Climate Change Scott Pruitt, the new head of the EPA, told CNBC on Thursday that carbon dioxide is not a primary contributor to global warming. This flies in the face of current scientific consensus, as well as the stated position of the EPA itself. Today’s action: Send a postcard or email to Scott Pruitt expressing your disapproval of and dissatisfaction with his uneducated position. Remind him that his duty is to further the work of the EPA and protect all facets of our environment. Or whatever you want to say. Scott Pruitt Administrator USEPA Headquarters William Jefferson Clinton Building 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Mail Code: 1101A Washington, DC 20460 Pruitt.scott@Epa.gov
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45’s Tax Returns No, we haven’t forgotten about the Income Tax returns that Mr. Trump has failed to make public! This is still an issue in the news - several papers have reported on it in the last couple of days, there are rumors that Wikileaks is going to leak the information, and even a GOP Congressman - Matt Gaetz (FL) - has stated publicly that Trump should produce the returns. For today’s action:
Links to House, Senate and White House contact information on the Speak Out page of our website. Option 1: If you participated in A Day Without Women, write a letter to the Editor of your local paper, describing the highlights of your day and what the event means to you and to the nation. Be sure to check the submission guidelines before sending your letter. (You can find this information pretty quickly by googling, e.g., “Public Opinion letters to the editor submission guidelines.”) Also share photos and thoughts on social media. OR Option 2: If you have a suitable place to put one of these friendly signs, you might consider ordering one. They say (in three different languages): “No matter where you’re from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor.” You can order signs, or print them out yourself, from this website. OR Option 3: GOP Senators Ted Cruz (TX), Mike Lee (UT), and Rand Paul (KY) have called for a full repeal of the ACA instead of repeal-and-replace. Write, call, or email one or more of them demanding that they support legislation to extend more affordable coverage to more Americans. ACA - Congressional Budget Office Score No Score - No Vote The original ACA (Obamacare) went through a lengthy screening process. The Act was online for public review for three months and was given a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Score. The CBO is a non partisan office which analyses the costs and effects of legislation. The replacement version of the ACA which the Republican party is trying to force into law as quickly as possibly is undergoing none of this scrutiny. Why are they in such a hurry? Because if their legislation is publicly reviewed, everyone will be able to see how extremely inadequate is. This bill should NOT be voted on until it is allotted a CBO score, which would show us how much the legislation will cost, how and in what ways people will be affected, how the cost of premiums will change, how many people will lose coverage, etc. The last attempt at repealing the ACA was analysed by the CBO and found to lead to greatly lowered coverage numbers, as well as increased premiums. You can read the report here. No discussion of the current legislation should take place without similar information being made public. Please call your Senators and House representatives to say: Do not vote on any healthcare legislation without a CBO Score and Report! It is extremely important to send this message immediately and to keep sending it. Links to House and Senate contact information are on the Speak Out page of this site. First Action: Trump has introduced a chastened and modified replacement for the Muslim ban. Despite the alterations, the new version still halts entry for refugees from Syria and denies new visas to people from six countries. Write a postcard to the White House registering your disagreement with the new ban and asking for the immediate reinstatement of the refugee program. More information in this article. Second Action: House Republicans have started to roll out the Obamacare replacement. The full details are not available yet, but while the GOP plan keeps many of the provisions of the original act, it seems that fewer people will be covered. There is more information in this article. Let’s send another message, via postcard, email, or phone, to House representatives that while we’re happy the ACA will largely be preserved, we are concerned that the number of people covered looks likely to shrink and that the Medicaid expansion provision of the Act will be phased out. We should demand a plan which increases the number of Americans covered and continues Medicaid expansion. Moreover, replacing income-based subsidies with tax credits is not likely to benefit those who most need assistance. Many moderate Republicans also share these concerns, Now is the time to add our voices to those calling for greater and more affordable coverage. Rosa Ortega Update and Action Rosa Ortega, the Mexican-born Texas woman who was sentenced to 8 years in prison followed by deportation for voting in this country, has been released on bond. Here is an update from her trial attorney, Clark Birsdall: "Thank you everyone for your letters and support. I know many of you wrote letters to the judge and the governor, and your letters were heard. It may only be temporary, but Rosa has been let out of jail and reunited with her kids. Every one of you deserve a pat on the back. There still IS room in this world to influence and change things. There's no other explanation for Rosa's freedom. "I do not think the government was ready for the public opinion pushback they got from you and others. "With the money you donated, Rosa will be able to resume possession of her kids and restart her life. This truly is an amazing story of human resilience. Thank you all!" Rosa Ortega’s ill treatment is precisely indicative of the kind of xenophobia and control-mania which threatens to engulf our country. So let’s continue to speak out for her. Because she has been released pending appeal, let’s write or email to express our relief and thankfulness to some of the parties involved. Judge Catalano agreed to release Rosa on bond and ICE agreed to drop its hold on her; Governor Abbott and the DA just need to hear we support Rosa, are happy she is free, and would like charges to be dropped. Governor Greg Abbott, Tarrant County District Attorney PO.Box 12428 100 E. Weatherford Austin, Texas 78711 Fort Worth, TX 76196 online contact form 817-884-1400 ICE, Enforcement & Removal State District Judge Robb Catalano Dallas Field Office The Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center, 7th Floor 8101 N. Stemmons Frwy 401 West Belknap Dallas, TX, 75247 Fort Worth, TX 76196-0215 Dallas.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov online contact form If you wish, you may donate to Rosa’s family here. Health Care Again Two Postcards Postcard No. 1: If you have a senator or congressperson who is Republican, write to this person; if more than one is GOP, pick the one you think is more conservative. If all are Dems, write to whichever one you want. In your postcard explain how the ACA has helped you or your family. For example, you might say that it allowed your adult children, who otherwise could not have afforded healthcare, to stay on your plan for much longer. Also describe the ways in which ACA was not adequate - it was not truly affordable, there was not enough choice - whatever applies to your own situation. Ask your representative how he/she plans to support the positive aspects of the ACA while at the same time remedying its shortcomings. Postcard No. 2: Write a similar card to Paul Ryan. His ‘replacement’ plan seems to favor the middle- and upper-income brackets. Ask him how he intends to lower the cost of health care for able-bodied low-income people. And as the provision which ensures healthcare for people with pre-existing conditions seems to be in danger, stress that you want to see this protection remain in force. You could also throw in a comment that making healthcare more affordable and accessible is the truly pro-life thing to do. Congressman Paul Ryan 1233 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Jeff Sessions and Russia Wednesday’s Washington Post revealed that, during his confirmation hearings, Jeff Sessions lied under oath about his contact with Russia during the campaign. As attorney general, Sessions oversees the ongoing investigations of the FBI and the Justice Department into Putin’s election meddling and the ties between Trump and Russia; he has been caught lying about the very matter he is supposed to be scrutinizing. Thankfully, on Thursday after three leading Republicans called for him to recuse himself, he agreed to do so. These Republicans are Congressmen Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and Senator Rob Portman (R-OH). We have already taken action regarding Sessions, but in the light of these recent events, it would be timely to reiterate our concerns. Call or fax your Senators and House representatives to call for:
Donald Trump’s budget proposal includes extreme cuts to the EPA and State Department (of ~27% and ~37% respectively). Today’s action is to call your senators and congressperson to express your concern that these budget cuts will undermine the crucial work of the EPA (e.g., climate change, safe drinking water, etc.) and State Department (I think we all like diplomacy more than war!). Ask your representatives what they plan to do to push back on these dangerous cuts.
Find your representatives’ contact info here. For more information: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/321605-trump-pitches-37-percent-cut-to-state-budget-reports http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/321684-trump-takes-hatchet-to-epa |
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November 2019
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