Contact
Federal Government Officials
Find
elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Fax legislators
for free:
Or use Resistbot: https://resist.bot/
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
1. This
week in Congress: The House will consider fifteen (15) bills this
week with votes scheduled starting Tuesday. Let's review the Majority
Leader's Schedule so we know what's
coming. Of note is HRes1165 – Condemning
the Assad regime and its backers for their continued support of war crimes and
crimes against humanity in Syria. Let's contact our representatives to let them
know we want them to support HRes1165. On
Monday, the Senate will resume consideration of the nomination
of Bernard L. McNamee, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC). Since the president nominated him earlier
this year, McNamee has faced fierce opposition from Democrats and environmentalists.
We can read more at The HIll.
Let's tell our Senators that we oppose McNamee for FERC. We can check
the Senate calendar daily
for updates on what's is coming the next day.
2. The
Department of Education’s proposed new guidelines for enforcing campus sexual
assault are open for public comment. https://www.npr.org/2018/12/01/672222364/devos-new-sexual-assault-guidelines-are-open-for-public-comment The proposals have been met by serious
concern, because they will further raise the burden of proof, making it much
more difficult for sexual assault survivors to seek justice, and likely
deterring the reporting of these crimes. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/16/18096736/betsy-devos-sexual-assault-harassment-title-ix.
Considering that 1 in 5 women will experience campus sexual assault, and 63% of
men who have self-reported rape or harassment have admitted to repeated
occurrences, let’s make sure to add our voices in support of survivors, not
perpetrators. We can add our comments here.
For stats, check out this fact sheet
from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
3. For
the first time in ten years, the number of uninsured children has increased,
due to Republican attempts to repeal Obamacare and the administration’s actions
and regulations to weaken the bill. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/29/18116371/uninsured-rate-children-health-insurance-medicaid-trump.
Let’s tell our MoCs that we are disturbed by this increase and we want to see
legislation that assures that all people, especially children, are able to have
affordable health insurance. Let’s also publicize Obamacare Open Enrollment,
(which closes December 15), wildly on our networks, as the administration has
done as little as possible to promote it and shortened the enrollment time
frame, which is another reason that the rates of the uninsured are increasing.
4. From
one of our own: Sen Schumer is considering appointment of Sen Manchin (D-WV) as
ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Manchin
is an advocate for fossil fuels and his environmental record is deplorable. He
would likely block any legislation on climate change. Indivisibles are hearing
about this and starting to mobilize. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/30/ocasio-cortez-manchin-energy-committee-1002853 I
oppose allowing Senator Manchin (D-WV) to become the ranking member on the
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. This appointment would make a
travesty of Democratic initiatives against climate change. Manchin supports
Trump's EPA and the fossil fuel
industry. His lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters is a
deplorable 47%. I totally oppose this appointment and I urge you to advise
Senator Schumer against it.
5. General
Motors is cutting 14,000 jobs and closing five manufacturing plants—ostensibly
to increase savings. But, GM “has spent $10.6 billion since 2015 buying back
its own shares,” which does nothing for its productivity—but does make its
stock more valuable, which is attractive to investors and executives who are
paid in stock. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gm-bought-back-10-billion-in-stock-since-2015-double-what-job-cuts-will-save/ Since
the 1980s, corporations have been increasingly directing profits to stock
buy-backs that benefit shareholders, while workers’ wages remain flat. https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-introduces-accountable-capitalism-act The
Accountable Capitalism Act (S.3348) addresses this problem. Let’s tell our
Senators to co-sponsor S.3348, and let’s tell our Reps to introduce parallel
legislation in the House.
6. Let's
remind Trump we don't want to pay for his wall. "The House and the Senate
... have to pass seven spending bills to fund multiple government agencies,
including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and
the State Department. But Trump has renewed a push for border wall funding,
throwing a major wrench into these negotiations." https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/28/18112713/trump-border-wall-funding-shutdown Let's
call our Democratic Members of Congress "and demand they reject Trump’s
deportation machine and the wall." We'd rather have a
"short-term CR that funds the remaining parts of the government only
through the early part of the next Congress." Indivisible will hook us up
directly, here: https://act.indivisible.org/call/cr-reject-trumps-deportation-machine-and-wall/
7. From
one of our own: Public comment
time: I added a link to all the items closing
soon and new this week as there are dozens relating to specific pesticides,
underground storage of hazardous waste - often state or subject-specific, too
many for me to list but people can peruse if they want. The big one closing
soon is the Inadmissibility on Public Charge that can be applied to some
permanent residents who may uses services - could include school lunches and
ACA. Here's the link to this week's list: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Delwh-2Noz4imfujfVGPRjZD59yvcJk4
8. “The
Trump administration is taking a major step toward allowing a
first-in-a-generation seismic search for oil and gas under Atlantic waters,
despite protests that the geological tests involve loud air gun blasts that
will harm whales, dolphins and other animals.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-30/trump-said-to-advance-seismic-tests-for-oil-in-atlantic-waters-jp3bw60l The companies need to get individual
permission from the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
before work can begin. Let’s tell that
department that we do not agree with this move motivated by greed: https://www.boem.gov/Contact-Us/ Let’s
tell our MoCs the same.
Election/Voting
1. Tuesday, December 4th is the Secretary of State
runoff election in Georgia:
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article222518640.html Let’s
reach out to anyone we know in Georgia with gentle reminders to get out the
vote for John Barrow. Georgia deserves fair elections!
2. In
North Carolina, the Board of Elections will not certify a Congressional race
because of concerns of election fraud perpetrated by the GOP: https://www.npr.org/2018/12/01/672531061/amid-fraud-allegations-state-election-board-wont-certify-north-carolina-house-ra If
we are in North Carolina, let’s contact our state reps and the governor to
express our concern: https://governor.nc.gov and https://www.ncleg.net If
we have family and friends in North Carolina, let’s be in touch to encourage
their involvement.
3. There are enough votes to bring the legislation
forward that would protect Special Counsel Robert Muller, but Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
refuses to bring it forward. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mcconnell-senate-republicans-block-vote-mueller-protection-bill-n941291 Let’s join in contributing to McConnell’s
2020 opponent: https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/389893/lets-fund-mitch-mcconnells-2020-opponent
Other
Actions
1. We’re currently in the open enrollment period
for healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Here’s the
bad news: there’s been a 9.2% drop in sign-ups compared to last year. One
likely cause: cuts to the advertising budget by the Trump administration—fewer
people know that it’s time to enroll.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/28/obamacare-insurance-numbers-drop-995227 In
most states, the enrollment period ends Dec 15. Let’s help spread the word by
(1) sharing this link on social media https://www.healthcare.gov/ ,
and (2) contacting radio, television, and print media in our communities and
asking them to report on the open enrollment period. If we use Twitter, here is an easy way to
help spread the word that it’s time to sign up for health care coverage under
the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare): we can visit https://twitter.com/2019ACASignup/media and
retweet their graphics. Let’s get started and turn around those dismal sign-up
numbers!
2. This week, Sinclair news outlets issued a
“must-run” segment that defended the U.S. tear-gassing migrant families at the
border. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/418651-sinclair-runs-must-run-segment-defending-use-of-tear-gas-at.
Sinclair currently has the largest share of TV news outlets, reaching 39% of
U.S. Homes. The company recently bid to merge with Tribune, which would have
resulted in the station owning nearly ¾ of all TV outlets. While that deal was killed,
we need to keep our eyes on Sinclair's attempts to seek additional stations,
and also do whatever we can to counteract their “alternative facts.” Let’s
write letters to the editor of our local papers, or submit public comments to
our TV and radio stations stating why spewing tear gas at people seeking to
apply for asylum, which is their right by law, is an immoral and reprehensible
act that is of questionable legality.
3. As citizens we're told to understand our
government, know the issues, and vote accordingly. Yet, with new crises
and important revelations constantly emerging, sometimes daily, being an
informed citizen can be daunting. That's why ProPublica offers its
User's Guide to Democracy, an electronic newsletter tailored to a
recipient's voting district. "From understanding political ads to seeing
what your representatives are actually doing (or not doing), this series of
short guides will help you become a more informed, more engaged, more confident
voter." https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/users-guide-to-democracy
4. Showing Up for Racial Justice, http://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/ ,
has a project to help families seeking asylum at the US/Mexico border. If we’re
interested in raising funds to support families being held in detention,
organizing to help get people released, or sponsoring a family, let’s sign up
here:
5. Through Hands Across the Hills, https://www.handsacrossthehills.org/about-us ,
two groups of Americans—one from deep blue Massachusetts and one from deep red
Kentucky—have been having a dialogue since the 2016 election. While they still
have many points of political disagreement, they have built deep friendships
and learned to see the world through each other’s eyes. Let’s listen to this
remarkable radio segment, and let’s think about how we might repair the
divisions that plague America: https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/11/28/conservatives-kentucky-liberals-massachusetts-politics
6. What is happening at CNN? During the past
week, in response to the National Climate Assessment that Trump tried to bury,
CNN aired a chorus of climate deniers, including their in-house paid denier
Rick Santorum, claiming that scientists are “getting rich, really rich”
propagating a false myth of climate change: https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/how-tv-news-fumbles-climate-change
Meanwhile, Katharine Hayhoe, climate scientist and co-author of the
Assessment, was bumped from Anderson Cooper’s 360 at the last minute:
https://www.salon.com/2018/11/29/author-of-report-on-global-warming-calls-out-cnn-for-bumping-her-for-climate-denier-rick-santorum/
And on Thursday, CNN announced that it had severed ties with Temple
University Professor and CNN contributor Marc Lamont Hill after he gave a UN
speech in support of Palestinian human rights: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/29/media/marc-lamont-hill-cnn/index.html
We, perhaps foolishly, expected better from CNN and should tell them so: CNN
President Jeff Zucker at: Jeff.Zucker@turner.com or
CNN (404) 827-1500 or comment at: www.cnn.com/feedback.
7. In case we thought we were having no impact,
according to Friday’s Washington Post, new “Guidance Regarding Political
Activity” was issued by the Office of Special Counsel, NOT Robert Mueller’s
office but the independent agency that enforces the Hatch Act barring federal
employees from using their work resources and social media accounts for
political purposes; this Orwellian “guidance” prohibits federal workers
from using terms like “resistance” or “#resist” or expressing their views on
impeachment: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/419074-government-warns-employees-not-to-discuss-trump-impeachment-or-the
Let’s join the ethics nonprofit American Oversight and express our “significant
concerns” and call for the withdraw of this “guidance”: OSC
Headquarters (202) 804-7000 or 1730 M Street, N.W., Suite 218, Washington, D.C.
20036-4505.
8. This week, delegations from countries all over
the world are meeting in Poland for COP24, the United Nations’ international
climate change conference. The US government may have sidelined itself,
but we can make our voices heard loud and clear by tweeting #TakeYourSeat,
courtesy of the Peoples Climate Movement.
9. “The deadliest fire in California history has
set into motion the largest charitable collaboration ever among the nation's
breweries, as more than 1,200 have signed on to brew a beer to raise funds for
those affected by the Camp Fire in Northern California.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/11/28/camp-fire-relief-beer-brewed-sierra-nevada-and-1-000-others/2124195002/ Let’s make a point of supporting those breweries
who are helping: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14CSqVrsN6M2p7gx5MeAnhXlMaCUJ-kMh54-Amq7KCvI/htmlview#gid=0
State
Actions
1. MI:
This year's lame duck session has been rife with legislation that would not
only gut the proposals that Michiganders overwhelming passed during the
midterms, but would strip away executive power, and gut protections for the
environment (https://bit.ly/2Q7KJ3e and
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/11/29/bill-would-allow-legislators-intercede-any-court-case-involving-state/2150818002/).
These bills are not being presented in good faith, and have not followed normal
order, rather they are being rushed out of committee and voted on before any
real debate or hearings can be held. In order to fight back, We the People- MI have
organized a week of actions in Lansing. For those of us who are able to attend,
let's sign up and
show our Congress that we do not accept their lame duck tactics.
2. WI: In the span between the November election and
the January swearing-in of the new Democratic governor in Wisconsin, the
Republican House is trying to make some very dodgy moves to limit the power of
incoming Governor, Tony Evers: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/30/lawmakers-consider-changes-early-voting-transportation-funding-2020-presidential-primary/2162684002/ If
we are in Wisconsin, let’s reach our reps to cry foul:
http://legis.wisconsin.gov If
we know people in Wisconsin, let’s reach out to ask them to get involved before
it is too late. We can also sign a
petition asking that the will of the people be respected here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-the-power-grab-to-limit-the-role-of-governor-elect-evers
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms
to attend/organize
1. From ADAPT:
ADAPT is calling for a Day of Action on December
4th in support of the Empower Care Act (Money Follows the Person) [H.R. 5306/S. 2227].
Use the attached flyer on the Empower Care Act to
email, text, tweet, visit local offices, protest, rally, press conference, etc.
& repeat. .so we can keep freeing our people from institutions with Money
Follows the Person (MFP), the massively effective federal program that ADAPT
helped invent. At a minimum include your name and contact information with the
flyer when you send it or drop it off.
2. EmpowerandHelp
and The
Swell Collective have gotten planning underway for a
wellness and community engagement retreat for community organizers in April of 2019, venue and location TBD.
The retreat will give those of us in need an opportunity for a weekend
away to focus on resilience building activities, personal intention and goal
setting, and “in real life” collaborative social networking with others in the
movement. We can sign up here to stay in the loop or get involved: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYVFWZy-t1N0OcKknDdwegFnUpt-RQWzE7jrNpL74Nuj0Wew/viewform
Reading/Watching
1. The
Democrats’ 1st Move in the Next Congress - https://politicalcharge.org/2018/12/01/the-democrats-1st-move-in-the-next-congress/
2. Dan
Rather: We Are Losing A More Basic Foundation For Outrage - https://www.newsandguts.com/dan-rather-losing-basic-foundation-outrage/
3. Trump
aides caught in web of deception over Russia contacts - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trump-aides-caught-in-web-of-deception-over-russia-contacts
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