8/3/18
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.
“A
bipartisan group of senators is introducing legislation to impose
"crushing" new financial penalties on Russia. The bill would slap new sanctions on Moscow,
require two-thirds Senate approval if President Trump wanted to withdraw from NATO
and force the State Department to determine if Russia is a state sponsor
of terrorism.” http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/400074-senators-introduce-bill-to-slap-crushing-new-sanctions-on-russia The
bill not yet numbered, but let’s let our senators know that this is the kind of
action we expect from Congress and that we want them to co-sponsor and support
this bill. Let’s also thank those who spearheaded
this bill: @LindseyGrahamSC @SenatorCardin @SenJohnMcCain @SenatorShaheen @SenatorMenendez & @SenCoryGardner
2.
A group
of Senators is calling for an investigation of the president’s Air Force One
trips, claiming that many of the invited guests have been people with whom the
Trump family has ongoing business relationships, which would represent a
conflict of interest.http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/400054-dems-call-for-investigation-of-trump-air-force-one-trips. Let’s thank Senator Warren (D-MA);
Whitehouse (D-RI); Carper (D-DE); and Blumenthal (D-CT) and ask our Senators to
join the call.
3.
Ivanka
Trump has publicly stated that she doesn’t believe that the media is the enemy
of the people. She also called family separations a low point in her father’s
administration. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-02/ivanka-trump-says-news-media-not-enemy-of-the-people. Let’s thank Ivanka (Twitter: @IvankaTrump)
for speaking out and ask her to use her influence to make sure journalists and
their First Amendment rights are protected, and that the hundreds of remaining
families are reunited as soon as possible.
4.
Not
surprisingly, the White House is downplaying Trump’s slow-motion-Saturday-Night-Massacre-via-Twitter
when he called on Attorney General Sessions to end the Mueller investigation.
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Trump is not obstructing, “he
is fighting back”: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/399918-sanders-downplays-trump-tweet-on-sessions Let’s let Huckabee Sanders know
that we are tired of her lies and complicity and await her resignation: The
White House, 1600
Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20500 or on Twitter @PressSec
5.
We've
been here before: Trump tweeted again on Wednesday to air his grievances about
the Mueller investigation, calling on AG Jeff Sessions to end it "right
now." Let's do our best to make sure that doesn't happen. "Call your
3 members of Congress and tell them to protect the Mueller
investigation and the rule of law by passing the Special Counsel Independence
and Integrity Act (S.
2644) (H.R.
5505)."
More information and script here: https://www.theloyalopposition.net/daily-ctas/tell-congress-to-pass-legislation-to-protect-robert-muellers-investigation/
6.
500 fathers
currently in an immigrant detention facility are going on a hunger strike
because their fate is unknown to them. https://www.npr.org/2018/08/02/634909493/detained-fathers-turn-to-hunger-strike Let’s
tell our MoCs that it is time to legislate policy and protocol so this
situation can be remedied and the future clearer.
7.
Last
year, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Rosa DeLauro
(D-CT-3) introduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave, or FAMILY, Act (S. 337/H.R. 947), which would create a trust fund from which
individuals could receive benefits while on leave to care for relatives or to
recover from their own health conditions. This would enable both mothers and
fathers to take time off when their baby is born, and would allow greater
opportunities for adults to care for their parents as they get older.
Let's read more, then ask our MoC to cosponsor and support
the FAMILY Act.
8.
The
story of Congressman Jim Jordan turning a blind eye to sexual abuse of the
wrestlers he was coaching keeps getting worse. Now, it is being reported that
the coach is trying to get some of the wrestlers to recant their stories –
potentially after being pushed by Jordan: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/400004-former-ohio-state-coach-encouraged-wrestlers-to-walk-back-allegations-jordan Let’s let Rep. Jordan know that
we expect his resignation: https://jordan.house.govor on Twitter @Jim_Jordan
9.
“The
Trump administration on Thursday announced plans to freeze
fuel-efficiency requirements for the nation’s cars and trucks through 2026 — a
massive regulatory rollback likely to spur a legal battle with California and
other states, as well as create potential upheaval in the nation’s automotive
market.” https://www.npr.org/2018/08/02/631986713/white-house-proposal-rolls-back-fuel-economy-standards-no-exception-for-californ Many
of us have a car that is good for the environment. Let’s tell the auto
companies that we want fuel efficient/clean energy cars and they can continue
to abide by the fuel-efficient rules voluntarily. It’s good for business and
our environment.
10. Although Sen. McConnell (R-KY) wants to have
a new Supreme Court Justice approved on ready to start when the Court starts up
in October, the National Archives has told the committee that it will take at
least that long just to get the paperwork complied. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-archives-kavanaugh-documents-20180802-story.html Let’s
let our own senators know that we do not want this process to get the short shrift. Let’s tell the members of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, too: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/
11.
Because
we fear, and rightfully so, that immigration data collected would be used for
less-than honorable purposes, having a citizenship question on the census is
not appropriate at this time. We need everyone
to feel comfortable enough to take part in the census as the results become the basis for so much over the following ten
years. https://politicalcharge.org/2018/08/02/1-thing-you-can-do-to-protect-your-state-from-trump/ We
have up until midnight next Tuesday, August 7, to make comments on this in
hopes of stopping it from being part of the 2020 Census. The links in the article make it easy for us to
comment.
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.
From Postcards to Voters: [Due to unresolved tech issues] Facebook
Abby has cease functionality. Hopefully, we can eventually find someone at
Facebook to help us navigate through this. Until then, everyone who has been
using Facebook Abby will need to resume texting her at 484-275-2229. We have tried to avoid this outcome. We will
keep working to make this a temporary situation. Thanks for your understanding
and continued support!
2.
Rep. Jim
Jordan is continuing to make noise about impeaching Deputy Attorney General Rod
Rosenstein, even as the evidence grows that he knew about the sexual abuse
of wrestlers he coached at Ohio State by the team doctor and turned a blind eye
(http://thehill.com/homenews/house/399372-jordan-if-rosenstein-doesnt-deliver-meadows-and-i-will-force-impeachment-vote). Whether it's in the name of the rule of
law or standing up for victims of sexual assault, Rep. Jordan needs to
go. Let's follow, donate
to, and sign up to make remote phone calls for Jordan's Democratic opponent,
union leader and retired teacher Janet Garrett.
3.
Protect
our Votes is an organization that conducts “election, voting machine and ballot
research on a state, county and precinct level.” Let’s check this out and see what we can
learn and how we can help: https://www.protectourvotes.com/
4.
From one
of our own: I was just thinking. I might
get business cards that say vote 11/6/18 like your life depends on it. Because
it does. Then I would leave them on the table when I eat out or hand them to
people or put them up on bulletin boards. What do you think? Any advice for
content? I could have the reverse side printed with positive stuff. [This is an idea we all can run with and
modify for our own situations.]
5.
Although
Devon Nunes won his CA22 seat by 34 points, his lead is clearly shrinking and
we can help make it disappear. The latest PPP poll puts Nunes ahead of Andrew
Janz by 8 points, but it gets better. When constituents hear Andrew's bio
against Nunes bio, the percentages shrinks to 5%. And then when those
constituents hear that Janz takes no PAC money then it goes down to 3%. That is
the margin of error. It may be a heavy lift but the momentum is shifting
towards Janz and we can push it even further.
We can help by writing postcards or phone banking for Janz, and we can
do it all from home. We can send an email here: intern@andrewjanzforcongress.com and tell them we want to post
card for Janz. We can also sign up to postcard and phone bank
directly from the campaign site here: https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-1738015697446368768 We can find out more about Andrew Janz from
his campaign site here: https://www.andrewjanzforcongress.com/ and follow him on Facebook too :https://www.facebook.com/andrewjanzforcongress/
Election 2018 –
By State
1.
Upcoming
voting dates and deadlines:
|
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)
9.
TX: According to a new poll, in the Texas senate
race, Democrat Beto O'Rourke is now in a statistical tie with incumbent
Republican Ted Cruz. Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate in three
decades. Let's read more at The Hill. Let's not be complacent. If we are Texans,
let's find ways to volunteer to help the O'Rourke campaign. This may be one of our best chances to flip
a senate seat blue. We can also follow
Beto's tireless campaign on Facebook as he goes from town hall to town hall
across Texas.
Other Actions
1. In
addition to donating to organizations like RAICES and Grannies Respond/Abuelas Responden, and
calling on our MoC to end family detention, one of the ways we can help is
through pen pal programs, where we write letters to immigrants in detention
centers (https://bit.ly/2vzuA9I). Freedom for Immigrants (check
the corresponding box on the volunteer interest form), Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), First Friends of NJ and NY,
and the Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP),
all have opportunities for us to bring a little humanity and compassion to
immigrants who are awaiting trial. Let's join in.
2. Fox
News’s Sean Hannity has stepped into Trump’s ugly battle against CNN’s Jim
Acosta with a virulent and divisive tweet. http://thehill.com/homenews/media/400032-hannity-fires-back-at-acosta-people-see-through-your-lying-bulls-t.
One of the main advertisers on Hannity’s show is Gillette. Let’s think about
boycotting their products and let them know on their Facebook page. We can
also post on their pages for the individual Gillette products that we might
use, like the Gillette Venus, or Tweet
@Gillette; @Gillette Venus. We can do the same for other Hannity advertisers.
Here’s the full list.
3. The
same white supremacist group that caused Heather Heyer’s death in Charlottesville,
VA last August will be holding this year’s rally in Washington, DC next weekend
with a counter protest being planned for a few blocks away. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/08/01/unite-right-2-rally-activists-plan-counter-rally-aug-12/878556002/
If we or anyone we know are attending
the counter protest, we need to know that this once again has the makings of a
violent time. Be safe and be prepared.
4. Bank
of America (BoA) is sending out letters requesting citizenship information from
its customers. A Kansas couple says BoA blocked access to the
account they’ve had with the bank since the early 2000s after they ignored
a form demanding proof of citizenship from the husband, who happens to be a
native of Wichita. BoA are freezing accounts until citizenship information is
shown. Other banking organizations, though, said proof of citizenship
wasn’t federally required. Let's read more at Fortune.
If we still have accounts at Bank of America, let's considering closing them
and opening up local bank or credit union accounts instead.
5. On Saturday,
August 4, the far-right groups Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys are holding a
“Freedom March” in Portland, Oregon, to support the candidacy of the group’s
founder, Joey Gibson, who is seeking a U.S. Senate seat in Washington state.
Let's read more at the Southern Poverty Law
Center. Let's be stay aware hate group activities
in our country.
6. There
is a right-wing conspiracy theory that is gaining momentum called QAnon. “It goes like this: Special counsel Robert
Mueller isn't actually investigating Trump and his 2016 campaign for their
possible ties to Russia, and he's not really looking into Russian interference
in the 2016 presidential election.” https://www.npr.org/2018/08/02/634749387/what-is-qanon-the-conspiracy-theory-tiptoeing-into-trump-world Like the walkaway movement, let’s be aware of
these false distractions, but not sidetracked by them.
7.
Political cartoons, done well, can give us profound
truths in one frame. If we are fans of these cartoons, we may want to check
out The Daily Cartoonist, the source for
industry news for the professional cartoonist and a "Comic Strip of the
Day" feature for us political cartoon fans. Here's "Happy
Juxtaposition Day." Let's be sure to find ways to laugh
every day as part of our self-care.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
This Saturday, August 4, there is a
planned National March on the NRA, at the headquarters in Fairfax, VA and
across the country. "Youth from across the country are teaming up
to show our politicians that we refuse to accept gun violence as an
unsolvable issue. Now it’s time to turn our energy into action." Here is
the march's mission & demands around gun regulation and safety: https://www.marchonnra.org/info. Here's where we
can find the march closest to us and register: https://www.marchonnra.org/findmymarch
2.
As Trump and his fellow Republicans commit more and
more cruel and outrageous actions, some Republicans are finding the courage to
stand up and leave the Party. Unlike the Shutterstock models from the WalkAway
Movement, these are real people like John McCain’s former campaign manager
Steve Schmidt and Columnist George Will. We can encourage other Republicans of
conscience to join them, by participating in Action Together Network’s #WalkAwayFromRepublicans
twitter storm this Sunday, August 5 at 8pm EST. When we click on
this link, we will find more information about the storm and a link to
prewritten tweets that we can send out with just a few clicks:https://www.facebook.com/events/448446115671004/
3.
On August 8 at 8pm EDT, Showing
up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is hosting a webinar on "The Alt-Right
and Immigration". We can register here.
4.
Evidence is piling up that Brett Kavanaugh cannot
be trusted to protect the right to choose or check executive power (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/29/us/brett-kavanaugh-signing-statements.html). So activists
across the country are coming together for a 50-state day of action against his
nomination on August 26th. Let’s find an event near us or
start our own here.
States
Reading/Watching
1.
Feeling
betrayed by your own country? Were you, like many of us, blindsided by Trump's
rise to power and the wave of ugly ideas he rode there? To recognize our
present and blaze a path to a better future, we need a new understanding of our
past, one without the cultural blinders and rose-tinting that prevented us
from seeing what was coming. One great place to start is James Loewen's
revealing expose, Lies My Teacher
Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. https://www.vox.com/conversations/2018/8/1/17602596/american-history-james-loewen-howard-zinn
2.
What
is Prison Abolition? "Abolitionists
are trying to shake society from this ethical torpor and show us that, like
slavery, locking humans in cages need not be inextricably woven into our
society." https://www.thenation.com/article/what-is-prison-abolition/
3.
Here
is a fascinating interactive map - Here's
How America Uses Its Land: https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-us-land-use/
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