Our legislative action team’s weekly set of action alerts follows. We’ve gotten a number of questions lately about whether and when it makes sense to call out-of-state members of Congress. In general, we’re recommending against this; click here for further details. That link will also bring you to a slightly more detailed (i.e., longer) version of the action alerts in this email.
Today (Feb. 6): Block the Swamp Cabinet. If you have friends & family in OH, PA, or other states with Republican Senators, call, email, and text them today and walk them through how and why they should call their Senators ASAP to oppose confirmation of Trump’s cabinet nominees. The full Senate was initially scheduled to take its final vote on DeVos (Education) today, but Senate Democrats are holding the floor for 24 hours, and it now looks likely to be held tomorrow. The Senate may also hold its cloture (preliminary) vote on Sessions for Attorney General tomorrow. The final vote on Sessions will likely be scheduled for Thursday, and there may be votes this week on Price (HHS) and Mnuchin (Treasury) as well. The Indivisible Austin website has great sample phone scripts on all these nominees, so encourage your red-state family and friends to take a look.
Tue (Feb. 7): Two actions (one phone-calling, one in person)
- Call Rep. Katko’s office and register your support for H.R.724, the Statue of Liberty Values (SOLVE) Act, legislation that would rescind and defund Trump’s Muslim ban. The Indivisible folks have sample scripts for these conversations here. We recommend that you try Katko’s DC office first (202-225-3701) and ask to speak to Zach Howell, Katko’s Legislative Director. If you can’t get through that way, call the Syracuse office (315-423-5657). Either way, express your support for this bill and urge Rep. Katko to sign on as a co-sponsor.
- Join Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner for her weekly TrumpTuesday event, 12-1pm @ Perseverance Park, 216 S. Salina St. This week’s event is focused on health care. More details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1854246071486010
Wed (Feb. 8): Two actions (one phone-calling, one social media)
- Get Steve Bannon off the NSC. Call Rep. Katko’s office again today, and demand (politely) that Katko sign on as co-sponsor for H.R.804, which would prevent political appointees from serving on the National Security Council. More detailshere and here. Again, try the DC office first (202-225-3701) and ask to speak to Zach Howell, Katko’s Legislative Director. If you can’t get through that way, call the Syracuse office (315-423-5657).
- Join our “Where’s Katko?” online flash mob! We are using a platform called Thunderclap. It’s a tool that allows people to pledge a Facebook post, a tweet, or a Tumblr post that will be posted along with all other supporters’ messages at the same time. It’s completely secure and will post a single one-time message on your behalf. We need 100 supporters by the morning of Thursday, February 9th. All you have to do is click this link and support our campaign: http://thndr.me/ECR96C
Thur (Feb 9): 12pm, protest at Katko’s Syracuse office, 440 S. Warren St. 13202 (the Galleries Building downtown; same building as public library). Key message is that Katko has so far refused to schedule any in-person town-hall meetings with constituents. Note the attached “Where’s Katko?” graphic; feel free to download, print, post on social media, etc. More details here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/375826399459807/
Fri (Feb 10): Two actions (1 in person, 1 by phone)
1) From 3:00-6:30 pm, in Maxwell Auditorium on SU’s campus, Radical Bureaucrats (formerly Maxwell Rising, one of the co-organizers of the airport action on Jan. 29) is hosting a teach-in entitled Moving Forward: Pursuing Progressive Policy During the Trump Administration. Free and open to the public. There will be sessions on immigration, health care, reproductive rights, climate change, national security, the Indivisible movement, and more:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1172946616152346/
2) Oppose Trump’s stolen Supreme Court pick. Call the offices of Sen. Schumer (202-224-6542 or 315-423-5471) and Sen. Gillibrand (202-224-4451 or 315-448-0470), thank them for opposing Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court, and urge them to continue to stand firm.
Sat. (Feb 11): Take a day for yourself and your family. This is a long fight; we all need to pace ourselves.
Sun. (Feb. 12): CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, 3-5pm at All Saints Church/Bishop Harrison Center, 1342 Lancaster Ave.
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