Quote of the Week: “I know I’m not a young man. I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. I also know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know -- like millions of Americans know -- when you get knocked down, you get back up. I would not be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul that I can do this job. Because quite frankly the stakes are too high.” –President Joe Biden, June 28, 2024 Campaigns, Get Active:Now’s the time to support our candidates! Starting this week, Call to Action is going to give you a shortcut to do this. Take a look at our Campaign Support Hot List. Pick. One.Thing. And do it! The next two weeks include:
You can party, you can make signs, you can write postcards! The important thing is that you DO SOMETHING! So let’s do it! Federal Actions:Demand Common-Sense Gun Reform Photo Source: Rhk111 via Wikimedia Commons Congresswoman Lucy McBath just introduced the #GOSAFE Act—critical legislation that would help keep assault weapons that have been used in our nation’s deadliest shootings off our streets and out of our communities. The #GOSAFEact honors our constitutional rights while keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them by limiting the availability of guns and conversion devices designed to inflict maximum harm. Action: Ask our Members of Congress to champion the passage of the GOSAFE Act (S. 3369/H.R. 860). Suggested Script: I’m contacting you from [ZIP] because I’m devastated by the senseless mass shootings that continue to traumatize our nation. Massacres like the 2017 Las Vegas shooting are made possible by rapid-fire weapons and accessories such as bump stocks. Please take decisive action to ensure passage of the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusions Act (S. 3369/H.R. 8600) to limit the availability of guns and conversion devices designed to inflict maximum harm. Advocate for LGBTQ and HIV-positive ICE DetaineesPhoto Source: Danachos via WikimediaCommons For decades, LGBTQ people and people living with HIV have fled to the United States to seek refuge from persecution and torture. The U.S. government has granted many of those individuals permanent safe haven. However, since the 1980s, the United States has built a massive network of jails and prisons used to detain immigrants. While pursuing their often strong claims for humanitarian protection, LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants are among hundreds of thousands jailed yearly by U.S. immigration authorities. For over a decade, reporting has shown that LGBTQ and HIV-positive people are particularly vulnerable to abuse in immigration detention, experiencing high rates of physical and sexual violence, improper and prolonged solitary confinement, and inadequate medical care among other forms of systemic abuse and neglect. Action: Ask President Biden to ensure safety and care for LGBTQ and HIV-positive ICE detainees. Suggested Script: Hello, I’m reaching out from Washington state because I’m deeply concerned about the mistreatment of at-risk populations in U.S. detention facilities. CBP and ICE officials inhumanely disrupt LGBTQ and HIV-positive people’s access to justice and endanger them with medical neglect and violence. It has been going on for many years I join with the many immigration rights groups in urging you to:
Tell Schumer to Call a Vote for the Child Tax Credit Bill Photo Source: Canva The bipartisan Child Tax Credit bill takes an important step toward making the credit work for children in families with low incomes. While smaller than the American Rescue Plan credit expansion that expired at the end of 2021, the proposal’s top priority is getting more of the credit to most of the roughly 19 million children who currently get a partial credit or none at all because their families’ incomes are too low. In his capacity as Senate majority Leader, Senator Schumer can bring the package to expand the child tax credit up for a vote but he has dragged his feet on calling for a vote. Action: Write our Senators to ask Leader Schumer to bring the Child Tax Credit bill up for a vote. Suggested Script: I want the Senator to push Leader Schumer to bring the Child Tax Credit bill up for a vote. Congress has a unique opportunity to address hunger among households with children and improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of millions in our nation. Please take it. Thanks. Local Actions: Huge Yard Sale to Support Our Postcard CampaignsPhoto Credit: Melinda Holman The Queen of Postcards, Melinda Holman, is hosting a HUGE Yard Sale with 50% of the proceeds going to Olympia Indivisible for postcards, stamps and general funds.
Items include:
Save Money on Home ElectrificationPhoto Source: Canva If you want to electrify your home with clean energy technologies like a new heating and cooling system, heat pump water heater, induction cooking stove or rooftop solar, it’s about to get easier and more affordable. In addition to the utility rebates and tax credits currently available, significant new incentives are coming from federal investments and Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. Local governments, including Thurston County, have partnered with The Switch Is On to help you identify what incentives you could qualify for now and to keep you notified of new incentives as they become available. Other resources available: Plus, The Switch Is On can help you navigate the process of upgrading your home by connecting you with knowledgeable and skilled local contractors and providing various informational resources. Check out The Switch Is On to see all of the electrification solutions available for your home, to learn about health improvements that come with electrification – including better indoor air quality, and to get benefit guides like this one on electric cooktops. Action: Check out The Switch is On website. And if you like what you see, consider subscribing to The Switch Is On newsletter for new incentive notifications and expert advice on navigating your home electrification projects. Have You Scheduled This Event? Action Cafe 2024: The Chef is Playing Music Elsewhere the Next Two Weeks
Chef Lisa is a staff member at the 2024 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. She will be teaching and performing at CENTRUM (Fort Worden, in Port Townsend). So, no Action Cafe for the next two weeks. You KNOW what to do: Do these Calls to Action! |
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December 2024
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