2019 ACTION REPORT
Update on Previous Monthly Postcard Issues
December 2018: GET AMERICA OUT OF THE WAR IN YEMEN
Our action was to urge Congress to oppose US support for the Saudis in the war in Yemen. Congress has repeatedly voted to end US support and arms sales for Saudi Arabia and its allies in the horrific war in Yemen. Most recently, on Oct. 3, 2019, The Guardian reported that Pres. Trump has vetoed these bills 4 times. The latest UN investigation found the US likely to be complicit in war crimes.
January 2019: A NEW NUCLEAR ARMS RACE THREATENS
Our action was to urge our Senators to support S. 3667, The Prevention of Arms Race Act of 2018, which resurfaced in 2019 as S. 312. It would prohibit spending to procure or deploy the kinds of weapons prohibited by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). The bill is "in committee", the INF is dead, and both we and the Russians are building forces of the kind prohibited by the former treaty.
February 2019: SAVE THE AIR TOXICS STANDARDS
Pres. Trump proposed weakening the mercury, arsenic, and lead air standards, and those of many other dangerous chemicals. Our action was to urge our Senators and Representative to push back against this. Many did, and Earth Justice reported on Oct. 21, 2019, that the case is pending in court.
March 2019: QUITTING THE INF: A MISTAKE OF HISTORIC PROPORTION
We urged Senators and Representatives to file resolutions opposing Pres. Trump's planned withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), a treaty widely credited with leading to the end of the Cold War, because it took short and mid-range missiles out of front-line Eastern Europe. Russia had been accused of cheating, even by the Obama administration, and Russia accused the US of cheating. The INF has now run out, and both sides are openly, unrestrainedly, building missiles formerly prohibited by the INF.
April 2019: DEFEND THE CLEAN WATER ACT
Pres. Trump proposed to redefine the meaning of "waters of the US", the waters protected by the Clean Water Act. This re-definition will reduce the covered waters by half. We objected to the EPA, but the EPA finalized the change on Sept. 12, 2019.
May 2019: AN ACTUAL BIPARTISAN PLAN (73 Dems and 1 Rep) TO STOP GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
The plan is called the "Carbon Dividend Plan", designed by the conservative Heritage Foundation, under which carbon is taxed immediately at the coal mine, the wellhead, and the port of entry, with all receipts being paid out EQUALLY to all US residents. The rich would lose, the poor would gain, and we'd all have a great incentive to use less carbon. And it's deficit neutral! No vote has been taken at this point.
June 2019: NO CONGRESSIONALLY UNAUTHORIZED WAR AGAINST IRAN
We urged support of H. J. Res. 58, H. R. 2354, and S.1039, each of which affirmed that the President would need congressional authorization to initiate military action against Iran. No votes have been taken.
July 2019: THE EXTINCTION PREVENTION ACT, H. R. 2918
We urged passage of this bill, which is based on a recent study of animals in the US that are threatened with extinction. The bill had a hearing, but no votes.
August 2019: GETTING THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO INCLUDE THE YEMEN PROVISION OF THE HOUSE NDAA BILL INTO THE JOINT BILL
The House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a prohibition against Administration aid to the Saudis in their war in Yemen unless it has Congressional approval. The Senate version did not contain this provision. Our action was to urge our Representatives to encourage Nancy Pelosi to appoint strong members to the Conference Committee to make sure that the final joint bill included the Yemen provision. On Oct. 24, 2019, it was reported that there had been no overall agreement due to differences on "the wall" at the border. The report did not mention the Yemen issue.
September 2019: BE A LETTER WRITER TO GET POTENTIAL PROGRESSIVE VOTERS TO REGISTER AND VOTE IN KEY STATES***
The Vote Forward/Swing Left organization has organized a program to engage all of us to write letters to unregistered potential progressive voters in 11 states that are critical to advancing peace and the environment in the 2020 elections. You can register at their website: Votefwd.org/swingleft and they will send you a list of unregistered voters to contact along with sample letters to use. The voters in these states will likely determine the outcome of the Presidential race, influence environment and peace policies in the Senate for years to come, and impact redistricting for the next decade.
October 2019: NUCLEAR WEAPONS—ARMAGEDDON OVERLOOKED?
Candidates for the Presidency rarely speak of nuclear weapons, unless they are asked. Yet nuclear weapons issues truly are life-and-death issues, matched only by climate change. Our action was to urge the candidates to state their nuclear weapons policies, and to declare whether they pledge as President to start negotiations for a worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons. The card is recent, but there has been no discernible uptick of talk on nuclear weapons.
November 2019: WE CAN ALL NOW SIGN UP FOR 100% RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY, OFTEN CHEAPER THAN THE REGULAR
Call your City Hall and ask if your town or city has arranged for "municipal aggregation". If ‘Yes’, sign up and ask for 100% renewables. If not, Google "100% renewable electricity", and choose your supplier. Your account and billing will continue to be handled by your current electricity provider.
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