Thursday, March 29, 2018

Hold Gov. Cuomo Accountable -- demand Early Voting in New York!


Dear New York MoveOn member,

I'm Common Cause, and I started a petition to Governor Andrew Cuomo, which says:

Keep your promise to pass and fully fund Early Voting in this year's budget -- because no one should have to choose between their job or family obligations, and their right to vote.

It doesn't matter whether you're a working parent, student, senior or service member -- everyone deserves an opportunity to get to the polls and vote when it's convenient. That's why policies like Early Voting, a common sense solution already enacted in 37 states, are so important.

But when it comes to voting rights -- New York lags behind the rest of the nation. Right now, Common Cause New York is leading to bring Early Voting to their state, so that New Yorkers can exercise their basic democratic rights without unnecessary barriers.

Now, it's up to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo whether this common sense solution is enacted. He's meeting with legislative leaders are meeting in Albany this week to finalize the state budget, and it's absoutely critical that they commit to to fully fund Early Voting.

Gov. Cuomo promised to pass Early Voting earlier this year, and included the money to enact it in his budget. But now, we're hearing reports from budget negotiations that Early Voting funding has been cut -- even though 65% of New Yorkers support it.

Eligible voters should be able to cast their ballot on a day that's convenient for them, without worrying about choosing between their work, their family and their vote. So if Cuomo won't fight for Early Voting, we need to make sure he knows the whole nation is watching.

Add your name today to tell Gov. Cuomo -- we expect you to stand up and fight for every voter's right to be heard, and make sure Early Voting is fully funded for New Yorkers.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

—Common Cause

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here.

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 29th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

My new book, "Make Trouble"

I'm Cecile Richards, and I've been a lifelong activist for progressive change, including more than a decade as the president of Planned Parenthood. In my many years of organizing, I've seen a lot.

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Cecile Richards, and I've been a lifelong activist for progressive change, including more than a decade as the president of Planned Parenthood. In my many years of organizing, I've seen a lot.

From my earliest days growing up in Texas in a family that did politics the way others bowled, I learned that taking on the status quo is not only important—it can also be a lot of fun.

Since then I've celebrated unlikely wins—like the day my mother, Ann Richards, became the first woman elected governor of Texas—and persevered after tough losses. I've been inspired by the courageous staff and volunteers at Planned Parenthood who go above and beyond every day to be there for the patients who are counting on them. And I have organized alongside the millions of people in America who have put on their pussy hats and proudly joined the Resistance in an outpouring of grassroots activism like this country has never seen before.

I've just written a book sharing what I've learned, why I keep going, and how you too can make a difference. It's called "Make Trouble," and right now, you can get it through MoveOn.

Click here to get your limited-edition copy of my new book from MoveOn, and your money will support MoveOn's vital work.

If there's one thing I've learned in a lifetime as an activist, it's that you can't be afraid of making trouble. If everyone agrees with what you're doing, you probably aren't setting your sights high enough.

These days, people come up to me everywhere I go, usually with a look of distress, to ask, "How are you doing?" They seem to think that working for progressive causes is unpleasant or burdensome.

But working for change isn't tedious or a chore. In fact, it's a privilege—and the most fun, inspiring, and rewarding work I can imagine doing.

I wrote this book for people who are looking at what's happening in this country and know that we need to do something about it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment to help shape the future of America. I believe that all of us can make a difference—and if we don't, who will?

Click here to pre-order a limited-edition copy of my book, "Make Trouble," from MoveOn, and put your money to work supporting this important organization that's fighting for social justice and women's rights.

Thanks for all you do.

–Cecile Richards

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Donate: $5 monthly
Donate: $15 monthly
Donate: $50 monthly

Donate another amount monthly

Or make a one-time gift

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 27th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, March 26, 2018

PHOTOS: Our billboards are live

On Saturday, students across the country led the largest marches against gun violence in history in an awesome display of people-power—and tens of thousands of MoveOn members joined the March for Our Lives actions that demanded politicians protect our kids and our communities, not the NRA.

Dear MoveOn member,

On Saturday, students across the country led the largest marches against gun violence in history in an awesome display of people-power—and tens of thousands of MoveOn members joined the March for Our Lives actions that demanded politicians protect our kids and our communities, not the NRA.

Thanks to the donations of MoveOn members, MoveOn also contributed in another way to this historic action—launching billboards and airplane banners around the country to pressure Republicans who day after day do the bidding of the NRA.

Here's one of the billboards in Chicago, asking Republican Representative Pete Roskam, "How many dead kids until you say no to the NRA?"



People of all walks of life are seeing the billboards and sharing images of them on social media—and we're continuing to drive calls and tweets to corporate America and Congress to cut ties with the NRA.

But we're not stopping there. Just last week, MoveOn contributed $100,000 to organizations led by people of color who are fighting gun violence around the country, including local organizations like Urban Peace Movement in Oakland and Power U Center for Social Change in Miami and national groups like Black Youth Project and Community Justice Reform Coalition.

If we can raise another $100,000, we'll launch more billboards like these in another 10 districts between now and the April 20 student-led protests, to continue putting pressure on the GOP to break the NRA's stranglehold on American politics. Can you chip in $3 now to help us meet our goal?

Yes, I'll chip in.

Thanks for all you do.

–Emma, Jadzia, Nick, Scott, and the rest of the team

P.S. If you took photos during this weekend's actions, share them with us by emailing them to photos@moveon.org and we'll share them over social media to continue to amplify the impact of this weekend's historic events.

P.P.S. In a few cities, the billboard companies wouldn't accept our message—so we found other ways to get the word out! We hired airplanes to fly banners, including this one flying over Dana Rohrabacher's district in Southern California! 

Click here to chip in $3 and help us launch even more of these messages around the country!

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 27th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Have a petition idea for Inwood?

Petitions are powerful. Start a petition today to make your voice heard.

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

I didn't know the power of petitions until I started creating them. They have helped me build real-world people power that helped save a few local families from being broken apart by Trump's deportation machine.

Click here to create your own petition to build power and support an issue, a person, or a group of people you care about in Inwood, or anywhere else in the country.

Here's one quick story:

We had 2 1/2 days. On a cold Saturday in November, 2017, we were asked to help a member of our community, Miriam Martinez-Lemus, avoid deportation before she was to board a plane for Guatemala and leave her daughter—who has diabetes and is a citizen of the United States—to fend for herself. Miriam's daughter's doctors said the medical system in Guatemala was not equipped to care for a child with complicated juvenile diabetes.

We immediately launched a MoveOn petition—signed by more than 10,000 MoveOn members like you—that lifted up Miriam's story, attracted media attention, and helped us mobilize dozens of people to a local demonstration and a vigil, which were also covered by local media.

And we won. The MoveOn petition effectively helped build the people power we needed to keep Miriam where she belonged—with her family.

By using MoveOn's user-friendly petition tools, you can create your very own petition. 

Do you have any ideas for a petition for Inwood or nationwide that could build power on an issue you care about? Click here to start building power with your petition.

I know from personal experience that the MoveOn team will be there to support you, from helping build support for your petition by connecting you to other MoveOn members to reimbursing you for printing costs to deliver your petition in person—one of the best ways to get your message heard and make an impact. 

Will you start a petition right now on an issue that you're passionate about that affects your community, or even the entire nation?

Thanks for all you do.

–Charla Nich, petition creator and MoveOn member

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

The largest show of support for gun reform in history

Only days after the massacre at their school, the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas decided what they were going to do next: march for their lives.

Dear MoveOn member,

Only days after the massacre at their school, the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School decided what they were going to do next: march for their lives.

As march organizer and Marjory Stoneman Douglas student David Hogg said, "We're trying to make sure that these politicians know that their actions can and will have consequences if they don't listen to their constituents and their future constituents—which are us—because right now they're not doing a good job of keeping us alive."1

In just a few weeks, their idea turned into a nationwide movement. And today, hundreds of thousands of people joined them in more than 800 March for Our Lives marches in all fifty states and around the world—as far away as Ghana, Vietnam, and Australia.2,3

The images from today's marches are astounding, and this movement represents the single largest show of support for gun law reform in history. But these students aren't stopping now; they know that if this historic outpouring doesn't change our laws, elections can.

These activists are gearing up to register millions of young voters and to make sure that young people march to the polls in November. Will you help MoveOn stand with them?

Yes, I'll pitch in $3 and help MoveOn invest in a major effort to register young voters across the country before the midterms, so that they will have a voice to fight the NRA and GOP politicians that are in the NRA's pocket.

As Jaclyn Corin, a student activist from Marjory Stoneman Douglas said, "We want everyone to know that their voice and their checkmark on a box matters. We don't want people to continue thinking that they're just one person, they're not going to make a difference in the election, [so they're] not going to go vote."4

If we can support a massive millennial registration effort, we will fundamentally change not only the conversation about gun legislation, but the entire electorate of the United States. We will take back the House, make gains in the Senate, and set the stage to throw Donald Trump out of the White House.

The bottom line? This is a crucial and heroic effort for America's political future. And if these young activists have shown us anything today and over the past month, it's that they can succeed—but they can only do it if allies from around the country pitch in.

Can you chip in $3 right now to help us support these amazing student leaders by dramatically increasing young voter turnout in 2018?

Back in 2008, MoveOn members funded a massive young voter registration effort, which led to thousands of canvassers reaching out to young voters in 14 crucial battleground states, ultimately registering hundreds of thousands of new voters.

MoveOn already has the systems in place to do that again—and more. We're investing in new technology, like our groundbreaking texting program and video persuasion tools, training our massive volunteer base, and strengthening strategic partnerships with other grassroots organizations. Together with these young activists, we will register a wave of new voters who will challenge the NRA, its GOP enablers—and hold them accountable at the ballot box, and change the balance of power in America's electorate.

David Hogg said it best: "We're going to change history with or without [these politicians], and if they choose to be on the wrong side of history that's fine, because we're going to write the history books."5

Let's start writing the history books now. Click here to chip in $3

Thanks for all you do.

–Michael, Schuyler, Kenia, Jackie, and the rest of the team

P.S. Marching today? Share your photos with MoveOn! On social media, use hashtag #MarchForOurLives and tag @moveon. You can also email pictures to photos@moveon.org.

Sources:

1. "Parkland Students David Hogg and Jaclyn Corin Interview | Pod Save America," Crooked Media YouTube channel, March 21, 2018
 
2. "March for Our Lives Updates: Chants of 'Enough is Enough' at Huge Rallies on Guns," The New York Times, March 24, 2018
 
3. "March for Our Lives - Find an Event," March for Our Lives, accessed March 23, 2018
 
4. "Parkland Students David Hogg and Jaclyn Corin Interview | Pod Save America," Crooked Media YouTube channel, March 21, 2018
 
5. Ibid

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 24th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, March 23, 2018

Marching this weekend?

New printable signs to bring to the March for Our Lives. New printable signs to bring to the March for Our Lives.

Dear MoveOn member,

This weekend, hundreds of thousands of people, including MoveOn members all around the country, will take to the streets to support the students and teachers from across the United States who are leading in this historic moment to confront gun violence.

Join a March for Our Lives on Saturday, March 24, near you.

In the five weeks since the Parkland shooting, even as hundreds of thousands of students have walked out of their classrooms, as gun violence has dominated the national political discourse, as major retailers have posed new restrictions on assault weapons, and even as the state of the Florida passed measures opposed by the NRA, Congress has done nothing—and young people across the country continue to fall victim to gun violence.

An average of 96 gun deaths occur every day.1 Since the Parkland massacre, there have been nine more school shootings.2 So why won't Republicans in Congress take action?

That's the question we're asking on billboards, on banners that will be flown from airplanes above marches, and on this sign that you can print—and bring to the march or hang in your window.

Gun violence won't be solved with just one piece of legislation. That's why MoveOn members have been pushing for federal and state actions, as well as pressuring corporations. Powered by members like you, MoveOn has granted $100,000 to organizations led by people of color that are deeply invested in combating gun violence in communities across the country. And MoveOn will continue to work to break the NRA's stranglehold on Congress—and hold accountable the Republican politicians who choose to protect gun lobbyists rather than our kids.

Enough. On Saturday, go to a local March for Our Lives, be sure to bring a sign that you can print from here, and stand with young people demanding gun violence reforms.

Thanks for all you do.

–Emma, Michael, Jo, Seth, and the rest of the team

P.S. Click here to see a round up of some of the great work done to stop gun violence in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting.

Sources: 

1. "Gun Violence by the Numbers," Everytown for Gun Safety, accessed March 9, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/3762?t=19&akid=202073%2E10220574%2EjH19Sv

2. "There has been, on average, 1 school shooting every week this year," CNN, March 22, 2018

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 23rd, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Red alert (Mueller could be fired at any time)

It's time to go on red alert: Donald Trump is closer than ever to shutting down special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, rattling the very foundation of our democracy.

Dear MoveOn member,

It's time to go on red alert: Donald Trump is closer than ever to shutting down special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, rattling the very foundation of our democracy.

MoveOn is mobilizing to defend the investigation by amplifying the national outrage against Trump's overreach and pushing Republicans to, at last, draw a red line for Trump.

Can you chip in $3 today to help seize this moment and turn the tables on Trump before it's too late?

MoveOn has been working for months to prepare a nationwide response if Mueller is fired—but we also have to focus our energy on preventing a firing. And right now is a critical moment.

By now, you've probably heard the news: On Saturday, for the first time since the start of the probe, Trump called out Mueller by name on Twitter, attacking his investigation and calling it a "witch hunt."1 This may seem like business as usual for a presidency defined by Twitter feuds and chaos, but this is different—it's a serious attack on Mueller's independence and on the rule of law. This move came only hours after the politically motivated firing of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe just hours before he was eligible for retirement. Meanwhile, a new lawyer who has publicly pushed conspiracy theories about the investigation being a setup has been added to Trump's legal team.2

Democrats have come to Mueller's defense in recent months, but we need Republicans to draw the red line clearly in defense of the investigation. The best way to do this is to make them understand that if they remain silent and Trump fires Mueller, Americans will pour into the streets to protest.

As of now, more than 275,000 people have signed up to attend an event immediately after Mueller is fired or if Trump moves to stop the investigation, including over 45,000 new RSVPs since Saturday—that's eight new RSVPs per minute—but we want to double that number and show Republicans that if Trump fires Mueller, they'll have to contend with an unprecedented show of outrage.

Will you chip in $3 now to help us urgently spread the word?

Yes, I'll rush an emergency donation right now to help make sure that activists POUR into the streets if Mueller is fired.

Our pressure is starting to work. Some Republicans see last weekend's outburst by Trump as a dangerous development. Lindsey Graham said that firing Mueller would be "the beginning of the end of his presidency," Jeff Flake said it would be a "massive red line that can't be crossed," and even Trump loyalist Trey Gowdy called him out for behaving as if he's guilty, saying that if he's innocent, he should "act like it."3

But we need to do even more. Because speaking out isn't the same as Republicans drawing a clear line—and more of the Republicans, including those in leadership, need to speak up for the rule of law. And they'll only do that if they know that the public won't tolerate Mueller's firing.

It is clear that the probe is getting closer and closer to Trump and that he is unraveling in response. We're facing a constitutional crisis, and it is up to us to raise the alarm and show Republicans that we're ready to act if Trump follows through on his threats.

Can you rush a donation of $3 right now to help fund our emergency campaign to protect Robert Mueller's investigation and activate MoveOn members across the country if Donald Trump tries to stop it?

The past few days have been filled with terrifying developments, but here is the good news: MoveOn has been preparing for this for months. With your help, Eddie, we'll be ready to respond on a massive scale when Trump tries to stop the investigation.

Here is what we have planned:

  • Activating hundreds of thousands of MoveOn members to attend over 800 emergency events in the hours after Mueller is fired. More than 275,000 people are signed up to attend an event immediately after Mueller is fired or if Trump moves to stop the investigation, including over 45,000 new RSVPs since Saturday, and that number is growing by the minute. But we need your help to spread the word even more.
  • Pushing our brand-new "Cover-Up Caucus" website to media and the public. This site tracks the number of times that individual Republicans in Congress have helped to cover for Trump, or supported Trump's efforts to obstruct justice; voters should know about it when they go to the polls this November.
  • Contributing to a video series with experts to get the word out about the crucial importance of the independent investigation. Legal scholars like Norm Eisen are working with former FBI agents, elected officials, national security experts, and others to educate the public on how dangerous shutting down the Mueller investigation would be.
  • Running campaigns and digital ads to push for transparency and protect Mueller, including asking Congress to pass a law protecting Mueller from being fired, calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to testify about the firing of Andrew McCabe, and calling for investigations and action to be taken against the Trump campaign's digital firm, Cambridge Analytica, which was revealed to have misused data from over 50 million Facebook users.4

This is a huge undertaking, but the past few days have proven just how important this work continues to be.

Can you help us keep it up the momentum and build on it before its too late? Click here to chip in $3 right now to this urgent campaign.

Let's be very clear: Trump shutting down special counsel Mueller's investigation would be a dire threat to our democracy. Nineteen indictments, five guilty pleas, cooperating witnesses, and subpoenas to Trump's businesses and associates certainly doesn't sound like a witch hunt; it sounds like the tip of a corrupt iceberg.5

Jeff Flake is right: Stopping the Mueller investigation is a "massive red line that cannot be crossed." And we need to do everything we can right now to stop it from happening.

Thanks for all you do.

–Jo, Shari, Iram, Chris, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Trump Assails Mueller, Drawing Rebukes From Republicans," The New York Times, March 18, 2018
 
2. "Trump Hires Lawyer Who Has Pushed Theory That Justice Dept. Framed the President," The New York Times, March 19, 2018
 
3. "Trump Assails Mueller, Drawing Rebukes From Republicans," The New York Times, March 18, 2018
 
4. "Revealed: 50 million Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach," The Guardian, March 17, 2018
 
5. "All of Robert Mueller's indictments and plea deals in the Russia investigation so far," Vox, February 20, 2018

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back towards sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 21st, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Mueller (act now)

Sign up to join a protest if Donald Trump fires Mueller or otherwise moves to end the special counsel investigation.

Dear MoveOn member,

Donald Trump may be closer than ever to firing Robert Mueller and ending the Trump-Russia investigation. On Saturday, Trump's personal attorney called for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, while Trump targeted Mueller by name for the first time on Twitter.1, 2 

If he does make a move, we'll be ready for him—because MoveOn members and our allies have already signed up to organize more than 800 rapid-response protests, with more than 250,000 MoveOn members pledged to attend—in the hours directly following a potential Mueller firing or a calculated move to stop the investigation.

Click here to join a rapid-response protest near you if Trump fires Mueller or otherwise ends the independent investigation—and share it with your friends. This way, you'll receive notice within hours of where to go to declare "Nobody Is Above the Law"—and you'll receive other updates in those critical hours and days after such a brazen abuse of power.

In the past 24 hours, more than 10,000 more people have signed up to join these events—help us build numbers that politicians and the media can't ignore!

The past few days have been a whirlwind, on top of a wild week, leading us to the highest level of alert in months.

According to reports:

  • John Dowd, Trump's personal lawyer, called on the Justice Department on Saturday to end the special counsel investigation.3
  • Mueller is said to have sent questions to Trump's legal team as part of negotiations over an interview with Trump.4
  • Trump posted a tweet that specifically attacked Mueller. He again denounced the inquiry he is conducting as a "witch hunt."5
  • Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe was fired and then announced that he kept detailed memos of correspondence with Trump about the investigation, which he's handed to the special counsel.
  • On Thursday, Mueller subpoenaed the Trump Organization's business records specifically connected to the Russia investigation, bringing the investigation potentially into the heart of Trump's conflicts of interest and unethical business practices.
  • And of course, the House Intelligence Committee shuttered its Russia investigation a week ago, giving Trump backing for his bogus claims of "No collusion!"8
Trump has already tried once to fire Mueller—in June, he ordered Mueller fired, he but backed down when the White House lawyer threatened to resign rather than carry out the order.9 And Trump said that Mueller would be crossing a "red line" if his investigation were to turn to Trump's personal finances unrelated to Russia, which makes Mueller's subpoena of the Trump Organization from last week all the more significant.10 
 
All of these pieces suggest that the threat to the Trump-Russia investigation is even higher than before. 
 
 
These are trying days for our democracy and our communities. And this past week was full of reminders that every day with Donald Trump in the White House is a threat to all Americans and our democracy. But after every night comes a dawn. Hopefully, our actions together can be part of helping our nation emerge from this period as a stronger and more just nation. 

Thanks for all you do. 
 
–David, Scott, Corinne, Jo, and the rest of the team 
 
P.S. We're not just waiting to react to the worst case scenario—MoveOn members are also working tirelessly to prevent Mueller from getting fired, to push for an investigation that uncovers the truth about Russia's interference in our elections, and to hold accountable Republicans who cover up for Trump and his team. We're driving calls to Congress on a daily basis—and we've just launched a new site with information on how many times individual members of the House of Representatives have covered up for Trump. You can use it as an organizing tool to hold members of Congress accountable—check out our site to "Expose Trump's Cover-Up Caucus."
 
Sources: 
 
1. "Trump's lawyer: It's time to end the Mueller probe,'" Daily Beast, March 17, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/36393?t=18&akid=201755%2E10220574%2EfjfFRC
 
2. "Trump slams Comey, mentions Mueller for first time in tweet," Politico, March 17, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/36394?t=20&akid=201755%2E10220574%2EfjfFRC
 
3. "Trump's lawyer: It's time to end the Mueller probe,'" Daily Beast, March 17, 2018
 
4. "Trump slams Comey, mentions Mueller for first time in tweet," Politico, March 17, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/36394?t=24&akid=201755%2E10220574%2EfjfFRC
 
5. "We may now know why Trump and his lawyer made their most brazen calls yet for the Mueller probe to be shut down," Business Insider, March 18, 2018
 
6. "The Latest: AP source says McCabe kept notes on Trump," Associated Press, March 18, 2018
 
7. "Mueller subpoenas Trump Organization documents in Russia probe," CNN, March 16, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/36397?t=30&akid=201755%2E10220574%2EfjfFRC
 
8. "Russia probe: House intel Republicans end investigation, find 'no evidence' of collusion," USA Today, March 13, 2018
 
9. "'NYT' Report Says Trump Ordered Mueller Fired Last June Before Backing Down," NPR, January 26, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/36416?t=34&akid=201755%2E10220574%2EfjfFRC
 
10. "Did Robert Mueller just cross Donald Trump's red line on Russia," CNN, March 16, 2018

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 20th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Unimaginable tragedy

The students in Parkland experienced an unimaginable tragedy. They looked around and saw that their elected officials had done nothing to prevent it and were doing nothing to stop it from happening again. So they decided that if the grown-ups won't act, they will.

Dear MoveOn member,

The students in Parkland experienced an unimaginable tragedy. They looked around and saw that their elected officials had done nothing to prevent it and were doing nothing to stop it from happening again. So they decided that if the grown-ups won't act, they will.

I watched the news reports of an estimated 1 million students walking out of class last week to demand change to our nation's gun laws. In fact, here in Massachusetts, more than 600 students spent their snow day marching to the State House (I was so proud of them that we sent over donuts and hot chocolate).

Young people have always been on the frontlines for social change. It is our responsibility to listen, answer their call, and get to work.

The persistence of these students is working. The state of Florida—a state led by Republicans and where the NRA has tremendous power—passed modest new limits on guns last week, including raising the minimum age and banning bump stocks. It's not enough, but it's a small step in the right direction.

I'm standing with these students, and doing everything I can to support them. And MoveOn members are too. You're planning to show up in person at the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., and sister marches around the country on March 24. You've been funding MoveOn billboards in key districts all over the country exposing how much money individual Republican members of Congress have gotten from the NRA. And you're gearing up to help MoveOn run get-out-the-vote drives in districts represented by NRA Republicans to defeat them in November.

Nonstop political pressure—the kind MoveOn's millions of members can muster—is what it's going to take to make the voices of these students heard.

I wish I could tell you that the Republican-led Congress is finally willing to do something about gun control. Democrats in Congress have proposed bills to ban assault weapons. Bills to require universal background checks. Bills to close the gun show loophole. Bills to ban bump stocks. Bills to fund Centers for Disease Control research on gun violence. Congress could vote on any of those pieces of legislation tomorrow. But as long as Republicans maintain control of Congress, they've made it clear that they won't vote on a single one.

Which is why I'm asking you, Eddie: Will you chip in $3 right now to help fund MoveOn's elections program to help end Republican control of Congress this November and elect progressive leaders who will stand up to the NRA and vote to pass common-sense gun control legislation to protect America's kids?

Since the Parkland shooting, student activists have been absolutely clear about what they want to accomplish: They want universal background checks. They want to ban assault weapons. And they want to make sure that their school is the last one in America to experience this type of unspeakable tragedy.

I don't think they're asking for too much, do you?

But Donald Trump and his Republican enablers have rejected all of these reasonable ideas. Instead, they've come up with "solutions" that would make things worse: arming teachers and passing laws that will make it even easier to carry a concealed weapon anywhere in the United States.

Are you kidding me? The only reason that these nonsense "solutions" are even being discussed is because of NRA's grip on the GOP. We have to stop it—for the safety of our children and our communities. That means that we have to do everything we can to end the GOP's control of Congress this November.

Will you chip in $3—or whatever you can afford—right now to help power MoveOn's innovative elections program to help elect progressive leaders at the local, state, and federal levels?

Yes, I'm in. I'll chip in now.

My oldest granddaughter is 16 years old. She's smart, kind, and has a smile that lights up a room.

And I don't know how to look her in the eye and tell her that the people that her grandma works with still won't do one single thing about guns to keep her safe at school.

I refuse to fail her, and I refuse to fail the students from Parkland, the youth in urban cities who have been fighting gun violence in their communities without any headlines at all, the young people around this country who walked out of their schools last week to demand that we fight for their lives, and the schoolchildren still too young to join in the protests.

MoveOn is already doing powerfully important work to address gun violence in our country. But MoveOn knows, and I agree, that to pass gun reform laws, we'll need to make members of Congress who are beholden to the NRA fear for their jobs—because the moment that they realize that students, teachers, moms and dads, grandparents, and concerned people across the country will hold them accountable if they don't pass stronger gun laws will be the moment that change will happen.

Click here to chip in $3 now.

Thanks for all you do.

–Elizabeth Warren

Want to support MoveOn's work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it MoveOn needs your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with MoveOn?

Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 19th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

The resignation of Betsy DeVos

Will you sign and share the petition demanding the immediate resignation of Betsy DeVos?
Betsy DeVos: Resign

Sign the Petition

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

Betsy DeVos has proven time and time again that she is completely unqualified to serve as Secretary of Education.

Recently, she struggled to answer even basic questions about schools in her home state of Michigan, where she implemented a private charter school system that has drained public education funds and worsened both public and private school performance statewide. 

Enough is enough. Will you sign and share my petition demanding the immediate resignation of Betsy DeVos?

Thanks!

—Ronen Kauffman

Sign the Petition

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Donate: $5 monthly
Donate: $15 monthly
Donate: $50 monthly

Donate another amount monthly

Or make a one-time gift

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 15th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

FW: Billboards to stop the NRA.

Hi Eddie—Tens of thousands of students, from elementary school children to college students, bravely walked out of their schools today to say #Enough to the epidemic of gun violence in America and to demand stricter gun laws.

Hi Eddie—Tens of thousands of students, from elementary school children to college students, bravely walked out of their schools today to say #Enough to the epidemic of gun violence in America and to demand stricter gun laws. A week from this Saturday, on March 24, hundreds of thousands of people, led by young activists, will join the March for Our Lives events in Washington, D.C., and in communities across the country.

MoveOn members have already helped pay for billboards exposing just how much money individual Republican members of Congress are getting from the NRA and how the NRA's influence controls them. But we want to make sure that constituents in more districts with Republican representatives beholden to the NRA know about it and hold them accountable, so we're asking for your help to secure even more billboards. Click here to chip in in $3 now.

Together, let's keep supporting this truly awe-inspiring youth leadership, which is changing America's broken politics on guns and giving us hope for tomorrow. See Emma's recent email for more details on our plans. –Anna


Dear MoveOn member,

On Monday, Donald Trump buckled under pressure from the NRA—backing away from his call for stricter gun laws, made during a televised meeting with senators.1 At that meeting, he mocked other Republicans for being too scared of the NRA!

That's what cowardice looks like.

And today, tens of thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of students all across the country, in poor communities and wealthy ones, in blue states and red states, walked out of their classrooms at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes, one minute for each student murdered in the Parkland massacre. They were joined by teachers, parents, and other people of all walks of life, who are sick and tired of politicians crumbling before the NRA.

And that showed us what courage looks like.

I know which side MoveOn members are on every day—as together we make calls, tweet, sign petitions, donate, and prepare to march with hundreds of thousands of people on March 24 in Washington, D.C., and at sister marches across the county, to confront the NRA and break its stranglehold on American politics.

And that's why we want to make sure voters know which side Republican members of Congress are on—the side of Trump and the cowards or the side of American's schoolchildren, families, and communities.

MoveOn is launching billboards in key districts over the next 10 days—in time for the March for Our Lives actions around the country—to shine a spotlight on just how much money individual Republican lawmakers have taken from the NRA and hold them accountable. MoveOn members have already contributed enough to purchase 10 billboards, but as Congress continues to refuse to act, we want to go even bigger.

Will you chip in $3 now to allow us to double our ad buy to 20 billboards around the country? We want them up by March 24, which means we need to place our final order by this Friday, March 16. And we need to know how much MoveOn members can contribute. Will you help out?

Yes, I'll chip in now to fight the NRA and the epidemic of gun violence in America.

In the wake of the Parkland massacre, student activists have succeeded in forcing a conversation about gun control at the national level. But instead of listening to them, Trump and the NRA-backed GOP have called for the arming of school teachers.2 They've pushed to pass a law that would make it even easier to carry concealed weapons everywhere in the United States.3 And not a single Republican has announced that they will return or refuse money from the NRA.4

They have shown their true colors, and now they need to answer for them.

These billboards will be a visible and unmistakable reminder to the constituents in key districts across the country of just how cowardly their members of Congress have been on this issue and how out of step they are with the overwhelming majority of Americans who support legislation to curb gun violence.

Media-grabbing visuals like this, in the home districts of pro-NRA Republicans, will also force Republican members of Congress to respond and be held publicly accountable for their inaction.

So let's go big. Click here to chip in $3 right now to help us expand this campaign to even more districts across the country.

Last week, in response to the growing backlash against them, the NRA released another one of their ominous, fearmongering ads, telling members of the public and elected officials who oppose them that our "time is running out."5 But we know the truth: It is the NRA and their enablers who are running out of time.

Thanks for all you do. 

–Emma, Robert, Shari, Kate, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "White House defends its walkback on gun law proposals," CNN, March 12, 2018

2. "Trump backs off raising age limit to buy some weapons and focuses on arming teachers," Los Angeles Times, March 12, 2018
http://act.moveon.org/go/36033?t=8&akid=201341%2E10220574%2Ev1-ocW

3. "Congress Focuses on Leftover Gun Bill After Florida Shooting," Slate, February 20, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35893?t=10&akid=201341%2E10220574%2Ev1-ocW

4. "How the NRA won the obedience of the US government," Quartz, March 2, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/36035?t=12&akid=201341%2E10220574%2Ev1-ocW

5. "Parkland student warns NRA spokeswoman: Your time is running out," The Hill, March 6, 2018
http://act.moveon.org/go/36036?t=14&akid=201341%2E10220574%2Ev1-ocW

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 15th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Add your name: This resolution on Saudi-led war in Yemen is guaranteed a vote

There isn't a family in Yemen that hasn't been affected by this war, including my own family. We've lost family members to airstrikes and through mortar attacks. I also have family members who are stuck in countries such as Djibouti or in cities such as Cairo and Amman and who can't even come to the U.S.

Dear MoveOn member, 

For three years, the U.S. has been providing military support to a Saudi-led war in Yemen that has has only escalated and led to one of the worst humanitarian situations in the world. Over 42,000 people have been harmed, and over 18 million people in Yemen require humanitarian aid.1

But there is hope. 

Right now, Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, and Chris Murphy are calling on Congress to exert its constitutional authority and end this inhumane destruction of millions of lives for geopolitical games. Because the bipartisan resolution is grounded in the War Powers Act, it must be brought to a floor vote in just a few days. The vote could happen this week! Add your name to show your support for this important resolution:

End U.S. military support of inhumane attacks in Yemen led by the Saudi coalition. The time to act is now—millions of lives are at risk from famine and preventable diseases. Support the bipartisan resolution from Senators Sanders, Lee, and Murphy to end this now.

There isn't a family in Yemen that hasn't been affected by this war, including my own family. We've lost family members to airstrikes and through mortar attacks. I also have family members who are stuck in countries such as Djibouti or in cities such as Cairo and Amman and who can't even come to the U.S. because of visa restrictions and the current Muslim Ban.

It's a concept many people from impacted majority-Muslim countries know well: being bombed and banned. 

Will you sign my petition and tell Congress to stop supporting this inhumane and immoral war?

Some of you may already know me as the Monk of Mokha (it's the title of the best-selling book by Dave Eggers, and it's about my experience).2 But for those who don't: A few years ago, I left California to visit my ancestral home, Yemen, and to start a coffee business—an equitable and sustainable business to support farmers and to bridge the divide between cultures through something that everyone loves. 

But I ended up in the middle of a war. 

On March 26, 2015, while in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital, I woke up to loud explosions all around me. I went out to see what was going on and saw what looked like laser beams being shot in the sky. 

The Saudi government had begun a military campaign against Yemen—supported by our government and funded by our tax dollars. 

As an American, I felt ashamed, and I felt angry because I knew that those bombs weren't made in Saudi Arabia. They were made in the U.S. When I found out that the logistical supports for these attacks were also provided by our government, it made me even more angry.  

The airstrikes were violent and sporadic. I heard the sounds of men, women, and children crying, the earth shaking. I didn't know what would happen the next day. 

I came home to California—but I still run my business and I go back every year to work with my farmers. And it's still a risk to go back. Congress must see the American people's fierce opposition to an immoral and illegal war being fought in our name and see strong support for legislation that would bring this U.S. war in Yemen to an end. 

We have a small window to change this—there are only a few days left before the legislation goes to a vote. Click here to sign the petition to let your senators know that U.S. support of this war is unacceptable.

Thanks for adding your voice to this fight. 

–Mokhtar Alkhanshali, Mokha Foundation  

Sources: 

1."Yemen conflict: How bad is the humanitarian crisis?" BBC, March 28, 2017
http://act.moveon.org/go/34353?t=18&akid=201213%2E10220574%2EvwlWca

2. "'The Monk of Mokha,' by Dave Eggers," SFGate, January 25, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/34352?t=20&akid=201213%2E10220574%2EvwlWca

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 14th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Billboards to stop the NRA

These billboards will be a visible and unmistakable reminder to the constituents in key districts across the country of just how cowardly their members of Congress have been on this issue and how out of step they are with the overwhelming majority of Americans who support legislation to curb gun violence.

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, Donald Trump buckled under pressure from the NRA—backing away from his call for stricter gun laws, made during a televised meeting with senators.1 At that meeting, he mocked other Republicans for being too scared of the NRA!

That's what cowardice looks like.

And tomorrow, tens of thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of students all across the country, in poor communities and wealthy ones, in blue states and red states, will walk out of their classrooms at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes, one minute for each student murdered in the Parkland massacre. They'll be joined by teachers, parents, and other people of all walks of life, who are sick and tired of politicians crumbling before the NRA.

And that will show us what courage looks like.

I know which side MoveOn members are on every day—as together we make calls, tweet, sign petitions, donate, and prepare to march with hundreds of thousands of people on March 24 in Washington, D.C., and at sister marches across the county, to confront the NRA and break its stranglehold on American politics.

And that's why we want to make sure voters know which side Republican members of Congress are on—the side of Trump and the cowards or the side of American's schoolchildren, families, and communities.

MoveOn is launching billboards in key districts over the next 10 days—in time for the March for Our Lives actions around the country—to shine a spotlight on just how much money individual Republican lawmakers have taken from the NRA and hold them accountable. MoveOn members have already contributed enough to purchase 10 billboards, but as Congress continues to refuse to act, we want to go even bigger.

Will you chip in $3 now to allow us to double our ad buy to 20 billboards around the country? We want them up by March 24, which means we need to place our final order by this Friday, March 16. And we need to know how much MoveOn members can contribute. Will you help out?

Yes, I'll chip in now to fight the NRA and the epidemic of gun violence in America.

In the wake of the Parkland massacre, student activists have succeeded in forcing a conversation about gun control at the national level. But instead of listening to them, Trump and the NRA-backed GOP have called for the arming of school teachers.2 They've pushed to pass a law that would make it even easier to carry concealed weapons everywhere in the United States.3 And not a single Republican has announced that they will return or refuse money from the NRA.4

They have shown their true colors, and now they need to answer for them.

These billboards will be a visible and unmistakable reminder to the constituents in key districts across the country of just how cowardly their members of Congress have been on this issue and how out of step they are with the overwhelming majority of Americans who support legislation to curb gun violence.

Media-grabbing visuals like this, in the home districts of pro-NRA Republicans, will also force Republican members of Congress to respond and be held publicly accountable for their inaction.

So let's go big. Click here to chip in $3 right now to help us expand this campaign to even more districts across the country.

Last week, in response to the growing backlash against them, the NRA released another one of their ominous, fearmongering ads, telling members of the public and elected officials who oppose them that our "time is running out."5 But we know the truth: It is the NRA and their enablers who are running out of time.

Thanks for all you do. 

–Emma, Robert, Shari, Kate, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "White House defends its walkback on gun law proposals," CNN, March 12, 2018

2. "Trump backs off raising age limit to buy some weapons and focuses on arming teachers," Los Angeles Times, March 12, 2018
http://act.moveon.org/go/36033?t=6&akid=201257%2E10220574%2E5qtW8b

3. "Congress Focuses on Leftover Gun Bill After Florida Shooting," Slate, February 20, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35893?t=8&akid=201257%2E10220574%2E5qtW8b

4. "How the NRA won the obedience of the US government," Quartz, March 2, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/36035?t=10&akid=201257%2E10220574%2E5qtW8b

5. "Parkland student warns NRA spokeswoman: Your time is running out," The Hill, March 6, 2018
http://act.moveon.org/go/36036?t=12&akid=201257%2E10220574%2E5qtW8b

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on March 14th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.