Produced by The Coconino County Democratic Party & Democrats of the Red Rocks
This week: S1 and John Lewis Act and modified filibuster; passing a bipartisan bill with $3.5 billion social and climate/environment infrastructure
Modify the filibuster – pass voter protection bills. Congress is in recess and its first order of business on return is to take up voter protection. As reported in the NYT we are nearing the last chance to pass significant voter protection legislation if it is going to be timely enough to impact the 2022 elections and prevent massive gerrymandering. Sen. Sinema’s opposition to modifying the filibuster is well-known. Kelly is less clear. Here we ask both senators to carve an exception to the filibuster for voter protection issues.
Sample text or voice message for both Senators: My name is XXXX. I’m a mainstream Democrat living and voting in XXXXX. I am so concerned that the Republicans are attempting to destroy our voting rights and even our democracy by passing many, many voter restriction laws in dozens of states including here in Arizona. I am strongly urging you to carve out an exception to the filibuster when it comes to protecting voting rights. Please fight for passage of S1 and the John Lewis Voter Protection Act. Attempts at finding 10 Republicans who believe in full democracy have failed. It’s time to protect the best of America – the right of all to vote – by this selective modification of the filibuster.
Sen. Sinema: Call (202) 224-4521 (DC) or (602) 598-7327. Email via her website at “http://www.sinema.senate.gov” Tag the Senator at @senatorsinema.
Sen. Mark Kelley: Call (202) 224-2235 (DC), Email via his website at http://www.kelly.senate.gov Tag the Senator at @senmarkkelly
Social Infrastructure for both Senators and Rep. O’Halleran:
While we can commend Sen. Sinema for her role in the bipartisan $1.1 trillion infrastructure plan, we need to badger her to also pass the $3.5 trillion social infrastructure bill through the reconciliation process. This requires all 50 Democratic Senators to get on board. Sen Sinema is already squeamish saying it should be less money. We need to tie our support of Sinema to her support of the basic Democratic Party values contained in the $3.5 trillion “social infrastructure bill”. We also need to be sure that Sen. Kelly and Rep. O’Halleran will be on board. The social infrastructure bill could change the face of American by funding major climate initiatives to combat global warming, universal Pre K and community college, by adding dental, vision and hearing benefits to Medicare, and much more. Unlike Sinema’s bi-partisan infrastructure bill it would fully paid for and funded by restoration of traditional tax levels on super wealthy corporations and individuals who benefited so grossly from the massive transfer of wealth in the Trump Tax Bill.
Sample text or message for both Senators and Rep. O’Halleran: My name is XXXX. I’m a mainstream Democrat living and voting in XXXXX. While it’s great that we may have a bi-partisan infrastructure bill coming, we need to tie its passage to passage of the $3.5 trillion social infrastructure bill. Due to a chronic lack of investment in America this amount of money is needed to stand up to the challenge of global warming and put us back on the path to a one of the best developed countries in the world instead of a lower tier has-been country. Why would we not pass the social infrastructure bill since it would be fully funded by reversing the unpopular Trump tax cuts to super wealthy individuals and by helping the IRS go after wealthy tax cheats. Please support full funding of both plans and let’s get both bills through Congress and reverse our crumbling national status!
Alternative sample text or message for both Senators and Rep. O’Halleran, for those who want to emphasize the environmental components: My name is XXXX, and I’m a Democrat living and voting in XXXXX. The coming bi-partisan infrastructure bill is a great start to building back better, but I’m really concerned that it doesn’t scratch the surface of what we need to address climate change. Living here in Arizona, we all see the terrible effects of climate change [personalize here with what you care about – fire, floods, drought, heat waves, loss of winter snow…]. Last week’s release of the major international report from the IPCC just confirmed we need to get started tackling this issue right now! The larger $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill is desperately needed in addition to the smaller bipartisan package – and it needs to include as much climate action as possible. Funding climate-smart infrastructure, training, and employment will keep us competitive with other nations as well as helping moderate the catastrophic effects of climate change for us and our children. Funding this larger package by helping the IRS collect legitimate taxes and by modest reversals of tax cuts for the super-wealthy is just plain smart AND a major investment for the future.
Sen. Sinema: Call (202) 224-4521 (DC) or (602) 598-7327. Email via her website at “http://www.sinema.senate.gov” Tag the Senator at @senatorsinema,
Sen. Mark Kelley: Call (202) 224-2235 (DC), Email via his website at http://www.kelly.senate.gov Tag the Senator at @senmarkkelly
Rep. O’Halleran: Call (202) 225-3361 or send an email via his website at http://www.ohalleran.house.gov