September 1, 2023
Climate change denial, cost of higher education, historic election legislation, 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:
- CALL OUT REPUBLICANS ON CLIMATE CHANGE DENIALMost of the candidates at the recent Republican debate sidestepped the question of climate change, while Vivek Ramaswamy went even further in echoing the Trump line that climate change is a hoax. While this may be a good thing for Democrats at the 2024 ballot box, our world can’t survive with too much more inaction so it’s time to call out our Republican leaders now. Let’s remind our MoCs that recent stats from Data for Progress show that voters resoundingly reject the climate principles brought forth in the conservative agenda for 2025, which favor business as usual over intervention, and ask them what steps they will take right now to counteract the unprecedented climate catastrophes of the past year, which are merely a preview of what is to come.
- ADDRESS THE COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION
While the fight for student loan relief continues, the broader problem remains: young Americans are continuing to take on more and more debt as the price of higher education continues to rise. In the last thirty years, the inflation-adjusted cost of college has nearly doubled, and the amount of federal student loan debt has increased sevenfold. Democrats have proposed multiple solutions, from President Biden’s plan to provide free community college for all, increase Pell Grant awards and provide tuition stipends to students at minority-serving institutions to Senator Brian Schatz’s Debt Free College Act which matches state spending on higher education with federal spending dollar-for-dollar to Senator Sanders and Rep. Jayapal’s College For All Act which would raise taxes on Wall Street speculation and use the proceeds to expand federal funding and allow student to attend public colleges and universities debt-free. Let’s contact our members of Congress and tell them we still want to see action on college affordability this Congress, and as the campaigns ramp up let’s make sure we pin down candidates on where they stand on this issue. Let’s also reach out to our legislators to urge them to pursue similar options at the state level, where public higher education is managed.
- JUSTICE FOR RONALD GREENE
Accountability has been slow in coming for the Louisiana police officers who murdered Black motorist Ronald Greene in May 2019. The police initially claimed Greene died in a car crash after a chase, and it took more than two years for an Associated Press investigation to prove a broad cover-up by the state police and access the video that proved officers brutally beat him before he died in their custody. The state did not charge the officers until December, and in July a judge dismissed criminal charges against two of them. The legislative inquiry into Governor John Bel Edwards’ role in the cover-up was quietly abandoned. Greene’s family is calling for the federal government to bring civil rights charges in his case. Let’s contact the Justice Department in support of their call, and if we’re in Louisiana let’s urge our legislators and legislative candidates to finish their investigation.
- HISTORIC VOTING/ELECTION LEGISLATIONOn Monday, U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) announced a historic package of legislation that would greatly expand voting rights and improve election administration. The announcement came on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, a historic civil rights rally that inspired landmark voting rights legislation. Included in the package are six bills that were reintroduced (some have counterparts in the Senate):
- HR 5295 The Expanding the VOTE Act, which increases resources for non-English voters,
- H.R. 5292 / S. 630 The Sustaining Our Democracy Act, which provides localities with grant funding to better election administration,
- H.R. 5290 The Voters on the Move Registration Act, which provides those who move residences with legal information and instructions for registering to vote,
- H.R. 2987 / S. 1391 The Election Mail Act, which sets minimum standards for and improves U.S. Postal Services processes for mail-in voting,
- H.R. 5291 The People Over Long Lines Act, which provides resources to reduce waiting times for voters and sets minimum standards for wait times and
- H.R. 5293 The Youth Voting Rights Act, which enforces the 26th Amendment and ensures young eligible voters have adequate access to the ballot box.
- HELP REGISTER DEMOCRATS IN SWING STATESField Team 6 might have cracked the nut on how to do free texting! Instead of raising money to pay for expensive, easy to use texting software, they’re making texting available using slightly awkward, but still pretty easy technology. They’re calling it BYOP or Bring Your Own Phone. And it’s a GREAT new way to register new Dems in swing states and districts to hold the White House and Senate and flip the House in 2024 as well as win governorships and state legislatures in 2023! Let’s click here to see upcoming dates and times where we can help!
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- VA – STOP A GOP TRIFECTA IN VIRGINIA
Virginia Democrats are warning of the consequences of neglecting their legislative elections this fall: a Republican trifecta that opens the path for disastrous conservative policies and a national platform for the ambitious Governor Glenn Youngkin. Let’s get to work! We can sign up to phonebank with Sister District here, and split donations between candidates in critical races here.
