The inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States has been a scary and horrific thing for many of us. He and his cabinet, full of unqualified and unsuitable candidates, threaten civil rights, voter rights, climate control, health care, public education, social security, the first amendment, foreign relations, free press, and the values of most good and decent people everywhere. We must resist his actions to destroy the fabric of democracy and the security of our citizens. In an effort to do that, each week I share some acts of resistance and steps of activism you can take. Here are this week’s:
It’s Resistance Recess! “The week of February 18–26 is the first recess of the 115th Congress — time specifically set aside for members of Congress to meet with constituents. This is the perfect time to raise our voices, showing up at our elected officials’ events, town halls, other public appearances to make it clear to those who represent us, as well as to the media, that tolerance of Trump’s hurtful agenda is unacceptable and politically toxic.” I’m going to my first ever town hall this Wednesday evening. Enter your ZIP Code or view the map here to search for an event near you.
Some issues to bring to your rep’s attention (and if you can’t join a town hall in person, be sure to call your reps and leave messages for them highlighting your concerns):
Berate the 23 republican senators who rejected a bill that would have triggered a request for Trump’s tax returns to the Treasury Department. (See below for a full list of those 23 senators).
Urge the House to investigate the Trump team’s private business interests, potential ethical violations, and possible ties to Russia. Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, filed a Resolution of Inquiry that requests information from the Justice Department on any and all “criminal or counterintelligence investigations” into Trump and his team, including those into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Urge your rep to vote yes — if the resolution passes, the Justice Department must reveal its findings on Trump and his associates.
The importance and defense of the Affordable Care Act.
The 23 senators who rejected an amendment requesting Trump to release tax returns:
Kevin Brady of Texas
Sam Johnson of Texas
Devin Nunes of California
Pat Tiberi of Ohio
Dave Reichert of Washington
Peter Roskam of Illinois
Vern Buchanan of Florida
Adrian Smith of Nebraska
Lynn Jenkins of Kansas
Erik Paulsen of Minnesota
Kenny Marchant of Texas
Diane Black of Tennessee
Tom Reed of New York
Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania
Jim Renacci of Ohio
Pat Meehan of Pennsylvania
Kristi Noem of South Dakota
George Holding of North Carolina
Jason Smith of Missouri
Tom Rice of South Carolina
David Schweikert of Arizona
Jackie Walorski of Indiana
Carlos Curbelo of Florida
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anonymousse February 20, 2017, 1:25 pm
Dave Reichert is being a typical republican coward and not hosting a town hall, instead he is doing a Facebook live event in which he will only answer previously submitted and approved questions. There is a rally at his office (where he will not be) at the same time…he’s not my district, but I’m probably going to go. The real problem is there has been no democrat running in opposition from him in recent memory. He runs unopposed and doesn’t seem to care what his constituents want.
Good news is that the women’s group I am helping host had our second meeting and we are trying to simplify our focus. We met for two hours yesterday. Just meeting and talking through our fears was cathartic enough in itself. There’s so much to work on, it’s daunting! Our next meeting is a postcard party for the Ides of Trump event. March 15th! Send 45 your opinion! Tell him he’s fired!
200 people made it to the Indivisible North Seattle group yesterday! The group is so big, they’ve split into smaller groups to focus on certain tasks.