February 8, 2023

Stop drilling in Alaska, protect abortion access, get Congress out of the stock market and more!

Contact all members of Congress:

• By phone: (202) 224-3121
• By email: democracy.io
• By US mail: Representatives / Senators
• By fax: Representatives / Senators
• By Resistbot: Resist.bot

Contact White House or other federal agencies:

• usa.gov/federal-agencies

• BLOCK A CLIMATE DISASTER ON ALASKA’S NORTH SLOPE
  The Bureau of Land Management has advanced the Willow oil drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope, producing the last environmental impact statement needed before the project can be approved. Now, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and the Biden Administration have until March 3rd to make a final decision. Environmental activists are calling for this project to be blocked, arguing it will cause almost $20 billion in climate damages against less than $4 billion in added federal tax revenues, and the Interior Department concedes it will cause as much emissions as 76 coal-fired power plants do every year. The area is melting so fast ConocoPhillips may need to freeze the ground to drill the oil. Let’s sign this Climate Hawks Vote petition urging the administration to say no to Willow and contact the Interior Department directly with the same message.
• ATTACKS ON ABORTION RIGHTS IN BLUE STATESAntiabortion activists in small towns in blue states are trying to use the Comstock Act to gain ground against abortion and women’s health clinics. “Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California at Davis, said the point of the measures is clear: to invite a confrontation that can end up in federal court, and ideally the Supreme Court, allowing conservative judges to weigh in.”  Let’s warn our blue state legislators about this antiabortion ploy, and ask them to take whatever action they can to keep this issue out of a conservative Supreme Court.

• RETIRE MEDICAL DEBT WITH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
  With Cook County, Toledo, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and now the state of Connecticut leading the way, billions in medical debt is being cancelled by local governments thanks to funds from the Democrats’ American Rescue Plan. Elected officials are working with RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit that buys and retires medical debt for pennies on the dollar – a collection agency on the side of good. Let’s contact our local and state elected officials and encourage them to use ARP funds to relieve medical debt burdens in our areas, and consider a donation to RIP Medical Debt ourselves if we can.

• CONGRESS FOR PEOPLE, NOT PORTFOLIOS
  Members of Congress should legislate on the basis of sound policy, not on whether they will see benefits in their stock portfolios. And they shouldn’t engage in the corrupt practice of using nonpublic information when trading stock. And yet, at least 78 members have. A bill introduced by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) would require all Members of Congress and their spouses to put certain investments in a blind trust while in office. Let’s tell our representative to co-sponsor H.R.345, the Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust (TRUST) in Congress Act.

• STAY ENGAGED IN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONThe Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has been fighting polluters and working for clean water, clean air, and health communities since 1970. Its “get involved” webpage shows us how we can push government and business toward climate-friendly policies and practices. Let’s take action, and let’s sign up for alerts so we can keep helping.

CORRECTIONS AND UPDATES

Thanks to our readers for keeping us honest. Here are two corrections.

• MI-MT-PA-WI:  GEN Z VOLUNTEERS NEEDED  Gen Z turned out in great force for the midterm election and will remain a voting power. Voters of Tomorrow, a Gen Z-led movement that engages, educates, and represents youth in politics, is looking for Gen Z organizers in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Montana, and Michigan. If we are interested, we are to DM @santiagomayer_on Twitter. 
• STOP GOP USE OF BLUE SLIPS TO BLOCK JUDGES’ CONFIRMATION With the House under GOP control, the Senate’s priority now is confirming judges. Under Trump, the GOP confirmed 214 federal judges, including three Supreme Court justices, while President Biden has had only 97 federal judges confirmed so far. We have seen the damage a far-right judiciary can do, and it is time to correct this imbalance. To counter it, Democrats can push for a change in the use of blue slips, which allows one Senator from a state to block a nomination. Currently, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin is using blue slips strictly, but Democrats can call on him to use them as advisory statements, as President Biden did when he chaired the Judiciary committee. This could stop GOP from blocking qualified judges from serving. As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin is accountable to all of us. We can call the Senate Judiciary Office (202) 224-7703 to tell Senator Durbin to stop letting the GOP use blue slips to block the good judges we need from serving