February 15, 2024
Another shooting, immigrant caregivers, protecting journalists, 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:
- SHOOTINGS CONTINUEYesterday, on the traditionally full-of-love Valentine’s Day as well as the dreaded sixth anniversary of the deadly Parkland shooting, after what was supposed to be a gloriously fun victory parade and celebration for the Kansas City Chiefs, winners of this year’s Super Bowl, leaving at least one dead in a shooting at Union Station at the end of the Chiefs rally. Over 20 people were injured, including eight children. Not only that, four students were shot at Atlanta’s Benjamin E. Mays High School. Another person was shot dead outside the Denver Aquarium. Three DC police officers were shot while on duty. A Valentine’s Day middle school dance was cancelled due to threats of a shooting. These random shootings have interrupted our daily lives for too long and have caused needless heartache for too many of us. We are the only developed country in which this happens. We do not have to live like this. Let’s contact our federal and state legislators and tell them that we know that most citizens want tighter gun laws and better security and that we want them to act now and help save some lives.
- SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM CRISISThe Your Local Epidemiologist blog is calling out the life-threatening practice of boarding—that is, warehousing—patients in emergency rooms because of a shortage of hospital beds where they can get proper care. To address the issue, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, a federal regulatory agency, needs information. CMS is contracting with Yale medical school’s Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation to develop an electronic clinical quality control measure that has the potential to collect data to guide the development of standards and financial incentives to end the harmful practice of ER boarding. Let’s take the actions recommended by Your Local Epidemiologist: if we are ER physicians/nurses/staff, let’s look at the proposed metrics to track boarding and submit comments. The rest of us can go to the second page of the survey and tell our stories about ER boarding. Deadline for comments is tomorrow February 16, 2024.
- WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR ABOUT IMMIGRANT CAREGIVERSFebruary 16 is National Caregivers Day, and according to a recent study from Harvard Medical School, nearly 20% of CNAs are immigrants. The study also found that “nursing homes in regions with a higher share of immigrant CNAs were associated with better patient care; high percentages of immigrant CNAs resulted in more direct care staff hours per resident day and better overall nursing home quality performance.” As our population ages, we need more immigrants in the workforce, particularly in the caregiving sector. Let’s join this campaign from Moms Rising and write a letter to the editor spotlighting an immigrant caregiver in your life and advocating for immigration policy that attracts workers looking to escape danger in their countries and lead a better life, rather than demonizing them.
- PROTECT JOURNALISTS FROM GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE
Administrations from both parties have taken ominous actions to threaten journalistic integrity in recent years – whether by spying or attempting to force them to identify their confidential sources or go to prison. With the looming danger of a second presidency from Trump,who has openly declared journalists “enemies of the people,” the time is ripe to strengthen protections for freedom of the press and stop the chilling of newsgathering. A bipartisan group of members of Congress varying from Rep. Jamie Raskin to Darrell Issa has proposed the Protect Reporters from Exploitive State Spying (PRESS) Act (H.R. 4250/S.2074), a law to shield journalists against surveillance and forced disclosure. The measure passed the House by voice vote in mid-January, but is stalled in the Senate. Let’s reach out to our senators and urge them to send this legislation to President Biden’s desk ASAP, directly or by using this tool from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. - HOST A LETTER WRITING PARTYUnlike other organizations that use postcards and texting, Vote Forward specializes in heartfelt handwritten letters to Americans encouraging them vote. Their 2024 letter campaigns are launching in early March, and they are encouraging us to join with them to take action. Writing to voters is a great way to get out the vote, and it’s more fun with friends! Let’s organize a Vote Forward letter-writing party with our friends by using the instructions here.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- CO – HELP GET REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ON BALLOTCobalt, a Colorado organization fighting for reproductive rights, is working to get enough signatures for a 2024 ballot amendment, Initiative 89, that enshrines the right to an abortion into our CO Constitution! We can read more about it here. We can help by signing a petition or by getting trained to carry a petition. Let’s sign up here.
