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3/13/19 

Contact Federal Government Officials


1.   GUN REGULATION: The House passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R.8) at the end of February (https://politi.co/2BQ73VR). Currently, it is not expected that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will take up the bill, even though background checks for private firearm sales and sales at gun shows has overwhelming support by gun owners: 
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/06/22/americas-complex-relationship-with-guns/ However, we can still put pressure on our senators to cosponsor and support the Background Check Expansion Act (S. 42). March For Our Lives student activists will hand deliver letters to Congress, encouraging them to support this legislation. Let's check out the sample letter and mailing instructions here. Let's also contact the Republican members of the Judiciary Committee and encourage them to support and pass S.42: 
https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/  

2.   VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT: A bill (H.R.1585) to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has been introduced in the House.  https://bit.ly/2EOrUtq) The latest version has been improved to include protections for members of Native American, LGBTQ, and immigrant communities. Let's contact our representatives in the House and ask them to cosponsor and support this essential legislation. Ultraviolet has a call script we can use here.

3.   CENSUS (CITIZENSHIP QUESTION):  The government has extended until MARCH 15th the comment period on the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census; the ACLU has made it easy for us to submit a comment:  
https://action.aclu.org/petition/make-your-comment-census-citizenship-question-intends-harm-immigrant-communities-0  Let’s make certain—between now and Friday--that Wilbur Ross and the Trump administration know that we want the Census to be as safe and easy to complete for ALL residents of the US, as the Constitution demands.  Otherwise, both our representation and the allocation of state and federal funds will be skewed for ten years to come.

4.  CENSUS (CITIZENSHIP QUESTION): However, after a federal court disallowed the inclusion of a citizenship question for the 2020 census, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. https://www.npr.org/2019/02/15/692656180/supreme-court-to-decide-if-2020-census-includes-citizenship-question.  The ACLU is collecting public comments on how this proposal will harm immigrant communities. Let’s sign their petition and submit a comment here.

5.   BORDER WALL EMERGENCY DISAPPROVAL: Vice President Michael Pence is trying to convince Republican Senators not to vote for a resolution that expresses disapproval for Trump’s fake national emergency. Pence is promising that will Trump will sign legislation reining in the president’s powers to declare future emergencies if the Senate doesn’t pass the resolution. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/433750-pence-floats-offer-to-kill-trump-emergency-disapproval-resolution?userid=200565. Let’s make sure our Senators know that we expect them to choose country over party and vote for the disapproval resolution, which upholds Congress’s Constitutional right to decide how funds are allocated. Wheeling and dealing on this matter further calls the ethics of every Senator who votes for the resolution into question, and that they should also know from past history that Trump cannot be trusted to do what he says he’s going to do.

6.  DREAMERS: “House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a new version of the Dream Act amid renewed debate over border security funding. . .  The proposal includes a path to citizenship for many "Dreamers" — undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as minors — and beneficiaries of temporary protected status (TPS) and deferred enforced departure (DED)” https://thehill.com/latino/433759-house-dems-reintroduce-the-dream-act  Let’s make sure our House reps know that we want this passed. 

7.   IMPEACHMENT: House Majority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, continues to say that without bipartisan support, “Impeachment isn’t worth it.”  
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/433547-pelosi-says-impeaching-trump-just-not-worth-it. With stories breaking daily on Trump’s alleged financial fraud and campaign violations, we need to convince House members, Republicans and Democrats, alike, that they must look closely into all of these allegations. To keep stonewalling, as the Republicans are doing, or dragging their feet on getting Trump’s tax returns, as the House Ways and Means Chair is doing, is a grave disservice to the country. Congress needs to keep building the case for impeachment, even if many Republicans have decided to look the other way and abandon all semblance of ethics.

8.  CENSUS CITIZENSHIP QUESTION: After a federal court disallowed the inclusion of a citizenship question for the 2020 census, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. https://www.npr.org/2019/02/15/692656180/supreme-court-to-decide-if-2020-census-includes-citizenship-question.  The ACLU is collecting public comments on how this proposal will harm immigrant communities. Let’s sign their petition and submit a comment here.

9.   MATERNAL MORTALITY: “Every year more than 50,000 women suffer serious complications from childbirth – and about 700 die, making the United States the most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world.”  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/deadly-deliveries/2019/03/11/maternal-deaths-injuries-hospital-childbirth-investigation-findings/3109269002/  While this administration focuses on rolling back regulations, but the state of maternal mortality in the US needs more, not less.  Let’s make sure our MoCs see it the same way. 

Election/Voting

1.   “So far in March, there are 22 elections scheduled. If one of these is your district, make sure you vote! For everyone else, please share this with your network to spread the word in order to increase awareness and turnout!” Let’s let  Political Charge tell us about them and then let’s help where we can:  https://politicalcharge.org/2019/02/28/elections-in-march-2019/

Other Actions

1.   MUELLER INVESTIGATION:  We often hear the name Amy Berman Jackson, the judge dealing currently with both Paul Manafort and Roger Stone in federal court: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/433728-all-eyes-on-judge-as-manafort-faces-second-sentence  Let’s take a moment to thank her for serving in very trying times and under a significant spotlight:
https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/content/district-judge-amy-berman-jackson

2.   FOX NEWS:  More radio clips have been released of Fox News host Tucker Carlson sharing his shocking but nor surprising views on women and minorities (and child rape):   https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/11/media/tucker-carlson-bubba-the-love-sponge-audio-clips/index.html  He has vowed to be defiant against the mob and refuses to “bow”. Let’s let Fox News know that we are not a mob but that he should not be able to take shelter at Fox with such virulent racism and sexism:  https://www.wikihow.com/Contact-Fox-News  Then, let’s join others in calling for his advertisers to drop his show: https://www.mediamatters.org/research/2018/12/19/these-are-tucker-carlson-s-leading-advertisers/222360)

3.  WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST SENTENCED: Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer in Iran, was sentenced to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes.  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47531312. Sotoudeh is known for her work representing women who were prosecuted for appearing in public without hijab. Amnesty International claims that this is the harshest sentenced they’ve seen for a human rights activist. Let’s make sure to share this story widely and keep up with Amnesty International and other human rights organizations to find out how we can advocate on Sotoudeh’s behalf.

4.  CLIMATE CHANGE:  The Youth Climate Strike takes place on Friday March 15. If we are students striking from school to demand lawmakers act against climate change, or if we want to support these students, we can access this social media kit. In it we will find graphics, sample tweets and posts designed to help us get the word out. Let’s use this resource to start tweeting, posting on Facebook, Instagram and showing our support for climate change action now!  https://docs.google.com/document/d/13aNjR07dLf2HOIjjcQlY8rrMMUkP8DPWhmgmH_VZnI0/mobilebasic

State Actions

1.   ALL:  Twenty-two states have joined the United States Climate Alliance, “a bipartisan coalition of governors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement,” https://www.usclimatealliance.org/. If we are in CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, IL, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OR, Puerto Rico, RI, VT, VA, WA, WI, then our state has joined the alliance. Let’s contact our governor’s office and ask for a progress report. If we are in AL, AK, AZ, AR, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WV, WY, let’s contact our governor and tell them that the states must lead on this issue and we want them to join the alliance. Contact info: https://openstates.org/

2.   CA: Women’s Center for Creative Work (WCCW) is excited to announce its fourth Emergency Health Grant for artists! This year $65,000 in grant money for emergency health care is available to artists.  We, or someone we know, may be eligible. Applicants must be. artists living in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino or Riverside Counties; identify as female, or trans, or non-binary, or low income, or as a person of color; and have a medical, mental health or dental emergency OR an illness-related financial need. Applications will be accepted between March 1st and April 7, 2019.
To apply and learn more about the grant we can visit:
http://womenscenterforcreativework.com/eh-grant/

3.   MI: Democrats in the House and Senate have introduced Red Flag bills, which would allow family members and/or law enforcement officials to request Extreme Risk Protective Orders (ERPO) from a judge (https://bit.ly/2Xve5sp). The ERPO would then grant the removal of firearms from a person who may harm themselves or others. House Bills 4283, 4284, 4285  are in the House Judiciary Committee. In the Senate, bills 156, 157, and 158 are in Government Operations Committee. Let's call members of the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Government Operations Committee, and urge them to support and pass these important bills.

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.    CLIMATE CHANGE:  Inspired by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg, this Friday, March 15 is the day youth worldwide have chosen to strike. They are “striking because decades of inaction have left us with just 11 years to change the trajectory of the worst effects of climate change, according to the Oct 2018 UN IPCC Report. [They] are striking because our world leaders have yet to acknowledge, prioritize, or properly address our climate crisis.” The statement the students have issued is unequivocal: “We, the young, have started to move. We are going to change the fate of humanity, whether you like it or not. United we will rise until we see climate justice. We demand the world’s decision-makers take responsibility and solve this crisis.”  To see the entirety of their open letter:  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/01/youth-climate-change-strikers-open-letter-to-world-leaders  Not only striking students but parents and allies are encouraged to join the striking students.  To find an event near us, check here: https://www.youthclimatestrikeus.org/strikes   

Reading/Watching

1.    Stacey Abrams thinks Democrats need to totally change their playbook to beat Trump in 2020 — here's how - https://www.businessinsider.com/stacey-abrams-democrats-playbook-to-beat-trump-2019-3

2.   The CDC’s Gun Injury Data Is Becoming Even More Unreliable - https://www.thetrace.org/2019/03/cdc-nonfatal-gun-injuries-update/

3.   The Oppression of the Supermajority:  The defining political fact of our time is not polarization. It’s the thwarting of a largely unified public - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/opinion/oppression-majority.html


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