Produced by Democrats of the Red Rocks and Coconino County Democratic Party
THIS WEEK’S ALERTS: Take action against Rep. Lauren Boebert for violence-promoting Islamophobic comments; Vote Before Holiday Recess on Voting Rights; Yes on Build Back Better; Get Ready for the Arizona Legislative Session!
A. For Rep. O’Halleran – Censure Rep. Boebert. As you know Republicans in the House have peddled outrageous images and rhetoric which have resulted in increasing levels of death threats against Democrats, and even against Republicans when they object. The most recent case was Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert calling Rep. Ilhan Omar part of the “jihad squad” and “joking” that since she wasn’t wearing a backpack she didn’t have a bomb. This has resulted in dozens of death threats against Rep. Omar and comes on the heels of Rep. Gosar’s tweeted cartoon images of him killing Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. These horrible statements very much increase the chances of deadly violence. Congress has already censured Reps Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene for similar outrages. Speaker Pelosi is apparently waiting for Republican leadership to take action against Rep. Boebert, but this does not appear forthcoming, hence a censure is called for now.
Sample email or voice mail for Rep. O’Halleran. “I’m a Democrat living and voting in XXXX, AZ. Thank you for your recent votes censuring Representatives Gosar and Taylor-Greene for their outrageous and violence-inducing statements. Should the Republican leadership not take action against Rep. Boebert for her abhorrent Islamophobic recent comments regarding Rep. Ilhan Omar, I ask that you support a censure of Rep. Boebert. These comments are religious bigotry, pure and simple, and lead to very real and repeated death threats. We cannot tolerate behavior like this in our elected representatives; it has no place in our national discourse, and I ask you to pursue accountability.”
Rep. O’Halleran: Call (202) 225-3361 or send an email via his website at http://www.ohalleran.house.gov
B. A. Voting Rights – Don’t Adjourn Senate For Holiday Recess Until a Vote.
Multiple groups are calling on the Senate not to adjourn for the holiday recess until they take another crack at the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act and the associated modification of the filibuster.
Sample voicemail/email to our Senators: “I’m a lifelong Democrat living in XXXXX. You know how important the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are. The fact that several states are using gerrymandering in their redistricting to distort and disempower the voting power of many Americans makes this especially urgent! Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich has asked the right question: “What sounds more radical to you? Abolishing the filibuster to save our democracy or destroying our democracy to save the filibuster?” Please do not adjourn on December 13 for the 2021 holiday recess until the Senate has the chance to modify the filibuster and to debate these crucial bills!! Our democracy is at stake.”
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 Kelly: Call (202) 224-2235 (DC), Email via his website at http://www.kelly.senate.gov Tag the Senator at @senmarkkelly
C. Senators Kelly and Sinema on the Build Back Better Reconciliation Bill (Social Infrastructure): The Build Back Better reconciliation bill is now in Senate hands. A review by the Congressional Budget Office has shown that the measures in the bill, combined with enhanced tax collection enforcement, will more than pay for themselves, NOT add to the federal deficit. So Senator Sinema has no reason to hold back approval because of the cost. It’s critical that we get this bill through the Senate – it will have a historic impact on climate action, on health care access and costs, and on other critical pieces of our social infrastructure.
Sample script: “My name is XXXX; I live and vote in YYY, Arizona.
[For Sinema only: I know you’ve communicated with your constituents about the important investments that are being made thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill – and we are grateful for your support and leadership in that effort. But those improvements in roads, bridges, and internet are not enough – we need to invest in families, social infrastructure, and climate action too!]
[For both Senators] The House of Representatives has done the very hard work of hammering out compromises for the Build Back Better act in many areas, from the expansion of health care access and lower drug prices, to the childcare tax credit and expansion of home and community-based care, to meaningful investments in clean energy jobs and climate action. Build Back Better will pay for itself. Please move NOW to support this bill through reconciliation – we can’t afford NOT to make these investments.”
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 Kelly: Call (202) 224-2235 (DC), Email via his website at http://www.kelly.senate.gov Tag the Senator at @senmarkkelly
D. GET READY FOR THE START OF THE STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION! We saw last year that transparency and public feedback, including aggressive use of the Request to Speak (RTS) system, resulted in many very bad legislative proposals being abandoned without a vote – and others were moved forward only at the last minute by being attached to the budget. (And now the courts have ruled that particular nefarious mechanism unconstitutional!) We’d love to see even more Arizona residents testifying in front of legislative committees, so that it isn’t just paid lobbyists being heard in committee deliberations. Civic Engagement Beyond Voting is holding some on-line training sessions to help people feel comfortable showing up to comment on proposed legislation. Each session covers everything you need to know, from how committees work to how you can maximize the impact of your 2 or 3 minutes of testimony.
Dec 7, 7:00 pm, pre-register HERE
Jan 5, 6:30 pm, pre-register HERE
This is the same group that does training in using RTS – we’ll forward information about RTS training when we get it!
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