Contact Federal Government 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. So, Mitch McConnell refuses
to give fair hearing in the Senate for the House's bill to improve voters'
access and election security, even as we struggle with the ongoing effects of
gerrymandering, loss the Voting Rights Act, and proven interference in
both the 2016 and 2018 elections. https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/432584-mcconnell-house-election-reform-bill-wont-get-senate-vote This
blatant subversion of democracy must not stand unopposed, so each call to
our senators needs to include a demand that the Senate take up H.R. 1, known as
the For the People Act of 2019.
2. On Monday, the House
Judiciary Committee, as led by Rep. Jerry Nadler, released a list of 81 people
and organizations from whom they are seeking documents in a now wide-sweeping
investigation of Trump:
and https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/432549-the-81-names-targeted-in-democrats-expanded-trump-investigation First, let’s pause in celebration of
what our effort in the 2018 mid-terms has made possible. Then, let’s thank Rep.
Nadler and the committee for what they are doing: https://nadler.house.gov/contact-me and
let our Congressional representatives know that we expect them to take this
investigation seriously. Let’s also ask
them, given the gravity of this, that they open an independent commission or at
least a special committee as was done in Watergate.
3. It now appears that both
Congress and the Senate have enough votes to reject the notion of Trump’s
declaration of a national emergency which will tee up Trump for his first veto
if he proceeds: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-congress-emergency/congress-on-verge-of-rejecting-trumps-border-emergency-idUSKCN1QM15U and https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/432560-gop-braces-for-showdown-on-wall-emergency-with-trump Let’s let our MoC know that we
do not abide Trump’s abuse of power to fuel his racist wall promise and that we
expect them to take part in a veto-proof majority in both chambers.
4. The House is poised to pass a
resolution today condemning anti-Semitism, ostensibly in response to
statements made by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar about Israel. https://www.npr.org/2019/03/04/700163118/democrats-planning-another-public-rebuke-of-rep-ilhan-omar. Let’s make sure to educate ourselves on the
differences between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel, which many
Democrats and Republicans alike are equating as the same thing, despite the
fact that there are many Jewish groups that are critical of the policies of the
Israeli government. One of these groups, Bend the Arc, has released a statement asking Congress to add to this resolution a
condemnation of racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, all of which have been
present at times on Capitol Hill, as pointed out so clearly by Congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/432613-ocasio-cortez-questions-criticism-of-omar-no-one-seeks-this-level-of-reprimand. Let’s contact our MoCs and add our voices to
the call.
5. The U.S. has a terrible track
record of military intervention in South America. Let's not add Venezuela's
current situation to the list. "Trump has declared that 'all options are
open' in Venezuela. That’s as clear as it gets: He’s threatening a disastrous
military intervention. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) just introduced a bill,
H.R.1004, that would block the Trump administration from
taking any military action related to Venezuela without the approval of
Congress." The bill is currently in committee: House reps to sign
on. We can do so through this form if we like: https://act.winwithoutwar.org/act/tell-rep-block-venezuela-military-action_H1004
6. “President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of
Violence Against Women believes that arming women
in domestic violence situations is key to their safety, despite experts’
warnings that the introduction of guns into abusive relationships can imperil
victims.” https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/trump-shannon-lee-goessling-guns-domestic-violence/ Let’s
tell our Senators that Shannon Lee Goessling is NOT the person for this
job.
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/
2. Postcards to Voter's has
launched Campaign 147: Brendan Csaposs for Baton Rouge, Louisiana Metro Council. The
special election will be held on Saturday, March 30. The city’s Metro
Council has had a Republican majority of 7 to 5. This Special Election has
created an opportunity to change that by moving to a 6-6 even split and giving
progressives greater footing to enact reforms in the state’s second-largest
city. Let's request 5 addresses for this campaign today. If we are new, we
can get started here.
3. There’s a special election on
April 2, 2019, in Wisconsin for a seat on the state’s Supreme Court. Let’s help
Lisa Neubauer, who is currently Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Court of
Appeals, defeat Brian Hagedorn, former chief legal counsel to Wisconsin’s
infamous Republican Governor Scott Walker, and start shifting the Wisconsin
Supreme Court in a more progressive direction. https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Supreme_Court_elections,_2019 Let’s sign up with Vote Forward, https://votefwd.org/ ,
and send letters to Democratic-leaning Wisconsin voters to urge them to vote.
Even sending just five letters can make a difference!
4. There's an upcoming special
election in Pennsylvania and Sister District is supporting Democrat Pam Iovino in her bid to win in State Senate District 37.
This is an important, winnable seat-- we can do this! Please find out how
you can help, either by making a donation of any size or signing up to
postcard. Here's the link. (h/t Chop Wood Carry Water)
Other Actions
1. The House will be on recess
from March 16th through March 24th, making this the prime window for getting in
touch with them and letting them hear about the issues that matter the most to
us. From family separations, to Medicare for All, to paid family leave, the
Green New Deal, H.R. 1, and others, there are plenty of bills that we can focus
on. Indivisible has a March recess hub that contains planning resources and detailed
information on the bills making their way through the House. Let's check it
out so we can be prepared to take action as soon as Recess starts. We can
also register for
Indivisible's recess training webinar, which takes place this evening at 7:30pm
ET.
2. From one of our own: I posted this as a comment on another thread
that is discussing the so-called "Green New Deal" [H. Res. 109] and rep.
Ocasio-Cortez. Since there seem to be some misconceptions about the GND, even
here, I thought I would post the comment as a standalone thread. Even in this
group, which is generally a pretty well-informed bunch, there seems to be a LOT
of misunderstanding about what the Green New Deal is. In fact, it took me more
than a few clicks on Google to find the actual text, so maybe it's hard for
people to look it up. Here it is. It is
14 pages. NOTHING in it is "stupid". It is a policy GUIDELINE, not a
bill that imposes specific regulations or laws.
It does NOT call for banning cars. It does NOT call for banning
airplanes. It does NOT call for banning cows. It does NOT call for banning
plastic straws or plastic bags. Please
read it in its original form: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/5729033/Green-New-Deal-FINAL.pdf It is an
EXCELLENT starting point for responsible policy development moving forward.
3. In his rambling,
incoherent--“unhinged,” some say--speech at the Conservative Political Action
Committee meeting Saturday, Trump pledged that he would issue an executive
order denying federal research funds to colleges and universities that do not
“support free speech,” to the enthusiastic delight of the crowd:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5HHZI_pe3w It's clear he’s learned nothing lately about
executive actions, and it is totally unclear what he might actually
do. We, however, might want to join with the American Association of
Professors to express our dismay:
4. Jane Mayer broke another bombshell
story this week with her piece in the New Yorker about the role of Fox News in
burying the Stormy Daniels story and Trump’s effort to intervene through the
Department of Justice to harm CNN during a proposed media merger: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/11/the-making-of-the-fox-news-white-house and https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/04/fox-news-stormy-daniels-rupert-murdoch-trump-win Let’s thank Ms. Mayer for her
tireless work: The New Yorker, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007and
share the story with others. Let’s also write to Shep Smith and
Chris Wallace at Fox News to say that their journalistic efforts are lost in
the propaganda of Fox News and that they should depart in protest: 1211 Avenue
of The Americas, NY, NY 10036
5. The National Butterfly Center in Texas is fighting Trump’s border wall as it will
destroy the sanctuary. They are getting
hate mail for their resistance. https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/02/27/butterfly-sanctuary-border-wall-trump-weir-orig.cnn Let’s
counter that hate mail with messages of support for this national
treasure. Contact: https://www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/contact
6. Amidst the current debate
about reparations for the descendants of African-American slaves, some of us may
wonder, "why pay people who weren't even the children of slaves, let alone
slaves themselves?" One answer is that financial racism didn't end
when black people ceased to be property, and has disadvantaged black
Americans throughout the nation's history, uninterrupted. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-why-black-families-have-struggled-for-decades-to-gain-wealth-2019-02-28 Let's
keep this legacy in mind when considering our presidential choices for
2020, and talking about reparations with our MoCs.
7. The Republican administration
is gearing up to strip protection from nearly every wolf in the lower 48 states.
The Center for Biological Diversity is fighting back with "Call of the Wild," a
national grassroots campaign to save America’s wolves. This week, over 60
events are happening nationwide. Let's read more and find out about events
near us and how we can get involved at Ignite Change: Call of the Wild.
8. Incoming Florida House
Speaker Jose Oliva has already apologized for comments he made about abortion
in an interview in which he repeatedly used the term "host body"
to describe pregnant women. We can read his apology at 10tvWBNS. Let's continue to give Speaker Oliva feedback nationally
on his inappropriate de-humanizing rhetoric to stop this type of language
before it becomes a Republican standard.
9. “Emily’s List is looking to
expand the Democratic House majority and flip the Senate next year, naming 43
House Republicans and six GOP senators on its initial list of 2020
targets,” https://www.rollcall.com/news/campaigns/emilys-list-names-2020-house-senate-targets Let’s see
if we can help with any of these races.
10. From one of our own: Here’s a list of issues and options for
postcard writing: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10sxBPBrX0v2_XCeW4Ryx2V2ayQsseK0gh3sZ2AJyhaE/edit Let’s
get a postcard-writing party going!
11. Google says that it won’t pull Absher, a
controversial government app from Saudi Arabia, from its app store, telling
California representative Jackie Speier that it did not violate its policies,
and that it would remain up, according to Business
Insider. A recent report from Insider outlined how Saudi men could use the app to
control female dependents, as it can be used to revoke travel privileges, keep
tabs on their location, and send SMS messages with updates about their
whereabouts. Following the publication of the report, human rights groups such
as Amnesty International have criticized both companies for hosting the app. At
the same time, Speier and a group of fellow
representatives sent a letter to the
CEOs of Google and Apple, asking them to pull the app from their respective
stores. https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/3/18248956/google-absher-wont-pull-controversial-saudi-arabian-app-womens-rights. We can
join Rep Jackie Speier and Amnesty International by contacting Google and Apple
CEOs to ask them to remove this app because tracking women, stalking women
and revoking their travel documents violate women’s rights. TIM
COOK tcook@apple.com or
@tim_cook and SERGEY BRIN sergey@google.com Or
@sergeybrin
12. Chaco Canyon is designated as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. In addition, it is a sacred ancestral home for the Hopi,
Navajo, and Pueblo people. Oil and gas developments across the region are
threatening the landscapes, cultural resources, and living native communities
while ignoring federal law. We cannot let this stand. When we click here, we
can join anthropologist, educator, humanist, member of the El Dorado
County Indian Council, James Snoke to demand protection against fracking for this
historic site: https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/save-chaco-canyon-from-1
13. If we are classroom teachers,
staff developers, librarians, school counselors and administrators who are
currently active in K–12 education, including people working at the university
level in teacher preparation programs, we can consider applying to become Teaching Tolerance
Advisors. Being a Teaching Tolerance advisor is a great way to give back
to the education community, learn more about our work and network with other
anti-bias educators. Established in 2011, the board helps ensure that materials
are relevant and reflect the diverse needs of educators working in school
communities across the country. We can
learn more about the position here:
https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/join-our-advisory-board We can apply by clicking this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdykjCCy4ZKDcjtQrplH6-m5ScjSz7xI8hoUmqZUJepu8tf3A/viewform
The deadline is March 11; new advisory board members will be notified by
April.
State Actions
1. ALL: Twenty states and the District of Columbia
are teaming up with the ACLU and the Center for Reproductive Rights and suing
the administration for the change in Title X ruling that would prevent Planned
Parenthood from making abortion referrals or counseling women on all their
reproductive options, and also transfer tens of millions of dollars to
faith-based organizations.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-abortion-lawsuit-funding-title-x-court-a8808626.html. If we live in California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin or the District of
Columbia. Let’s thank our attorney general. If we live in any other state,
let’s contact our attorney general and ask them to join the lawsuit. We can
find contact information for our attorney general here. For
more information and talking points, and to sign an open letter, we can go to Planned
Parenthood’s website here.
2. AZ: Arizona could well be the next state to pass
the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). “Arizona
needs to reclaim its place in the march toward equality by ratifying the ERA in
2019 and becoming the 38th and decisive state to give all women their rightful
place in the U.S. Constitution and moving toward the day that all
discrimination will end.” https://erataskforceaz.com/ Beginning
March 11, there will be a 38-mile in support of the ERA in AZ. Let’s check out event and see how we can
participate: https://www.facebook.com/events/323158318313894/
3. CO: There are
so many powerful grassroots efforts going on in Colorful Colorado. Those of us
looking to get involved might want to consider One Colorado, "the state’s
leading advocacy organization dedicated to advancing equality for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Coloradans and their families. We
effectively advocate for LGBTQ Coloradans and their families by lobbying the
General Assembly, the executive branch, and local governments on issues like
safe schools, transgender equality, relationship recognition, and LGBTQ health
and human services." They have so many great events and opportunities
to get involved, so let's check them out! Change always starts at the local
level. https://one-colorado.org/about/
4. MI: As we
learn more about PFAS contamination across Michigan, we are also finding
that polluters are not held to
sufficient standards when it comes to
contamination sites and a facility's responsibility to clean it up. Legislators
Yousef Rabhi and Jeff Irwin have introduced bills in the House (HB 4212) and Senate (SB 116) which would change this by requiring polluters to
pay for the cleanup necessary to meet specific safety standards. Right now, the
House bill is in the Committee for Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation. Let's
join Michigan Resistance in
contacting the Republican members of the committee, and asking them to support
this important legislation: Committee Chair Gary Howell: 517-373-1800, Rodney
Wakeman: 517-373-0837, Julie Calley: 517-373-0842, John Reilly: 517-373-1798,
Daire Rendon: 517-373- 3817, Gary Eisen: 517-373-1790
5. NV: Indivisible Northern Nevada tells us that state bill SB166, Pay Equity legislation, will have a hearing in the
Government Affairs Committee on Friday, March 8, in the early afternoon. Let's: 1.)
Email the committee
members expressing our support. 2) Make a plan to
attend a hearing in a) Carson City or b) Las Vegas on Friday. a) Carson
City arrive by 12:30 pm in Room 2149 at the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson
Street. b) Las Vegas, arrive by 12:30 pm at the Grant Sawyer State Office
Building, 555 E. Washington Ave. The room notice will be posted for the Government
Affairs Committee hearing.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize
1. If we are elected women or
self-identifying women activists, we can check out the free Power Through
Education webinar series, presented by Rep19 and Vote Run Lead. Organizers inform us that presenters will include,
“our country’s top thought leaders, elected officials and political experts.”
We can for as many webinars as you would like. but some webinars are limited
exclusively to elected women. All webinars will be at noon EST / 9am PST, starting
on March 6. Information will be sent out prior to the event. We can
find out more and register here. https://rep19.com/events
2. On March 15 there will
be Youth Climate Strikes all over the world.
Let’s keep an eye on this site for updates of where and when we can
attend and help: https://www.youthclimatestrikeus.org/
3. There’s a free webinar to
learn about grassroots campaigning offered by the Association of State
Democratic Committees. Let’s sign up by April
14 and learn what we can do to help Democratic candidates win. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeirXkMJHmn1PS7-v-OZ8yVAmn4Mx0In-tEik-TDi8oRLKB3w/viewform
Reading/Watching
1. Words That Don’t Work - https://georgelakoff.com/2011/12/11/words-that-dont-work/
2. Heatwaves sweeping oceans
‘like wildfires’, scientists reveal - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/04/heatwaves-sweeping-oceans-like-wildfires-scientists-reveal
3. The Facts on the Born-Alive Debate - https://www.factcheck.org/2019/03/the-facts-on-the-born-alive-debate/
4. The Trump/Cohen revelations are awful. So why am I
yawning? - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/03/trump-revelations-dangerous-president
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