5/5/20
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/
Purchase stamps, postcards,
and other mailing supplies:
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
|
NEED FOR
NEXT COVID-RELIF BILL: “Republicans
want liability protections, Democrats want state aid, and the White House wants
to press "pause" while pushing payroll tax cuts.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-returns-multiple-stumbling-blocks-threaten-next-coronavirus-bill-n1199051 Congress has passed four relief/stimulus
bills. The most recent one included roughly $480 billion in funding, $380
billion of which is dedicated to small business loan programs, $75 billion to
hospitals, and $25 billion to establish testing programs. The bill did
not, however, include additional funding for states and cities that are
struggling financially during this crisis; funding for the US Postal Service;
funding for states to implement vote-by-mail; election security; more money for
SNAP (food stamps); more healthcare funding; additional payments to suffering
unemployed Americans and essential workers; protections for frontline workers;
and help for the homeless, prison populations, disabled community, farm
workers, and immigrants. Let’s contact our MoCs to let them know what we
feel is needed in this next relief bill.
RATCLIFFE
NOMINATION: This week, the Senate Intelligence Committee
will hold hearings on the nomination of Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) to be the
next Director of National Intelligence. Ratcliffe lacks the experience this
crucial position requires and previously withdrew his nomination for this post
after it was revealed he had embellished his resume. He is also a Trump
loyalist, raising questions about whether or not he is objective enough for
this job (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-04/trump-spy-chief-pick-gets-second-shot-with-virus-under-scrutiny, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/29/senate-john-ratcliffe-confirmation-hearing-221368).
Let's contact our senators and let them know we want them to hold Ratcliffe
to the highest possible standards as they consider his nomination, and share
with them and our networks this list of questions Ratcliffe should answer produced by
Lawfare.
DAILY DEATH
TOTALS FROM COVID-19 ARE PROJECTED TO NEARLY DOUBLE ONCE MORE THINGS RE-OPEN: According to a White House model, the number of
daily deaths, now at 1750 will hit 3,000 by June 1. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/us/coronavirus-updates.html
and https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/04/coronavirus-trump-administration-projects-3000-deaths-per-day-by-june.html
Yet, states are going ahead with re-opening plans as if the disease is under
control. And as the economy re-opens, more people will be faced with the
difficult choice between risking their health by working in unsafe conditions
or losing their unemployment benefits. Let’s tell our governors that going
ahead with re-opening initiatives is reckless and immoral and ask them what
they will do to make sure that we are protected against this unnecessary higher
risk.
TRUMP AND
LINCOLN: On Sunday night, Trump held a Fox News Town
Hall in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. During the
disgraceful span, Trump claimed to have it worse than Lincoln and moved the
goalposts for acceptable US deaths from COVID out to 100,000: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/04/politics/donald-trump-fox-lincoln-memorial/index.html Let’s
contact our MoC to ask how many of us will be sacrificed to Trump’s insatiable
ego.
PPP MONEY
TAKEN BY LARGER COMPANIES: Nearly
300 public companies have reported receiving money from the fund, called the
Paycheck Protection Program, according to the data
compiled by The Post. Recipients include 43 companies with more than
500 workers, the maximum typically allowed by the program. Several other
recipients were prosperous enough to pay executives $2 million or more. After
the first pool of $349 billion ran dry, leaving more than 80 percent of
applicants without funding, outrage over the millions of dollars that went to
larger firms prompted some companies to return the money. The Small Business
Administration has refused to release the names of companies that have received
the loans, despite having released such information on its loan programs for
years.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/01/sba-ppp-public-companies/
and https://www.ibtimes.com/coronavirus-economy-sba-paycheck-program-awarded-1-billion-publicly-traded-companies-2968754 Let’s tell MOCs to write more restrictions
for these loans. This money was supposed to go to small business not companies
that pay millions in salary to officers. Let’s ask the Small
Business Administration why they won’t provide the names of those 43
companies that took money when previous practice calls for the publication of
these names. Let’s get those names and ask those companies to PAY IT
BACK.
WATER
ACCESS MUST BE PROTECTED:
The same poor communities most vulnerable to covid-19 are the ones most likely
to lose their access to water, but according to Food & Water Watch and the
Guardian, about two-fifths of the country relies on water utilities that have
not suspended shutoffs for nonpayment, despite public health warnings that good
hygiene is crucial to preventing the spread of the coronavirus. The House
version of the CARES Act included $1.5 billion to assist low-income households
with water bills and required that localities and utilities suspend utility
shutoffs to qualify for financial aid during the crisis; all of this was
deleted from the final bill approved by the Senate: https://www.consumerreports.org/utilities/millions-in-us-at-risk-of-water-shutoffs-amid-layoffs-triggered-by-pandemic/
or https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/06/millions-us-at-risk-losing-running-water-amid-layoffs-triggered-coronavirus-pandemic
We must demand that our MoCs ensure that water be universally available
during this pandemic and that provisions like the House ones be included in the
next relief package. And/or let’s sign the Action Network petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-now-stop-water-shutoffs-during-covid-19-pandemic-and-restore-water-access-immediately
NO
SWIFTBOATING, NO BIRTHER-ING, NO BENGHAZI, NO EMAILS—NOT THIS TIME: Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson
notes the patterns, that once again, the Republicans are successfully shifting
the narrative. “The pressure on Biden to release his papers strikes me as the
bad faith use of an important political conversation to score political points.
It is vital to uncover the truth of what happened between Biden and Reade, but
that’s not what’s going on here. Observers are demanding the release of
material that has been donated in good faith for future researchers, to uncover
information that we know would not be stored there. But it would certainly weaken
Biden as a candidate. At the same time, Trump simply refuses to show anyone
anything.” https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-2-2020
We’ve seen this before. Let’s: (1) write letters to the editor
demanding to see Trump’s tax returns, investigations into the dozens of rape
and sexual assault accusations against Trump, the publication of John Bolton’s
book, investigations into why everyone who worked for Trump is bound to
secrecy, and investigations into what has happened to the medical supplies that
Trump has seized; submission info here: https://www.theopedproject.org/submission-information,
and (2) if we’re represented by Democratic Senators and Representatives, let’s
tell to make these demands their talking points, and repeat them ad nauseum.
#STANDWITHMASHPEE: On Thursday, the U.S. District Court for
the District of Columbia will hear arguments in the Mashpee Wampanoag
tribe's request for an injunction to preserve its land in trust (https://bit.ly/2yiIimK). In
the meantime, let's read this article at Teen Vogue about the Department of
Interior's decision to disestablish the Mashpee Wampanoag, then continue calling
our senators to pass the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act
(H.R. 312) (We can a sample letter from Color of Change here.)
and a bill to amend the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act and broaden which tribes
can be federally recognized (H.R. 375)
SPEAK OUT
AGAINST ICE TRANSFERRING (RATHER THAN RELEASING) DETAINEES IN RESPONSE TO
JUDGE’S ORDERS: After a judge
ordered ICE to reduce their detainee population in centers in Broward and Krome
County, Florida, because of clear violations of COVID-19 safety protocols, such
as lack of social distancing and lack of access to masks, ICE instead has
chosen to transfer extra detainees to other centers. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article242438581.html.
While this is legally allowed, ICE is supposed to formally consider each
detainee for release before transferring them, which they are likely not doing.
Let’s ask our MoCs to put pressure on ICE to stop this practice, which
ultimately creates higher risk by introducing people who have already been
exposed into new environments. Moving detainees hundreds and sometimes
thousands of miles away also separates detainees from their lawyers and their families.
SPEAK OUT AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN ICE DETENTION CENTERS: Last weekend a group of immigrant detainees at the Bristol County Jail in Massachusetts were hospitalized after an incident involving riot police, dogs, and pepper spray. The detainees were complaining about COVID symptoms. However, instead of being evaluated at their own medical unit, they were told that they would be transferred to a different unit, which they had learned from previous detainees was code for being put in solitary confinement, so they refused to go. https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/05/01/coronavirus-ice-detainees-massachusetts-detention?. Let’s ask our MoCs to join Rep. Kennedy, who represents this district, and Senators Markey and Warren to call for an independent investigation of the incident and demand that they call on ICE to release all detainees at this center who have not been convicted for a violent crime. If we live in MA, let’s also contact our state legislators and ask them to make a public statement with these demands.
POSTCARDING
OPPORTUNITY: From one of our own: At the moment, our nation seems full of
tantrum-throwing adults who should know that their haircut isn't worth someone
else's life—and should also know that they're risking their own health and
their families' health when they gather to throw those tantrums together.
But there are far more of us who believe we ARE all created equal (and all
includes the tantrum-throwing folks, too), and if we keep speaking out for the
value of all lives we can be much louder than they are. We can find this week's postcarding
write-ups here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1etUZKPfqMK5EDWtjKqqPgYSVi6LKtFWbKBvKQ6g9QZk/edit?usp=sharing
ELECTION/VOTING
REMINDER: Regularly check your voter
registration status. States are purging voters routinely--you don't want to
get caught off guard. Take 1 minute and check right now: I Will Vote Then, check how to vote by mail in your
state. Many rules have changed due to the pandemic and you may be able to
vote with a mailed ballot. Find your state's latest voting rules here: How to Vote By Mail in Every State
PHONE/TEXT
FOR CHRISTY SMITH: The
stakes are high in next Tuesday's toss-up special election for the House seat
in California's 25th District - Trump is attacking Democratic nominee
Assemblywoman Christy Smith on Twitter, and Hillary Clinton has endorsed her. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/495686-clinton-endorses-democrat-in-california-special-house-election
Let's send a Democrat to the House and send a message to the country by helping
Christy win - we can sign up to make phone calls or text for her here.
CALL, TEXT,
OR POSTCARD VOTERS WITH GRASSROOTS DEMOCRATS: It has never been more important to get
strong progressive leaders in office and Grassroots
Democrats is here to help. Whether we prefer calling, texting or postcarding
voters, there’s a remote volunteer opportunity ready for us to use. 1)
We can sign up here to make calls to voters in Arizona for Mark Kelly,
in Iowa for Theresa Greenfield, and for the House of Representatives in CA 21,
25, and 48. https://www.mobilize.us/grassrootsdemocratslahq/event/93596/, 2) We can text voters in swing
states across the country through Environmental Voter Project or text voters in
CA 25 for Christy Smith. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYkHSLiso1grAIsDa6mftP3-Upc2ojz9IsQnvHSCP-IskXzg/viewform,
and 3) We can write postcards to voters in California to defend the
House or to voters in Arizona and Colorado to flip the Senate. When we
sign up here, we will get addresses and scripts sent to us within 48
hours.
GET
TRAINED TO USE GRASSROOTS DEMOCRATS PHONEBANK SYSTEM: If we would like to make calls through
the Grassroots Dems system, and need
to learn how to use it, we can get trained on Zoom TODAY at 7pm Pacific Time or
Thursday, May 6 at 6pm Pacific Time. If we can't make one of the scheduled
training sessions (Tuesdays at 7pm PDT, Thursdays at 6pm PDT), we can
contact Field Director Davis Han at: davis@grassrootsdems.org to schedule a call time that
works for us. We can find out more about this free phone banking
training and sign up here:
LET’S SEND
10 MILLION LETTERS TO GET OUT THE VOTE IN NOVEMBER: Swing Left and Vote Forward have teamed up
for The Big Send. While we’re stuck in quarantine, we can write letters to
Democratic-leaning voters in key states, stockpile them, and then mail them
before Election Day 2020. There’s no time like the present. Let’s get
writing: https://votefwd.org/bigsend
COVID-19 AND VOTER REGISTRATION: Voter
registrations were apparently surging before the coronavirus crisis, but
plummeted in March: https://insights.targetsmart.com/an-early-look-at-the-impact-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-on-voter-registration.html Here
are a few things we can do to reverse that: (1) Work with our local
high schools to get voter registration information out to all students who will
be 18 by the November election; (2) Whether we are alums or parents of
students, do the same for the colleges we’re connected to; and (3) fight voter
suppression by signing up to volunteer with Reclaim Our Vote, https://actionnetwork.org/forms/reclaim-our-vote-signup
BECOME
A NOTARY AND HELP WITH ABSENTEE/MAIL-IN BALLOTS: A handful of states (Oklahoma is one)
require that absentee or mail-in ballots be notarized or witnessed. It looks
increasingly likely that the safest way to vote in November will be to vote via
absentee or mail-in ballot. Let’s help people in our communities vote.
Let’s see if our state requires that our ballots be notarized by consulting the
“state election centers” at Vote.org, https://www.vote.org/, and if it does, let’s consider
becoming notaries public: https://www.nationalnotary.org/
POSTCARDS
TO HELP MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN VOTERS GET MAIL-IN BALLOTS: Indivisible Chicago has organized “Postcards
to Wisconsin & Michigan.” The postcards, which target Democratic-leaning
voters, are to be written now and mailed in October in time for people to
request their mail-in ballots. Postcards, addresses, and instructions are free;
postcard writers supply the 35-cent stamps. These swing states are crucial to
win in November. Let’s sign up and get writing today: https://www.postcards2wi.com/postcards-to-wimi
STATE
ELECTION LAW OVERVIEW: The
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law has created resources with
information about election calendars, voter registration timetables, the
absentee/mail-in voting process, and in-person early voting in every
state. Let’s bookmark this and share: https://lawyerscommittee.org/state-election-law/
STATE/LOCAL
MOST: GET
REPUBLICANS TO EMBRACE VOTING BY MAIL: “Stanford University just released a
new study that looked at the 3 states that rolled out vote by mail across the
state. The data told them that voting by mail does not give one party an
advantage over the other.” https://politicalcharge.org/2020/04/23/how-to-get-republicans-to-embrace-voting-by-mail
That’s the key to their objections,
isn’t it? Let’s call our Republican Governors with this data and remind
them it’s their job to protect their constituents and institute vote by mail!
MA: RANKED CHOICE VOTING: Voter Choice for Massachusetts is working
to place a question on the 2020 ballot that would bring Ranked Choice Voting to
Massachusetts elections starting in 2022.
If we are willing to sign up and help them get on the ballot —
our volunteers and staff will coordinate mailing you a signature sheet (with a
pre-addressed return envelope and stamp) so that you can safely support our
efforts, click here.
MI: LINE 5: Enbridge has filed an application with the
Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) "requesting authority to replace
and relocate the segment of Line 5 crossing the Straits of Mackinac into a
tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac," (https://bit.ly/2W5byGJ). Rather than approving the
replacement of a pipeline that puts our Great Lakes at risk, it is essential to
continue the work to decommission Line 5. Before a decision is made, the MPSC
is open to comment from Michigan residents. Let's make sure we leave a comment
by the May 13th deadline. We can read more about Line 5 at the For Love
of Water (FLOW) Line
5 information page, then use the talking points available at Sierra Club to write an informed comment with the MPSC
by email: mpscedockets@michigan.gov or
by mail to: Michigan Public Service Commission, 7109 W. Saginaw Highway,
Lansing, MI 48917. Let's make sure to include Case No. U-20763 in our
comments. Or, we can use the link and comment available at Oil & Water Don't Mix.
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS/TWEETSTORMS
SOCIAL
MEDIA STRATEGIES WEBINAR: Thursday, May 7 at 5pm ET - “With no
opportunity for in-person campaign activities, the ability to connect with your
base over social media is more valuable than ever. Ampersand Strategies President Josh Nanberg
talks to Beth Becker, founder of Becker Digital Strategies, about social media
strategy for nonprofit, advocacy, and political clients.” We can sign up here
for this free webinar.
ACLU
SMART JUSTICE CAMPAIGN WEBINAR: The ACLU Smart Justice campaign has decided
to host a digital day of action titled “Uniting for Pretrial Reform” in May. It
will be online, and it will be throughout the day on May 27th. Some of
the sessions include a Q&A with ACLU staff, a tele-townhall with multiple
legislators (on the topic of pretrial reform), a storytelling panel in the
afternoon, and throughout the day there will be multiples ways to engage our
elected officials. Here’s a registration
link to sign up! https://zoom.us/webinar/register/1415859446055/WN_Wb92iZkTRGmkTJlHepNcIg We want to make sure that people feel their
voices can be heard even during this new normal phase we currently we find
ourselves in and that we advocate for the most vulnerable of us.
MASS
POOR PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY & MORAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON: “The Mass
Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington is going digital! On
June 20th, we will hold the largest digital and social media gathering
of poor and low-wealth people, moral and religious leaders, advocates, and
people of conscience in this nation’s history. A global pandemic is exposing
even more the already existing crisis of systemic racism, poverty, ecological
devastation, the war economy and militarism, and the distorted moral narrative
of religious nationalism. On June 20, the 140 million poor and low-wealth
people across this nation will be heard!”
We can sign up here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/rsvp-for-june-20-2020-mass-poor-peoples-assembly-moral-march-on-washington
READING/WATCHING/LISTENING
No, The
CDC Did Not Revise Down The Number Of COVID-19 Deaths - https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/briannasacks/coronavirus-death-toll-cdc-misinformation
Why Are
White Supremacists Protesting to 'Reopen' the Economy? -https://theconversation.com/why-are-white-supremacists-protesting-to-reopen-the-us-economy-137044
How
COVID-19 protestors are unwitting victims of propaganda - https://www.thepitchkc.com/how-covid-19-protestors-are-unwitting-victims-of-propaganda/
How do
you know voting by mail works? The U.S. military's done it since the Civil War - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/how-do-you-know-voting-mail-works-u-s-military-n1186926
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.