3/24/20
NATIONAL
ISSUES
Contact all Federal
Members of Congress
(includes contact info and
links to social media)
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
|
CORONAVIRUS BAILOUT: As of Monday afternoon, things are evolving or
devolving by the hour in the Senate’s efforts to pass a bailout package:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/coronavirus-us-bailout-what-you-need-to-know
The GOP is focused on corporations more than individuals. As Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL)
tweeted over the weekend, “We need a bill that does more for the working folks who
are struggling the most, not no-strings bailouts for corporations. The Senate
will get something done for the American people, but we need to stop wasting
time on political games.” https://twitter.com/SenDougJones/status/1241885771755331584 Let’s
contact our MoC to say that we need a people-based bailout and no one that
lines the pockets of corporations with slush-funds.
NO SURGICAL
MASKS FOR ICE: With hospitals
and health centers all over the country feeling the acute shortage of
protective medical gear, and health care workers being told to re-use masks or
make cloth ones, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/19/coronavirus-medical-supplies-138290,
ICE has recently ordered 45,000 surgical masks so that agents can be protected
when they round up undocumented people. https://beta.sam.gov/opp/b34a20873ba141619348b52223702570/view.
Let’s tell the person who made this order, amanda.stought@ice.dhs.gov,
202-732-2544 that at this time of crisis, we need to prioritize getting medical
equipment to health care workers, and ICE should do the right thing and cancel
this order. Let’s make sure our MoCs are aware of this inappropriate
request.
RELEASE
DETAINED IMMIGRANTS AND ALL NON-VIOLENT INCARCERATED OFFENDERS: 38 people have already tested positive for
COVID-19 in New York City Jails. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/38-positive-coronavirus-nyc-jails-including-rikers-69731911.
And the close conditions and limited access to basic sanitary supplies result
in a much higher risk for those who are incarcerated. These populations include
undocumented residents of our communities, people awaiting trial who have no
money for bail, and people whose offenses are non-violent and whose release
does not present a public threat to our communities. https://www.npr.org/2020/03/21/819275605/growing-calls-to-close-immigration-courts-and-release-detainees-as-virus-spreads.
Let’s call our governor,
the corrections
departments in our state, and our state and local
legislators and demand that anyone who fits these three categories should be
released now in order to minimize the spread of the virus.
RELEASE
HELD UP COVID FUNDS ALLOCATED TO THE AMERICAN INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE: Funds from the first coronavirus relief bill that
were designated for Native American tribes have been held up due to
bureaucratic snafus. In the meantime, the American Indian Health Service is
dangerously low on medical supplies and equipment. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/20/coronavirus-american-indian-health-138724 Let’s make sure that the Native American Community knows we have their back and
put pressure on our MoCs to solve this problem.
DEFENSE
PRODUCTION ACT: Despite
desperate pleas from governors of states hard-hit by the coronavirus, Trump
refuses to use the powers of an act designed for precisely this kind of situation;
claiming he has “invoked” the act, he has nevertheless not required that
companies prioritize the production of “scarce and critical material” much less
used the “allocation authority” granted him under the act to tell firms they
must give the government the right to purchase above anyone else. Instead he
has conjured up Venezuela-style “nationalization” of industry—not possible
under this act—to frighten already frightened Americans: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/23/819926854/fact-check-trump-compares-defense-production-act-to-nationalization
Just as we must expose all the other lies about this pandemic, we must expose
and deplore Trump’s doublespeak—"invoking” but not using the Production
Act, l calling mandatory production in an emergency
"nationalization". Let’s tell our Congresspeople to demand
that Trump employ the power he has so blithely relegated to himself. This
is not a moment to depend on industrial voluntarism; it’s a moment to force the
production of life-saving medical supplies.
FOOD BANKS
& COVID-19: Your local food
bank is most likely experiencing shortages of volunteer help as well as
funding. Many of the folks who've lost their livelihoods during this crisis are
going to need their help. Let’s look them up online and contribute our
time or money if you can, or contribute to this large and reputable
organization:
PROTECT
MAIN STREET: Most family &
small businesses are the foundations of our local communities. They operate and
support our local economies. The losses our family & small businesses are
about to endure are going to be profound.
Project Main Street is
working for a grant program of these businesses. We can follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/protectmainstreet/
and sign this: https://www.change.org/p/congress-protect-main-street-family-small-business-grants-to-stabilize-america
NATIONAL
CLEARINGHOUSE HELPS DISTRIBUTE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT TO FIGHT COVID-19: Hospitals are in desperate need of masks and to
other medical equipment to safely fight against the spread of COVID-19 and save
lives, while the Trump administration is dragging its heels. To help out, The
National COVID-19 Medical Equipment Clearinghouse is working with governments,
suppliers and hospitals to get badly needed PPE to our frontline healthcare
teams. Right now, rapid response teams are coordinating with manufacturers
globally with the capacity to produce. Within weeks, millions of units of
personal protective equipment (PPE) should be available for distribution.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2020/03/22/project-n95-launches-to-battle-2020-shortage-of-n95-masks-during-coronavirus-outbreak/#6e6efac0445e If
we are hospitals looks for supplies, manufacturers looking to help, or state or
local governments looking to help coordinate, we can learn more and sign up
here: https://www.projectn95.com/
COVID-19/DISABILITY
RIGHTS: Disability rights
are consistently being left out of conversations about relief packages, by
politicians across the political spectrum (https://ampr.gs/2QDGNVV). For the next COVID-19 spending
bill, let's make sure that Congress no longer neglects the disability
community. Let's check out the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network's
COVID-19 action alert, which has specific things that we can ask our members of
Congress to include in the next bill, as well as contact info and tweets we can
send out: https://autisticadvocacy.org/2020/03/action-alert-covid19-relief/
COVID-19/HEALTHCARE
ACCESS: United We Dream has created a resource
for undocumented people who are in need of healthcare. Community healthcare
centers are listed for all fifty states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto
Rico. Let's be sure to share this resource so that everyone in the
country can feel safe when seeking medical assistance: https://unitedwedream.org/2020/03/healthcare-access-for-undocumented-folks-in-the-time-of-covid19/
COVID-19/MENTAL
HEALTH: Dealing with a
global pandemic, fears about job security, and financial instability, among
other worries, is creating or exacerbating anxiety in so many of us. Let's make
sure that we are taking care of ourselves during this crisis. We can start
by working through the strategies and framework detailed here, then if we need
more help, check out the resources listed at the bottom of the article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/19/coronavirus-anxiety-mental-health-wellbeing
HEALTHCARE/BLOOD
SHORTAGE: The coronavirus
has taken a foothold in each state, and in order to follow CDC guidelines and
practice social distancing, the Red Cross has canceled more than 5,000 blood
drives. The U.S. is now facing a blood shortage (https://bit.ly/2Uab295).
Still, the FDA has not lifted its ban on donations from men who have had sex
with other men in the past year. Let's contact FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen
Hahn and tell him that this discriminatory, outdated rule needs to end and that
we want him to lift the ban. We can reach him via e-mail: CommissionerFDA@fda.hhs.gov,
on Twitter @SteveFDA or by mail to Dr. Stephen M. Hahn, Commissioner of Food
and Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human
Services, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061 Rockville, MD 20852
PRACTICE
WHAT YOU PREACH:
“Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) just confirmed that he went about his daily business as
a U.S. senator for a week while there was a possibility he had coronavirus. Turns out, he did test positive — meaning that
Paul brought the virus right into the halls the U.S. Capitol. Paul’s decision
has real legislative impacts. Utah’s GOP Sens. Mike Lee and Mitt Romney both
said they would self-quarantine now after spending time with Paul over the past
few days. Congress has no way to vote remotely, though some lawmakers are trying
to change that. That means Paul, Lee and Romney won’t get to vote on the
relief package. That tightens Senate Republicans’ margins to get it passed.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/23/what-was-rand-paul-thinking/
While we
are following the social distancing rules and many more in mandatory shelter in
place rules, the senate and congress need to follow these rules as
well. Let’s remind our MOCs to practice the same precautions we are
doing. We are all needed to flatten the curve.
VOTE BY
MAIL: Amidst the
Coronavirus crisis, instituting vote by mail is the only way to keep our
elections equitable and on track. Several bills have been introduced to
assist states in expanding vote-by-mail for this November’s election. https://thehill.com/policy/technology/488334-democratic-senators-introduce-bill-to-promote-mail-in-voting-during
and https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/03/18/coronavirus-pandemic-america-vote-by-mail-2020-election-column/5068527002/ Let’s
contact our MoCs to demand they fight to include the Natural Disaster and
Emergency Ballot Act (not yet numbered) and/or the Resilient Elections During
Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020 (S. 3440/H.R. 6202) in the next coronavirus relief package. We
can contact them through this handy form prepared by Indivisible: https://indivisible.org/demand-your-senators-ensure-safe-secure-elections-during-covid-19-outbreak
MIDDLE AND
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LOOKING FOR REMOTE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: If
we are looking for remote help with NON-POLITICAL volunteering activities,
students from EmpowerandHelp, a
social good humanitarian platform, are looking to get involved to help
remotely. There are many students who would like to help remotely in the times
of global crisis we are facing right now. Please comment with your need and will
see if we can find the match to help. These students are middle or high school
students. We can send an email with
our volunteer needs to contactus@empowerandhelp.com and they will try to
match us with middle and high school students eager to help.
HEATHER COX
RICHARDSON DOING WEEKLY INFORMATIVE FACEBOOK LIVE PRESENTATIONS: The
author of the daily Letters
from an American, historian Heather
Cox Richardson, is starting two weekly Facebook Live sessions to share her
knowledge: 1) at 4:00 EST on Tuesdays, she
will answer questions people have asked about politics and history, and 2) at 1:00
EST on Thursdays, she will take us on a trip through American history, loosely
based on her new book. Let’s join
in: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/
POSTCARDING
OPPORTUNITY: From one of our own: We may be forced to isolate from one another,
but we can still raise our voices together! Please use/share/distribute
these write-ups however you can. We can be LOUD! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LwGoBWwcXZh0NwFY5canuA-Y7BgolRy5lgWq78v2VQY/edit?usp=sharing
MASKS FOR WORKERS: From one
of our own: My cousin Liz is a neonatal intensive care nurse and an
amazing seamstress. Here's her pattern for sewn-at-home mask covers. They're
needed everywhere right now. Pull out your fabric stash, choose some
uplifting prints, and get going! https://costumecrazed.me/2020/03/20/diy-fabric-mask-cover-covid-19-ppe-helper/ or https://www.makevictorymasks.org/ Then, let’s find out where they are needed in our
community: hospitals, pharmacies, etc.
ELECTION/VOTING
PRIMARIES POSTPONED. In addition to the states that announced
their postponements last week (info at CNN), the following have announced postponements: a) Connecticut:
from April 28 to June 2. (The Hill); b) Indiana: from May 5 to June 2 (Politico); c) North Carolina runoff election: from
May 12 to June 23 (SpectrumNews); d) Puerto Rico: from March 29 to [no earlier
than] April 26. (Politico). Let's mark our calendars now the new
dates.
CRAFTIVISM TIME! Creating postcards to help get out the vote can
be a fun, family activity! Young activists can create fun drawings and older
activists can help with writing and addressing. We can look at Postcards To Voters (P2V)
for ideas. If we are already approved volunteers, let's request 5
addresses for an open campaign today. If we are new the P2V effort, we can sign
up here.
STATE/LOCAL
MI: SCHOOL PAY/FORGIVENESS: From the Michigan Education Association: "The Michigan House
and Senate met last Tuesday to handle matters related to the coronavirus -- but
Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey adjourned his chamber before taking action
on critical legislation to keep ALL school employees paid and forgive school
districts for the days of education missed due to the ongoing school closures
caused by the COVID-19 outbreak." Let's contact our state MoC and
tell them that we want them to pass the School Aid Supplemental bill (SB 373)
immediately. We can also contact Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and ask
him to reconvene the Senate ASAP to pass this bipartisan bill: (517)
373-5932
MI: LGBTQ RIGHTS: Fair and Equal
Michigan has launched a petition drive to get a measure on the 2020
ballot prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ individuals by including sexual
orientation and gender identity or expression in the definition of
"sex" under the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976.
With the heavy presence of COVID-19 throughout the state, however, Michiganders
must practice social distancing, making it all the more difficult to collect
the more than 340,000 signatures required to get the proposal on the ballot (https://bit.ly/2WHaoBX).
Fortunately, those of us who are registered voters in Michigan can now request
petitions directly from Fair and Equal Michigan. Let's request a
petition, then wash our hands before and after filling it out:
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS/TWEETSTORMS
READING/WATCHING
‘I’m
going to keep pushing.’ Anthony Fauci tries to make the White House listen to
facts of the pandemic - https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/i-m-going-keep-pushing-anthony-fauci-tries-make-white-house-listen-facts-pandemic
Red
virus, blue virus - https://nonzero.org/post/red-virus-blue-virus
Please
Stop Treating Me Like I'm Disposable When You Talk About the Coronavirus - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/disabled-immunocompromised-people-coronavirus_n_5e6a6acfc5b6dda30fc51c2f
Exclusive:
U.S. axed CDC expert job in China months before virus outbreak - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-cdc-exclusiv/exclusive-u-s-axed-cdc-expert-job-in-china-months-before-virus-outbreak-idUSKBN21910S
Why
we’re not overreacting to the coronavirus, in one chart - https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/3/20/21179040/coronavirus-us-italy-not-overreacting
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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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