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Federal Daily Action – Wednesday, July 26 Your Call: Tell your senator that you are furious about them voting yes on the Motion to Proceed.

Rubio – 202-224-3041 or 904-398-858

Find your senator: https://www.senate.gov/…/contact_informati…/senators_cfm.cfm

 

 

BLOCK THE SENATE REPEAL OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
The Senate has passed the Motion to Proceed to begin floor debate on the repeal of the ACA. Now, a series of amendments and new healthcare bills will be brought forth and voted on on the floor. It is unknown what the end result of this debate will be, but any version will surely involve a repeal of the ACA that will devastate the nation’s healthcare system, leave millions uninsured, and collapse the insurance market.

McConnell and Republican Senators will introduce amendments to a bill developed without any committee hearings, discussions, bipartisan debate, or public comments (by contrast, Senate Democrats held over 30 Senate Finance Committee meetings to draft the Affordable Care Act and included their Republican colleagues in these meetings). McConnell has publicly refused to commit to allowing more than 20 hours of debate on this massive legislation. With such a short turnaround time between announcing which bill they will put forward and the final vote, most congresspeople (including Republican Senators not directly involved in drafting the legislation) will have insufficient time to understand the bill’s full implications. Furthermore, the American public has been left in the dark about which bill Congress plans to vote on. This GOP strategy contravenes the spirit of our democratic process, and we must not stand for it.

We CAN do something about this: Demand Democratic Senators continue doing everything they can to block a final healthcare vote, e.g. by withholding consent for regular Senate procedures and introducing thousands of amendments during the reconciliation process in an approach known as filibustering by amendment. Further, we must urge Republican Senators to push their colleagues to develop their healthcare legislation openly and publicly. The American public deserves to know what is in their healthcare legislation, and the egregious behavior by the GOP must be stopped.

Your script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from (zip code).

IF DEMOCRAT: I’m calling today because I’m furious that the Senate has proceeded to move forward on the repeal of the ACA. I want to thank Senator Bill Nelson for their vote against this ongoing effort and encourage them to keep fighting by filibustering by amendment! Their constituents are counting on them to fight for their healthcare.

IF REPUBLICAN: I’m calling today because I’m furious that the Senate has proceeded to move forward on the repeal of the ACA. I’m demanding that Senator Marco Rubio vote against any version of repeal that emerges from this undemocratic debate, and instead work in a bipartisan manner to fix the ACA, using traditional Senate processes such as open hearings and expert testimony.

[OPTIONAL: Share a personal story of why the ACA is so important to you, your family, and/or your community]

Thank you for your hard work answering the phones.

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

Opinion | The Senate’s Health Care Travesty
Ignoring public disgust, it will now debate proposals that would leave millions more without insurance or with unaffordable care.
NYTIMES.COM
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Urgent Federal Daily Action – Tuesday, July 25 Your All Day Action: Call, Tweet, Resistbot, email. visit your Senate office. Tell your senators to vote NO on a Motion to Proceed with TrumpCare. Vote NO to a tax cut for the rich disguised as healthcare. Vote NO to cuts in Medicaid.

 

https://www.senate.gov/…/contact_informati…/senators_cfm.cfm
CALL: Senator Marco Rubio (202) 224-3041 or (904) 398-8586; Senator Bill Nelson (202) 224-5274 or (904) 346-4500.

 

HOUSE BILL IS BACK
McConnell says Senate will vote tomorrow on the health care bill that passed in the House. A refresher on that bill:
– This is the bill that Donald Trump said was “mean”
– This is the bill that does not pass the “Jimmy Kimmel” test
-23 million people lose health insurance including 14 million in the first year after passage
– Allows insurance companies to stop covering essential benefits (like maternity care, mental health, etc) that are currently required by law
– Allows insurance companies to charge higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions (which is currently illegal under the Affordable Care Act)
– Gives $230 billion tax cut to high-income earners
– Rolls back expansion of Medicaid in 32 states
– Gives very small tax credits to make up for premiums that go up by almost 10x. Example: gives a $4,000 tax credit to a 64 year old whose premium goes up from $1,700 a year to $16,000 a year
The message on this one is clear. Our Senators must vote against the “motion to proceed” to a debate on this bill. Voting for the motion is voting for the bill.
Update: As of now, there is still no “Senate bill” to swap in for the House bill by amendment and no commitment from McConnell as to whether there is a “Senate bill” that addresses the comments from the Senate Parliamentarian. The only thing we know for sure is that they will have the vote tomorrow and begin with the House bill.
Update: Sen. Cornyn says they are working on rewriting parts of a Senate version of the bill that the Senate Parliamentarian has ruled as being out of order (including anti-abortion & anti-Planned Parenthood provisions and some smaller unrelated funding provisions). Those funding provisions are part of the as-yet-unsuccessful pitch to moderates. Also, various activists on the right are urging conservative Senators to vote against the “Senate bill” unless both the abortion and PP restrictions are included in the text. Impact: for different reasons this hurts rather than helps a “Senate bill” get passed.

Your Script:

Caller: Hello! My name is [name] and I’m calling from [part of state].

I strongly urge Senator ________ to vote no to the Motion to Proceed with TrumpCare. This is a tax cut for the rich disguised as healthcare. This bill is barbaric. The CBO estimates 23 million people will lose their healthcare. Senator _______will pay a high political price for not voting in line with what 88 percent of his constituency wants. People will die as a result of a loss of benefits.

Please ask Senator _______to place country before party.

Caller: Thank you for your time.

McCain’s return to Senate injects momentum into GOP health-care battle
It’s unclear if Senate Republicans will even green-light starting debate.
WASHINGTONPOST.COM|BY ED O’KEEFE
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FEDERAL DAILY ACTION – Monday, July 24 Your Call: Ask your Senator how they are voting on TrumpCare.

 

https://www.senate.gov/…/contact_informati…/senators_cfm.cfm

CALL: Senator Marco Rubio (202) 224-3041 or (904) 398-8586; Senator Bill Nelson (202) 224-5274 or (904) 346-4500.

REJECT TRUMPCARE AND HELP TRACK THE SENATE VOTE TALLY
By working together, we can track the most current vote tally of the Trumpcare bill. Call your senator and ask his or her stance and let us know with the buttons below. This legislations is too critical to be kept in the dark.

[Sorry Mobile Users! The tracker is only available for the web interface at this time. Please go to 5calls.org to report your call result]

Senate Republicans have released another draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), their Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal plan. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has predicted this bill would leave 22 million additional people uninsured by 2026, cut Medicaid funding by over a quarter by 2025 and by 36% by 2036, and increase healthcare spending by driving up deductibles and reducing covered benefits, all while delivering tax cuts to insurance executives and wealthy Americans.

The new BCRA draft fixes almost none of the old draft’s shortcomings. While it does eliminate some of the bill’s original tax cuts to the wealthy, it retains the original draft’s cruel cuts to Medicaid.

Help us track who is fighting back against this unacceptable bill by calling your senator, asking if they support the BCRA, and *reporting their stance using the buttons below the script – SUPPORTS, OPPOSES, or UNDECIDED*.

We’ll be updating the tracker in real-time as things change, so keep calling to find out your Senator’s latest position, especially if your Senator is an undecided vote.

Your script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from (zip code.)

I’m calling about the Senate healthcare bill, the BCRA (AHCA in the House). Do know how the Senator plans to vote on it?

[IF YES/SUPPORTS] I’m appalled by Senator Bill Nelson’s support for a bill that is predicted to endanger the health and economic stability of millions of Americans. This bill will make health insurance inaccessible to millions of lower-income and sicker Americans, especially since it deeply cuts Medicaid spending. Shame on Senator Bill Nelson for prioritizing a partisan victory over their own constituents’ needs. I will be actively working against [his/her] re-election.

[IF NO STANCE/UNDECIDED OR VOICEMAIL] The Medicaid cuts contained in this bill will leave millions of Americans uninsured and will drive up costs for individual insurance market consumers. I demand the Senator take a public against this bill.

[IF NO/OPPOSES] That’s great news! Please thank the senator for standing up for the right of all Americans to have access affordable health care. I hope the Senator will do everything in their power to stop the passage of this cruel bill.

Thank you for your time and hard work answering the phones.

[IF VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.]

Enter your call result to get the

Posted on

FEDERAL DAILY ACTION — Friday, July 21, 2017 THE CALL — Russia Sanctions

 

woman makes a phone call despite her fears

Find your representative: https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/…/Repr…/myrepresentative.aspx
Representative Rutherford: (202) 225-2501 or (904) 831-5205
Representative DeSantis: (202) 225-2706 or (386) 302-0471
Representative Yoho: (202) 225-5744 or (904) 276-9626

The Senate approved a measure in June by a 98-2 vote that would further sanction Russia for their interference in our election and constrain Trump from unilaterally lifting any Russia sanctions. The legislation is currently being considered by the House and the administration is lobbying Republicans to water it down. The House has been stalling on the bill, claiming various procedural issues, but Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, dismissed those claims saying “there is no issue, except do they want to pass a bill.”

The latest bombshell on the Donald Trump Jr. emails setting up a meeting with a Russian government lawyer to get dirt on Clinton is closely connected to sanctions and suggests a possible quid pro quo. The Trump administration has been been trying to lift sanctions on Russia since shortly after taking office. Currently, they are looking to return Russian compounds that President Obama closed as retaliation for Russian election interference.

Trump continues to minimize Russian interference in our election, and while he claims he raised the issue with Putin at the G20 meeting, he appears to accept Putin’s denial and wants to “move forward” with Russia. The revelation this week that Trump had a previously undisclosed meeting with Putin with no American officials present gives further credence to a Trump quid pro quo deal with Russia.

It is likely Trump will veto strong Russia sanctions legislation and while the Senate has the votes to override a veto, it will be critical that the House pass the legislation with the 2/3 majority necessary to override a presidential veto.
————–

Sample Script:
This is [NAME] and I’m a constituent in [ZIP].
I want [Rep____] to support legislation immediately to increase sanctions on Russia for meddling in our election.
It’s critical to make sure the president cannot lift any Russia sanctions without Congress’s consent.
I don’t trust this administration to do the right thing on Russia sanctions.
Where does the Rep currently stand on this issue?
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

Exxon Mobil Fined for Violating Sanctions on Russia
While Rex W. Tillerson, now the secretary of state, led the energy giant, “Exxon Mobil demonstrated reckless disregard for U.S. sanctions requirements,” the Treasury Department said.
NYTIMES.COM
Posted on

FEDERAL DAILY ACTION: Tuesday, July 18, 2017 THE CALL–Demand Congress Fund the Fight Against the Opioid Crisis

woman makes a phone call despite her fears

CALL:
Representative John H. Rutherford 
(202) 225-2501 or (904) 831-5205;
House Appropriations Committee
(202) 225-2771

 

DEMAND CONGRESS FUND THE FIGHT AGAINST THE OPIOID CRISIS
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50, and these deaths rose by an unprecedented 19% between 2015 and 2016. Although opioid epidemic is growing unabated, Republicans have failed to allocate sufficient funding to combat this crisis. In fact, the House Appropriations Committee’s draft for its 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education funding bill would reduce funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding by almost $200 million and fails to increase funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s Substance Abuse Block Grant.

Additionally, the funding bill prohibits the use of discretionary funds to implement the Affordable Care Act, including compensation for ACA Navigators, who play a critical role in helping people secure health insurance coverage. Access to health insurance is absolutely essential for people with substance use disorders, especially since under the ACA ‘s mandates, insurers must cover substance abuse treatment in exchange plans.

Sample Script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].

[IF COMMITTEE, ADD]: I’d like to pass along a message for the Chairman and committee members.

I’m calling to express my concern about reductions in funding for the CDC, SAMHSA, and other public health agencies in the 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. These agencies are essential in combatting the growing opioid epidemic, and their resources should be increased, not reduced, for the next fiscal year.

Thank you for your time and attention.

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved
Narcan can revive overdose victims, but some local officials wonder if it’s worth the cost.
WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Posted on

FEDERAL DAILY ACTION: Monday, July 17, 2017 THE CALL–ADVOCATE FOR A BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO REPAIR THE ACA


CALL: Senator Marco Rubio (202-224-3041 or 904-398-8586);

Senator Bill Nelson (202-224–5274 or 904-346-4500).

 

The delayed vote on Senate GOP’s new ACA-repeal bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), represents an opportunity for Republicans to abandon their partisan obsession with dismantling the ACA and instead partner with Democrats to shore up the law. One major Republican critique of the ACA has been that the individual insurance markets are unstable and have increasingly high premiums. However, all analyses of these markets have shown that the markets are stable overall and that consumers have largely been shielded from premium increases thanks to tax subsidies. In fact, most of the instability of the insurance markets have stemmed from insurance company uncertainty about whether Republicans will continue paying the cost-sharing reductions that allow them to insure sicker people at lower cost. Healthcare spending has also slowed under the ACA, and people have objectively benefited from increased access to healthcare, especially preventive services.

The Senate repeal bill actually maintains much of the ACA’s structure while cutting things like premium subsidies and funding for Medicaid expansion. Instead of trying to adopt a worse version of the ACA, Republicans should work with Democrats to implement a package of ACA fixes, from insurance market stabilization to negotiation of lower pharmaceutical costs, that would preserve (and even increase) access to affordable health insurance while still containing healthcare spending. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has already called on Trump to meet with Democrats to find a bipartisan way forward. Now, it’s on Republicans to do the right thing and shift their focus from repealing the ACA to fixing the ACA.

Sample Script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from Saint Augustine.

[IF REPUBLICAN]: I’m calling to encourage Senator Bill Nelson to abandon their ACA repeal efforts and instead advocate for a bipartisan approach to healthcare reform. The majority of Americans want the ACA repaired, not replaced, and it makes far more sense to repair the existing bill than to replace it with a law that introduces a host of new problems while fixing none of the current problems.

[IF DEMOCRAT]: I’m calling to encourage Senator Bill Nelson to pursue a bipartisan effort to repair the ACA. The Republican plan to repeal the ACA is cruel and unacceptable, and the best way forward for the American people is to find a way to fix the ACA’s problems than introduce new ones.

Thank you for your hard work answering the phones.

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/joe-biden-as-a-nation-we…/…

Perspective | Joe Biden: Americans decided health care is for all. The GOP wants to roll that back.
Their plan would once again make it a privilege for the wealthy.
WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Posted on

FEDERAL DAILY ACTION: Friday, July 14, 2017 THE CALL–Demand that your senators push for a bipartisan solution to the problem of how to fix the ACA.


CALL: Senator Marco Rubio (202-224-3041 or 904-398-8586); Senator Bill Nelson (202-224–5274 or 904-346-4500).

 

 

The delayed vote on Senate GOP’s new ACA-repeal bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), represents an opportunity for Republicans to abandon their partisan obsession with dismantling the ACA and instead partner with Democrats to shore up the law. One major Republican critique of the ACA has been that the individual insurance markets are unstable and have increasingly high premiums. However, all analyses of these markets have shown that the markets are stable overall and that consumers have largely been shielded from premium increases thanks to tax subsidies. In fact, most of the instability of the insurance markets have stemmed from insurance company uncertainty about whether Republicans will continue paying the cost-sharing reductions that allow them to insure sicker people at lower cost. Healthcare spending has also slowed under the ACA, and people have objectively benefitted from increased access to healthcare, especially preventive services.
The Senate repeal bill actually maintains much of the ACA’s structure while cruelly cutting things like premium subsidies and funding for Medicaid expansion. Instead of trying to adopt a worse version of the ACA, Republicans should work with Democrats to implement a package of ACA fixes, from insurance market stabilization to negotiation of lower pharmaceutical costs, that would preserve (and even increase) access to affordable health insurance while still containing health care spending. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has already called on Trump to meet with Democrats to find a bipartisan way forward. Now, it’s on Republicans to do the right thing and shift their focus from repealing the ACA to fixing the ACA.
Your script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY STATE ZIP CODE].
[IF REPUBLICAN]: I’m calling to encourage Senator [NAME] to abandon his or her ACA repeal efforts and instead advocate for a bipartisan approach to healthcare reform. The majority of Americans want the ACA repaired, not replaced, and it makes far more sense to repair the existing bill than to replace it with a law that introduces a host of new problems while fixing none of the current problems.
[IF DEMOCRAT]: I’m calling to encourage Senator [NAME] to pursue a bipartisan effort to repair the ACA. The Republican plan to repeal the ACA is cruel and unacceptable, and the best way forward for the American people is to find a way to fix the ACA’s problems than introduce new ones.
Thank you for your hard work answering the phones.
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

Posted on

Thursday, July 13, 2017 THE CALL–Demand that your senators oppose the BCRA’s intent to defund Planned Parenthood, reduce Medicaid coverage for maternity care, and other “economies” that would potentially harm women’s health.


CALL: Senator Marco Rubio (202-224-3041 or 904-398-8586)

Senator Bill Nelson (202-224–5274 or 904-346-4500).

 

 

 

YOUR ACTION: Defend women’s health by demanding that your senators vote no on any healthcare bill that imposes barriers to access and financial penalties on women because of their gender.

Given that the Senate’s ACA-repeal bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), was drafted entirely by Republican men, it is hardly surprising that the bill harms women’s health in myriad ways. First, the bill would stop federal funding for Planned Parenthood for a year, even though the Hyde Amendment already prohibits allocation of federal dollars to abortion care. Defunding Planned Parenthood would cause thousands of people, particularly in areas with healthcare provider shortages, to lose access to crucial preventive services like cancer prevention and prenatal care.
The bill also contains multiple other provisions that undermine access to maternity care. The BCRA will allow states to opt out of the requirement that exchange plans must cover ten essential health benefits, including maternity care and contraceptive access. Employers will also no longer be required to cover maternity care, as the bill eliminates the requirement that large employers offer insurance that meets specific standards. Attacks on Medicaid funding would further reduce coverage for maternity care, as nearly half of births in the US are currently paid for by Medicaid, and more than 25 million women are insured through Medicaid. The bill even allows states to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients that would allow them to force mothers to find work within 60 days of giving birth.
Finally, the bill prevents people from using tax credits to buy exchange plans that cover abortion services. Reproductive rights advocates argue that this provision will dissuade insurance companies from providing abortion coverage, even in employer-sponsored plans. This provision is also thought to violate the Byrd Rule, which prohibits the Senate from using the reconciliation process (i.e. a filibuster-proof voting process where legislation can pass with a simple majority) to pass any policy changes that do not directly affect the budget.
Women are half of this country’s population and deserve a healthcare bill that does not punish them for their gender.

Your script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY STATE ZIP CODE]
I’m calling to urge Senator [NAME] to oppose any provision in the Better Care Reconciliation Act which would harm women by defunding Planned Parenthood, rolling back Medicaid coverage, and allowing insurers to stop covering maternity care services and contraceptive access. Women should not face financial penalties and barriers to healthcare access simply because of their gender.
[OPTIONAL: Share a story about how the BCRA would harm you or women in your life.]
Thank you for your time.
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]
[IF YOUR REP’S VOICEMAIL IS FULL]: Use Resistbot. You don’t need a smartphone, just a text-capable mobile phone. Open the app you use to text. On many phones it’s called messages. In the phone number, or “To:” field, type 50409, and in the message body, resist. Send that message and you’re in. Follow the app’s directions.

The Senate’s New Health Care Bill Makes It More Expensive to Be a Woman
Slashing funding means slashing coverage.
TIME.COM
Posted on

FEDERAL DAILY ACTION: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 THE CALL–Demand that Donald Trump, Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort testify in open session about their dealings with the Russians during the 2016 Election.


CALL: the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (202-224-1700 );

Senator Marco Rubio, who serves on the Committee (202-224-3041 or 904-398-8586)

 

 

 

YOUR ACTION: .Donald Trump, Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort must publicly testify under oath about the details of this meeting and any other similar meetings they had with Russian nationals. Demand that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence call them to testify.

It is now clear that Donald Trump, Jr., Trump’s campaign manager Paul Manafort, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner agreed to meet with a Russian government attorney with the explicit purpose of discussing information that the Russian government thought would help the Trump campaign. On June 9, 2016, they met with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer, with long-standing ties to the Kremlin.
Prior to the meeting, Trump, Jr. received an email (the text of which he has now released) that stated that “the Crown prosecutor of Russia” had “offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your [Trump, Jr.’s] father.” Trump, Jr. expressed interest in meeting to discuss this information immediately, writing, “[I]f it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.” Follow-up emails made it clear that the meeting would be with a “Russian government attorney” and cc’ed Manafort and Kushner, meaning all three men were aware that they were meeting with a Russian government lawyer to try to hurt Clinton’s campaign. These emails were sent right before the Wikileaks dump publicly revealed Russia’s potential meddling. Also of note: two weeks after this meeting took place, Trump, Jr. went on CNN to deny claims of Russians helping the Trump campaign as “disgusting” and “phony” and has been making similar claims about the Russian election interference ever since.
The New York Times calls this incident “the first public indication that at least some in the campaign were willing to accept Russian help.” Trump, Jr.’s willingness to accept campaign-related information from a hostile foreign source, as well as the presence of top campaign officials Kushner and Manafort at the meeting, provides clear evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Neither Trump, Jr. nor Kushner disclosed the details of this meeting–in fact, the meeting was unearthed only after Kushner quietly revised a security form to note that it had happened. Their secrecy raises the question of how many more similar meetings took place unbeknownst to investigators, national security officials, and the public.
As Trump, Jr.’s emails have now revealed, Trump, Jr. deliberately sought out information obtained by a foreign government to interfere with the United States presidential election, an act of possible treason. Donald Trump, Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort must publicly testify under oath about the details of this meeting and any other similar meetings they had with Russian nationals.

Your script:
[IF CALLING SENATOR MARCO RUBIO] Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY STATE ZIP CODE].
[IF COMMITTEE, ADD]: I’d like to pass along a message for the Chairman and committee members.
I’m calling to request that the Senate Select Committee on Security call Donald Trump, Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort to publicly testify about the details of their June 9th meeting with a Russian lawyer, and any other similar meetings with Russian officials they have failed to disclose. I am deeply concerned that Trump, Jr.’s participation in this meeting reflects the Trump team’s possible collusion with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election.
Thank you for your time and attention.
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]
[IF YOUR REP’S VOICEMAIL IS FULL]: Use Resistbot. You don’t need a smartphone, just a text-capable mobile phone. Open the app you use to text. On many phones it’s called messages. In the phone number, or “To:” field, type 50409, and in the message body, resist. Send that message and you’re in. Follow the app’s directions.

Trump Jr. Was Told in Email of Russian Effort to Aid Campaign
The president’s son was told in an email that the Russian government wanted to help Donald J. Trump’s election bid last year.
NYTIMES.COM
Posted on

FEDERAL DAILY ACTION – Friday, July 7th The Call – #RussiaSanctions

 

Representative Rutherford 202-225-2501 or 904-831-5205

Senator Rubio (202 224-3041 or 904 354-4300)

Senator Nelson (202 224-5274 or 904 346-4500)


The Senate approved a measure in June by a 98-2 vote that would further sanction Russia for their interference in our election and constrain Trump from unilaterally lifting any Russia sanctions. Last week, after House Republicans stalled voting on the bill claiming Constitutional issues, the Senate reapproved the bill with technical corrections to address the issue. The administration opposes the legislation and is lobbying Republicans to water it down.

The Trump administration has been eager to lift Russia sanctions. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn is being investigated for lying to the FBI about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador about sanctions on the day President Obama imposed them. Shortly after the inauguration, the Trump administration made secret efforts to ease the Russia sanctions which were thwarted when a long-time State Department official reported them to Congress. The Trump administration wants to return Russian compounds that had been shuttered by the Obama administration in retaliation for election hacking.

The heads of the US intelligence agencies, former FBI Director Comey and many experts have testified that Russia’s attempts to meddle in our democracy are continuing. It was reported Thursday that US Intelligence believes Russia has stepped up spying in the US since the election. The Trump administration has shown no interest in addressing Russia’s attack on our democracy and Trump contradicted US Intelligence and expert testimony at a press conference on Thursday saying “nobody really knows” if Russia interfered in the US election.
Given Trump’s troubling history regarding Russian interference, it is quite likely he will veto the Russia sanctions legislation. While the Senate has the votes to override the veto, it will be critical that the House pass the legislation with the 2/3 majority necessary to override a presidential veto.

Your Action
Call your Representative and urge him/her to support legislation which would increase sanctions on Russia and tie Trump’s hands on unilaterally lifting the sanctions.

Call your Senators and thank them for supporting increased sanctions on Russia.

Talking Points
This is [NAME] and I’m a constituent in [ZIP].
I want [Rep____] to support legislation to increase sanctions on Russia for meddling in our election.
It is especially important to make sure the president cannot lift any Russia sanctions without Congress’s consent.
I don’t trust this administration to do the right thing on Russia sanctions.
Where does the Rep currently stand on this issue?

Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, pushing back against Trump
The Senate was nearly unanimous on Thursday passing a bill that would slap Russia with new sanctions and give Congress the power to review any White…
CNN.COM