#U.S. Senators

[ivygorgon]

An open letter to the U.S. Congress

👮Pass the The End Solitary Confinement Act!

719 so far! Help us get to 1,000 signers!

Last week, U.S. Senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Peter Welch introduced the End Solitary Confinement Act, companion legislation to HR 4972 introduced in the House of Representatives by Missouri Rep. Cori Bush in July. This bill would end solitary confinement in all federal custody and incentivize states and localities to do the same. The End Solitary Confinement Act is a product of years of advocacy and activism from campaigns across the country led by people who have survived solitary and had loved ones inside, and draws from the best policy components of enacted and pending legislation. Specifically, the End Solitary Confinement Act does four key things: End all forms of solitary confinement, ensure that all alternatives to solitary are *actual* alternatives, enhance due process protections, and create oversight and enforcement mechanisms. Over 175 organizations nationwide have already endorsed the End Solitary Confinement Act and I hope you will as well. Solitary confinement is torture. We must end this barbaric practice. Thanks.

▶ Created on December 11, 2023 by Jess Craven

📱 Text SIGN PECNCK to 50409

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[remindertoclick]

Here's your daily reminder to click for Palestine!!!

U.S. residents, take 5 minutes and use this link to pressure your members of Congress to stop sending weapons to the Israeli military!!

(Letter variants you can copy/paste under the cut!!)

Original letter written by Jewish Voice for Peace:

I am writing as your constituent to ask that you do everything in your power to press the Biden administration to suspend all weapons shipments to the Israeli military, and oppose all future military funding to Israel. The Israeli government has vowed to push forward with a large-scale military operation in Rafah, even though President Biden has repeatedly said such an operation would be a "red line." On May 7, the Israeli military seized the Rafah border crossing, a crucial passage for humanitarian aid, and ordered 100,000 Palestinians in eastern Rafah to evacuate. The 1.3 million displaced Palestinians sheltering in Rafah will have nowhere to flee should a full invasion commence. Millions of Palestinian lives now hang in the balance. I urge you to do everything in your power to stop this unfolding catastrophe before it's too late. Thank you.

Slight variations I created (so that emails don't get marked as spam for being identical to each other)

Variation 1:

I'm writing to you as your constituent to ask you to do everything you can to pressure the Biden administration into suspending all weapons shipments to the Israeli military and opposing any and all future military funding to Israel! The Israeli government is pushing forward with a large-scale military operation in Rafah. President Biden has repeatedly said such an operation would be a "red line," yet his administration is still supporting this operation. On May 7th 2024, the Israeli military seized the Rafah border crossing, a crucial passage for humanitarian aid, and forced 100,000 Palestinians in eastern Rafah to abandon their homes. 1.3 million Palestinians have been displaced. Those sheltering in Rafah have nowhere to flee during a full invasion. Millions of Palestinian lives now hang in the balance. Their fate lies in the hands on Congress, in your hands. I urge you to do everything in your power to stop this unfolding catastrophe before it's too late. Thank you.

Variation 2:

I'm writing you today to ask that you do everything in your power to convince the Biden administration to stop funding Israel. We have to telk them to stop all shipments of weapons to the Israeli military and oppose all future military funding to Israel. The Israeli government has vowed to push forward with a large-scale military operation in Rafah... President Biden made it clear that such an operation would be a "red line," and yet he continues to fund them. On May 7th of this year, the Israeli military seized the Rafah border crossing, a crucial passage for humanitarian aid, and forced 100,000 Palestinians to flee their own home of Eastern Rafah. Should a full invasion commence, 1.3 million displaced Palestinians sheltering in Rafah will have nowhere safe to go. Millions of Palestinian lives now hang in the balance. I am begging you now, as your constituent, to do everything in your power to stop this unfolding catastrophe before it's too late... Thank you

[saywhat-politics]

MAGA is big mad that Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats have opened up a whistleblower portal for federal employees to report illegal conduct within the Trump administration.

[eugenedebs1920]

What a shame it was when the “conservative” (not sure exactly what they conserve honestly) sect of American society chose a, we’ll call it, unconventional candidate in 2016, the progressive sect also had an unconventional candidate (unconventional in a not insane or malignant narcissist kinda way like the rights candidate though) as well.

The difference is, the right let their self absorbed, racist, batsh*t crazy, compulsive liar win the nomination. The left, they felt a Jewish man with socialist tendencies was too extreme and went with a candidate who could be the very definition of the establishment.

How did that turn out?…….

Bernie Sanders has been fighting for the working class for decades! A no nonsense, straight shooter with fabulous sarcasm. Just dry, subtle and absolutely amazing cynicism.

In this speech he points out some good figures. Hey maga! Listen up because y’all keep defending this sh*t instead of your fellow working class Americans or the Constitution overall.

Elon musk possesses more wealth than the bottom 52% of the American earners. More than likely that’s the vast majority of maga, I know I’m included in that bottom 52%, as are many who have the misfortune of reading this.

The top 1% of American “earners” possess more than the bottom 93% of the Americans workers. I can say with certainty that is anyone reading this. That’s fkn CRAZY!!

While 60% of us are living paycheck to paycheck, just a handful of people own all but 7% of the available capital.

You gotta look at it like this. There’s only a certain amount of money to be made in the U.S. If there was an infinite amount, the dollar would be worthless. Let’s break it down into hundreds. There’s a hundred bucks to split between one hundred people. One guy gets $93 and the other 99 of us split $7.

I think the top 10% can pay a higher percentage than the 40% tax rate 93% of us do.

Call me crazy. Call me dumb. But they can afford to pitch in more to our country. 🇺🇸

[montanabohemian]

i think the most depressing thing about andor is realizing that we (in the u.s. because star wars has always been a scathing commentary of the american empire) don't and will never have our own senators mothma and organa. we're just fucked.

[nando161mando]

U.S. corporate media is struggling…the kids have figured it out

[relaxedstyles]

[martyr-mayhem]

Please call your Representatives and Senators TODAY to let them know that you are looking to them to vote NO on the Republican budget proposal, and that you will stand behind them for standing strong, even if a government shutdown results.

Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass anything, but instead of negotiating in good faith, they’re pushing a MAGA budget disaster. On Saturday, House Republicans introduced a new continuing resolution (CR) that would run through the end of the 2025 fiscal year.

Their proposed long-term CR would slash essential programs, attack basic rights, and – worst of all – hand unchecked power over federal spending to Trump, Elon Musk, and their billionaire allies.

Democrats must not fold. They must stand firm and publicly demand a government funding deal that:

1. Guarantees there won’t be any extreme funding cuts in essential programs and any MAGA poison pills attacking abortion rights, LGBTQ+ protections, and immigrant communities

2. Guarantees real, ironclad protections to stop Trump and Musk from hijacking federal spending. The lawlessness must end.

We need to communicate to our Members of Congress our insistence that they vote AGAINST the Republican CR. They need to hear from us because they’re undoubtedly feeling pressure to vote for it. They know that Republicans and some of the media will try to pin the blame for a government shutdown on Democrats if the CR doesn’t pass. We need to let our MOCs know that we will stand behind them for their vote against that CR, even if that means a temporary government shutdown.

[deadpresidents]

Congratulations, America. It looks like Republicans will definitely win the Senate, which will allow a Republican President to push through judicial appointments much more easily, and the next President will probably appoint at least two Supreme Court justices. That's going to directly impact your life for the rest of your lives. Remember how I always say ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES? These were always the consequences.

[sparkly-trashfire]

Banging my knives on the table.

Ides! Ides! Ides! Ides!

[remindertoclick]

This is your reminder to Click for Palestine today!

And donate directly to UNRWA you have the means!

[saywhat-politics]

Sen. Reed: "You signed a contract with a company to reconfigure the [Qatari jet]. What is the price of that contract?”

Pete Hegseth: “That cannot be revealed.”

Reed: “This is the Appropriations Committee of the United States Senate. We appropriate the money that you will spend.”

[eugenedebs1920]

I know this may come as a shock to all of us but. Donald Trump lied on the campaign trail! 😳

Turns out, just like everyone said, that his tax plan would exponentially benefit the top 10% and leave the rest of us footing the bill.

He said no tax on tips: lie

He said no tax on overtime pay: lie

He said no tax on Social Security benefits: lie

And the Republicans are ready to jam this thing through. Why?

Because they don’t give a sh*t about the working class. They don’t give a sh*t about the middle class. They don’t give a sh*t about the elderly. And they sure as sh*t don’t care about the working poor.

We can only hope one day those who vote Republican will abandon their disdain for the liberal values of honest pay for honest work. The virtues of fair tax policies, even amongst the upper class. The integrity to show respect to all humans despite their race, sex, religion (or lack thereof), sexual preference, immigration status or gender identity.

Until then. The overwhelming majority of Americans will be stuck in this endless cycle of debt, overworked, underpaid, exploited and forgotten.

If we joined together there is no change, no success, no aspiration we couldn’t achieve.

The U in USA is for United. Let’s do that…

🇺🇸

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Earth Day History

Earth Day, first observed on 22 April 1970, is considered the beginning of the modern environmental movement.

As a response to increasing environmental concerns, like the oil spill in Santa Barbara in 1969, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day to raise awareness about how to protect the environment.

Nelson and activist Denis Hayes organized teach-ins on college campuses that included various groups and organizations, drawing inspiration from protest teach-ins of the era.

With this massive mobilization, the U.S. developed key environmental laws and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created.

Earth Day 2024 Theme

The theme of Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics.”

This is about fighting the big problem of plastic all over the world. Earth Day organization wants to bring people from different places together.

The goal is to make much less plastic, 60% less by 2040.

We want a future without so much plastic. This is not just about having less trash, but it is also about keeping us and the environment healthy.

[anonymousaccount1015]

2026 Senate elections

Very early impressions for the 2026 Senate elections are that Ossoff (D) in Georgia, Collins (R) in Maine, and Tillis (R) in North Carolina will be the closest contested seats. If Senate Democrats are able to sweep all three, this won’t immediately win them the Senate back (it would go 49-51 best case scenario, assuming no other flips).

Here are states that we have to retain.

Peters (D) in Michigan is retiring which leaves a vacant Democratic seat in a state that Trump won. Peters (D) in Michigan, as well as Smith (D) in Minnesota, had very underwhelming performances the last time their seats were up. Peters (D) kind of leaves office partly disgraced, given he oversaw the unfortunate circumstances on the Senate map in 2024 (particularly regional upsets in Ohio, with Sherrod Brown, and especially Pennsylvania).

I’m unsure who runs to replace Peters, though I feel pretty optimistic about the field that’s forming to replace Smith, especially current Lieutenant Governor Flanagan.

Hassan (D) in New Hampshire is the third confirmed Democratic retirement. This was a state which Harris still managed to carry but was unexpectedly close (given the national conditions). She’s likely made the political calculation that her reelection would be kind of an uphill battle.