Contact Federal Government Officials
Fax legislators for free:
********************************
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 deeply
divided Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday set a vote for Sept. 20 on Brett
Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court after Republicans blocked
Democrats' attempts to subpoena documents and witnesses.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/09/13/brett-kavanaugh-vote-set-after-democrats-fail-issue-subpoenas/1289666002/ We need to contact
members of this committee daily to ask for a postponement until all the records
are available and all investigations have been concluded. Committee members: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/members or via
Twitter: @JudiciaryDems @ChuckGrassley @senorrinhatch @LindseyGrahamSC
@JohnCornyn @SenMikeLee @SenTedCruz @BenSasse @JeffFlake @MikeCrapo
@SenThomTillis @JohnKennedy Let’s let
our Senators know that there are enough red flags about this nominee that the
vote should not proceed at this time. We
can also send emails to other senators and to the key legislative aides who
focus on the judiciary:
2.
The NY Times
reports that 12,800 immigrant children are currently being held in detention
centers in the US, more than 5 times the 2400 children being held in May 2017;
Trump’s plan is to increase the size of his “tent city” in Texas:
https://www.thecut.com/2018/09/over-12-000-migrant-children-are-being-detained.html or https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/us/migrant-children-detention.html And to take $10 million from FEMA, even as hurricane season begins, and give it to ICE to fund more detention beds:
https://www.thecut.com/2018/09/over-12-000-migrant-children-are-being-detained.html or https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/us/migrant-children-detention.html And to take $10 million from FEMA, even as hurricane season begins, and give it to ICE to fund more detention beds:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/09/11/femas-budget-cut-10-million-support-ice-documents-show/1274723002/ In addition to our own MoCs, we must protest
both to the White House and to ICE: Acting Director Ronald Vitiello,
888-351-4024 or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 500 12th St., SW,
Washington DC 20536
3.
The U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) have revoked a policy which required immigration officials to
send notices when a visa or green card application was missing information or
if the application contained an error (https://bit.ly/2QlleYq). These notices gave applicants the opportunity to
correct those errors before a decision was made regarding their case. Instead,
it will now be up to each official's discretion to first send out a notice or
outright deny an application. Let's contact USCIS and ask them to continue to
send out Requests for Evidence (RFE's) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID's)
to visa and green card applicants: Phone: (800) 375-5283 Twitter: @USCIS. Let’s also ask our MoCs to address this
legislatively.
4.
As Hurricane
Florence approaches our shores, the head of FEMA, Brock Long, is under
investigation for using official cars for personal purposes. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/13/trump-fema-administrator-under-investigation-821231. Meanwhile, it’s been uncovered that the
administration transferred $10 million in FEMA funds to build up ICE. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/09/11/femas-budget-cut-10-million-support-ice-documents-show/1274723002/. And adding insult to injury, the president just
blatantly refuted the nearly 3,000-person death toll from Hurricane Maria in
Puerto Rico, claiming that this number was inflated by the Democrats to make
him look bad. https://apnews.com/f51508e6c9794ceb91aeb5acf89adcb5/Trump-turns-back-to-Maria,-falsely-says-Dems-inflated-toll Republicans, especially those running for
office, have been quick to refute the president’s faulty
claims, but once again, they’re doing nothing of substance to make sure that
FEMA funds are used to help hurricane victims, not detain and deport more
immigrants. Let’s contact the White House and our MoCs and tell them we’re
tired of rhetoric without action. These FEMA funds must be restored immediately
and Congress should conduct a thorough investigation into how 2,975 American
citizens were allowed to die.
5.
The deadline
for submitting comments on whether there should be a citizenship question on
the 2020 census is this Monday, September 17. Let's make sure to send in a
comment, if we haven't already. We can get talking points from the League of Women Voters and access the comment form here.
6.
Attorney
General Jeff Sessions has directed immigration judges to show no sympathy in
adjudicating cases, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hamedaleaziz/sessions-new-immigration-judges-sympathy, drawing justifiable outrage from the union that
represents judges and former judges. Dana Marks of the National Association of
Immigration Judges stated that Sessions’ directive is “a political statement,
which does NOT articulate a legal concept that judges are required to be aware
of and follow.” Let’s remind AG Sessions (202-353-1555; 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 20530-0001; website form; Facebook; Twitter: @TheJustice Dept.) that he should not be
making what Marks claims are “one-sided arguments made by a prosecutor,” and he
should stop trying to subvert the legal system in order to promote his own
political views.
7.
Rep. Ted Lieu
(D-CA) has introduced the E. Scott Pruitt Accountability for Government
Officials Act of 2018 (not yet numbered), would subject senior government
officials to up to five years in prison if they use their public office for
private gain, as Pruitt was accused of doing before he resigned in July. We can
read more at The Hill. The bill has not yet been assigned a number
but we can read the text here. Let's tell our own Democratic representatives to support this bill.
8.
Link
correction: “The Trump administration, taking its third major step this year to
roll back federal efforts to fight climate change, is preparing to make it
significantly easier for energy companies to release methane into the
atmosphere. Methane, which is among the most powerful greenhouse gases,
routinely leaks from oil and gas wells, and energy companies have long said
that the rules requiring them to test for emissions were costly and burdensome.
If implemented, the proposal would recoup nearly all the costs to the oil and
gas industry that would have been imposed by the Obama-era regulation. The
E.P.A. estimated that rule would have cost companies about $530 million by
2025. The E.P.A. estimates that the proposed changes would save the oil and gas
industry $484 million by the same year.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/climate/methane-emissions-epa.html and http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/405971-trump-set-to-weaken-methane-rules-report Let’s tell our Reps and our governors to put pressure on the EPA
and oil companies to do their part for clean air and a clean planet.
9.
Link
correction: We hoped getting rid of Scott Pruitt would help, but in the
course of two weeks, the Trump administration has taken a crucial step toward
de-emphasizing the benefits to human life and health of environmental regulation
in their calculus when the EPA announced that it would “rethink” limiting
mercury emissions by coal-burning power plants--https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/climate/epa-mercury-life-cost-benefit.html and shortly thereafter, said they were going to weaken the regulation on
methane emissions--http://theweek.com/speedreads/795212/epa-reportedly-close-weakening-rules-emissions-methane or https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/climate/methane-emissions-epa.html Environmental Integrity lists EPA regulatory rollbacks--http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/trump-watch-epa/regulatory-rollbacks
and Harvard
has a tracker so we can keep up on their status--http://environment.law.harvard.edu/policy-initiative/regulatory-rollback-tracker/ As this degradation of our environment continues, let’s make
sure the EPA knows we’re watching: Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler,
202-564-4700 or @EPAWheeler or EPA, Mail Code 1101A, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460.
10. A new “statutory enforcement” report from the US
Commission on Civil Rights concluded that “Because of the depth of voting
discrimination that continues across the nation today, citizens need strong,
proactive federal protections—in statutes and in enforcement—for the right to
vote”:
https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/Minority_Voting_Access_2018.pdf The head of the commission, Catherine E.
Lhamon, called the present state of discrimination against minority voters
“enduring and pernicious”:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/us/voting-rights-minorities.html We must urge our MoCs to take action.
11.
On Thursday,
Trump took to Twitter in what might be his most grotesque set of claims yet --
including that Democrats inflated the death toll in Puerto Rico: https://www.apnews.com/f51508e6c9794ceb91aeb5acf89adcb5/Trump-turns-back-to-Maria,-falsely-says-Dems-inflated-toll Let’s be in touch with our MoC to
say that he is unfit to serve and let’s write to him directly to ask for his
resignation: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20500. Let’s also call the White House comment line and
leave this same message with one of the volunteers: 202-456-1111
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 & 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: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit
1.
Florida is
one of only 4 states that bans convicted felons from voting for life. One might
think that having a criminal record implies poor judgment for a voter, but
that's not guaranteed, just as lacking a criminal record is no guarantee that a
voter has good judgment. Let's strike a blow for fairness, and against
arbitrary disenfranchisement, by asking Florida to restore voting rights to
over a million Floridians here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-to-support-restoring-the-eligibility-to-vote-to-14-million-americans-in-florida-2
2.
If we are on
Twitter, EqualVoteLocal has ongoing tweetstorms for candidates we can join. Let’s check them out and bookmark this page: https://www.equalvotelocal.com/upcoming-tweetstorms
3.
On Wednesday,
Postcards to Voters launched Campaign 108: Aftab Pureval for Congress, Ohio District 1. "Aftab" means
"sunshine." This district was recently updated from “Lean
Republican” to “Toss-up.” We have an opportunity to flip this seat! Let's help
bring some sunshine to this Cincinnati-area district by writing 5 postcards. We
can sign up as new volunteers here.
4.
Writing a
personal note to a fellow voter is one of the most effective actions we can
take to encourage voter turnout this year. NeedToVote.com will mail us a packet of 10 postage paid
and pre-addressed notecards. We can request the cards here. They request a donation after we've submitted our information but
that is not necessary to receive the cards. Let's participate and tell others.
5.
Apparently,
it isn’t only Mick Mulvaney who is worried about the Senate. Majority leader
Mitch McConnell said this to Louisville reporters on Tuesday: “Arizona,
Nevada, Tennessee, Montana, North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia and
Florida. All of them too close to call, and every one of them like a knife
fight in an alley; I mean, just a brawl in every one of those places”: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/406071-mcconnell-election-will-be-very-challenging-for-senate-republicans Maybe these dire predictions are part of a
cagey strategy to scare GOP voters to the polls, but even if it is, we need to
prove them right in November: join the ACLU or Postcards to Voters (https://postcardstovoters.org/ ), phone or text to encourage fellow citizens
to vote, find the Get Out The Vote group in our area, and check out the
Indivisible website (https://www.indivisible.org/ ) for local and national actions.
Election
2018 – By State
1.
Upcoming
voting dates and deadlines: by date: https://goo.gl/gjFv2u by state: https://goo.gl/7gTzvE
Other
Actions
1.
Those seeking
a meaningful way to mark 9/11 should know about 9/11 Health Watch, an
organization that makes sure the first responders to the disaster get the
health care they need. "Even with the passage of the “James Zadroga, 9/11
Health and Compensation Act” in 2010 and the law’s reauthorization in 2015
there is still much that needs to be done to ensure the Federal Government’s
proper and continued long term commitment to the health and well-being of 9/11
responders, survivors and their families. The Act provides for monitoring,
medical treatment and compensation for those exposed to and made sick by toxic
exposures that resulted from 9/11. We need to make sure the programs the Act
created live up to their promise." This group should not have to exist, but
there is clearly a need for it. Let's donate to them if we can: http://www.911healthwatch.org
2.
From Michigan Support Circle (a division of Immigrant Families Together): This
family left their home country and made the dangerous journey to the US. They
arrived at the border but they were detained and separated. The little boy was
taken from his parents with no explanation and flown, alone, across the country
from family members in May. Finally, he was recently reunited with his father.
He feels afraid that he could be taken away again. He still feels sad that this
happened. This family has been through so much. We are asking for your help.
The little boy just had a birthday and loves Paw Patrol, Lightening McQueen,
and dinosaurs. He loves practicing numbers and colors and is learning some
English already. Please check out the list we made for them. Scroll all the way
down - there are some $5 items! Purchase something if you can or please share
the list with sympathetic friends. Thank you! https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/fredyandfamily-immigrantfamilyinneed-ift-msc-august-2020-alexandria/2WFSLQEDO4UG7
3.
Open
enrollment starts Nov 1. Let’s help people get health care coverage! The
Republican/Trump administration has shortened the open enrollment period and
virtually done away with advertising campaigns and enrollment support for the
Affordable Care Act (ACA; Obamacare). We can help people get the coverage they
need. Let’s sign up for the ACA Signup Project and start sharing information in
our communities. Homepage: https://www.acasignupproject.com/ Signup page: https://www.acasignupproject.com/sign-up-to-get-involved
4.
The NAACP has started a new campaign, the Power of Five, to help motivate us to increase voter turnout.
"This election season, we are asking everyone to give us 5: Register 5 new
voters- Do this before the deadline. Ensure that 5 people get to the polls-
Ideally the folks you have registered. Volunteer – 5 minutes, 5 hours or 5
days- Make sure we have the highest Turn Out Ever!" Let's sign up to get
involved here.
5.
ProPublica wants to know about our experiences with the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). They want to know how the law affects us, whether we’re a
person with a disability, caretaker, business owner, architect or contractor.
We can read more and send our stories to ProPublica here. Our stories are important; let's tell them.
6.
As Hurricane
Florence approaches the Carolinas, Trump trumpets his “unsung success” in
responding to Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Puerto Rico, insisting that
“Democrats” somehow rigged the independent report showing a death toll of
nearly 3000 to make him “look as bad as possible.” In Puerto Rico, where
the report was solicited and been accepted by the governor, blackouts remain
common, almost 60,000 homes have makeshift roofs not capable of
withstanding a Category 1 storm, and 13 % of municipalities lack stable phone
or internet service:
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-rejects-hurricane-maria-death-toll-puerto-rico-57796278 and https://www.npr.org/2018/09/12/646997771/fact-check-puerto-rico-was-an-incredible-unsung-success Let’s offer our support to efforts to address energy needs in PR in a sustainable way--https://resilientpowerpr.org—and do everything we can to ensure that Trump doesn’t repeat this “success” in the Carolinas.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-rejects-hurricane-maria-death-toll-puerto-rico-57796278 and https://www.npr.org/2018/09/12/646997771/fact-check-puerto-rico-was-an-incredible-unsung-success Let’s offer our support to efforts to address energy needs in PR in a sustainable way--https://resilientpowerpr.org—and do everything we can to ensure that Trump doesn’t repeat this “success” in the Carolinas.
7.
While some
prisons in the Hurricane Florence target area are being evacuated, 650 inmates
at the MacDougall Correctional Institution in South Carolina are not going
anywhere. https://www.vox.com/2018/9/12/17850586/hurricane-florence-south-carolina-prison-evacuation. Let’s contact South Carolina Governor, Henry
McMaster (803) 734-2100 and tell him we are disgusted that he would risk the
lives of people in his jurisdiction by not issuing evacuation orders.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize
1. She the People, a network to advance the political power of
women of color for progressive goals, is kicking off a 3-year initiative with a
summit on Thursday, September 20 in San Francisco.
Registration is open to the public. Let’s go! https://www.shethepeople.org/#summit-section
2. From Saturday,
September 22 to Saturday, September 29, When We All Vote will celebrate a
week of action. Communities across the country will host voter registration
events throughout the week in cities big and small with the help of volunteers
like us. On September 23, Michelle Obama will be hosting the Las
Vegas event and on September 28, she will host the Miami event. We
can sign up to volunteer or RSVP for one of the events at When We All Vote. Let's look for an
event near us.
3. On September 22 there
will be a protest at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago in Florida in commemoration of the
first anniversary of Hurricane Maria: http://thehill.com/latino/401578-trumps-mar-a-lago-to-be-greeted-with-massive-protest-on-hurricane-maria-anniversary Let’s put this on our
calendars if we will be nearby.
4. The 2018 March for Black Women will occur in
Washington, D.C. on September 29 and New York City on September
30, with sister marches all over the country. Let’s fine
more information here: https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/march-for-black-women and here: https://www.facebook.com/events/187741818714062/ Let’s learn how to start a sister
march/townhall here: https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/town-halls-sister-marches
States
1.
CA: From Together We Will - San
José: California State Teacher's Retirement
System (CalSTRS) has promised an update
to its investigation about divesting in for-profit prison companies CoreCivic and
GeoGroup at its next Investment Committee Meeting on September 20th.
They've refused to include supplying corporation General Dynamics in this
investigation. Teachers please: 1. CALL or EMAIL CalSTRS at Phone:
800-228-5453 or 916-414-1099 or ExternalAffairs@calstrs.com. 2. SIGN the petition by Educators for
Migrant Justice. 3. ATTEND the CalSTRS meeting. 4. SPREAD THE WORD
- teachers don't want their pensions supporting for-profit prisons!
Reading/Watching
1. Grassroots GOTV Campaign Sends 283,000 Handwritten Postcards To New
Yorkers Ahead Of State Primary - http://gothamist.com/2018/09/12/postcards_to_voters_2018.php
2. On The Sidelines Of Democracy: Exploring Why So Many Americans Don't Vote - https://www.npr.org/2018/09/10/645223716/on-the-sidelines-of-democracy-exploring-why-so-many-americans-dont-vote
3. The teacher pay penalty has hit a new high - https://www.epi.org/publication/teacher-pay-gap-2018/
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