FEDERAL ACTION ALERT – Oct. 16, 2021

Produced by Democrats of the Red Rocks and Coconino County Democratic Party

THIS WEEK’S ALERTS:   Push the compromise Freedom to Vote Act finally supported by Sen. Manchin, the Native American Voting Rights Act; ALL IN ON SINEMA:  Aggressive Messaging for Sen. Sinema to stop sabotaging President Biden’s agenda; Pass the Equality Act.

A.   SUPPORT THE COMPROMISE “FREEDOM TO VOTE ACT” AND THE “NATIVE AMERICAN VOTING RIGHTS ACT”, AND MODIFY FILIBUSTER TO ENSURE PASSAGE. BOTH SENATORS

After months of negotiations Senate Democrats have come up with a scaled back “For the People Act” to protect voting rights bringing along Senator Manchin and supported now by all 50 Democratic Party senators. After a meeting with Sen. Manchin, Senate Minority Leader McConnell stated the scaled-back bill will not have a single Republican supporter.  This is a must pass for Democrats and has the potential to change Senators Manchin and Sinema’s reluctance to modify the filibuster – at least as to voting protections. 

     Let’s also support the “Native American Voting Rights Act.”  The Act would ensure fair access to the ballot for citizens of tribal nations (you can read more about this bill at Native American Voting Rights Act (NAVRA) – Native American Voting Rights (narf.org) ).   S 2702 in the Senate, and HR 5008 in the House call for provisions that would address key challenges for Native American voters (e.g., allowing tribes to designate buildings to serve as physical addresses for those reservation residents lacking a home address, requiring acceptance of tribal ID if voter identification is required, mandating access to registration and voting locations in reasonable distance of tribal residents). Many civil rights and justice organizations have endorsed this bill as a complement to other voting rights legislation.  

SAMPLE VOICE MAIL FOR SENATORS: 

I’m a lifelong Democrat living and voting in XXXXX, Arizona.  I’m very happy that Senators Manchin and Klobuchar have co-sponsored voter protection legislation in the “Freedom to Vote Act.”    Now that we finally have 50 senators on board it MUST be passed to help preserve American democracy.  While I appreciate the bi-partisan spirit, if you can’t find 10 Republicans to come along on more ambitious voting rights legislation, it’s time to consider other options. This bill is just too important to our democracy to let slip away under archaic procedural rules. I also believe Native Americans in Arizona deserve improved access to the ballot! The provisions of the recently proposed Native American Voting Rights Act make a lot of sense to me. Please do all you can to make sure the Freedom to Vote Act includes these provisions, or that the Native American Voting Rights Act passes separately.” 

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. Senator Sinema sits on the Commerce Science and Transportation Committee (drug prices, Medicare), and on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs (housing proposals).

Sen. Mark Kelly: Call (202) 224-2235 (DC),  Email via his website at http://www.kelly.senate.gov Tag the Senator at @senmarkkelly . Senator Kelly sits on the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Committee on Aging.

B.  AGGRESSIVE MESSAGE FOR SENATOR SINEMA.  STOP WORKING AGAINST PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE BUILD BACK BETTER AGENDA! 

Has money bought Senator Sinema?  Sen. Sinema campaigned in 2018 on a promise to reduce drug costs.  Her position is now completely the opposite after taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from Big Pharma.[1]   Now she threatens to tank President Biden’s entire Build Back Better plan if it 1)  allows for Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices (supported by 80% of Americans and even Donald Trump!) and 2) is paid for rescinding the Trump tax cuts and by making the obscenely wealthy and major corporations pay their fair share in taxes.   What is going on with Sinema?   

Sample texts or messages for Senator Sinema:  “My name is XXXX, and I’m a Democrat living and voting in XXXXX.    I was stunned to hear that you are actively working against President Biden and his Build Back Better agenda (PICK AN ISSUE BELOW):  

[MEDICARE FOCUS]  “You campaigned on a promise to reduce drug prices.  1.35 million Arizonans receive Medicare and now you have sold us out to Big Pharma.  By opposing granting Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices you are taxing us every time we go to the pharmacy.   Why?  Allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices would save consumers $450 billion over ten years[2]. Your position harms (us) elderly Arizonans struggling to pay for things like insulin.  Please stop doing this.”

[TAX THE SUPER-RICH FOCUS]  “You’ve threatened to tank the social infrastructure plan if it was paid for by rescinding the obscene Trump tax cuts that benefited super-rich tax cheats.  What happened to you?  Raising taxes on those earning over $400,000 per year and on super-wealthy corporations affects only a tiny fraction of Arizonans.  71% of Arizonans support increasing the corporate tax rate to 28%.[3]  Please stand with the vast majority of Arizonans and don’t let super-rich tax cheats get away with it.”

[CLIMATE PITCH]  “Build Back Better will create millions of clean energy jobs, including a Civilian Climate Corps; the crucially needed Clean Energy Standard and use of both incentives and penalties to speed up the move away from fossil fuels to true renewables.  I know you support this.  Investments in mitigating climate change will save literally billions in near-term damages from climate-caused disasters.  So please make sure these climate provisions are passed into law.” 

[CARE ECONOMY]:   “Build Back Better would bring affordable childcare benefits to those who need it, and improved quality of and access to home and community-based care for seniors and those with disabilities.  Please stop standing in the way.  We all must compromise in life.  I’m asking you to compromise as well.” 

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. Senator Sinema sits on the Commerce Science and Transportation Committee (drug prices, Medicare), and on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs (housing proposals).


[1] See The New Republic, Sept. 22, 2021, “Kyrsten Sinema is Corporate Lobbies’ Million-Dollar Woman”  https://newrepublic.com/article/163745/kyrsten-sinema-corporate-donations-chamber-commerce?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tnr_daily

[2] Kaiser Family Foundation. 

[3] Hart &ALG Research, July 2021 poll.

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