#my U.S. house rep

[abigailspinach]

[callmeriver-art]

Meant to be a political art piece of u.s representative al green but instead looks like an advertisement to go see Mr Green in concert at vegas

[vaspider]

Listen to me. Listen very carefully:

They are trying to wear you out.

They are trying to wear you out, and they own most major social media now, along with many major media outlets. The disinformation machine is cranking along. You are going to have to slow the fuck down and read things before you help them wear out other people, too.

So you just saw a post about a real scary bill, hunh? Republicans want to make it a capital offense to pet dogs and repeal The Sky Is Blue Act of 1793, declaring the new official color of the sky to be squant? Damn, that sounds scary.

Let's go look up this fictitious "Make The Sky Squant Again Act" on GovTracker* & on the official legislative tracker on congress.gov!

Well, let's see... GovTracker estimates it has a 1% chance of even getting out of committee and a 0% chance of being enacted, while congress.gov says this bill has 2 cosponsors who have been in the House and combined total of less than a month. The bill doesn't have any actual text, and it was referred to 5 different committees.

That fictitious bill and a hundred others like it are quite literally not worth your time, and more than that, continuing to wring your hands about it and tell other people about the scary scary squant sky bill only does their work for them. It scares people, it makes them spend time and energy on it, and it wears them out. It is a legislative Gish Gallop, meant to throw so many things at people that we can't keep up.

Even calling or messaging your Rep in this case means their staffer has to waste time responding to you and letting you know that Representative Buttzonheads definitely won't support making petting dogs a capital offense, a thing that will never, ever happen regardless.

Staying engaged in this environment is going to require protecting your heart and protecting your energy, yes, but also protecting the energy of others. This is why WWII propaganda posters also included ones taking people to task for spreading panicky rumors and undermining morale.

Do you know why most observant Jews don't eat chicken and dairy together, even though the ban is on red meat and dairy together bc you're not supposed to cook the calf in the milk of its mother?** It's not because we think that chicken might secretly lactate or Just Because. It's because the rabbis decided that if I'm sitting out in public and eating turkey and cheese together, someone might glance at the turkey and mistake it for red meat and think, "oh, well, I know that Spider is a good Jew, there must have been a change, or maybe I can just justify it to myself that if Spider does it, it must be permissible to bend the rules just that much." And I would then be accidentally leading my fellow Jew astray. We are responsible for being even more careful for the sake of others than we are for ourselves.

It's the same principle here. We need to really be careful about the information we are spreading and check things past reading a news site. Is it true? Is it relevant? Is it meaningful? Is the news site one I recognize? Can I find meaningful independent corroboration on another site, which is to say, if I find an article about it on a second site, is it just quoting or rephrasing this site?

Yeah, that is a lot. But that's how we keep them from using us to lead our fellows astray.

*GovTracker is an independent site. They explain their methodology in their About section.

**I cannot say enough how I am not at this time interested in going on a Jewish Side Quest About Dietary Laws on this post. Usually, I love it, but hold off this time, please, y'all. Let's stay on target this once.

[xhais]

Bad news. KOSA advanced.

Continue calling your representatives and tell them to vote no on KOSA. It passed the Senate Commerce Committee, not the full Senate, we still have time.

STOP KOSA NOW.

Edit: July 29: The full Senate is voting on KOSA TOMORROW! Please call your representatives and senators to vote no! PLEASE!

Edit: July 30: Senate passed KOSA! The House vote is next. Contact your representatives to vote no now! PLEASE!

Edit: August 1st: KOSA IS DEAD! For now. It may pop up again. Be on the lookout, if it does pop up again, tell your senators and representatives to vote no!

Edit: September 13: KOSA MIGHT RETURN! Follow the instructions on this post PLEASE!

Edit: September 20: KOSA PASSED THE HOUSE COMMITTEE AND ONTO THE HOUSE FLOOR!! This happened on September 18th, I am a bit late and for that I'm sorry. But it’s not over! FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THIS POST, PLEASE!!

Edit: September 27: THIS ENTIRE POST STILL APPLIES! THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER, WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO FIGHT! PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TO VOTE NO! PLEASE!!

Edit: October 6: @the-vampire-fish-queen said, “Do want to point out Congress is not in session right now but come back around 11/12/24. Also, the Republican leadership is fighting over the bill.” WHICH IS VERY TRUE!

FOR REPUBLICAN REPS:

FOR DEMOCRAT REPS:

Edit: October 25: The Heritage Foundation KNOWS that Kosa will REMOVE Pro-Abortion and Trans content IF Trump wins. It has also come to my attention, that from what people have heard from the House of Representatives, Kosa will MOST LIKELY not move on. The keywords there are most likely, keep fighting!

[qqueenofhades]

Posting this since with the truly mind-bogglingly stupid executive orders such as the freeze all federal funding one, it might be more helpful to call your state attorney general instead of your elected reps (though call them too). That is because state AGs (such as NY AG Letitia James has already done for this one) are the ones who are able to most quickly sue the federal government, whereas House and Senate members have less power in this situation. Plus, AG offices get fewer calls, so you may be able to more effectively hector your local elected officials. Do it if your state AG is a Democrat (to give them backup for probably suing Trump already) or a Republican, to shame them into at least feeling bad about it. So yes.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

David Badash at NCRM:

Republicans ground the House to a halt Wednesday afternoon after U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) objected to remarks made by Rules Committee Ranking Member Jim McGovern (D-MA), during which he delivered a short overview of the 88 criminal charges Donald Trump is facing, and civil court findings including one deeming him an adjudicated rapist. “Take down his words,” Congresswoman Houchin declared, interrupting Rep. McGovern. “I demand that his words be taken down.” For more than one hour, according to Fox News’ Chad Pergram, the people’s business stopped as Republicans, angered by the Democrat’s factual remarks, had them investigated by the House Parliamentarian. “Donald Trump might want to be a king, but he is not a king,” Congressman McGovern observed. “He is not a presumptive king. he’s not even the president – he’s a presumptive nominee.”

“At some point,” McGovern told his congressional colleagues, “it’s time for this body to recognize that there is no precedent for this situation. We have a presumptive nominee for President facing 88 felony counts, and we’re being prevented from even acknowledging it. These are not alternative facts. These are real facts. A candidate for President of the United States is on trial for sending a hush money payment to a porn star to avoid a sex scandal during his 2016 campaign, and then fraudulently disguising those payments in violation of the law. He’s also charged with conspiring to overturn the election. He’s also charged with stealing classified information and a jury has already found him liable for rape and a civil court. And yet, in this Republican controlled House, it’s okay to talk about the trial but you have to call it a sham.” The decision to strike McGovern’s “offensive” remarks appears to have come from U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-AL), who was presiding over the chamber. He cited House Rule XVII, which Pergram reported “says House members are prohibited from impugning the motives of fellow House members, senators or the President. And in this case, the former President.”

Earlier, before Rep. Houchin demanded his remarks be stricken, McGovern also blasted Republicans for traveling to New York in their “cult uniforms,” to show support for Donald Trump at his criminal trial in Lower Manhattan. The Massachusetts Democrat told his colleagues, “my friends over the other side of the aisle have pandered to their most extreme members over and over and over again. They let the extremists kick out their own Speaker. They let the extremists dictate the agenda on the House floor. They let the extremists take down seven rule votes since January 2023 – a stunning indictment of their ability to get anything done. And speaking of indictments, Republicans are skipping their real jobs to take day trips up to New York to try to undermine Donald Trump’s criminal trial. No time to work with Democrats, but plenty of time to put on weird matching cult uniforms and stand behind President Trump with their bright red ties like pathetic props.”

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)’s speech on the House floor calling out criminal defendant Donald Trump was delivering truth bombs left and right, and it made Republicans upset, especially the part in which he said that Trump “might want to be a king, but he is not a king” and the fact that he was calling out his criminality.

Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) was the Republican who ordered a frivolous halt to McGovern’s speech by demanding “that his words be taken down.” Floor Presider Jerry Carl (R-AL) granted Houchin’s request, and McGovern was barred from speaking on the Floor for the rest of the day.

See Also:

NBC News: Democrat McGovern ruled 'out of order' after listing off Trump's legal woes on the House floor

Daily Kos: GOP brings House to a halt to debate whether facts are allowed

[basshole-astard]

so Trump's big "beautiful" budget bill that [cuts Medicaid], [raises ICE budget], and allows him [to ignore contempt of court] just passed the House

what can you do?

Call your reps. 5calls.org.

okay. calling your reps can be scary. let me walk you thru the details + some actionable steps

first of all - some facts. the bill passed basically just because there are more republicans in the house than democrats - and it was a 50/50 vote, with one vote yes tipping them over a tie. [check out the stats here]

keyly: a few republicans voted no. so, for the senate, we need only four senate republicans to also vote no, and here's a list of the most vulnerable ones to target. [source, thank you robert reich, who i copy+pasted from]

-

[italic emphasis = mine]

Collins (ME) - blue state, voted against April Senate budget resolution over Medicaid cuts.

Tillis (NC) - faces competitive reelection bid and has spurned Trump on U.S. attorney nomination.

Sullivan (AK) - race could become competitive because of Alaska’s ranked-choice system and the impact of Medicaid/SNAP cuts, and if former Rep. Mary Peltola runs.

Husted (OH) - replaced Vance, has to win a special election to finish term in 2026. Race could become highly competitive if Sherrod Brown runs.

Moody (FL) - replaced Rubio, has to win a special election to finish term in 2026. Same factors as Husted (though FL is a longer shot than OH).

Cornyn (TX) - facing a tough right-wing primary challenge from Ken Paxton, who could put the seat in play if he wins.

Ernst (IA) - race has the potential to be competitive in an anti-GOP cycle without Trump at the top of the ballot.

-

If they are up for re-election soon, it's simple. you call, you tell them "if you vote for this bill, I am not voting for you". done.

"but what if I'm not republican??" i don't know if they know that/can check that. irregardless, they're your senator. your vote matters to them. tell them you won't vote for them if they pass this bill.

-

"what if my rep isn't on that list?"

Call them anyway. Make noise. They might not be convinced, but you might as well make your displeasure known.

-

"what if my rep is a democrat?"

Call them anyway. They will probably vote no, but I think it's better to send them the message that it's unacceptable, just in case they were thinking they might vote yes.

-

"Okay. How do I call?"

[ 5calls.org ]

5calls is great. They have an app, if you want. You have to set your location with them - a zip code will do. This is how they know which senator is yours.

From there, pick an issue (on desktop, there is a list on the left side of the screen) (on mobile, the list is the main feature) - after clicking on your issue, it will give you a phone number and a script at the bottom. Call the phone number, read the script. The script is even tailored based on whether your senator is red or blue!

Obviously, you don't have to read the script, but it takes the thought out of it. If one of your reps is a rep who's due for re-election, ALSO tell them you won't vote for them if they vote yes on this bill.

Be polite, be courteous. Also: you will need to leave your street address if you're leaving a voicemail. That's how they confirm you're actually one of their constituents and not some rando from another state making a call - That's how they confirm your opinion is worth listening to. "I don't want to give them that information?" They already have it. This is just you confirming it.

-

Leave a voice mall!

>Nervous about phonecalls? Call after hours or on the weekend. It sure is a long weekend right now, with memorial day, and all. That way you get sent straight to the answering machine and can leave a voicemail.

>I usually open my voicemail messages with Hi I'm [NAME] and I'm a constituent of [SENATOR], my phone number is [NUMBER] and my street address is [BLAH], zip code [BLAH], just to get that out of the way. And then I read the script that 5calls has given to me.

>Calling during office hours? Just say "Hi, my name is [NAME], I'm a constituent of [SENATOR], and I have a comment about a legislative issue." When they give you the go-ahead, read the 5calls script.

>Do they have multiple numbers? A DC office, and a local office? Calling multiple times a day might make them wary of taking you seriously, but calling your local office as well as their main DC office....

-

"Okay, which issue do I pick?"

5calls.org sure has like five billion different links regarding the "Big Beautiful Bill" aka H.R.1 - but [here's] the one with a general overview.

Of course, your republican senator might not care much about slashes to [Medicaid] or increased budget for [ICE] - they CERTAINLY won't care about cuts to [planned parenthood] and [transgender care]. But your democratic senator probably does care. Also, those cuts to [Federal Employee Retirement] sound pretty bad.

Play-act, if you can. A concerned "we're planning to put America in HOW much debt?" might do more than you think. "I'm just really worried about how my Grandma is going to afford her healthcare if Medicare gets cut..."

Put in a little research. Does your senator care about [education]? Do they [hate Elon Musk]? Maybe they're not too fond of Trump, and would love to be remindeed that this bill is trying to give him the ability to [ignore contempt of court.]

Usually they have a website, usually that website tells you what issues they ran on. If any one of those issues is threatened by this bill - [climate change, maybe?] - remind them.

-

Byrd Rule

Or maybe just call your democratic senator and tell them to invoke [Byrd Rule], which allows them to call certain parts of the bill extraneous (the contempt of court thing, anyone!??) (or the [ban on A.I. regulation]???) and irrelevant to the overall goal of the budget reconciliation; furthermore insisting the bill cannot be passed without those sections removed/edited.

-

What are my options other than phonecalls?

You can send emails, you can send faxes.

[ faxzero.com ] - lets you send a handful of free faxes a day. Just copy+paste the 5calls script, and maybe some relevant supporting evidence from the 5calls page, and send it off. likely best to include your name phone number and zipcode as well.

Same goes for emails. Your sentators almost always have a contact form on their website. Do the same there.

You can find all the ways to contact your senators - including their websites - at [ this source ], just enter your state.

Or you can try [ Resist Bot ], which you can use in Messenger and Telegram, and it looks like even normal SMS. Signing up with this takes the hard part out of it - it can handle all the email logistics for you; slap in your message, let it do the rest.

-

Other options?

Whew, this list is getting long, but here's two more things I thought of.

1) [ Here's more info about attending town halls. ]

2) Contact your House reps. See how they voted on HR1 [ here ]. Either thank them for voting no (it's important for them to know!) or say you're disappointed in them for voting yes. Your opinion still matters. That vote is done, but it matters that they held the line. Or, it matters that they didn't represent your opinions - which is what their job is to do.

And if they're one of the two republicans who abstained from voting, call them out on it. "If you didn't feel strongly enough to vote yes on this bill, maybe you should have just voted no, especially due to [cause you care about/think they care about]."

-

Thanks for your time. Hope this tutorial/info sheet helps anyone. Steal and repost it to other sites as much as you want.

🫡

[pintadorartist]

Ok, a Monday Update on Bill H.R. 9495

the House voted in committee today with several of the Democrates loudly opposing it (good thing). A full House vote is expected later this week, either Wednesday or Thursday (probably Thursday)

So it's important to keep up the pressure and keep on making your voices heard

Same thing as before :

Find your representative here:

If your Rep is one of the Dems that voted "Yes" on this, tell them this is their chance to stop this bill and not give Trump more powers. Tell them you'll vote for them in the next election if they vote "no" on this bill.

If your Rep is Republican, tell them that this bill would also affect the Salvation Army as it is nonprofit.

If your Rep previously voted "No" on this bill,encourage them to keep their stand and stick to their "No",and thank them for this.

CALL TOOLS :

Here's the ACLU call tool:

FFTF 's updated call tool:

Don't forget to fax as well:

Call in number is 319-313-7674

Script you can also use :

"I am calling to urge my representative to vote no on H.R. 9495 . This is a dangerous bill would give the Trump administration unilateral power to label any non-profit as terrorist supporting and shut it down without due process. I am calling on my representative to defend civil rights organizations and oppose this bill. Thank you.”

[myceliacrochet]

U.S. Senate is voting Wed Nov. 13th on whether to continue sending aid to Israel!!!!

🇵🇸🇵🇸3-Day Art Raffle🇵🇸🇵🇸

🌸🩷🍄Contact Your Reps for Gaza to Enter!!!🍄🩷🌸

Those who are not in the U.S. are welcome to participate too and contact your own representatives.

Here are some examples of my art

🩷🌸🍄How to Enter🍄🩷🌸

1. Contact Your Representative(s) by Nov. 13th.

Here are some links that will lead you through it:

US (USPCR); call

US (USPCR): email

US (Jewish Voice for Peace): call

UK: letter

Australia: email

Canada: email

2. Let Me Know.

Lmk how many representatives you contacted and how many times each. You can just dm or comment me the tally, or you can send me screenshots as you make the calls/letters/emails. Honor system

3. Win an Art!

Lmk what you want me to make and you will get a digital copy.

🩷🌸🍄FAQs🍄🌸🩷

How Many Tickets Can I Get?

As many times as you contacted your own representative (doesn't have to be a senator, but preferably so) starting on Nov. 10.

So if you called the White House twice, your governor 1 time, once senator twice, another senator twice, and your district rep once, you would get 8 tickets.

Yes, you can contact them more than once in a day, and you will get as many tickets as the number of times you contacted. Flood 'em.

Do I Call, Send a Letter/Postcard, or Email? Do I Use My Own Words or a Script?

That's up to you! Some of the links in Step #1 have tips, scripts, and form letters. Just do it.

Who are Basma and Shorouq from the Pictures?

They're Palestinians and I love them! Check out their stories here and here, they need emergency funds.

@craigthetourguide @blomstermjuk @mythiedew @operationladybug @fifthnormani @disinfobot @beserkerjewel @skipppppy @punkitt-is-here @nocturnal-notes @acehimbo @butchfeygela @bisexualspeed @butchjeremyfragrance @k1teko @ohjinyoung @revoltingcocks @yampulp @nocturnal-notes @rememberthelaughter2016 @parfaithaven @gryficowa @tittyinfinity @6o3o9 @fantasykiri5 @sadbiooi @battleofthegarys @illpunchababy @alliterate-accident @flashingdaydreams @s7ar-sai10r @tallytals @monotremesoup @dlxxv-vetted-donations @ilikefoodandyourmom @i-named-my-cactus-albert @pogasssm @thethrillbasisindeterminable @agremlinthing @huzni @bagofbonesmp3 @hussyknee @divorce-enjoyer @treffyfrinn @effen-draws @thatsonehellofabird @neechees @queerpotat @queerstudiesnatural @maester-cressen

[saywhat-politics]

March 27, 2025, 10:57 AM MST / Updated March 27, 2025, 12:17 PM MST

By Melanie Zanona and Scott Wong

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday he was pulling the nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, citing concerns about the House’s slim margin to enact his legislative agenda.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Stefanik “will stay in Congress” after her nomination for the administration post had stalled for months.

“I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, GREAT Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength, and much more, so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat. The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day.”

“There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations,” the president continued. “Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People. Speaker Johnson is thrilled!”

[mariacallous]

The Trump administration is expected to stop its cuts to staff and funding for a federal program that supports 9/11 survivors through medical treatment and research, following significant public outcry across the political spectrum, according to several New York congressmembers.

The World Trade Center Health Program aids roughly 130,000 first responders and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon in Northern Virginia and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It falls under the umbrella of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and also conducts research into 9/11-related illnesses and treatments.

The program was targeted for reductions as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal government, New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand wrote in a letter to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week. The Democratic senators said that about 20% of the program’s staff had either been fired or were taking buyouts, putting it at risk. They added that the administration was slashing research grants for monitoring FDNY members’ health for any emerging illnesses tied to exposure at the original World Trade Center site.

“This is betrayal of our heroes who stepped up and risked their lives to put our community back together in one of our nation’s darkest hours, and we will not let it stand,” Gillibrand said in a statement at the time. Republican lawmakers also criticized the move.

But late Thursday, several GOP members of New York’s congressional delegation said the cuts were not going through after all.

“We just received confirmation from the White House that there will be no cuts to staffing at the World Trade Center Healthcare Program and research grants related to 9/11 illnesses,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis wrote in a post on X. Reps. Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota hailed the news as well.

Schumer told CBS News in a statement that “9/11 cancer research and funding for FDNY should have never been on the chopping block.”

“I am pleased the CDC has heeded my call to restore this grant for 9/11 first responders,” he said. “Now they need to fully uphold their promise and reverse the firings of World Trade Center Health staff to ensure care for 9/11 survivors and first responders continues uninterrupted."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning.

[mydaddywiki]

Mike Bost

Physique: Average Build Height: 5' 9"

Michael Joseph Bost (/ˈbɔːst/ BAWST; born December 30, 1960) is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he has served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 12th congressional district since 2015. From 1995 to 2015, Bost was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 115th district. Before holding elected office, he was a firefighter.

This man is almost perfect. The only thing wrong with him is that he isn’t in my bed. Nice build, nice dresser and a very handsome face. My dreams are haunted by him, teasing me with his address and cell number that I forget upon waking. He is such a dream cocktease. And because I want him so badly, he’s married with children. Something tells me he could bring it bed. And I happily invite Mr. Bost to prove me right.

Bost is a lifelong resident of Murphysboro, graduating graduated from Murphysboro High School in 1979. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps serving his country from 1979 to 1982. He attended a firefighter academy program offered by the University of Illinois, later becoming a firefighter in 1993 and continued to serve the Murphysboro Fire Department during six of his ten terms as state representative. Prior to that, Rep. Bost worked for 13 years at Bost Trucking Service, first as a driver and then for 10 years as a truck manager.

Bost and his wife, Tracy, have three children: Steven, Kasey Fred, Kaitlin Rose and 11 grandchildren. Since 1989, he and his wife Tracy have owned and operated White House Salon in Murphysboro. Lets see… He has a temper ranging from paper- throwing, microphone- slamming, Bible-invoking tirades and even once hunted down and killed a beagle that bit his daughter. Bost insists he doesn’t have a temper problem. He simply becomes passionate, he says, when he feels he or those close to him have been wronged. Well mike, I feel wronged by you not fucking me. What are you going to do about it.

[rjzimmerman]

(This map is referenced and described in the story, in the 8th paragraph once you enter the actual story beyond my intro. "BLM" means Bureau of Land Management, a division of the Department of the Interior. "USFS" means the United States Forest Service, a division of the Department of Agriculture.)

I posted a link to another story about this published a different media source. Because the issue is so important to me, I'm posting the Rolling Stone story about the republican hopes or plans to decimate a whole bunch of our public lands. Here's the story, in full:

Every Summer, my wife and I pack up our three kids and the family dog and drive an hour-and-a-half from our home in Portland, Oregon, to the forested shores of Timothy Lake for a camping trip. The lake is technically a reservoir — with a small dam at the western edge. But it is a gem, bordered by U.S. Forest Service land on three sides.

The federal land surrounding this awe-inspiring place would be put on the auction block for developers under the Senate’s version of President Donald Trump’s tax-cut-and-spending legislation known as the “Big Beautiful Bill.” A provision unveiled this week would open nearly 250 million acres of public lands in the West, for sale to the highest bidder. The legislation would require that at least 3 million acres — an area about half the size of Vermont — be privatized in the next five years. 

The ugly provision was introduced by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who recently made himself notorious for shitposting about a political assasination in Minnesota. Lee’s committee touts this “mandatory disposal” of federal lands as a way to “fulfill President Trump’s agenda” by “unlocking federal land” to “increase the supply of housing,” while generating at least $5 billion. Speaking to fellow conspiratorial loon Glenn Beck, Lee defended the initiative as a “common-sense solution to a national problem.” Lee’s provision has the support of The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board which alleges that “Uncle Sam” is “typically a poor steward of the land.”

This Senate provision creates a direct conflict with the House version of the Big Beautiful Bill. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) successfully fought to strip a similar provision from the House bill. The former Interior Secretary described privatization of public lands as his “red line,” noting: “Once the land is sold, we will never get it back. God isn’t creating more land.”

The Senate provision applies to 11 western states, but notably exempts Montana. If this was meant to appease Zinke, he is not impressed. The congressman posted on X on June 18: “I have said from day one I would not support a bill that sells public lands. I am still a no on the Senate reconciliation bill that sells public lands.” Environmental groups are sounding the alarm, with 113 organizations — including the Sierra Club and Scenic Utah — writing an open letter to Senate leadership warning that the lack of meaningful restrictions in the provision would open sold-off public lands for development as “golf courses, luxury resorts, strip malls, [or] private vacation homes.” 

The Wilderness Society decries the Senate provision, insisting it would spark “the largest single sale of national public lands in modern history” and sacrifice “ordinary Americans’ access to outdoor recreation for a short-term payoff.” It has produced a map of federal lands that would be available to private developers under this land grab. The group writes that the provision “masquerades as a way to provide more housing, but it lacks safeguards to ensure land is used for that purpose.” It nominally requires consultation with the states and calls for an exclusion of lands with “valid existing rights” — a provision that appears to apply to extractive industries like mining and drilling. (According to the map, my family’s go-to campground at Timothy Lake could be sold off for lakefront villas.) 

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has called the proposal “insane” and a “non-starter,” adding: “Hell no.” Democrats are calling on citizens to fight for their treasured public spaces. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is the ranking Democrat on the Senate committee that Lee chairs. “Our public lands hold our shared identity: They are where we gather, fish, hunt, and hike,” he writes. “We can’t let Republicans take them from us.”

He adds a battle cry to voters: “Now is the time to raise your voices and join our fight to keep public lands in public hands — before we lose these lands forever.”

Selling off common lands is wildly unpopular. In a recent poll, 71 percent of American adults oppose selling public lands to the highest bidder. Only 16 percent of Trump voters support such a move. 

According to an inventory of public lands compiled by the Wilderness Society, the states most at risk are Alaska, where nearly 80 million acres would be up for grabs, followed by Nevada with 34 million acres, and Idaho and Oregon with 21 million acres apiece. In Lee’s home state of Utah, nearly 19 million acres would be on the block for land speculators.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Thousands have hit the streets in NYC, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and dozens of other cities. A DC protest organized by Jewish activist groups drew thousands, and hundreds were later arrested, including two dozen Rabbis. An estimated 25,000 people showed up to a rally in Chicago. These events show no signs of stopping, with many more planned across the coming days. These actions have gone beyond marches, with protesters showing up at the offices and homes of politicians demanding a ceasefire. Six activists were arrested at a pro-Palestine rally outside the Boston office of Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). A large crowd demonstrated outside the Brooklyn home of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Jewish protesters showed up outside the Brentwood house of VP Kamala Harris. IfNotNow members have held sit-ins at the DC offices of Schumer, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA). Former staffers for Warren, Sanders, and Senator John Fetterman have publicly urged the lawmakers to back a ceasefire. On October 25, tens of thousands of students across more than 100 North American campuses united in a walkout to demand an immediate ceasefire, an end to unconditional support for Israel, and university divestment from the corporations funding the occupation of Palestine. On the night of October 27 Jewish activists shut down Grand Central Station, leading to the arrest of over 300 people. “This is bigger than we’ve ever seen,” US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) Executive Director Ahmad Abuznaid told Mondoweiss. “This is the result of decades of work that we’ve put into this movement, and I think some of it is connected to the [George Floyd protests of 2020]. There was so much racial, social justice, anti-war building in that moment.

[...]

“The man broke my heart,” Palestinian-American comedian Maysoon Zayid told Politico on October 23, “I never in my life thought the empathizer-in-chief would sound the way he did. The Palestinians were given no humanity. Joe Biden should spend every breath he has condemning Israel’s genocide with the same zeal he condemned Hamas’ massacre of civilians, that same zeal. And we get nothing. 1,000 children are dead, and we get nothing.” “It’s really crazy to me that the Democratic party destroyed 20-years of worth of good will with Muslims and Arabs in just 2 weeks, losing an entire generation that was raised in the progressive coalition, possibly forever,” tweeted author and activist Eman Abdelhadi. “The rapidity of it, the finality–it’s astonishing.” “While Republican disregard for Muslim and Arab lives is clearly on display, some Muslim and Arab Americans also feel like the Democratic Party largely takes their vote for granted, though Democrats’ policies never reflect as much,” writes Dana El Kurd in The Nation. “One Arab American friend expressed to me that, at least under Republican administrations, ‘Arabs could find allies’ in their opposition.”

[allthegeopolitics]

Members of Congress and national security staffers were stunned Monday by a bombshell report that top Trump administration officials — including the vice president and Defense secretary — discussed war plans in a Signal group chat. Many raised concerns about the potential mishandling of classified information as well as sensitive details regarding U.S. war plans. “Only one word for this: FUBAR,” Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), an Army veteran who sits on the Armed Services Committee, wrote on X. “If House Republicans won’t hold a hearing on how this happened IMMEDIATELY, I’ll do it my damn self.” “Get the fuck out,” said one Democratic congressional aide, capturing a general feeling on Capitol Hill that important security protocols had been broken. It’s an “operational security nightmare,” the person said. The aide, and others, were granted anonymity to be candid about a sensitive security issue involving the administration.

Continue Reading.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Trudy Ring at The Advocate:

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and U.S. Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont, both Democrats, have introduced legislation to nullify Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders. The No Place for LGBTQ+ Hate Act, introduced Thursday, would ensure that Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ orders would have no force or effect and that no federal funds would be used to put them into effect. During his second term, Trump has issued executive orders saying the federal government will recognize only two sexes, male and female as assigned at birth, therefore denying the existence of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people; reinstating and expanding the trans military ban; seeking to prevent trans youth from receiving gender-affirming care; seeking to keep trans students from participating in sports under their gender identity; and requiring schools to deny the existence of trans people. Policies based on these orders have been implemented, and most are being challenged in court. “Freedom is the right to safely live as your authentic self without fear of harassment, discrimination, or violence,” Merkley said in a press release. “President Trump and Republicans are attacking our LGBTQ+ neighbors, friends, and family members by rubberstamping discrimination in every aspect of daily life. As we mark Pride Month this year, we say ‘hell no’ to this hate and honor those who have fought for LGBTQ+ equality by never giving up on the vision of America as a land of freedom for all.” “Trump cannot take away our rights or our health care just with the stroke of a pen,” Balint added. “I’m standing with Senator Merkley and my colleagues to show the Trump administration that their hate and dehumanizing rhetoric targeting queer Americans doesn’t intimidate us. We won’t back down when it comes to protecting our rights. No matter how much they try to erase us and our history, LGBTQI+ people are valued members of every community across this country.” Their bill has numerous cosponsors in both the House and Senate, all Democrats except for one independent, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats. It’s endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, Advocates for Trans Equality, American Civil Liberties Union, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Reproductive Freedom for All, and Planned Parenthood.

Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) file a bill to nullify Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ extremist executive orders called the No Place for LGBTQ+ Hate Act.