Action Alerts

Just the facts, ma'am. Or at least just the action items. I just thought it would be a good thing to have a site dedicated solely to taking action and leave the pithy rhetoric to other blogs. Contacts: Senate, House and a way to FAX via the web!

Monday, March 20, 2006

Get Out the Louisiana Vote!

Get Out the Louisiana Vote!

Common Cause of Louisiana is seeking help finding LA voters displaced by Katrina & Rita.

"If you are a registered voter of Louisiana who has been displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina or Rita, you are eligible to vote in your home parish if you have not registered to vote in another parish or state."

- Louisiana Secretary of State Al Ater


The elections start April 22nd; please visit Common Cause and see what you can do to help.


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Thursday, March 16, 2006

Defeat the Budget Bill to Save the Arctic Refuge

Defeat the Budget Bill to Save the Arctic Refuge

Things are kinda wacky in the senate - they are currently debating the budget bill, which includes provisions for drilling in the refuge. Again. Once again, they must be stopped.

The good news is, many republicans are unhappy with the bill - let's give them more reasons to reject it. Kerry and Cantwell have withdrawn their amendment to stop the drilling and are instead trying to kill the bill outright.

Please make those phone calls!


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Wednesday, March 15, 2006

HR 1606 - Online Freedom of Speech

HR 1606 - Online Freedom of Speech

The vote on this bill is tomorrow - please contact your reps and tell them to support it. The FEC's decision on regulating political activism on the net will depend on what the house does. Which means it depends on us.

Moments ago, the FEC announced that it will delay its vote on the Internet rulemaking (from tomorrow, 3/16, until 3/23) so that the Commission can see what the House of Representatives does on the issue tomorrow. It's up to you to convince Congress to stand up for H.R. 1606, which is scheduled for a vote tomorrow, and prevent the FEC from voting on new regulations which may change Internet political activity forever.

Everyone here -- everyone -- needs to to pick up the phone and make a call to protect free speech online. Our opponents are ruthless, and we need to tell both Democrats and Republicans to stand up to the "reformers" and stand up for H.R. 1606.

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Monday, March 13, 2006

Support Conyers' Impeachment Investigation

Support Conyers' Impeachment Investigation

From John Conyers, Jr.'s website:

Stand with Congressman Conyers

Demand an Investigation of Impeachable Offenses

I am taking steps against the Bush Administration’s handling of the Iraq War and its warrantless wiretapping. I am going to need you to stand with me in fighting for accountability.

Join me to demand the creation of a Special Committee to investigate impeaching the Bush Administration for its widespread abuses of power.

...This White House has responded to questions about its conduct with misleading statements, obfuscation, and vicious attacks against their critics. We must take the next step towards restoring accountability in our federal government. To this end I have:

• I am calling upon Congress to create a select committee similar to the Ervin Committee, which investigated President Nixon’s Watergate crimes. This select committee should investigate those offenses which appear to rise to the level of impeachment, and;

• Introduced a resolution of censure for both President Bush and Vice-President Cheney.

This administration must be held accountable for its misdeeds. We have considerable work to do and I am going to need your help to make this effort successful. Join me in sending a message to the President, the media, and the American people that we are not going to stand for an imperial presidency any longer.


sign the petition

additional action items here

A list of congressfolk to call who supported censure of Clinton - let's make sure they have their priorities straight.

Senator Byrd's investigation petition

Please also support Senator Feingold's censure resolution. Call your senators, write LTE's and all that good stuff. Crooks and Liars has a bunch of great videos of Russ.


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Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

Please urge your representatives to support and vote for this legislation
. Otherwise, welcome to Gattica.

A bill to prevent genetic information discrimination (losing your employment or insurance because of your genetic make-up), HR 1227, is in need of your help right now. It was introduced by a Republican (Judy Biggert - IL), it passed the senate unanimously, the President has said in writing (SAP, February 2005) and in a radio address that he will sign it.

We have found that if a constituent asks a Republican representative to sign on, they usually do! So this is simple - if you live in the district of any of these representatives, please call and ask him or her to sign on to HR 1227 [93 Democrats and 73 Republicans are cosponsors currently]. Here is a call script you can use.

Once you reach them, email us and tell us that you asked them. We will follow up with a call to remind them of your request.

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Knowing What You Eat

Knowing What You Eat

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is sacred to the fools on the hill. This Thursday, March 8, there will be a vote on HB 4167. The proposed legislation would inhibit the ability of states to regulate food warning labels.

Such a federal law could be misleading or pose a hazard to consumers, who are now protected by the kind of individual state regulations that, in Michigan, for example, require a warning about possible allergic reactions to sulfites in bulk food. Or an Ohio regulation that forbids the use of the word "honey" on a food label unless the product actually contains honey. ...

Such labels and warnings on store shelves and in advertising would have to gain approval of federal regulators, and might be rejected, under the disingenuously titled "National Uniformity for Food Act," sponsored by U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, Republican of Michigan.

...Opponents contend that the real motive behind the proposal, being pushed by the food industry, is to dilute California food-labeling regulations, which were approved by voters in a ballot initiative back in 1986 and are more stringent than federal rules.


Email your reps here, or call 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073. Another great resource is the Organic Consumers Association. They have an action item on this as well.



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Save the Endangered Species Act!

Save the Endangered Species Act!

[UPDATE] Tomorrow has been designated call-in day. Make sure your congress people hear from you!


Even when they're on vacation, it's always something.

On December 15, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and our own Blanche Lincoln (D?-AR) introduced S. 2110, titled, with the perversity we have come to expect, the Collaboration and Recovery of Endangered Species Act. It is a companion to Richard Pombo's successful House version. If you noticed the names mentioned so far, you probably already have some idea what to expect...


Please e-mail your Senators from the CBD's S. 2110 Action Alert page. Or send a letter, fax, or phone them.

[UPDATED from 1/3/2006]: Here is a great companion piece from Tom Friedman.
Sorry, but being green, focusing the nation on greater energy efficiency and conservation, is not some girlie-man issue. It is actually the most tough-minded, geostrategic, pro-growth and patriotic thing we can do. Living green is not for sissies. Sticking with oil, and basically saying that a country that can double the speed of microchips every 18 months is somehow incapable of innovating its way to energy independence - that is for sissies, defeatists and people who are ready to see American values eroded at home and abroad.




[UPDATE #2] The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is rallying to defeat Pombo in his next election!


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Sunday, March 05, 2006

House Schedule For This Week

House Schedule For This Week

With any luck, kossack DemHillStaffer will make this a regular feature:

If there's something here you have an opinion on, write your Representative here: http://www.house.gov/writerep/. Or better, make an appointment to talk to a staffer in their district office.

If you want to find the whole text of a bill, visit http://thomas.loc.gov. If you want to see what amendments are being offered, visit http://www.rules.house.gov/. Let me know if you find this useful or if you have any questions.


FLOOR SCHEDULE - WEEK OF MARCH 6, 2006:

Monday, March 6 - House is in pro forma session at 12:00 noon.

Tuesday, March 7 - House will meet at 12:30 pm for morning hour and 2:00 pm for legislative business. Votes are postponed until 6:30 pm.

Suspensions (6 bills):

H.R. 3934 - Gerard A. Fiorenza Post Office Designation Act (King {NY} - Government Reform)
H.R. 4054 - Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office Designation Act (Sullivan - Government Reform)
H.R. 4509 - Hiram L. Fong Post Office Designation Act (Abercrombie - Government Reform)
S. 2271 - USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006 (Sen. Sununu - Judiciary)
H.R. 32 - Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act (Knollenberg - Judiciary)
H.Res. 681 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week, and for other purposes (Lipinski - Science)

Wednesday, March 8 and Thursday March 9, 2006
On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 am for legislative business.

Suspensions (4 bills):

H.R. 1190 - San Diego Water Storage and Efficiency Act of 2005 (Hunter - Resources)
H.R. 4192 - To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to designate the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home in Hope, Arkansas, as a National Historic Site and unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes (Ross - Resources)
H.R. 4472 - Children's Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2005 (Sensenbrenner - Judiciary)

Completion of H.R. 4167 - Food Labeling Act (Rogers {MI} - Energy and Commerce) (Subject to a Rule)

H.R. 2829 - Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Souder - Judiciary) (Subject to a Rule)

POSSIBLE LEGISLATION:
Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 2830 - Pension Act (McKeon - Education & the Workforce)

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Elise's Sunday Action Diary

Elise's Sunday Action Diary

Sunday Afternoon Action Diary

Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 11:46:31 AM PDT

Welcome to this week's action diary! I thought I'd start today with some words from Buddha (I signed up to get the daily words of the Buddha...I'm not Buddhist, but I find them useful.

Daily Words of the Buddha
March 05, 2006
Slay anger and you will be happy,
slay anger and you will not sorrow.
For the slaying of anger in all its forms
with its poisoned root and sweet sting-
that is the slaying the nobles praise;
with anger slain one weeps no more.
Samyutta Nikaya I, 161

I've been angry for the last 5 going on 6 years. I'll probably be angry for a bit longer, but I decided somewhere along the way that I wasn't going to let anger or fear paralyze me. In other words, I'm not going to lie back and take it while Republicans try to stick it to my country. Taking action is my way of slaying anger. Please join me...




The funniest issue this week, click here to invite a leader of the religious "right" to see Brokeback Mountain with you! How funny is that...I just adore DEFCON!!

The most important issue of this week, click here to sign Harry Reid's petition demanding an independent Katrina Commission. And click here to stop FEMA from evicting Katrina victims from housing.

And now...for the action items:)

Human Rights Issues:

Last week, the Bush Administration submitted a supplemental budget request to Congress that includes $514 million for peacekeeping, food aid, and other vital assistance for the displaced people of Darfur. This money will help protect civilians caught in the crossfire of the conflict while also ensuring they have access to critical basic services, such as clean water and blankets.

Oxfam has a letter you can send to your Congresspersons asking them to fulfill the promise to help those affected by the genocide in Darfur. Click here to send your letter!

Mercy Corps also has a letter that you can send to ask Congress to send aid to Darfur. Click here another letter!

Click here to donate to UNHCR and help them help the refugees in Darfur.

Human Rights First wants you to Tell President Bush that torture should not be tolerated and that he "should adopt a zero-tolerance approach to commanders who allow unlawful conduct to persist on their watch."

Human Rights Campaign wants you to sign the Million for Marriage petition. It doesn't matter whether you're gay or straight, if you support marriage for all people, click here

The Federal Marriage Protection Amendment is back. Frist plans on bringing it up for a vote in June! Click here to send a letter through HRC and tell your Senators that you want them to oppose this amendment which would literally write discrimination into our Constitution!

Protect Pets and Wildlife:

Each year, the Canadian government and fisheries "hunt" baby seals. Here's the info from the Humane Society of the United States:

By the end of the hunt, more than 300,000 seals are expected to be clubbed or shot to death by fishermen who hunt seals off-season to pick up extra cash by selling their skins. Almost all of their victims will be babies -- some as young as 12 days old.

During a recent hunt, veterinarians who examined dead seals concluded that 42% of the seals examined had most likely been skinned while they were alive and still conscious. Polls consistently show that most Canadians oppose the hunt, but still the Canadian government and fishing industry refuse to end it.


Sign this petition to the new Prime Minister NOW!! Save these adorable baby seals. Image hosting by Photobucket

Defenders of Wildlife has an action page that you should all visit. Please click here and do as many items as you can!! If you click and take action, you'll be able to help save wolves, tell Exxon Mobile to stop putting corporate profits over wildlife, save the Endangered Species Act, and help save some adorable pooties!!

The WWF needs your help to protect funding for several Endangered Species. Click here to send your letter and help save Tigers, sea turtles, great apes, rhinos, and more!!

Arm yourself with knowledge about how successful the Endangered Species Act has been! Then click the above link and help protect it!!

Melvin wrote a lovely diary about the dwindling numbers of fish in our oceans. Visit his diary if you missed it and take action there too, but also click here to help save the Red Snapper, whose population in the Gulf of Mexico is down to 3% of what it should be due to mismanagement of the Gulf.

Protect the Environment:

Act now to save life on earth by asking Congress to protect funding for programs that protect wildlife and habitats around the globe. When you click on the link there are some other action items for you in the right-hand column.

The Ocean Conservancy has a number of action alert items for you. Please click here and do as many items as you can!!

You've read a lot lately about the Bush Administration trying to sell off public lands. There have been a million diaries, including this one, this one, and this one just to link a few, oh...and this one from Friday. Earthjustice has a letter you can send to your Congresspeople. Please click here and send your letter! The only way to stop the sale of our lands is to make noise!

You can sign the Sierra Club's petition to prevent public land sales too! You should also sign their petition to save the Endangered Species Act!

Environmental Action has a letter you can send to help protect public lands as well.

And finally, send another letter to your Congresspeople from The Wilderness Society.

Help Defenders of Wildlife open an office in Pombo's district and let's get him the hell out of office!!

War in Iraq:

CODEPINK needs your help! The "Women Say No to War" campaign needs 100,000 signatures by March 8th! That's only 3 days from now!! They only have 44,000 at the moment. That's not enough! You can sign your name by clicking here. They'll deliver the signatures to the White House and U.S. Embassies around the world on March 8th. Let's get to work ladies!! Sign on yourselves and then send this to every woman you know!

Sign Barbara Boxer's petition demanding that Rumsfeld develop a plan to get the troops out of Iraq.

Health Care Issues:

My little sister used to work at a dry cleaner. There are some dangerous chemicals in use at dry cleaners. One of them is Perchloroethylene. There's no need to use this chemical anymore. There are new machines now, so dry cleaners just need to update to the safer alternatives. Perchloroethylene can cause cancer, liver, and kidney damage and neurological harm, so as you can see it's a super fun on the toxic scale. To ask the EPA to phase out the use of Perc by dry cleaners, click here, enter your info, and send your letters!

Rep. Slaughter wrote a diary here this week about an attempt by Republicans and Industry types to gut our food safety laws. Here's what Consumer Action has to say:

"Congress will vote next week on a bill that would gut state food safety and labeling laws, endangering the food you eat. H.R. 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act," lowers the bar on food safety by overturning state food safety laws that are not "identical" to federal law. Hundreds of state laws and regulations are at risk, including those governing the safety of milk and shellfish.

Local and state officials are now responsible for 80% of the nation's food safety enforcement. These officials regularly improve training, sanitation and labeling standards to address new food borne diseases and other dangers to our food supply whether natural or man made. H.R. 4167 puts a straitjacket on these front-line workers, who are most familiar with local needs."

Click here to send your letters to your Reps. The vote is this coming week!

Click here to send another letter on food safety standards through the Union of Concerned Scientist's website.

National Security Issues:

Have you forgotten about the NSA's illegal spying on Americans? I didn't think so. Well, Senator Ted Kennedy wants you to add your name to Senate Resolution 350, which in short says:

"Expressing the sense of the Senate that Senate Joint Resolution 23 (107th Congress), as adopted by the Senate on September 14, 2001, and subsequently enacted as the Authorization for Use of Military Force does not authorize warrantless domestic surveillance of United States citizens."

Please click here to add your support of S. Res. 350.

Women's Issues:

"In 2006, why are women still fighting for access to contraception? It's time to bring women's health care into the 21st century!
Right now, two men stand in the way.
Who are they? Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX). They have the power to bring an important bill to a vote in Congress: the Prevention First Act, which would protect all women's access to contraception and reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy."
Tell Senators Barton and Enzi to use their common sense and pass the Prevention First Act.

Apparently Wal-Mart is about to start stocking Plan B in all its pharmacies nationwide. This is a victory, but Wal-Mart still allows its pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for Plan B. So, send your letters of thanks, as well as your requests that they actually change their policy of refusal for their pharmacists.

Internet Issues:

I'm guessing some of you didn't even know we HAD internet issues, but we do. For background, read the comments and do the action items in the box below...for the more recent action, skip the box and go with the latest action item from Common Cause.

Internet Freedom is under fire! Free Press has a letter you can sign. Here's what they say:
The CEOs of the largest cable and telephone companies are hatching a scheme that would give them control over what content you can view and what services you can use on the Internet. Their plan would do away with the principle of "network neutrality" and shut down the open roadway we've come to expect on the Internet.
Sounds like a real money-maker for them! Anyway, click here to send your letter to your Congresspeople and the CEO of your internet provider.

Common Cause also has a letter you can send to all the CEOs of the telecom corporations. Tell these CEOs to stop trying to privatize the internets!

To read more about the plans to privatize the internets, read this article from The Nation! Don't stop with just sending the above letters either. Send letters to your Congresspeople as well!!

To let your Senators know how you feel about the internet and your desire to keep it neutral and free, click here and send a letter!

Kos's AOL charge post... http://www.dailykos.com/...

And last, but not least, Actfor Change has lots of action items for you. So, click and take action on a variety of issues!

Tags: Endangered Species Act, Federal Marriage Protection Amendment, Human Rights Campaign, Earthjustice, World Wildlife Fund, Common Cause, Defenders of Wildlife, Wal-Mart Watch, ACLU, NSA, Internet Privatization, Prevention First Act, Dubai World Ports, CODEPINK, Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, public lands, Canadian seal hunt, The Sierra Club, DEFCON, action (all tags)

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Saturday, March 04, 2006

The Power of Nightmares

The Power of Nightmares

It's a show that every American should see, but not enough will. Let's fix that - guerrilla advertising goes viral.

Share the links and stories about "The Power of Nightmares" with everyone you know. Make copies of the documentary for people and encourage them to do the same.


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Friday, March 03, 2006

27 Days Left for Public Input on Public Land Sales

27 Days Left for Public Input on Public Land Sales

Update: Obviously, we no longer have 27 days left; comments are due by March 30th. But if I change the title now, previous hyperlinks won't work. apologies.

Let them know our natural treasures are not for sale.

We are now in the 30-day comment period for this proposal. It is essential that you take a few minutes to write your own reasons why this proposal should be scrapped. Even if it is short, your comments will be entered into the Federal record and taken seriously. Form letters are given less weight than your own carefully worded letter. Postal mail is better than e-mail.

[Comments on the proposed list must be received by March 30 and may be sent by e-mail to SRS_Land_Sales@fs.fed.us. Written comments may be sent to: USDA Forest Service, SRS Comments, Lands 4S, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop 1124, Washington, DC, 20250-0003. Send faxed comments to (202) 205-1604.]

At a minimum, please send email to SRS_Land_Sales@fs.fed.us with the subject "SRS Comments". Write a few sentences asking that this entire scheme be scrapped. Include your name and address at the bottom.

The fact that Bush has limited comments to only 30 days indicates he plans to try to push this through. And I know that some in the GOP have even come out against this (good), but it is very important that we invoke a thunderstorm of comments against this... it might make them think twice the next time they attack our public lands!

Take 1 minute to write to your congressional reps to stop this nonsense.

Tell your friends! Send them a link to this page.



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Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Protect Internet Activism

Protect Internet Activism

The Federal Election Commission announced today that it will hold a final vote March 16 to determine the rules governing political communications on the Internet.

Way more information here - the bills involved, more history, etc., etc., etc.

Letters to the FEC, your congresscritters, etc.

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