Friday
2. $$ for America
Yesterday, Congress passed a four-week stopgap funding measure (called a continuing resolution or CR) to keep America going until January 19th. Once again, Congress has managed to punt important issues down the road to address another time. Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has been funded, but only through March. FISA, the Foreign Intellegence Surveillance Act was reauthorized until January 19th. A sequester law that would have triggered $25 billion cuts to Medicare was stopped.
Yesterday, Congress passed a four-week stopgap funding measure (called a continuing resolution or CR) to keep America going until January 19th. Once again, Congress has managed to punt important issues down the road to address another time. Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has been funded, but only through March. FISA, the Foreign Intellegence Surveillance Act was reauthorized until January 19th. A sequester law that would have triggered $25 billion cuts to Medicare was stopped.
Democrats had vowed to find a solution for Dreamers/ Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) before the end of the year. They failed to do so. Some argue Democrats lost bargaining power by not addressing this before the start of recess. http://www.cnn.com/…/pol…/daca-leverage-democrats/index.html
When Congress returns in the New Year, they will need to deal with the following:
*Funding the government from January 20th through the rest of fiscal year 2018.
*The Senate will need to consider a bill that would provide $81 billion in disaster relief (this bill has already passed the House)
*Reauthorizing/reforming FISA to continue past January 19th.
*Funding CHIP long term. (https://www.indivisible.org/…/congress-still-needs-reautho…/
*Pass a bill like DACA for Dreamers before March (https://www.indivisible.org/resources/immigration/)
*Pass a bill like DACA for Dreamers before March (https://www.indivisible.org/resources/immigration/)
*Consider and pass a bill (Like the Alexander-Mueey bill) that will offset the cost of insurance premiums and stabilized the health insurance market. (Did you hear’? Healthcare sign ups reached 96% of last year despite advertising dollars and enrollment time being slashed by the Trump administration.https://khn.org/…/despite-compressed-sign-up-period-aca-en…/)
Many Congressional offices will close tomorrow for the rest of the year. Today, give your members of Congress a call and let them know what issues you want them to fight for in 2018.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/dfad1890-e659-11e7-ab50-62…
https://www.vox.com/…/16492584/government-shutdown-explained
https://www.vox.com/…/16492584/government-shutdown-explained
2. Volunteer for Change
Here is another opportunity of make positive change. Melissa Wagner is running in a special election to fill the MN House seat for 23B. Please check out her web page, “Like” her on Facebook, and donate to her campaign.
https://www.melissawagner.org/
https://www.facebook.com/wagner23b/
Here is another opportunity of make positive change. Melissa Wagner is running in a special election to fill the MN House seat for 23B. Please check out her web page, “Like” her on Facebook, and donate to her campaign.
https://www.melissawagner.org/
https://www.facebook.com/wagner23b/
Knock on doors with Karla Bigham (running for State Senate 54) and Rep. Tim Walz on January 6th. Learn more here:https://www.facebook.com/events/339914769816803/
3. UN Condemner's Trump’s Jerusalem Decision
Yesterday, the United Nations voted 128-9 to condemn Trump’s decision to name Jerusalem of the capitol of Israel. This vote came after US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley made a speech threatening to pull America’s payments to the UN if they did not support Trump’s decision.
Yesterday, the United Nations voted 128-9 to condemn Trump’s decision to name Jerusalem of the capitol of Israel. This vote came after US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley made a speech threatening to pull America’s payments to the UN if they did not support Trump’s decision.
Watch Haley’s speech here: https://youtu.be/KVTQefA77Ys
Former CIA director, John Brennan had strong words for Trump and Hailey.
"Trump Admin threat to retaliate against nations that exercise sovereign right in UN to oppose US position on Jerusalem is beyond outrageous. Shows @realDonaldTrump expects blind loyalty and subservience from everyone—qualities usually found in narcissistic, vengeful autocrats."
"Trump Admin threat to retaliate against nations that exercise sovereign right in UN to oppose US position on Jerusalem is beyond outrageous. Shows @realDonaldTrump expects blind loyalty and subservience from everyone—qualities usually found in narcissistic, vengeful autocrats."
Alienating the rest of the world does not seem like a wise move, especially considering North Korea’s threat of nuclear weapons.
https://www.npr.org/…/u-n-votes-overwhelmingly-to-condemn-t…
Feel free to contact Ms. Haley and let her know how you feel.
https://usun.state.gov/contact
https://www.facebook.com/NikkiHaley/
https://twitter.com/nikkihaley?lang=en
Feel free to contact Ms. Haley and let her know how you feel.
https://usun.state.gov/contact
https://www.facebook.com/NikkiHaley/
https://twitter.com/nikkihaley?lang=en
4. A Heartfelt Thank You
Being civically engaged is our new normal now. We are in this for the long term. We are going to change this world for the better, I just know it.
I will close the year with an article from Teen Vogue.
Being civically engaged is our new normal now. We are in this for the long term. We are going to change this world for the better, I just know it.
I will close the year with an article from Teen Vogue.
“Democracy was always intended to be a dynamic process fueled by active civic engagement. Perhaps the one optimistic take on this godforsaken year is that we’ve begun to recall that the American project is not a historical accomplishment to be celebrated but instead an ongoing process of figuring out how we ought to live together. “
“Politics is not something separate that only certain people do, closed off in some room somewhere. It is not miraculously vacuum-sealed off from our day-to-day routines. “Politics” impacts everything, from where you get your water to how you access health care. As an electorate confronting the rise of authoritarianism — which recently included a literal list of banned words — we must come to understand participatory democracy as something that is seamlessly integrated into our daily existence, rather than distinct from it. We have to figure out how to enjoy our lives and be invested in politics.”
“Politics is not something separate that only certain people do, closed off in some room somewhere. It is not miraculously vacuum-sealed off from our day-to-day routines. “Politics” impacts everything, from where you get your water to how you access health care. As an electorate confronting the rise of authoritarianism — which recently included a literal list of banned words — we must come to understand participatory democracy as something that is seamlessly integrated into our daily existence, rather than distinct from it. We have to figure out how to enjoy our lives and be invested in politics.”
TPOM’s call to action team (barring any constitutional crises) will be taking next week off to spend time with our families and recharge our minds. We will return in the New Year ready to continue this fight with you. We cannot thank you enough for all that you do. It has been an exhausting year! On the flip side, we have learned so much and we have met the very best people-you. For that we are thankful.
Klobuchar-202-224-3244
Franken (202) 224-5641
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Dayton- https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/
