5 Calls

Oppose HUD's Anti-Trans Housing Rule Change

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:24:05 +0000

Oppose HUD's Anti-Trans Housing Rule Change

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:24:05 +0000

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Equal Access Rule ensures that everyone can access federally funded housing and homeless services without discrimination. Since 2016, it has required HUD-funded shelters to house people according to their gender identity, a policy that has been vital to the safety of transgender and gender-expansive communities.

The Trump administration has proposed eliminating the Equal Access Rule and forcing HUD-funded providers to discriminate and deny access to services based on “biological sex.”

Oppose the Save Our Bacon Act

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:16:42 +0000

Oppose the Save Our Bacon Act

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:16:42 +0000

The “Save Our Bacon Act” is a controversial provision included in the House-passed Farm Bill (H.R. 7567) that would roll back animal welfare protections by preventing states from enforcing many of their own livestock production standards. If enacted, it would prevent states from adopting or enforcing laws that protect farm animals from being raised in cruel conditions like extreme confinement.

This harmful provision would:

Nullify voter-approved laws such as California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3, which require that certain animal products sold in those states come from livestock raised under minimum humane standards.
Prevent other states from adopting similar protections in the future, even when approved by voters or state legislatures.
Override states’ longstanding authority to determine what agricultural products may be sold within their borders.

Its impact could also extend far beyond pork production. According to an analysis by Harvard Law School’s Animal Law & Policy Clinic, the provision could undermine more than 600 state agricultural laws, including regulations governing food safety, seafood labeling, and the spread of pests and diseases.

Oppose Jay Clayton for Director of National Intelligence

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:03:42 +0000

Oppose Jay Clayton for Director of National Intelligence

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:03:42 +0000

Trump has nominated U.S. Attorney and former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Jay Clayton to serve as permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI) after Acting DNI Bill Pulte faced intense bipartisan criticism over his lack of qualifications.

Clayton, like Pulte, has no professional background in intelligence or national security. Instead, he has spent most of his career representing major investment banks in international deals, raising concerns about potential conflicts between corporate financial interests and national security priorities.

Stop Florida from Ending HIV Care for 10,000 Residents

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:50:10 +0000

Florida is on the verge of signing a compromise bill that restores funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) but introduces a dangerous hard cap of 21,000 patients. This limit represents a reduction from the current 30,000+ Floridians relying on life-saving HIV medication. Under this proposal, nearly 10,000 people will be immediately cut off from treatment starting July 1, 2026, regardless of medical need. Additionally, the bill eliminates insurance premium assistance, meaning even those who remain on the program may not be able to afford the health insurance required to access their prescriptions.

Stop Florida from Ending HIV Care for 10,000 Residents

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:50:10 +0000

Support Congressional Redistricting in New Jersey

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:40:03 +0000

Partisan Gerrymandering combined with the weakening of the Voting Rights Act is part of a broader effort by conservatives and the Trump Administration to suppress the votes of those who oppose their political agenda. Recent decisions by the United States Supreme Court have weakened key protections within the Voting Rights Act, threatening fair representation and diminishing the voices of communities of color, working families, and middle-class Americans. These rulings accelerated the efforts of many southern states including Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and Georgia to eliminate Democratic and Minority Congressional Seats.

Support Congressional Redistricting in New Jersey

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:40:03 +0000

Stop Migrant Abuse at ICE Detention Centers

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:35:14 +0000

Stop Migrant Abuse at ICE Detention Centers

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:35:14 +0000

The Trump administration’s aggressive approach to immigration has led to a spike in detentions, with reports from ICE facilities across the country revealing a pattern of abuse, neglect, and inhumane conditions. Deaths in custody have increased, while investigations continue to uncover evidence of inadequate medical care, mistreatment, and other serious human rights violations. The disturbing trends include:

Rising death tolls in ICE facilities. The alarming increase in deaths at ICE detention facilities raises serious concerns about medical neglect, overcrowding, and dangerous detention conditions.

Support the NO FAKES Act to Regulate AI Replicas

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:18:55 +0000

Support the NO FAKES Act to Regulate AI Replicas

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:18:55 +0000

Advances in artificial intelligence have made it possible for anyone to create a convincing replica of another person’s voice or likeness, without their permission. These AI-generated deepfakes can be used in harmful ways, including financial scams, identity theft, and the exploitation of artists, performers, and other creators.

The bipartisan NO FAKES Act of 2026 (S. 4591 and H.R. 8915) would establish a federal right to control the use of your own voice and likeness in AI-generated content. The bill would establish clear legal protections against unauthorized digital replicas while preserving important exceptions for news reporting, parody, criticism, and other First Amendment-protected speech.

Protect the Roadless Area Conservation Rule

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:13:17 +0000

Protect the Roadless Area Conservation Rule

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:13:17 +0000

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule has protected nearly 59 million acres of national forest land from road construction and large-scale logging since 2001.

The Department of Agriculture has already moved to nullify the Roadless Rule, but now Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has proposed an amendment to the formerly bipartisan Wildfire Prevention Act (S. 140) to legislatively rescind it. This amendment would not only open up previously protected areas for logging and construction, it would also prevent future administrations from restoring similar protections. The amendment was recently approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and is now one step closer to becoming law.

End the War with Iran (UPDATED 6/15)

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:04:41 +0000

End the War with Iran (UPDATED 6/15)

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:04:41 +0000

Updates

June 15, 2026: Trump has announced that a deal has been reached with Iran to extend the current ceasefire for 60 days, lift the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, the agreement is not a permanent peace deal, as many key issues, including details of Iran’s nuclear program, remain unresolved. The two countries also have differing accounts of what the deal includes. Officials are expected to meet in the next week to formalize the agreement and begin negotiations. Congress must now demand that any final nuclear agreement be submitted to Congress for review and a vote.

Oppose USPS Rule Change Threatening Mail Voting

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:53:27 +0000

Oppose USPS Rule Change Threatening Mail Voting

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:53:27 +0000

On June 2, 2026, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) published a proposed rule to allow the federal government to control who can cast a mail-in or absentee ballot. The rule, a response to an executive order that Donald Trump signed in March, would require states to send USPS a list of every voter slated to receive a ballot by mail. USPS could then refuse to deliver ballots to any voters whose names are not on states’ pre-approved lists.

Oppose Cuts to WIC Food Benefits for Families

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:11:03 +0000

Oppose Cuts to WIC Food Benefits for Families

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:11:03 +0000

As grocery prices remain high, the House has narrowly passed a FY 2027 Agriculture appropriations bill that would cut $200 million in funding from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WIC helps millions of pregnant and postpartum people and young children access nutritious food, breastfeeding support, and nutrition education.

Experts warn that the funding shortfall could force WIC to turn away eligible families for the first time in nearly 30 years. The bill would reduce fruit and vegetable benefits by an estimated $141 million for more than five million participants nationwide, making it more difficult for families to afford healthy food during pregnancy and critical stages of childhood development.

Support California Election Officials to Provide Faster Election Results

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 13:24:05 +0000

In recent elections, California has lagged behind other states in reporting results. Voters are sometimes frustrated by these delays, with days and sometimes weeks passing before races can be called. Research has also shown that delayed results can decrease public trust in an election.

Counting ballots in California takes time, in part due to the state’s excellent security and voter access procedures, like mail-in voting and ballot curing. These policies can be expensive to implement, and typically counties bear the full cost of elections without support from the state. When counties are resource-constrained, the speed of ballot processing can sometimes decrease. Governor Newsom has recently called on election officials to count ballots faster, and has committed to providing them with additional resources to do so.

Support California Election Officials to Provide Faster Election Results

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 13:24:05 +0000

Oppose Todd Blanche for Attorney General

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:29:55 +0000

Oppose Todd Blanche for Attorney General

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:29:55 +0000

Trump has nominated his former personal criminal defense attorney, Todd Blanche, to serve as Attorney General of the United States.

Blanche, who previously served as Deputy Attorney General, is the current Acting Attorney General, and there are serious concerns that he will further politicize the Justice Department. Blanche has pursued investigations into several of Trump’s perceived political enemies, leading former prosecutors and legal scholars to warn that the department is being used as a tool for political retaliation.

Oppose Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence (UPDATED 6/19)

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 20:57:28 +0000

Oppose Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence (UPDATED 6/19)

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 20:57:28 +0000

Updates

June 19, 2026: Pulte has now stepped in as Acting DNI with immediate plans to fire existing employees. His additional demands risk the security of classified information.

June 15, 2026: Trump has nominated U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to serve as a permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI). However, Pulte is still set to assume the role of Acting DNI on June 19th until a permanent nominee is confirmed.

Trump has appointed Bill Pulte, real estate executive and Trump loyalist, to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

Oppose USCIS Changes to Green Card Application Process

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:53:50 +0000

Oppose USCIS Changes to Green Card Application Process

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:53:50 +0000

Since 1952, immigrants have been able to apply for permanent U.S. residency through “adjustment of status,” a legal process that allows individuals being sponsored for a green card by an American employer or family member to remain in the U.S. during application processing. While the law behind this process has not changed. But on May 21, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memo attempting to reinterpret the legal process for green card applications. The memo described adjustment of status as “extraordinary discretionary relief” despite decades of established practice and Congress’s repeated preservation of adjustment of status as a lawful path to permanent residency.

Oppose OMB's Political Attacks on Scientific Research

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:35:56 +0000

Oppose OMB's Political Attacks on Scientific Research

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:35:56 +0000

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), led by Project 2025 architect Russell Vought, has proposed sweeping rule changes to the federal grantmaking process. Vought and the Trump administration are attacking the integrity of scientific research under the guise of aligning research priorities to the “national interest”.

The current practice for evaluating scientific grants involves a rigorous “peer review” process where scientific experts score grants for quality. Peer review is considered the gold standard for the evaluation of scientific work, and has been in practice since 1665. Under OMB’s proposed Federal Financial Assistance Rule (OMB-2026-0034), political appointees will now become the decision-makers in the grant approval process.

Block Harmful Provisions in H.R. 8800 the NDAA Defense Budget (UPDATED 6/5)

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:38:32 +0000

Block Harmful Provisions in H.R. 8800 the NDAA Defense Budget (UPDATED 6/5)

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:38:32 +0000

The Trump administration is asking Congress to approve a record-breaking $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget, the largest inflation-adjusted defense budget in American history. Rather than investing in the modern, cost-effective capabilities our military actually needs, it funds Trump’s vanity projects while supporting dangerous foreign entanglements. This massive bill, H.R. 8800, includes:

Section 224, titled the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative: This provision would give Israel unprecedented access to American military technology, while forcing the U.S. to integrate Israeli defense systems into our own supply chain.

Oppose the Expansion of AI Data Centers

Thu, 28 May 2026 15:41:03 +0000

Oppose the Expansion of AI Data Centers

Thu, 28 May 2026 15:41:03 +0000

As AI companies race to expand, states across the country are approving massive new data centers with very little public oversight. The U.S. already has more than 4,000 data centers with thousands more planned or under construction.

These facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity and water and in some areas, utility companies are already predicting that rapid data center expansion could strain power grids and increase energy costs for residents. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, data centers could account for roughly 12 percent of all U.S. electricity demand by 2028.

Fund US Weather & Climate Science

Thu, 21 May 2026 02:56:32 +0000

Fund US Weather & Climate Science

Thu, 21 May 2026 02:56:32 +0000

The United States has long been a world leader in climate and weather research. We developed the first computerized weather forecasts, the first computer models of the climate, and an unparalleled network of real-world measurements. Thanks to this work, we can now predict weather conditions days in advance, and impacts of human-caused climate change over the coming decades.

But now, the foundations of this success are under attack. The Administration is slashing funding for science, dismantling weather and climate labs which are critical for our forecasts, and giving political appointees veto power over what types of science get funded. These actions put the safety and security of the American people at risk and hurt the economic health of the nation.

Stop Trump's $1.8B Political Slush Fund (UPDATED 6/8)

Tue, 19 May 2026 18:56:04 +0000

Stop Trump's $1.8B Political Slush Fund (UPDATED 6/8)

Tue, 19 May 2026 18:56:04 +0000

Updates

June 8, 2026: The Bipartisan Transparency for American Taxpayers Act has been introduced to block Trump’s slush fund from receiving taxpayer money. Despite Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche telling Congress that the fund was no longer moving forward, Trump reaffirmed his support for it during a Meet the Press interview and refused to rule out payments to individuals convicted for their roles in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Congress now has an opportunity to permanently prevent taxpayer dollars from being used for these payouts.

Oppose Racial Gerrymandering in Georgia

Fri, 15 May 2026 22:19:52 +0000

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has called a special session of the state legislature, set to begin on June 17, with the express stated purpose of redrawing the state’s electoral maps in the wake of the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act. Governor Kemp’s actions follow those of other Republican-led states such as Florida, whose governor Ron DeSantis seized the opportunity within days of the SCOTUS decision to further gerrymander the state’s already partisan maps. These efforts collectively constitute a coordinated attack on Black representation across the Southeast.

Oppose Racial Gerrymandering in Georgia

Fri, 15 May 2026 22:19:52 +0000

Protect the Right to Vote and Fair Representation

Mon, 11 May 2026 19:36:29 +0000

Protect the Right to Vote and Fair Representation

Mon, 11 May 2026 19:36:29 +0000

On April 29th, the Supreme Court handed down a 6-3 ruling, made along ideological lines, that further diminished the Voting Rights Act (VRA). While the Supreme Court has gradually struck down parts of the VRA over the last couple decades, the ruling in Louisiana v. Callais effectively invalidates Section 2 which sought to protect the voting rights of people of color and block discriminatory electoral rules. In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote, “Under the Court’s new view of Section 2, a State can, without legal consequence, systematically dilute minority citizens’ voting power,” and many southern states have already begun to do just that, including Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina. The Louisiana Governor went so far as to suspend the current primary election even though voting had already begun.

Oppose H.R. 2616 Attacks on LGBTQ+ Students (UPDATED 5/20) - PASSED HOUSE

Thu, 07 May 2026 19:43:23 +0000

Oppose H.R. 2616 Attacks on LGBTQ+ Students (UPDATED 5/20) - PASSED HOUSE

Thu, 07 May 2026 19:43:23 +0000

Updates

May 20, 2026: The House has passed H.R. 2616, the PROTECT Kids Act, by a vote of 217-198. Democratic Reps Cuellar (TX), Davis (NC), Fields (LA), Gillen (NY), Gonzalez (TX), Kaptur (OH), Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), and Vindman (VA) voted YES with Republicans. The bill now moves to the Senate.

Republicans in Congress are pushing forward legislation targeting the treatment of LGBTQ+ students in public elementary and secondary schools. The Parental Rights Over the Education and Care of Their (PROTECT) Kids Act, H.R. 2616, would require all schools receiving federal funding to get parental approval before changing a child’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name “on any school form or sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms.”

Overturn Trump’s Attack on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Wed, 06 May 2026 18:37:44 +0000

Overturn Trump’s Attack on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Wed, 06 May 2026 18:37:44 +0000

Early in his second administration, Trump issued an executive order directing the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to redefine the concept of “public service” to align with his political agenda. The order included sweeping changes to eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, a nonpartisan student debt relief program for those working in public service and the nonprofit sector. Trump and McMahon’s changes to the PSLF program, which are scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026, allow the Secretary of Education to exclude borrowers from PSLF eligibility if they work for any organizations or institutions whose values are considered contradictory to the Trump administration’s far-right dogma. Many of the “illegal” programs this order targets are nonprofits that support immigrants, LGBTQ+ youth, racial and social equity, reproductive health care, and survivors of gender-based violence.

Hold Federal Agents Accountable for Constitutional Violations in Colorado

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:47:01 +0000

The U.S. Constitution guarantees our most cherished rights: to speak freely, practice our faith, keep and bear arms, and enjoy due process. However, these guarantees mean little without a mechanism to defend them against government overreach. While Coloradans can currently sue state and local police for constitutional violations under state law, they often have no legal recourse when their rights are violated by federal agents, such as ICE or the FBI. It’s shocking but true: the courtroom doors are closed even if federal agents commit egregious acts, like the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Hold Federal Agents Accountable for Constitutional Violations in Colorado

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:47:01 +0000

Oppose Age Verification Mandates for Internet Access

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:00:52 +0000

Oppose Age Verification Mandates for Internet Access

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:00:52 +0000

Various federal and state bills have been introduced to require age verification for internet platforms. While these bills’ purported purpose is to protect children from certain online content, they also raise concerns about privacy, accountability, and free expression.

Several platforms, apps, and websites in the US and abroad already use forms of age verification with varying degrees of success, requiring users to upload government documents or scan their face for age estimation. However, many of these measures are experimental and AI-driven, allowing platforms to collect and store personally identifying information, regardless of the user’s age. These platforms are often subject to data breaches. Digital rights advocacy groups also worry that the required disclosure of this personal information would fundamentally undermine the “ability under the First Amendment to engage in anonymous speech online”.

Protect Our Public Lands

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:35:33 +0000

Protect Our Public Lands

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:35:33 +0000

The Trump administration has repeatedly acted to weaken protections for our public lands and sell them to the highest bidder. They have repealed longstanding regulations for both land and wildlife protection; expedited approval processes for logging, mining, and drilling; and reorganized federal agencies to weaken oversight and management. Over 175 million acres of U.S. land are now at risk of sale or destruction.

— The administration will move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters to Utah and close research facilities in 31 states, weakening the agency’s ability to manage 154 national forests.

Oppose Oil & Gas Drilling Exemptions to Protect Endangered Species

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:11:49 +0000

Oppose Oil & Gas Drilling Exemptions to Protect Endangered Species

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:11:49 +0000

A panel of high ranking Trump officials on the Endangered Species Committee has voted to exempt oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from EPA regulations, which could seriously impact endangered wildlife in the area such as the rare Rice’s whale species. This “God squad” panel has not convened in over three decades but did so now at the request of Defense Secretary Hegseth, exploiting the energy crisis caused by the iran War.

Say No to War with Cuba

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:38:49 +0000

Say No to War with Cuba

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:38:49 +0000

The Trump administration has escalated its decades-long embargo on Cuba by completely cutting off the island’s access to oil, and it has already used military force in the process, seizing ships that have supplied the country. Trump has also threatened a “takeover” of Cuba, leaving the possibility of military intervention very much on the table. The United Nations has warned of potential humanitarian “collapse” if Cuba’s fuel needs go unmet. Blackouts now last up to 30 hours. Schools are closed, hospitals are canceling surgeries, and essential medicines are running dangerously low.

Reform FISA Section 702 to Stop Government Surveillance (UPDATED 6/15)

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:57:01 +0000

Reform FISA Section 702 to Stop Government Surveillance (UPDATED 6/15)

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:57:01 +0000

Updates

June 15, 2026: After failing to come to an agreement, FISA’s Section 702 has lapsed. Lawmakers are continuing to negotiate reauthorization.

June 3, 2026: With the June 12th extension deadline looming, the House and Senate are set to vote on the reauthorization of FISA. Trump’s appointment of unqualified loyalist Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence has added a new wrench into the debate, and negotiations over the inclusion of reforms continues. Floor votes are expected as early as June 4th.

Preserve Lifesaving Global HIV Programs

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:23:22 +0000

Preserve Lifesaving Global HIV Programs

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:23:22 +0000

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), one of the most successful global health programs in history, is being quietly dismantled. Launched in 2003 by President George W. Bush, PEPFAR has saved an estimated 26 million lives, connected 20.6 million people to HIV treatment, ensured 7.8 million babies were born HIV-free, and tested 83.8 million people for HIV in Fiscal Year 2024 alone. Despite the program’s impact and bipartisan popularity, PEPFAR has already lost millions in funding through the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Its funding through the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is now also under threat absent congressional action.

Require Clear Caffeine Labels on Highly Caffeinated Beverages - Support the Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:39:45 +0000

Require Clear Caffeine Labels on Highly Caffeinated Beverages - Support the Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:39:45 +0000

Energy drinks and other highly caffeinated beverages can often contain large amounts of caffeine without clear or consistent disclosure of total caffeine content. Many consumers, including children, teens, young adults, parents and caregivers, are unaware of how much caffeine they are ingesting. This lack of transparency can lead to unintended overconsumption and associated health risks.

The Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act, H.R. 2511, is named for Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old college student whose tragic death after unknowingly consuming a highly caffeinated beverage drew national attention to the need for clearer caffeine labeling. The legislation aims to improve consumer awareness and safety by ensuring disclosure of caffeine content in beverages sold nationwide. If enacted, the bill would amend federal food and drug laws to require clearer labelling of caffeine content for certain beverages, helping consumers make more informed and safer purchasing decisions.

Demand Affordable Home Insurance Rates in California

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:27:10 +0000

As extreme weather events like wildfires and floods become more destructive and frequent, insurance premiums are spiking across California. Between 2023 and 2025, State Farm alone received approval for cumulative rate increases totaling 45%, raising average annual premiums by $841. California FAIR Plan enrollment is skyrocketing — growing 500% from 2018 to 2025. This growing insurance affordability crisis is leaving homeowners, renters, and small businesses struggling to pay their bills. Some insurance companies are even dropping customers and refusing to issue new policies in communities that are at high risk of wildfires, hurricanes, and floods and sea level rise. In fact, more than 1 in 5 California homeowners are uninsured because of canceled policies and/or unaffordable premiums.

Demand Affordable Home Insurance Rates in California

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:27:10 +0000

Impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 22:35:15 +0000

Impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 22:35:15 +0000

After several high-profile scandals and abuses of power in 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is continuing to put the security of the US and other nations at risk in 2026. This former Fox News host’s lack of qualifications has led Hegseth to mishandle several sensitive situations, including compromising national security when classified military information was released during “Signalgate”. Since his rebranding as the “Secretary of War,” Hegseth has taken unprecedented actions against the US military and other countries alike, with some of his orders being investigated as war crimes under domestic and international law.

Block the Paramount/WBD Media Monopoly (UPDATED 6/15)

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 20:41:28 +0000

Block the Paramount/WBD Media Monopoly (UPDATED 6/15)

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 20:41:28 +0000

Updates

June 15, 2026: The DOJ has approved Paramount’s purchase of WBD. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that the merger is not finalized and “remains an active investigation,” with a coalition of states preparing a lawsuit to block it.

Paramount CEO David Ellison and his father, billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison, are Trump allies and major donors who are on track to control most major media in the United States. Paramount and Oracle already own a vast number of media companies including major movie and television studios, CNN, CBS, HBO, TBS, TNT, Food Network, HGTV, and TikTok. Paramount is now poised to acquire Warner Bros Discovery (WBD)after Netflix backed away from its original deal. This deal requires approval from the Department of Justice.

Oppose Nationwide Book Ban Bill H.R. 7661

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:53:22 +0000

Oppose Nationwide Book Ban Bill H.R. 7661

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:53:22 +0000

Rather than prosecuting people involved in child sex trafficking, House Republicans are trying to “Stop the Sexualization of Children” by turning the blame against teachers, librarians, and LGBTQ+ people. They have proposed H.R. 7661, a bill to block funding for schools or programs that provide access to “sexually oriented material” to people under the age of 18; effectively, a book ban.

While the bill specifies “sexually oriented material” as “nude adults, individuals who are stripping, or lewd or lascivious dancing,” it also groups in tangential issues of gender, specifically “gender dysphoria or transgenderism”, highlighting the primary target of this bill. Books featuring LGBTQ+ characters and themes—particularly stories featuring transgender/genderqueer characters and/or people of color—have been disproportionately targeted in recent calls for book bannings, the majority of which have come not from parents or individual readers, but from organized, well-funded groups with strong ties to conservative politics. Though H.R. 7661 makes a few exceptions for certain “classic” works of art and literature, they are confined to pieces catalogued in four already contentious lists, two of which come from a homeschooling company focused on teaching “a Biblical worldview”. Critics have argued that “the legislation would use the tools of access to materials as a form of discrimination on those children, those families, that are not majority population,” noting how “H.R. 7661 isn’t fundamentally about protecting kids. It’s about giving politicians broad authority to restrict whose stories are allowed on our shelves.”

Protect Trans Rights and Gender-Affirming Care

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:34:42 +0000

Protect Trans Rights and Gender-Affirming Care

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:34:42 +0000

Since his first day in office, Trump has been attacking transgender individuals by signing various executive orders to dehumanize and strip them of their rights. Trump and his allies have targeted what they call “Gender Ideology Extremism”, seeking to erase trans and nonbinary people by asserting that males and females “are not changeable,” a viewpoint that ignores extensive scientific evidence. Trump’s numerous executive anti-transgender orders have subsequently paved the way for further federal attacks:

Demand the Resignation of FBI Director Kash Patel (UPDATED 4/21)

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 01:03:31 +0000

Demand the Resignation of FBI Director Kash Patel (UPDATED 4/21)

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 01:03:31 +0000

Updates

April 21, 2026: A recent article from The Atlantic journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick described FBI Director Kash Patel’s alcohol misuse, disappearances from work, and alarmingly erratic behavior; Patel has responded to the allegations with a lawsuit against Fitzgerald and The Atlantic. Patel’s irrational and dangerous actions, on top of his ongoing politicization of the FBI to shield Trump from criminal liability, utterly disqualifies him from leadership of the nation’s top law enforcement agency.

Stop Construction of a Border Wall in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:53:34 +0000

The DHS SmartWall website has published plans to construct a secondary, 30-foot border wall through designated wilderness in the Cabeza Prieta NWR and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Waivers have been issued by Kristi Noem to bypass environmental laws in order to expedite construction for various sections of the wall, despite border crossings in the southwest dropping nearly 93% between 2024 and 2025.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is home to the northernmost population of organ pipe cacti, and is situated in the ecologically diverse Sonoran Desert. The national monument and its neighboring national wildlife refuge, Cabeza Prieta, are home to numerous endangered species - including the Sonoran pronghorn, Sonoyta mud turtle, and Quitobaquito pupfish. The pupfish and mud turtle rely on the perennial spring A’al Vaipia (also known as Quitobaquito) to survive, but the spring is located on the direct path of the proposed second border wall. The loss of this spring is in direct violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and would have disastrous impacts to the plants and animals that rely on this water to survive. In addition to being an ESA-designated critical habitat, A’al Vaipia is a sacred place for the Tohono O’odham people and a historic site along traditional trading and travel routes of early settlers.

Stop Construction of a Border Wall in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:53:34 +0000

Stop Construction of a Border Wall in the Big Bend Region

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 17:31:20 +0000

Reports indicate DHS is advancing border wall construction across the Texas Big Bend region, including segments affecting Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. This region’s remoteness and rugged terrain have historically limited crossings, with numbers of illegal crossings actually down by 74% in 2025.

The Big Bend region contains one of the most ecologically intact stretches of the Chihuahuan Desert in North America. Recent reporting indicates that updated plans for construction could impact protected desert landscapes along the Rio Grande. Public lands in this area support wildlife migration corridors, protect cultural and archaeological resources, and preserve dynamic river ecosystems. Experts have raised concerns that permanent wall infrastructure could fragment habitats and permanently alter protected landscapes.

Stop Construction of a Border Wall in the Big Bend Region

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 17:31:20 +0000

Oppose the New ICE Detention Facility in Oakwood, Georgia

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 22:15:37 +0000

In addition to the warehouse conversion already planned in Social Circle, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) now intends to open another detention center in Oakwood, Georgia. DHS plans to establish this facility as a processing center with capacity for 1,500 people to feed into the 10,000 person capacity detention center planned for Social Circle.

DHS is moving forward with these facilities despite strong opposition from community members and local government. Officials in both towns assert that they lack the water and sewer infrastructure to support a large influx of detainees. In addition, the fiscal impact of these facilities on the local community is significant. The federal government is not required to pay property tax, so once DHS completes the purchase of the properties, the towns lose out on this revenue stream. Moreover, parents are concerned by the fact that the proposed Oakwood facility, like the one in Social Circle, is within one mile of an elementary school.

Oppose the New ICE Detention Facility in Oakwood, Georgia

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 22:15:37 +0000

Oppose Legal Immunity for Big Oil

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:56:43 +0000

Oppose Legal Immunity for Big Oil

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:56:43 +0000

After months of fossil fuel industry lobbying, Republican lawmakers have introduced federal legislation to grant oil and gas companies immunity from any laws or lawsuits that could hold them accountable for their role in the climate crisis.

More than one in four Americans live in a community fighting in court to make Big Oil companies pay for lying about how their products fuel climate change. At at least a dozen states have passed or proposed climate “superfund” laws to make polluters, not taxpayers, cover the growing bill for climate damages. The fossil fuel industry’s allies in Congress are trying to block these accountability measures by introducing a total liability shield for fossil fuel companies based on the 2005 law protecting gun manufacturers from lawsuits.

Oppose Missouri S.B. 1085, "Prohibiting School Staff Encouraging Social Transition"

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 23:53:30 +0000

S.B. 1085 “prohibits public school staff members from encouraging minor students in their social transition,” defined as engaging in certain activities with the goal of helping a student become perceived as a member of the opposite biological sex. Further, this bill requires school staff to report students who wish to change their name or pronouns to the school principal or their designee within 24 hours; the principal would then be required to report this information to the student’s parents within 72 hours of the student’s initial request.

Oppose Missouri S.B. 1085, "Prohibiting School Staff Encouraging Social Transition"

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 23:53:30 +0000

Keep ICE Out of Your DMV Data

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:26:43 +0000

Keep ICE Out of Your DMV Data

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:26:43 +0000

ICE wants protesters to know they’re being watched — and it has the technology to back it up. In Minneapolis, ICE officers scanned protesters’ faces at demonstrations, then warned that the protesters were going to be added to a government database. Their message is clear: We know who you are. We know where you live. We’re watching.

ICE’s toolkit for identifying and intimidating protesters includes a vast array of technologies, many of which remain shrouded in secrecy. Companies like Flock Safety and Motorola Solutions operate cameras across the country that can be used to track vehicles’ location histories and identify their owners. Many states also provide ICE with unrestricted access to their DMV data through Nlets, a data-sharing network for law enforcement agencies across the U.S. This allows ICE agents to gather troves of information on individuals in the field using only license plates without obtaining a judicial warrant. The result: ICE can determine who protesters are, where they live, where they’ve been, and who they associate with.

Stop ICE from Building Camps in Your State

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 04:59:01 +0000

Stop ICE from Building Camps in Your State

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 04:59:01 +0000

Continuing its inhumane efforts to persecute immigrants, the Trump administration plans to buy and convert industrial warehouses into ICE detention camps. Over twenty sites across the nation- many of which are located near schools, hospitals, and places of worship- have been purchased or proposed for these camps, often without notifying or consulting local officials.

The proposed warehouses will detain as many as 9,500 people, causing even proponents of immigration enforcement to be concerned about how these facilities will operate and impact the infrastructure of surrounding communities. Even more concerning is the inhumane treatment the people interned in these industrial warehouses could face. Other ICE facilities have become synonymous with abuse, neglect, and unaccounted for disappearances. Families, lawyers, and political officials have been denied access and oversight into what are being deemed “death camps”, and many fear that with the increase in detention capacity, immigrants are only the first of many targets of the administration.

Oppose New ICE Detention Facility in Social Circle, Georgia

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:34:10 +0000

In a move that stunned local residents, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved forward with the purchase of a massive warehouse in Social Circle, GA. DHS plans to convert the million square foot facility into a detention center and begin housing detainees there as early as April of this year. This is despite near unanimous opposition from community members and local government.

Warehouses like the one in Social Circle are designed for storage and shipping, not human habitation. Local officials assert that the city lacks the water and sewer infrastructure for a large influx of detainees and have called the project “unfeasible”. This is compounded by widespread reports of overcrowding, inadequate food, substandard medical care, and dozens of deaths at detention centers across the country. Residents are also concerned by the fact that the detention facility is only 4000 feet away from a local elementary school.

Oppose New ICE Detention Facility in Social Circle, Georgia

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:34:10 +0000

Fight the Trump Administration's Election Interference

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:29:24 +0000

Fight the Trump Administration's Election Interference

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:29:24 +0000

In an attempt to exert control over our elections, Trump called on Republicans to “nationalize the voting." While the federal government lacks the legal authority to do so, the Trump administration has continued to perpetuate misinformation about the 2020 and 2024 elections, and they have taken extraordinary steps to interfere with states’ authority over their election systems and voter data.

The FBI conducted a raid at the election headquarters of Fulton County, Georgia, and seized records from the 2020 election, including ballots, voter rolls, and digital data.

Demand the Resignation of Stephen Miller

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:00:51 +0000

Demand the Resignation of Stephen Miller

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:00:51 +0000

The recent high-profile killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have rightly drawn attention to the threat that high-profile White House aide and enthusiastic white supremacist Stephen Miller poses to the United States. Miller has been a driving force behind implementation of Donald Trump’s deadly racist and anti-immigrant policies since the first Trump administration. Miller is the architect behind the despicable separation of detained immigrant families and the cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He has orchestrated the continued escalation of ICE detention and deportation campaigns, called for the unconstitutional elimination of due process rights for undocumented people, and enthusiastically spread lies about both immigrants and US citizens victimized by ICE’s indiscriminate violence. Outside of the domestic sphere, Miller has advanced a nakedly imperialist approach to foreign policy, from leading extrajudicial drone strikes on Venezuelan boats to calling for the use of military force to seize Greenland.

Stop the Dismantling of Federal Education Programs and Workforce

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 22:16:06 +0000

Stop the Dismantling of Federal Education Programs and Workforce

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 22:16:06 +0000

Since inauguration, the Trump administration has aimed to eliminate the Department of Education, a plan forecast in Project 2025. While it requires an act of Congress to officially eliminate a federal agency, the administration has taken numerous actions to slowly dismantle the agency’s programs and workforce and evade congressional oversight.

They have announced plans to transfer key responsibilities of the Education Department to other federal agencies: Administration of international programs will move to the State Department, K-12 education will move to the Labor Department, and control of the agency’s $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio will move to the Treasury Department. Child care programs and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will move to HHS under RFK, Jr., and the department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will move to the Justice Department that has focused on Trump’s anti-DEI and anti-LGBTQ+ political priorities.

Oppose the USDA’s reorganization plans and require release of public comments

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 03:10:51 +0000

Oppose the USDA’s reorganization plans and require release of public comments

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 03:10:51 +0000

On April 30, 2026, USDA intensified its attack on food access and nutrition programs by announcing a complete overhaul of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) Chapter 226, representing employees administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and other crucial nutrition programs, is sounding the alarm that USDA’s plans to dramatically reorganize FNS endanger food assistance for millions across the country.

Impeach Trump

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 19:48:46 +0000

Impeach Trump

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 19:48:46 +0000

Since Inauguration Day, Trump has consistently upended our constitutional separation of powers to unilaterally control all branches of our government; impose his political agenda on the entire U.S. population; and extort or prosecute anyone who challenges him, his power, or his financial interests.

Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion in damages from a leak of his 2019 tax returns. He then dropped the lawsuit to create a $1.7 billion slush fund free of judicial review and accountability. The fund will be controlled by five people handpicked by Trump’s DOJ, and will funnel taxpayer money to Trump’s political allies, including Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Trump’s DOJ has also included a sweeping permanent ban on IRS audits or “examinations” into Trump, his family, and his businesses.

NH Test Issue

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 18:02:04 +0000

Some test description

NH Test Issue

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 18:02:04 +0000

Ban Elected Officials from Trading Individual Stocks

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 15:57:22 +0000

Ban Elected Officials from Trading Individual Stocks

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 15:57:22 +0000

For years, watchdog groups and the public have raised concerns about the personal trading activity by elected representatives. Members of Congress and the executive branch have unique and privileged access to information that can easily lead to insider trading, corruption, and influence on legislative votes. Now, bipartisan groups of lawmakers in the House and Senate are moving forward on legislation to ban elected officials from trading individual stocks.

A bipartisan group in the House has introduced H.R. 5106, the Restore Trust in Congress Act. This bill combines previously introduced legislation into one consensus bill and bans members of Congress, their spouses and children from owning and trading individual stocks while in office. The bill does not affect members of the executive branch such as the President, Vice President, or Cabinet.

Preserve Life-Saving Vaccine Mandates in Florida (UPDATED 4/29)

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 21:46:26 +0000

Updates

April 29, 2026: Lawmakers in the Florida House refused to take up a bill proposed by Governor DeSantis to expand vaccine exemptions during this month’s special legislative session.

On September 3rd, Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, backed by Governor Ron DeSantis, announced that the state plans to end all vaccine mandates, equating these life-saving requirements to “slavery.” This would include ending required vaccination for all K–12 students, whose parents already have the ability to opt out of these vaccines by invoking religious or medical exemptions.

Preserve Life-Saving Vaccine Mandates in Florida (UPDATED 4/29)

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 21:46:26 +0000

Protect Medicare From H.R. 1's Automatic Cuts

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 22:11:46 +0000

Protect Medicare From H.R. 1's Automatic Cuts

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 22:11:46 +0000

In July, Republicans in Congress passed H.R. 1, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, that included $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid as well as numerous other provisions impacting nearly all sectors of the health care system: rural hospitals, nursing homes, CHIP, Affordable Care Act marketplaces, employer-based insurance premiums, and Medicare.

Despite consistent promises by Trump and Republicans that they would not touch Medicare, H.R. 1’s drastic increase to the federal deficit sets the stage for an estimated $490 billion cut to Medicare over the next decade. The 2010 Pay-As-You-Go Act (PAYGO) is a budget rule that requires any tax cuts or mandatory spending increases be offset by spending cuts or revenue increases. Because H.R. 1 will roughly increase the federal deficit by $3.4 trillion, it will trigger PAYGO, and the Office of Management and Budget will then be required to issue automatic cuts or “sequesters” by January 2026. While certain programs, like SNAP and Society Security, are protected from sequesters, Medicare is not. This PAYGO sequestration will result in a 4% cut in Medicare payments to hospitals, doctors, and providers.

Constituent Services: Report Your Concerns to Your Representatives

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:54:10 +0000

Constituent Services: Report Your Concerns to Your Representatives

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:54:10 +0000

Constituent service is a wide-ranging representational responsibility of all members of Congress. Users of 5 Calls are aware that this includes fielding requests from constituents about what positions to take on legislation, but this responsiblity also involves receiving feedback on how those legislative actions (and other non-legislative government actions) are impacting you, the people in their districts and state.

Not only can you call your representatives to talk about what’s happening in the federal government, you can also call them to talk about what’s happening to YOU as a result.

Oppose KOSA, the Kids Online Safety Act (UPDATED 3/6)

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 02:55:28 +0000

Oppose KOSA, the Kids Online Safety Act (UPDATED 3/6)

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 02:55:28 +0000

Updates

March 6, 2026: By a party line 28-24 vote, the House Energy & Commerce Committee passed a new 12-bill package, H.R. 7757, the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (the KIDS Act), that includes an updated version of KOSA. This new package contains preemption language that could limit state-level regulation, and it removed a “duty of care” provision that required tech companies make reasonable design efforts to minimize harm to minors. The KIDS Act now moves toward a full vote in the House.

Demand Full Epstein Case File Release and Public Hearings

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 18:27:23 +0000

Demand Full Epstein Case File Release and Public Hearings

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 18:27:23 +0000

In 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was convicted on federal child sex trafficking charges after years of evading the law. Along with his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein groomed, raped, and trafficked children while maintaining close relationships with wealthy and politically connected individuals, including Donald Trump. Epstein died in jail while awaiting trial, but public questions about his crimes, associates, and enablers have persisted.

Leading up to the 2024 presidential election, Trump repeatedly promised to release the Epstein files if elected, but he has failed to follow through. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has repeatedly acted to downplay and block the release of files related to the Epstein case, despite the November 2025 passage of the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act. When the DOJ did eventually release a subset of files in March of 2026, House Republicans declined to depose Trump despite these documents’ explicit allegations against him.

Defend Reproductive Rights

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 04:58:11 +0000

Defend Reproductive Rights

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 04:58:11 +0000

The Trump administration and congressional Republicans continue to systematically attack Americans’ reproductive health and bodily autonomy. In Trump’s first 100 days in office, his administration has acted to bar doctors from providing life-saving abortions in emergencies, slashed funding to community family planning clinics, and censored scientific information about reproductive health. FDA head Marty Kakary has threatened to review the safety of the abortion drug mifepristone, citing junk science published by a conservative think tank.

Meanwhile, in Congress, Republicans’ legislative agenda further threatens reproductive rights. H.R. 722 would grant legal rights to fertilized eggs, embryos, and fetuses, effectively banning abortion nationwide, even in states where voters chose to protect it. Anti-choice representatives have also introduced a bill to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act), a federal law that criminalizes attempts to prevent individuals from safely entering clinics to receive or provide reproductive healthcare, a move that would “embolden extremists and endanger lives.” And, of course, the recently passed One Big Beautiful Act slashes Planned Parenthood funding and will eventually kick millions of people off of their health insurance.

Demand the Unmasking of ICE Agents

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:15:43 +0000

Demand the Unmasking of ICE Agents

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:15:43 +0000

Updates

August 19, 2025: Senators Padilla (D-CA) and Booker (D-NJ) have introduced S. 2212, the VISIBLE Act, to require all immigration officers display visible identification.

In recent months, there have been increasing reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents concealing their identities, such as in the high-profile kidnapping of grad student Rümeysa Öztürk and the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. ICE agents have been documented wearing masks and plain clothes, misleading police, and using unmarked vehicles. They have also been refusing to identify themselves or the agency they work for as they conduct “masked abductions,” prompting questions about the legality and ethics of law enforcement operating without basic transparency.

A test call

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:33:11 +0000

A test call

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:33:11 +0000

this is a test call that should be hidden from everyone

Support Gaza (UPDATED 4/15)

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 03:07:47 +0000

Support Gaza (UPDATED 4/15)

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 03:07:47 +0000

Updates

April 15, 2026: Both resolutions of disapproval failed to pass the Senate. S.J.Res. 138 failed by a 36-63 vote, while S.J.Res. 32 failed by a 40-59 vote.

April 15, 2026: In response to Israel’s continued military escalation in both Gaza and Lebanon. Senator Bernie Sanders will force additional votes on resolutions to block the sale of offensive weaponry to Israel. Floor votes on S.J.Res.138 and S.J.Res.32 are expected on April 15th.

Despite agreeing to a comprehensive cease-fire on October 10, 2025, the Israeli government continues to violate the truce almost daily, killing hundreds of Palestinians and injuring many more, while demolishing thousands of buildings. The UN has stated that what the Israeli government is committing in Gaza is genocide.

Impeach Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 22:46:56 +0000

Impeach Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 22:46:56 +0000

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been rife with blatant attacks on science and public health. He has caused damage to our nation’s scientific research and public health infrastructure that will set us back decades. Under his so-called leadership:

Biomedical research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has stalled. The largest NIH study focused on women’s health has been canceled, and promising mRNA vaccination research has been defunded.

Support Ukraine (UPDATED 6/5)

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:18:40 +0000

Support Ukraine (UPDATED 6/5)

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:18:40 +0000

Updates

June 5, 2025: In a bipartisan rebuke of the Trump administration’s Ukraine policy, the House of Representatives passed the Ukraine Support Act by a vote of 226-195, with 18 Republicans joining Democrats despite opposition from Trump and House leadership. The legislation would impose new sanctions on Russia’s energy and financial sectors, while providing more than $1 billion in security and reconstruction aid to Ukraine and up to $8 billion in defense loans. The bill now moves to the Senate.

Governors: Deny Assistance for Mass Deportations

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 06:06:26 +0000

Trump and his team are moving full speed ahead to enact his Day 1 campaign promise to conduct a mass deportation of 10+ million undocumented immigrants from the United States. He is expected to name immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff and Project 2025 co-author Thomas Homan as his “border czar.” Homan previously served as Trump’s acting director of ICE and oversaw the destructive separation of families at the border, a process enthusiastically advocated for by Miller.

Protect the Press from the Trump Administration

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 06:06:25 +0000

In the waning days of Democratic control of the Senate, there are several opportunities to help prevent abuses to democracy from the incoming Trump administration. One such opportunity is to pass the Protect Reporters From Exploitative State Spying Act, or the PRESS Act, S. 2074, bipartisan legislation that would provide new and clear protections to journalists and their information sources. The legislation passed unanimously in the House in January but has yet to be considered by the Senate.

Oppose Cabinet Recess Appointments

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 06:06:24 +0000

Trump and his transition team have begun announcing their picks for Cabinet positions, and it is shaping up to be a Who’s Who of MAGA loyalists and co-conspirators. So far Trump has tapped Fox News host Pete Hegseth - who has no senior military or national security experience - for Defense Secretary, anti-vaxxer RFK Jr for Health and Human Services Secretary, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is under investigation for sex trafficking, for Attorney General.

Demand the Confirmation of Biden's Judicial Nominees

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:01:49 +0000

As a result of the 2024 election, Democrats will not only lose control of the White House but also the Senate, meaning that Trump and Senate Republicans will regain total control over federal judicial appointments. During Trump’s first term, Republicans added 234 conservative-leaning federal judges, including three Supreme Court justices, to our federal court system. These judges with lifetime appointments “have taken on added importance in recent years as courts have played a greater role in American life as the adjudicators of disputes over hot-button issues like abortion, immigration and the environment.”

Block H.R. 9495: Stop Congress from Handing Trump New Censorship Power - Passed House

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:01:48 +0000

UPDATE (11/21/24): With a 219-184 vote, H.R. 9495 has passed in the House. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration; continue to pressure your Senators to vote against this bill.

UPDATE (11/15/24): Speaker Johnson has scheduled a floor vote for H.R. 9495 for the week of November 18th.

UPDATE (11/14/24): While H.R. 9495 was expected to pass without much difficulty, the first procedural vote to quickly pass the legislation failed. However this first vote does not end the ability for the House to pass the legislation. Speaker Johnson could still decide to put the legislation on the House floor for a simple majority vote to pass the bill. Keep demanding Congress oppose this bill, as your calls are having an impact.

Protect Children From Book Bans in Your State

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 23:34:40 +0000

Since 2020 there has been a stark rise in the number of book bans with more than 4000 books banned in schools and public libraries all across America. These book bans disproportionately remove works about LGBTQ+ communities, people of color, and others who have been marginalized. Book bans to this effect are not only discriminatory – they are a violation of students’ First Amendment right to access information, and a quality education. Book bans do not protect children.

Reject the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 22:56:29 +0000

Update 8/1/2024 KOSA has passed the Senate by a vote of 91-3 and will be considered by the House.

Congress has again put forward legislation aimed at controlling what content children see online, known as the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSA). Lawmakers claim it would prevent kids from seeing inappropriate content online, however KOSA would instead weaponize legal speech online, encouraging government censorship against social media companies and others who host content that they deem “dangerous to children” while providing wide berth for what danger that might actually include.

Reform the Supreme Court

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 01:41:27 +0000

A decades-long strategy undertaken by conservative legal organization The Federalist Society, has helped Republican Presidents stack the US Supreme Court with a 6-3 majority of far-right partisan appointees. In its most recent term alone, this SCOTUS has issued a dramatic series of decisions in favor of longstanding conservative policy priorities and Republican political interests:

– On July 1st, the Roberts Court ruled that the President of the United States is above the law.. Not only did they rule that a President has broad immunity for any crimes committed as “official acts” in office, they also shielded the use of any communications about those crimes from being used as evidence in any other criminal proceedings. The Supreme Court rewrote detailed checks and balances in the Constitution, like impeachment, and paved the way for a President to rule as a violent dictator. – On June 28th, the Roberts Court overruled a 40-year-old precedent known as Chevron deference, ruling that judges can themselves interpret ambiguities in federal laws instead of deferring to the experts from the agencies who issued them. In effect, this will threaten every federal agency’s ability to make or enforce regulations, despite the necessity of those regulations to protect the public across important areas such as environmental safety, financial fraud, or public health emergencies. – The Roberts Court also greatly limited the Department of Justice’s ability to prosecute Jan 6th insurrectionists, delayed the guarantee of a pregnant person’s right to an emergency abortion to save their own health, blocked the EPA from implementing a plan to reduce air pollution, struck down a ban on bump stocks, allowed South Carolina to use a racially drawn voting map, and allowed states to criminalize homelessness.

Bring American Doctors Trapped in Gaza Home Safely

Tue, 14 May 2024 17:38:14 +0000

UPDATE (05/18/24): 17 of the 20 medical professionals have been evacuated from Gaza. Two U.S. permanent residents and 11 non-American medical team members were not offered evacuation, as only US citizens were granted exit. Dr. Adam Hamawy, a U.S. citizen and former U.S. Army combat surgeon, choose to stay in Gaza out of solidarity to his team.

A group of American medical professionals, on a humanitarian mission in Gaza, are trapped due to Israel’s latest Rafah attack. Approximately 20 American medical professionals, including 15 doctors, are currently stranded at the European Hospital in Gaza. These dedicated individuals have been providing critical medical services under increasingly perilous conditions.

Oppose the Impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas - Dismissed by Senate

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:40:07 +0000

UPDATE (04/17/24): The Senate has voted to dismiss the articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Mayorkas, ruling the articles of impeachment were unconstitutional.

UPDATE (02/13/24): With a narrow 214-213 vote, the House has impeached DHS Secretary Mayorkas. The resolution now goes to the Senate, where they will decide how they would like to proceed. The Senate has the ability to hold a trial, or can simply vote to dismiss it altogether. Demand your Senators dismiss this politically motivated travesty of the impeachment process.

Demand Accountability of US Involvement in the Bombing of Gaza

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 00:47:50 +0000

UPDATE (01/29/24): The Senate has voted to table Senate Resolution 504, effectively ending any forward motion on the resolution. However, the resolution is not fully dead, and Senators can reconsider adopting the resolution. Demand your Senators rethink their position and adopt S. Res 504.

For decades, Israel has ranked as the top recipient of U.S. security aid, and since October 7th, the U.S. has transferred at least 15,000 bombs, including 2,000-pound bunker busters, and more than 57,000 artillery shells to Israel. Israel has dropped more than 22,000 bombs on Gaza that were supplied by the United States in just the first month and a half of the war, leaving a path of destruction that has leveled over 70% of homes in Gaza and killed 1% of the Gazan population. These jaw dropping figures were only recently disclosed to Congress.

Demand a Clean Aid Package to Ukraine - Funding Package Passed Congress

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 23:05:29 +0000

UPDATE (04/24/24): The House and Senate have passed a new aid package to Ukraine.

UPDATE (02/21/24): After months of bipartisan negotiations, Republicans killed a compromise bill that would have instituted new immigration and border controls, which they claimed to require in exchange for any further funding for Ukraine. In response, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) put forth a standalone bill with no changes to immigration policies which passed in the Senate 70 to 29. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has decided to not move forward with the Senate-passed legislation. Instead, House GOP members are now again requiring a border security packagein exchange for Ukraine aid, bringing Congress back to square one. Republicans are going in circles with no end in sight. They demanded a border security package but then rejected the legislation that granted their demands. Enough is enough, Ukraine is suffering due to a lack of GOP leadership and continuing to give Putin an advantage in Ukraine. Demand your House Representatives immediately pass much needed financial aid to Ukraine

Reject Cuts to Amtrak to Support Green Transportation

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 17:06:34 +0000

In the context of escalating climate change, support for passenger rail travel is a no-brainer. According to a recent federal report on decarbonizing the transportation sector, “On average, Amtrak is 34% more energy-efficient than flying for every mile a passenger travels, and 46% more energy-efficient than driving. The precise carbon savings vary by route, and depend on whether a train runs on electricity or diesel fuel, but taking Amtrak can be half as carbon intensive as flying.”

Call for De-escalation and Ceasefire in Israel and Occupied Palestine

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 22:23:05 +0000

Update (04/24/24): Even as the unconscionable war on Gaza continues, the US House and Senate have passed more aid to Israel. While the new package includes $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza in the overall $26.3 billion package, it calls for no de-escalation of the war and provides no guardrails on Israel’s right wing government and its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza. The current death toll from the invasion now tops 34,000 people and is expected to continue to climb as Israel begins a ground invasion of Rafia, where over 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering from the war. We must end the US funding of this war, and instead demand a permanent ceasefire.

Codify Abortion Rights

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 23:38:38 +0000

In June of 2022, the Supreme Court flouted 50 years of legal precedent and ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision protecting abortion access for pregnant people at the federal level. Since then, states across the country have moved to restrict or outright ban abortion care.

Codifying abortion access through federal legislation is one of our last options to protect pregnant people. The Women’s Health Protection Act (S.701) creates legal protections for both abortion providers and abortion care patients at the federal level, filling in the void left by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The bill safeguards access to abortion care nationwide by preventing restrictions such as six-week bans, mandatory delay periods, biased anti-choice abortion counseling, and medically unnecessary ultrasounds.

Request and Attend an April Recess Town Hall

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:27:28 +0000

The House of Representatives and Senate are in congressional recess from April 3rd-17th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Your representatives work for you: you should have regular opportunities to discuss their positions, platforms, and how their legislative agendas will affect you and those close to you. Town halls are a critical tool for holding representatives accountable for their actions and ensuring that these elected officials, who spend much of their time outside of their home states, are hearing the needs and concerns of their constituents in person.

Oppose the RESTRICT Act

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 16:23:15 +0000

Congress is currently considering the RESTRICT Act, (S.686) a bill that purports to protect Americans by restricting access to apps and websites that could pose a threat to national security.

Despite information that has been circulating online, the bill would not explicitly criminalize using a VPN but does use overly broad language that gives the President the ability to ban any app deemed a “security risk.” This power seems ripe for abuse by a President who seeks to use any available method to punish their political opponents, a situation with which we are unfortunately very familiar.

Oppose Anti-Transgender Legislation In Your State

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 22:48:35 +0000

In recent months, there has been an unprecedented increase in legislation targeting transgender people, with a particular focus on banning support for trans youth and restrictions on gender-affirming medical care. Over the past two years, state lawmakers introduced well over 300 bills targeting trans people, more than in any previous period. More than 85% of this legislation focuses on trans youth. These proposed laws are riding on a surge of misinformation about the nature and outcomes of gender-affirming care for youth, and make inaccurate assertions about how often transgender people regret transitioning (which is extremely rare) when the concern should be focused on rising rates of distress, depression and suicide in youth prevented from transitioning.

Support the Equal Rights Amendment

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 16:47:30 +0000

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), first introduced in 1923, is a proposed constitutional amendment that prohibits denying or limiting equality of rights under the law based on sex. Unlike many other nations’ constitutions, the US Constitution does not specifically guarantee equal rights for all citizens regardless of sex. The ERA would finally enshrine protections against sex discrimination in our Constitution, an important safeguard against recent congressional attempts to reverse legislative prohibitions on sex discrimination. The ERA would also require courts to apply strict scrutiny when assessing policies that allow for differential treatment based on sex.

Support Workers Right to Organize: Support the PRO Act

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 18:48:18 +0000

Income and wealth inequality (how evenly or unevenly income is distributed across the population) is higher in the United States than in almost any other developed nation. From 1979 to 2020, annual wages for the bottom 90% of households increased by only 26%, while average incomes for the wealthiest 1% increased by more than 160%.

The right for workers to organize and collectively bargain for salary and conditions of employment is a cornerstone of fair and just labor practices. And Americans agree – labor unions currently have the highest approval rating since 1968, with 71% of Americans now approving of labor unions.. However, corporations such as Amazon and Starbucks have reacted to labor organizing with aggressive union busting practices in an attempt to stop their employees from gaining collective bargaining power.

Demand Statehood for Washington, D.C.

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 18:48:17 +0000

Residents of Washington, D.C. pay federal taxes, but don’t have Senators or a Representative to vote on issues affecting them. Local laws that voters support can be overruled by Congress without the protective rights of a state. D.C. has a larger population than both Vermont and Wyoming, but less say in our government than either. In 2016, 86% of Washington, D.C. voted for statehood over the unjust status quo.

Given recent events, lawmakers should prioritize making the District of Columbia a state and ensure that every American has fair and equal representation in the federal government. Demand that your Members of Congress support H.R. 51 and S. 51 to finally grant statehood to the District of Columbia.

Request and Attend a February Recess Town Hall

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 17:09:02 +0000

The House of Representatives is in congressional recess from February 11th-26th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

End Citizens United and Dark Money in Politics

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 21:22:16 +0000

The Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Supreme Court ruling in 2010 granted corporations and special interest groups the same First Amendment rights as individuals and allowed them to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns. This has had a devastating impact on the integrity of American democracy. The ruling has led to a proliferation of “dark money” in politics, where the source of campaign funding is concealed and can’t be traced, enabling a small group of wealthy individuals and special interest groups to exert an unprecedented level of influence over our elections and corrupt the political process, undermining the principle of political equality and the ability of average citizens to have their voices heard.

Demand Comprehensive Police Reform

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 21:14:13 +0000

In the wake of yet another brutal murder at the hands of police officers, we are again reminded that police reform must be a primary goal of our federally elected officials. In both the 116th and 117th Congresses, major police reform legislation passed in the House but died in the Senate due to gridlock. This failure cannot continue as more lives are unnecessarily lost.

This piece of twice-passed House legislation comprised of the most comprehensive reforms to policing in over 50 years. The legislation was designed to address the “persistent unchecked bias in policing” and “a history of a lack of accountability” that is wreaking havoc in black communities.

Demand a Federal Ban on Assault Weapons

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 22:19:23 +0000

In 2004, the National Rifle Association (NRA) successfully pressured the Republican-controlled government into preventing the renewal of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. The ban had been working to protect lives; after it expired the number of gun massacre deaths, which had decreased over 40% during the ban, jumped nearly 2.5 fold.

Gun violence experts are now renewing their calls for a nationwide ban on these types of weapons - and Americans agree - recent surveys show a majority of Americans support a nationwide assault weapons ban.

Support the Protesters in Iran - Passed House

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 15:25:02 +0000

UPDATE (01/25/23): The House has passed H.Con.Res.7 in support of the protesters in Iran. The legislation now moves to the Senate for a vote.

In September of 2022, the Iranian morality police arrested a 22 year old Iranian-Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, for violating Iran’s mandatory hijab law. Soon after her arrest, she was transferred to a hospital in Tehran where she died under suspicious circumstances. The Iranian government alleges Amini collapsed due to a heart attack at a detention center, however her family claims she was perfectly healthy prior to arrest. Furthermore, eyewitnesses assert to have seen police forces beat Amini in a van following her detainment and images of her in the hospital appear to confirm violence lead to her death.

Support a Clean Debt Ceiling Increase - Reject House Bill

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:08:40 +0000

UPDATE (05/01/23): House Republicans narrowly passed legislation that would raise the debt ceiling but the bill includes drastic cuts to popular social programs. If enacted, the bill would freeze federal spending to 2022 levels for a decade, roll back major parts of the Biden administration’s landmark health and climate legislation, cut funds to the IRS intended to crackdown on tax cheats, establish stringent work requirements for recipients of food stamps and Medicaid benefits, and block student loan forgiveness. Demand your Senator reject this legislation and pass a clean debt ceiling increase.

Save the Office of Congressional Ethics

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 21:52:38 +0000

UPDATE (01/09/23): The GOP-led House has adopted a rules package that includes the gutting of the Office of Congressional Ethics. Demand your Congressperson strengthen congressional oversight and reinstate the OCE.

After a contentious battle for Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy’s first action in his new role is to pass a rules package on how the House will govern itself for the next two years. In this package, Republican House members have laid out rules that would gut the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), impairing its role as an independent ethics watchdog of our elected officials. The OCE was created in 2008 on the recommendation of a bipartisan task force to clean up corruption in Congress and since its founding has referred 52 Democrats and 50 Republicans to the Ethics Committee for investigation.

Oppose a National Ban on Abortion

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 15:56:37 +0000

After the Supreme Court upended 50 years of precedent by overturning Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, states have been left to define abortion laws within their own borders. This has led to abortion care being banned in at least a dozen states with more expected to follow. Soon approximately half of US states will severely restrict or completely ban abortion access. However, the other half of states are determined to protect abortion care access, with some states enacting additional laws to ensure abortion remains legal.

Request and Attend an August Recess Town Hall

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 16:00:07 +0000

The Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess until September 6th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Support S. 4 to Restore Federal Protections Against Voter Suppression

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 15:50:15 +0000

In the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), gutting the legislation and ending the federal government’s oversight of potentially discriminatory state voting law changes. Section 4(b) established a formula to identify states who needed federal preclearance of voting law changes because of their history of voter suppression. In the Shelby County v. Holder decision, the Court ended the preapproval process, a ruling that the over 40-year old formula was outdated and put an undue burden on states. Since then, at least 22 states, including many previously covered by the preclearance requirement, have implemented measures that systematically disenfranchise voters of color and low-income voters. Such changes include reducing polling locations, requiring voter ID, shortening early voting, and purging voter rolls.

End the Hyde Amendment Block on Abortion Funding

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 20:57:38 +0000

The so-called Hyde Amendment is a policy rider that has been added to the annual federal budget every year since 1976 in reaction to the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Championed by the vocal anti-abortion Congressman Henry Hyde, the Amendment bars the use of federal funds for abortion procedures. This means Medicaid recipients, service members, and young people who are the most dependent on federally-funded health services cannot access abortion services through their healthcare plan and must find the money and resources to seek out the procedure. For many people, this is equivalent to an abortion ban.

Demand Action on Reproductive Rights at a July Recess Town Halls

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 18:07:29 +0000

The Senate is in congressional recess from June 27th to July 10th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent.

Given the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, now is a critical time to engage with your elected officials.

Congress could swiftly enact several legislative fixes to protect reproductive rights, such as:

passing H.R. 3755, Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify a person’s right to an abortion;

Demand Congress Support Abortion Access Legislation

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:41:09 +0000

UPDATE (06/24/22): The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, ending 50 years of federal protection of abortion rights. Abortion is now illegal or severely restricted in 26 states, with more expected to follow. Demand your Senators pass H.R. 3755 by any means possible, including ending the filibuster.

UPDATE (09/24/21): With a 218-211 vote, the House has passed the Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755) which creates a new legal protections for both providers and patients of abortion care at the federal level. This bill safeguards access to abortion in every state against restrictions such as six-week and 15-week bans, mandatory delay periods, biased counseling, and medically unnecessary ultrasounds. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Codify Abortion Rights - Passed House, Demand a Senate Vote

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:28:19 +0000

The Supreme Court has flouted 50 years of legal precedent and ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision protecting abortion access for pregnant people at the federal level.

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, states now have the authority to restrict abortion. Thirteen states already have “trigger laws” which take effect with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, making abortion illegal. Many other states have laws that restrict abortion, such as six week bans, which can now be freely implemented. Other states are expected to follow suit, with at least half of states expected to ban or severely restrict abortion access in the coming months.

Support the Protecting our Kids Act and Demand Additional Action on Gun Safety - Passed House

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 18:06:18 +0000

UPDATE (06/08/22): With a 223-204 vote, the House has passed H.R. 7910. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

In the wake of the horrific massacres in Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX, House Democrats quickly proposed an emergency gun safety bill to attempt to provide some common sense reforms. The Protecting our Kids Act, H.R. 7910, makes minor but needed changes to current gun safety regulations. The bill would:

raise the age for purchasing semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 years old;
make it illegal to import, sell, manufacture, transfer or possess large-capacity magazines;
establish requirements for the safe storage of firearms in homes;
require existing bump stocks to be registered and ban the sale and possession of bump stocks; and
apply current federal firearms regulations to ghost guns.

While all of these proposed measures are a good first step, they fail to address the major common sense reforms which are overwhelmingly popular in America regardless of party affiliation. These include universal background checks (81% in support), preventing people with mental illness from purchasing guns (87% in support), creating a federal database for all gun sales (66% in support), and completely banning assault-style weapons (63% in support).

Request and Attend a May/June Recess Town Hall

Tue, 31 May 2022 19:28:40 +0000

The Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess from May 27th to June 6th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. Given the recent back-to-back horrific mass shootings in Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX, it is the perfect time for them to hear the concerns of their constituents about gun safety reform.

Demand a Federal Ban on Assault Weapons - Passed House

Wed, 18 May 2022 17:57:12 +0000

UPDATE (07/29/22): With a 217-213 vote, the House has passed H.R. 1808. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Request and Attend an April Recess Town Hall

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:30:05 +0000

The Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess from April 11th-25th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Keep the Postal Service Solvent with the Postal Service Reform Act - Signed into Law

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 16:00:53 +0000

UPDATE (04/06/22): President Biden has signed H.R. 3076 into law.

UPDATE (03/08/22): The Senate has passed H.R. 3076 with a vote of 79-19. The legislation now moves to President Biden’s desk for final approval.

UPDATE (02/08/22): The House has passed H.R. 3076 with a bipartisan 342 - 92 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

In 2006, the Republican-controlled congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act requiring the United States Postal Service to pre-fund retirement health care costs for 75 years into the future. As no other federal agency in the United States has this requirement, the move was a clear attempt to further the long-term Republican goal of squeezing the US Postal Service into privatization.

Support Federal Red Flag Legislation to Prevent Gun Violence - Passed House

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 15:46:38 +0000

UPDATE (06/09/22): With a 224-202 vote, the House has passed H.R. 2377. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

In 2021, Representative Lucy McBath reintroduced H.R. 2377, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act (FERPO) commonly referred to as “red flag laws,” to empower families and law enforcement to more effectively intervene to prevent gun violence, including suicides. Individuals who ultimately commit gun violence commonly exhibit early warning signs to their families or law enforcement. Under this new law, there would be a mechanism to petition the court for a temporary block on gun access. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia already have red flag laws in place, and if passed, FERPO would replicate this known-to-be effective process at the federal level.

Support the Legalization of Marijuana - Passed House

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 20:37:41 +0000

UPDATE (04/01/22): With a 220-204 vote, the House has passed H.R. 3617. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

A staggering 91% of Americans support legalizing some degree of marijuana use in the United States, with 60% supporting full recreational and medical legalization and 31% supporting legalization for medical purposes only.

Consistent with shifting public opinion, a growing number of states have legalized marijuana. As of 2022, 38 states and Washington, DC have legalized medical marijuana use, with 18 of these states and Washington, DC also legalizing recreational use. However, states’ efforts to relax marijuana laws conflict with the Federal Controlled Substances Act, which classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug with no accepted medical use.

Put Constituents First: Support Access to Affordable Health Care

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 15:25:28 +0000

We all know the sicknesses that face our broken health care system. Lack of adequate health coverage is one of the many inequities our patients face: one in four individuals can’t afford their medications, and countless others cannot get access to necessary health and mental health services. Additionally, so much of what determines our patients’ health and wellness is completely outside the walls of hospitals and clinics. The time to speak up for our patients is now.

Demand a Ban on Congressional Stock Trading

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 16:46:02 +0000

Every year, members of Congress hold hearings and meetings with business leaders, propose industry regulations, and vote on hundreds of pieces of legislation that affect stock prices across many industries. These activities give them access to non-public information about industry, technology, and even impending actions by specific companies. While it may seem obvious that our elected officials should not be able to profit from this insider information, current laws intended to curb this behavior, such as the STOCK Act passed in 2012, are inadequate or unenforceable. In fact, recent reporting showed that 57 members of Congress violated the STOCK Act in 2021 alone. Some of the most egregious behavior came from former Senators Richard Burr and Kelley Loeffler, who made incredibly well-timed stock trades while still in office at the beginning of the pandemic. In another example, former Senator David Perdue, made over 2,500 stock trades in one term. Many Members of Congress have enriched themselves with information gained from their access to industry data, leading one to wonder if their legislative decision making is driven more by the desire to make successful stock trades than to serve their constituents.

Close the Boyfriend Loophole to Ban Guns from Domestic Abusers

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 22:33:11 +0000

When the bipartisan group of Senators reached a compromise package to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the deal removed a key provision in the legislation - the so called “boyfriend loophole.” Even though abused women are 5 times more likely to be killed by their abuser if the abuser has access to a gun, the boyfriend loophole in federal gun safety laws allow abusers to readily access firearms.

Federal law does not consider an assault domestic violence if the abuser and victim were in a dating relationship without living together or having a child together. This loophole leaves thousands of abusers able to legally purchase guns to use against their victims. Also, although it is well known that stalking is a reliable predictor of future violent behavior, federal law does not consider misdemeanor stalking a serious enough crime to limit an abuser’s access to guns. Furthermore, federal law does nothing to restrict an abuser’s access to guns during the most dangerous time for victims of domestic violence, the period when a victim has left their abuser and filed for a Temporary Restraining Order. Until the restraining order is permanent, violent abusers can easily buy and use a firearm.

Support Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act - Signed into Law

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 02:35:19 +0000

UPDATE (03/15/22): President Biden has signed the 2022 fiscal spending package, which included reauthorization of the VAWA. The VAWA is now officially reautorized.

UPDATE (03/10/22): The Senate has passed the 2022 omnibus spending package with funding for the VAWA included. The legislation now moves to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

UPDATE (03/09/22): The House has reautorized funding for the VAWA by adding it to the 2022 omnibus spending package which passed on Wednesday. The spending package, with the VAWA included, now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Support Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court- CONFIRMED

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 15:28:43 +0000

UPDATE (04/07/22): In a final vote of 53-47 with Senators Collins, Murkowski, and Romney joining all Democrats and Independents, the Senate has confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to join the Supreme Court in its 233-year history.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is the first Black woman to be nominated for the United States Supreme Court. Currently a judge at the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, she was a federal judge for 9 years, a clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer, a corporate lawyer and a federal public defender. If approved, she would be the second youngest juror on the Supreme Court, ensuring that her broad perspective and experience will shape the court for many years.

Support the Ukrainian Resistance to the Russian Invasion

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 19:11:14 +0000

On February 24, 2022, after weeks of warnings from US officials, Putin invaded Ukraine. For months, Russia amassed troops along their shared border and escalated rhetoric, eventually claiming that Russia must “de-nazify” Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is leading a fierce resistance to this invasion, garnering a breathtaking display of broad world wide support from a multitude of countries, organizations and corporations. In spite of unprecedented financial, diplomatic, technological and social isolation, Putin has continued to ratchet up tensions by putting Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces on alert and brutally attacking Ukraine from multiple directions. It is becoming clear that this war will not be short, and the consequences to the Ukrainian people will likely be catastrophic.

Protect the Right to Fight Workplace Sexual Harassment - Passed House and Senate

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 10:21:44 +0000

UPDATE (02/010/22): The Senate has passed H.R. 4445. The legislation now moves to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

UPDATE (02/07/22): The House has passed H.R. 4445 with a 335 - 97 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Since the beginning of the Me Too movement, Americans have been inundated with stories of how high-profile men and women have used their positions of power to sexually harass and assault others. Sexual assault and harassment allegations have been levied against people in virtually every industry, including chefs, journalists, famous actors, political representatives, business leaders, and others. This massive outpouring of allegations - and businesses’ unprecedented willingness to take them seriously - has created a cultural shift in holding harassers accountable for their actions. The long-overdue acknowledgment of the rampant nature of sexual harassment represents an opportunity to enact laws to protect against sexual harassment in the workforce.

Defend Workers Right to Organize: Support the PRO Act - Passed House

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 13:47:54 +0000

The ability of workers to organize into unions is critical for a productive economy that protects people over profits. The “Protecting the Right to Organize” (PRO) Act (H.R. 842 / S. 420) strengthens the rights of workers to organize by forbidding employer interference in union elections, penalizing employers for violating workers’ rights, and forbid so-called ‘right to work’ laws which enable employees to opt out of unions (but still be protected under union contracts).

Revitalize the Supplemental Security Income Restoration Program to Fight Poverty

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 10:45:01 +0000

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides monthly payments to about 8 million low-income aged, blind, and disabled people. While the program is a lifeline for many, it also contains outdated provisions that exclude millions, reduce payments, and needlessly inflate administrative costs. For example, SSI’s asset eligibility limits have not been updated since 1989, and the maximum annual SSI benefit is just three-quarters of the federal poverty level.

The Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act, H.R. 3824/S. 2065, would simplify program administration; raise the SSI’s monthly payment maximum to 100% of the federal poverty level and index payments to inflation; and remove provisions that penalize SSI beneficiaries who receive in-kind help from friends, get married, work part-time, or receive income from pensions or Social Security.

Protect DACA and TPS Recipients with the Dream and Promise Act - Passed House

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 07:43:44 +0000

One of President Obama’s legacies is the DACA Program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) of 2012, which provides temporary stays of deportation and work permits for young undocumented students and veterans who were raised as Americans. DACA recipients, known as DREAMers, undergo criminal background checks, pay application fees, and meet stringent eligibility criteria including that they came to the United States as minors, grew up in the United States, pursued an education or served in the military, and do not pose a threat to the country.

Support Working Families with Paid Parental Leave

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 07:40:31 +0000

Studies have found that paid parental leave can reduce infant mortality, increase childhood vaccination rates, reduce depression rates in mothers even decades after giving birth, and increase the engagement of fathers in child-rearing. Despite the clear benefits, the United States is the only rich, industrialized nation that provides no paid parental leave of any kind. The US also provides no support for people who must leave work to care for an elderly parent, an increasingly common phenomenon. Currently, only 21% of workers have access to paid family leave through their employers.

Designate Lynching as a Federal Hate Crime - Signed into Law

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 21:00:01 +0000

UPDATE (03/29/22): President Biden has signed H.R. 55 into law, finally making lynching a federal hate crime.

UPDATE (03/07/22): The Senate has passed H.R. 55, sending the legislation to President Biden’s desk for his signature to enact the law.

UPDATE (02/28/22): The House has passed H.R. 55 with an overwhelming vote of 422-3. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

H.R. 55, the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, is long overdue legislation that would make lynching a hate crime under federal law. The designation would ensure that the crime of lynching would be eligible for the additional tools and resources used to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, and trigger enhanced sentencing upon conviction.

End the Federal Death Penalty

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 21:00:01 +0000

After a 16 year moratorium on federal executions, the Trump administration reinstated the federal death penalty in 2019 despite an ongoing broad national shift away from support for the use of capital punishment, putting 13 inmates to death in the waning months of his presidency. In response, the Biden administration and Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice announced they were reviewing the policy and temporarily halting federal executions, leaving the door open for future federal executions. This policy stands in stark contrast to state moratoriums on executions to prioritize prisoner health during the pandemic, reductions in death penalty sentences and a dip in executions in state prisons. Two states have outlawed this practice and there is momentum to abolish it in many states.

Request a July Recess Town Hall

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 21:00:01 +0000

Both the Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess through July 11th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Your representatives work for you: you should have regular opportunities to discuss their positions, platforms, and how their legislative agendas will affect you and those close to you. Town halls are a critical tool for holding representatives accountable for their actions and ensuring that these men and women, who spend much of their time outside of their home states, are hearing the needs and concerns of their constituents.

Break Legislative Gridlock by Abolishing the Senate Filibuster

Sun, 16 May 2021 21:22:54 +0000

The filibuster is a mechanism by which the minority party can block legislation from advancing in the Senate. It is not required by the Constitution, and is an undemocratic process that empowers the minority party to block the will of voters. Historically, the filibuster has been used to block landmark civil rights legislation such as the 1957 and 1964 Civil Rights Acts as well as gun violence legislation and the 2010 Dream Act.

Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021

Wed, 12 May 2021 08:14:48 +0000

Plastic pollution creates an enormous burden on the environment, because so much plastic is used and it takes so long to biodegrade. In March, Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Alan Lowenthal introduced S. 984/ H.R. 2238, the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2021 to begin addressing these challenges.

This act, aimed at reducing the production and consumption of plastics in order to reduce negative environmental impact, will require plastics manufacturers to take specific actions including:

Support HR 3 to Reduce Prescription Drug Prices

Mon, 10 May 2021 20:30:01 +0000

To drive down the cost of prescription drugs for all Americans, House Democrats have introduced H.R. 3, The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act designed to meaningfully decrease prescription costs.

End the Gender Pay Gap: Support Equal Wages for Equal Work

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 08:51:54 +0000

UPDATE (06/08/21): With a 49-50 vote, H.R. 7 has failed in the Senate with no Republicans supporting the legislation. Demand Senators reconsider the H.R. 7 and hold another vote on the legislation.

UPDATE (04/15/21): With a 217-210 vote, the House has passed H.R. 7. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

More than 50 years ago, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act (EPA) making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially equal work. Additionally, Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009 allowing women to sue for paycheck disparities. And yet in the decades since the passage of these and several other laws, women still only earn on average $.82 for every dollar earned by a man.

Request a April Recess Tele-Town Hall

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 15:57:21 +0000

Both the Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess from March 29 - April 12th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we should encourage our members of Congress to hold live tele-town halls to replace in-person meetings.

Protect Dreamers and TPS Recipients with the Dream and Promise Act - Passed House

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 21:06:04 +0000

UPDATE (03/18/21): The House has passed H.R. 6 with a 228-197 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

During his presidency, Donald Trump repeatedly attempted to dismantle the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and revoke hundreds of thousands of immigrants’ Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The DACA program protects approximately 825,000 undocumented people who entered the US as minors from deportation and gives them access to work permits and education. TPS allows over 300,000 immigrants from countries affected by natural disasters, violence, and other dangers to remain in the US until conditions in their home nations improve. The former administration’s attacks on both the DACA and TPS programs were only stopped by court injunctions and legal challenges, displaying the need for a permanent legislative fix to decisively protect members of these programs.

Support Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act - Passed House

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 21:06:04 +0000

UPDATE (03/17/21): The House has passed H.R. 1620 with a 244-172 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), landmark legislation first passed with bipartisan support in 1994, had its funding expire in February of 2019 after Congress failed to include it in a compromise federal spending bill. The act established and funded the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women and provided funding for the investigation and prosecution of domestic and other interpersonal violence, stalking, and sexual assault.

Support the Equal Rights Amendment - Passed House

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 21:00:01 +0000

UPDATE (03/17/21): The House has passed H.J. Resolution 17 with a 222-204 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Support Expanded Background Checks for Gun Purchases - Passed House

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 08:06:29 +0000

UPDATE (03/11/21): The House has passed H.R. 8 with a final vote of 227-203, and H.R. 1446 with a final vote of 219-210. Both pieces of legislation now move to the Senate for consideration.

As mass shootings have become an epidemic reaching all corners of American society, it has never been more clear that our approach to gun policy and gun violence must change. One such necessary change is to close background check loopholes.

Support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 - Passed House

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 20:20:34 +0000

UPDATE (03/03/21): The House has passed H.R. 1280 with a 220 to 212 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

First introduced in 2020 in the wake of nationwide protests against police brutality, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act has been re-introduced by Reps. Karen Bass (D-CA) and Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.). This legislation proposes the most comprehensive reforms to policing in over 50 years.

In order to address what legislators call “persistent unchecked bias in policing” and “a history of a lack of accountability” that is wreaking havoc in black communities, this legislation proposes:

Support LGBTQ+ Rights with the Equality Act of 2021 - Passed House

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 19:14:01 +0000

UPDATE (02/25/21): With a final vote of 224 to 206, the House has passed H.R. 5, with three Republicans joining all Democrats voting for the legislation. The bill now moves to be Senate for consideration.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people from discrimination based on race, skin color, sex, religion, and national origin. However, the Act’s crucial anti-discrimination provisions do not protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Thus, in the 29 states without robust LGBTQ anti-discrimination laws, LGBTQ people can legally be fired, harassed at work, barred from businesses, denied housing, and more because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. To remedy this issue, Democrats in the House have introduced H.R. 5, the Equality Act.The bill would provide necessary national-level protections for LGBTQ people by updating existing laws, like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to explicitly ban discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The law would also revise the Civil Rights Act to ban sex-based discrimination in public spaces and services, such as retail stores, pharmacies, and transit, as well as in federally funded programs.

Support Working Families with Paid Parental Leave

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 19:14:01 +0000

Support H.R. 40: Commission to Develop Reparations Proposals

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 11:26:55 +0000

On February 17th, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held a hearing on H.R.40, a bill that would launch a commission to study how the government can most effectively pay reparations to African-Americans to mitigate the ongoing damage from racist federal policies. The racial wealth gap is enormous - black Americans hold only 3% of the nation’s wealth despite being 12-13% of the population, the median wealth of black families is less than 10% of white families, and over 25% of black families have zero or negative net worth.

Demand a Recess Tele-Town Hall to Discuss the Biden-Harris COVID Plan

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 06:40:11 +0000

The Senate is in recess starting on February 16th and retuning to regular session on February 22nd. This time is allotted for Senators to work in their districts and engage with constituents. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents. Due to the COVID pandemic, we should encourage our Senators to hold live tele-town halls to replace in-person meetings.

Raise the Federal Minimum Wage to $15

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 06:40:10 +0000

Democrats in both the House and Senate have introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2021, S. 53 /H.R. 603, which would raise the federal minimum wage by roughly a dollar a year until it reaches $15 in 2025. Thereafter, further increases to the minimum wage would be adjusted based on median wage growth without the need for additional legislation. The bill includes other provisions to address increasing income inequality, such as the gradual elimination of subminimum wages for young people, people with disabilities, and tipped workers (restaurant workers and others in the service and hospitality industry).

Keep the Postal Service Solvent with the USPS Fairness Act

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:28:31 +0000

According to the Institute for Policy Studies, “If the costs of this retiree health care mandate were removed from the USPS financial statements, the Post Office would have reported operating profits in each of the last six years.” In order to address this onerous requirement, a bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators have introduced the USPS Fairness Act, H.R. 695/S. 145 which would repeal the pre-pay mandate, ending this undue burden on the agency.

Demand Congress Enact Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 08:41:23 +0000

While the dysfunctional immigration system in the United States did not start with the Trump administration, the cruel and hardline policies of the Trump era exposed our broken system. Trump’s misguided policies have allowed for the barbaric treatment of migrant families and have stressed our system to a breaking point. It is beyond time for the United States to enact real, comprehensive immigration reform.

As a first step in reaching this goal, the Biden-Harris administration has proposed the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, H.R. 1177/ S. 348, a legislative roadmap for Congress to act upon.

Restore Funding To Services for Victims of Crime - Passed House and Senate

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 08:41:23 +0000

UPDATE (07/20/21): The Senate has passed the Victims of Crime Act. The legislation now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

UPDATE (03/18/21): H.R. 1652, the VOCA Fix Act, passed the House 384-38 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) is a 1984 law that established non-taxpayer money from fines paid by federal criminals to compensate victims of a variety of crimes such as domestic violence and child abuse. Congress periodically adjusts the amount granted to states for victims services, but last year reduced VOCA grants to states by $600 million, around a 20% cut.

Remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from the Education and Labor Committee - REMOVED

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 09:22:03 +0000

UPDATE (02/04/21): In a 230-199 vote with 11 Republicans joining Democrats, the House has stripped Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments.

Republican leaders in the House of Representatives have appointed Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA 14) to serve on the Education and Labor committee. She was defiant during the January 6 insurrection, refusing to certify the election and stoking violence by claiming Trump would remain president. She embraces the QAnon mass delusion and spews far right conspiracy theories like a widely derided notion of Jewish space lasers, denouncing the Sandy Hook massacre as fake, and video footage shows Greene harassing a Parkland High school shooting survivor. She has also expressed support for executing congressional Democrats.

Support the Biden-Harris Coronavirus Rescue Plan - Signed into Law

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 07:51:38 +0000

UPDATE (03/11/21): President Biden has signed the American Rescue Plan into law. Direct payments to those eligible may be received as early as this weekend.

UPDATE (03/10/21): The House has passed the Senate version of the American Rescue Plan. The legislation now goes to the White House for President Biden’s signature.

UPDATE (03/06/21): The Senate has passed the American Rescue Plan with zero Republican Senators supporting the legislation that will help return America back to normal. Due to changes in the bill, the House must re-vote on the updated package.

Begin the Release of Migrant Families from Detention and End Child Separation

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:27:42 +0000

The new Biden administration is poised to quickly undo and end the most egregious and harmful policies of the Trump administration. The most heinous among these is the inhumane separation of children from their family and the unending detention of families seeking refuge in the United States. Demand that your representative support measures that begin the process of reuniting children with their parents or caregivers and releases families from ICE detention.

Support Democracy Reform with Voting Rights Protections

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:27:41 +0000

UPDATE (01/06/2022): Senate Democrats have introduced a compromise bill, S.2747, the Freedom to Vote Act (FTVA), in response to moderate Democrats’ and Republicans’ critiques of the For the People Act (FTPA). While the FTVA is in some ways narrower than the FTPA, it includes key provisions like designating Election Day as a national holiday, establishing a uniform national early voting period, and banning partisan gerrymandering. The FTVA is essential legislation to protect citizens’ voting rights.

Award the Congressional Gold Medal to Officer Eugene Goodman - Needs House Vote

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 07:44:09 +0000

UPDATE (02/05/21): The Senate has passed S. 35, identical companion legislation of the House version of the bill. The House must now pass H.R. 305 to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Officer Goodman.

When Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman faced a mob of unruly Trump supporters, his quick thinking and experience in high intensity situations proved to be heroic. The events, captured on video show Officer Goodman first attempted to hold the crowd back from advancing up a stairway, and when it became clear he was unable to halt them, Goodman made a critical decision to lead the crowd down corridors and ultimately away from Senate, toward a location where he would have backup. His actions likely averted a violent encounter between the intruders and Senators. Goodman is also an Iraq war veteran serving in the Army XVIII Airborne Corps of the 101 Airborne Division. While Officer Goodman is reluctant to step into the limelight out of concern that he will be targeted by White Supremacists, his actions deserve recognition from the institution that he bravely defended on behalf of all Americans.

Support Antony Blinken for Secretary of State - Confirmed

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 07:44:09 +0000

UPDATE (01/26/21): With a 78-22 vote, the Senate has confirmed Antony Blinken for Secretary of State.

Antony Blinken, former Deputy Secretary of State in the Obama administration, is President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State. His appointment would represent a sharp pivot away from Mike Pompeo and Trump administration policies. Blinken is an experienced diplomat with a broad base of experience. He will likely spearhead Biden’s promises to re-enter the Paris Climate Accord, seek a return to the Iran nuclear agreement, engaging multilaterally with China, and a return to a much more assertive posture toward Russia. Above all, Blinken’s confirmation represents a return to professionalism and a human rights perspective in foreign policy. Blinken’s stepfather is a holocaust survivor and has spoken about the importance of setting a moral example around the world. In addition to a return to human rights, Blinken has publicly expressed regret for earlier positions on Syria and Yemen, indicating that his leadership will not simply be a return to the Obama era but a new responsiveness to a very different international climate.

Support Alejandro Mayorkas for Secretary of DHS - Confirmed

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 09:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (02/02/21): In a 56-43 vote, the Senate has confirmed Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of Homeland Security.

President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, will begin confirmation hearings on January 19. The January 6 Capitol Insurrection represents what appears to be the beginning of an ongoing threat from domestic terrorists. This threat necessitates that there is no gap in national security leadership and therefore a swift confirmation is crucial.

Urge Congress to Pass Additional COVID Relief Measures

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 09:30:01 +0000

Despite the recent passage of additional [economic relief] (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/business/economy/second-stimulus-package.html) measures, the lack of a well-planned and coordinated response to the pandemic has created the need for additional intervention. The December relief bill authorized $600 payments to support struggling Americans and extended unemployment benefits, increased education funding, additional PPP funds, vaccine coverage and a myriad of other measures. Yet there are several gaps, like greatly reduced unemployment insurance benefits and a lack of funding to states and local governments to pay for vaccine distribution and testing.

Demand Consequences for Complicit Lawmakers

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 08:07:12 +0000

While a violent mob of militant Trump supporters prepared to invade the Capitol on January 6, 2021, dozens of Republican lawmakers were busy delaying and dishonoring their constitutionally-mandated duty to certify the election. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) led a craven effort to curry favor with Trump and his supporters by objecting to states’ electoral votes. Their attempt to debase the electoral process was underway when the mob forced its way into the House and Senate chambers. Even after Congress returned to complete the process hours after an emergency evacuation, [139 House and 8 Senate Republicans] (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/07/us/elections/electoral-college-biden-objectors.html) persisted in their effort to object to the election results. Later, Republicans would try to distance themselves from their complicity in this coup attempt, which has so far claimed 5 lives, by calling for calm and condemning the very radicals they had been inciting and coddling.

Investigate the Capitol Police Response to the Jan 6th Coup Attempt

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 10:20:30 +0000

UPDATE (01/11/2021): In the days since the violent insurrection at the Capitol, a Capitol officer has died from injuries inflicted by angry Trump supporters, dozens have been arrested and the Chief of Capitol Police and the Sergeant at Arms for both the House and Senate have resigned as their failure to plan appropriately and adequately for the violence has become clear. Chief Sund told reporters that he was overruled by the House Sergeant at Arms regarding his plan to request National Guard support before January 6 and begged the Department of Defense several times for troops during the siege, only to receive support hours later. While focus is now on a second impeachment and preparations for the inauguration, continued scrutiny of the insurrection is crucial.

Demand Statehood for Washington, D.C - Passed House

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 10:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (04/22/21): With a 216-208 vote, the House has passed H.R. 51. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

After the deadly insurrection at the Capitol building on January 6th, when D.C. Mayor Bowser’s request for aid from the National Guard was denied and delayed because the Pentagon, not the Mayor of D.C. oversees the District’s force, it has become clearer than ever that Washington, D.C. must become its own state. Were D.C. a state, the request for National Guard assistance would have been considered by a Governor, not the Pentagon acting on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief who had himself incited the violence.

Convict Donald Trump for Inciting an Insurrection - ACQUITTED

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 18:29:26 +0000

UPDATE (02/13/2021): Even though 7 Republicans joined all Senate Democrats to vote to convict Trump, the final vote tally of 57-43 fell short of the required 67 votes needed for conviction. Senate Republicans who voted to acquit chose partisan politics over American democracy.

UPDATE (02/08/2021): The impeachment trial of Donald Trump is set to begin in the Senate on Tuesday, February 9th. Even though Trump is no longer president, the Senate must hold him accountable and convict him for inciting an insurrection.

Investigate Trump's Election Interference in Georgia

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 09:43:18 +0000

Since his decisive defeat in the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump has consistently refused to accept his loss. He and his team have mounted scores of fruitless legal challenges, pressured state leaders to ignore electoral results, and urged Republican members of Congress to directly challenge the electoral college’s final vote.

On January 2, Donald Trump escalated his desperate attempts to undermine the election with a call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. During his hour-long recorded call, Trump demanded Raffensperger and his team ignore the Georgia election results and investigate already-debunked claims of voter fraud or face criminal liability. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,” Trump insisted.

Demand Action Against Gun Violence

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 17:13:41 +0000

The United States has more guns per capita than any other peer nation; Americans constitute about 4% of the world’s population but own 42% of all civilian firearms. On average, there is a mass shooting almost every day of the year in the United States, and the nation has far higher rates of gun homicides than any other developed nation. Firearm suicides in the US are also dismally common, with suicides actually comprising the majority of gun-related deaths. However, thanks to continued lobbying by the National Rifle Association (NRA), Congress has repeatedly failed to take meaningful action and curb gun violence.

Demand Action Against Gun Violence

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 17:13:41 +0000

Demand Action Against Gun Violence

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 17:13:41 +0000

Demand Congress Support Abortion Access Legislation

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 17:13:40 +0000

Over the last several years a number of states have passed the most draconian abortion limitations in recent history. Many of these laws are so-called fetal heartbeat bills that ban abortion at around six weeks, before many people even realize they’re pregnant. Some laws impose felony charges for obtaining abortions, grant states the power to prosecute people over miscarriages, and deny people the right to abortion even in cases of rape or incest. All of these bills are an assault on pregnant people’s fundamental right to bodily autonomy.

Urge Congress to Act on the Climate Change Crisis

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 17:13:40 +0000

In November of 2018, an extensive federally mandated report on climate change was released by the US Global Change Research Program, a team of 13 federal agencies assisted by over 300 government and non-government scientists. The devastating report clearly stated that without significant changes in greenhouse emissions, the average annual global temperature could increase by 9 degrees Fahrenheit or more by the end of the century.

The document conveys alarming warnings on the impact of climate change on our economy, food systems and health. Without course correction, the report predicts the US economy will lose hundreds of billions of dollars and up to 10% of its GDP by the end of the century. It also found a deterioration of our food systems associated with increased global temperatures - forecasting drought, flooding, crop failures, a decrease in dairy production, and a decline in fish populations. Furthermore, the report states “climate change affects the health of all Americans,” forecasting increases in asthma, allergies, and insect/food/water-borne diseases.

Demand the Senate Pass $2000 in Direct Stimulus Payments

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 08:56:40 +0000

UPDATE (01/03/2021): On January 3rd, 2021 at 12 noon ET, the 116th US Congress was declared adjourned, and members of the 117th Congress were sworn in. With a new Congress, legislation left unpassed by the last Congress must be reintroduced for consideration, which is now the case with additional COVID stimulus direct payments. Legislation must be reintroduced and passed by the House again and then sent to the Senate. Demand the new Congress make additional COVID stimulus direct payments a first priority in 2021.

Block Scott O'Grady for Assistant Secretary of Defense

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 09:23:23 +0000

Trump has nominated Scott O’Grady to take a position as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs at the Pentagon. A former Air Force captain who survived being shot down by Serbian jets over Bosnia, O’Grady came home a bonafide hero in the 1990s and subsequently pursued a career in commercial real estate and motivational speaking, even obtaining a degree in theology. In recent years however, he has set aside his previous achievements, choosing instead to spout and amplify multiple false claims and conspiracy theories favorable to Trump’s delusional narratives on Twitter, calling for martial law and a new election, and dismissing President-Elect Joe Biden’s electoral win as fraudulent.

Demand GSA Administrator Murphy Stop Obstructing Transfer of Power

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 08:05:59 +0000

On Saturday, November 7th, the nation’s major news desks called the 2020 presidential and vice presidential races for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. While it took several days post-election for local boards of elections to count mail-in ballots, it was soon clear that Biden and Harris had not only won the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania but also flipped Arizona and Georgia, securing 290 Electoral College votes for Biden and Harris. The total well exceeds the 270 votes required to win the presidency.

Demand Congress Protect the Affordable Care Act (yes, again)

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 08:00:01 +0000

Amid reports that the novel coronavirus has infected nearly 10 million people in the United States, the Supreme Court began hearings on a case to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Republican-led states brought the suit against the ACA with Trump administration support, while Democrat-led states are opposing the suit. Republican plaintiffs argue that because Republicans zeroed out the financial penalty for not buying insurance, the ACA’s individual insurance mandate is unconstitutional, and the whole law should be overturned.

VOTE on NOVEMBER 3rd, 2020

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 18:55:19 +0000

The 2020 General Election is Tuesday November 3, 2020.

Find voting information, your polling location, hours, and ID requirements at vote.org.

As long as you are in line before the polls close, they must allow you to vote.

If you have questions or problems with voting, call or text the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-687-8683. They have election experts available for any issues you might have.

No New Supreme Court Justice in 2020 -- BARRETT CONFIRMED

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 18:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (10/26/20): With 60 million ballots already cast and only 8 days before the final day of the election, the Senate has confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

On Friday, September 18, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at the age of 87. She was a feminist champion and one of the Supreme Court’s most prominent members, a relentless champion of progressive values and justice for all. Shortly before her death, she told her granddaughter, “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.” Yet, hours after her death, Senate Majority Mitch McConnell indicated he plans to hold a vote on Ginsburg’s replacement this year.

Stop Abuse and Forced Sterilization of ICE Detainees

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 21:15:01 +0000

On Monday, September 14th, legal advocacy groups filed a whistleblower complaint detailing appalling abuses against immigrants detained at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Irwin Detention Center. The complaint, submitted on behalf of ICE facility nurse Dawn Wooten, alleged the facility was failing to test detainees for COVID, a complaint consistent with previous reports on ICE’s failure to protect detainees from the pandemic. The complaint also detailed horrifying allegations of forced sterilizations of women detainees, often conducted by a single gynecologist. Wooten reported that hysterectomy rates at the facility were inexplicably high and noted detained people who had had a hysterectomy often were unaware of a medical reason for the procedure.

Impeach Attorney General Bill Barr

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 12:00:01 +0000

Attorney General Bill Barr has consistently demonstrated that his primary responsibility is protecting Donald Trump rather than the rule of law in the United States. From attempting to drop an ongoing investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn to pushing for shorter sentences for Trump cronies like Roger Stone, Barr has flagrantly disregarded his responsibilities as the head of the Department of Justice (DOJ). Now, Barr is arguing that the DOJ should help defend Donald Trump against a private defamation lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll. Carroll had previously accused Trump of raping her and is now suing him for defamation after Trump denied having ever met her.

Demand Financial Transparency of Top USPS Leaders

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 21:00:01 +0000

The dramatic and abrupt changes to the US Postal Service in the lead up to the November general election have led to public outcry and greater scrutiny of the top leadership at the government agency. On Monday, August 24, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and USPS Board Chairman Robert Duncan defended their actions before the House Oversight Committee. Additionally, DeJoy appeared on Friday August 21 before a Senate committee to answer similar questions and issue reassurances that election related mail will not be affected. However, his assurances fall flat in light of the recent discovery that he and five of six Postal Service Board members, including Board Chair Duncan, have close ties to Trump and the GOP.

Demand the Senate Pass Bipartisan USPS House Legislation

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 21:00:01 +0000

With the November presidential election around the corner and the coronavirus pandemic continuing to spread, a record number of voters plan to use mail-in ballots as a safe alternative to voting in person. However, recent changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS) have caused concern that the Trump administration is deliberately attempting to sabotage delivery service to undermine usage of vote by mail in the election.

In May, top GOP and Trump donor Louis DeJoy was appointed to the USPS as the Postmaster General even though he has no postal experience. He quickly took steps that have resulted in slower and unpredictable mail service all over the country. These changes have been widespread throughout the USPS and include cutbacks in staffing, restructuring of senior leadership, decommissioning of hundreds of mail sorting machines, and even the removal of collection boxes. The outcome has caused chaos in the system, with medication, rotting food, and dead animals stacking up in packages at postal distribution centers.

Demand Postmaster General DeJoy Resign

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 08:13:43 +0000

As the coronavirus pandemic rages in the United States, US citizens must be able to vote by mail this fall. However, newly-appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has implemented extensive changes to weaken the already cash-strapped US Postal Service. DeJoy’s changes include restructuring senior leadership, eliminating employee overtime, decommissioning hundreds of mail sorting machines, and even trying to remove collection boxes. DeJoy’s actions not only align with Donald Trump’s hypocritical campaign against voting by mail but also enrich DeJoy personally. He holds thousands of dollars in stock from USPS competitor Amazon and USPS contractor XPO Logistics.

Governors: Provide Ballot Drop Boxes

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 08:18:59 +0000

Given the uncertainty of COVID-19 and how it may endanger in-person voting for the 2020 General Election, vote-by-mail (absentee ballot) options will be critical for many Americans to vote safely. Nearly all states are now allowing vote-by-mail for this election. However, the success of vote-by-mail still depends on the ability of the USPS to pick up and deliver absentee ballots to be counted before the deadline. The Trump administration has recently escalated its efforts to undermine the USPS, leading to widespread concerns about the ability of the USPS to handle the anticipated surge in vote-by-mail this November.

Demand an Extension to Collect US Census Data

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 20:54:06 +0000

In April, as Covid-19 began surging in the US, the Census Bureau found itself hampered in counting the US population due to the effects of the virus. The bureau decided to extend the deadline for collecting data to October 31st to allow for more time to count the estimated 60 million people who have yet to respond. However, in an unexpected change of course, on August 3rd the agency announced it would end data collection on September 30th, a full month earlier than scheduled. As of early August, almost 40% of US households had yet to respond to the census questionnaire, which could lead to severe undercounts across the country, especially of Black and Latinx communities.

Demand an Investigation of Changes at the USPS

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 20:45:01 +0000

In May, the Trump-appointed “Postal Board of Governors” selected Louis DeJoy as the Postmaster General of the US Postal Service. DeJoy has been a significant Republican fundraiser, has no Postal Service experience, and holds investments in competitors to the USPS.

Beginning his tenure in June, he immediately took steps to fulfill his pledge to make the agency more efficient and solvent, which has resulted in slower and unpredictable mail service and uncounted ballots in recent primary elections. Then, on August 7, DeJoy announced a plan to restructure the service including reassigning 23 postal executives, further raising concerns about the ability of the agency to handle mailed ballots in the upcoming general election. To complicate matters, Trump makes unfounded claims on a nearly daily basis that cast doubt on the security and integrity of mail-in ballots.

Stop Authoritarian Police Practices on America's Streets

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 21:10:07 +0000

On Thursday, July 16, the Trump administration deployed federal law enforcement to Portland, Oregon on the pretense of protecting federal property that had been vandalized during recent protests, over the objections of the mayor, governor and federal representatives. These officers, wearing camouflage military style uniforms with generic “police” markings, have used tactics such as taking protestors without probable cause, excessive use of tear gas and non-lethal munitions and advancing beyond federal property to patrol the streets of Portland. While federal law enforcement officers do not typically wear name badges, the effect of vague agency identification and camouflage uniforms that resemble right wing agitators escalates and creates fear. While the federal government has authority to protect federal buildings and officials from harm, there is precarious legal authority for detaining citizens without probable cause. Trump has praised these actions and threatens to utilize these tactics in other cities across America. This needless use of force creates the appearance of a secret police force operating with impunity for the political benefit of an unpopular president. Former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge noted that “The department was established to protect America from the ever-present threat of global terrorism. It was not established to be the president’s personal militia.”

Demand Congress Support Nationwide Mail-In Voting

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 17:45:01 +0000

The ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic threatens the ability of American citizens to vote safely in person this November. Congress must act immediately to pass vote by mail legislation and ensure all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote without risking their lives.

The majority of states already allow voters to vote by mail without requiring an excuse or justification, and five states have even adopted entirely mail-based voting. However, 17 other states require an excuse to vote by mail, such as a disability or illness. The Vote by Mail Act, originally introduced in 2019, would help resolve confusion over mail-in voting options by allowing no-excuse mail-in voting in all federal elections nationwide. The bill would also require states to mail ballots to all registered voters at least two weeks before every election and authorize automatic voter registration through state Departments of Motor Vehicles.

Reopen Schools Only With a Safe Science-Based Plan

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 20:45:01 +0000

Schools are beginning to reopen from the end of summer vacation and despite months of shelter in place and social distancing, school administrators and districts are struggling to formulate plans to re-open schools safely, without clear federal guidelines from the Department of Education and sometimes at odds with state lawmakers. Parents, educators and administrators agree that the abrupt shift to online learning this past spring was not effective, very young and special needs students struggled to adjust to the lack of structure and routine offered by in person instruction and teachers struggled to adjust to the rapidly changing demands of their job. Runaway rates of infection in a majority of states, widespread mask refusal and confirmation that the virus can be aerosolized challenges the wisdom of reopening schools in August and September. Without significant investment of time and resources to reduce infection rates overall and to restructure the school environment, reopening schools safely seems unlikely.

Block Trump's Secret Federal Police Force

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 20:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (07/24/20). A federal judge denied AG Rosenblum’s request for a temporary restraining order against federal authorities based on a lack of evidence that seizing protesters and using excessive force is a widespread problem.

On Friday July 17th, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued the federal government for violating Oregonians’ civil rights by seizing and detaining them without probable cause. Rosenblum took this step after the Trump administration reignited late night protests in Portland, Oregon by escalating force used by federal law enforcement protecting federal property. Clad in camouflage riot gear marked only with generic police patches, these militarized federal police used harsh tactics like shooting protesters with impact munitions, extensive use of tear gas and grabbing people off the street in unmarked vehicles without provocation or apparent cause.

Urge Congress to Pass Additional Coronavirus Relief Measures

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 20:30:01 +0000

While Congress has already passed three separate relief bills to alleviate the coronavirus pandemic’s economic impact, additional help is urgently needed to avoid an economic cliff. The CARES Act, which was signed into law in March, included provisions like expanded unemployment payments, mandated private insurance coverage of coronavirus testing and treatment, and cash payments to most American households. However provisions of the CARES Act begin to expire at the end of July and Congress must do more to support our economy and help people stay safe to reduce coronavirus’ spread.

Demand the Resignation of Medicare/Medicaid Administrator Seema Verma

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 20:10:41 +0000

A recent report from the Inspector General has revealed that Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma has mishandled government contracts, inappropriately paying out millions of dollars to external communications contractors for her own personal benefit.

Since Verma was appointed by Trump in 2017 she has systematically undermined Medicare and Medicaid, the vital government programs she’s charged with protecting, pushing policies that restrict access to these programs and add work requirements for those who are owed benefits. Verma has has denounced Medicare and Medicaid as “radical socialist” programs in speeches, and may have violated the Hatch Act by attacking the Medicare For All proposal on Twitter.

Request a July Recess Tele-Town Hall to Discuss the COVID-19 Outbreak

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 20:36:59 +0000

UPDATE (07/06/20): Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we should encourage our Senators to hold tele-town halls to replace in-person meetings. Ask your Senator to hold a digital meeting to discuss the COVID outbreak and the next steps our communities can take.

The US Senate is in recess from July 6th-20th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Oppose the EARN IT Act to Protect Freedom and Security on the Internet

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:49:36 +0000

The Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies (EARN IT) Act, S. 3398, purports to prevent the spread of “child sex abuse material” on the Internet by increasing government oversight. However, both child safety and tech experts agree that EARN IT would be not only ineffective, but actively harmful. The act would likely fail to protect children and could lead to a disastrous upheaval of Internet security and privacy.

The EARN IT Act would establish a federal commission to create new guidelines for Internet companies. These new rules would require censorship, weakened security measures, or both. Companies would need to censor a wide range of content to protect themselves from liability, endangering free speech on the Internet. Meanwhile, platforms could be forced to replace safe, end-to-end encryption with a “backdoor” system for government access. This change would make user information on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp more vulnerable to hackers, and would also allow government officials to see information––including messages and financial data––that users thought would remain private.

Support the Confederate Monument Removal Act

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 21:08:32 +0000

First introduced in 2017 by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), the Confederate Monument Removal Act, S 3957/HR 7217 would end the presence of Confederate statues in the Capitol. Each state is represented by two statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection; to this day, 11 of these important monuments depict officials and fighters for the Confederacy. The Act would send these statues back to their respective states or, if the states do not want them, send them to the Smithsonian Museum. The states will still be represented in the National Statuary Hall Collection by non-Confederate statues of their choosing.

Make Juneteenth a Federal Holiday

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 21:15:01 +0000

As fights for racial justice continue across the country in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Riah Milton, Dominique Fells, and other Black Americans, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) will introduce a bill establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday in the House, and Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Tina Smith (D-MN) will introduce one in the Senate.

The tradition of Juneteenth is already recognized by many Black communities. Every year, the holiday is celebrated on June 19th, the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Although Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, it did not free all slaves and was not enforced in Confederate states. It was not until June 19th, 1865 that Union Army soldiers arrived in Texas with the news that the Civil War was over and that all slaves were now free. To this day, many Black communities commemorate Juneteenth with festivals, parties, parades, religious services, music, and readings from the Emancipation Proclamation as well as important Black texts. However, the holiday is still scarcely recognized by schools, workplaces, and non-Black communities.

Support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 - Passed House

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 09:13:58 +0000

UPDATE (06/26/20): The House has passed HR 7210 with a final vote of 236-181. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

As nationwide protests against police brutality continue unabated in the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s murders, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) have introduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 This legislation proposes the most comprehensive reforms to policing in nearly 50 years.

Support the House Resolution to Condemn Police Brutality

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 21:36:38 +0000

In the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the hundreds of other lives cut short by police violence, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Karen Bass (D-CA) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) have introduced a resolution to condemn police brutality, racial profiling and the excessive use of force. In addition to condemning all acts of police brutality, the resolution calls for the adoption of reforms and policies at all levels of government to end these injustices. These reforms include:

Stop the Militarization of Local Police

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 11:08:31 +0000

UPDATE (07/21/20): With a final vote of 51-49, the amendment to demilitarize local police has failed to reach the 60 vote threshold needed to be added to the 2021 NDAA. However, Congress can still pass legislation to end the controversial 1033 Program.

UPDATE (07/20/20): The Senate is expected to vote on amendments to the 2021 NDAA the week of July 20th. Demand your Senator support the amendment to begin the process of demilitarizing local police.

Demand Reform on Police Use of Force

Sun, 31 May 2020 20:49:10 +0000

Our systems of policing are riddled with racial biases. Over-policing, unnecessary military-style equipment, and unreasonable thresholds for the use of force (notably for low level and misdemeanor offenses) have led to increased suffering in communities of color. The recent deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have again brought to the forefront the cost in human lives, especially of black and brown people, that are associated with the problems in our policing systems.

Demand Congress Act to Improve Distribution of PPE

Sun, 03 May 2020 19:59:44 +0000

The Federal response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been unpredictable and inadequate to meet the needs of states, cities and hospitals seeking supplies. Nowhere is this chaos more evident than in the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing supplies throughout the country. Efficient distribution of PPE and tests is essential to protect front line health workers, limit the spread of the virus and help the country reopen the economy safely. Yet the Trump administration’s response has been incoherent and inconsistent not unlike Trump’s daily press briefings.

Demand the Federal Government Support the United States Postal Service

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 21:00:01 +0000

Like many businesses and industries across the globe, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has experienced sharp declines in demand since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. With an expected $13 billion in lost revenue, Postmaster General Megan Brennan warned Congress the agency would run out of money by September without federal assistance. In response, the Trump administration declared they will not sign any legislation assisting the USPS, hoping to further a long-term goal of Republicans to privatize the agency.

Demand Congress Provide $4B in Election Assistance Funding

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 21:54:54 +0000

Over 50 progressive organizations are calling on Congress to appropriate $4 billion to states and territories to boost mail-in voting efforts in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The letter is below or can be found here.

In the midst of our ongoing national crisis, in addition to providing the American people with continued economic and health care support, it is now critical that Congress take swift action to ensure that every American can exercise their right to vote this November.

Urge Congress to Pass Additional Coronavirus Relief Measures

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 09:55:54 +0000

Congress has now passed three separate relief bills to alleviate the coronavirus pandemic’s economic impact. The CARES Act includes provisions like expanded unemployment payments, mandated private insurance coverage of coronavirus testing and treatment, and cash payments to most American households. However, Congress must do more to support our economy and help people stay home to reduce coronavirus’ spread.

Thousands of Americans can’t keep up with housing, utility, and student loan payments thanks to ballooning job losses. Thousands more must work despite infectious risk because they lack paid sick leave. Congress must continue to pass progressive measures to alleviate economic pressure on US families. Some promising ideas include:

Demand Trump Use the Defense Production Act to Mass Produce Medical Supplies

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 21:11:36 +0000

As the COVID-19 cases started to grow in the United States, the medical community began sounding the alarm that they did not have enough personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, gloves, and gowns, or medical equipment, such as ventilators, to meet the upcoming demand produced by the pandemic. The quantities needed of these life saving supplies are in the millions, which pushed Trump to sign an Executive Order on March 18th invoking the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 which allows him to direct private companies to produce good and materials that are deemed necessary for national defense. With the EO in place, Trump can now call on manufacturers across the country to pivot to making these urgently-needed medical supplies. However, Trump has failed to use this power to actually direct any organization to do so even as health care workers from across the country beg for more supplies.

Demand Senators Resign for Profiting from COVID-19 Insider Trading

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 07:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (04/02/20): Vanity Fair is now reporting that a few weeks after their massive stock sell-off, Sen. Loeffler and her husband invested over $200,000 in Dupont de Nemours. The company is a major manufacturer of personal protective equipment. Meanwhile, the FBI and DOJ have contacted Sen. Burr about his suspicious stock sales.

Despite publicly downplaying the coronavirus crisis, at least four Republican senators and one Democratic senator (who did not make misleading statements) made massive stock sales weeks before the market crashed over pandemic fears.

Demand the Senate Pass Emergency COVID-19 Legislation - Signed into Law

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 11:27:52 +0000

UPDATE (03/19/20): Trump has signed HR 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, into law.

UPDATE (03/18/20): The Senate has passed HR 6201 with no changes. The legislation will now move to Trump’s desk for his signature.

Last week, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act with strong bipartisan support. The bill provides for paid emergency leave with two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave. It will also expand federal funding for Medicaid “to support our local, state, tribal and territorial governments and health systems, so that they have the resources necessary to combat this crisis” according to Speaker Pelosi. The bill was authored in close communication with the White House.

Request a March Recess Tele-Town Hall to Discuss the COVID-19 Outbreak

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 20:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (03/15/19): Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we should encourage our representatives to hold tele-town halls to replace in-person meetings. Ask your rep to hold a digital meeting this week to discuss the outbreak and the next steps our communities can take.

The House of Representatives is in congressional recess from March 16-22nd. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

End the Muslim Travel Ban with the No Ban Act - Passed House

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 21:13:37 +0000

UPDATE (07/23/20): UPDATE (07/23/20): With a 233-183 vote, the House has passed HR 2214, the No Ban Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

One of Trump’s first official acts in office was to ban visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries. He extended the travel ban in January of this year, adding an additional 6 countries to the banned list, which now totals 13 countries (Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Nigeria, Eritrea, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Iraq, and North Korea). Visitors from these countries are only able to obtain a visa if they can prove they have ties to a US institution or a close family member such as a parent, spouse, child, son- or daughter-in-law, or sibling in the US. This practice has separated millions of Americans from their families and was enacted to advance the administration’s white nationalist agenda to restrict the immigration of non-Europeans.

Demand Congress Support Abortion Access Legislation

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 20:45:01 +0000

UPDATE (06/29/20): The Supreme Court struck down the Louisiana law requiring medical professionals to secure unnecessary hospital admitting privileges in a vigorously opposed 5-4 decision. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the more liberal colleagues in the decision, on the basis of treating “like laws alike” because the Louisiana law at issue was similar to a Texas law struck down in 2016. Roberts wrote in his concurring opinion “The Louisiana law imposes a burden on access to abortion just as severe as that imposed by the Texas law… Therefore Louisiana’s law cannot stand under our precedents.”

Urge Congress to Defend the Affordable Care Act

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 15:41:17 +0000

UPDATE (03/02/20): The Supreme Court has decided to hear the legal arguments in the controversial Texas court battle to overturn the ACA. Demand your representatives introduce and support legislation that protects the ACA from the frivolous suit over its constitutionality.

In early 2018, 19 Republican attorneys general and a governor filed a suit arguing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was legally invalid due to the elimination of the individual insurance mandate. In December of 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor sided with the Republican plaintiffs, ruling that the ACA was unconstitutional. O’Connor quickly stayed his own ruling, and the ACA remains the law of the land while blue states appeal the decision. However, Congress must act to shore up the ACA and defend its protections for people with preexisting conditions.

Demand Congress Pass a Clean Bill Funding the Coronavirus Response - Passed House and Senate

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 08:20:59 +0000

UPDATE (03/05/2020): The Senate has quickly passed the emergency funds bill, sending the legislation to Trump’s desk for a signature.

UPDATE (03/04/2020): The House has passed an $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus response bill funded with net new money rather than dollars from other critical programs. The Senate must act swiftly to approve this bipartisan legislation.

Donald Trump has systematically undermined the United States’ capacity to respond to novel infectious diseases like the coronavirus known as COVID-19. From eliminating a Bush-era program to monitor emerging illnesses, to firing the White House’s entire pandemic response infrastructure, to proposing a 19% cut to the 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) budget, Trump has left the US unprepared for the novel coronavirus outbreak spreading worldwide. Unsurprisingly, the Trump administration is now turning a request for emergency coronavirus funding into a political fight.

Request February Recess Town Hall

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 20:40:18 +0000

The Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess from February 17th-23rd. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Your representatives work for you: you should have regular opportunities to discuss their positions, platforms, and how their legislative agendas will affect you and those close to you. Town halls are a critical tool for holding representatives accountable for their actions and ensuring that these men and women, who spend much of their time outside of their home states, are hearing the needs and concerns of their constituents in person.

Censure Trump

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 20:34:16 +0000

In an unsurprising yet historic event on Wednesday, February 5th, the Senate failed to convict Donald Trump on both articles of impeachment put forward by the House of Representatives. All Senate Democrats voted to convict, while the only Republican to vote favorably for removal on either counts was Mitt Romney, the Republican party’s presidential nominee in 2012. In his announcement on the Senate floor he stated, “The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the President committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a ‘high crime and misdemeanor.’ Yes, he did.”

Oppose Federal Funding Caps on Medicaid Spending

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 20:30:01 +0000

On January 30, the Trump administration announced a new initiative to allow states to set limits on federal funding for Medicaid coverage for non-disabled adults. The federal government currently covers a set percentage of states’ Medicaid costs regardless of total spending. Under the new Trump policy, states could apply for a waiver to receive a limited amount of federal Medicaid funding based on how many nondisabled adults they cover. States that adopt the funding cap will be able to modify their Medicaid benefits to cover fewer prescription drugs and eliminate traditional Medicaid benefits, including long-term care and non-emergency medical transportation. The policy would also let states charge higher Medicaid copays.

Demand the House Subpoena John Bolton to Testify

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 20:10:20 +0000

On Friday, January 31st, the Senate voted on whether to bring witnesses forward during the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. With only 2 Republican Senators agreeing with Democrats that witness are required to hold a fair and just trial, the motion to call witness failed 49-51. This blockade of witness testimony by the GOP only serves to demonstrate the party’s full complicity in allowing Donald Trump to commit crimes while serving as President. With two-thirds of Americans agreeing that witness should be called, it now becomes the duty of the House to fulfill the responsibility the Senate would not take on.

Demand the Immediate Release of Aid Funding to Puerto Rico

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 21:00:01 +0000

Since mid-December 2019, hundreds of earthquakes have rocked the US territory of Puerto Rico, devastating infrastructure and leaving millions without power or safe shelter. The earthquakes are a cruel blow to an island still struggling to recover from two catastrophic and deadly hurricanes in 2017.

Puerto Rico’s slow recovery from the 2017 hurricanes is hardly a surprise given the US government’s ongoing failure to adequately fund disaster relief. While Congress allocated billions in disaster relief funding to Puerto Rico over a year ago, less than half of that money has actually been disbursed, and even less money has been actually spent. Now, the Trump administration has imposed further restrictions on distribution of aid to Puerto Rico. These restrictions, which include a ban on funding fixes to the island’s power grid and suspension of the $15 hourly wage for federal disaster relief work, further ensure Puerto Ricans will not receive the money they need to rebuild.

Request a January Recess Town Hall

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 21:00:01 +0000

The House of Representatives is in congressional recess from January 21st-26th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Your representatives work for you: you should have regular opportunities to discuss their positions, platforms, and how their legislative agendas will affect you and those close to you. Town halls are a critical tool for holding representatives accountable for their actions and ensuring that these men and women, who spend much of their time outside of their home states, are hearing the needs and concerns of their constituents in person.

Support the War Powers Resolution to Stop Trump from Striking Iran - Passed House and Senate

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 19:45:01 +0000

UPDATE (03/12/2020): In a 227 - 186 vote, the House has passed SJ Res 68. The bill now moves to Trump’s desk, where he is expected to veto the legislation.

UPDATE (02/13/2020): The Senate has passed SJ Res 68 with a bipartisan vote of 55 to 45. The legislation now moves to the House for final passage.

Donald Trump dramatically escalated the conflict between Iran and the US by ordering the assassination of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani without congressional approval or support from US allies. Since approving the strike, Trump has continued to exacerbate tensions by issuing ominous threats via Twitter if Iran retaliates. His actions appear to be leading the US into a costly, brutal, and unwanted war with Iran. The sudden escalation of the Iran conflict immediately prior to Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate casts doubt on Trump’s stated motivations for Soleimani’s killing. Only Congress holds the power to declare war, but the Trump administration had not even fully briefed Congress on Soleimani’s killing days after the assassination itself. Congress must act to decisively oppose Trump’s attempts to wage war without congressional approval.

No War With Iran

Sun, 05 Jan 2020 19:48:03 +0000

On Thursday, January 2, President Trump personally ordered the assasination in Iraq of Iranian Qassem Soleimani, the long time leader of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, all without notice to Congress. Despite the President’s statement “We did not take action to start a war,” to experts, this was an act of war and the Iranian government has vowed “severe revenge” for Soleimani’s killing.

With the Iranian government promising retaliation for the assassination, 3,500 additional US troops are being deployed to the Middle East while New York and Los Angeles are stepping up security measures.

Demand the Senate Conduct a Thorough Impeachment Trial

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 17:56:35 +0000

UPDATE (01/26/20): The New York Times has reported on the manuscript of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s unreleased book, where he claims Trump informed him the release of Ukrainian aid was directly tied to an investigation into the Bidens. It is unconscionable for Republicans to continue to deny the American public key witnesses and documents in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump.

UPDATE (01/15/20): On January 15th, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi transferred the articles of impeachment to the Senate and named 7 House Democrats as trial managers. The Senate will begin the trial immediately, with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell still not pledging to call key witnesses.

Demand the House Pass Articles of Impeachment Against Trump - IMPEACHED

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 07:39:53 +0000

UPDATE (12/18/19): The House has voted to approve both articles of impeachment against Donald Trump. The next step of the impeachment process is a Senate trial.

UPDATE (12/15/19): The House will vote to approve the impeachment of Donald Trump on Wednesday, December 18th. If approved, Trump will be the third president in US history to be impeached.

On Tuesday, December 10th, House Democrats released articles of impeachment against Donald Trump. The formal accusations against Trump are the culmination of a weeks-long impeachment inquiry led by the House. During the hearings, multiple witnesses testified that Trump threatened to withhold military aid from Ukraine, a US ally, unless Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to open a baseless investigation of former Vice President and 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden. Furthermore, Trump and his team stonewalled investigation of any potential misconduct by repeatedly refusing to comply with subpoenas, withholding documents, and publicly threatening impeachment hearing witnesses and other investigators.

Support Human Rights of Muslim Minority Communities in China - Passed House and Senate

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 19:21:38 +0000

UPDATE (12/03/19): The House has passed S. 178. The legislation now moves to Trump’s desk for final enactment.

Currently, it is estimated that up to one million people — predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities — are being detained in “transformation-through-education” camps in China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Among them are Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other ethnic minority groups. The detentions appear to be part of an effort by the Chinese government to wipe out religious beliefs and aspects of cultural identity in order to enforce political loyalty for the State and the Communist Party of China.

Designate Lynching as a Federal Hate Crime - Passed House

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 23:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (02/26/20): In a 410-4 vote, the House has overwhelming passed HR 35. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

HR 35, the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act, is long overdue legislation that would make lynching a hate crime under federal law. The designation would ensure that the crime of lynching would be eligible for the additional tools and resources used to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, and trigger enhanced sentencing upon conviction.

Support the Legalization of Marijuana - Passed House

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 23:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (12/04/20): By a vote of 228-164, the House has passed the MORE Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Over 60% of Americans believe marijuana use should be legal, and 94% support adult use of marijuana for medical purposes. A New England Journal of Medicine poll found 76% of physicians support the use of marijuana for treatment of certain illnesses. The changing tide of public opinion is also reflected in the growing number of states legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational use, with ten states plus Washington DC having legalized recreational marijuana and 33 states plus DC allowing medical use. However, states’ efforts to relax marijuana laws conflict with the Federal Controlled Substances Act, which classifies marijuana, along with drugs like heroin and cocaine, as a Schedule 1 drug with no accepted medical use.

Block the Federal Death Penalty

Sun, 17 Nov 2019 19:00:01 +0000

UPDATE (07/14/20): On Tuesday, July 14th, the federal government performed its first execution of a death row inmate in 17 years following a turn in policy by the Trump administration. With several other prisoners scheduled to be executed over the coming days and weeks, it is time Congress acts to end this barbaric practice.

Despite an ongoing broad national shift away from support for the use of capital punishment, in 2019 Trump ordered the death penalty to be reinstated after a 16 year moratorium on executions. No explanation was given for this change in policy.

Request a November Town Hall with your House Rep

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 18:38:46 +0000

The House is in congressional recess from November 4th-11th, returning to session after Veteran’s Day. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Given the recent vote to formalize an impeachment process for the next phase of the inquiry and the mounting evidence Trump abused his powers to undermine the 2020 election, it’s more important than ever for you to make your voice heard. Call your local office and demand that your representative host a town hall to discuss their position on impeachment. If your representative refuses to hold a town hall, request an in-office meeting to explain their position.

Oppose Steven Menashi for a Lifetime Federal Judgeship - Confirmed

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 12:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (11/14/19): In a 51-41 vote, the Senate has confirmed Steven Menashi.

UPDATE (11/11/19): The Senate is expected to hold a final confirmation vote on Steven Menashi the week of November 11th.

Steven Menashi, the Trump administration’s nominee for a lifetime seat on the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, is yet another judicial appointee with a long history of espousing and defending bigoted views. In college, Menashi wrote antigay, misogynist, and racist editorials. Menashi later defended former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s racist claim that Western culture was superior to Islamic societies. In 2010, he wrote a 65-page article arguing that racial and ethnic diversity led to less effective government. Before he joined the White House general counsel’s office in 2018, he was acting general counsel at the Department of Education, where he provided legal oversight of the department’s reversal of Obama-era civil rights protections.

Support the Help America Run Act - Passed House

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 20:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (10/29/19): The House has passed HR 1623, the Help America Run Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Working class occupations comprise more than half the jobs in the United States, yet current members of Congress are much wealthier than the people they represent, according to a New York Times analysis. Blue collar Americans, women and working parents go underrepresented in Congress making it less likely that policies that benefit them, such as paid family leave and minimum wage reform will be meaningfully addressed.

Support the Impeachment Inquiry of Donald Trump - PASSED

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 14:27:36 +0000

UPDATE (10/31/19): In a 231 to 196 vote, the House has passed a resolution to formalize the next steps of Trump’s impeachment.

UPDATE (10/28/19): On Thursday, October 31st, the House will vote on a resolution to formalize the next phase of Trump’s impeachment inquiry. After unprecedented obstruction by Trump and his allies, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced “We are taking this step to eliminate any doubt as to whether the Trump Administration may withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorized subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representatives.” Demand your representatives vote in favor of the resolution to formalize Trump’s impeachment inquiry.

Restore the SALT Deduction

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 21:35:08 +0000

UPDATE (10/20/19): After the passage of Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy, which included the elimination of the SALT deduction, many states developed workarounds to the federal law in order to restore the middle class deduction. In retaliation, Trump’s Treasury Department issued new federal rules that forbade the state workarounds. To restore the SALT deduction workarounds, Senate Democrats are now planning to use a Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to overturn recently finalized regulations or rules. With a CRA, only 30 Senators need to demand a vote to get it placed on the Senate Calendar. Demand your Senator support a CRA to restore the SALT deduction to middle class Americans.

Safeguard Our Elections from Foreign Interference with the SHIELD Act - Passed House

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 21:35:08 +0000

UPDATE (10/24/19): In a 227 to 181 vote , the House has passed the SHIELD Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act, HR 4617 introduced by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), is intended to protect our elections from foreign interference and disinformation campaigns. The Mueller investigation detailed a sweeping, coordinated effort by the Russian government to interfere in our election in 2016, and raised the alarm that they continue to spread disinformation on American social media platforms. Furthermore, investigators found that Trump and at least 17 of his campaign officials had more than 100 contacts with Russians and Wikileaks. Now, with the revelation that Trump attempted to force Ukraine to investigate a conspiracy theory to damage a political rival, it has never been more clear we need legislation to protect our elections from foreign interference.

Prevent the Sale of Junk Health Insurance Policies - Senate Vote FAILED

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 21:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (10/30/19): S.J.Res.52 has failed in the Senate with a 43 to 52 vote.

UPDATE (10/27/19): In an attempt to overturn Trump’s regulation change allowing individuals to purchase “junk insurance,” Senate Democrats are planning to use a Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to overturn recently finalized regulations or rules. With a CRA, only 30 Senators need to demand a vote to get it placed on the Senate Calendar. Demand your Senator support the CRA, S.J.Res.52, to block the sale of junk insurance today.

Support the Corporate Transparency Act to Keep LLCs Honest - Passed House

Sun, 20 Oct 2019 21:00:01 +0000

UPDATE (10/24/19): In a 249 to 173 vote, the House has passed HR 2513. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Recently introduced legislation sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) would make it harder for criminals and kleptocrats to launder money in the United States. The Corporate Transparency Act of 2019 H.R. 2513 would require Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs) to report their true owners to the federal Treasury Department.

According to Tax Justice Network, the United States is the second most secretive country in the world because many US states do not require transparency. The Treasury Department noted in its 2018 National Money Laundering Risk Assessment that each year, over $300 billion of illicit proceeds flows through LLCs. Almost 2 million corporations and limited liability companies are registered in the United States every year.

Ensure Adherence to Obama-Era Clean Air Standards

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 11:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (10/15/19): On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office said that the Senate Democrats could force a vote to strike down Trump’s “Affordable Clean Energy” (ACE) regulation, which strips the Obama-era Clean Power Plan of its ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows the Senate to overturn recently passed regulations such as this as long as 30 Senators demand a vote. Senators need to hear from their constituents that they should demand this vote ASAP to ensure adequate climate protections stay in place.

Demand Congress Impose Sanctions on Turkey - Passed House

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 20:00:01 +0000

UPDATE (10/29/19): In a 403 to 16 vote, the House has overwhelming voted to pass HR 4695. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

UPDATE (10/27/19): This week, the House is expected to vote on bipartisan legislation, the Protect Against Conflict by Turkey Act (HR 4695) that would impose sanctions on Turkey for its invasion of Northern Syria.

UPDATE (10/16/19): In a 354 to 60 vote, the House has overwhelmingly voted to rebuke Trump’s decision to suddenly withdraw troops from Syria. Next, the House is expected to vote on a sanctions package targeting Turkey for its invasion.

Support Democracy and Freedom in Hong Kong - Passed House

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 19:45:01 +0000

UPDATE (10/15/19): The House has passed HR 3289. It is now up to the Senate to act on the legislation.

The citizens of Hong Kong have held strong in their months-long protests, rallies, and marches to fight the erosion of political freedoms in the territory. One of their requests is for US lawmakers to pass the bipartisan [Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act] (https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/09/article/hk-protesters-call-on-us-to-pass-human-rights-act/) (HR 3289/S 1838), which would require the US to perform annual assessments on the autonomy of region.

Support the Keep Americans Safe Act

Sun, 13 Oct 2019 20:41:02 +0000

During a mass shooting, the time it takes for a shooter to reload a weapon can provide critical time for victims to flee and law enforcement to intervene. Large capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition significantly increase a shooter’s ability to injure and kill large numbers of people quickly without stopping to reload. The perpetrators of recent high-profile mass shootings in Dayton, OH; El Paso, TX; and Gilroy, CA all used large capacity magazines.

Urge Your State Reps to Pass Net Neutrality Protections

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 20:57:22 +0000

UPDATE (10/1/19): Although a federal appeals court upheld the main thrust of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) repeal of net neutrality rules, that opinion also struck down efforts to prevent state governments from enacting their own net neutrality laws and regulations, saying it amounted to an attempt to “categorically abolish all fifty States’ … authority to regulate intrastate communications.” Demand your state legislators take action immediately to protect your rights for a fair and open internet.

Request an October Recess Town Hall to Discuss Trump's Impeachment

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 20:00:01 +0000

Congress is in recess starting on September 30th, returning to regular session on October 14th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Given the growing scandal of Trump’s pressure on Ukraine to investigate his political rivals and the official launch of an impeachment inquiry, it’s more important than ever for you to make your voice heard. Call your local office and demand that your representative host a town hall and discuss their position on impeachment. If your representative refuses to hold a town hall, demand an in-office meeting to explain their position.

Reject Secretary of Labor Nominee Eugene Scalia - Vote Tuesday

Sun, 22 Sep 2019 21:45:02 +0000

UPDATE (09/24/19): The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved Eugene Scalia’s nomination in a 12-11 vote, clearing the way for the full Senate to vote.

Eugene Scalia is Trump’s choice to replace disgraced Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta. Scalia has a long record of serving corporate interests and fighting against rules and settlements that protect workers. He fought regulations to prevent repetitive stress injuries and defended a casino owner accused of stealing tips from employees. Most recently, Scalia went against the Labor Department to remove a rule requiring workers’ retirement accounts be run in their best interest.

Demand the Investigation and Impeachment of Brett Kavanaugh

Sun, 15 Sep 2019 20:43:21 +0000

A year after his confirmation to the Supreme Court, details of yet another sexual assault committed by Brett Kavanaugh has been brought to light. Journalists from the New York Times uncovered the new story while also discovering new corroborating details for the story brought forth in 2018 by Deborah Ramirez, Kavanaugh’s Yale classmate. The new allegation comes from another Yale classmate, Max Stier, who says that Kavanaugh forced his penis into a woman’s hand at a different party, behavior that strongly resembles previous descriptions by Ramirez and Christine Blasey Ford. The New York Times also reported that after the FBI was ordered to conduct an investigation prior to Kavanaugh’s final confirmation, they did not look into Stier’s claim nor follow up with the 25 witnesses named by Ramirez.

Support the Disarm Hate Act

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 20:15:01 +0000

committed](https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hcs1317pp.pdf) against communities of color, religious minorities, LGBTQ people, and other minority groups. Guns are a common weapon of hate: from 2010 to 2016, more than fifty thousand hate crimes involved a firearm. Yet, because of a dangerous loophole in federal law, people convicted of hate crimes can legally purchase and possess firearms in many states. Federal law prohibits people convicted of felonies or domestic violence-related misdemeanors from owning guns. However, this restriction does not apply to individuals convicted of misdemeanor hate crimes. Consequently, amid a mass shooting crisis and a consecutive three-year increase in the frequency of hate crimes, people with histories of hate-motivated threats and violence continue to easily obtain deadly weapons.

Protect Alaska's Wildlife Refuge from Oil & Gas Drilling - Passed House

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 20:30:01 +0000

UPDATE(09/12/19): In a 225-193 vote, the House has passed HR 1146.

A provision buried in the 2017 Republican “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” mandated that the coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) be opened to fossil fuel companies for oil and gas drilling. Congress originally banned fossil fuel development in the ANWR in 1980, but the GOP wants to use royalties from oil and gas production there as a revenue generator to offset their tax cuts.

Support Federal Red Flag Legislation to Prevent Gun Violence

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 20:30:01 +0000

In June, Rep. Lucy McBath reintroduced the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act (FERPO) commonly referred to as “red flag laws,” to empower families and law enforcement to more effectively intervene to prevent gun violence, including suicides. It is quite common for individuals who ultimately commit gun violence to exhibit warning signs to their families or law enforcement, and under this new law, there would be a mechanism to petition the court for a temporary block on gun access. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia already have red flag laws in place, and the FERPO bill would replicate this known-to-be effective process at the federal level.

Oppose Climate Denier Kelly Knight Craft for UN Ambassador - Final Vote this Week

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 19:00:01 +0000

UPDATE: (09/08/19) The Senate is expected to hold a final confirmation vote for Kelly Knight Craft the week of September 9th.

UPDATE: (07/22/19): Documents from a hearing before the full Senate Foreign Relations committee reveal that as ambassador to Canada, Kelly Knight Craft has spent up to 7 of 20 months away from her post in Ottowa, many times travelling to places where she owns homes. Craft also involved her husband, a coal industry billionaire executive, in discussions about energy and environment matters.

Reject Transfer of FEMA Money for Immigrant Detention

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 20:45:01 +0000

Hurricane season is underway and a [major storm already threatens Florida and Georgia (https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754632077/tropical-storm-dorian-puts-puerto-rico-under-hurricane-watch) while Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover from inadequate relief efforts during Hurricane Maria. However, the Trump administration has prioritized its anti-immigrant agenda over protecting American citizens from disaster relief. On August 27th, the Department of Homeland Security announced it was reallocating $271 million in emergency funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The money, which includes $155 million from FEMA’s disaster relief fund and funding for the Coast Guard, will instead pay for additional beds in ICE detention centers.

Support the No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 21:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (01/27/20): In a 5-4 vote, the conservative-leaning Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could proceed to implement its “public charge” rule. Now more than ever, Congress must act to block this divisive and xenophobic rule.

The Trump administration recently finalized a Department of Homeland Security rule change that restricts legal immigration by penalizing immigrants for accessing public services. The rule broadens DHS criteria for deciding whether applicants for visas and green cards are potential “public charges,”, i.e. people who are likely to depend economically on government services. Under the new rule, DHS will be more likely to deny U.S. admission and permanent residency status to immigrants who use federal benefits like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) and Medicaid. The rule forces millions of immigrants, many of whom have U.S.-born children, to decline needed public services to avoid risking their legal status. Unsurprisingly, the rule change is a pet project of the notorious white supremacist Stephen Miller, who has long sought to reduce legal immigration into the U.S.

Protect Women's Healthcare Clinics from Trump's "Domestic Gag Rule"

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 08:12:53 +0000

UPDATE (08/20/19): On August 19th, Planned Parenthood announced it was ending its involvement with the Title X program rather than abide by Trump’s domestic gag rule on abortion services.

Defunding Planned Parenthood has been a years-long mission of the Republican Party and was a high priority promise of the Trump 2016 campaign. While GOP attempts to defund PP through an Obamacare repeal failed, Congress successfully repealed an Obama Title X rule that prohibited states from withholding federal funds for health clinics that provide abortions. Now, Trump is following through on his campaign promise by implementing a “domestic gag rule.” Similar to the “global gag rule” that cuts funding to international aid organizations providing abortion services, this “domestic gag rule” policy would make any health clinic in the United States providing abortion services or education ineligible for Title X Family Planning funds.

Block the Indefinite Detention of Migrant Families

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 20:37:05 +0000

In 1997, a federal court decided in Flores v. Reno that the government cannot detain an immigrant child beyond a reasonable amount of time, defined in 2014 as 20 days. The Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy clashed headlong into Flores with disastrous results. After intense public pressure, the Trump administration agreed to abide by the 20 day limit on detention for children and families, but continued to seek ways to overturn Flores and allow families to be detained beyond the 20 day limit.

Demand Congress Reverse Changes to the Endangered Species Act

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 20:30:01 +0000

On August 12th 2019, the Trump administration announced sweeping rule changes to the Endangered Species Act, considerably weakening the landmark conservation legislation. The new regulations, currently set to take effect in mid-September, would:

make it easier to remove a species from the endangered list while diminishing protections for threatened species (one step below the endangered classification),
allow regulators to conduct economic assessments when deciding whether a species warrants protection, such as estimating revenue lost from prohibiting mineral extraction on crucial habitat, and

Block John Hyten for Vice Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 21:30:01 +0000

The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the fourth-in-command of the entire US military. Trump has nominated Air Force General John Hyten, who currently commands the US Strategic Command.

Colonel Kathryn A. Spletstoser has accused her then-commander Gen. Hyten of touching her inappropriately and sexually assaulting her in December 2017. The initial investigation was conducted by an officer junior to Gen. Hyten and was not referred to a court martial. At a time when the Pentagon itself estimates that 6.2% of women and 0.7% of men in the military experience sexual assault, appointing a leader who is suspected of such behavior and who was not fully investigated sets a terrible example.

Demand the Resignation of Congressman Steve King

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 10:48:34 +0000

Congressman Steve King (R-IA) has again found himself at the center of controversy after describing his opposition to abortion in the case of rape and incest. At a conservative forum in Iowa, King questioned if there would “be any population of the world left” if it were not for rape and incest. His comment drew swift condemnation from top House Republicans, with at least one calling for him to resign.

This latest controversy is far from the first time that King’s extremist beliefs have sparked outrage. In 2017, for example, King asserted that “we can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies” and advocated for a version of the US “that is so homogenous that we look a lot the same.” In January 2019, House Republicans stripped King of his House committee assignments after he doubled down on his racist rhetoric in a New York Times interview, stating, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”

Protect Legal Immigrants' Rights to Access Healthcare & Benefits

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 20:45:01 +0000

The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is implementing a new rule that takes effect on October 15 to punish immigrants and their US-citizen children for accessing a wide range of public benefits, including common tax deductions. When considering whether to provide applicants with immigration visas or legal permanent residency, DHS already penalizes immigrants who receive cash welfare payments. However, DHS is expanding this rule to penalize immigrants who use any form of public benefit, from health insurance subsidies to the earned income tax credit used by about one-fifth of taxpayers. The rule, which was crafted by the notoriously xenophobic Stephen Miller, also punishes immigrants whose US-citizen spouses or children use a public benefit. Under this new rule, immigrants will be disqualified from receiving a green card if they claim nearly any benefits or if DHS deems them likely to receive benefits in the future.

Oppose Changes to SNAP that would Exclude 3 Million from Assistance

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 20:54:14 +0000

UPDATE (12/4/19): The Trump administration has finalized a proposed rule that could exclude nearly 700,000 people from SNAP assistance by implementing stricter work requirements for this population. Other proposals to further undermine this critical service are still pending, and we must speak up now to defend SNAP benefits.

The Trump administration has proposed a change to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that could exclude over 3 million people from receiving food assistance. A SNAP rule called broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) currently allows low-income people to enroll in SNAP if they’ve already qualified for other anti-poverty benefit programs. The rule guarantees access to free school meals for 256,000 children from SNAP-enrolled households. States also have flexibility to waive income and asset limits for SNAP recipients, meaning families don’t suddenly lose SNAP benefits if their wages or savings increase by a small amount. Over forty states have adopted less restrictive income and asset limits for SNAP enrollees, reducing administrative costs and program churn while encouraging low-income families to save. The Trump administration has now proposed a new rule to eliminate BBCE.

Reject Lindsey Grahams Punitive Asylum Reform Legislation

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 20:55:07 +0000

In May, Senator Lindsey Graham introduced S.1494 “The Secure and Protect Act of 2019” which aims to [modify our current asylum process, making it more difficult and risky for applicants] (https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/15/politics/graham-immigration-bill/index.html). His bill changes the current system in three key ways: it requires application for asylum be filed not at the border but in the applicant’s home country, it allows for migrant children to be held in custody for 100 days rather than 20, and it makes it easier to deport unaccompanied minors. These changes would disproportionately impact the most vulnerable migrants - those at high risk of retaliation from their own governments, as well as children - making this a transparent attempt at punishing migrants seeking lawful asylum.

Demand a Federal Ban on Assault Weapons

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 20:34:14 +0000

In 2004, the NRA successfully pressured the Republican-controlled government into not renewing the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. The ban had been working to protect lives; after it expired the number of gun massacre deaths (which had decreased over 40% during the ban) jumped nearly 2.5 fold.

Gun violence experts are now renewing their calls for a nationwide ban on these types of weapons - and Americans agree - recent polls show at least two-thirds of Americans support a nationwide assault weapons ban.

Request an August Recess Town Hall to Demand Your Reps Pursue Impeachment

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 21:10:53 +0000

The House is in congressional recess starting on July 26th, with the Senate joining them on August 2nd. Both chambers remain in recess until September 9th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person. Given the growing momentum behind an impeachment inquiry, it’s more important than ever for you to make your voice heard. Call your local office and demand that your representative host a town hall and discuss their position on impeachment in light of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s July 24th House testimony. If your representative refuses to hold a town hall, demand an in-office meeting to explain their position.

Repeal the Hyde Amendment to Increase Abortion Access

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 20:49:43 +0000

The Hyde Amendment is a budget rule that prohibits federal funding for legal abortion procedures, put in place each year since the Roe v. Wade decision. Impoverished Medicaid recipients, service members, and young people are the most dependent on federally-funded health services. As a result, these vulnerable groups have dangerously limited access to abortion.

For many years, abortion being legal but not provided by the government to those who need it was a compromise position, but now there are bills in the House and Senate to repeal the Hyde Amendment. The EACH Woman Act will “ensure coverage for abortion care in public health insurance programs” and require the government employee’s insurance to cover abortion.

Support Statehood for Washington, D.C. - Passed House

Sun, 21 Jul 2019 21:25:16 +0000

UPDATE (06/26/20): With a final vote of 232-180, the House has passed HR 51. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Block Trump's Military Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia - Veto Override Vote Monday - FAILED

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 14:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (07/29/19): In a 45-40 vote, the Senate failed to overturn Trump’s veto of the Saudi weapons deal.

UPDATE (07/28/19): After Trump vetoed the resolutions to block the Saudi arms deal, the Senate is scheduled to vote on a veto override on Monday, July 29th.

UPDATE (07/17/19): The House has voted to block Trump’s weapons deal to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The resolutions now heads to Trump’s desk where he is expected to issue a veto.

Support HR 2615 to Address the Root Causes of Migration from Central America - Passed House

Sun, 14 Jul 2019 16:34:51 +0000

UPDATE (07/15/19): The House has passed HR 2615 in a unanimous vote. The legislation now move to the Senate for consideration.

On May 9th, Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY), Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Michael McCaul (R-TX), the Committee’s Ranking Member, introduced HR 2615, the United States–Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act, which supports the people of Central America and strengthens U.S. national security by addressing the root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

Support H.R. 40: Commission to Develop Reparations Proposals

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 21:00:01 +0000

On June 19th, the House held a hearing on H.R.40, a bill that would launch a commission to study how the government can most effectively pay reparations to African-Americans to mitigate the ongoing damage from racist federal policies. The racial wealth gap is enormous - black Americans hold only 3% of the nation’s wealth despite being 12-13% of the population, the median wealth of black families is less than 10% of white families, and over 25% of black families have zero or negative net worth.

Demand Labor Secretary Acosta Resign for the Coverup of Jeffrey Epstein's Crimes - RESIGNED

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 20:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (07/12/19): Secretary Acosta has announced he will resign effective next Friday, July 19th.

UPDATE (07/07/19): On July 6th, Jeffrey Epstein was arrested upon returning to the United States and charged with sex trafficking of dozens of underage girls in New York and Florida. The arrest comes just two weeks after the Department of Justice refused to throw out the non-prosecution agreement that then Assistant US Attorney Alex Acosta put in place to grant Jeffrey Epstein immunity from prosecution.
In November of 2018, the Miami Herald published a damning story describing how former US prosecutor and current US Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta struck a deal to protect alleged serial sexual predator and billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. In 2007, Epstein was accused of sexually assaulting dozens of underage girls, some of whom were allegedly victims of international sex trafficking. Despite the scope and severity of Epstein’s crimes, Acosta approved a plea deal that let Epstein off with just two prostitution-related convictions and a mere 13 month prison stay, during which Acosta was given work-release privileges normally not granted to sex offenders. The deal also granted federal immunity to Epstein’s accomplices and any unindicted co-conspirators, thus offering sweeping protections to an unknown number of other sexual predators. In an apparent violation of the 2004 Crime Victims Act, the alleged victims of Epstein’s predatory behavior never had the chance to face their abuser in court and were not informed of the plea deal before it was approved.

Urge Congress Hold Border Patrol Agents Accountable

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 21:15:01 +0000

On July 1, ProPublica published an exposé of a secret Facebook group where 9,500 current and former Border Patrol agents mock the deaths of detained immigrants and post racist and sexist content. The three year old Facebook group is just the latest evidence of a disturbing culture of white supremacy and sexism among Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) employees.

While the Trump administration has dramatically escalated the detention and abuse of immigrants crossing the border, CBP agents’ culture of racist cruelty is longstanding. In 2014, a group of 116 unaccompanied immigrant children held in CBP detention filed a complaint alleging that agents denied them adequate food and water, blankets, and essential medical care.

Request a July Recess Town Hall

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 21:06:16 +0000

The Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess from July 1st-5th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Your representatives work for you: you should have regular opportunities to discuss their positions, platforms, and how their legislative agendas will affect you and those close to you. Town halls are a critical tool for holding representatives accountable for their actions and ensuring that these men and women, who spend much of their time outside of their home states, are hearing the needs and concerns of their constituents in person.

Demand the House Subpoena Robert Mueller to Publicly Testify - Subpoenaed

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 21:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (6/25/19): The House has subpoenaed Robert Mueller to testify publicly on July 17th.

In the days and weeks after Robert Mueller submitted his final report on the findings of the Russian investigation, Attorney General William Barr has used his position of power to lead a campaign of misinformation to distort the report’s conclusions. Barr initially blocked the public release of the report; instead publishing a misleading 4-page memo that caused Mueller to object internally to the DOJ because it “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of the Russia investigation and created “public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation.” A few short weeks later, Mueller finally held a press briefing to rebut Barr and the administration’s narrative that the report cleared Trump from crimes, stating, “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”

Support Securing Americas Federal Elections with the SAFE Act - Needs Senate Vote

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 21:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (07/24/19): During his testimony before Congress, former special counsel Robert Mueller called Russian electoral meddling “among the most serious” challenges to US democracy that he’d ever encountered and added, “[T]his deserves the attention of every American.” The Senate must act immediately to pass the House-approved SAFE Act and safeguard our elections.

UPDATE (06/27/29): With a 225-184 vote, the House has passed the SAFE Act. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Demand Sunshine on ICE Detention Centers

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 21:00:01 +0000

Since 2017 the Trump administration has aggressively pursued a zero-tolerance immigration policy at the southern border. In 2018, the administration imposed a brutal family separation policy and began charging all migrants crossing the border, even those seeking asylum, with crimes. Despite Trump’s apparent reversal of the separation policy, families continue to be torn apart, with no viable plan for reunion. Children and adults are dying in custody and being held in overcrowded, inhumane facilities. The government, overwhelmed by the ballooning costs of its self-imposed crisis, is now proposing to cut legal and educational support for unaccompanied children. On June 12, news emerged that the government plans to house nearly 1,400 children on the site of a former Japanese concentration camp (euphemistically termed an “internment camp"). The move is an all too apt illustration of the Trump administration’s dedication to reviving 1940s era white supremacy.

Enact the FIRE Act to Require Political Campaigns Disclose Foreign Contacts

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 08:04:15 +0000

UPDATE (07/24/19): During his testimony before Congress, former special counsel Robert Mueller called Russian electoral meddling “among the most serious” challenges to US democracy that he’d ever encountered and added, “[T]his deserves the attention of every American.” The Senate must act immediately to pass the FIRE Act and safeguard our elections.

During an interview with ABC News on June 13th, George Stephanopoulos asked Trump “if foreigners, if Russia, if China, if someone else offers you information on opponents, should they accept it or should they call the FBI?” Trump responded “I think you might want to listen, there’s nothing wrong with listening…. it’s not an interference, they have information. I think I’d take it.” He went on to say that the “FBI Director is wrong” for believing foreign inference and contact should be reported to the FBI.

Safeguard Our Elections with Mandated Online Political Ad Disclosure

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 21:51:09 +0000

After the 2016 election we learned that Russian operatives spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on political ads across Facebook, Twitter and Google to influence the outcome. Because online political advertising is not currently covered by political ad disclosure regulations (unlike television, print, and radio advertising), these ads went undetected for over a year. Campaign advertising requirements have not been substantively updated since the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, when Internet advertising was still in its early days. Consequently, the millions of American voters who were targeted by Russian political operatives were unaware of who was behind the political advertisements they were seeing, how they were being targeted, or the scope of Russian advertising influence on the electorate.

Demand Elaine Chao Resign for Corruption

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 21:00:01 +0000

At her confirmation hearings, Elaine Chao, Secretary of Transportation and spouse of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY,) promised to remove impediments to private investment and revitalize the transportation sector of the economy. She appears to be fulfilling that promise–but in ways that benefit her family, her husband’s re-election bid, and little else.

Several reports have surfaced recently making it clear that Chao’s activities as Secretary serve primarily to enrich her family and husband. She maintains deep financial and business ties to her family’s shipping company, Foremost Group, based in New York but operating primarily in China. According to multiple news sources, she recently planned a visit to China so unorthodox and troubling that the American embassy in Beijing asked the State Department for help with the ethics involved, and the trip was eventually cancelled. And while the Trump Administration has not been shy about propping up sagging industries like coal, Chao’s department has proposed cuts to federal funds assisting the flagging American shipping industry. To help her husband’s senate reelection bid, Chao designated a special liaison in her office to grease the wheels for at least $78 million in grants benefitting Kentucky as McConnell is preparing to campaign.

Demand Congress Act to End Abuses of Detained Immigrants

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 12:45:01 +0000

Appalling stories continue to emerge about abuses of immigrants detained at the border. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently detaining over 53,000 immigrants in jails nationwide. The record-breaking spike in immigrant detention stems from a Trump administration policy to arrest nearly all undocumented immigrants. The draconian policy has led to dangerous overcrowding at ICE facilities, with one processing facility holding 900 people despite having a maximum capacity of 125. The explosion of detentions has also masked horrifying human rights abuses by immigration enforcement, including the unjustified separation of children from their families, confiscation of immigrants’ necessary medication, the abandonment of 37 children in a van in the Texas heat for 39 hours, and ongoing denial of necessary medical care to detainees—sometimes with deadly consequences. Meanwhile, an 800,000 case backlog in the overloaded, under-resourced immigration court system guarantees immigrants will languish in dangerous conditions for far too long.

Hold AG Barr and Secretary Ross in Contempt of Congress - Held in Contempt

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 16:45:02 +0000

UPDATE (06/17/19): The House has held Barr and Ross in criminal contempt of Congress in a 230-198 vote.

UPDATE (06/15/19): The House is expected to vote on Wednesday, July 17th to hold AG Barr and Commerce Secretary Ross in criminal contempt for their refusal to comply with subpoenas related to the citizenship question on the upcoming 2020 census.

UPDATE (06/12/19): The he House Oversight Committee has voted to hold both Barr and Ross in contempt.

Demand your Members of Congress Read the Entire Mueller Report

Wed, 29 May 2019 20:54:59 +0000

Over 2 months ago, on April 18th 2019, Attorney General William Bar released to the public a redacted version of Mueller’s report on the investigation and findings into Russia’s effort to interfere in the 2016 election. Even though approximately 12% of the report is redacted, the 448-page, 2 volume report details both Russia’s attempt to interfere in our elections “in sweeping and systematic fashion” and 10 potential instances of obstruction of justice by Trump.

Request a May Recess Town Hall

Mon, 27 May 2019 19:15:01 +0000

The Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess from May 27th-31st. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Your representatives work for you: you should have regular opportunities to discuss their positions, platforms, and how their legislative agendas will affect you and those close to you. Town halls are a critical tool for holding representatives accountable for their actions and ensuring that these men and women, who spend much of their time outside of their home states, are hearing the needs and concerns of their constituents in person.

Require Congressional Approval for the Use of Military Force - Passed House

Thu, 23 May 2019 20:53:12 +0000

UPDATE (01/30/19): The House has passed an amendment to HR 550 to include a repeal to the 2001 AUMF. The legislation will now return to the Senate for passage.

UPDATE (01/27/20): This Thursday, House Democrats are expected vote to add an amendment with the same text as HR 2456 to non-controversial legislation (HR 550) already passed by the Senate. This procedural method stops the GOP from blocking the insertion of the legislation.

On September 14, 2001, in the days following the largest ever terror attack on American soil, Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), granting the President the authority to use “all necessary and appropriate force” against those who “planned, authorized, committed or aided” the attacks of September 11th “in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States.”

Support the Consumer First Act - Passed House

Mon, 20 May 2019 20:30:01 +0000

Update (05/22/18): In a 231 to 191 vote, the House has passed the Consumer First Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Under acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney and continuing with Director Kraininger, the Trump Administration has gutted the agency’s fair lending enforcement, sided with predatory payday lenders, and dismantled financial protections for servicemembers. The Consumer First Act will reverse the Trump Administration’s anti-consumer agenda and return the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to its original mission: protecting American consumers. H.R. 1500 would restore:

Hold Mnuchin and Rettig in Contempt for Failing to Release Trump's Tax Returns

Sun, 19 May 2019 18:00:01 +0000

UPDATE (05/17/19): Mnuchin and Rettig have refused to provide Trump’s tax documents, defying a lawfully issued subpoena. The House must now hold both in contempt of Congress and penalize them stalling and protecting Trump instead of upholding the rule of law.

UPDATE (05/10/19): After failing to comply with a formal request for six years of Trump’s personal and business taxes, Chairman Neal has issued subpoenas to both Mnuchin and Rettig for the documents. They have until 5pm on May 17th to comply.

Urge State Leaders to Defend Abortion Rights

Sun, 19 May 2019 17:00:01 +0000

A number of states have recently passed the most draconian abortion limitations in recent history. Many of these laws are so-called fetal heartbeat bills that ban abortion at around six weeks, before many people even realize they’re pregnant. Some laws impose felony charges for obtaining abortions, grant states the power to prosecute people over miscarriages, and deny people the right to abortion even in cases of rape or incest. All of these bills are an assault on pregnant people’s fundamental right to bodily autonomy.

Oppose Anti-LGBT Howard Nielson Jr. for Federal Judgeship - Confirmed

Sun, 19 May 2019 16:30:01 +0000

Update (05/22/18): In a 51-47 vote, the Senate has confirmed Howard Nielson to be US District Judge for the District of Utah.

Donald Trump has nominated Howard Nielson Jr. for a lifetime judgeship on the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Nielson is yet another extremist judiciary appointee with a longstanding history of bigotry. For example, Nielson argued that Judge Vaughn Walker, who ruled that California’s Proposition 8 banning gay marriage was unconstitutional, was unable to rule fairly on the case because Judge Walker is gay. Nielson’s claim that a gay judge cannot carry out his responsibilities simply because of his sexual orientation is deeply troubling.

Prevent War with Iran

Wed, 15 May 2019 21:23:54 +0000

UPDATE (06/13/19): After two oil tankers were attacked off the coast of Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo quickly claimed Iran was responsible, escalating tensions in the region.

In April of 2018, Trump appointed John Bolton, a known Iran hawk who served in the Bush White House, as his National Security Advisor. Bolton’s position that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction prompted the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq. One month after Bolton’s appointment, the Trump administration announced the United States would withdraw from the Iran Nuclear Deal, a diplomatic agreement reached in 2015 to ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. The highly criticized decision began a downward spiral in US-Iran relations.

Block Anti-Choice Extremist Wendy Vitter from a Lifetime Judgeship - Confirmed

Mon, 13 May 2019 18:00:02 +0000

UPDATE (05/16/19): The Senate has confirmed Wendy Vitter to the Eastern District Court of Louisiana in a 52-45 vote.

Donald Trump has nominated yet another unacceptable and woefully unqualified attorney for a lifetime appointment as a judge. Wendy Vitter, Trump’s nominee for a judgeship in the Eastern District Court of Louisiana, is an anti-choice extremist with a troubling professional and personal history. During her time working in the New Orleans District Attorney’s Office, Vitter’s office was repeatedly criticized for refusing to share evidence of innocence with defendants, ultimately earning a rebuke from the Supreme Court. She has consistently propagated false and dangerous information about reproductive health, claiming birth control leads to a higher risk of violent death, that abortion causes breast cancer, and that Planned Parenthood kills 150,000 women a year. During her Senate hearing, she refused to agree that the landmark case to desegregate public schools, Brown v. Board of Education, was decided correctly. She also failed to disclose information about her past anti-choice activities.

Oppose Barry Myers for NOAA Administrator

Sun, 12 May 2019 21:15:01 +0000

Despite being the new nominee to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Barry Myers has spent his career attempting to put weather forecasting behind a paywall. NOAA collects and uses detailed weather data to produce free, updated forecasts every 6 hours. NOAA forecasts help local governments and private citizens alike prepare for natural disasters. However, as CEO of the for-profit forecasting company AccuWeather, Myers argued that NOAA and the National Weather Service should only publish extreme weather warnings to the public and leave routine weather forecasting to for-profit entities. In 2013, Myers even accused the National Weather Service of unfairly competing with AccuWeather when they began sharing life-saving storm updates on Twitter and Facebook.

Subpoena Steven Miller to Testify Before Congress

Tue, 07 May 2019 20:42:46 +0000

Despite a total refusal to allow White House advisors to testify before Congress, Stephen Miller’s dominating role in the nation’s appalling border security and immigration policies are shaping up to be reason to rethink the status quo. Although the White House claims that advisors like Miller are shielded from Congressional oversight by executive privilege, his list of accomplishments is troubling, and continues to grow:

Yet another child has died in ICE custody
Health and Human Services officials admit that they have no viable way to reunite the vast majority of families separated at the border
Miller toyed with a policy of targeted release, a plan to release undocumented migrants into cities within democratic districts as political retribution, widely reported to be championed by Miller alone.
Other policies he has advanced include offering families in border detention a “binary choice” to either remain in detention or surrender their children, zero-tolerance regarding asylum claims, declaration of a national emergency at the border, a 2017 executive order barring travelers from seven muslim-majority nations, and suspension of many asylum admissions programs.

Miller, who formerly served as a congressional aide to Jeff Sessions, appears to be a singular and highly influential actor in determining immigration policy regardless of the supposed input of the DHS Secretary and legal advisors. Miller should face accountability for his policies and appear before Congress to answer questions about his role as the mastermind of these policies.

Support Legislation Protecting Preexisting Conditions - Passed House

Mon, 06 May 2019 20:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (05/09/19): In a 230 to 183 vote, the House has passed HR 986. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Last fall, the Trump administration approved a new rule allowing consumers to use Affordable Care Act tax subsidies to purchase short-term health insurance plans. These substandard plans can charge people with preexisting conditions higher premiums and aren’t required to cover essential health benefits like maternity, mental health, or hospital services. Healthcare advocates have warned that the proliferation of these junk plans steers healthy people away from the long-term insurance market, which in turn drives up prices for sicker consumers. Short-term plans also put buyers at risk for financial devastation in case of an accident or an illness like cancer; for example, one short-term insurance plan buyer faced $200,000 in bills after their insurer declined to cover the vast majority of their heart surgery costs.

Support the Sovereignty of the Mashpee Wamapnoag Tribe - Passed House

Mon, 06 May 2019 20:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (05/15/19): In a 275-146 vote, the the House has passed H.R. 312. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

UPDATE (05/06/19): The vote on H.R. 312, which reaffirms the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe reservation as trust land in Massachusetts, has been delayed after [Trump tweeted his disapproval, causing Republicans to withdraw support] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-tweet-derails-house-bill-opposed-by-lobbyist-with-close-white-house-ties/2019/05/08/019117d0-71b5-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html?utm_term=.6a18fc4abb42) for the legislation.

The Trump administration has decided that the [Mashpee Wampanoag tribe] (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/native-american-mashpee-tribe-turns-congress-land-dispute-181114184734541.html), part of a larger tribe whose ancestors fed the Pilgrims on the first Thanksgiving, does not qualify for a reservation. In 2015, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe received 321 acres of land in Massachusetts in spite of a controversial [Supreme Court ruling] (http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/09/17/mashpee-wampanoag-tribe-lands) that decided that in order for the federal government to take land into trust in behalf of a tribe, it had to be under federal jurisdiction at the time of the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934. Then, a federal judge decided that the Obama administration acted outside it’s authority by taking the land into trust and the Trump administration decided not to challenge the decision. This decision not to act puts the tribe’s sovereignty and land into limbo. Yet in the intervening years, the tribe has set up schools, housing projects and its own police and court system to be funded by a [controversial casino] (https://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20181019/lobbyists-battle-it-out-over-mashpee-tribes-casino-plan). The remedy for the tribe is for Congress to pass legislation to codify the tribe’s existence and land trust into the US code.

Oppose Jeffrey Rosen for Deputy Attorney General - Confirmed

Sun, 05 May 2019 20:28:17 +0000

UPDATE (05/16/19): The Senate has voted 52-45 to confirm Jeffrey Rosen to be Deputy Attorney General.

Soon after former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced his departure from the Department of Justice, President Trump announced his choice for a replacement: Jeffrey Rosen. Currently the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Rosen is a Harvard Law graduate and civil litigator with nearly 30 years experience at Kirkland and Ellis. While these credentials are impressive, they are irrelevant to the role that he has been nominated for. The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) oversees the day to day operations of the DOJ, who employs over 107,000 people and has an annual budget of approximately $28 billion. Furthermore, the DAG serves as the main liaison to the White House, and the heads of the FBI, DEA, criminal division and national security division all directly report to the DAG. Without any prosecutorial experience, let alone knowledge of federal criminal code, former DOJ attorney Julie Rosen Zebrak describes Rosen’s disadvantage as “learning how to fly a plane while actually flying the plane, but with one arm tied behind his back."

Demand Attorney General Barr Resign

Thu, 02 May 2019 19:25:19 +0000

On May 1st, media outlets obtained a letter from Special Counsel Robert Mueller to Attorney General Bill Barr criticizing how Barr’s public characterization of Mueller’s investigative report. Mueller noted that Barr’s report summary “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of his team’s findings and created “public confusion about critical aspects of the results of [his team’s] investigation”. The Mueller letter suggests that Barr deliberately misled the public about Mueller’s conclusions to shield Trump from scrutiny.

End Forced Arbitration for Employees - Passed House

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 20:24:05 +0000

UPDATE(09/20/19): In a 225-186 vote, the House passed the FAIR Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

If you were assaulted at work today, what would you do? If you found out your dark-skinned co-worker was a scapegoat for an error made by your white colleague, who would you talk to? If you found out you and everyone working your shift had been quietly shorted $75 per paycheck for the last six months, who would you talk to?

Support the Equal Rights Amendment - Passed House

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 21:00:01 +0000

UPDATE (02/14/20): In a historic vote, the House has passed H.J. Res 79 which, if passed by the Senate, removes the deadline for the ratification of the ERA.

UPDATE (01/16/20): On January 15th, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment The time is now for Congress to restart the constitutional amendment ratification process to include the ERA.

Demand Oversight of the Executive Branch

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 20:38:02 +0000

The Trump Administration has an ongoing and alarming pattern of completely ignoring the checks and balances of Congress, setting the stage for a constitutional crisis. For example:

They are refusing to comply with subpoenas related to the Mueller investigation
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has again delayed a decision to release Trump’s tax records
The White House sued Congress over a recent subpoena
Former WH personnel security director Carl Kline will testify before the House Oversight committee after a bitter standoff, but will only discuss “policy and practices”.

Support HR 4 to Restore Federal Protections Against Voter Suppression - Passed House

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 20:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (06/10/20): After a catastrophic primary election in Georgia, it has never been more clear that the Senate must pass HR 4 to restore federal oversight of elections.

UPDATE (12/06/19): The House has passed HR 4 with a 228 to 187 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

In the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), gutting the landmark legislation and ending the federal government’s oversight of potentially discriminatory state voting laws changes. Section 4(b) established a formula to identify states who needed federal preclearance of voting law changes because of their history of voter suppression. In the Shelby County v. Holder decision, the Court [ended the preapproval process](, ruling that the over 40-year old formula was outdated and put an undue burden on states. Since then, 22 states, including many previously covered by the preclearance requirement, have implemented measures that systematically disenfranchise voters of color and low-income voters. Such changes include reducing polling locations, requiring voter ID, shortening early voting, and purging voter rolls.

Oppose New Family Separation and Hardline Immigration Policies

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 21:45:01 +0000

UPDATE (4/16/19): DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and top leadership at the agency were forced out beginning April 7 by an angry President Trump because he and his policy advisors felt they were not committed enough to pursuing an even more aggressive immigration policy. In spite of Trump’s recent denial, DHS officials confirm that a they are exploring a return to the policy of separating migrant children from their families. Other possible measures include more use of active-duty troops at the southern border, an end to birthright citizenship and more focus on building a border wall. Significant majorities of Americans oppose harsh immigration policies, and overall, support immigration to the United States. These draconian policies are not only inhumane, some are potentially illegal, and do not reflect the priorities of most Americans. Congress needs to hear from their constituents their opposition to such brutal immigration policies.

Demand the Treasury Department Release Trump's Tax Returns

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 20:30:01 +0000

On April 3, Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), the Chair of House Ways and Means Committee, requested the release of Trump’s recent tax returns by invoking Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code - this statute authorizes the Way and Mean Committee to request tax return information about any taxpayer from the Treasury Department. This law was used in 1974 to obtain President Nixon’s tax returns and again in 2014 to investigate the IRS’s handling of non-profits. On April 10th, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stated that the Treasury Department would not meet the deadline to release the president’s tax returns, and that he personally would be further reviewing the request. Historically, these requests have been handled by the IRS Commissioner (currently Charles Rettig), but Rettig has deferred to his boss Mnuchin in this matter.

Support HR 9 to Keep the US in the Paris Climate Agreement - Passed House

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 21:03:57 +0000

UPDATE (05/02/19): The House has passed H.R. 9 in a 231-190 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

n July 2017, Trump announced his plan to formally withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2020. The international agreement aims to limit global warming this century to 2 degrees Celsius and has been signed by 174 countries and the European Union. Under the Obama administration, the U.S. committed to reducing emissions to 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2025. Although the Paris Agreement is non-binding, it is a milestone for international cooperation and leadership to combat the dire threat of climate change.

Request an April Recess Town Hall

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 20:27:39 +0000

The Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess from April 15th-26th. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Your representatives work for you: you should have regular opportunities to discuss their positions, platforms, and how their legislative agendas will affect you and those close to you. Town halls are a critical tool for holding representatives accountable for their actions and ensuring that these men and women, who spend much of their time outside of their home states, are hearing the needs and concerns of their constituents in person.

Support TPS for Venezuelans

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 20:15:01 +0000

Venezuela is in the midst of an unprecedented political, economic, and humanitarian crisis. More than three million Venezuelans have fled the country due to widespread shortages of food, medicine, water, and electricity, severe hunger and malnutrition, rampant violent crime, and ruthless government repression. The ongoing crisis, compounded by the looming threat of military intervention and escalating tensions between the United States and Russia in Venezuela, prevents Venezuelan nationals from safely returning to their country.

Protect Accountability with Nonpartisan Inspectors General - Passed House

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 20:41:25 +0000

UPDATE (07/17/19): The House has passed HR 1847, the legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Inspectors General (IGs) provide nonpartisan oversight of government agencies to ensure responsible use of taxpayer dollars. In fiscal year 2016 alone, IGs identified over $45 billion in savings, representing a $17 return for every $1 spent on IG operations. IGs also investigate wrongdoing at federal agencies. IG investigations helped expose former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price’s wasteful spending, former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt’s raft of ethics violations, and former Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s inappropriate land dealings, resulting in the resignation of all three cabinet members.

Block David Bernhardt for Secretary of the Department of Interior - Confirmed

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 20:54:35 +0000

UPDATE (04/11/19): In a 56-41 vote, the Senate has confirmed David Bernhardt for Secretary of the Interior.

UPDATE (04/10/19): The Senate is expected to hold a final confirmation vote on Bernhardt on Thursday, April 11th.

UPDATE (04/03/19): The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has voted in favor of advancing Bernhardt’s nomination.

Former oil and gas lobbyist and insider David Bernhardt has been nominated to lead the Department of Interior (DOI), the federal agency tasked with protecting our public lands, managing our natural resources, and honoring our nation’s responsibility to indigenous people. Bernhardt served as Deputy Secretary of the DOI under Ryan Zinke, who was forced to resign last December due to mounting ethics investigations. Bernhardt has been Acting Director since Zinke’s resignation but now Trump has tapped him to remain as the permanent head.

Support LGBTQ Rights with the Equality Act of 2019 - Needs Senate Vote

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 21:00:01 +0000

UPDATE (05/17/19): The House has passed the Equality Act in a 236 - 173 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people from discrimination based on race, skin color, sex, religion, and national origin. However, the Act’s crucial anti-discrimination provisions do not protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Thus, in the 30 states without robust LGBTQ anti-discrimination laws, LGBTQ people can legally be fired, harassed at work, barred from businesses, denied housing, and more because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. On March 13, 2019, Democrats in the House and Senate introduced H.R. 5, the Equality Act to remedy this issue. The bill would provide necessary national-level protections for LGBTQ people by updating existing laws, like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to explicitly ban discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The law would also revise the Civil Rights Act to ban sex-based discrimination in public spaces and services, such as retail stores, pharmacies, and transit, as well as in federally funded programs.

Urge Congress to Defend Healthcare Access and Strengthen the Affordable Care Act - Needs Senate Vote

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 21:33:15 +0000

UPDATE (06/07/19): The Trump administration is officially arguing in court that the ACA’s protections for people with preexisting conditions are unconstitutional and should be eliminated. It’s more important than ever for Congress to pass bills strengthening healthcare access for all US residents.

UPDATE (05/15/19): The House has passed HR 987 in a 234 - 183 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is now openly urging courts to declare the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) unconstitutional. The DOJ’s new position is a response to an ongoing lawsuit against the ACA by Republican state attorneys general. The DOJ’s extremist stance endangers healthcare access by threatening Medicaid expansion, protections for people with preexisting conditions, and other ACA provisions that have given millions of Americans access to health insurance. The ACA remains in place as court challenges continue. However, Congress must take steps to shore up the law wherever possible to defend health insurance access.

End the US Involvement in Yemen War - VETOED

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 21:15:02 +0000

UPDATE (05/02/19): The Senate has voted 53-45 to uphold Trump’s veto. The Yemen war resolution has failed.

UPDATE (04/16/19): Trump has vetoed S.J. Res 7, the second veto of his presidency. It is now up to Congress to override Trump’s veto and end our involvement in the Yemen crisis.

UPDATE (04/04/19): The House has passed S.J. Res 7 in a 247 to 175 vote. The legislation now moves to Trump’s desk, where he is expected to veto the legislation.

Stop McConnell and the GOP from Packing the Courts - PASSED

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 14:49:12 +0000

UPDATE (04/03/19): The Senate has voted 51-48, with Colling (R-ME) and Lee (R-UT) voting with Democrats, to change the Senate rules on judicial debate time.

UPDATE (04/03/19): McConnell is expected to invoke the nuclear option to pass S. Res 50 on Wednesday, April 3rd.

UPDATE (3/31/19): The Senate is expected to vote on S. Res 50 the week of April 1st. McConnell has indicated he is willing to invoke the so called “nuclear option” and rewrite Senate rules in order to pass S. Res. 50 with only a simple majority of 50 votes instead of the 60 normally required.

Oppose Stephen Moore for Federal Reserve Board - Withdrawn

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 19:30:01 +0000

(UPDATE 05/02/19): Stephen Moore has withdrawn his name from consideration for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board. The board currently has two unoccupied seats awaiting nomination from Trump.

On March 22nd, Donald Trump announced the nomination of Stephen Moore, a former campaign aide, for a seat on the US Federal Reserve Board (FRB). The FRB is an apolitical seven-member panel in charge of overseeing the twelve district Federal Reserve Banks, determining US monetary policy, regulating banks, and maintaining the stability of our financial system.

Protect Dreamers with the Dream and Promise Act

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 20:56:25 +0000

**UPDATE (06/18/20):**In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration illegally terminated the DACA program. In the decision, the Court noted that the administration could still legally terminate DACA if they follow the appropriate processes, making legislative protections for DACA even more important.

UPDATE (06/04/19): In a 237-187 vote, the House has passed H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Request a March Recess Town Hall

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 19:44:26 +0000

The Senate and House of Representatives are in congressional recess from March 18th-22nd. This time is allotted for members of Congress to work in their districts and engage with constituents they represent. It is also the perfect time for them to hold public town halls and hear the concerns of their constituents live and in person.

Your representatives work for you: you should have regular opportunities to discuss their positions, platforms, and how their legislative agendas will affect you and those close to you. Town halls are a critical tool for holding representatives accountable for their actions and ensuring that these men and women, who spend much of their time outside of their home states, are hearing the needs and concerns of their constituents in person.

Oppose the Trump Administration's 2020 Budget Proposal

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 21:10:37 +0000

The Trump administration has submitted their 2020 Fiscal Year Budget proposal to Congress which contains drastic, across the board spending cuts to social safety net and domestic programs to pay for the corporate tax cuts passed in late 2016. The $4.7 trillion budget proposal also grows the national deficit by another $1.1 trillion next year alone, with the administration projecting an increase in the national debt to over $31 trillion by 2029 from where it already stands at over $22 trillion.

Support Net Neutrality with the Save the Internet Act - Passed House, Needs Senate Vote

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 20:50:54 +0000

UPDATE (04/10/19): The House has passed H.R. 1644 in a 232-190 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

In December of 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 along party lines to reverse the 2015 Open Internet Order regulation established to protect net neutrality. Net neutrality lets all users have equal access to all internet content and prevents internet service providers (ISPs) from discriminating against content, such as charging extra for high-speed access to specific websites or blocking access to certain sites altogether. While large media and telecom companies such as Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T cheered the regulation reversal, tech companies such as Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook strongly opposed rollback.

Demand Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's Resignation

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 15:23:31 +0000

The appalling separation of children from their families at the US-Mexico border stems from policy decisions made in spring 2018 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions implemented a “zero tolerance” policy, whereby all undocumented immigrants are referred to the DOJ for immediate criminal prosecution and deportation. As a result, nearly 3,000 children were separated from their parents by DHS, though thousands more may have separated during an influx that started in 2017, before the court required tracking. Due to a lack of coordinated formal tracking system, the total number of children separated from their parents is “unknown.”

Support the Marijuana Justice Act of 2019

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 21:26:26 +0000

Support the Saudi Arabia Accountability and Yemen Act

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 21:00:01 +0000

After the White House refused to meet a legally mandated assessment of who they believe is responsible for murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a bipartisan group of Senators reintroduced a bill to suspend weapons sales and impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia related to its activities in the Yemen civil war. Khashoggi’s murder is widely believed to been ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the second in charge and effective ruler of Saudi Arabia. The White House’s refusal to comply with the Feb. 8, 2019 deadline is another tactic employed by the administration to ignore overwhelming evidence that the murder of an American legal resident was ordered by the de facto Saudi Arabian leader. Taken together with a recent report that White House operatives pushed to give the Saudis access to nuclear technology that could be turned into weapons signals the Trump Administration will continue to ignore the nation’s foreign policy role in favor of profiteering.

Support Medicare for All

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 20:45:01 +0000

UPDATE (4/29/19): The House held the first ever Congressional hearings on Medicare for All on Tuesday, April 30th.

In 2016, healthcare costs constituted nearly 18% of the United States’ gross domestic product. Despite spending far more on healthcare than any of our economic peers, the US has worse health outcomes than similarly wealthy countries. High healthcare costs not only divert resources from sectors like education and infrastructure but also force thousands of people to delay or forgo necessary care.

Protect Women's Healthcare Clinics from Trump's "Domestic Gag Rule"

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 12:28:21 +0000

UPDATE (2/22/19): On Friday February 22nd, the Trump administration issued a long awaited rule banning federal funding to family planning organizations that provide abortions or refer patients to abortion providers. The rule is expected to redirect millions of dollars from the federal family planning program to faith-based providers, who advocate for ‘natural family planning’ and abstinence.

Defunding Planned Parenthood has been a years-long mission of the Republican Party and was a high priority promise of the Trump 2016 campaign. While Paul Ryan’s attempt to defund PP through his Obamacare repeal plan failed, Congress successfully repealed an Obama Title X rule that prohibited states from withholding federal funds for health clinics that provide abortions. Now, in the months leading up the 2018 midterm elections, Trump may follow through on his campaign promise by implementing a “domestic gag rule” through Executive Order. Similar to the “global gag rule” that cuts funding to international aid organizations providing abortion services, this “domestic gag rule” policy would make any health clinic in the United States providing abortion services or education ineligible for Title X Family Planning funds.

Demand a Federal Ban on Assault Weapons

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 21:00:01 +0000

In 2004, the NRA successfully pressured the Republican-controlled government into not renewing the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. The ban had worked to protect lives: after it expired the number of gun massacre deaths (which had decreased over 40% during the ban) jumped nearly 2.5 fold.

Gun violence experts are now renewing their calls for a nationwide ban on these types of weapons - and Americans agree - recent polls show at least 60% of Americans support a nationwide assault weapons ban. In response, Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced legislation to ban assault weapons (S.66). This bill would ban future sales of high-capacity magazines and military-style assault weapons, including the AR-15 which has been the weapon of choice in many recent gun massacres, such as Parkland, Las Vegas, and Newtown.

Prevent Trump From Unilaterally Withdrawing from NATO

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 21:00:01 +0000

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed after World War II as an alliance between the US and multiple Allied European countries against retaliatory attack by Germany or the Soviet Union, and has continued to serve as a deterrent to Russian aggression ever since. Perhaps not surprisingly given his Russian connections, Trump has been consistently critical of our country’s continued participation in NATO. He has repeatedly threatened to unilaterally withdraw the US from NATO, which would weaken US influence in Europe while simultaneously empowering Russia.

Support Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 20:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (11/10/19): After months of negotiations in the Senate, talks to reauthorize the VAWA have stalled. It is time fo the Senate to reauthorize funding for this critical program.

UPDATE (04/04/19): The House has passed the Violence Against Women Act in a 263-158 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), landmark legislation first passed with bipartisan support in 1994, had its funding expire on February 15th after Congress failed to include it in the compromise federal spending bill passed the day before. The VAWA was initially set to expire in September of 2018, however Congress approved short-term stopgap funding legislation while negotiations continued.

Overturn Trump's National Emergency Declaration - Veto Override Vote Tues - Failed

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 09:25:36 +0000

UPDATE (3/27/19): In a 248-181 vote, the House failed to get the 2/3rds majority required to override Trump’s veto. Trump may now proceed to redirect funds intended for our military to build his wall.

UPDATE (3/16/19): Even though both the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed H.J. Res. 46, Trump has vetoed the legislation. The House is scheduled to hold a veto override vote on Tuesday, March 26, which will require a 2/3rds majority to pass.

Raise the Federal Minimum Wage - Passed House

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 21:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (07/18/19): The House has passed HR 582 in a 231-199 vote. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

UPDATE (07/14/19): The House expected to vote on HR 582 on Thursday, July 18th.

Democrats in both the House and Senate have introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2019 (S. 150/H.R. 582), which would raise the federal minimum wage by roughly a dollar a year until it reaches $15 in 2024. Thereafter, further increases to the minimum wage would be adjusted based on median wage growth without the need for additional legislation. The bill includes other provisions to address increasing income inequality, such as the gradual elimination of sub-minimum wages for young people, people with disabilities, and tipped workers (restaurant workers and others in the service and hospitality industry).

End the Gender Pay Gap: Support Equal Wages for Equal Work - Passed House Needs Senate Vote

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:45:01 +0000

UPDATE (3/27/19): In a 242-187 vote, the House has passed the Paycheck Fairness Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Oppose Anti-Regulation Attorney Neomi Rao for DC Circuit Judge - Confirmed

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 20:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (03/13/19): On Wednesday, March 13th the Senate confirmed Naomi Rao for the DC Circuit Court of Appeals with a 53-46 vote.

UPDATE (02/28/19): The Senate Judiciary Committee is has voted to forward the Rao nomination in a 12-10 vote on party lines. Her nomination will now be considered by the full Senate.

Neomi Rao, an anti-regulation attorney with no judicial experience, has been re-nominated to fill Brett Kavanaugh’s vacated DC Circuit Court of Appeals seat. This court reviews the legality of DC-based federal agencies’ decisions and policies. As the current director of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Rao has eroded the exact federal regulations she’d review as a Circuit Court judge. Under Rao, OIRA blocked new guidance on handling workplace sexual assault and approved a rule change restricting the definition of sexual assault on college campuses. OIRA approved rolling back protections against racist housing discrimination and terminating the Clean Power Plan. The office is also finalizing a policy allowing healthcare providers to deny care to LGBTQ+ patients. Despite the conflict of interest between Rao’s current position and her potential judicial role, she has not promised to recuse herself from cases involving agency rules that she reviewed at OIRA.

Support the Green New Deal Resolution

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 21:19:31 +0000

On Thursday February 8, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey introduced the Green New Deal resolution, which outlines a broad program to address the accelerating twin crises of climate change and economic disparity in our country, with a focus on justice for those frontline communities most impacted by both. For instance, in addition to the environmentally-focused requirement for net zero greenhouse gas emissions and infrastructure investment, the program also includes a federal jobs guarantee, the right to unionize, and universal housing and healthcare.

Support Savannas Act to Address Violence Against Native American Women

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 20:55:09 +0000

Violence against Native American women in the United States is shockingly common, and murder rates of Native women are ten times higher than the national average. However, limited data collection and a lack of coordination between federal and tribal law enforcement have prevented a robust response to this violence.

Last year, former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced Savanna’s Act to address this crisis; the bill was named for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a 22-year old pregnant woman from the Spirit Lake Nation who was murdered in 2017. The bill requires the United States to collect and publish statistics on the murder or disappearance of Native women and facilitates sovereign tribal governments’ access to federal crime databases. The bill also requires federal agencies like the Department of Justice to obtain recommendations from tribes on how to protect Native women.

Demand the Closure and Investigation of Child Migrant Prisons

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 20:35:55 +0000

UPDATE (2/04/2019) While the notorious Tornillo tent city is finally closed, the Trump administration is rapidly expanding a similarly unregulated, “temporary” detention center in Homestead, Florida to imprison more children. The Homestead facility, which is run by a private company with a fraudulent past, has blocked lawmakers from visiting. Children detained there report enduring prison-like and abusive conditions.

What began as an emergency 30 day shelter in Tornillo, Texas for fewer than 400 migrant children has now ballooned to at least 1800 children and has become a costly, heavily guarded tent prison. Costs per child appear to be at least 50% higher than originally disclosed by the government at $1,200 per child per day. According to shelter officials, whose expertise is setting up shelters in the wake of natural disasters for first responders, the ratio of mental health providers to children is 1:50 rather than 1:12 required by federal policy. Because the Office of Refugee Resettlement waived requirements, none of the staff have undergone [FBI fingerprint] (https://apnews.com/0c62b088c27147b0a6055d1e8394a3af?utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow) checks usually used to screen applicants. Tornillo holds more detained children than all but one US federal prison, and expansion continues.

Ensure the Public Release of the Mueller Report

Sun, 03 Feb 2019 20:45:01 +0000

UPDATE (3/22/19): Special Counsel Robert Mueller has submitted his report to Attorney General William Barr, ending the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. It is now up to Barr to decide how much information from the report to release. Demand the report be made public so the American people can see the full scope of the investigation and its findings.

Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 elections, is required to submit a report of his findings to the Department of Justice upon completion of his investigation. There is understandable concern that the Trump administration will ensure that Mueller’s report is heavily censored or not made public at all. Confounding the issue is Trump’s new Attorney General William Barr, who has indicated he might not make the report public saying he would “provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law.”

Oppose Military Intervention in Venezuela

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 20:20:24 +0000

On January 23, 2019, Venezuelan National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó declared himself Venezuela’s lawful head of state, and the United States immediately announced its support. Guaidó’s announcement came just weeks after Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro began his second term in office. Maduro, who has been in office since 2013 and was reelected last year in what many analysts called a “sham election,” has faced mounting opposition in Venezuela due to the country’s ongoing economic crisis and famine. A week after endorsing Guidó, National Security Advisor John Bolton appeared to disclose plans to send 5,000 troops to Colombia during a White House press conference to announce stiff oil sanctions against Venezuela.

Urge Congress to Pass Legislation to Prevent Future Shutdowns

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 20:43:51 +0000

After a record-breaking thirty-five day government shutdown that cost the US economy an estimated $11 billion, Congress has an opportunity to prevent future shutdowns from ever occurring. Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have called for the passage of legislation to sustain current federal funding levels during congressional budgeting impasses. A bill from Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) would keep government funding at current levels, except for any funding for the legislative branch and the White House. Republican lawmakers have also proposed anti shutdown legislation, however Warner’s bill is the only one that freezes congress’s pay during budget disagreements.

Demand the House GOP Name Intel Committee Members

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 18:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (01/30/19): After facing backlash from the public, House Republicans finally named their membership to the House Intelligence Committee on January 30th.

Weeks after the beginning of the 116th Congress, Republican membership to the powerful House Intelligence Committee have yet to be named. House Democrats announced their intel committee membership on January 16th, however the GOP has remained silent even though they have named membership to all 23 other House committees.

By delaying the staffing of the House Intel Committee, the panel cannot perform any work, including holding hearings, issuing subpoenas, and importantly, providing witness transcripts to Mueller’s team. Incoming committee chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) has signaled sending material to Muller would be “the first order of business” because “we believe other witnesses were untruthful before our committee.”

Investigate Approval of White House Security Clearances Against Expert Advice

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 20:15:01 +0000

UPDATE (04/01/19): As part of his committee’s ongoing investigation of the Trump White House’s security clearance processes, House Oversight Chair Elijah Cummings (D-MD) has released a summary of an interview with former White House personnel security director Tricia Newbold. Newbold alleged the White House overturned security clearance denials for 25 individuals, including two current senior White House staffers. The memo states that the clearances were originally denied over reasons including “foreign influence, conflicts of interest, concerning personal conduct, financial problems, drug use, and criminal conduct."

Support Legislation to Protect Transgender Troops

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 14:08:30 +0000

UPDATE (04/12/19): The military has begun enforcement of the transgender military ban. Congress must act immediately to protect the courageous and brave members of our military who identify as transgender.

In the summer of 2017, Trump announced via Twitter that the US military would no longer allow most transgender troops to serve, baselessly asserting that these individuals burden the military. Ex-Secretary of Defense James Mattis released the official policy banning many transgender people from military service in 2018, despite a complete lack of evidence that transgender people’s service harms the US military in any way.

Support Legislation to Reduce Prescription Drug Prices - Passed House

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:45:01 +0000

UPDATE (12/12/19): In a 230-190 vote, the House is has passed HR 3. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Rising prescription drug costs continue to threaten U.S. residents’ physical and financial health, leaving millions of Americans unable to afford essential medications. Nevertheless, pharmaceutical companies have continued to increase prices on critical drugs like insulin. Despite Donald Trump’s vocal campaign promises to limit prescription spending, his administration’s proposed approach does nothing to curb pharmaceutical companies’ ability to set astronomical drug prices. Democrats in the House and Senate have introduced a number of bills designed to meaningfully decrease prescription costs, some of which have bipartisan support from Republicans. Specifically, the House has introduced HR 3: the Lower Drug Costs Now Act.

Block Coal Lobbyist Andrew Wheeler for EPA Administrator - Confirmed

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 21:42:00 +0000

UPDATE (02/28/19): The Senate has confirmed Andrew Wheeler to lead the EPA in a 47-52 vote.

Donald Trump’s pick for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler, is a lawyer and former coal lobbyist for Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting. As recently as 2017, Wheeler lobbied for coal giant Murray Energy, attending a meeting in March 2017 between Energy Secretary Rick Perry and coal executive Robert Murray in which Murray requested policy changes that would eliminate the Clean Power and Clean Water rules.

Protect Furloughed Federal Workers from Eviction and Foreclosure

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 20:30:01 +0000

UPDATE (1/30): Even though the government shutdown has ended, federal workers are just beginning to recoup lost wages and pay late bills. Protections are still needed for our civil servants as shutdowns have become more commonplace.

As the government shutdown drags on, over 800,000 federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay. With many scrambling to make ends meet, workers are facing evictions, missing mortgage, car and student loan payments, and are struggling to afford basic necessities. Additionally, some workers’ credit scores could be adversely impacted, which in turn could threaten the careers of those whose personal finances must be kept in good standing as a condition of employment. For example, FBI Agents are required to keep their credit in good standing to “ensure that Agents are financially stable and responsible” and that “missing payments on debts could create delays in securing or renewing security clearances, and could even disqualify Agents from continuing to serve in some cases.”

Demand Censure of Rep. Steve King

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 20:05:47 +0000

Congressman Steve King (R-IA) is again making headlines for his racist and xenophobic beliefs. In a January 10th New York Times interview, King is quoted as asking, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” His commentary provoked an immediate response from conservative commentators and lawmakers alike, such as Liz Cheney (AR-WY) tweeting “These comments are abhorrent and racist and should have no place in our national discourse.”

Protect Mueller and the Russia Investigation

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 20:33:14 +0000

For months, Donald Trump has floated the idea of firing Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 elections. Despite Trump’s threats, Republican congressional leaders repeatedly blocked legislation protecting Mueller. Now, House Democrats and a bipartisan group of senators have reintroduced bills to protect the special counsel. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s anticipated departure and William Barr’s attorney general nomination make these protective bills more critical than ever.

Rod Rosenstein directly oversaw the Mueller probe under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from an oversight role due to close Trump campaign ties. Rosenstein stopped direct oversight of Mueller when acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker replaced Sessions in November 2018. However, Rosenstein has remained involved in overseeing Mueller’s probe. To make matters worse, Whitaker’s likely replacement, William Barr, has openly condemned Mueller’s investigation. In June 2018, Barr even sent the Department of Justice an unsolicited memo calling Mueller’s work “fatally misconceived.”

Demand Congress Expand Background Checks for Gun Purchases

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 21:00:01 +0000

UPDATE (08/04/19): In the wake of another mass shootings in Texas, resulting in the deaths of 7 individuals, it was revealed the shooter obtained his firearm through a private sale after being denied a gun purchase because he was determined to be mentally unfit.. We must continue to demand Congress update and expand the federal background check system.

UPDATE (02/28/19): The House has passed H.R. 8 in a 240-190 vote on Wednesday February 27th This bill represent the first major gun violence prevention legislation to pass in the House for over 2 decades. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Support HR 1: End Corruption and Defend Voting Rights - Passed House, Needs Senate Vote

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 18:45:01 +0000

UPDATE (06/27/19): The House passed H.R. 1 with a 234-193 vote in March, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to allow a vote on the legislation. Now that the Supreme Court’s conservative justices have ruled that federal courts cannot act to prevent partisan gerrymandering, it is more critical than ever to protect representative democracy legislatively. Urge your senators to demand a vote on HR 1 and protect our right to vote.

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Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000