10/5/18
32 DAYS UNTIL MID-TERM ELECTIONS
Contact Federal Government Officials
Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
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Or
use StampsLicked to have messages hand-delivered to our own legislators: https://stampslicked.org/
White House contact:
https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house
********************************
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. Senator
Joe Manchin (D-WV), an undecided vote on Kavanaugh is claiming that he’s trying
to put the “human side to it.” Manchin was quoted as saying, "I am looking
at the gentleman as an adult from 22 to 53, 31 years of professional service. I
am looking at him as a father.” https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/409831-manchin-on-kavanaugh-decision-im-trying-to-put-the-human-side-to-it.
Let’s tell Senator Manchin (202-224-3954) that he should also be looking at the
human side of the pain and trauma experienced by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. And
he should be looking closely at how limited in
scope the FBI investigation was--they didn’t even
interview Kavanaugh, or Dr. Ford, or look into the many instances of perjury in
Kavanaugh’s testimony. https://www.vox.com/2018/10/2/17927606/brett-kavanaugh-perjury-lied-congress.
These are all reasons why he should vote no.
2. Senator
Jeff Flake took on the role of hero when he called for a last-minute FBI
investigation at last week’s Judiciary Committee meeting. But more than 40
people with potential information about these hearings have not been called https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/dozens-potential-sources-information-have-not-been-contacted-fbi-kavanaugh-n916146,
and the FBI has released only one copy of the report with individual Senators
allowed only one hour of viewing time. Let’s tell Senator Flake (202-224-4521) that
this is the “due diligence” he called for. This is a sham process. Let’s also
remind him that he said perjury would be a disqualifying offense and there are
serious allegations of perjury in Kavanaugh’s testimony. https://www.vox.com/2018/10/2/17927606/brett-kavanaugh-perjury-lied-congress.
He must do the right thing and vote no under these circumstances.
3. Senators
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have been known for their
support of abortion rights. Yet, Senator Collins has claimed that Kavanaugh
would not interfere with Roe V. Wade because he considers it settled law. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/402857-collins-kavanaugh-considers-roe-v-wade-settled-law.
With it becoming increasingly apparent that Kavanaugh is willing to commit
perjury to get on the Supreme Court 0https://www.vox.com/2018/10/2/17927606/brett-kavanaugh-perjury-lied-congress,
Senators Collins (202-224-2523) and Murkowski (202-224-6665) should be reminded
that this man cannot be trusted, not to mention that perjury should be a
disqualifying offense. Since these Senators also joined Senator Flake in
calling for an FBI investigation, they should also hear our concerns about how limited in scope
this investigation was, and how quickly Senator McConnell is
pushing for a vote, all of which are clear attempts to subvert a fair
democratic process.
4. A
federal court has blocked the Trump administration from removing more than
300,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from the U.S. (https://n.pr/2O26wIu).
TPS holders from El Savador, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Sudan will be allowed to
remain in the country and maintain their status while the court case,
filed by the ACLU against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen,
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke, and the Department of
Homeland Security, continues. While this is good news, let's not gamble on the
outcome of the court case; we can contact our MoC and ask them to support and
pass legislation to protect TPS holders. Specifically, we want them to support
the SECURE Act (S. 2144),
which protects current TPS holders, and the American Promise Act (H.R. 4253),
which offers protections for those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or
Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), and the bipartisan ASPIRE-TPS Act of 2017 (H.R. 4384),
which would allow residents with TPS who can prove “extreme hardship” to apply
for a green card.
5. In
the midst of this national uproar over women’s assaults reactions , the re-authorization
of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has been set on the back burner and buried
in the not-yet-adopted budget bill. VAWA
helps promote and funds numerous entities, and the re-authorization version, H.R.6545 includes
even more protection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV-x2N9962A Let’s make sure that ALL our MoCs know that
we want this passed. Again, women are
watching.
6. President
Trump and the Republican-led House have launched twin attacks on the
legislation, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), that helped save the bald
eagle. Trump is proposing administrative changes in how the law is
implemented — changes that could have devastating impacts; Republicans
in the House have a package of nine bills euphemistically
being called a “modernization” of the ESA. Let's read more at USAToday. Let's
take a moment today to remind our legislators that we do not support changes
that weaken the ESA. Let's not lose wildlife while we are focused on other
things.
7. The
Trump administration is quietly moving to weaken U.S. radiation regulations,
turning to scientific outliers who argue that a bit of radiation damage is
actually good for you. The EPA proposal would require regulators to
consider “various threshold models across the exposure range” when it comes to
dangerous substances. While the EPA rule change doesn’t specify that it’s
addressing radiation and chemicals, the EPA’s official press release announcing
the change does. Let's read more at PBS NewsHour.
Let's write to Acting Administrator of the EPA Andrew Wheeler to let him
know we oppose this rule change: Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Mailcode 1101A, Washington,
DC 20460. Let’s also contact our MoCs about
this pending health risk.
8. Taking
offense at a ruling by the International Court of Justice that the US must lift
sanctions that limit the import of goods linked to the safety of civil aviation
in Iran by demanding that other countries and their companies discontinue their
trade with Iran, on Wednesday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pulled the US out
of the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/iran-treaty-john-bolton-pompeo-trump-1955-us-amity-white-house-a8567296.html
Some view this as part of a Trumpian playbook for war with Iran.
Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) has introduced The Prevention of Unconstitutional War
with Iran Act of 2018 (S.3517) which prohibits the United States from
expending funds which could lead to war with Iran without express approval from
Congress, as required by the Constitution: https://www.tomudall.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-introduce-bill-to-prevent-unconstitutional-war-with-iran
Let’s make sure our senators support S.3517 and stop Trump’s march to
war with Iran.
9.
A bipartisan group in the House have
introduced legislation to end U.S. involvement in Yemen. “Yemen is facing the worst humanitarian
crisis in the world right now that has been significantly exacerbated by the
civil war. The impact of the Saudi-coalition’s actions on the dire humanitarian
crisis is undeniable,” [Rep. Adam Smith, D-WA] Smith said in a statement with
the lawmakers. “The U.S. should be aggressively pushing a peaceful solution to
end this civil war instead of supporting the Saudi-led coalition military
campaign that has only destabilized the crisis further. We must make it clear
that the U.S. should not be choosing sides in this civil war while the people
of Yemen continue to suffer.” https://www.stripes.com/news/house-lawmakers-pursue-end-to-us-military-role-in-yemen-1.549262 Let’s tell our reps that we want them to
support H.Con.Res.138.
10. While
we saw the chaos, confusion, and damage done by Trump’s zero tolerance and
subsequent family separation policy, we now learn that the process was not properly
handled. “The report from the DHS Office
of Inspector General echoes many of the complaints raised by immigrants' rights
advocates.” https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/10/02/npr-dhs-watchdog-trump-administration-wasnt-ready-for-family-separation
Let’s tell our MoCs that it is time for a hearing and an investigation on this
debacle that has ruined so many lives.
Election
2018 – General
1. After
the GOP-run Congress passed Tax Scam 1 last year, and with the House
passing Tax Scam 2 last week, it's pretty clear that they serve their 1%
megadonors, not us. One more reason to vote Blue this November? Now
comes news that, since 2011, Republicans in Congress have consistently starved
the IRS of funding for tax fraud enforcement (https://www.propublica.org/article/after-budget-cuts-the-irs-work-against-tax-cheats-is-facing-collapse). No
American has any special love for the IRS, but stripping the budget for
investigators who run audits and uncover tax crimes mostly helps the wealthy,
who have much more to hide and the resources to do the hiding. Meanwhile the
rest of us suffer with underfunded federal services while billions in tax
revenue go uncollected. This year, let's take back the issue of tax fairness by
voting for politicians who will make sure that all pay their fair share.
2. Alert,
everyone! Voter registration deadlines ahead of the midterm elections are
coming up, and every state is different! Here are the dates for every state,
all collected in one place and in alphabetical order: https://www.theroot.com/make-this-go-viral-the-voter-registration-deadline-for-1829462310
3. Flip Nation just kicked off brand new fundraisers for
rides to the polls running in 7 states. They are working with folks in each
state to set-up or simply help fund more rides and ads for rides (which also
double as election awareness ads) for the counties. They are partnering with
orgs in each state to distribute the funds to the counties. In NC, with the
League of Women Voters. In GA and MS, with the NAACP. In TN, with The Equity
Alliance. In AL, with Rollin' To The Polls. They are currently reaching out to
orgs in SC and FL. Last year they raised $26K for Alabama's Special Election in
5 weeks. The counties put it to great use and ran terrific programs that
reached many people. They are hoping to help these 7 states with that effort in
the midterms. To take part, we can email FlipUSABlue@gmail.com and name the state(s) we would like to
help with and we will be connected to the GoFundMe campaigns.
4. Sen.
Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) may have taken awhile, but she has decided to vote
against Kavanaugh for Supreme Court Justice.
Unfortunately, her campaign is in trouble and this vote will not be
appreciated by many of her constituents.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/04/heitkamp-vote-no-kavanaugh-869443 Let’s help her campaign if we can: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/hh4nd?refcode=home
5. We
have an opportunity to help Georgia make history with Postcards To
Voters'
Campaign 115: Abrams and Amico. If
elected, Stacey Abrams and Sarah Riggs Amico would be the first women ever to
serve as Governor and Lt. Governor in Georgia. Let's write 5 cards today. If we
are new, we can email JOIN@TonyTheDemocrat.org to get started.
6. “Uber said
Thursday that it will offer free rides to polling stations on Election
Day, as well as an in-app feature that lets riders know where to cast their
votes. The ride-sharing company unveiled its "Get to the
Polls" feature as part of a series of initiatives to encourage riders
to vote in the midterm elections on Nov. 6. Riders can enter their home address
into the app, which will then identify their designated polling place. In
addition, Uber is partnering with Democracy Works and #VoteTogether to provide
free rides to voters, who must first obtain promo codes from one of the
voting advocacy groups.”
https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/409897-uber-to-offer-voting-resources-before-on-election-day
If we don’t have the Uber app we might want to download it, then tell our
family and friends about it.
7.
Getting young people to vote has long been a
significant issue in this country. Let’s
take a look at this motivation video and then think about sharing it with some
young people we know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0e9guhV35o&feature=youtu.be
8.
Voter
Participation Center has joined with DemLabs
to create a StoryMap to encourage registering and voting: https://demlabs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=233b7bf3631641d88485c7eff07df36b
Election 2018 – By State
1.
ALL: Upcoming voting dates and deadlines: by date:
https://goo.gl/gjFv2u by
state: https://goo.gl/7gTzvE
2.
ALL: If we are not sure where to start looking for
information about candidates, issues, etc., we can check out the League of
Women Voters’ website: https://www.vote411.org/
Other Actions
1.
We
cannot know where the vote on Kavanaugh will go until it happens even as we
watch the sham investigation unfold:
https://www.apnews.com/7c36ea4fd38e43639cb6598f9a323bf6/Senators-start-reading-crucial-new-FBI-file-on-Kavanaugh Let’s dig deep for more calls,
more rallies, more speaking up and out, more imploring friends and family in
Maine, Alaska, West Virginia, Arizona, and Nebraska to pick up their phones
too. Let’s leave it all on the field even though it hurts.
2.
Following
public outcry after Hyatt allowed ACT for America, an anti-Muslim hate group, to host a conference in one of their
hotels, Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian has announced that the company has developed
a new policy and they will no longer rent space to hate groups (https://lat.ms/2RlkfIu, https://bit.ly/2xSsnIn). While we may have preferred that they
take this step *before* hosting the event, we can still appreciate that Hyatt
has taken steps to prevent this from happening in the future, especially as
other hotel chains have failed to do so. Let's send our thanks to: Mark S.
Hoplamazian President and Chief Executive Officer 71 South Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606 E-mail: mark.hoplamazian@hyatt.com Twitter: @MarkHoplamazian
3.
Beginning
on October 1st, and continuing throughout the month, the Robert F. Kennedy
Human Rights group will be conducting a Mass Bail Out Action at two jails on
Riker's Island, focusing on women and minors who are awaiting trial and cannot
afford bail (https://nyti.ms/2OBZUg9, https://rfkhumanrights.org/news/rfk-bail-action). For those of us with the means, we
can help by donating here. We can also stay up to date on the bail
out here.
4.
The
2019 ACA flyers have been released for each state, to help get the word out for
this year's open enrollment period for the healthcare marketplace. Let's find our state's flyer and help spread the word. Then, let's
find out more ways to get involved at the ACA
Signup Project.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1. Ben
Wikler of MoveOn tells that, if we can be in DC this Friday, Ultra Violet will
train us and help us bird dog Senators as they prepare for the Kavanaugh vote.
Today is the last day, but we can still sign up here. Even if we don’t bird
dog, we can bring food and coffee to the People’s Atrium. Between 10 and 5:30,
we can also drop by our Senators office to let them know our feelings about
Kavanaugh. https://act.weareultraviolet.org/survey/oct-1-5-protest-halls-us-senate/ Wikler also encourages us to join with
CPDAction and The Women’s March who are coordinating actions in DC. We can sign
up here to participate: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfe1qMxy2BFypszJoc5DgiH6YEz1KKsLWR_R8VwfcRqZWWPJw/viewform
2. In
a national effort coordinated by author Glennon Doyle, beginning today, October 5, “through Consumer Black
Friday (Nov 23), WE ARE GOING TO TURN OUR RAGE INTO CHANGE. We are going
to: Represent, Act, Gather & Exit.” https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156714102374710&id=178909129709 When we sign up, we will get each week’s call-to-action.
“Please share this post, tag your people, and consider signing on to support
this Rage-to-Change Movement: http://bit.ly/blackfridays2018
3. On
October 7, the Action Together
Network is hosting their first webinar in The Sunday Network Assembly series:
"Team Building in a High Pressure GOTV Environment," led by Leslie
Boyd. We can find more information here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/178102423083517 and register here now:
4.
January
19, 2019 is the date of the third Women’s March with the main event to be
held in Washington, D.C. with sister marches all over the country. Let’s find more information here: https://www.womensmarch.com/2019
States
1. MI: From the Michigan Immigrant
Rights Center (MIRC): Kent County Residents: Join
the Welcoming Movement in Kent County--sign the letter to urge Kent County
Commissioners make Kent County a more welcoming county and stop using county
funds for federal immigration enforcement purposes:
https://goo.gl/forms/qIyHPrkAp4jpO7pA3 For
the rest of us in Michigan, let's make sure we're following the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center on Facebook and
checking out their work on their website here, to stay up to date on how we can help
immigrants at the local level.
Reading/Watching
1.
The
Cruelty Is the Point: President Trump and his supporters find
community by rejoicing in the suffering of those they hate and fear - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/the-cruelty-is-the-point/572104
2.
Why
Conservative Women Are Ok with Harassment - https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a23453699/conservative-women-response-brett-kavanaugh-allegations-sexual-assault
3.
Why “I’m
not racist” is only half the story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzLT54QjclA
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