9/24/19
NATIONAL
ISSUES
|
(Including Emails & Twitter)
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
|
PRESS HOUSE SPEAKER
AND JUDICIARY CHAIR ON IMPEACHMENT: As if the consistent violations of the emoluments clause of the Constitution,
hush money payments to porn models, obstruction of justice, promising
presidential pardons to people who break the law, and advocating for political
and police violence is not enough, the withholding of information from the
latest whistleblower complaint that alleges that Trump used the promise of
foreign aid to ask the Ukrainians to investigate Joe Biden, should alone be a
reason to impeach. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has held out from advocating
for impeachment claimed on Sunday that this opens up a whole new stage, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/impeachment-pressure-escalates-democrats-demand-release-whistleblower-s-trump-complaint-n1057551
but she, along with House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler need to hear from the
American public that we have their backs. Let’s contact Speaker Pelosi (202-225-4965)
and Judiciary Chair Nadler (202-225-5635) and tell them to stop delaying the
process. For the sake of our democracy we need to start drafting Articles of
Impeachment sooner, rather than later. Then, let’s call the White House to
ask for Trump’s resignation at 1-202-456-1111 (as a reminder, these are
volunteers at the comment line, and you need only say “I am calling for the
President’s resignation.” They will not ask for your name.), then call our MoCs
(and then call again the next day). If they are already in favor of
impeachment, we can ask them to talk with their colleagues and leadership. If
they are not in favor of impeachment, we can let them know that the time is now
and that they are complicit in his treason and corruption if they do not
fulfill their oath. (To find out if our Congress member has come out for
Impeachment yet, we can check Act Blue’s list of supporting Congressmembers
here:
If they have not, we
can use this tool to write them a letter here.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-draw-up-articles-of-impeachment-against-trump) Finally,
let’s reach out to as many friends and family as we can to ask them to be
taking these same actions. This piece in the Atlantic from conservative author
Tom Nichols may be of use with more conservative contacts: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/trumps-ukraine-call-clear-impeachable-offense/598570/
WHISTLEBLOWER
COMPLAINT ABOUT TRUMP: Even
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, hardly a voice for impeachment, now says “If
the Administration persists in blocking this whistleblower from disclosing to
Congress a serious possible breach of constitutional duties by the president,
they will be entering a grave new chapter of lawlessness which will take us
into a whole new stage of investigation”:
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/462525-pelosi-whistleblower-complaint-must-be-addressed-immediately
The Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire has refused, with
the backing of Trump’s DOJ, to release the contents of the complaint made to
the Inspector General, despite its designation as “urgent” and his legal
obligation; apparently, the House Intelligence Committee has given McGuire
until his Thursday testimony before them to comply. As former political
staffer Celeste Pewter informs us, “We need to keep pushing our electeds. The
response HAS to be overwhelming. My professional opinion as someone who used to
take these calls (and w/ the understanding I’m not trying to discourage), is we
haven’t been loud enough.” So, let’s get going! Regardless of our views on impeachment, we
must demand that our MoCs ensure that the law is followed, and the details of
this complaint be made public. We can
use this script from Celeste Pewter to get started, demanding that the DOJ
cooperate with the Whistleblower investigation and that Congress supports
moving forward on impeachment. When we call the capitol operator, we can just
ask to be connected to our member, giving their name, district, and state.
We don't need to explain why we’re calling.
CLIMATE STRIKE AND
BEYOND: On the heels of last weekend’s global Climate
Strike that involved millions
of people, Greta Thunberg and other young people spoke at yesterday’s U.N.
Climate Action Summit in New York City asking the world leaders if they really are
planning to do other than monitor their money.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2019/sep/23/greta-thunberg-to-world-leaders-how-dare-you-you-have-stolen-my-dreams-and-my-childhood-video Now, Thunberg and 15 other young people have “filed a legal complaint with the United Nations
against five countries (Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Turkey) that are
not on track to meet the emissions goals they agreed to in the 2015 Paris
Agreement.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2019/09/23/greta-thunberg-15-young-people-file-legal-complaint-to-fight-climate-change/#6f9004fbf42d We can do more than we are. This piece show us what that can be and
offers a quiz to test our climate change savvy:
https://politicalcharge.org/2019/09/23/how-to-help-prevent-climate-change/
PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR
CLIMATE ACTION & CONGRESSIONAL CLUELESSNESS: Congressional staffers that advise our
legislators are don’t know that the majority of their constituents support
climate action, according to a report from On the Media, https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/green-new-deal-on-the-media .
This is especially true of staffers and legislators who listen to fossil fuel
lobbyists. An interactive map from the Yale Program on Climate Change
Communication breaks down the entire country by congressional district and
reveals the strength of climate policy support among the public in each
district: https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/ Let’s
use this map to educate our MoCs about their constituents’ views on climate
action, and let’s tell them that we want them to take action now.
END REMAIN IN MEXICO
POLICY: Under new regulations,
which are still under court challenge, 40,000 immigrants seeking asylum have
been forced to wait in Mexico for court dates. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/US-Expands-Remain-in-Mexico-to-Dangerous-Part-of-Border-512947881.html.
Witnesses report that the conditions here are horrific: In Matamoros, which is
across the border from Brownsville, Texas, there are reports of extreme hunger,
“mothers crying for their small children sleeping on cardboard on concrete.
Babies without diapers, wipes and distressingly, without ointment for their
sores. Families dehydrated from living in 100+ heat without enough water.”
Matamoros is on the State Department “Do Not Travel List” because of its high
reports of gang violence and kidnapping.” Let’s call the members of the DHS Permanent Subcommittee for Investigations ask
them to hold public hearings about the atrocities of this program. If any of
these people are our own Senators, let’s be extra sure that they’ve heard our
voices: Chair: Portman (OH) 202.224.3353; Carper (DE) 202.224.2441; Paul
(KY) 202.224.4343; Lankford (OK) 202.224.5754; Romney (UT) 202.224.5251; Hawley
(MO) 202.224.6154 Hassan (NH) 202.224. 3324 Harris (CA) 202.224.3553; Rosen
(NV) 202.224.6244
2020 CENSUS: The US Constitution requires that a nationwide
population census be taken every ten years. The census is used to determine how
many seats each state has in the US House of Representatives and guides the
distribution of federal funds to local communities. And it helps states and
municipalities to understand their own demographics and where to put needed
resources. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/censuses.html To
conduct the census, thousands of people are needed to help do the count. The
US Census Bureau is currently hiring census workers. We can supplement our
incomes while helping our country. Let’s apply:
SUPPORT YOUNG
ACTIVISTS. South Broward
High School senior Elijah Ruby had been handing out fliers advertising a
climate change protest when a school administrator told him he would be suspended
from campus for a day and barred from attending prom and other special class
events. (More at Miami Herald.) Let's contact South
Broward High (Principal: Patty Brown) and let them know what we think: Give
Ruby his prom back!
HOMESTEAD DETENTION
CENTER COSTING TAXPAYERS $720,000 PER DAY WHILE EMPTY: While there haven’t been children in the
Homestead Detention Center since August 3, taxpayers are still paying $720,000
day to keep the facility fully staffed in case of an influx. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/migrant-children-empty-holding-facility-homestead-fl-720000-dollars-per-day/.
Incarcerating children is helping to keep Caliburn, the company that runs
this and other private prisons and whose Board members include ex-Chief of
Staff John Kelly, profitable. They actually wrote in their SEC filings: “border
enforcement and immigration policy is driving significant growth for our
company.” Let’s tell our MoCs this is one more reason why we don’t want to
see one more penny going to ICE and Customs Border Patrol and also ask them to
pass legislation that prohibits private companies from running detention
facilities.
PENCE DISRESPECT: Over the
weekend, the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference was held on Mackinac Island, MI, a quaint, picturesque,
historic and tourist destination. One of
its hallmarks is that the only modes of transportation on the island are bicycling,
walking, horseback riding, or carriage rides. The only motorized vehicles, which were banned
over 100 years ago, are hidden and for emergency use only-and rarely used. While other visiting dignitaries, including
past presidents, have honored the car-less tradition, Last weekend, Vice
President Pence did not. In fact, he brought a motorcade of eight cars. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/462530-tlaib-says-shes-in-such-disbelief-pence-brought-eight-cars-to This is another example of this administration’s
refusal to tradition and protocol. Let’s
contact Pence and express our disgust in his unwillingness to honor tradition in
this special place: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/ContactingOfficials/President
ELECTION/VOTING
UPCOMING
ELECTIONS: In order to keep track of upcoming elections,
we can use this from Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Elections_calendar
NATIONAL VOTER
REGISTRATION DAY: TUESDAY, SEPT. 24. National Voter Registration Day is a national holiday
celebrating our democracy. It was first observed in 2012 and has been growing
in popularity every year since. We can go to nationalvoterregistrationday.org to register to vote,
check our registration status, find our polling places and more. The site
redirects us to the appropriate state resources so we can do this
correctly. Let's check our voter registration status today.
NATIONAL VOTER
REGISTRATION DAY IS TODAY! According
to the Voter
Participation Center:
47% of eligible Asian American voters are not registered to vote.
41% of eligible millennial voters are not registered to vote.
46% of eligible Latinx voters are not registered vote.
39% of the Rising American Electorate (millennials, unmarried women,
communities of color) are not registered to vote.
Let’s each of us
register one voter today: https://turbovote.org/
HIGH SCHOOL VOTER
REGISTRATION WEEK: This week is High School Voter Registration
Week. Let’s see how we can help: https://www.hsvoterregweek.org/
HELP FLIP
VIRGINIA BLUE THIS NOVEMBER—With
the entire Virginia legislature up for election in 2019, and a very slim
Republican majority, it is worth all of our efforts to flip Virginia blue.
Doing so will end extreme Republican gerrymandering there for at least a decade
and allow for the passage of progressive legislation to improve the lives of
millions of Americans. We can send letters to prospective, Democratic-leaning
voters in Virginia with our brief, heartfelt messages of why it is important to
vote. Let’s prepare our letters now, as the letters must be mailed on
Oct 29th, by signing up at Vote Forward, https://votefwd.org
GET OUT THE
KENTUCKY VOTE! We have
the opportunity to reach almost every Democratic voter in KY prior to the Nov.
5 election. From Governor to State Treasurer, Democrats are in it to
win. Let's request 5 addresses today for Postcards To Voters' Campaign
171: KY Democrats.
STATE/LOCAL
MOST: IMMIGRATION: The Mayors
Migration Council
https://www.mayorsmigrationcouncil.org/ is
an international network of city mayors working on humane solutions to rising
human migration around the world. Let’s tell the mayors of our own
cities about this initiative, and let’s encourage them to get involved. They
can write to contact@mayorsmigrationcouncil.org.
CA: NEWSOM
AND THE ENVIRONMENT: From one of our own: Reminder that our Governor Gavin
Newsom is in NY speaking at the #UNClimateSummit while
simultaneously planning on vetoing one of the strongest environmental bills CA
has ever passed when he gets home. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-09-18/endangered-species-veto-newsom-trump
Please call him at 916-445-2841 (then press
1, then 6) & ask his aides to tell him NOT to veto #SB1.
MI: LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS (LPC) IN
JEOPARDY: “The Department of
Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has recently submitted proposed rules
changes for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) that have significant
consequences on the counseling profession and the workforce in Michigan’s
public mental health system. Michigan’s CMH system relies heavily on LPCs – as
much as 25-30% of the workforce is made up of LPCs.” https://cmham.org/public-policy/advocacy-center/
and https://www.woodtv.com/news/michigan/proposed-rule-change-could-hurt-mental-health-workers/ As one LPC said, “To reverse licensure and go
against national standards is baffling. And I can't even verbalize the
sickening feeling I have when I think about losing all I've worked for to
finally have a "real" job. And I'm so happy to finally be making over
$30,000!” Let’s email LARA before
Oct. 4, 2019.
We can use this template composed by Dr.
Stephanie Burns from Western Michigan University: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oeAWqsmnXPPvj97tL5lrx_2DR9bC2g59MvtIrK5jXHk/edit We can also sign this petition: https://www.change.org/p/michigan-state-house-protect-michigan-licensed-professional-counselors-licensure We can also urge our State MoCs to support H.B. 4325,which will
revise clinical counselor licensure details.
I we are able, we can attend the hearing that will be held on these
proposed Rules on October 4, 2019 at 9 am at the G. Mennen Williams Building
Auditorium, 525 W. Ottawa Street, Lansing, MI 48893.
MI: EXPUNGEMENT: A bipartisan group of representatives
have introduced a package of bills (HB 4980-4985)
which would significantly improve the expungement process and expand
eligibility for expungement in Michigan (https://bit.ly/2kvLZhO). Expungement is a crucial piece in
improving the lives of formerly incarcerated people, by expanding employment
and housing opportunities, among other benefits, and reducing the likelihood of
recidivism. (https://bit.ly/2m7gNWN, https://bit.ly/2l3z7jb). Let's
call our state MoC and ask them to support bills 4980-4985.
NC: CALL REPUBLICANS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE
ON THEIR DISHONESTY:
"The Republicans could not find a way to override the governor’s veto
through the regular, democratic process of working with their fellow House
members to come to some kind of compromise. Nope, instead they devised a
strategy based on deception and that didn’t allow for just shy of HALF of the
House Reps to vote–essentially screwing over half of the North Carolina
citizens out of their constitutional right to be represented in the state
legislature." Let's call our state senators and tell them this
should not stand. More details here: https://politicalcharge.org/2019/09/12/republican-poltroons-defile-democracy-in-north-carolina/
OK: PUT MEDICAID EXPANSION ON THE BALLOT: The refusal of Oklahoma lawmakers to expand
Medicaid has deprived 200,000 Oklahomans of needed healthcare and deprived the
state of federal funds that would create jobs, boost the state’s economy, and
keep rural hospitals open. “Yes on 802: Oklahoma Decides Healthcare” is an
effort to put a referendum question on the ballot so that Oklahoma voters can
decide for themselves whether to expand Medicaid. Let’s learn more and
get involved in this effort: https://yeson802.org/
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS
IMMIGRATION CONFERENCE: From Justice
for Our Neighbors: Families separated at the border, threats of
increased deportations and ICE raids, enormous historic backlogs in
naturalization applications and all-time-lows in refugee admissions: All of
these issues and so many others will be at the forefront of topics
@nationalimmigrantintegrationconference this October 20-22, 2019 in
Detroit, Michigan. Let's learn more and register here: https://niicnewamericandreams.org/
READING/WATCHING
Climate Issues:
Where 2020 Democrats Stand on the Green New Deal and More - https://www.npr.org/2019/09/11/758173003/climate-issues-where-2020-democrats-stand-on-the-green-new-deal-and-more
Trump admin
ignored its own evidence of climate change's impact on migration from Central
America - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/trump-admin-ignored-its-own-evidence-climate-change-s-impact-n1056381
Inside the
Youth-led Plan to Pull Off the Biggest Climate Strike So Far - http://www.mtv.com/news/3139644/inside-the-youth-led-plan-to-pull-off-the-biggest-climate-strike-so-far/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We can stay up to date
on Congress by checking out their schedules. a) The House publishes a
weekly schedule at The Weekly Leader (published and dated Friday)
as well as daily schedules at The Daily Leader. b) The Senate updates
their schedule daily at the Senate Floor Schedule
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.