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Both Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Bob Menendez were denied access to an immigration detention center housing children separated from their families. In fact, in the case of Merkley, police were called to remove the Senator from the center; Merkley was told that current policy requires making a request two weeks in advance for any member of Congress to visit the facility. Merkley reported that the center’s front doors were locked and blacked out, making it impossible to see anything happening within the facility. When finally allowed to visit at a later date, Merkley saw children kept in cyclone-fence-constructed areas sitting on folded, silver space blankets, since there was no other cushioning available. Merkley has since announced that he is writing legislation to allow members of Congress to inspect child-detention facilities with 24-hour notice. (Write-up updated 6/12/18)THANKS to the Senators for their efforts to protect the rights of children who are essentially being held hostage by the U.S. government? Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) 313 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3753? Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), 528 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-4744INFORM the Secretary of Homeland Security that we find this lack of transparency, disrespect for the people’s elected representatives, and the separation of families unacceptable? Kirstjen M. Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security, 245 Murray Lane SW, Washington DC 20528-0075, (202) 282-8494TELL our Congresspeople that it is time for this policy to stop and that we demand hearings on the oversight of these children and families, many who come seeking asylum, which has never been considered a crime before now? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861Wendy Vitter, who is currently serving as general counsel of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, is one of Trump’s particularly unfit nominees for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. Vitter has a history of partisanship against a woman’s right to choose. The Hill finds Vitter “exceptionally unfit” and warns “The reproductive health and rights of a generation are at stake, and we owe it to future generations to pay attention.” Vitter has been an active opponent of abortion rights for decades. She has used her public stature to promote fake science and misinformation about abortion and birth control, including supposed links between abortion and breast cancer (the American Cancer Society has dismissed any linkage between breast cancer and abortion) and between abortion and infertility. She has spoken at anti-abortion rallies, led anti-abortion panels, and represented anti-abortion organizations. She is a recipient of Louisiana Right to Life’s “Proudly Pro-Life Award.” Vitter did not disclose this information when she responded to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s questions for judicial nominees—in fact, 95 pages of disclosure documents had to be added to her materials once her anti-abortion activities were brought to the attention of the Senators on the committee. During her confirmation hearing, she refused to say whether Brown vs. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruling ending segregation in schools, was correctly decided. (Write-up date 6/12/18)URGE our Senators (who both sit on the Judiciary Committee) to speak out fiercely and frequently in opposition to her confirmation? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553Meanwhile, Representative Pramila Jayapal has visited a federal detention center near the Seattle-Tacoma Airport to which 206 migrants, 174 of them women, were transferred. Half the women reported being separated from their children The women were kept in three concrete pods. In a statement Jayapal described her visit: “The mothers could not stop crying when they spoke about their children.” On social media Jayapal said “We have always had problems with the criminalization of immigrants, but this is a new low, to take folks who are asylum seekers and throw them into a facility, not provide them with any access to basic human rights and, worst of all, to separate mothers from their children.” The Washington Post reports that “Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed it was temporarily moving 1,600 detainees into federal prisons, ‘due to the current surge in illegal border crossings and implementation of the U.S.?Department of Justice’s zero-tolerance policy.’ Previously, ICE has held detainees in county jails or in privately contracted facilities.” (Write-up date 6/12/18)DEMAND an end to zero-tolerance policies and familial separation? Attorney General Jeff Sessions, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530, comment line (202) 353-1555? Kirstjen M. Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security, 245 Murray Lane SW, Washington DC 20528-0075, (202) 282-8494ASK our Congresspeople to keep this issue of these parents and children on the “front burner”? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861THANKS for investigating and reporting on the plight of these women to? Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), 319 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3106Science Alert reports that “Nearly 1,500 scientists are calling on Congress to uphold the scientific foundations of the Endangered Species Act [ESA]–an environmental law which has faced numerous attacks from GOP lawmakers who consider the policy federal overreach…. according to the authors of the letter, the law has saved 99 percent of the listed species from going extinct…. Scientists who signed the letter to Congress are worried that the government is substituting ‘arbitrary political judgments’ for ‘effective science-based decision making.’” Recent legislative attempts to weaken the ESA have included a proposals to deny “endangered” listing for a species based on economic impact, to end protections for endangered species found only in a single state, and to end protections for non-native species. (Write-up date 6/12/18)REMIND key figures that we’re paying attention and that we are part of the 90% of Americans who want to see ESA protections continued? Scott Pruitt, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 1101A, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington DC 20460, 202-564-4700? Senator John Barrasso (R-KY), Chair, Environment and Public Works, 410 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-6441? Senator Thomas R. Carper (D-DE), Ranking Member, Environment and Public Works, 456 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-2441Rogan’s List reports: “Fox News [!] has just called out Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross for conflicts of interests on his investments. Ross is currently negotiating tariffs despite having continuing ties to steel and auto-parts companies, which means that he can influence policies that could directly benefit him economically.” (Write-up date 6/12/18)TELL Ross we see what he’s doing? Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave, NW, Washington DC 20230, (202) 482-2000ASK for an investigation of these claims from? Office of Government Ethics, 1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington DC 2005, (202) 482-9300Senators are moving forward with legislation that would curb President Trump's authority on tariffs, despite opposition from the White House. The bill would require Trump to submit tariffs implemented under Section 232 of the [Trade Expansion Act of 1962] for approval to Congress. Any approval legislation would then be fast-tracked through both chambers. Republican Bob Corker, one of the authors of the legislation explains, “If the president truly believes invoking Section 232 is necessary to protect the United States from a genuine threat, he should make the case to Congress and to the American people and do the hard work necessary to secure congressional approval.” The legislation has bipartisan support. (Write-up date 6/12/18)THANKS to? Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), Chair, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 423 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510-6225, (202) 224-4651REQUEST support for requiring Congressional approval for tariff implementation by? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553One way to end family separation at the border would be to make clear that no funds from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Fiscal Year?2019 Appropriations bill can be used to support the ongoing and increasing use of family separation as a means of deterring future migration. Pramila Jayapal is the leader of a group of 109 Representatives who have signed onto a letter demanding that DHS appropriations include this stipulation. Our Jimmy Panetta is among the signators. (Write-up date 6/12/18)THANKS for taking leadership in the creation of this letter to? Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), 319 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3106THANKS for defending human rights and basic decency to? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861Britt Grant is another nominee for a lifetime judgeship on the federal appeals court. Grant has a troubling record of far right-wing views. She has supported industries’ efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act, defended a state law prohibiting abortion after 20 weeks, argued that same-sex marriage is not a Constitutional right, argued that Title IX provisions do not apply to transgendered students, fought against DACA, and supported state law requiring proof of citizenship for voter RM key members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (including our own two Senators) that Grant is unfit to serve? Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee, 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510-6050, (202) 224-5225? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553From the New York Times: “A longtime analyst for Fox News is leaving the network, saying that he could not ‘in good conscience’ remain with an organization that, he argued, ‘is now wittingly harming our system of government for profit.’ In a searing farewell note sent to colleagues on [June 5], Ralph Peters, a Fox News strategic analyst and a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, castigated the network for its coverage of President Trump and the rhetoric of its prime-time hosts. ‘In my view, Fox has degenerated from providing a legitimate and much-needed outlet for conservative voices to a mere propaganda machine for a destructive and ethically ruinous administration,’ Colonel Peters wrote in his message, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times. ‘Over my decade with Fox, I long was proud of the association,’ he added. ‘Now I am ashamed.’” (Write-up date 6/7/2019)THANKS for integrity to? Colonel Ralph Peters, c/o Fox News, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10036, 212-310-3000JOIN Peters in telling Fox the nation doesn’t need its kind of disinformation? Jay Wallace, President, Fox News and Executive Editor, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10036, 212-310-3000The 2,300 families in Puerto Rico who were displaced by Hurricane Maria will stop receiving FEMA housing assistance at the end of June. FEMA can, however, use its Disaster Housing Assistance Plan to provide long-term assistance for these families. (Write-up date 6/12/18)ASK our Senators to stand up for these families still in dire need of housing assistance? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553From Columbia Journalism Review: Ever since the furor over Russian trolls and fake news triggered a congressional hearing, Facebook has talked about its plans to curb misinformation by using its News Feed algorithm to rank high-quality news sources based on trust, etc. But the company is also taking an even more significant step into the editorial side of the news business that cements its status as a media entity rather than just a distribution platform: It is paying a select group of news organizations like CNN and Fox News to create news shows specifically for its Watch feature. That money arguably distorts the production of journalism in a variety of ways, since to some extent it forces media organizations to cater to Facebook’s definition of what the news should look like. Facebook is explicitly choosing winners. Anyone who has been creating news-related video for Facebook is instantly at a disadvantage, since they won’t get that kind of algorithmic favoring. (Write-up date 6/7/2019)EXPLAIN that we want Facebook to be sure it treats all legitimate news courses fairly? Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman and CEO, Facebook Headquarters, 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, (650) 543-4800? Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook, 1601 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025, (650) 308-7300Our own Kamala Harris has introduced S.3015, the “Water Affordability Act,” which would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish low-income sewer and drinking water assistance pilot program. S.3015 is currently before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. (Write-up date 6/7/2019)TELL key members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that all Americans deserve access to clean, affordable water and that S.3015 is a step in that direction? Senator John Barrasso (R-KY), Chair, Environment and Public Works, 410 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-6441? Senator Thomas R. Carper (D-DE), Ranking Member, Environment and Public Works, 456 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-2441The Hill reports: “[National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)] Administrator Jim Bridenstine says he changed his mind on the existence of man-made climate change because he ‘read a lot.’ ‘I heard a lot of experts, and I read a lot,’ Bridenstine told the Washington Post. ‘I came to the conclusion myself that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that we've put a lot of it into the atmosphere and therefore we have contributed to the global warming that we've seen. And we've done it in really significant ways.’ The former congressman from Oklahoma had long denied the scientific consensus on climate change and said in a 2013 speech on the House floor that ‘global temperatures stopped rising 10 years ago.’ In May, Bridenstine first announced publicy that he now believes human activity is the main cause of climate change. ‘The National Climate Assessment that includes NASA, and it includes the Department of Energy and it includes NOAA, has clearly stated it is extremely likely—is the language they use—that human activity is the dominant cause of global warming,’ he said at a Senate Appropriations Committee subpanel's hearing in May. President Trump and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt have not made similar pronouncements, however.” (Write-up date 6/7/2019)THANKS for being an open-minded and avid reader to? Jim Bridenstine, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, Suite 5R30, Washington DC 20546, (202) 358-0001SUGGEST that Trump and Pruitt follow the example set by Bridenstine of reading, thinking, and a willingness to learn? Donald Trump, the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20500, (202) 456-1111? Scott Pruitt, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 1101A, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington DC 20460, 202-564-4700H.R.4635, “To Direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Increase the Number of Peer-to-Peer Counsellors Providing Counselling for Women Veterans,” would emphasize peer support counseling for women veterans who suffered sexual trauma while in the Armed Forces, have post-traumatic stress disorder or another mental health condition, are homeless, or are at risk of suicide, conduct community outreach, provide peer support counsellor training. This resolution has moved through committee, making it eligible for a floor vote if added to the House agenda. (Write-up date 6/7/2019)ASK that H.R.4635 be added to the House agenda? Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), Speaker of the House, 1233 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3031ASK for attention and support of H.R.4635 from? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861From Rogan’s List: “The FDA has still not implemented its ban on electrical stimulation devices (ESDs), or Gradual Electronic Decelerators (GEDs), leaving the disabled children and adults at the Judge Rotenberg Center [where these devices are in use] at risk of receiving harmful shocks. ADAPT [a disability-rights activist organization] protesters have been very active all year, showing up at FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb's office and condo, asking that he do the right thing, and enact the rule to ban shock devices, yet he has still not done so. Now, ADAPT is shifting focus to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. The FDA has already gone through the process needed before a rule can be put into place, it just needs to take the final step of enacting it.” (Write-up date 6/7/2019)JOIN ADAPT, and ask Secretary Azar to end the cruel use of shock devices:? Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave. SW, Washington DC 20201, (877) 696-6775H.Res.927, Condemning the Trump Administration’s Zero Tolerance Policy, responds to the policy of treating all migrants/refugees as criminals, simply for attempting to enter the U.S., and its horrifying effects on families. H.Res.927 condemns the “zero tolerance” policy and the resulting separation of families, identifies this policy as child abuse, recognizes the potentially irreversible damage this policy does to children, calls for a commitment to keeping parents and children attempting to enter the U.S. together. While resolutions do not have the same power as legislation, they can help build momentum that leads to legislation. (Write-up date 6/7/2019) TELL our Representative that we’re disappointed he is not a current co-sponsor and ASK him to sign on? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861From Rogan’s List: “The Trump Administration is considering developing a ‘low-yield’ nuclear warhead. Creating this capacity could trigger a new arms race, and by making the use of nuclear weapons more conceivable could raise the risk of a nuclear war. Even more alarmingly, the Trump Administration wants Energy Secretary Rick Perry to be able to decide whether or not to pursue this project, without congressional debate.” (Write-up date 6/13/18)TELL our Congresspeople we want them involved, and we want them to oppose any effort to change current law, which requires the decision to develop a low-yield nuclear weapon be made by Congress? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861While net neutrality has ended as a national policy, it can still be policy within the state of California. S.B.822 would make net neutrality the law in the state. Not surprisingly, industry groups are lobbying fiercely against this legislation. (Write-up date 6/13/18)TELL our State Legislators that California needs to embrace net neutrality? Senator Bill Monning, Member, Senate Budget Committee 3, 701 Ocean St. #318a, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 425-0401? Assemblymember Mark Stone [Santa Cruz], 701 Ocean St., #318b, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 425-1503? Assemblymember Anna Caballero [Watsonville], 275 Main St., Suite 400, Watsonville, CA 95076, (813) 768-3035We have plenty of evidence of the dangers of asbestos, and some 15,000 deaths each year are asbestos-related. Nonetheless, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced it will no longer “consider the health risks and impacts of asbestos already in the environment when evaluating the dangers associated with the chemical compound.” In other words, each new assessment of asbestos danger would consider only one particular instance of use or proposed use, regardless of the amount of asbestos exposure people are currently living with. (Write-up date 6/13/18)TELL Trump, Pruitt, and our Congresspeople that this new policy puts the health, and at times lives, of Americans at risk? Donald Trump, the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20500, (202) 456-1111? Scott Pruitt, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 1101A, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington DC 20460, 202-564-4700? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861A host of officials need to hear from us that our nation has a moral responsibility to protect children and treat them with basic decency, regardless of immigration status. Practice of separating children from parents as an immigration deterrent must stop. Taxpayer monies should not be used to destroy families, abuse children, and violate international human rights. (Write-up date 6/13/18)INSIST to these individuals responsible for shaping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy or for protecting children and/or refugees that this policy needs to be ended immediately? Kirstjen M. Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security, 245 Murray Lane SW, Washington DC 20528-0075, (202) 282-8494? Thomas Homan, Acting Director, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 500 12th St. SW, Washington D.C. 20536, (866) DHS-2-ICE? Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave. SW, Washington DC 20201, (877) 696-6775? Steven Wagner, Acting Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, (202) 401-9200? Scott Lloyd, Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C ST SW, Washington DC 20201, (202) 401-9246Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced that the Justice Department will no longer consider threats of domestic or gang violence, which he call “private violence,” as grounds for asylum. As the New York Times explains, “Mr. Sessions’s decision overturns a precedent set during the Obama administration that allowed more women to claim credible fears of domestic abuse and will make it harder for such arguments to prevail in immigration courts.” (Write-up date 6/13/18)CASTIGATE the Attorney General for this inhumane decision? Attorney General Jeff Sessions, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530, comment line (202) 353-1555From Rogan’s List: “While the Department of Justice is supposed to uphold existing U.S. laws, Trump’s Justice Department told a federal court… that it would not defend crucial provisions of the Affordable Care Act that protect consumers with pre-existing medical conditions, on the grounds that these are part of an ‘unconstitutional scheme’ requiring Americans to have health insurance. (Write-up date 6/13/18)INFORM Jeff Sessions and Trump that we are furious about this abandonment of Justice Department responsibilities and attempt to undermine what remains of the Affordable Care Act ? Donald Trump, the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20500, (202) 456-1111? Attorney General Jeff Sessions, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530, comment line (202) 353-1555TELL our Congresspeople we need them to denounce this assault on our health care rights and re-affirm the principle that any health care policy must cover everyone, the sick and the healthy, at a fair and affordable price ? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861Kaiser-Permanente Health Maintenance Organization CEO Bernard J. Tyson has asserted that stable housing is a precursor to physical and mental health and has announced that the company will be investing $200 million in addressing housing stability and homelessness. (Write-up date 6/13/18)THANKS for defending American’s basic needs and connecting these to our current healthcare crisis to? Bernard J. Tyson, Chief Executive Officer, Kaiser-Permanente, One Kaiser Plaza, 1550 Ordway, Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 271-5910Not only will Betsy DeVos’s School Safety Commission not focus on guns, but DeVos skipped the first “listening session,” which gave teachers, students, and school personnel—none of whom are represented on the commission—a chance to share their concerns with commission members. To not be available to listen at a session designed for just that makes one question DeVos’ integrity and interest in the topic at hand. (Write-up date 6/13/18)REMIND DeVos of her responsibilities as commission head and of the seriousness with which the U.S. public takes the issue of school violence? Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education, 7W301 LBJ Building, Mail Number 0100, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington DC 20202, (202) 401-3000Congress has a wealth of legislative opportunities before it that could help make America’s elections fairer and more secure and expand voter participation. Note that there is significant overlap among some of these pieces of proposed legislation. This list includes legislation pertinent to the citizenship question proposed for the 2020 census, as that would significantly impact the number and size of Congressional districts. (Write-up date 6/13/18)In the Senate, current legislation includesS.1989, the “Honest Ads act,” which regulates online political advertising the same way as TV, radio, and printS.1419, which would review state laws that require photo IDs to vote and that reduce multilingual voting materials and would also allow federal courts to intervene in the event questionable voting practices were employedS.1231, which amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal electionsS.1353, which would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for Automatic Voter RegistrationS.J.Res.8, which introduces a Constitutional amendment to allow Congress and the States to set overall limits on campaign spending, including prohibitions on corporate and union spendingS.1880, an omnibus democracy reform bill including, among other things, a requirement for states to use a twelve-member independent redistricting commission to draw congressional districts; specifies that members of each commission shall be appointed by a select committee through a randomized selection process from a pool created by a nonpartisan agency; establishes criteria for drawing new maps; bars the commissions from considering political party affiliations or voting histories when drawing new districts except to the extent necessary to comply with the Voting Rights Act; requires commissions to hold at least three public hearings before developing and after publishing preliminary mapsS.2578, which would amend Title 13 of the United States Code to require the Secretary of Commerce to provide advance notice to Congress before changing any questions on the census; prohibits the Secretary of Commerce from implementing a major operational design that has not been researched, studied, and tested for no less than three years before the date on which the census occurs; prohibits questions from being included on the census that were not submitted to Congress; requires to the Comptroller General of the U.S. to certify to Congress that the subjects, information, and questions that will be included on the census have been adequately researched, studied, and tested to the same degree as those on previous censusesS.2580, which would amend Title 13 of the United States Code to clarify that the total number of persons in each state must be tabulated for congressional apportionment; prohibits eliciting citizenship or immigration status information from the censusIn the House, current legislation includesH.R.4077, the “Honest Ads act,” which regulates online political advertising the same way as TV, radio, and printH.R.1439, the KOCH Act (Keeping Our Campaigns Honest), which requires that the FCC require donors for political broadcasts be revealedH.R.1562, the SAFE Act Secure America's Future Elections Act, which improves the security of the information technology used to administer voter registration procedures and elections for Federal officeH.R.2978, which would review state laws that require photo IDs to vote and that reduce multilingual voting materials and would also allow federal courts to intervene in the event questionable voting practices were employedH.R.2669, which amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal electionsH.R.3057, the Fair Representation Act, which would move US House elections into multi-member districts drawn by independent redistricting commissions, and elected through ranked choice votingH.Res.343, the Restore Democracy Resolution, which would ask for regulation of spending for political campaigns and disclosure of donorsH.R.2840, which would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for Automatic Voter RegistrationH.R.1102, the Redistricting Reform Act, which would require States to conduct Congressional redistricting through independent commissionsH.J.Res.31, which introduces a Constitutional amendment to allow Congress and the States to set overall limits on campaign spending, including prohibitions on corporate and union spendingH.Res.48, the We the People Amendment, which declares that Corporations are not people and money is not Free SpeechH.R.145, an omnibus anti-corruption reform bill including a requirement for each state to use a nonpartisan independent commission to conduct congressional redistricting, starting with the redistricting that follows the 2020 census; prohibits the use of federal funds for election administration purposes unless the state uses a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission to draw state legislative districtsH.B.151, which would require states that enact a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan to obtain a declaratory judgment that the plan does not deny or abridge the right to vote on account of race or color, or, alternatively, to secure preclearance of the plan from the Department of Justice, pursuant to Section 5 of the Voting Rights ActH.B.711/H.B.712, which would prohibit states from drawing their congressional districts more than once every ten years; requires states to use an advisory redistricting commission, appointed by legislative leaders, to draw congressional districts for consideration by the state legislature; requires the commission to hold public meetings and maintain a website; establishes criteria for states to follow constitutional and federal guidelines; prohibits the use of political data except when necessary to comply with the Voting Rights ActH.B.713, which would require states to conduct redistricting process that provides opportunities for public participation when congressional maps; mandates redistricting entities must maintain a website to display a map, census data, and notices for public hearings; redistricting entities must provide opportunities for public input online and in person before and after voting on proposed maps; ensures that final maps are circulated in newspapers throughout the stateH.R.2891, which would require all candidates for congressional office to run in open primaries; requires election day to be treated as a legal public holiday; requires each state to use a redistricting commission to draw congressional boundaries; prohibits commission from using partisan or political considerations in developing a planH.B.3239, which would amend the Voting Rights Act to revise criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions are subject to section 4 of the Act; requires public notice of changes in the constituency or boundaries of an electoral district no later than 10 days after the changes occur in a convenient and accessible format and on the InternetH.B.3537, an omnibus democracy reform bill including, among other things, a requirement for states to use an advisory redistricting commissions, appointed by the state legislatures, to draw congressional districts; establishes criteria for drawing new maps; bars commissions from considering political party affiliations or voting histories when drawing new districts except to the extent necessary to comply with the Voting Rights Act or if state law requires creating competitive congressional districts; requires commissions to solicit public feedbackH.B.3848, an omnibus democracy reform bill including, among other things, a requirement for states to use a twelve-member independent redistricting commission to draw congressional districts; specifies that members of each commission shall be appointed by a select committee through a randomized selection process from a pool created by a nonpartisan agency; establishes criteria for drawing new maps; bars the commissions from considering political party affiliations or voting histories when drawing new districts except to the extent necessary to comply with the Voting Rights Act; requires commissions to hold at least three public hearings before developing and after publishing preliminary maps H.B.3057, which would require each state to use a ranked choice voting system for congressional primaries, special, and runoff elections; restricts redistricting to every ten years unless otherwise court-ordered or required by law; requires states with six or more representatives to use multi-member districts; requires states with five or fewer representatives to elect all its representatives at-large; requires twelve-member independent commissions, each appointed by a nonpartisan agency, to draw congressional boundaries; establishes redistricting criteria, such as ensuring districts reflect the diversity of political opinion in the state; requires each commission to hold at least three public hearings before and after a adopting a preliminary plan and maintain a public website; authorizes the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to develop congressional plans if the commissioner selection process fails or if the commissions fail to adopt plansH.B.5292, which would establish a task force of census experts to ensure the questions added to the 2020 census do not negatively impact the integrity or accuracy of the census and assess how changes to the questions will affect participationH.B.5303, which would amend Title 13 of the United States Code to require the Secretary of Commerce to take measures to fully and accurately count all Americans living abroad on census day to the maximum extent practicable and to attribute them to their respective states starting with the 2030 censusH.B.4906, which would amend Title 13 of the United States Code to prohibit questions on citizenship, immigration, or nationality on any censusH.B.5454, which would amend Title 13 of the United States Code to mandate that incarcerated individuals shall be counted at their last place of residence prior to incarceration for congressional reapportionment purposesH.Res.283, which would express the sense of the U.S. House of Representatives that congressional redistricting should be reformed to remove political gerrymandering H.Res.343, which would express, among other things, the sense of the House of Representatives that congressional redistricting should be reformed to remove political gerrymandering; recommends the establishment of a federal reapportionment system; recommends redistricting criteria, including prohibiting districts that favor or disfavor an incumbent or political partyH.Res.364, which would express the sense of the House of Representatives that congressional redistricting should be reformed to remove political gerrymandering; recommends a federal apportionment system and redistricting criteria, including a prohibition on districts that favor or disfavor an incumbent or political partyAlso in the House, some problematic legislationH.R.634, which would eliminate the Election Assistance CommissionH.B.3699, which would amend Title 13 of the United States Code to mandate that the Secretary of Commerce must include a checkbox or other option for respondents to indicate citizenship, nationality, or immigration status on any questionnaire used to determine the total population by the states. (2017)REMIND our Congresspeople of these many opportunities to do the right thing (and in a few cases, the wrong thing)? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861At its annual meeting the American Medical Association (AMA) voted to adopt several gun-related proposals. The AMA has said it will1. Support any bans on the purchase or possession of guns and ammunition by people under 21.2. Back laws that would require licensing and safety courses for gun owners and registration of all firearms.3. Press for legislation that would allow relatives of suicidal people or those who have threatened imminent violence to seek court-ordered removal of guns from the home.4. Encourage better training for physicians in how to recognize patients at risk for suicide.5. Push to eliminate loopholes in laws preventing the purchase or possession of guns by people found guilty of domestic violence, including expanding such measures to cover convicted stalkers.Support for banning assault weapons was overwhelming, with the measure adopted in a 446-99 vote. According to the Associated Press, “Gun violence is not a new issue for the AMA; it has supported past efforts to ban assault weapons; declared gun violence a public health crisis; backed background checks, waiting periods and better funding for mental health services; and pressed for more research on gun violence prevention.” (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS to the AMA for adopting these policies? Barbara L. McAneny, MD, President, Board of Trustees, American Medical Association, AMA Plaza, 33o North Wabash Ave., Suite 39300, Chicago, IL 60611-5885, (800) 621-8335? Patrice A. Harris, MA, MD, President-Elect, Board of Trustees, American Medical Association, AMA Plaza, 33o North Wabash Ave., Suite 39300, Chicago, IL 60611-5885, (800) 621-8335? Susan R. Bailey, MD, Speaker, AMA House of Delegates, American Medical Association, AMA Plaza, 33o North Wabash Ave., Suite 39300, Chicago, IL 60611-5885, (800) 621-8335UPDATE the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be sure he’s taking the AMA’s views seriously in his policy making and ASK what steps HHS will be taking to address our epidemic of gun violence? Alex Azar, Secretary of Health & Human Services, 200 Independence Ave, SW, DC 20201, (877) 696-6775The Democratic National Committee (DNC) will no longer be accepting fossil fuel company donations. The person responsible for this is the DNC member who proposed the ban, Christine Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, and one of the DNC executive board’s most progressive members. (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS for foresight and defense of our planet to? Christine Pelosi, Democratic National Committee, 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C., 20003, (877) 336-7200Congress is considering several measures that would protect holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), refugees who have moved to the U.S. from their home countries due to violent conflict or natural catastrophes. These include the SECURE Act, (S.2144), which protects current TPS holders; the American Promise Act, (H.R.4253), which offers protections for those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED); and the bipartisan ASPIRE-TPS Act of 2017, (H.R.4284), which would allow residents with TPS who can prove “extreme hardship” to apply for a green card. (Write-up date 6/15/18)URGE that our Congresspeople firmly defend the U.S.’s TPS residents via these pieces of legislation? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861While the president continues to contemplate pardons of various people indicted in the Russia investigation, including himself, Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Senator Catherine Cortez Maestro (D-NV) have introduced the “Abuse of Pardon Prevention Act” (H.R.5551 in the House; S.2770 in the Senate), which would rein in the president’s pardoning powers. Our Representative Panetta is a co-sponsor of H.R.5551. Diane Feinstein and Kamala Harris have not yet signed on as co-sponsors of S.2770. (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS for co-sponsoring H.R.5551 to? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861REQUEST that our Senators become co-sponsors of S.2770? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has introduced H.R.6046, the “Duty to Report Act,” which would explicitly require candidates and campaigns to notify the FBI if anyone representing a foreign power offers dirt on that candidates’ opponents.” H.R.6046 is currently before the House Judiciary Committee. (Write-up date 6/15/18)TELL key members of the House Judiciary Committee that given events in our most recent Presidential election, this legislation is of utmost importance ? Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Chair, House Judiciary Committee, 2138 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3951? Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee, 2138 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3951ASK our Representative to support this commonsense legislation when/if it reaches the House floor? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861Donald Trump has rolled out another set of judicial nominations, including assistant attorney general Chad Readler to the 6th Circuit. Readler has argued in favor Trump’s Muslim ban, punishing sanctuary cities, and family separation of refugees/asylum seekers. This nomination will have to go through the Senate Judiciary Committee before it can be voted on by the full Senate. (Write-up date 6/15/18)EXPLAIN to the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee that you consider this nomination a test of integrity for him and for all other Senators? Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee, 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510-6050, (202) 224-5225INFORM our Senators (also on the Judiciary Committee) that we know they oppose all these viewpoints for good reason and that we’re counting on them to fight against this appointment in Committee and on the Senate floor, should it come to that? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553We have/can expect nominations from Trump for leadership positions at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). It’s time for leaders who have a record of taking on big banks and Wall Street power, not lobbyists and financial industries cronies. (Write-up date 6/15/18)TELL our Senators we want them to take a strong stance against any “insider” appointments at SEC and FDIC? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553The Los Angeles Times reports: “The Trump administration is analyzing decades-old fingerprints in an unprecedented effort to rescind American citizenship from immigrants who may have lied or falsified information on their naturalization forms. Revoking citizenship, a process known as denaturalization, has long been treated as a rare and relatively drastic measure by immigration authorities, reserved for foreigners who commit egregious crimes or acts of fraud, or pose a threat to national security. But under a new policy memo issued by L. Francis Cissna, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency is investigating thousands of old fingerprint records and files to determine whether foreigners made false or fraudulent statements in their attempts to obtain legal residency in the United States. According to USCIS officials and documents reviewed by The Washington Post, Homeland Security investigators are digitizing fingerprints collected in the 1990s and comparing them with more recent prints provided by foreigners who apply for legal residency and U.S. citizenship. If decades-old fingerprints gathered during a deportation match those of someone who did not disclose that deportation on their naturalization application or used a different name, that individual could be targeted by a new Los Angeles-based investigative division.” (Write-up date 6/15/18)TELL Cissna that we don’t want our tax dollars wasted tracking down, harassing, and deporting people who have been productive residents of our country for years and who currently have no criminal record? L. Francis Cissna, Director, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, 111 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington DC 20539, (800) 375-5283The New York Times reports: “Between 60 and 90 percent of the world’s fresh water is frozen in the ice sheets of Antarctica, a continent roughly the size of the United States and Mexico combined. If all that ice melted, it would be enough to raise the world’s sea levels by roughly 200 feet. While that won’t happen overnight, Antarctica is indeed melting, and a study published [in June] in the journal Nature shows that the melting is speeding up…. The rate at which Antarctica is losing ice has tripled since 2007, according to the latest available data…. Between 1992 and 2017, Antarctica shed three trillion tons of ice. This has led to an increase in sea levels of roughly three-tenths of an inch, which doesn’t seem like much. But 40 percent of that increase came from the last five years of the study period, from 2012 to 2017.” And, I a separate New York Times story observed that “Mr. Trump is the first president since 1941 not to name a science adviser, a position created during World War II to guide the Oval Office on technical matters ranging from nuclear warfare to global pandemics.” (Write-up date 6/15/18)REPEAT that climate change is a real and immediate threat to the U.S. and that Trump needs a science adviser who is an actual scientist? Scott Pruitt, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 1101A, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington DC 20460, 202-564-4700? Senator John Barrasso (R-KY), Chair, Environment and Public Works, 410 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-6441? Senator Thomas R. Carper (D-DE), Ranking Member, Environment and Public Works, 456 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-2441Via What the Fuck Just Happened Today?: “The Justice Department argued that Trump could continue to profit from foreign governments visiting his hotel in Washington, D.C., if he didn't explicitly provide something in return. A federal judge criticized the argument that Trump's financial interest in the Trump International Hotel in D.C. is constitutional. The lawsuit, brought by the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland, claims that Trump's profits from the hotel violate the Emoluments Clause, which prohibits government employees from receiving financial benefits outside of their official salary. The judge promised to decide by the end of the July whether to allow the case to proceed to the next stage.” (Write-up date 6/15/18)TELL the Attorney General and key members of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees that we don’t want taxpayer funds wasted on defending Trump’s malfeasance ? Attorney General Jeff Sessions, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530, comment line (202) 353-1555? Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee, 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510-6050, (202) 224-5225? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553? Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Chair, House Judiciary Committee, 2138 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3951? Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee, 2138 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3951When a reporter asked Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) if he was confident in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt, Ryan’s response was “Frankly I haven't paid that close attention to it ... I don't know enough about what Pruitt has or has not done to give you a goodcomment.” Let’s see…. Pruitt has1. Accepted housing at below market rates from a fossil fuel industry lobbyist2. Given unapproved raises.3. Insisted on travelling first-class at taxpayer expense.4. Spent $120,000 to hire a researcher to focus on opposition to critical media.5. Spent $43,000 on a sound-proof phone booth.6. Has held more meetings with fossil fuel representatives than with environmental groups.7. Removed scientists from EPA advisory boards without telling them.8. Named a coal lobbyist—who would replace Pruitt if he resigns or is fired—as his number two man.9. Billed the EPA $1,560 for a dozen customized silver pens. (Write-up date 6/15/18)DIRECT Ryan’s attention to any or all of the above? Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), Speaker of the House, 1233 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3031Trump’s latest indication that he has no understanding whatsoever of the concept of democracy came up in an interview following his meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, during which he said “He [Kim Jong-un] speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same." Not necessarily surprising from a man who wants his very own military parade, but not the kind of attitude we should have from national leadership. (Write-up date 6/15/18)SUGGEST that Congressional leaders and/or his chief of staff have a little chat with Trump about what democracy is (and isn’t)? Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Majority Leader, 317 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202).224- 2541? Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), Speaker of the House, 1233 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3031? John F. Kelly, White House Chief of Staff, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20500, (202) 456-1111On June 14, when asked about the administration’s policy of separating families at the border, Paul Ryan said, “We don't want kids to be separated from their parents. We believe because of the court ruling, this will require legislative change.” (Write-up date 6/15/18)SUGGEST to Ryan that human decency does not require a legislative change—and even if it did, he’s the man who sets the agenda for the House of Representatives? Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), Speaker of the House, 1233 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-3031Amazon has a facial recognition product, “Rekognition,” and they're eager for governments to use it. Rekognition can identify people in real time, in photos of large groups of people, and in crowded events or public spaces. These capabilities are really troubling, especially when we’re joining public protests at unprecedented levels and discriminatory policing continues to terrorize communities of color. (Write-up date 6/15/18)CONDEMN Amazon’s development and marketing of this product? Jeff Bezos, Chief Executive Officer, Amazon Headquarters 410 Terry Ave. N Seattle, WA 98109, (206) 266-1000? Kinley Pearsall, Director of Public Relations, Amazon Headquarters 410 Terry Ave. N Seattle, WA 98109, (206) 266-1000Yet another horrendous Trump nominee to federal district court is Matthew. Kacsmaryk’s career has been to oppose LGBTQ rights and women’s reproductive rights to an extreme degree. He authored a 2015 op-ed against gay marriage, has objected strongly to the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling, has opposed federal legislation that would bar discrimination based on sexual identity or gender identity, and has shown particular animus toward transgendered individuals. In addition, First Liberty Institute, where Mr. Kacsmaryk serves as deputy general counsel, filed an amicus brief in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission on behalf of the petitioner baker who sought to deny baking wedding cakes for same-sex couples. The brief argues hyperbolically that if the Supreme Court were to rule against the baker, “the coercive exercise of authoritarian power below [would threaten] to quash dissent not only on debates regarding marriage, but also on all hotly contested issues of public concern.” (Write-up date 6/15/18)REPEAT to key Senate Judicial Committee members that, once again, Trump has given us an unacceptable nominee? Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee, 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510-6050, (202) 224-5225? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553Our own Senator Kamala Harris was one of the leaders of a group of Senators demanding rejection of Trump’s deportation force budget request who wrote a letter urging the Senate Appropriations Committee to reduce funding for the Administration’s “reckless immigration enforcement operations.” (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS for speaking up against wasteful, inhumane policy to? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553Our own Senators Kamala D. Harris and Dianne Feinstein led a group of their Senate colleagues who wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging that the Justice Department uphold a ruling by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) that provides protections for LGBTQ asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution. Given the many classes of people the Justice Department no longer recognizes as eligible for asylum, this letter is particularly apt now. (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS for standing up for a community this administration treats with open hostility to? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553H.R.3192, the “CHIP Mental Health Parity Act,” would ensure access for mental health services to children under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It is scheduled to go before the full House during the week of June 17-23. (Write-up date 6/15/18)URGE support for this legislation from? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861Kamala Harris has introduced the “Ensuring Diverse Leadership Act,” S.2829, and Diane Feinstein is one of the bill’s co-sponsors. This legislation would amend the Federal Reserve Act to require Federal Reserve banks to interview at least one individual reflective of gender diversity and one individual reflective of racial or ethnic diversity when appointing Federal Reserve Bank presidents. S.2829 is currently before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS for introducing this legislation to? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553THANKS for co-sponsoring this legislation to? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841URGE key Housing and Urban Affairs Committee members to support S.2829? Senator Michael Crapo (R-ID), Chair, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, 534 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-7392? Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, 534 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-7391S.2880, the “Disaster Housing Assistance Act,” would establish a pilot program for long-term rental assistance for families affected by major disasters in 2017—and the U.S. and its territories certainly experienced enough of them. Kamala Harris is a co-sponsor. This legislation is currently before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS for co-sponsoring to? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553ASK for co-sponsorship from? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841TELL key members of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that, given the slow pace of recovery from disasters in 2017, this legislation is very much needed? Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chair, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 328 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-5323? Senator Claire McKaskill (D-MO), Ranking Member, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 503 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-6154S.1917, the bipartisan “Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act” reduces unnecessary incarceration while keeping the general population safe. This bill has passed out of committee and is now due for a vote of the full Senate. (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS to our Senators who have both co-sponsored this bill? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553Yemen has been engaged in a vicious civil war. Saudi Arabia is one member of a coalition of African and Middle East nations that has been attempting to influence the outcome of the Yemeni Civil War in favour of the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Nation Public Radio’s Steve Inskeep reported from Yemen earlier this year that the U.S. “has provided targeting information, equipment and aircraft refueling to the Saudi air campaign, which has been widely criticized for being indiscriminate and killing civilians in places like hospitals, funerals and homes.” More recently National Public Radio has reported that “the Red Cross removed 71 aid workers from Yemen for safety reasons. Now a Saudi-led airstrike has blasted off the roof and pulverized walls of a cholera treatment center in Yemen—where the civil war has led to widespread outbreaks of the disease. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says the newly constructed treatment center had clear markings on the roof identifying it as a health care building and that staff had shared its coordinates with the Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led coalition. The facility had not yet received any cholera patients, and no patients or staff were hurt in the airstrike, the group says.” (Write-up date 6/15/18)URGE our Congresspeople to support legislation to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and to end U.S. support of Saudi troops that have refused to honor the international rules of war? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is not only higher than in other developed nations, but it is also getting worse. Bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House (H.R.1318, the “Preventing Maternal Deaths Act) and in the Senate (S.1112, the “Maternal Health Accountability Act) which would create and provide funding for maternal mortality review committees in each state to examine and address the cause of maternal deaths. Senator Feinstein is a co-sponsor of S.1112. (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS for co-sponsoring S.1112 to? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841ASK for support of S.1112 from? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553ASK for support of H.R.1318 from? Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), 228 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, (202) 225-2861Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced S.3036, a bill to limit separation of families at or near ports of entry. Kamala Harris is a co-sponsor. This bill is currently before the Senate Judiciary Committee on which both Senators sit. (Write-up date 6/15/18)THANKS for introducing/supporting this legislation to? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3841? Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510, (202) 224-3553TELL the Judiciary Committee Chair that is bill needs immediate consideration? Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee, 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510-6050, (202) 224-5225The “Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act,” S.B.1249, has cleared the California Senate and will now move on to the State Assembly! The bill, authored by Senator Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton), will prohibit the import or sale of animal-tested cosmetics in the state. (Write-up date 6/15/18)TELL your Assembly member that you want strong support for this act? Assemblymember Mark Stone [Santa Cruz], 701 Ocean St., #318b, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 425-1503? Assemblymember Anna Caballero [Watsonville], 275 Main St., Suite 400, Watsonville, CA 95076, (813) 768-3035 ................
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