11/14/19
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
|
FOLLOW
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS WITH SUIT UP MAINE’S IMPEACHMENT GUIDE: Now that a impeachment hearings have begun,
there’s a lot keep track of. Fortunately Suit Up Maine has made it easier for
us to follow and stay informed as things unfold. Using Suit Up Maine’s Impeachment Guide (https://www.suitupmaine.org/impeachment-guide/),
we can find out what the key issues are, where to watch the hearings, who will
be testifying and when. We can also read key transcript experts, find analysis
of events and then use their links to contact our Representatives about what
we’ve heard.
IMPEACHMENT
VOTING OPTION: Now that the impeachment has begun and we
expect that it will eventually be passed on to the Senate for their portion of
the process, we understand that most GOP members are reluctant to vote their
true heart. However, if the Senate would
vote to make it a secret vote, these senators could without repercussions. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/11/12/path-to-removing-donald-trump-from-office-229911 Let’s tell our senators that we are open
to this secret vote. It will only take
three Republican senators to vote for this option to make it happen.
STOP
CONFIRMATION OF RACIST, MYSOGYNIST JUDGE, STEPHEN MENASHI: With all the hoopla on impeachment, it will be
easier for the Senate to quietly confirm Judge Stephen Menashi for a lifetime
position on the federal court . The vote could be happening as soon as today.
Menashi has refused to answer questions about the White House Ukraine cover-up;
written racist, sexist, and homophobic editorials; and most recently worked for
the Department of Education overseeing the repeal of Obama-era civil rights
protections. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/2019/10/15/2nd-circuit-nominee-steven-menashi-one-trumps-most-radical-picks/3983913002/.
5calls.org has more
information and a script here. While it’s important to call our own Senators, key
Republicans who may be pressured to break with their party are Murkowski (R-AK;
202-224-6665) Kennedy, (R-LA; 202-224-4623) Ernst (R-IA; 202- 224-3254) Scott
(R-SC; 202-224-6121) Gardner (R-CO; 202-224-5941) McSally (R-AZ; 202-224-2235)
Romney (R-UT; 202-224-5251) Rubio (R-FL; 202-224-3041) Sasse (R-NE; 202-224-4224)
Alexander (R-TN; 202-224-4944) Isakson (R-GA; 202-224-3643.) and Enzi (R-WY; 202-224-3424).
Let’s call our own Senators, and as many of these Senators as possible.
Let’s also spread the word to friends who live in states represented by these
Senators.
DEMAND
RESIGNATION OF STEPHEN MILLER: Congresswomen
Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) are demanding the
resignation of Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration policies
after leaked emails confirmed his ties to white nationalism. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/470194-ocasio-cortez-calls-for-stephen-miller-to-resign-over-leaked-emails.
Let’s thank Congresswomen Ocasio-Cortex (202-225-3965) and Omar (202-225-4755)
for continuing to speak truth to power. Let’s also ask our own MoCs to join the
call for Miller’s resignation. Let’s also let the White House know our thoughts
on this.
EQUAL
RIGHTS AMENDMENT (ERA) POSSIBILITY: The legislation for removing the deadline for
the ratification of the equal rights amendment (H.J.Res.79)
has been voted out of committee and is on its way to a full House vote. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/us/politics/congress-era-equal-rights-amendment.html
and https://msmagazine.com/2019/11/13/the-house-judiciary-committee-just-advanced-an-era-resolution/
Virginia is now posed to be the final state needed to pass the ERA (https://wamu.org/story/19/11/11/advocates-eye-virginia-in-push-to-ratify-equal-rights-amendment/)
that will make this amendment the rule of the land. Let’s let all our MoCs know that we
support this and have already waited too long.
DEFUND ICE
AND DEMAND END TO CHILD DETENTION AND FAMILY SEPARATION: The United States held 69,500 migrant children in
detention so far this year, an increase of 42% from 2019. https://www.courthousenews.com/us-jailed-69500-immigrant-children-so-far-this-year/,
deliberately creating a crisis that would allow them to violate standards set
for humane treatment of children, including a 20-day limit for incarceration. https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/a-trump-administration-strategy-led-to-the-child-migrant-backup-crisis-at-the-border/2019/11/12/.
There have been major periods of public outcry on this issue, followed by a
lulled acceptance as other news stories take over the headlines. Let’s make
sure we stay aware of this issue and let our MoCs know that we expect them to
speak out about this issue by making sure that no “emergency” discretionary
funds are allocated to ICE and Customs Border Patrol in the next round of
budget appropriations.
FIGHT VOTER
SUPPRESSION: “Reclaim
Our Vote, a non-partisan phone bank, postcarding, and textbanking campaign
created by the Center for Common Ground, focuses on contacting voters of color
in voter-suppression states to help them register and vote.” Let’s sign
up and get to work: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/reclaim-our-vote-signup
GRAHAM
REFUSES TO DO HIS JOB “Sen.
Lindsey Graham has said he will not watch the start of the impeachment hearings
of President Donald Trump because "it denies the basics of due process.
"So why am I not going to watch this tomorrow? Because I think it is a
threat to the presidency. I don't want to legitimize it, it's un-American, it
denies the basics of due process." https://www.newsweek.com/impeachment-lindsey-graham-donald-trump-fox-1471378.
If Lindsey Graham is your Senator, call his office and ask him why he
refuses to do the job you elected him too; and why did this process work for
the GOP on the Clinton impeachment but not for trump. Tell him, it’s his job to
read these documents and to see the hearings so he is educated about the
issues. If he is not your Senator, tweet him @LindseyGrahamSC “Do
your job, Read the documents, watch the proceedings.”
EPA RULE
ENDANGERS PUBLIC HEALTH:
Here’s the draft of the new “secret science” rule floated by the EPA and
designed to disallow inconvenient scientific evidence to interfere with the
Trump administration’s efforts to end public health and environmental
regulation: https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/6438-epa-science-rule/0056cd3a5a080415e713/optimized/full.pdf#page=1
The new rule would demand raw data from scientists, including confidential
medical records, if the EPA is to consider the study in any rulemaking--and it
is likely to be retroactive: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/469990-epa-rule-proposes-to-expand-limitations-on-scientific-studies “Let’s
call this what it is,” said a spokesperson for the Union of Concerned
Scientists, “an excuse to abandon clean air, clean water, and chemical safety
rules. . . [to] upend the way we protect communities from pollution and other
health threats.” Before this rule is even posted in the Federal Register and
opened for comment, we must let Andrew Wheeler and the EPA that we will not
allow our health and our planet be destroyed so that corporations can thrive:
202-564-4700 or Mail Code 1101A, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC
20460
HELPING ICE-IMPACTED
FAMILIES: A Methodist church in Morton MS is paying the
utility bills of families affected by ICE raids in their town 3 months ago https://www.npr.org/2019/11/12/778468304/we-visit-a-mississippi-town-3-months-after-massive-ice-raid Let’s
help this small church by sending them donations for this purpose: Morton First United Methodist Church, PO Box
519, Morton MS 39117
IMPEACHMENT
DOCUMENTS: “Just Security has
compiled and curated all publicly available documents in Congress’s impeachment
inquiry concerning President Donald Trump in connection with Ukraine. This
collection seeks to include significant original source material, including
relevant legislation, letters, subpoenas, deposition transcripts, executive
branch communications, and litigation documents.” Let’s take a look at this site and use the
information as needed: https://www.justsecurity.org/67076/public-document-clearinghouse-ukraine-impeachment-inquiry/
APPLY FOR
DEMOCRATIC TRAINING COMMITTEE’S CAMPAIGN STAFF TRAINING: If we are thinking about becoming a Democratic
campaign staffer, the National Democratic Training Committee is ready to help
us get the training we need in their 2020 Staff Academy Cohort. If we are
women, people of color, trans/transgender or non-binary, our applications
will be prioritized. The 8-week training is free and combines online
instruction in management and leadership skills with a choice of three tracks:
communications, digital, or fundraising. Successful cohort members will travel
to Washington, DC for further training and networking with potential employers.
We can
click here to find out more about the Democratic Training Committee’s 2020 free
Staff Academy Cohort: https://traindemocrats.org/staff-academy-interest/
If we are interested, we can apply before the deadline on November 17th (the
application closes at 10:59 pm CST/11:59 pm EST)!
STAY
INFORMED ON ACLU BATTLES WITH TEXT ALERTS: With all the ways the ACLU fights for us, it can be hard to keep track
of their important battles as they defend our reproductive rights, voting
rights, asylum rights and more. To stay better informed, we can
text FIGHT to 82623 to receive real-time updates about the ACLU’s most
urgent fights in civil rights and liberties – and ways we can help them win.
ELECTION/VOTING
2020 ELECTIONS: If we are looking for 2020 Election information
or if we have some to share, we can check out Equal Vote Local’s BlueWave
Database 2020. We can click here to find information about candidates,
voting and more arranged by state. This editable document also allows us to add
our groups and any candidates running for office: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ir8YGs1F0Lfayl6T7XR7tklnYrEk4VcEzTkPumLVWAI We can also
find out more about Equal here at their website: https://www.equalvotelocal.com/
LOUISIANA RUNOFF FOR GOVERNOR: “They [Louisiana] had their primary
earlier in October, and the Democratic governor who is running for re-election,
John Bel-Edwards, secured just under the 50% he needed to win outright. So, he
now must win the runoff election, which is on Saturday, November 16.” Let’s follow the ideas here to see how we
can help: https://politicalcharge.org/2019/11/08/2019-elections-one-race-left-to-go/
VETS AND VOTING: From one
of our own: "In an advertising campaign that began last week and is
running in 14 House districts, veterans read the oath on camera and ask
congressional Republicans to hold President Trump accountable for violating his
own (very similar) oath. The campaign is part of the Defend American Democracy project, run by a coalition of
groups alarmed by Trump’s behavior, including Republicans for the Rule of Law. Veterans are effective messengers, because
the military remains one of the few American institutions that’s widely trusted
across the political spectrum. In a recent Gallup Poll, 73 percent of Americans said they had
confidence in the military, compared with 38 percent for the Supreme Court, 36
percent for organized religion, 29 percent for public schools, 23 percent for
both big business and newspapers and a mere 11 percent for Congress." Leaders in MI-06, TX-31, NE-02, MO-02, NY-01,
and FL-15, please go to this Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoq2zLpVH6fmwVMGZP8teoQ,
find your ad and tell your members to share the heck out of it widely -
publicly. Let's help get this effective message out.
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS
WEBINAR ON ENGAGING PEOPLE WHO DO NOT VOTE: The unique, nonpartisan, and scalable Right Question Institute’s Voter
Engagement Initiative offers an educational strategy designed to increase
voting rates for the long term. The free webinar is on Nov. 19 at 3pm EST. Let’s sign up to learn about their
innovative, simple, and powerful approach to engaging people who traditionally
don't vote. Register now: https://bit.ly/2NeNw7D (H/T)
CLIMATE STRIKES CONTINUE: From Future Coalition: On Nov 29 & Dec 6, we strike again! Youth
across the U.S. will lead a #ClimateStrike on
Nov 29 & Dec 6 to demand legislative action to combat the climate
crisis. Strike with us! Let’s find or host an event: https://strikewithus.org/
ATTEND A NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW RALLY: MoveOn is
sponsoring “No One is Above the Law Rallies on the night before the House votes
on Articles of Impeachment. We can sign up here to organize or attend an event in our
area.
READING/WATCHING
The
ultimate guide to the Donald Trump impeachment saga - https://www.vox.com/2019/11/5/20914280/impeachment-trump-explained
READ:
House GOP memo outlining their defense of Trump - https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/12/politics/read-republican-memo-trump-defense-impeachment-inquiry/index.html
What Is
Ranked Choice Voting and Can It End Negative Campaigning? - https://politicalcharge.org/2019/11/12/what-is-ranked-choice-voting-and-can-it-end-negative-campaigning/
Federal
Election Commission Chair: Microtargeting Political Ads are the Problem - https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/11/04/fec-chair-microtargeting-political-ads-are-the-problem.html
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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
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