6/7/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
********************************
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. The
House is only three signatures away from filing a discharge petition that will
force a full debate on immigration. The GOP is meeting today to try to attain a
compromise on an immigration bill that can be passed with only Republican
support.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/390907-house-republicans-wrestle-over-immigration-deal Democrat Rep. Henry Cueller in Texas has been
a hold-out by not signing and Republican Representatives Daniel Newhouse
(Washington) and Dennis Ross (Florida) are considered to be potential signers
(would be joining other Republicans who have crossed the aisle): https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/05/filemon-vela-vicente-gonzalez-democrats-daca-discharge-624869 Let’s
tell our Reps. to sign the discharge petition and remind them that government
depends on inclusive debate that considers all voices, not on backroom dealing.
We should also remind them that the majority of Americans (whom they are
supposed to be representing) support DACA and oppose a border wall. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-americans-support-daca-but-oppose-border-wall-cbs-news-poll/.
2. Children
continue to be separated from their parents who are processed and deported,
without their children or knowing where their children are. https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/6/6/17431298/immigration-kids-ice-border We
need to ask each of our MoCs what they are doing about this situation the
United Nations has determined is against international law. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/05/world/americas/us-un-migrant-children-families.html
3. In case
we did not find the $1560 expenditure for 12 pens absurd enough, EPA
Administrator Scott Pruitt used his position to try to connect his wife with
Chick-fil-A regarding franchising: http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/390794-epa-staffer-looked-into-starting-a-chick-fil-a-franchise-for In addition to letting our MoC
know that Pruitt needs to go, let’s remind Pruitt that we are paying
attention:
https://www.epa.gov/home/forms/contact-epaor on Twitter at @EPAScottPruitt
4. In late
April, the Trump administration began a process that would put the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge on the auction block for oil and gas leasing, opening
the door for the fossil fuel industry to turn this iconic wilderness into an
oilfield. The process launches a 60-day period for the public to weigh in on
what factors the government should consider in evaluating the potential
environmental impacts of drilling for oil and gas on the Arctic Refuge’s
coastal plain (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/390175-companies-plan-for-congress-approved-drilling-in-arctic-wildlife). Oil and gas drilling would have
devastating and irreversible impacts on the people and wildlife for whom the
Arctic Refuge is home, as well as on our climate. Let’s join Earthjustice and
tell the Trump administration no to drilling in the Arctic Refuge at this
link:
5. Secretary
of Education, Betsy DeVos, continues to blatantly show her disregard for
separation of church and state. Last month on a two-day NY tour where she
visited no public schools, only private ones, she claimed that constitutional
amendments that forbid direct government aid to religious-affiliated
institutions should be assigned to the “ash heaps of history.” http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2018/05/devos-demands-taxpayer-money-for-religious-schools/. Let’s remind Secretary DeVos
(1-800-872-5327; 400 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, D.C. 20202) that her role
is to advocate for public education and that her actions must be in line with
the First Amendment of the Constitution.
6. The
administration is working on a new energy plan that would require utilities to
buy some of their power from inefficient, outdated and environmentally
dangerous coal and nuclear power plants in order to keep these industries
solvent. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-energy-plan-would-prop-failing-coal-nuclear-plants-n879406. This regulation would impede our rate of
conversion to green energy and would also be more expensive for consumers.
Let’s contact the White House, the Department of Energy 202-586-5000; The.Secretary@hq.doe.gov;
https://www.facebook.com/energygov/; Twitter: @ENERGY), and our MoCs and let
them know we oppose this plan.
7. Currently
there are two joint resolutions in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that
would repeal and replace the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force
(AUMF) and the 2002 AUMF authorizing the Iraq War. S.J.
59
would increase the president’s power and S.J.
61
would put it in check. http://fortune.com/2018/06/04/bob-corker-tim-kaine-jeff-merkley-trump-wars/ Let’s
let our Senators know that we feel that S. J. 61 is the more prudent of the two
particularly in these questionable times.
8. Trump’s
newly formed commission on school violence consists of Department of Education
Secretary Betsy DeVos, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Health and Human
Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II, and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen
Nielsen; its meetings to date have been closed and have included neither
students nor teachers. It’s charged with making “meaningful and actionable
recommendations to keep students safe at school,” but will not look at guns or
gun laws. In fact, it looks as though the real agenda might be to
consider whether to repeal a package of Obama-era school discipline policies
targeted at addressing policies that disproportionately affect minority
students: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/05/trump-school-safety-guns-betsy-devos-1343451 and https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/05/us/politics/devos-guns-school-safety-commission.html Let’s join those Democrats who have
pointed out the irony of this commission to DeVos: 400 Maryland Ave. SW,
Washington, D.C. 20202 or 202-401-3000
9. Yesterday,
Trump signed the VA Mission Act (S.
2372)
which will allow veterans more access to private health care options. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/06/trump-signs-law-expanding-vets-healthcare-choices/673906002/ While seen as very important and positive
move, unfortunately, the White House is fighting against funding it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-to-sign-veterans-heath-bill-as-white-house-works-against-plan-to-fund-it/2018/06/06/1763ac70-68d9-11e8-bf8c-f9ed2e672adf_story.html?utm_term=.89030c571048 Let’s
tell our MoCs that this needs to be funded without taking away from other
programs.
Election 2018 –
General
An election guide from Postcards for America: In this Google doc (updated
regularly), each State shows ALL Democratic Candidates running for Congress,
Governor, Lt Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State (if applicable) with
links to their websites and Twitter. Each has a link to a Twitter Thread, a
Shareable Facebook Post and a Document. For most States, there are also Info
& Links for Voter Registrations, Absentee Ballots, Early Voting & Voter
ID, Age Requirements and being a Poll Worker. Let’s check
this out and use and share it:
1. “As the
midterm congressional primaries heat up amid fears of Russian hacking, roughly
1 in 5 Americans will be casting ballots on machines that do not produce a
paper record of their votes. That
worries voting and cybersecurity experts, who say lack of a hard copy makes it
difficult to double-check results for signs of manipulation.” https://apnews.com/df09d5b175d040159995197784efcc60 Let’s
make sure that our state is using a hack-proof voting system with paper backup
by contacting our state election office:
https://www.usa.gov/election-office
Election 2018 –
By State
1. MI: Introducing FLIP MICHIGAN, a
Facebook group dedicated to winning elections! It's part of a 50-state project
that came out of the success of FLIP ALABAMA in helping to get Doug Jones
elected by squeezing every possible vote out of the state. We can join here,
get some new ideas and meet new folks. Together we can turn our beautiful state
the Bluest it’s ever been, so let’s start getting our country back, state by
state! We can check the group out, then, if we like it, join here:
2. MO: Introducing FLIP MISSOURI, a
Facebook group dedicated to winning elections! It's part of a 50-state project
that came out of the success of FLIP ALABAMA in helping to get Doug Jones
elected by squeezing every possible vote out of the state. We can join here,
get some new ideas and meet new folks. Together we can turn our beautiful state
Blue, so let’s start getting our country back, state by state! We can check the
group out, then, if we like it, join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FlipMissouri/
3. OH: Introducing FLIP OHIO, a Facebook
group dedicated to winning elections! It's part of a 50-state project that came
out of the success of FLIP ALABAMA in helping to get Doug Jones elected by
squeezing every possible vote out of the state. We can join here, get some new
ideas and meet new folks. Together we can turn our beautiful state Blue, so
let’s start getting our country back, state by state! We can check the group
out, then, if we like it, join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FlipOhio/
4. WA: Introducing FLIP WASHINGTON, a Facebook group dedicated to winning
elections! It's part of a 50-state project that came out of the success of FLIP
ALABAMA in helping to get Doug Jones elected by squeezing every possible vote
out of the state. We can join here, get some new ideas and meet new folks.
Together we can turn our beautiful state the Bluest it’s ever been, so let’s
start getting our country back, state by state! We can check the group out,
then, if we like it, join here:
Other Actions
1. There
is a lot of misinformation being spread regarding the Masterpiece Cakeshop v.
Colorado case. While the Supreme Court did rule in favor of the bakery owner,
this was not a case to determine whether someone could refuse service to the
LGBTQ community because of their religion. Rather, this was a ruling on how the
Colorado Civil Rights Commission handled the case at a lower level. Let's read
more about the ruling, and be sure that we are spreading accurate information,
and helping others understand what happened if we hear them repeating
inaccuracies: https://wapo.st/2sBwZ2L, https://bit.ly/2su7YXg
2. Deeperthanwater.org is a coalition of groups organized to fight
prison human rights injustices, with a focus on water. In the Massachusetts
Correctional Institute in Norfolk, the discolored tap water has been found to
have high levels of manganese, which can cause serious neurological disorders. http://www.wbur.org/news/2018/03/30/drinking-water-norfolk-prison.
The institute was ordered to fix this problem 2419 days ago, and nothing has
been done. Wayland Coleman, an incarcerated activist with Deeper-than-Water, is standing to lose his canteen privileges
for 90 days, which will mean he’ll have no access to
water, soap, toilet paper, and other necessary supplies. The community is
trying to raise money so that he will have all the supplies he needs before his
canteen ban goes into effect. We can contribute to helping Wayland here.
3. Elections
are always important, and this year more than ever. Facebook has gotten a lot
of bad press for providing undue influence to nefarious actors in 2016,
but research now shows that Google has an even greater potential for subverting
the electoral process through biased ranking of search results (https://theconversation.com/when-will-google-defend-democracy-96838).
Good news: many social media platforms are already working with researchers to
counter influence operations on their platforms. Bad news: Google isn't yet and
has far more influence on news dissemination than any other platform. Let's
make a point of reporting any bias we spot in our Google search results.
It's easy: just scroll to the bottom of a questionable search results
page, click "Send Feedback," and be sure to ask what Google is
doing to combat ranking bias. Doing this, every time, will help get the message
across.
4. The
entire graduating class at a Pennsylvania middle school was gifted
bulletproof backpack plates as they prepare to head to high school next
year. Students at St. Cornelius in Chadds Ford, Pa., were outfitted
with the "ballistic shields" thanks to a donation from a local company, .
. . The bulletproof backpack plates were also handed out to 25
faculty members at the school. “I never thought I’d need this,” one
student told Fox 29. http://thehill.com/homenews/390715-pa-eighth-graders-issued-bulletproof-backpack-plates-as-graduation-gift. I
never thought I’d need this. . . What does this say about us as a
country? We need sensible gun laws, not bulletproof backpack plates. Vote the
blue wave and demand sensible gun laws now.
5. From
one of our own: Rather than a military
parade, my wife Melissa suggests a tolling of bells (churches, temples,
schools, etc.) on Veterans' Day to remind us of the real cost of war. If you're
interested in helping to make this vision reality, please consider signing up
for her "Toll of War" Facebook page. And please share as widely as
you can! https://www.facebook.com/tollofwar/
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms
to attend/organize
1. “On June 9, our March for the
Ocean (M4O) campaign will organize mass events including
flotillas, SCUBA dives, marches and rallies in our nation’s capital and around
the country in order to protect our human and wild communities and restore the
blue in our red, white and blue. Blue Frontier Campaign and 70+ partners will
mobilize an inclusive and diverse constituency to ensure we have a healthy
ocean and clean water for future generations.” We can find out more here about the rally in DC and other cities.
2. The 9th Annual Citizens’ Climate Lobby
Int’l Conference & Lobby Day is set for June 10th-12th
in Washington, DC. We can find more information
here: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/2018-conference/ On June 12th,
hundreds of citizens from across the nation will meet with members
of Congress in Washington, D.C. to ask for carbon fee and dividend legislation to
be introduced. Before that, we are invited to contact our MoCs about this
issue: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/call-congress-to-act-on-climate/#/38/
3. On June 14, cities across the
country will host marches, rallies, and vigils to protest the current
administration’s callous treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers. We can
find more information about Families Belong Together and sign up
here:
States
1. ALL: Trump’s election has galvanized
survivors of sexual assault into demanding they be heard by society and
respected by the law. In many states, activists have been pushing to pass a
sexual assault survivor’s bill of rights, guaranteeing free exams for those who
need them and guaranteeing rape kits will not get destroyed (http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/05/michigan_house_passes_bills_fo.html). Let’s check the status of these efforts in
our states and push our legislators to step up here.
2. OH: From one of our own: The film below exposes the significant
security concerns re: touchscreen voting machines--including those w/
"Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails"--and touchscreen barcode ballot
markers. We must send it to every OH House member b4 they vote on #SB135 this week! SB135 is a funding bill. As explained in the
video, #SB135 does NOT require #handmarked #paperballots and thus would allow counties to use the
funds to buy insecure touchscreen barcode ballot markers--like the
ExpressVote--as well as touchscreen voting machines. Let’s watch, then call our
state House representative: https://www.facebook.com/NowThisPolitics/videos/2085885331442946/
Reading/Watching
1. “Almost
seven-in-ten Americans have news fatigue, more among Republicans” - http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/06/05/almost-seven-in-ten-americans-have-news-fatigue-more-among-republicans/
2. The
First Amendment to the Constitution is at the forefront of the news every day.
The Freedom Forum Institute has produced its latest annual report on how
Americans think about freedom of speech, and how they react to it in practice.
“‘We were glad to find that most Americans still support the First Amendment,
although it’s troubling that almost one in four thinks that we have too much
freedom,’ said Lata Nott, executive director of the First Amendment Center.
‘It’s also troubling that even people who support the First Amendment in the
abstract often dislike it when it’s applied in real life.’” We can read the
summary, as well as access the full 2017 report, here: https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/first-amendment-center/state-of-the-first-amendment/
3. “Antarctica:
plastic contamination reaches Earth's last wilderness” - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/06/antarctica-plastic-contamination-reaches-earths-last-wilderness
