blank space


3/15/19 

Contact Federal Government Officials


1.       NET NEUTRALITY: Last week, Congress introduced the Save the Internet Act of 2019 to bring back the Obama-era rules preventing service providers from manipulating the speed and content of what consumers can see. These rules were repealed by the FCC in 2017.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/03/06/net-neutrality-is-back-play-democratic-lawmakers-announce-bill-heres-what-expect/?utm_term=.84520c1aa467. The FCC’s repeal of Net neutrality was overruled by the Senate under the Congressional Review Act, but the House of Representatives did not take up the issue. Let’s remind our MoCs that at the time of the FCC repeal, 83% of Americans including 75% of Republicans supported net neutrality rules and tell them to make sure this bill is passed by Congress. We can find more information and talking points here.

2.      EQUALITY ACT: “Congressional Democrats introduced on Wednesday the Equality Act [H.R. 5 /S. 788], a bill that would modify existing civil rights legislation to ban discrimination against LGBTQ people in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, education, federal programs and credit.”  https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/democrats-reintroduce-equality-act-ban-lgbtq-discrimination-n982771 and https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900060319/would-the-equality-act-harm-religious-freedom-heres-what-you-need-to-know.html  Let’s tell our MoCs that this protection is long overdue and that we want them to co-sponsor and support this bill.  If we are people of faith, we can also sign this coordinated by Faith in Life:  http://fpl.actionkit.com/sign/equality-act-congress/

3.      TRUMP BUSINESS CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: The Chinese government has granted the Trump business empire 38 new trademarks for hotels, spas, escort services, and related businesses.  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/china-donald-trump-branded-without-us-congress-permission-trademarks-spas-escort-services-hotels-and-a7619136.html? According to ethics lawyers, if these received any special treatment, Trump would be in violation of the U.S. Constitution Emoluments Clause, an issue which is already in question. There are concerns whether accommodations were made in order to be granted so many trademarks in such a short time. Let’s make sure our MoCs are tracking this development and ask them to investigate any potential wrongdoing.

4.      MUELLER REPORT: The House voted yesterday 420-0 on a resolution to make the Mueller Report public. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/434021-house-votes-for-mueller-report-to-be-made-public. However, the resolution is non-binding and Attorney General William Barr has not committed to releasing the report to Congress or the general public. Let’s contact Barr’s office (202-353-1555; 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 20530-0001; website form; Facebook; Twitter: @TheJustice Dept.) and let AG Barr know that the transparency of our democracy depends on making this report public. Let’s also contact our Senators and urge them to pass a similar resolution.

5.      SAUDI ARABIA/YEMEN RESOLUTION: Under the War Powers Act, the Senate passed a resolution on Tuesday that would require the president to pull any U.S. troops that are aiding the Saudi War in Yemen.  https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/433926-senate-breaks-with-trump-on-saudi-led-war-in-yemen. With the United Nations calling the humanitarian crisis the worst in the world, and the murkiness around the Saudi government’s role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, this move is long overdue. Let’s lean on our representatives in the House to take up this resolution as soon as possible.

6.      HIGHER ED FOR HOMELESS AND FOSTER YOUTH: A bi-partisan group of Senators and Congress Members have reintroduced the Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act, which will assist homeless students and those who have aged out of the foster care system in obtaining financial aid and housing between terms. 
https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases?ID=AE05F5C7-E822-4DB8-94DC-E8420EFEE93C Let’s tell our MoCs to sponsor this bill.

7.     COASTAL DRILLING: Joe Balash, the assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the Interior department, assured fossil fuel industry leaders at a meeting of the International Association of Geophysical Contractors last month that the Trump administration intends to open undeveloped federal waters to oil and gas drilling, despite fierce opposition from coastal residents, politicians and environmental groups, including 120 municipalities, 1,200 elected officials, 42,000 businesses and 500,000 others, according to the Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast; seismic testing could begin as early as this year:  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/14/offshore-drilling-trump-official-reveals-plan-and-distractions-delight  Bipartisan opposition to Atlantic drilling has emerged among our representatives and governors; let’s made certain that our state and federal representatives know that we want them to oppose all efforts to open any federal waters to the voracious fossil fuel industry.  And let’s let Balash know that, despite his glee at Trump’s effort to distract us, our full attention is now on Trump’s plan to pollute our oceans, accelerate global warming, and make the rich richer at the expense of the rest of us: Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington DC 20240 or (202) 208-3100 (with employee directory).

8.     UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN:  From one of our own:  Here’s a senate bill we should support: Name: Fair Day in Court for Kids Act (S. 662), Status: Introduced this week by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and 20 other senators.  What it does: The AAP-supported bill would ensure that no unaccompanied child is forced to represent herself in immigration court, requiring that they are provided with legal counsel at the government's expense and no cost to the child. Roughly 50% of unaccompanied children have no one to represent them in immigration court even though children seeking asylum in the U.S. are five times more likely to succeed when represented by counsel. Let’s tell our Senators to co-sponsor and support this bill to help these innocent children.

9.      REJECTION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION:  On Thursday, the Senate was forced to vote on whether or not to reject Trump’s declaration of a national emergency (related to the border wall) because the House had already voted to reject it. Amazingly, 12 Republican Senators joined the 47 Democrats in voting to reject the declaration which now means Trump will have to veto this if he wants the national emergency to stand:  https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/434086-senate-rejects-border-declaration-teeing-up-trumps-first-veto  If we have a Democratic Senator or our GOP Senator voted yes, let’s send thanks to them. The twelve Republican Senators who voted with the Democrats were: Alexander (TN), Blunt (MO), Collins (ME), Lee (UT), Moran (KS), Murkowski (AK), Paul (KY), Portman (OH), Romney (UT), Rubio (FL), Toomey (PA), and Wicker (MS).

10.  IMMIGRATION: Over 200 Democrats in the House have introduced the Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (HR. 6), which would provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers, and legal permanent residency to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients (https://bit.ly/2HhSBu5, https://wapo.st/2UAGwmT). Providing legal solutions for immigrants is supported by a large majority of U.S. citizens, regardless of political party. Let's be sure to tell our MoC that we want them to stand up for immigrants in the U.S. and support the Dream and Promise Act.

11.  CLIMATE CHANGE:  The problem of climate change can seem so daunting, and just giving up can be tempting, so we should take a moment to envision what success looks like (https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/03/11/688876374/its-2050-and-this-is-how-we-stopped-climate-change). Innovative thinking and bold action are what will see us through the greatest challenge of our time, and the best ideas even address some pernicious inequalities from our past, too. That's the spirit of the Green New Deal, and of this plan to replace Trump's Wall with an energy- and water-producing corridor (https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/bold-plan-replace-the-border-wall-with-an-energy-water-corridor). Technical solutions are already forming, so let's demand that our MoCs give them political voice (i.e. fair hearings), legislative enablement, and funding.

12. CLIMATE CHANGE:  The national conversation about climate change that we need to be having is very far from the sort-of conversation that we're currently just starting. With the possibility of stopping our carbon emissions in less than 12 years in doubt, scientists are already talking about geoengineering, deliberately altering our planet to save us from our unintentional alterations (https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/03/solar-geoengineerings-side-effects-could-be-minimized/). Let's tell our MoCs to start speaking up loudly, on the floor, in their committees, and at their town halls, about what we must do to leave our children a livable planet.

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.       CONGRESSIONAL RECESS: March recess begins this weekend, with members of Congress heading back to their districts. Let's make sure to check out our MoC's office hours, or attend a townhall, so that our representatives hear from us in person. We can find events through Indivisible here and find recess training and guides here.

2.     DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION HELP NEEDED:  The 2020 Democratic National Convention will be held in Milwaukee between July 13 and 16, 2020. According to Mayor Tom Barrett, 12,000 volunteers will be needed to ensure the event’s success. If we are interested in volunteering, we can apply online here:  https://www.milwaukee2020.com/volunteer. If we are interested in applying for jobs, we can look here:  https://www.milwaukee2020.com/jobs. 

3.      BLING FOR THE RESISTANCE: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wears a special collar when she dissents from the majority—it’s the same collar that she wore on November 9, 2016. These earrings mimic the design of RBG’s dissent collar: https://dissentpins.com/products/dissent-collar-drop-earrings Let’s purchase a pair or two for ourselves and the RBG fans in our lives. 50% of profits go to The Bronx Freedom Fund, International Refugee Assistance Project, and Center for Reproductive Rights.

4.    ENVIRONMENT:  “When Byron Román encouraged “bored teens” on social media last week to pick up litter, he didn’t anticipate his post would make a difference. But seven days and hundreds of thousands of shares on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Reddit later, the world is looking a little bit cleaner. “Take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or maintenance, then take a photo after you have done something about it, and post it,” Román wrote on March 5, sharing a before and after photo of a messy area being cleaned up by one young man. #Trashtag  http://time.com/5549019/trashtag-interview/  We can join our “bored teens” and carry a bag with us as we walk, hike, and run our errands. You can post if you like or not but your efforts to tidy up the planet will help all of us. 

5.      ANIMAL CRUELTY:  “Today the Humane Society of the United States revealed the results of an undercover investigation at an animal testing laboratory where thousands of dogs are killed every year. The investigation reveals the suffering and death of beagles and hounds used in toxicity tests for pesticides, drugs, dental implants and other products.”   https://www.apnews.com/Globe%20Newswire/21052dfb8021535d457f140e335d283d  Currently, the Humane Society has a petition to help spare the lives of 36 beagles in a Michigan lab.  https://www.michiganradio.org/post/beagles-force-fed-fungicides-west-michigan-lab  Let’s join in signing that petition:  https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=7598&s_src=web_ws_dowdogs_031219

State Actions

1.       CO: The Colorado chapter of the Sierra Club says: "The time has come to tackle the pollution and risk that fracking poses to Colorado communities. The  oil & gas industry is RUSHING to organize, testify, and spend unlimited money to stop Colorado Senate Bill 181, a bold bill to reform fracking that will protect the health and safety of Coloradans." Coloradans, let's contact our state senator to let them know we support S 181. We can find the contact info for our CO state senators here: https://leg.colorado.gov/find-my-legislator

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       CLIMATE CHANGE:  Inspired by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg, today, 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   

2.      TWITTERSTORM FOR SYRIAN CHILDREN:  The situation is still dire for Syrian refugees, especially the children. After over five years of constant warfare, conditions in Syria remain grave and the continuing need for medical supplies is urgent. Save the Syrian Children, who sends aid directly to Syria, is preparing to send their 47th 20 ft. medical supplies container from New Jersey to a Syrian Refugee camp. We can help them raise awareness and funds to send this much needed aid when we join Action Together Network and the Blue Wave Report’s Twitter Storm this Sunday, March 17 at 8 pm EST. We can click on the link below to join this event on Sunday. The page will link us to prewritten tweets we can send out with just a few clicks. The suffering in Syria is grave, but we can make a difference.  https://www.facebook.com/events/728825004240382/?ti=as

Reading/Watching

1.       When Civility Is Used As A Cudgel Against People Of Color - https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/03/14/700897826/when-civility-is-used-as-a-cudgel-against-people-of-color

2.      Immigrant rights group files complaint against DHS, saying it holds immigrant children longer than legally allowed - https://thehill.com/latino/433984-immigrant-rights-group-files-complaint-against-dhs-saying-it-holds-immigrant-children

3.      What does the World look like from Somalia? Explaining why Ilhan Omar Scares the Horses in DC - https://www.juancole.com/2019/03/somalia-explaining-scares.html

4.      Trump’s Budget Tells Us What He Values–How About You? - https://politicalcharge.org/2019/03/13/trumps-budget-tells-us-what-he-values-how-about-you/


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)