Survey: Which 2020 hopefuls do you want to hear from?
Can you take three minutes to participate in our planning survey? We're eager to learn which potential and declared candidates you're most excited to hear pitch a bold, new, progressive idea. Can you take three minutes to participate in our planning survey? We're eager to learn which potential and declared candidates you're most excited to hear pitch a bold, new, progressive idea.
The race for 2020 has begun. Just this month, a half-dozen candidates have tossed their hat in the Democratic primary by announcing candidacies or exploratory committees, with a dozen more waiting in the wings. Even more exciting: They are already sketching out bold, ambitious agendas to promote ideas that could transform our economy, climate, justice system, and so much more.
In our membership-wide straw poll and survey in December, MoveOn members overwhelmingly agreed that candidates should inspire us with a bold progressive agenda—which is why MoveOn is launching a series of events where we'll challenge presidential hopefuls to compel us with their big ideas.
Now, we need your help to make sure these events surface the ideas and voices that excite MoveOn members the most.
Can you take three minutes to participate in our planning survey for the Big Ideas series? We're eager to learn which potential and declared candidates you're most excited to hear pitch a bold, new, progressive idea.
The series of high-profile events, which will take place over the next few months, will be a participatory forum for big ideas. Historically, it's been challenging for candidates of color, women, and LGBTQ candidates to prove their "viability" to mainstream media, but we need their voices and perspectives in this debate. And we need to make sure candidates who share values and aspirations with MoveOn members, have fought alongside us in key moments, and who energize us are bringing those qualities to the race.
The Big Ideas series will make space for these voices and more to be heard. Which is why we're hoping you'll share with us your thoughts on which 2020 hopefuls will most inspire you with their big, bold ideas.
Can you take three minutes to share with us which potential and declared candidates you're most excited to hear pitch a bold, new progressive idea?
–Jenn, Julia, Nick, Chris, and the rest of the team
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 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.
This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on January 31, 2019. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
The shutdown is ending. (What's next?)
Donald Trump just caved, and the shutdown is ending without one dime for Trump's racist, wasteful border wall! (For now.)
Donald Trump just caved, and the shutdown is ending without one dime for Trump's racist, wasteful border wall! (For now.)1
The fact that we are getting the government open and workers back to their jobs without paying the ransom for Trump's racist agenda is a testament to the work that progressive activists like you have done over the past 35 days, pressuring Republicans to crack and demanding Democrats stay united.
But here's the truth: This fight isn't over. The government is only reopening for three weeks.2 And the fight to stop Trump's wall is still in high gear.
Which is why I'm asking: What can you do over the next few weeks to help keep the government open, help stop the next shutdown, and help make sure Democrats stand strong against Trump's anti-immigrant agenda in all its forms and don't approve one dime for Trump's wasteful, racist border wall?
Click here to take our quick survey—and let us know how you can help over the next three weeks, between now and February 15, when the short-term government funding extension expires.
We're already on a countdown until Trump could try to hold our country hostage again or follow up on his threat to declare a fake national emergency to build his wall, which is why next week we have to keep up pressure on both parties so that they don't land on a disastrous backroom deal and so that if we do end up in a shutdown fight on February 15, we're in an even stronger position than we are today.
Trump just spent 35 days pushing a million federal workers and contractors to the financial brink in a transparent attempt to make us choose between federal workers and the immigrant communities he's determined to harm. The government never needed to shut down, and the unimaginable fear and stress felt by federal workers, their families, and immigrant communities was met with nothing but a callous disregard from the man in the White House.
Our work helped end this stalemate and force Trump to back down. This is an incredible moment. But we have to build off the momentum of this temporary win, and build a more lasting victory. With your help, we'll help lead this fight in the coming weeks and beyond, urging Democrats to stand with immigrants, asylum-seekers, and federal workers, and pressuring Republicans to reject future shutdowns.
Will you take our quick survey—and let us know how you can help over the next three weeks?
MoveOn members played a critical role in ending this shutdown. Over the past 35 days, MoveOn members like you, Eddie, made over 68,000 calls to their senators, powered events in six key states to put pressure on vulnerable Republican senators, and delivered a quarter-million petition signatures to Congress.
On top of that, MoveOn, along with United We Dream, Indivisible, and others, planned over 100 additional nationwide events, worked with nearly 70 allies to show our grassroots power, conducted polling showing the political cost of the shutdown and supporting Trump's wall in key states, and launched the innovative "Rage Text Your Senator" program.
Make no mistake: All of this work helped force Trump's unequivocal failure yesterday—but our work is not done. We will need to be on the front lines over the next three weeks to ensure that Trump does not succeed in getting a dime for his racist wall and deportation agenda or once again hold federal workers hostage through yet another shutdown.
Congressional leaders are agreeing to a bipartisan group that will propose border security provisions. Trump will want this to be a wall—but that's not all.
"Border security" is often just code for funneling more money into the terror of the Trump anti-immigrant regime. Democrats must not, behind closed doors, agree to increasing funding for deportations, detentions, family separation, criminalizing asylum-seekers, punishing immigrants, and the rest of Trump's white supremacist agenda. So we must keep the pressure up—on both Republicans and Democrats—for the next 21 days.
Eddie, we need you to stay in this fight with us. Will you let us know how you can help?
Here is what we have planned for the next three weeks to make sure Democrats stand strong and that Trump once again fails to achieve his racist dream:
Ramping up pressure on the members of Congress, including those participating in the conference committee on border security. The negotiations over "border security" will happen behind closed doors, which means we have to dramatically increase the pressure on the members of Congress involved in this committee to make sure that Democrats do not cave in to any demands to further militarize our border or demonize immigrants and refugees and that Republicans know that any attempt to do so will have major consequences for their political future. And pressure on Congress overall will help shape the debate, making it harder for the conference committee to deliver an appalling proposal and easier to defeat such a proposal if one emerges.
Planning digital organizing actions around the rescheduled State of the Union address. Just as he did during his announcement ending the shutdown—and in every televised appearance he has made previously—Trump will certainly use the State of the Union address to spew lies and hatred. We must counter those lies with truth and that hatred with love to show Trump and the Republicans the power of our movement, especially at this critical political moment.
Preparing to launch the Crisis Response Network if Trump declares a national emergency to get his wall. In his speech yesterday, he once again threatened to declare a national emergency if Congress does not give him what he wants, and we all know that one bad mood—or one bad piece of coverage on Fox News—could push him over the edge. Hundreds of thousands of MoveOn members will be ready to activate across the country if he takes this unprecedented step and, in doing so, seizes excessive and frightening executive authority.
Yesterday's victory was critical, but we're not out of the woods yet. We have to keep organizing. We cannot stop until Republicans realize that going into another shutdown would be political suicide. Democrats have to hear that giving in—and giving funding—to Trump's anti-immigrant agenda would be a betrayal. And public outcry and outrage have to keep Trump from seizing and abusing further executive powers.
Which is why we still need your help, Eddie.
Please, click here right now to take our short survey—and let us know what you can do to help keep the pressure on Democrats and Republicans for the next 21 days.
The high level of outrage, the clear poll numbers, the sharp, compelling, and moral messaging, and the flurry of calls, actions, events, and petitions we've seen over these past 35 days need to continue to prevent another shutdown in just three weeks.
We need your help to maintain an advantageous political position for those of us who stand with workers, with immigrants, with human rights, with a functional government, and against the Trump agenda.
We have the momentum now, and we are winning. MoveOn is ready to seize the moment and keep pounding away at Republicans who voted the wrong way, keep raising the voices of those impacted by the shutdown, keep up the moral fight for a just, humane, legal approach to immigration, and keep up pressure on Democrats to step forward with confidence and not cave in as the fight changes over the weeks ahead.
–Emma, Elsie, Ben, Ilya, and the rest of the team
1. "7 Takeaways From The Longest Shutdown In U.S. History," NPR, January 26, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/62813?t=6&akid=225577%2E10220574%2EIMW9ON
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?
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 January 26th, 2019. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
Call Rep. Meeks to stand strong in shutting down the wall and opening the government!
The Senate Republicans failed again. They failed to stand up to Trump, to shut down his attempt hold the country hostage over his racist wall, and to reopen the government for all of us.
Even though six Republicans broke rank and joined with Democrats to vote for a measure to reopen the government without funding Trump's racist wall, giving it more votes even in the Republican-controlled Senate than Trump's own plan, the bill still failed—leaving nearly a million federal employees and contractors and their families in financial crisis as this shutdown persists.1
While this is a failure in leadership among Republicans, we know pressure will increase on Democrats in the House, who are hearing the horror stories of those impacted by the shutdowns—and an increasing number of Beltway pundits will call on Democrats to "compromise."
But any kind of deal with a racist madman pushing a white supremacist agenda is a moral compromise that will further divide and harm our country—especially communities most vulnerable to Trump's attacks and racist policies. Democrats need to hear from all of us to stand strong.
Please call Representative Gregory W. Meeks and say: "As long as you're holding strong against Trump's attempts to divide us, we've got your back! Keep pushing to reopen the government while refusing to pay Trump's ransom, shutting down his wall, and not giving in to his anti-immigrant agenda! We stand with workers, immigrants and asylum-seekers!"
Here's where to call: 1-855-971-0565
On Tuesday, January 29, we're taking action all across the country to send this message—to support Democrats who stand strong and demand Republicans rebuke Trump and his agenda! But so much can change, and the pressure is growing each day, which is why it's essential to call today.
So far, Democrats have stood strong—and there's no reason to break now. Polls show that Americans blame Trump and Republicans for this shutdown.2 His approval ratings are at an all-time low.3 Americans don't want money wasted to appease his fearmongering.
Democrats need to stand up for immigrants and asylum-seekers as well as for government workers and contractors, and for all of us who rely on a functional federal government.
Tell House Democrats: Reopen the government without funding Trump's wall or paying a ransom to his anti-immigrant agenda! We've got your back as long as you stand strong!
Can you call Rep. Meeks now? Here's where to call: 1-855-971-0565
—Emma, Mark, Erica, Erik, and the rest of the team
P.S. If you can't make a call, you can text RAGE to 668366 in order to send a message about your opposition to this shutdown and Trump's anti-immigrant agenda, and we'll share it with your senators.
P.P.S. In addition to calling today, join us on Tuesday, January 29, at a "Shut Down the Wall, Open the Government" event near you!
1. "Collapse of Two Plans to End Shutdown Propels Urgent Negotiations," The New York Times, January 24, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/62564?t=9&akid=225457%2E10220574%2EtniY0z
2. "Trump's approval rating sinks in new poll as he gets most of blame for shutdown," Chicago Tribune, January 25, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/62565?t=11&akid=225457%2E10220574%2EtniY0z
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 MoveOn?
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 January 25, 2019. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
Start a petition to the 116th United States Congress
Use MoveOn's free digital tools to launch a petition and make your voice heard.
Dear Eddie,
Now that the new Congress is seated, it's absolutely vital that they take swift action to legislate a bold progressive agenda, and we need your help to make that happen.
Eddie, will you start a MoveOn petition right now to help set the 2019 congressional agenda? Your voice determined the outcome of this election. Now it's time to make sure your priorities are reflected in Washington.
It's absolutely imperative that congressional Democrats move quickly to enact badly needed oversight over every arm of the Trump administration, take meaningful steps to protect those on the front lines of Trump's attacks, and begin proceedings to correct the catastrophic damage that has been inflicted on our government and our global reputation. This is not the time for grandstanding or equivocating. Democrats need to know that their grassroots army is watching ... and that we expect results.
Eddie, will you help set the 2019 congressional agenda by starting your MoveOn petition today? The whole process takes about five minutes, and you'll feel great knowing you took action on an issue that matters to you.
MoveOn's petition tool is easy to use, with step-by-step instructions, sample templates, and prompts. You can even share your new petition over social media, which will help immediately inspire your friends and family. We're here if you have any questions during your campaign and will be among the first to congratulate you for a campaign victory!
We saw on November 6 that change is possible—and not only that, it's imperative. We can't stop now, Amonte. Be a part of this moment, and make sure your voice is heard in the halls of Congress this year. Start your MoveOn petition right now.
–Pulin, Tillie, Maria, Isbah, and the rest of the team
Taking to the streets (the shutdown)
Eddie, I'm writing to you today—on the 34th day of the government shutdown—because we need to rise up, together, to reopen the federal government.
I am a proud woman, mother, Muslim, and Palestinian-American, and I have dedicated my life to fighting for justice. And now, thanks in no small part to the work of MoveOn members this past election year, I am also a congresswoman from Detroit.
People like me don't usually run for Congress—let alone win. I'm the person who carries a bullhorn to a rally. And you can bet that I'm going to do things differently, as I fight day in and day out for working people and communities.
Trump's fake wall debate has led to a very real humanitarian crisis: People in my own district are begging their landlords not to evict them because Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding is suspended. My neighbors live among the biggest corporate polluters and are wondering—without EPA inspectors on duty—if they're breathing in dangerous levels of pollution. This is not right.
This shutdown will end only when we take to the streets—and in huge numbers. And that's why I'm joining MoveOn's "Shut Down the Wall, Open the Government" nationwide mobilization on Tuesday, January 29. On that day, regular folks across the country will rally at their senators' offices and closed government buildings to share their stories, speak truth to power, and demand that we, their elected officials, do our jobs.
But for MoveOn to pull off the massive mobilization in every corner of the country, they need to raise $100,0000 by midnight on Friday to pay for signs, sound equipment, airfare, organizers, ads to help turn people out, livestreaming, and more.
Can you chip in $3 to help out?
Together, we'll show the true costs of Trump and the GOP's demand for a racist border wall.
Trump had two years to get his useless wall under Republican leadership. Instead, he waited until Democrats took over the House to suddenly create chaos. This is not about an unrealistic wall but political games he likes to play with real people's lives.
Now, in Wayne County, Michigan, there are low-income families, elderly, and disabled people in 635 housing units whose contracts have expired, with another 267 expiring by the end of February. They can't fly to Mar-a-Lago to stay warm in the middle of winter. The shutdown has caused HUD to halt health and safety inspections, putting our most vulnerable citizens, yet again, in harm's way. So many people are suffering due to Trump's shutdown.
It's time to disrupt the status quo. We need to take it to the streets—and in a big way. Please, can you chip in $3—or whatever you can afford—to help MoveOn pull off an enormous mobilization in just five days to shut down the wall and open the government?
Yes, Rashida, I'm in! I'll chip in now.
In this urgent moment, we must speak up, be loud, and be courageous, together. So much is at stake.
–Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
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?
This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on January 25th, 2019. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
Tuesday in Inwood: "Shut Down the Wall, Open the Government" event
Will you join thousands of MoveOn members and partner organizations on Tuesday, January 29, in a national day of action to say "Shut Down the Wall, Open the Government?"
I'm mad. I'm determined. And I'm not going to be quiet—which is why I'm joining the "Shut Down the Wall, Open the Government" national day of action on Tuesday, January 29. Will you join me by finding an event near you?
Representative Katie Hill, one of the dynamic voices of the new Congress, announced these actions on MSNBC last night—and already folks are organizing events across the country, signing up to join, and inviting their friends and family to join them.
I'm going to be there—because I'm mad that Donald Trump has shut down the government for over a month for racist, anti-immigrant policies and that Republicans have basically gone along and let him do it. I'm mad that his proposed "deals" are just ransom notes to use federal workers as bargaining chips and extort us all to fund his racist agenda.
I'm mad that people seeking asylum are being scapegoated, that federal workers and their families are feeling the direct brunt of this shutdown, and that the rest of us are suffering from a government grinding to a halt that's hurting our economy and our communities.
And I'm mad because there are real crises we could be managing—and real progress we could be making as a country—if we weren't wasting our time, resources, and outrage on this manufactured crisis.
Which is why I'm determined to do something about it—along with countless fellow MoveOn members, allies across the progressive movement, and everyday folks who are ready to stand up to Trump and the GOP—at a day of action next Tuesday. Will you take action with us?
Will you join thousands of MoveOn members across the country, along with our partners—including United We Dream, Indivisible, and more—on Tuesday, January 29, in a national day of action to say "Shut Down the Wall, Open the Government?"
And if there isn't an event near you, would you host one? MoveOn staff and volunteers will support you every step of the way.
This Tuesday, January 29, all across the country, there will be "Shut Down the Wall, Open the Government" Day of Action events outside Senate and congressional offices and closed federal government buildings where we will talk about how this shutdown is hurting all of us and what we really want to see our government do on our behalf.
We will stand together with immigrant communities, impacted workers, and families affected by the shutdown to show that we won't be divided by Trump's antics, that we'll demand action from complicit Republicans, and that we'll have the backs of Democrats who stand up to these bullies. We won't fund Trump's racist wall with our taxpayer dollars, the government must be reopened, and people seeking asylum must be let in.
RSVP Now: Join a "Shut Down the Wall, Open the Government" Day of Action event near you this Tuesday.
Tuesday was the day originally scheduled for Trump's State of the Union Address. That speech may not happen—and besides, we've heard enough of his lies and fearmongering. It's time for politicians to hear from all of us, for the media to shine its spotlight on our demand to reopen the government without one penny for the wall, and for countless folks in our communities to hear that they are not alone in feeling mad and determined.
—Chris, Emma, Kate, Justin, and the rest of the team
P.S. If you can't attend an event—or simply want to take action now—you can Rage Text your senator, sending them a message that we'll deliver about how you feel about this racist tantrum shutdown. Just text RAGE to 668366 to get started.
P.P.S. New events are getting organized every hour, so check here to find an event near you—or consider starting one of your own so that we make sure we're heard loud and clear across the country.
Petition: Harvard, cut ties with makers of OxyContin
One of Harvard's biggest donors is the maker of OxyContin.
Since OxyContin appeared in 1996, more than 200,000 people have died in the United States from prescription opioid overdoses. OxyContin's maker, Purdue Pharma, coordinated an effort to mislead doctors and patients about the dangers of OxyContin and other opioid painkillers.1
Here in Massachusetts, the opioid crisis has hit hard. In 2016 alone, there were 1,821 opioid-related overdose deaths in our state.2 And yet one of our state's most prestigious universities, Harvard, takes millions of dollars from the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma.
Harvard University must immediately cut all ties with the Sackler family and refuse any future funding from them.
Sign Jeremy's petition
Purdue Pharma has been the target of numerous lawsuits due to its efforts to flood the market with OxyContin.
Massachusetts' own attorney general, Maura Healey, recently filed a lawsuit that aims to hold members of the Sackler family personally responsible for deliberately misleading the public about the dangers of OxyContin.3
The lawsuits are a good start, but we need to pressure Harvard to completely cut ties as well.
1. "Sacklers Directed Efforts to Mislead Public About OxyContin, New Documents Indicate," The New York Times, January 15, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/62032?t=9&akid=225327%2E10220574%2EPctv0O
2. "Massachusetts Opioid Summary," National Institute on Drug Abuse, accessed January 22, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/62126?t=11&akid=225327%2E10220574%2EPctv0O
Call now: We can end the #TrumpShutdown and defeat Trump's wall
The Senate will vote on a bill to reopen the government on Thursday.
This could be our moment to open the government and shut down Trump's wall.
On Thursday the Senate is scheduled to vote on two bills that could end the shutdown: the garbage proposal from Trump's racist White House, and a clean spending bill that has already been passed by the House.
If the Senate passes the clean bill, this would be the first time Republicans in Congress pressure Trump to end the shutdown without his hateful and wasteful wall.
Will you call Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand now at 1-844-837-3298 and say "Thank you for holding strong against Trump's racist attacks" and ensure they know you have their back?
The Trump Shutdown has now lasted over a month, holding more than 800,000 government workers, contractors, and their families hostage for an initial down payment of $5 billion for Trump's border wall and more racist, anti-immigrant policies designed to hurt immigrant communities.
We can't let this stand. Trump must not learn that shutting down the government is an effective tactic to get his way, or he will shut things down again and again to bully us on every single issue we care about. Democrats have the power to start the brand-new, diverse, progressive, and strong majority in the House with a major win: reopening the government without making a moral compromise. Anything less would be a dangerous harbinger of terrible news for the many fights to come.
There is no time to lose; the votes are scheduled to happen tomorrow. Please call Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand now at 1-844-837-3298 to say, "I want you to shut down the wall and open the government. Together, we can defeat Trump's racist agenda. There are two votes coming up today. Vote YES on the clean House bill to reopen the government and NO on the sham Trump bill that would inflict even more harm on immigrants and people seeking asylum."
–Emma, Ann, Josh, Kate, and the rest of the team
P.S. If you are at work or unable to make a call today, have no fear: You can rage-text your senator! Text RAGE to 668366 to share your feelings on this shutdown and Trump's racist tantrum. We'll relay your message to your senators and the public.
Sign the petition re: Karen Pence and LGBTQ students
Discriminatory practices against LGBTQ parents and students is unacceptable.
Karen Pence, second lady of the United States, has agreed to teach at a school that does not provide admission to LGBTQ students or parents. The school also requires teachers to sign employment contracts affirming that "the term 'marriage' has only one meaning; the uniting of one man and one woman," and that being a member of the LGBTQ community is a fireable offense.1 The rules of this school are obviously discriminatory against folks who are LGBTQ, and this is unacceptable.
Tell Karen Pence: Do not teach or support a school that bans gay students, faculty, employees, or parents. The second lady of the United States should not be enabling the discriminatory practices. The leaders of this country should support education for all, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, etc.
Sign Karen's petition
—Karen E. Sweeney
1. "Karen Pence Is Teaching at Christian School That Bars L.G.B.T. Students and Teachers," The New York Times, January 16, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/62070?t=9&akid=225255%2E10220574%2EMmW23r
Pelosi reduced Trump to tears
As long as Trump is keeping the government closed for everyday Americans, it should be closed for his political speech-making.
Nancy Pelosi last week hit Donald Trump right where it hurts: in the ego.
Trump wants to hold his State of the Union address right on schedule during the shutdown, despite the fact that Trump's own Homeland Security chief says that "the full resources of the Federal Government" are necessary to ensure security at an event of this size.1
So Nancy Pelosi gave Trump the news. As long as the government is shut down, so is the State of the Union.
Of course, Trump lost his mind when he found out—he even canceled a Congressional overseas trip and then leaked the confidential itinerary in an act of juvenile spite! And Trump continues to resist reopening the government—just yesterday proposing an outrageous offer that he worked out with Mike Pence and Jared Kushner.2
Now Republicans—as well as right-wing media—are pressuring Pelosi to back down. So we're going to get her back by generating phone calls to Congress supporting her decision, urging the networks not to televise the speech if he tries to give it elsewhere during the shutdown, and continuing our all-out campaigning to reopen the government without one penny for Trump's racist, wasteful wall.
Can you chip in $3 to help stop Trump's shutdown State of the Union?
Yes, I'll chip in now.
The government shutdown has caused 800,000 federal workers to go unpaid. Many of the workers who would need to staff the speech are on furlough. Forcing these federal employees to work unpaid just to stage a political speech for Trump would be a slap in the face.
Trump shut down all non-essential government services, and there could be nothing more "non-essential" than the State of the Union. Trump just took over the national airwaves two weeks ago to offer another helping of lies and vitriol—we've heard his broken record and don't need to hear it again.
More important, if Trump realizes that this shutdown has real consequences to him personally, he might finally end it and stop holding our nation hostage to get his wall.
So we're standing with Pelosi by mobilizing grassroots opposition to the shutdown State of the Union with phone calls and petitions to Congress. If the speech does go forward, we'll push networks to refuse to air his hateful lies, we'll press members of Congress to skip the speech, and we'll organize actions around the country and in D.C. that lift up the voices of workers, immigrants, and others impacted by the shutdown and Trump's racist antics to shine a spotlight on the real state of our union, to share our vision for tackling the challenges we face as a country, and to make sure Trump can't just own the news cycle with his lies and political spin. Will you chip in $3?
Yes, I'll chip in now to stop Trump's shutdown State of the Union.
There's no requirement in the Constitution that the State of the Union address be given as a big speech on TV.
For most of U.S. history, the State of the Union was delivered in writing. More recently, Ronald Reagan postponed the speech because of the Challenger space shuttle explosion. FDR gave the speech as a radio address in 1944, and Truman delivered it in writing in 1946.3
As long as Trump is keeping the government closed for everyday Americans, it should be closed for his political speech-making. Will you chip in $3 to stand with Speaker Pelosi and say no to the State of the Union while the government is shut down?
Yes, I'll chip in right now.
–Anna, Stephen, Anne, Brian, and the rest of the team
1. "Pelosi's bold letter about postponing Trump's State of the Union, annotated," The Washington Post, January 16, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/62077?t=5&akid=225104%2E10220574%2E6BDchf
2. "In Trump's Immigration Announcement, a Compromise Snubbed All Around," The New York Times, January 19, 2019
3. "Delivery of Speech," United States House of Representatives, accessed January 18, 2019
Can we send you a free "Impeach Trump" sticker?
Late last night, Buzzfeed News broke the news that Donald Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about his dealings with Russia, leading Cohen to commit perjury and constituting one of the most damning acts of obstruction of justice to date.
Click here to get your free "Impeach Trump" sticker while supplies last.
Late last night, Buzzfeed News broke the news that Donald Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about his dealings with Russia, leading Cohen to commit perjury and constituting one of the most damning acts of obstruction of justice to date.1
This adds fuel to something that's already been achingly clear: It is time for Congress to impeach Trump.
We need to share this message far and wide, which is why we have printed a big batch of "Impeach" stickers and are giving them away for FREE while supplies last. Click here or on the image below to order your sticker now.
The gravity of this news cannot be understated. According to this report, the president of the United States ordered his personal lawyer to lie under oath to Congress in order to cover up his dealings—to enrich himself—with the hostile foreign power that meddled in our elections. And this comes on the heels of last week's news that Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, shared confidential internal polls during the campaign with Russian intelligence-linked oligarchs.2
MoveOn has been calling for Trump's impeachment since June of 2017, but this news seems to have broken open the floodgates on Capitol Hill, and now more and more Democrats are calling for impeachment as well if this report is true.3
The time to act is now. Democrats control the House and can launch impeachment proceedings to conduct an open investigation into Trump's obstruction and collusion.
Trump is an urgent, dire threat to our democracy, and we must make sure that our elected officials know that the time to impeach him is NOW.
Help spread the word by clicking here to order your free "Impeach" sticker today.
–Kelly, Matt, Bill, Elsie, and the rest of the team
1. "President Trump Directed His Attorney To Lie To Congress About The Moscow Tower Project," Buzzfeed News, January 17, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/62074?t=18&akid=224958%2E10220574%2EBMlMhm
2. "Paul Manafort shared 2016 polling data with Russian associate, according to court filing," The Washington Post, January 8, 2019
3. "'Resign Or Be Impeached': Dems Erupt Over Bombshell Trump Obstruction Report," The Huffington Post, January 18, 2019
FW: Mitch McConnell (petition)
Demand Mitch McConnell listen to the American people and allow the Senate to hold a vote to reopen the government.
Eddie—I wanted to make sure you saw the email below. Once we get to 100,000 signatures, the petition will be delivered to Senate offices—including to Mitch McConnell in Kentucky and Washington, D.C.
I'm Martha Singleton, a MoveOn member in Miami, Florida, and I started a petition to Mitch McConnell, which says:
Stop blocking the will of the people! The U.S. House has passed a bill to reopen the government, so the Senate should be allowed to vote on it. McConnell's excuses and tactics run against our democracy!
Sign Martha's petition
The Senate voted nearly unanimously for a bill to keep the government open last month, but now Mitch McConnell is blocking his own colleagues from doing their jobs with a vote to reopen the government, even though he knows it will pass. This is now the longest shutdown ever!1
I am tired of Senator McConnell failing to allow the Senate to vote on major issues throughout his tenure, a trait that is expected in countries that do not enjoy democratic freedoms. Congress should not cower in fear of Trump's anger and hate. 800,000 workers' pay depends on them; they must act now.2
–Martha Singleton
1. "Senate Democrats pushed a vote to reopen the government. Mitch McConnell shot them down," Vox,
https://act.moveon.org/go/61967?t=9&akid=224874%2E10220574%2EFlcyFK
Sign the petition: Eduardo Samaniego
Eduardo is a well-known and much-loved leader and human rights advocate with deep ties to his community in Georgia and Massachusetts. Add your name.
Eduardo is a well-known and much-loved leader and human rights advocate with deep ties to his community in Georgia and Massachusetts. But like many immigrant activists nationally, Eduardo is being targeted by ICE, and his case is now being fast-tracked as a direct result of his work to defend immigrant rights.1,2
Eduardo's next immigration hearing is on Thursday. Will you sign the petition to ICE officials and demand Eduardo's immediate release?
Please release Eduardo Samaniego immediately. Eduardo Samaniego is an outstanding community activist and human rights leader. Eduardo's health is precarious and he should be free to pursue legal remedies at home, where thousands have already shown their support for him.
Sign Caroline's petition
What started as a dispute with a cab driver over $27.75 (since dismissed) has become a national case lifting up the horrors of the human rights abuses being carried out by the U.S. government.3
On December 27, 2018, after 71 days behind bars, Eduardo was denied bond at a hearing where he publicly declared he was suffering physical abuse in detention. Eduardo was moved the following day to Irwin County Detention Facility in Ocilla, Georgia—widely recognized as one of the most oppressive detention centers in the nation.4
Click here to sign this petition, and then pass it along to your friends, so we can increase the pressure to get Eduardo released!
Eduardo was immediately put on suicide watch, where he remains in complete isolation—in a completely empty room, without clothing other than a paper gown, eating only with his hands, and under 24-hour observation. Treatment like this is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights and as a form of torture. Eduardo's physical and mental health is rapidly deteriorating.
Eduardo's health is precarious. Two years ago, while visiting Georgia, Eduardo was the victim of a near-fatal gas explosion in the apartment building where he was staying. He sustained burns on 45% of his body and was hospitalized for three months to heal from physical damage. As a result of this traumatic incident, Eduardo still suffers both physically and mentally. Where he is being held, he is not able to receive proper medication or care, and he lives in near-total isolation, as visits with friends and loved ones are highly restricted. Eduardo must be released from detention to ensure his health and his survival.
With the support of sympathetic lawmakers such as Rep. Jim McGovern, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Markey, if enough of us raise our voices, ICE will have no choice but to #FreeEduardo.
—Caroline Murray
1. "ICE has detained or deported prominent immigration activists," The Washington Post, January 19, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/61983?t=11&akid=224676%2E10220574%2EZ4UGKJ
2. "Immigration activist's future at risk over $27 Georgia cab fare," WXIA, December 31, 2018
4. "Massachusetts immigration activist Eduardo Samaniego denied release on bond from ICE detention," The Republican, December 28, 2018
News: A leadership transition at MoveOn
Later this year, with gratitude, pride, and immense confidence in what lies ahead for this essential organization, the two of us will be transitioning out of our roles as MoveOn's co-directors.
This is Anna Galland and Ilya Sheyman. We're the co-executive directors of MoveOn.
This isn't a typical email from us. We wanted to share an important organizational update directly: Later this year, with gratitude, pride, and immense confidence in what lies ahead for this essential organization and our millions of members, the two of us will be transitioning out of our leadership roles, which we've held for the past six years.
We'll be running an open search for the next executive director of MoveOn, who we'll then support, train, and cheerlead. We will keep you posted on that process as it unfolds.
Why are we doing this? Simply because now—in the wake of a transformative election and at a time when the organization is healthy, strong, and having a massive impact—is the right time to pass the baton forward.
We have been so privileged to lead and win hard-fought campaigns to advance a progressive vision for our country during Barack Obama's second term and through the acute crises of Donald Trump.
All of us together have accomplished so much for our country and world:
In the Obama years, we fought in state after state to expand health care for millions. We won major victories for peace—especially defending the Iran diplomatic agreement. We helped mount grassroots pressure for violence-preventing gun laws, time and again. We fought for racial justice. And so much more.
We've marched, organized, and mobilized to confront the multi-front disaster of Trump and the GOP in power. MoveOn members were among those spearheading the fight to save Obamacare and Medicaid. We've prioritized immigrant and refugee rights—supporting DREAMers and protesting Trump's disastrous family separation policy. We've organized to defend the democracy, anchoring efforts to protect Mueller's investigation. And we've moved closer to ending the U.S. military role in Yemen.
Together with vital partners, we powered the wave election in 2018, flipping the House and electing hundreds of diverse progressive champions to state houses around the country.
Today, MoveOn has never been bigger or stronger—and the MoveOn community has never been more important to this country's future.
The network of monthly donors sustaining our work together has quadrupled in size, and our (still quite lean!) staff team has tripled. We've built whole new channels to empower our members and drive impact on our campaigns, from text messaging to video, and our membership now reaches into every one of this country's 3,000+ counties.
Our visibility in the national media and our political power have ballooned. And we've built a tremendous leadership team on staff that will stay on, shepherding our vital programs and supporting the impact our members can make.
All of us, as MoveOn members, have so much to do, together, in the coming years. We are working to reinvent this rusted, creaking democracy as it's coming under such direct attack from people who wish to pit Americans against each other while enriching themselves at everyone else's expense.
We have vital work to do in the coming years, together:
We must prepare to defeat Trump and the GOP in 2020—engaging deeply in an energizing 2020 Democratic primary that helps propel inspiring, movement-connected candidates towards the general election and then marching together with clarity and purpose to defeat Trump.
We must block the ongoing attacks on communities who have lost so much ground under Trump and the GOP—including immigrants, Muslims, women, LGBTQ folks, and working people—and tackle threats to our democracy itself. The Democratic House is an immensely important new check on Trump, but we know that the chaos, corruption, and damage of Trump and the GOP will continue as long as they have any levers of power—and that grassroots mobilization will be essential.
We must help lift up the positive vision of the country we can build together—developing a mandate for progressive governance so that voters in 2020 have something to vote FOR, not just against. We can't simply be content to counter the radical right. We need to fundamentally reimagine what's possible for racial, economic, and social justice.
Entering 2019, we're in such a strong position to make progress in the long-term effort to build a country where everyone can thrive.
Our staff team is aligned, energized, and committed. Our membership—that's you!—is a central force in the Resistance and broader movements that are transforming our country.
Millions of MoveOn members are connected by our shared values and by our yearning for this country to live into its potential for decency, dignity, justice, and love.
MoveOn—through our emails, our text messages, our online videos, our media spokespeople, our field organizers, and our members—has a national reach that few other organizations have. And our country needs this powerful national membership community to tackle the nation-sized challenges we face.
We've shown that we can make transformative change, even in the face of terrible adversity—and we'll keep showing it in the years ahead.
Watch for updates on this leadership transition on our website, MoveOn.org. For more texture on our decision, you can read our Medium post here. And if you have any questions or reflections, drop us a line by hitting "reply" to this email.
You can also continue supporting MoveOn's mission by starting a petition on any progressive issue that's important to you and connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
We're beaming with joy and gratitude—it's been such a tremendous honor to serve this team and this community. And we are feeling so hopeful as we prepare to step aside after six amazing years. We became MoveOn members around this community's opposition to the Iraq War in 2003, and we'll remain as executive directors while our boards conduct a leadership search, as we're fully committed to supporting the transition. And then we'll remain MoveOn members for life and ready to support MoveOn in a new way for the long haul.
MoveOn members, not any executive director or staff member, are the heart of our power and impact on this country. As always, thanks for all you do.
–Anna & Ilya
The GOP is starting to buckle (the shutdown)
A man carrying a gun just got through airport security and took a Delta flight from Atlanta. Drivers are chopping down protected trees in Joshua Tree National Park to make new roads. Federal workers who aren't being paid can't afford insulin and other lifesaving medication and are going without.
A man carrying a gun just got through airport security and took a Delta flight from Atlanta.1 Drivers are chopping down protected trees in Joshua Tree National Park to make new roads.2 Federal workers who aren't being paid can't afford insulin and other lifesaving medication and are going without.3
These are some of the many destructive results of Donald Trump and the GOP's government shutdown—now the longest in history. And Trump is content to let the shutdown continue, punishing federal workers, contractors, their families, local economies, and all of us who rely on government services.
In two weeks, Trump is scheduled to deliver a State of the Union address, a national moment that draws attention to the office of the president. But a man who has no respect for our governmental institutions and workers, who would hold the livelihood of 800,000 workers ransom for a racist, wasteful border wall, has nothing of value to say to the nation.
That's why MoveOn members are preparing to mobilize all across the country and use Tuesday, January 29, as a flashpoint for national outrage over this shutdown and the countless Americans being hurt every day by Trump and the Republicans' irresponsible behavior.
Can you chip in $3 to help organize and amplify a national mobilization to drown out the State of the Union, elevate the voices of Americans impacted by the shutdown, and demand Republicans stand up to Trump and reopen our government with no money for his racist, wasteful wall? Click here now.
MoveOn members—and our friends and neighbors—have something far more valuable to tell the country than any of the lies and hate Trump would spew over the national airwaves. We know this because over the past few weeks, inspired by the "Shutdown Stories" that have proliferated over social media, we've been collecting stories from our members.
The response has been HUGE. We have thousands of stories of MoveOn members who live in some of the key states—those with Republican senators up for reelection in 2020 who, if increasingly pressured, could crack, turn on Trump, and demand the government reopen. Now, the goal is to put these stories to work to grab local media attention in these key states and build pressure on Republicans to stand up to Trump and Mitch McConnell—and to use these stories as an anchor for actions around the country to funnel the outrage we're all feeling.
So here's our plan:
Collect stories of the impact of the shutdown from folks across the country—and especially in states where Republican senators are already feeling incredible pressure. Amplify these stories through videos, social media, email, and other avenues to ratchet up the pressure.
Directly pressure key Senate Republicans. Flood offices with tens of thousands of calls, organize in-person petition deliveries next week, and produce and share videos far and wide calling them out.
Launch a national day of action on January 29. Organize events across the country where regular folks can share the real state of the union, instead of listening to Trump's usual B.S., if the government is still shutdown.
Call on members of Congress to boycott his speech. We just saw on national television last week how Trump will use his platform. Members of Congress do not need to dignify with their presence a speech by a man who would hold the livelihood 800,000 federal workers hostage while fearmongering over a fake national security emergency.
But we can't do it without your help. Will you chip in to help force Republicans to stand up to Trump and McConnell, get the government reopened with zero dollars for the racist border wall, and share a true "state of the union address" on January 29?
Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford, to stop the shutdown and say no to Trump's racist, wasteful border wall.
We're all ready for the government to reopen—which is why MoveOn members have been making calls, signing petitions, and demanding action. Democrats and Independents are standing strong against paying Trump's ransom. And, to be honest, we don't believe we can persuade Trump. He wants the government shut down and doesn't care whom it hurts.
But Republican senators have the power to act, if they choose. And if we can increase pressure on them this week, next week, and, if the government is still closed, through a national day of action on January 29, they will crack. They will be forced to listen to their constituents, stand up to Trump and McConnell, and get back to work.
Please chip in $3, or whatever you can afford, right now.
–Ben, Reggie, Dan, Emma, and the rest of the MoveOn Washington team
1. "Passenger gets gun through TSA checkpoint on Atlanta to Tokyo flight," NBC News, January 14, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/62005?t=5&akid=224707%2E10220574%2EmbJlg2
2. "National park visitors cut down protected Joshua trees during partial government shutdown," CNN, January 12, 2019
3. "Federal worker with diabetes says she can't afford to pay for insulin during shutdown," The Hill, January 13, 2019
Survey: Which 2020 hopefuls do you want to hear fr...
Call Rep. Meeks to stand strong in shutting down t...
Start a petition to the 116th United States Congre...
Tuesday in Inwood: "Shut Down the Wall, Open the G...
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Mitch McConnell (petition)
MoveOn's plan to end the shutdown
Call now: No ransom money for Trump's wall!
Networks refused to air Obama's immigration speech...
Add your name: Congratulations, Speaker Pelosi!