9/7/20
NATIONAL
ISSUES
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Contact all Federal
Members of Congress
(includes contact info and
links to social media)
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legislators for free:
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White
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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 others: https://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) Delaware: Primary Sept. 8. John Carney Jr.(D) is
defending his position; b) Indiana: Woody Myers (D) is challenging Eric Holcomb (R);
c) Missouri: Nicole Galloway (D) is challenging Mike Parson
(R); d) Montana: Mike Cooney (D)
is competing against 3 other candidates for this open position.; e) New Hampshire: Primary Sept. 8.
Democrats Dan Feltes and Andru Volinsky are
competing to challenge Chris Sununu (R); f) North Carolina: Roy Cooper (D) is defending against Dan Forest (R)
and others; North Dakota: Shelley Lenz (D)
is challenging Doug Burgum (R); g) Utah: Chris Peterson (D) is competing against Spencer
Cox(R) and others for this open position; h) Vermont: David Zuckerman (D)
is challenging Phil Scott (R); i) Washington: Jay Inslee (D) is defending against Loren Culp
(R); j) West Virginia: Ben 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
Dear America, Don’t
Forget to Vote. Love, Canada - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46d1rxckcZw&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2M3wvQpCZE9b_lIWaEtAsmnH63c8LjDn3gl17OMCNmC8nXJY-sWEYZtrk
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/
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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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