blank space


9/7/20

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: 



CORRECTION:  USING FREE MEALS FOR CHILDREN TO FORCE SCHOOL OPENING:  About 20 million schoolchildren in the US are eligible for free lunches; another 2 million receive reduced price meals; the school lunch program is the second-largest nutrition assistance program in the country, after food stamps. When schools closed in the spring, the agriculture department allowed school districts to distribute meals to any child under 19; now, under great pressure from Congress and school districts, agriculture secretary Sonny Purdue has finally agreed that the program can continue through the end of 2020—but not through the entire school year: https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/08/meal-waivers-students-schools-pressure.html  Purdue had said that when schools returned to session, they would be required to resume serving meals only to students enrolled in their district—and to charge those not qualified for free or reduced-price meals; he pleaded agency poverty, despite additional funding from Congress and the fact that providing meals under the special rules has not cost more than the standard school program:  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/us/schools-food-coronavirus.html and https://www.cbsnews.com/news/usda-free-meals-for-kids-schools-program-extended-as-children-start-school-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/  Let’s press Purdue to extend the free meals for kids program until the coronavirus is under control: 202-720-2791 or USDA, 1400 Independence Ave SW, Washington DC 20250 or  askusda@usda.gov

TRACK THE REGULATIONS TRACKERS:  Track the Trackers is a list of different websites tracking deregulation in the era of the Trump administration. Of Federal sites, their regulatory agenda which lists "regulatory reform" and what stage the revision is at - notice, proposed rule, rule, or not published yet. Individual federal agencies also often, though not always, post proposed regulations and/or actions on their website.  Let’s check this out and see where we can help:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z-0C4ntd4uMrJMubCa3JyKVwotiNV_Vj/view?usp=sharing

WHITE HOUSE ENDS ANTI-RACIST TRAINING:  Trump orders the  end to anti-racist training in the Federal government - and he tweeted about it 19 times on Saturday morning before going golfing.  He says it is anti-American and divisive, and a sickness that cannot be allowed to be continued. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/05/white-house-memo-calls-ban-federal-race-related-training/5728226002/  and https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/06/demings-trump-racial-equity-409418  Let’s contact Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, who authored the memo, to give him our thoughts on the practice:   @RussVought45 or in care of the White House.  Let’s tell our MoCs how we feel about this, too.

PAYROLL TAX WITHHOLDING PROBLEM:  Most people will not be having payroll taxes taken out of paycheck now until December, but many are unaware that it will have to be paid back. in the new year. Checks may be larger now, but they will be even smaller in 2021. Some people are saving that money now to payback later, while others, when possible, are opting out. Federal employees are not exempt from this. There is some question about who this will really be helping. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertberger/2020/09/04/payroll-tax-holiday-is-not-a-tax-cut/#6be709a833ab    However, members of Congress are initiating action that questions this non tax cut tax cut: https://thehill.com/policy/finance/515224-house-democrat-offers-measures-to-block-trumps-payroll-tax-deferral  First, let’s check with our employer so we fully understand the impact of this “cut” on our finances, then let’s contact our MoCs to say we don’t really think this is helpful and would rather they get working on a new COVID-relief package.

ELECTION/VOTING

19 EASY THINGS WE CAN DO TO GET OUT THE VOTE: Political Charge, whose newsletter is always full of excellent information on how to resist, knows we're all tired and busy, so they've prepared a guide of 19 easy things we can do to get out the vote. We can get our guide here and share with othershttps://mailchi.mp/d00a9496a621/political-charge

BIDEN PLATFORM GRAPHICS TO SHARE:  Biden’s campaign is in full swing: https://joebiden.com/  and https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-2020-campaign-364-5-million-fundraising-committees-august/ Let’s use these Biden platform graphics however we can:   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bSdEPqWeyL1wMNw2k56wRJ9l6UYlMUQ0UPU-pPPpFFE/edit?usp=sharing

POSTCARDERS NEEDED! These organizations still have open campaigns for which we can volunteer: a) Postcards to Voters; b) Postcards for Virginia; c) Sister District Project. If we have postcards and stamps on hand, let's request some addresses today.

COVID-19 ELECTION ASSISTANCE—The Center for Tech and Civic Lifeis offering grants to local election offices. The grants cover staffing, training, and equipment to help voters vote safely during the pandemic. Let’s inform our local elections offices and urge them to apply for grants: https://www.techandciviclife.org/our-work/election-officials/grants/

AoC 2020 VOTING CHECKLIST:  Americans of Conscience (AOC) Checklist is committed to ensuring that all citizens can participate and vote safely in the 2020 election.  With unprecedented hurdles to the ballot box, we are essential to increasing voter participation this fall. Use their VOTE 2020 checklists to get ready:  https://americansofconscience.com/election-2020/

POSTCARDERS RULE! Postcards to Swing States (P2SS) tell us that volunteers having requested ALL 15.7 million addresses to voters in 14 swing states! (Source:   https://postcardstoswingstates.com/) Thanks to everyone who participated in and/or organized this project. Great job! P2SS has suggestions if we want to do more: a) contribute $ to cover postage for another volunteer; b) Write letters with Vote Forward; c) Try phone-banking and texting with Progressive Turnout Project; d) Focus on the Midwest with Indivisible Chicago and 3states1mission

WRITING PRO-BIDEN POSTCARDS TO VOTERS: Write Pro- Biden/Harris postcards to voters in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. (organized by Grassroots Democrats HQ) No minimum commitment.  Script and addresses are provided. Writers must have their own postcards and postcard stamps. This and more postcarding opportunities can be found here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvh7KFngH906ZeB3ai9X9EurF0T8aGCryCDT5b4SoMV1ncMQ/viewform  Let’s sign up! 

STATE/LOCAL

GA:  GA VOTERS NEED TO CHECK REGISTRATION:  “State officials in Georgia are alleged to have wrongfully purged approximately 200,000 people from its voter rolls in 2019, according to a new report commissioned by the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Georgia chapter.”  https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/514813-georgia-accused-of-wrongfully-purging-nearly-200000-from-voter-rolls  To be safe, let’s check our voter registration status to make sure we are registered to vote in November:  https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do

SPOTLIGHT ON GOVERNORS. Eleven (11) states will hold elections for governor in 2020. Only Montana features a term-limited incumbent. (Source: Ballotpedia). Let's review them: (links on a state's name will take us to the Ballotpedia page for that specific race; links on Democratic candidate names will take us to their campaign websites) a) DelawarePrimary Sept. 8John Carney Jr.(D) is defending his position; b) IndianaWoody Myers (D) is challenging Eric Holcomb (R); c) MissouriNicole Galloway (D) is challenging Mike Parson (R); d) MontanaMike Cooney (D) is competing against 3 other candidates for this open position.; e) New HampshirePrimary Sept. 8. Democrats Dan Feltes and Andru Volinsky are competing to challenge Chris Sununu (R); f) North CarolinaRoy Cooper (D) is defending against Dan Forest (R) and others; North DakotaShelley Lenz (D) is challenging Doug Burgum (R); g) UtahChris Peterson (D) is competing against Spencer Cox(R) and others for this open position; h) VermontDavid Zuckerman (D) is challenging Phil Scott (R); i) WashingtonJay Inslee (D) is defending against Loren Culp (R); j) West VirginiaBen Salango (D) is challenging Jim Justice (R). Let's support the Democratic candidates in our states, up and down the ballot. If we have friends and family in these states, let's make sure they know who is running.

RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS/TWEETSTORMS

WEBINAR ON PERSUADING UNDECIDED VOTERS:  On Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 5:30pm the Montana Democrats are hosting a webinar to “talk about ways to engage in successful conversation with undecided voters! We'll be sharing success stories, tips and tricks, and positive solutions for common responses. We'll have a couple of featured speakers and lots of open discussion and brainstorming!”  Let’s check it out and sign up: https://www.mobilize.us/kathleenwilliamsforcongress/event/317093/

JOIN GOTV PHONE-BANK TO VOTERS OF COLOR IN VOTER SURPRESSION STATES: Reclaim Our Vote is phone banking to voters of color in voter suppression states, urging them to vote. Their data shows that 60-80% of those contacted, in person or by voicemails, will go on to vote. The calls are non-partisan, and our timing can be flexible, making as few or as many calls as we like between 9AM and 9PM in the states we call. We can click here to sign up for a one-hour training, offered every Monday at 7:30PM ET, then get ready to turn out the vote:

READING/WATCHING/LISTENING


Nearly all Black Lives Matter protests are peaceful despite Trump narrative, report finds - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/05/nearly-all-black-lives-matter-protests-are-peaceful-despite-trump-narrative-report-finds

5 mistakes that can disqualify your November mail ballot and how to avoid them - https://www.businessinsider.com/mistakes-that-can-disqualify-your-mail-absentee-ballot-2020-9

Exclusive: What Really Happened on the “Plane Full of Anarchists” - https://demcastusa.com/2020/09/03/exclusive-what-really-happened-on-the-plane-full-of-anarchists/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.