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.
The
Senate voted 97-2 in a non-binding resolution to express support for NATO prior
to Trump’s time at the summit: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/396399-senate-overwhelmingly-passes-resolution-supporting-nato-as-trump Only Senators Rand Paul and Mike
Lee voted against it. The House voted unanimously to do the same: https://www.facebook.com/TheHill/posts/10156181332144087 Let’s
let Trump know that we stand with out 97 Senators and all our Representatives
and strongly oppose his trashing of multilateral alliances that has served this
world so well: The White House, 1600
Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington DC 20500 or on Twitter @realDonaldTrump
2.
“Some
migrant parents who have been reunited with their young children say the
children no longer recognize them, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The
parents told the newspaper that after waiting months to see their children
again, the kids cried and didn’t recognize them. He didn’t recognize me,” one
parent, Mirce Alba Lopez, told the Times of her 3-year-old son. “My joy turned
temporarily to sadness.” The parents also said the children believed that the
other children they were detained with were their siblings.” http://thehill.com/latino/396444-some-young-children-reunited-with-parents-dont-recognize-them-report Congressman Michael Capuano
(D-MA) has filed the “Reunite Separated Families Act of 2018,”
http://capuano.house.gov/news/2018/pr071018.shtml , to, among other things, expedite
family reunification, prevent the Trump regime from reinstating a family
separation policy in the future, and hold the Trump regime accountable for the
conditions under which children are being held. Let’s tell our reps to co-sponsor
and support this bill and ask our Senators to file a similar bill.
3.
Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has taken an interesting angle on the nomination
of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court – that Kavanaugh’s positions could
ultimately create a barrier to the Russia investigation: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/10/trump-supreme-court-pick-brett-kavanaugh-barrier-russia-inquiry Let’s consider this line of reasoning
when connecting with Republican MoC who may be more amenable to rule of law
concerns than pro-choice ones.
4.
It's
been less than three days and already the National Education Association, the National Immigration Law Center, National
Women's Law Center, Fight
for the Future, Human
Rights Campaign, and
the Sierra Club have all come out against Brett
Kavanaugh to fill the open SCOTUS seat. These red flags from such diverse
organizations should give us pause. If we are looking for
information about Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh’s positions, we can check out
Demand Justice Initiative’s one-page document with citation
links here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GaoKGfTDW4DMqte6dHGoWixiTDWn-cG0 Perhaps the most frightening parts are his
views that The President should be able to control any investigation into his
own criminal acts and cannot, while he is office, be held liable for them. Let’s
call our Senators and tell them this nominee must NOT be confirmed!
5.
Trump
isn't just stacking the Supreme Court with ultraconservatives. He's putting
them all up and down the federal judiciary - for instance, nominating voter
suppression champion Thomas Farr for a judgeship in North Carolina (http://time.com/5099446/donald-trump-judge-nominee-thomas-farr/). As we call our senators to tell them to
oppose his Supreme Court nominee, let's also tell them we want to see them
oppose Farr's confirmation.
6.
Representative
Diane Black has introduced legislation (H.R. 6318) which would make it a felony to cross the
border illegally, even for first-time offenders (http://thehill.com/homenews/house/396282-gop-lawmaker-introduces-legislation-labelling-first-time-illegal-border). The bill would also redirect funds from
sanctuary jurisdictions to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) (https://bit.ly/2m94whh). While we can all call our representatives
and ask them to vehemently oppose this legislation, let's also keep our eyes on
the Tennessee primary election, where Representative Black will be running for
state Governor: https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_gubernatorial_election,_2018
7.
The
deadline for reuniting children under 5 with their families was Tuesday July
10th, but several children have yet to be reunited. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/what-happens-if-the-government-doesnt-comply-with-the-family-reunification-deadline. In fact, the administration seems pretty
blasé about the missed deadline and seems to be hoping that the controversial
SCOTUS nomination of Brett Kavanaugh will take our minds off this issue. Let’s
contact our MoCs and insist that our government devote all resources possible
toward reuniting these families and suspend business as usual until every child
has been placed with their family.
8.
House
Speaker, Paul Ryan (R-WI), is defending Rep. Jim Jordan, who is facing
allegations that he knew and did not report abuse of the Ohio State Wrestling
team when he was a coach. http://thehill.com/homenews/house/395712-fourth-ohio-state-wrestler-says-rep-jim-jordan-knew-about-sexual-abuse-when-he. Speaker Ryan claims that this is not a
matter deserving an ethics investigation since the incident happened before
Representative Jordan was elected to Congress. http://thehill.com/homenews/house/396479-ryan-defends-jordan-amid-ohio-state-abuse-claims-he-is-a-man-of-integrity. Let’s remind Speaker Ryan, Rep. Jordan’s
other defenders, and our own MoCs, that the Senate conducted an ethics
investigation of Al Franken about alleged incidents that happened before he was
a senator and that the integrity of the House depends on making sure this
incident is thoroughly investigated. We can remind them of the public’s concern
with Joe Paterno’s role in the Penn State football scandal, and the complicity
of Michigan State University in the recent scandal involving abuse of the U.S.
Women’s Gymnastics Team.
9.
Earlier
this week, Trump signed an executive order that gives the power for appointing
administrative law judges to political appointees. This enables cabinet heads
to stack the courts with people who are more likely to be biased in
adjudicating challenges to regulation repeals. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/10/trump-judges-regulations-labor-676431. Let’s be mindful that this is another
subtle step toward dangerous consolidation of executive power and look for
opportunities to challenge this policy and ask our MoCs to enact legislation to
counter this move.
10. Former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt dealt a
final blow to clean air initiatives before resigning, implementing a
loophole that will allow the production of thousands of diesel freight trucks
with high emissions. The decision effectively undoes an Obama administration
move. Let's read about this at Fortune. The Center for Biological Diversity,
Environmental Defense Fund and Sierra Club have sent a notice to
acting Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler requesting
the withdrawal or administrative stay of the agency’s decision to cease
enforcing production caps on heavy-duty “glider” trucks. (Souce: Center for Biological Diversity). Let's join them by contacting
the EPA and Andrew Wheeler.
11.
Millions
more Americans have been exposed to toxic levels of perfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) than previously thought—and the Environmental Protection Agency and
Department of Defense have deliberately downplayed the threat. One PFAS
chemical is 24 times more prevalent in public drinking water than the EPA has
reported, endangering 110 million Americans. Meanwhile, the DOD underreported
to Congress related environmental threats. https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-epa-and-the-pentagon-downplayed-toxic-pfas-chemicals Let’s tell our MoCs that we expect our
government to protect us, not sicken us, and we want legislative action on this
important environmental problem.
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.
Robocalls
in support of John Fitzgerald, a Holocaust-denier and Republican candidate for
California’s 11th Congressional District, asserted that “Jews
are taking over the world ‘and must be stopped.’” https://forward.com/fast-forward/405235/jews-must-be-stopped-california-gop-congressional-candidate-robocall/ The state GOP purports to denounce
Fitzgerald’s views but claims to be bound by its bylaws to endorse him. Let’s
(1) tell the California GOP to change its bylaws, https://www.cagop.org/contact, and (2) work to re-elect Democrat Mark
DeSaulnier in November: http://desaulnierforcongress.com/
Election 2018 –
By State
1.
Upcoming
voting dates and deadlines:
|
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.
FL: Palm Beach County: ELECTION 2018 -
BALLOT ISSUE: Facing pushback from
school board members and the teachers union, Palm Beach County Schools
Superintendent Donald Fennoy has dropped his proposal to give charter
schools a share of a $150 million-a-year property tax increase if voters
approve it. The special tax, which property owners would pay in addition
to regular school property taxes, has been in place for decades but has to be
reapproved by voters this year. Let's read more at Palm Beach Post. If we are public school proponents, let's
contact Superintendent
Fennoy to
let him know he has our support.
Other Actions
1. “This
woman’s act of protest as a middle schooler during the Vietnam War turned into
a landmark court case for students’ rights.” - https://www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/videos/mary-beth-tinker-tells-student/1874758429280939/
Let’s share this with young people we
know and help them start being part of the change now.
2. If
we are a teacher or librarian or a parent, or know of one, who wants to help
children understand the refugee crisis, these books might help:
3. The
EPA has submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
which would replace the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/396298-trump-admin-moves-forward-on-replacing-obama-epa-climate-rule).
Once the OMB completes its review of the rule, it will be made public for
comment. Let's read more about
what the proposed rule may include, then read about what the Clean Power Plan is,
so we can be ready to comment as soon as the EPA makes their proposed rule
available for public comment.
4. Grannies Respond/Abuelas Responden is
journeying across the country to a detention facility to demand an end to
family detention and separation (http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/caravan-of-grandmothers-heads-to-mexico-border-20180709).
We can join in rallies along the way, or join the caravan itself: https://www.facebook.com/granniesrespond For
those of us unable to join, we can still donate financial, legal, or logistical
support to the cause here.
5. For
people wondering what they can do to help immigrants in detention, here's one option
from the Southern Poverty Law Center that doesn't involve money, travel, being
outdoors, or potentially being arrested or attacked by Neo Nazis: "We
could use your help writing to [the Southeastern Immigrant Freedom
Initiative’s] clients with words of encouragement and support. If you are game
to write to a SIFI client in detention, please email Maggie at maggie.schumann@splcenter.org and
let her know how many folks you would like to write to." We can also check out this site and sign up
to be a pen pal here: https://www.nwdcresistance.org/pen-pal/
If we are looking for ways to start, we
can read this letter writing advice from a similar project for Burmese
political prisoners: http://burmacampaign.org.uk/
6. In
addition to companies that have been directly involved in enabling the administration’s
family detainment and separation policy, like the GEO Group and Southwest Key,
there are several other high profile companies that have contracts with ICE.
These include Amazon, Ernst & Young, Microsoft, Canon, Motorola, and
several universities. http://time.com/money/5318933/organizations-doing-business-with-ice/.
Let’s contact these companies and organizations and demand that they cancel
these contracts now. We can tell them that if they continue to work with ICE,
we will publicize their involvement and look for alternative providers to do
business with.
7. The
Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES),
a Texas-based non-profit organization, has offered to pay $20 million in bail
bonds to reunite around 2,500 separated migrant families. The bonds cost
between $5,000 and $10,000, on average. RAICES raised the funds
via donations. Let's read more at Newsweek.
We can also read more and contribute to the cause if we are able at the RAICES website.
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.
Trump is continuing to fight to discredit the
Mueller investigation - and it may be working (http://time.com/5304206/donald-trump-discredit-mueller-investigation/). In
response, all across the country on July 18th allies will
Confront Corruption and Demand Democracy with a candlelight vigil at sundown.
These vigils are being spearheaded by the Trump Is Not Above the Law network of
more than 375,000 people who are RSVPed to attend more than 900 events
nationwide should Trump fire Mueller or Rosenstein, or pardon key members of
his campaign or administration. We can learn more, find vigils near us or
launch our own here.
3.
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
4.
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
Reading/Watching
1.
From FactCheck.org: "Is Illegal Immigration Linked to More
or Less Crime?" Data from the libertarian Cato Institute shows
that “The arrest rate for illegal immigrants was 40 percent below that of
native-born Americans.” Let's be aware of the data to support our arguments.
2.
As we rightly leap to the defense of immigrant
children separated from their families, let’s not forget that mass
incarceration, excessive juvenile detention, and overuse of foster care
routinely separate kids in the US from parents. According to Nicholas Kristof,
“One black child in 10 spends time in foster care — and 61,000 foster kids have
simply gone missing since 2000.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/opinion/nikki-haley-united-states-extreme-poverty.html or http://www.care2.com/news/member/139866172/4109473
3.
Guest Blog: Action on plastics shouldn’t make
life suck for disabled people - https://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/issues/live-sustainably/735/guest-blog-action-on-plastics-shouldnt-make-life-suck-for-disabled-people/
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