7/24/18
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.
Link
correction: The recent arrest of alleged
Russian spy, Marina Butina, and the revelation of plans to use the NRA to push
for a more pro-Russian foreign policy should be deeply disturbing to all
Americans--progressives and conservatives, alike. While some may point to this
(https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/opinion/republican-party-national-rifle-association-trump-russia.html) as speculation and over-reach into conspiracy
theories, the fact that just days after Butina’s arrest, regulations were
changed so that the NRA would no longer have to disclose names of donors to the
IRS, should not be taken as mere coincidence. Let’s ask our Senators to support
Ron Wyden (D.-OR) in calling for hearings to investigate the depth of
NRA-Russia-Congressional connections.
2.
Yesterday,
the House Democrats pushed a resolution denouncing Trump’s behavior in
Helsinki. “This is a very important and
pivotal moment for our country,” Pelosi told reporters Monday evening
in the Capitol. “We cannot appear to endorse what the president is doing by our
silence.” http://thehill.com/homenews/house/398473-house-dems-press-resolution-denouncing-trump-in-wake-of-helsinki Let’s
tell our representatives that we agree. None
of us can be silent.
3.
Trump
has been on two separate but ultimately connected Twitter trains since Sunday
night – going back to everything about Russia being a hoax (the ultimate walk
back of his walk back of treason) and threatening Iran with annihilation (after
ending our nuclear agreement with them): https://apnews.com/33bbdee2506645859222e0f5252b288f/Iran-dismisses-Trump's-explosive-threat-to-country's--leader and http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/398285-trump-obama-didnt-warn-about-russia-before-election-because-its-a-hoax In both, his unfitness
shines through on many levels. Let’s let our MoC know that they are derelict in
their duties if they allow him to continue.
4.
Trump's
upcoming self-aggrandizing military parade is estimated to cost taxpayers 12
million dollars (http://fortune.com/2018/07/18/trumps-military-parade-cost-taxpayers-12-million-report/) and his unnecessary repainting of Air Force
One to red, white and blue is estimated to cost 3.9 million dollars of our
money (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/07/18/donald-trump-air-force-one-red-white-and-blue-cost-3-9-billion/794735002/). Add in the ever-increasing and
unexpected cost of Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy (https://www.bna.com/zero-tolerance-immigration-b73014477161/) and we see so much of our taxpayer dollars
that could have been spent on so many other much worthier. Let’s let our MoCs know where we want these
dollars to be spent instead.
5.
The NAACP, National Education Association, the National Immigration Law Center, National
Women's Law Center, Fight
for the Future, Human
Rights Campaign, NARAL, Americans United, Alliance
for Justice,
Leadership Conference, Lambda Legal, Anti-Defamation League, AFL-CIO, Everytown
for Gun Safety, 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. Let’s tell our Senators that we join
with these voices in opposing Kavanaugh.
6.
Let's
follow the House votes today for these two (2) healthcare bills:
1) H.R.1201 EACH Act. This bill would expand the religious
conscience exemption under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Read
more: H.R.1201
at Countable.
2) H.R.184 This bill would repeal the 2.3 percent
tax on medical device manufacturers and importers, that was imposed as a way to
fund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). More on H.R.184 at Countable. We do not have enough time to contact
our representatives in advance of Tuesday's votes. If these
pass, let's contact our representatives now to let them know we
are opposed to these bills passing in the Senate. We want a strong ACA.
7.
On
Wednesday, the House will be voting on two (2) healthcare bills. 1) H.R.6199 Modernizing health savings accounts.
Let's read more as well as arguments for and against H.R.6199 at Countable. 2) H.R.6311 This is the bill that would allow
"junk" insurance to be sold again. Let's read more about HR6311 at Countable. Both of these bills undermine the
Affordable Care Act. Let's contact our representatives to let them
know we are opposed to HR6199 and HR6311.
8.
The
recent developments between the current administration and Russian head of
state, Vladimir Putin are leading Democrats to press again for the President’s
tax returns. However, the MoCs with the authority to request these returns, Senate
Finance Committee Chairman Orrin
Hatch
(R-Utah) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin
Brady
(R-Texas) are refusing to call for these documents. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/398147-putin-summit-puts-spotlight-back-on-trump-tax-returns. Let’s contact Sen. Hatch (202-224-5251) and
Rep. Brady (202-225-4901) and tell them that viewing these tax returns are
essential in assessing whether or not the president is being unduly influenced
by Russia due to financial obligations. To stonewall their Congressional
responsibilities in this process at this point is to be complicit in a
cover-up.
9.
Four
days before the deadline, only 354 children ages 5-17 have been united with
their parents. And, ICE is violating prescribed detention standards by charging
parents exorbitant amounts to speak with their children by phone. http://thehill.com/latino/398353-dem-lawmakers-slam-ice-policy-that-charges-exorbitant-prices-for-parents-to-call. Let’s contact our MoCs, thank and urge
those who have spoken out to continue to do so, express our disgust with this
cruel violation of policy, and press them on the urgency of reuniting all of
these families as soon as possible before children suffer irreversible traumatic
effects.
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.
Since
the Parkland shooting, youth voter registration has soared! Let's read more
at The
Hill. If we know anyone who will be 18 this year, let's encourage them to
register to vote and do what we can to make it easy for them to do. (eg:
pre-print forms, stamped envelopes, take/accompany them to the registration
site. Let's be creative.)
2.
“Patriotic
Americans Against Trump” is a 100% volunteer, grassroots group of New Jersey
residents & allies that is seeking to flip 5 GOP congressional districts
blue by sending personalized letters to Democratic voters to educate them about
early voting in NJ. They have plenty of writers—what they need is money to
cover mailing costs. Let’s help them reach their $4,106 goal by donating: https://www.gofundme.com/patriotic-americans-against-trump
3.
In her
recent Medium article “Tips (many not obvious) to Protect your Voter
Registration and Vote against Hacking and Glitches!”, Attorney Jennifer
Cohn has lots of good advice about how we can anticipate and prepare to counter
obstacles to voting in upcoming elections. She tells us how to plan ahead for
problems with Voter Registration, Voting, and, for those of us that have to, Using
Touchscreen. Cohn also makes an excellent suggestion that we volunteer as poll
watchers to make sure the elections are conducted fairly. Voting is how we get
our country back on track, so let’s make sure our votes get counted! https://medium.com/@jennycohn1/simple-tips-to-protect-your-voter-registration-and-vote-cea7a0d56873
Election 2018 –
By State
1.
Upcoming
voting dates and deadlines:
|
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
|
|
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
|
(source: by date:
https://goo.gl/gjFv2u by
state: https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)
Other Actions
1. This article
from Business Insider lists 23 retailers that sell Trump products. Let’s
consider boycotting them, letting them know why we are boycotting, and
spreading the word to our friends and families. We can also check into Grab Your Wallet,
which includes Trump products and gun supporters, for more: https://grabyourwallet.org/
2. In
response to the April 2018 riots at Lee Correctional Institution (https://trib.in/2qBv79m),
as well as the many issues that are a direct result of mass incarceration,
incarcerated men and women across the U.S. will be declaring a nationwide
strike from August 21st-September 9th, to demand "humane living
conditions, access to rehabilitation, sentencing reform, and the end of modern
day slavery." Let's read more about the strike, the specific
demands, and find out how we can help here.
3. “No
one should have to worry about whether they will be denied service or face
hostility as they go about their daily lives. That’s why businesses across the
country are declaring that they oppose discrimination and that they are Open to
All regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation,
gender identity and expression, religion or disability.” Let’s invite
businesses in our communities to take the Open to All pledge: http://www.opentoall.com/
4. DC
Books to Prisons is supporting the 2,000 Libros initiative, which is collecting
new and gently used Spanish-language and bilingual books to give to children
being held in immigrant detention centers. Let’s check out these links to learn
how we can help:
5. It
is apparent and acknowledged by both parties that Russia has interfered with
our political and electoral processes and plans to continue these attacks
against our Democracy. It is time for leaders of both parties to say No to any
further interference and to punish Russia for its transgressions. To get this
message out to our Congress, Equal Vote Local has composed a “Russia is
Not Our Friend” tweetsheet. When we click on this link, we will find prewritten
tweets to all House of Representatives members. We can tweet our own members
and as many other as we like. Since the sheet is archived, we can come back to
it and tweet from it as we have time. We can click on this link here for
prewritten tweets: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hkWNte9YDH2jye0YCyGoBxMIzTLKtGcAb0KB8p9d0IM/htmlview#gid=0
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
This coming weekend marks #100DaysOut from the
midterm elections in November, and Indivisible is commemorating it with a
weekend of action:
https://www.indivisible.org/blog/100daysout/ During the
weekend, we'll be out canvassing, phone banking, and registering voters.
Let's find an event
nearby (filter by selecting "2018
Elections"), or if there isn't one yet, create one and let's get to work!
2.
“As the Trump Administration drags its heels on
reuniting thousands of separated children with their parents, it's time we once
again take action and demand a solution to this crisis and dignity for all immigrants.
On July 28, we're stepping up to say Families Belong Together: We
Demand Justice!” Let’s find an event to
attend or create our own: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/families-belong-together-we-demand-justice
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 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.
States
Reading/Watching
1.
“Behind The Campaign To Get Teachers To Leave
Their Unions “ - https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/07/19/628130197/behind-the-campaign-to-get-teachers-to-leave-their-unions
2.
“Why the Christian Right has Embraced Putin” - https://nypost.com/2018/07/21/why-the-christian-right-has-embraced-putin/
3.
"Thus the initial impediment to undoing
mass incarceration in America is not that we don’t have the answers for how to
treat violent crime—it’s that our politics seem allergic to the very
question," https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/10/the-black-family-in-the-age-of-mass-incarceration/403246/
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