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By email: democracy.io
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Contact White House or other federal agencies:
IT’S TIME TO HONOR OUR BILLS
The US will default on its financial obligations as early as June 1, as MAGA Republicans continue to hold the world economy hostage to demands that will harm the American people, our service members and veterans, vulnerable immigrants, and the environment. We all need to pay our bills when they come due. It is the responsible thing to do, and our country has never failed to pay for the costs we agreed upon. The GOP is now saying that they don’t want to pay the bills we incurred, and seems to forget that a good portion of the debt we now have was caused by the outrageous tax cuts they gave to the wealthy during the previous administration. As Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said, “why should single moms and veterans have to pay for the GOP’s giveaways to the rich?” The country needs all House Democrats plus five House Republicans to stop this madness. There are two groups of Republican House members that may be willing to stop a default: those representing swing districts that voted for Biden in 2020, and those with a history of bipartisanship. Let’s all of us contact our MoCs and demand a clean, no-strings raising of the debt ceiling, just as we’ve always done, and tell them we want to see the wealthy and corporations taxed to the extent they were in the past. Let’s make a special effort to do so if our Representatives are these people or these people. Let’s also reach out to the White House to encourage them to consider outside-the-box solutions like invoking the Fourteenth Amendment or minting The Coin to keep paying the bills.
WEAR ORANGE FOR GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS JUNE 2-4
Wednesday will mark the anniversary of the devastating school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. This is a day to grieve, and to recommit ourselves to taking action to stop future tragedies. On June 2-4, the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund is coordinating events to honor gun violence survivors and share the message that there is more we can do to end gun violence. We can join in by signing up to attend an event during Wear Orange Weekend June 2-4. We can also share on social media using this toolkit.
REDUCE AIR TOXINS FROM FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
The Biden-Harris administration has proposed new environmental protection regulations that will further reduce emissions of mercury, acid gasses, and other harmful pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants. Coal interests are rallying political support against the new proposed rules. Let’s tell the EPA that we support the proposed rules and want the administration to enact and enforce the strongest possible protections against fossil-fueled power plants. We can send comments by referencing Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2018–0794 and submitting them through the Federal Rulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov, emailing a-and-r-docket@epa.gov (include Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2018–0794 in the subject line), or mailing to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center, Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2018–0794, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. Deadline: June 23, 2023.
TELL YOUR SENATOR TO OPPOSE THIS ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILL
Last week, 36 Democrats joined Republicans in passing HR 2494, a bill that would allow both documented and undocumented immigrants to be deported if they assaulted a police officer. The problem is: there is no requirement that they would need to be convicted before deportation, the assault does not need to be physical, and the decision to deport could be carried out simply on a police accusation. The White House has issued a statement of concern about the bill as drafted. Let’s tell our Senators that this bill deprives immigrants of due process and gives far too much power to the police in deciding what constitutes an assault. It must NOT be passed in the Senate.
KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF PROTESTERS, REP. HIGGINS
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), who resigned from his position as a police officer in Louisiana while facing discipline for unnecessary use of force, has done so again at the Capitol. He was caught on film last week manhandling a protester at a press conference held by Reps. Lauren Boebert and Paul Gosar. This treatment of someone using their First Amendment rights is completely unacceptable from someone charged with upholding the Constitution. Let’s contact our members of Congress and ask them to publicly condemn Higgins and recommit to protecting the rights of protesters.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
TX – SPEAK UP AGAINST ATTACKS ON OUR PUBLIC UNVERSITIES
Texas Republicans are working to take more control in public universities, including efforts to weaken tenure protections for professors and a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion offices, programs and requirements in higher education. The state legislature is currently debating two versions of an anti-tenure bill: a Senate proposal that would eliminate tenure altogether, and a House measure that would substantially weaken it. Democrats managed to successfully delay action on the House side last week, and lawmakers only have until Friday to pass a bill that both houses can approve. Unfortunately, House Republicans managed to pass an amended anti-diversity bill over the weekend, which now heads back to the Senate. Let’s call our legislators and urge them to oppose these attacks on academic freedom and higher education in whatever form they take. We can find talking points here.