cannot find the missing children, he is the only one that can bring legislation to the floor that will address the “zero tolerance” program that is causing so much pain to so many people.  Asylum seekers are not criminals.  So, let’s ask McConnell to make this happen:   https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/officelocations  or on Twitter:  @SenateMajLdr

9.      Laurence Tribe, a leading Constitutional lawyer, tweeted: "A president under active criminal investigation of whether he won legitimately and whether he has obstructed that very investigation should not be permitted by a mere Senate majority to designate the justice whose votes could prove pivotal to the fate of his presidency." Now that Brett Kavanaugh has been named the nominee, we can use MoveOn’s Toolkit to Resist the Supreme Court Nomination. We can find a event planned at our Senator’s office or set one up ourselves, suing their planning kit:  https://savescotus.indivisible.org/moveon/

10.  “The Trump administration is suppressing an Environmental Protection Agency report that warns that most Americans inhale enough formaldehyde vapor in the course of daily life to put them at risk of developing leukemia and other ailments, a current and a former agency official told POLITICO.”   https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/06/epa-formaldehyde-warnings-blocked-696628  Time to call our MoCs to enact legislation that calls for the publication of all reports having to do with public health.

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.       Kara Eastman is a social worker and non-profit executive who has spent her career working to get more people access to health care and housing. Now, she’s challenging a Republican for Congress in the Omaha area, running on a bold progressive platform of single-payer and overturning Citizens United (https://www.omaha.com/news/politics/sen-elizabeth-warren-endorses-kara-eastman-for-omaha-area-house/article_5a9375e7-4f65-5ab7-b2fa-a639c721684a.html). This is a great opportunity to see if this message can win in a swing-seat electorate and toss out one of Trump’s toadies. We can help by phone banking from anywhere in the country! You can start making calls at https://call.eastmanforcongress.com/.

2.      From Dem Labs: The Supreme Court just ruled for aggressive purging of voter rolls. "States can now kick people off the rolls if they skip a few elections and fail to respond to a notice from election officials". Find out where this'll have the impact and see what you can do to make sure you're not purged - and helped the groups working to make sure all Americans can vote. 

3.      Postcards4VA is challenging us—whether we’re in Virginia or elsewhere—to take the 180-postcard challenge to flip Congress 180 degrees! Let’s learn more and sign up at their website: https://postcards4va.com/

4.      "Take a moment and think about the interactions you’re having with people about the upcoming elections, whether conversations in person, messages you’re sending via email, or social media posts you’re writing. Can you shape those conversations and messages into an invitation?"  https://politicalcharge.org/2018/07/07/how-do-we-make-people-vote/  Let's read this and start asking the right questions!

Election 2018 – By State

1.       Upcoming voting dates and deadlines:

July 10
Delaware
Filing Deadline
July 10
Ohio
In person absentee voting begins
Special-Aug 7 congressional dist 12
July 12
New York <state level>
Filing Deadline
July 12
Hawaii
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
July 13
Tennessee
Early Voting begins
Primary
July 15
Wisconsin
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary (postmark)
July 17
Kansas
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
July 17
Alabama
Election date
Runoffs
July 17
North Carolina (FED ONLY)
Election date
Runoffs
July 20
Louisiana
Filing Deadline
July 22
Alaska
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
July 23
Georgia
Early voting ends
runoffs
July 24
Minnesota
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
July 24
Georgia
Election date
Runoffs
July 28
Tennessee
Early Voting ends
Primary
July 30
Arizona
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
July 30
Florida
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
July 30
Arkansas
Early Voting begins
State Senate Dist 8
July 30
Hawaii
Early Voting begins
Primary
July 31
Kansas
Early Voting begins
Primary
(source:  by date:  https://goo.gl/gjFv2u by state:  https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)

2.      KS:  Ready to rumble Kansas? July 17 is the LAST DAY we can register to vote before the Kansas Primary. We can register to vote online at ksvotes.org.  Kansas Indivisible recommends ONLY using this site to avoid any possible voter suppression.  If we have moved or changed our name, we need to UPDATE your registration.  Documentary proof of citizenship is NOT required when registering to vote, per the Federal District Court ruling on June 18, 2018, by Judge Julie Robinson declaring the Kansas Documentary Proof of Citizenship law violated the National Voter Registration Act and the U.S. Constitution.  We can access ksvotes here:  https://ksvotes.org

Other Actions

1.       When Trump attempted to quash ACA enrollments, ACA Signups stepped into the breach, and the results were staggering. With half the enrollment period and no budget. 2017 enrollments ended up at 95% of 2016!  This year, they are taking the first steps to making the 2019 ACA Signup Project even more effective than last year by creating a large list of folks who are willing to share state-specific graphics, PDF's and articles on a weekly basis.  The "15 Minutes for the Affordable Care Act" is aiming for 10,000 participants by September 30th! Want to help? We can click on the Facebook link directly below this sentence to go to a public, shareable post where we can join the email list, then share the post to encourage others to do the same!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2468746626684978/permalink/2468766243349683/

2.      As we hear horrifying accounts of children separated from their parents in our name, we can hold the worst profiteers responsible. MVM, Inc. won an $8 million contract with ICE and the Office for Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to "provide assistance in emergency shelter operations for unaccompanied children [that] extends through September 2022"; they have earned $42.9 million in less than a year transporting minors to centers in Texas--MVM CEO: Kevin Marquez, marquezk@mvminc.com.  Giant defense contractor General Dynamics too has contracts with ORR--General Dynamics CEO: Phebe  Novakovic, 
3.      pnovakovic@generaldynamics.comhttps://www.thedailybeast.com/defense-contractors-cashing-in-on-immigrant-kids-detention. The bus company transporting the kids (in caged buses) is TrailBoss, Inc., 907-338-8243, trailboss@trailbossinc.com  We should also call the Customs & Border Protection field office in Tornillo, TX, where a tent city is being erected to warehouse children, at 915-765-2800, and file a complaint against ICE with the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties within the Dept. of Homeland Security at 202-401-1474.

4.      Mark Benioff, CEO of Salesforce has told employees who protested the contract the company has with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will continue because it’s technology isn’t involved in the CBP’s U.S.-Mexico border policies.  Over 650 employees asked Benioff to re-examine the deal.  https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/28/salesforce-reportedly-wont-cancel-its-contract-with-border-agency-despite-employee-petition/.  He has made a donation in support of the separated families, but we know that a powerful business person like Benioff can pressure the WH to stop ICE and it’s cruel processes. Let’s join those brave employees and tell Benioff he can do more to pressure the WH and we expect him to step up.  You can tweet him here @Benioff, or email him here. ceo@salesforce.com

5.      The Barr Foundation is giving $1 million ($500,000 in grants plus $500,000 in personal gifts from Barr’s founding trustees) in response to the Trump/Republican zero-tolerance and family separation policies. We can read the announcement to learn where the money is going,  https://www.barrfoundation.org/blog/barr-announces-1-million-response-to-family-separation-crisis, and  we can and wessages of gratitude to the co-founder and chair of the board: Barbara W. Hostetter, Barr Foundation, Two Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02110, or feedback@barrfoundation.org

6.      If you are looking for a list of issues for your postcarding group, check out What If Knits:  http://www.whatifknits.com/

7.      EveryChildReturned.com gives us another way to bring notice to the displaced families.  “This website contains an evolving list of every location reported by major press outlets to be caring for or placing separated babies and children. We call on concerned citizens to take a shift by choosing a facility near them and making time each week to sit watch -- for an hour or a few -- until every child has been reunited.”  Let’s take a look and see where we can help.

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       The Parkland/March for Our Lives students are still on tour” to get young people educated, registered, and motivated to vote.”  This week they are in TX, NM, CO, and UT.  Let’s meet up with them.  Here are their July dates and locations:  https://marchforourlives.com/tour/

2.      July 22 at 3pm EDT, Issue Voters of Northern Nevada will be presenting a webinar on “Voter Mobilization:  Strategies and Best Practices”.  Here is the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/191292124873267/ We can register here:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vEbS2tQKQKyrs-yoroJ2qA

3.      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 on July 31st, demanding cities, counties, companies and all institutions stop working with them. Let's get involved. We can check out the #WeWillNotBeComplicit Action Guide at this link.

States


Find elected state officials: https://openstates.org/


1.       IL: The House and Senate have passed HB 4469, which would ensure that eligible voters who are awaiting trial are able to submit a ballot, by requiring county jails and election authorities to work together to create a process of voting while in jail (https://bit.ly/2FYp7wL). The bill would also require that convicted prisoners to be informed of their right to vote when they are released from custody. Let's contact Governor Rauner and urge him to sign this bill to protect voting rights across the state: Mailing address: Office of the Governor 207 State House Springfield, IL 62706 Phone: 217-782-0244

2.      ME: Governor Paul LePage (R) has vetoed six (6) new bills, including a ban of ‘conversion therapy.’ Other vetoed bills included two omnibus packages that would overhaul Maine’s medical marijuana program in several ways, as well as two others that revolve around jail funding and state park fees. Let's read more at Bangor Daily News. The Legislature will need to muster two-thirds votes in both chambers to overturn the vetoes, which also include start-up funding for Medicaid expansion. Let's contact our Maine state legislators to let them know that we want them to work to overturn LePage's vetoes. 

3.      NJ: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) has approved the "Civic Info Bill," a bill that dedicates $5 million to strengthen local media outlets in the state. The state legislature had passed this bill last month. Let's read more at The Hill. Let's send our thanks and support to Gov. Phil Murphy and our own NJ state legislators

Reading/Watching

1.       Abraham Lincoln’s Warning:  The 16th president of the United States knew what the 45th does not. The Declaration of Independence is at the core of our political inheritance”  https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/declaration-of-independence-lincoln-trump-fourth-of-july/564431/

2.      An excellent interview with Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State: 

3.      “The Propaganda Schemes of Trumpputinism” - https://demwritepress.com/2018/07/06/the-propaganda-schemes-of-trumpputinism/







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