4/26/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
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Many newspapers,
including New York Times and Washington Post require
subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles each month. We can also check with our local libraries to
find out how to get online access through them.
1.
Correction
(contact information): Though the unplanned teen pregnancy rate is at its
lowest since 1990, Health and Human Services has announced a rule change that
would favor “abstinence only” sex education programs—now rebranded as “sexual
risk avoidance education”—and weaken the requirement for evidence of
effectiveness—convenient, given that a 2007 HHS study found that abstinence
programs have “no overall impact on teen sexual activity” and yield “no
differences in rates of unprotected sex.” The HHS policy changes were overseen
by Valerie Huber, now an HHS official but previously the head of the National
Abstinence Education Association: http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/377304-abstinence-only-education-making-a-comeback-under-trump We should vigorously object to this
rule change (and to the appointment of officials with no respect for scientific
evidence) : Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar Office of the
Secretary Health & Human Services 200 Independence Ave, SW, DC 20201 Phone:
202-690-7000 E-mail: Secretary@HHS.gov We can also contact Valerie Huber, who is
currently serving as the Acting Director of the HHS Office of Public Affairs,
via e-mail at valerie.huber@hhs.gov
2.
This morning, the Senate will be convening to consider
Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State. Let’s brush up on why Pompeo should not be
serving as our top diplomat (https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/555680/), then let’s make sure we call our senators
and tell them we want them to oppose Pompeo’s nomination.
3.
The EPA
is looking to repeal the Clean Power Plan, and today is the last day for public
comment. When it was unveiled in 2015, the Clean Power Plan was
expected to cut power sector emissions 32 percent by 2030, relative to 2005.
While many states are already shifting away from coal power for economic
reasons, experts say scrapping the rule could slow that transition. We can
learn more about the Clean Power Plan and why it is so important at the
National Resource Defense Council: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-clean-power-plan-works-and-why-it-matters Then, let’s be sure to leave a comment
opposing the repeal of the Clean Power Plan: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0355-14998
4.
The
Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider the Special Counsel
Independence and Integrity Act (S.
2644),
meant to protect the Mueller investigation. As the committee works to find
agreement on its wording, Senator Chuck Grassley has proposed an
amendment: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/24/grassley-pitches-new-doj-mandate-mueller-protection-549197 This amendment contains both virtues
and dangers of which we should be aware as we lend or withhold our support of
this act: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/25/1759849/-Grassley-amendment-could-undermine-Mueller-investigation-protection-bill Regardless of its final wording, once
this act leaves committee, we need to insist that majority leader Mitch
McConnell bring it to the Senate for a vote: 202-224-2541 or 317 Russell Senate
Off. Bldg, Washington DC 20510.
5.
Mick
Mulvaney, director of the Office of Budget Management and now in charge of the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), outlined and seemingly advocated
for pay-to-play politics in a speech to the American Bankers Association Tuesday (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/04/mick-mulvaneys-guide-to-navigating-the-swamp/558890/). He also announced that he intends to end
public access to the database used by consumers to file complaints against
financial institutions; according the Wall Street Journal, “It includes the
names of the companies that receive complaints and detailed consumer
experiences. Advocates say having the information available to the public makes
the portal effective...Businesses say it spreads unverified negative
information about them,” (https://www.wsj.com/articles/cfpb-considers-ending-public-access-to-complaints-about-banks-1524601779). Let’s defend our right to make our
complaints public and thus pressure companies to respond to consumers: CFPB:
855-411-2372 or FAX 855-237-2392 or 1700 G St, NW, Washington DC 20552. We can
also remind Mulvaney that we welcome his resignation from his position as
Acting Director of the CFPB at any time: The Office of Management and
Budget 725
17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20503; Fax: 202-395-3888; Twitter:
@MickMulvaneyOMB.
6.
U.S.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson has introduced a
legislative proposal which would triple rent for low-income families, and allow
public housing agencies to implement work requirements for individuals and
families (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/ct-hud-rent-changes-20180425-story.html). The bill, the Making
Affordable Housing Work Act of 2018, will need congressional approval. Let’s
contact our MoC and voice our opposition to this bill. We can also contact
Secretary Carson and tell him what we think of this attack on low-income
families. Office of the Secretary phone number: (202) 708-0417 Mailing address:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street S.W., Washington,
DC 20410
7.
Wendy
Vitter, one of Donald Trump’s judicial nominees, was already marked with a long
record of
opposing women’s rights to abortion and access to contraceptive care. Then at
her Judiciary Committee hearing, she was asked if Brown v. Board of Education
was correctly decided – and refused to answer the question (https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/12/politics/wendy-vitter-brown-v-board-of-education/index.html). A nominee with these views does not belong
on the federal bench. Let’s join progressive groups nationwide in calling our
senators and telling them Wendy Vitter is #UnfitToJudge.
8.
Over a
hundred generals recently sent a letter to the Senate expressing their serious
concerns about CIA Director Nominee Gina Haspel’s past involvement with torture
programs. http://time.com/5250440/gina-haspel-retired-military/. Let’s make sure our Senators know that we
share these concerns and ask them to vote NO on her confirmation. We can find
more information and a call script at 5calls.
9.
Cambridge
Analytica whistleblower, Christopher Wylie, was interviewed by the House
Judiciary and Oversight Committees about the information war being waged
against our democracy, and the Republican committee members failed to show up (https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/24/cambridge-analytica-whistleblower-house-democrats-547674). Our representatives should not let
partisanship prevent them from taking decisive action to protect our data and
our elections. Let’s contact the committee members and ask them why they refused
to attend the interview: https://judiciary.house.gov/subcommittee/full-committee/
Election 2018 – General
1.
Tuesday's special
elections included six (6) campaigns for which Postcards to Voters volunteers
sent cards to get out the vote. 1) AZ -US House District 8: Campaign 60-Hiral Tipirneni. Hiral lost this race but only by 5 points
in a district that Trump won by over 20 points. We can read more at CNBC. Hiral plans to try again in November. 2) NY
-State Senate D37: Campaign 58-Shelley Mayer. Shelly won her election! Read more at WSJ. 3) NY -State Assembly D102: Campaign 70-Aidan O'Connor Jr. Aidan lost by only a small percentage. More
at The
Daily Star. 4) NY -State Assembly D10: Campaign 71-Steve Stern. Steve wins and FLIPS a seat held by
Republicans for almost 40 years. More at The
Hill. 5) NY -State Assembly D74 (in Manhattan): Campaign 73-Harvey Epstein. Harvey handily won this East-side
seat. More at The
Lo-Down. 6) NY -State Assembly D5: Campaign 75-Deb Slinkosky. Slinkosky lost her bid for this Islip-area
seat. More about this and all of Tuesday's NY election results
at: City&StateNY. Our postcards are making a
difference! To write cards for on-going and future campaigns, we can sign up as
a Postcards to Voters' volunteer here.
2.
There’s
another special election right around the corner, and this one is particularly
pressing. Flippable
pick Helen
Tai is running for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
that’s up on May 15th, and she has a solid opportunity to pick up a
long-GOP held district and send a message to state Republicans that their
attacks on the judicial branch won’t be tolerated (http://www.theintell.com/news/20180115/solebury-supervisor-endorsed-for-178th-district-special-election). We can help her win by making phone calls
at this virtual phone bank link. (We can direct questions to volunteers@helentai.com).
3.
In June,
Maine will hold the nation’s first statewide primary election using ranked
choice voting, a rarely used system championed by political reformers whereby
voters get to rank their candidate preferences, rather than simply choosing
their favorite. If Maine’s favorable conditions allow the reforms to take
root—and many elected officials have done their best to ensure they do not—the
implications will likely be felt around the country. Let's read more at Politico. Let's keep our eyes on what happens
with this election and ranked-choice voting.
Election 2018 – By State
1.
GA: The
organization Spread the Vote has put together some excellent Primary Voter
Guides for: a.) Albany County: http://bit.ly/STVAlbanyGuide b.)Athens-Clarke County: http://bit.ly/STVAthensGuide c.) Cobb County: http://bit.ly/STVCobbGuide d.) Dekalb County: http://bit.ly/STVDekalbGuide e.) Henry County: http://bit.ly/STVHenryGuide Let’s use these resources as we register
voters and get them to the polls.
Other Actions
1.
On
Tuesday, a third judge ruled against the Trump administration’s decision to end
the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program
(https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/24/third-judge-rules-against-trump-daca-550092). This time, however, Judge Bates took the
ruling one step further, requiring the administration to provide justification
for its ending of the program within ninety days, or else it may be required to
begin accepting new applications. For a quick rundown of what the ruling means,
we can check out United
We Dream’s
fact sheet here. For those of us who are able, we can also
help support the DACA Renewal Fund.
2.
The
dream of attending college is especially hard for Dreamers, who don’t qualify
for federally-sponsored student aid and are not eligible for many scholarships,
but there are several resources available to help find financial support. If we
are Dreamers looking for scholarships and aid, or if we know some who are, we
can check these out: Get
Schooled has
a list of scholarships that undocumented students can apply for. We can also
search for aid at: https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/scholarships-for-undocumented-students/ Dreamers Roadmap is a national non- profit app that helps
undocumented students find scholarships to go to college. If we are
looking ahead to next year, we can take a look at TheDream.US , the nation’s largest college access and
success program for DREAMers.
3.
Missouri
governor Eric Greitens has been charged with his second felony, yet he remains
in office and has stated that he has no plans to resign (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/20/604489073/missouri-gov-eric-greitens-charged-with-second-felony-computer-data-tampering). The Missouri House Special Investigative
Committee on Oversight has noted that it may begin impeachment hearings after
the regular legislative session ends on May 18th, while other
officials, including Senator Claire McCaskill, are urging Greitens to resign (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/11/601721502/missouri-house-to-consider-impeaching-gov-eric-greitens). We can add pressure to the call by
contacting Governor Greitens and telling him that it is past time for him to
resign. Mailing address: Office of
Governor Eric Greitens P.O. Box 720 Jefferson City, MO 65102 Phone: (573)
751-3222 Online form: https://governor.mo.gov/get-involved/contact-the-governors-office
4.
A 2016
Justice Department report
found that private for-profit prisons were more violent for both inmates and
guards than federally run prisons. The Obama administration was working on phasing
out their use but due to pressure from lobbyists and campaign donors, the
President and AG Jeff Sessions have reversed that policy and begun to transfer
more inmates from federal prisons to private ones (http://www.newsweek.com/trump-private-prison-campaign-donors-leaked-memo-795681). Several cities, including New York,
Philadelphia, and Portland, are beginning to address this issue by divesting from
the private prison industry, a step already taken by many universities (http://www.newsweek.com/what-best-way-hold-private-prisons-account-745861). Let’s contact our mayor and city
counselors and ask them to divest from the private prison industry. And if we
have university affiliations, we can check our university’s position on this
issue and ask them to consider divestment if they haven’t yet taken that step.
5.
Today,
the National Memorial for Peace and Justice opens in Montgomery, Alabama: https://eji.org/national-lynching-memorial “[It] will become the nation’s first
memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people, people terrorized by
lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow, and
people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police
violence.” We can learn more about the museum and memorial here.
6.
Greyhound
bus passengers of color, who speak with accents or simply are “not white,”
routinely are questioned and sometimes detained by Customs and Border
Protection agents. Let's read this article at the Tucson Sentinel then join the ACLU in contacting
Greyhound to tell them that we want them to ensure the safe travels of ALL of
their customers. Let's write to Greyhound Lines, Inc
P.O. Box 660691, MS 470, Dallas, TX 75266-0691.
P.O. Box 660691, MS 470, Dallas, TX 75266-0691.
7.
The
Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Monday that four protesters can
present an unusual "necessity defense" against criminal charges
stemming from efforts to shut down two oil pipelines. Trials of other
pipeline protesters in other states have yielded mixed results. Most have not
been allowed to present full necessity defenses. Let's read more at ABCNews. For those of us who plan on attending
protests and speaking out, let's use this information as we consider how
environmental protests and protesters are being handled by our legal
system.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize
1.
The organization behind the walkout on April 20th
is looking to the future. "On May 19th, we want you and everyone who
attends your walkouts to join us as our movement takes its next steps...We want
every school to host a meeting where you’ll discuss the impact gun violence is
having in your community, and create a list of what you want the student-led
movement to tackle." We can sign up to host or attend a meeting
here: https://www.nationalschoolwalkout.net/whats-next-1/. We can also help
National School Walkout keep organizing by contributing to their crowdfunding
campaign, here: https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/385239/fund-the-national-school-walkout-to-end-gun-violence The fight to end
gun violence has just begun! Let's keep it front and center.
States
1.
CA: Moms Demand Action tells us that currently in California, you
don’t have to undergo any kind of in-person test to prove you can operate a gun
in order to get a concealed carry permit. Some counties require this, but not
all do. AB
2103 is
up for a vote next week, and would implement this common sense gun law. We can
call our Assembly Member in support of AB2103 this week. We can find our
Representative here. Then, we can use this script: Hi, I’m
[name] and I’m a constituent from [city]. I'm calling on behalf of Moms Demand
Action. I would love to see California join the other 25 states that require
live fire training for a concealed carry permit. Please ask Assembly Member
[name] to vote Yes on AB2103. [Optional: Do you know Assemblyperson [name’s]
position on this bill?]
Reading/Watching
1.
"Most white Americans don’t realize our
culture protects us from having to truly confront racial inequality, which
gives us a major blind spot when it comes to understanding what the reality of
systemic racism is for people of color or how complicit we may be in their
oppression." This video by RISE District provides
a crash course in how to identify and overcome white fragility in order to a)
improve our racial literacy, b) become better allies, and c) amplify black and
brown voices in the interest of achieving equality and justice for people of
color. Let's watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdFCRHhygHo&t=45s
2.
As the Equal Justice
Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice opens today, let’s
take some time to read their 2015 report: Lynching in America: Confronting the
Legacy of Racial Terror https://lynchinginamerica.eji.org/report/
3.
In this year in which women are running for
office in unprecedented numbers, we might want to take heed of the NY Times’
Glass Ceiling Index, which just reported that “Fewer Republican senators are
women than men named John — despite the fact that Johns represent 3.3 percent
of the population, while women represent 50.8 percent. [And] fewer Democratic
governors are women than men named John”: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/24/upshot/women-and-men-named-john.html
(For those of us without access to the New York Times, we can check out
Bustle’s synopsis of the article here).
