February 26, 2024
Defending IVF, ringing alarm bells for asylum (again), keeping East Palestine in the spotlight, 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:
GOP REPS FOR IVF?
Since the Alabama Supreme Court decision that frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) are considered children under state law, GOP lawmakers and candidates have rushed to proclaim themselves in favor of protecting IVF. Are our House Reps claiming to support IVF? If so, let’s check to see if they co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act (H.R.431) - because if they did, their statements are lies and smokescreens. Let’s call them out. (h/t Political Charge) And let’s all of us reach out to the White House, our senators and representatives, our governors and state lawmakers, and our candidates, and ask them what specific actions they are planning on taking to block efforts to restrict access to IVF.
TELL BIDEN NOT TO IMPLEMENT EXECUTIVE ORDER RESTRICTING ASYLUM
Progressives and immigration advocates are sounding the alarm as the Biden Administration considers various questionably legal measures to restrict the ability of people to apply for asylum - a right guaranteed by both U.S. and international law. Let’s tell the White House and the Department of Homeland Security that we didn’t elect Biden to enact the Trump playbook, and remind him that – as illustrated by Tom Souzi’s recent congressional victory – getting “tougher” on managing the border needs to be paired with a fair and expedient judicial process as well as an expansion of legal pathways for undocumented residents to claim citizenship.
TRAIN SAFETY LEGISLATION STILL NEEDED
It’s been over a year since the tragic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and we are no closer to having safety precautions in place. The chaos caused by the February 2023 accident, which caused 100,000 gallons of hazardous chemicals to spill, led to a bipartisan effort to introduce the Railway Safety Act (S. 576) weeks later. But the bill has been languishing on the Senate legislative calendar since December. A companion bipartisan bill, The Rail Worker and Community Safety Act (H.R. 5871), has been passed on to various committees but no real progress has been made. In the meantime, people in the area are still suffering. President Biden visited East Palestine recently to let them know that he is doing all he can. Let’s tell our MoCs that it is time for them to do the same and get these bills passed.
USE BLUE VOTER GUIDE TO VOTE SMART
Blue Voter Guide helps us make quick, informed, pro-democracy choices of candidates and propositions by showing what's on our ballot along with endorsements from trusted progressive organizations. All we need to do is enter our address, build our guide, and use it. Let’s listen to this interview with Blue Voter Guide’s founder Wayne Liebman then try out the guide ourselves!
SWING LEFT ELECTION STRATEGY UPDATE THURSDAY
In 2024, Swing Left is going for broke—seeking, with the help of volunteers like us, to win a Democratic federal trifecta (Democratic control of the White House, Senate, and House). On Thursday, February 29 at 8PM ET/5PM PT, Swing Left is hosting a virtual National Strategy Update. We’ll learn about the 12 states that Swing Left is targeting, and all of the ways we can help make that Democratic trifecta a reality. Let’s sign up and attend.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
MULTIPLE - REMOVE LANGUAGE IN STATE CONSTITUTION THAT ALLOWS “EXCEPTION” FOR SLAVERY
The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which outlaws slavery, contains an “exception clause” that allows this practice to continue for people in involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. Twenty-three states put similar language in their state constitutions. This chart shows which of these states (CO, UT, and NE) have removed that language, which ones are working on legislation to do so, and which states have not yet addressed the issue. If we live in one of the 20 states that hasn’t yet ended the exception, let’s make sure to contact our state legislators and ask them to pass the legislation already introduced or start the process ASAP.
AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS
LAST WEEK’S WINS
It may not always feel like it, but our work is making a difference every day. Our friend Jessica Craven at
outlines a few ways how in her run-down of last week’s victories, including yet another $21 billion in student loan debt cancelled by the Biden Administration, new organizing efforts at 21 Starbucks stores, and way more than 21 people showing up for the first day of early voting in Michigan.
I’m left and always have been. But, if being progressive in an ideal world (we’re far from it and the world is rightward more since 1999) allows more fascist judges, scouts’ removal of rights, and trumps election — I’m out!
Too lefty for my taste.
Is “bipartisan” a dirty word?