STOP ONE OF THE WORST PIECES OF DIRTY-ENERGY LEGISLATION TO COME BEFORE CONGRESS

Congressional representatives who collectively take millions of dollars from industrial polluters want nothing to stand in the way of their donors’ attempts to suck every bit of oil and gas from America’s oceans and lands.

Their latest assault on our public lands and waters is the SECURE American Energy Act, which reads like Big Oil’s ultimate wish list. This bill begs for oil and gas development onshore and offshore while gutting laws aimed at protecting our environment and wildlife. Americans are ready and willing to stand up to protect our lands, waters and wildlife, but provisions of this bill would ensure that the public is unable to participate in decisions about how our natural heritage and resources are managed.

The House of Representatives is about to vote on this bill. Contact your representative today and tell them to oppose the SECURE Act!

The SECURE American Energy Act is one of the worst pieces of dirty-energy legislation to come before Congress. It would:

*Make it easier for oil and gas companies to kill and injure hundreds of thousands of marine mammals through seismic blasting and drilling
*Strip presidents of their authority to remove offshore areas from oil and gas development
*Take away presidential power to establish marine national monuments
*Prioritize fracking on public land over public uses such as recreation

The reality is that the oil and gas industry already owns the leases to millions of acres of public lands and waters, as well as thousands of drilling permits that they’re not using. In fact, more fossil fuels have already been sold than can be extracted and burned, if we’re to avoid dangerous levels of global warming.

Earthjustice is fighting to protect our oceans and coastal communities from dangerous extractive interests. Our lawyers are representing a coalition of Alaska Native and conservation groups fighting Trump’s reversal of the ban on new drilling in most of the Arctic Ocean and key portions of the Atlantic. If the SECURE American Energy Act is passed, we’ll keep fighting back in court.

But with your help, we can stop this dirty, dangerous bill here. Contact your representative TODAY and tell them to oppose the SECURE American Energy Act!

Your personalized message will be added along with the following letter:

I urge you to oppose the SECURE American Energy Act and protect our oceans and public lands

Dear Representative,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the "Strengthening the Economy with Critical Untapped Resources to Expand American Energy Act," or SECURE American Energy Act. This bill would transfer management authority for the permitting of federal oil and gas resources to states, encourage offshore oil drilling while limiting commonplace safeguards, and gravely weaken protections for marine mammals and migratory birds.

The portion of this bill titled "Opportunities for the Nation and States to Harness Onshore Resources for Energy Act" (ONSHORE) essentially hands control of America's federal lands over to a handful of primarily western states and private interests. The other portion, titled "Accessing Strategic Resources Offshore" (ASTRO) takes an extreme approach to managing our offshore resources by eliminating and modifying commonsense management tools, putting coastal communities, economies, marine life and oceans at risk.

This legislation will place our valued public lands, waters, oceans and coastlines at significant risk, and curtail public involvement in their responsible management for present and future generations. Thank you for considering my concerns. I strongly urge you to oppose this bill.

NOTE FROM DESKTOP ACTIVIST

I've heard that snail mail has more impact. But a letter takes more time because it has to go through security. So you might try a post card TODAY.

Please, vote no on the SECURE American Energy Act. It encourages offshore oil drilling while limiting commonplace safeguards. It weakens protections for marine mammals and migratory birds. 

Snail mail postcards or deliver to her office: 

Rep. Martha McSally

4400 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85711

Here's her number: Phone: (520) 881-3588

I actually got a hold of someone there yesterday and again today. In fact, Kyle took good notes to be sure she got it right!

Stop the Trump Tax Scam: Call Sens. McCain and Flake

Sens. McCain and Flake just voted to give corporations and the ultra-wealthy a huge tax give-away, but the Trump Tax Scam is not law yet. With enough pressure Sens. McCain and Flake can still stop Trump's plan to slash the corporate tax rate while raising taxes on seniors and working families. Can you make a call today? Click below for a sample script and the number to call:

Republicans – including Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake – just voted to advance the Trump Tax Scam. This fight is still far from over. Even though every single Republican in the Senate voted to move this huge corporate give-away forward, we can still stop the Trump Tax Scam.1 Sens. McCain and Flake's constituents know that they just voted to advance a bill that will hurt middle- and lower-income families while giving Trump and his wealthiest friends a huge tax handout.2,3,4 We need to show them what overwhelming opposition looks like. As we showed when we stopped Trumpcare, our collective action makes a difference. Now we must ramp up the pressure on Sens. McCain and Flake to stop this dumpster fire of a bill in its tracks. Call Sens. McCain and Flake: No tax handouts for the wealthy and big corporations. Click here to get started with your calls. Republicans are desperate to deliver a win to their corporate donors, and the Trump Tax Scam is a massive handout to corporations and the wealthiest Americans. They are trying to pull the wool over their constituents' eyes with the false promise of tax cuts for working Americans, but in reality, the Trump Tax Scam would be devastating.5 The Trump Tax Scam would: Repeal the deduction for state and local taxes, used by the majority of middle class taxpayers, and strain budgets for local services 6 Allow massive amounts of wealth to accumulate untaxed by raising the cap and then eliminating the estate tax – a tax paid only by the ultra-wealthy.7 Slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to just 20 percent – less than what most workers would pay.8 Allow tax dodgers to get away with refusing to pay their fair share by eliminating the alternative minimum tax, which has been a safeguard against the ultra-wealthy like Donald Trump paying virtually nothing in taxes.9 Sneakily undermine health care by repealing the individual mandate.10 Increase the burden of health care costs by eliminating the deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses.11 Strike an intentional blow to abortion rights and lay the groundwork for banning abortion outright by enshrining the language “unborn child” into the federal tax code.12 Make higher education even more unaffordable by eliminating the deduction for student loan interest and ending exemptions for graduate students paid for research work or teaching while in school.13 Reduce incentives for consumers to purchase clean energy vehicles.14 Jeopardize the fragile natural environment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by opening it up to drilling in order to pay for corporate tax handouts.15 Republicans need to know that going along with Trump’s greedy and cruel tax plan will be devastating for everyone but the 1%. CREDO activists made more than 10,000 calls to key House Republicans, and two of them voted the right way.16 We need just three Republicans to stand up to Trump in the Senate – and Sens. McCain and Flake could be the deciding vote. Will you call now to tell them we are watching and that it is unacceptable for them to do anything less than fully resist Trump’s tax scam? Call key Sens. McCain and Flake: No tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. Click the link below to get started with your calls. https://act.credoaction.com/call/trump-taxes-calls-2017/?t=7&akid=26205%2E3130208%2EMA7R_D Kaili Lambe, Director of Organizing CREDO Action from Working Assets Click below for a sample script and the number to call: References: U.S. Senate, “Roll Call Vote 115th Congress - 1st Session," accessed Nov. 29, 2017. Jonathan Easley, “Poll: Majority oppose GOP tax-reform bill,” The Hill, Nov. 16, 2017. Alan Rappaport, “Republicans May Use Cuts in Entitlement Programs to Reduce Deficit,” The New York Times, Nov. 15, 2017. Binyamin Appelbaum, “Trump Tax Plan Benefits Wealthy, Including Trump,” The New York Times, Sept. 27, 2017. Josh Barro, “Here's how the Trump tax plan would raise taxes on many middle-income families,” Business Insider, Sept. 28, 2017. Michael Leachman, "House Tax Bill’s Changes to State and Local Tax Deductions Would Hurt States,” The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Nov 2. 2017. Long, “The House is voting on its tax bill Thursday. Here’s what is in it.” Americans for Tax Fairness, “13 Terrible Things About the House Republican Tax Plan,” Nov. 2 2017. Appelbaum, “Republicans May Use Cuts in Entitlement Programs to Reduce Deficit.” Jennifer Haberkorn, Seung Min Kim and Bernie Becker, “Senate GOP adding Obamacare mandate repeal to tax bill, senators say,” POLITICO, Nov. 14, 2017. Americans for Tax Fairness, “13 Terrible Things About the House Republican Tax Plan.” Charles P. Pierce, "This Tax Bill Isn't Just Bad Economics. It's Got a Backdoor Anti-Abortion Measure, Too," Esquire, Nov. 3, 2017. Heather Long, “The House is voting on its tax bill Thursday. Here’s what is in it.” The Washington Post, Nov. 16, 2017. Ibid. Dino Grandoni, “The Energy 202: ANWR drilling is one step closer to happening,” The Washington Post, Nov. 16, 2017. K.K. Rebecca Lai, Wilson Andrews and Alicia Parlapiano, “How Every Member Voted on the House Tax Bill,” The New York Times, Nov. 16, 2017.

#GOPtaxscam up for a vote today! Contact your senators now!

This is it. The #GOPtaxscam is supposed to go for a vote in the Senate TODAY. Time to bombard them with faxes, tweets, facebook posts and messages on their websites! 

Call 202-224-3121 to tell your Senators to vote no.

Click here to send a letter to your senators today. - Scripts from Trumptaxscam.org

*to tweet - see links below

If you have a cell phone, you can contact your senators on RESISTBOT.
Text the word resist to 50409 and answer the questions it asks. You'll be talking to a bot, not a person when you text, so answer just as asked or it won't understand you. 

Arizona constituents: When I tried to call Sen. Flake's office Wednesday afternoon the mail box was full. (520) 575-8633. They are answering today!  Time we bombard Sens. Flake and McCain with phone calls, faxes, tweets and messages! Let's make 'em listen to us!

You can fax for free on the internet at:  freefax.com

Here's Sen. Flake's fax numbers: 

Washington, D.C. Office fax: 202-228-0515
Phoenix Office fax: 602-840-4092
Tucson Office fax: 520-797-3232

Tweet Flake at: @SenFlakeStaff

Here's Sen. Flake's website contact form:
https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff

Sen. McCain's phone: (520) 670-6334
Here's Sen. McCain's fax numbers:

Phoenix Office fax: (855) 952-8702
Tucson Office fax: (855) 952-8702
Washington Office fax: (202) 228-2862

Tweet him @SenJohnMcCain

Here's Sen. McCain's website contact form:
https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

----

Six key senators haven’t decided whether or not to support a tax bill that puts health coverage on the line for millions — and they could cast a deciding vote this week.

Our Arizona senators are two of the six senators — so make sure you speak out today. These key lawmakers need to hear from as many of us as possible before they vote. Here's an easy way to tweet them — to make sure they reject any tax bill that puts health coverage at risk.

GOP tax scam passed out of the committee and is heading to the Senate floor for a vote TOMORROW (Thurs. Nov 30)

In case you had any question on how it works...

This is it. If it passes, it will give the wealthiest Americans a huge tax cut on the backs of American workers, students, and retirees.(1) For millions of people, it will sacrifice the American Dream so that even more of our country's wealth will flow to the 1%.

We can win this battle against the GOP-Trump tax cuts. Numerous GOP senators have vacillated in their support of this bill. Even GOP voters hate this bill -- this tax cut is less popular than the last tax increase!(2)

Why? Besides making the rich richer while taxing the working and middle classes more, the bill’s Obamacare provision would lead to 13 million more uninsured people and a 10% increase in the cost of insurance premiums.(3) That’s bad news for all of us.

But despite how unpopular this horrible bill is, a number of Senate Republicans who had previously opposed the bill now appear to be caving to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump.(4) 

- the Courage Campaign

 

Footnotes:
1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwasik/2017/11/29/how-the-gop-tax-plan-scrooges-middle-class-retired-and-poor/#11bcd5fe6c1e
2. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-gop-tax-cuts-are-even-more-unpopular-than-past-tax-hikes
3. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/collins-individual-mandate-tax-bill-reinsurance-alexander-murray
4. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/362249-trump-opens-gop-eyes-on-tax-reform

NOTE from Desktop Activist:

When I tried to call Sen. Flake's office Wednesday afternoon the mail box was full. (520) 575-8633. Hopefully, they've emptied it by today.  How about we bombard Sens. Flake and McCain with faxes, tweets and messages! Let's make 'em listen to us!

Here's Sen. Flake's fax numbers:

Washington, D.C. Office fax: 202-228-0515
Phoenix Office fax: 602-840-4092
Tucson Office fax: 520-797-3232

Tweet Flake at: @SenFlakeStaff

Here's Sen. Flake's website contact form:
https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff

Here's Sen. McCain's fax numbers:

Phoenix Office fax: (855) 952-8702
Tucson Office fax: (855) 952-8702
Washington Office fax: (202) 228-2862

Tweet him @SenJohnMcCain

Here's Sen. McCain's website contact form:
https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

Click here to send a letter to your senators today.

Scripts from Trumptaxscam.org

Six key senators haven’t decided whether or not to support a tax bill that puts health coverage on the line for millions — and they could cast a deciding vote this week.

Our Arizona senators are two of the six senators — so make sure you speak out today. These key lawmakers need to hear from as many of us as possible before they vote. Here's an easy way to tweet them — to make sure they reject any tax bill that puts health coverage at risk.

Tell FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: Don’t kill net neutrality.

Just as we feared, Trump's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman has moved to kill net neutrality – and it's even worse than we thought. His proposed rules would change the internet from an open platform for free speech and innovation to just another corporate profit center.

The FCC is expected to vote on the rules killing net neutrality on Dec. 14.We need to make sure that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and the other FCC commissioners hear our massive opposition loud and clear before they cast their votes.

Tell FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: Don’t kill net neutrality. Click here to sign the petition.

The FCC's plan to kill net neutrality is wildly unpopular. In fact, a recent poll found that 77 percent of Americans want to keep the net neutrality rules in place.¹ But so far, Pai isn't listening. That's why we are turning up the volume between now and the FCC vote with petitions, calls to Congress and in-person actions.

Under net neutrality rules, the internet is classified as a protected utility. Internet providers can’t block content, slow traffic, or create “fast lanes” to prioritize websites whose owners pay more.² Net neutrality protects our rights to free speech, safeguards our privacy and allows innovation, organizing and economic opportunity.

But now Pai wants the FCC to completely give up its role in protecting internet users. His plan would allow internet providers to censor websites, throttle speeds and demand that sites "pay to play" – allowing large companies and wealthy insiders to control the content we see.³ This is just one more way that the Trump administration is siding with corporations over the rest of us. Now more than ever, we cannot allow corporations or their government friends to limit our freedom to organize, communicate and access information.

Tell FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to drop his plan to kill neutrality. Click the link below to sign the petition:

https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Pai-netneutrality?t=7&akid=26181%2E3130208%2ENLj-MW

- Brandy Doyle, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets

Add your name:

References:

1. Sam Gustin, "Most Americans support the net neutrality rules that Trump’s FCC wants to kill," Vice, July 10, 2017.
2. Jeff Sommer, "What net neutrality rules say,” The New York Times, March 12, 2015.
3. Corynne McSherry et al., "A lump of coal in the internet’s stocking: FCC poised to gut net neutrality rules," Electronic Frontier Foundation, Nov. 27, 2017.

Sens. McCain and Flake: Listen to our calls!

All week, you’ve made calls, you’ve shown up… you’ve gotten loud. Now it’s time for us to get M-A-D.

Yesterday, in a razor-thin, party-line vote, the Senate Budget Committee passed the #TrumpTaxScam out of committee 12 votes to 11. The bill now heads to the Senate floor where it’s likely Members will vote on a Motion to Proceed (a pre-vote vote) this afternoon and will likely take a final vote on the bill this week.

We’re going to be honest, this will be close. It appears that Republicans have the votes to pass this wretched bill and they could vote on the full Senate floor as early as Friday afternoon. But this is the same exact scenario we experienced right before defeating the health care repeal in July. We can still do this.

Senators Flake and McCain must keep hearing from you. In Arizona alone, 1,017,100 families will see a tax increase by 2027. On top of that, 282,000 families would lose their health coverage by 2025 and many others would see their premiums increase by $2,060 in 2019.

We’re running out of time to stop this bill. So keep up the hard work:

1. Show up. Visit your Senator’s in-district office as often as you can between now and the final vote. Use our event organizing guide to plan your event and then register your event so others can find it here.
   
2. Make a call. Jam those phone lines. Get your friends and family to call. Make sure your voice is counted before your Senators go to vote.

Use our call scripts to inform your conversation with Senators Flake and McCain, and let them know just how much you hate this bill. We’ve set up a toll-free number (1-855-980-2350) to make it easier to call your Senators. It’ll randomly dial one of your Senators on the first call. Then, if you call back, you’ll get your other Senator.

- Indivisible 

Tell your Rep: Protect Dreamers! Pass the Dream Act!

Call 1-888-778-6856 to be connected to your Members of Congress. Simply tell them your name, where you are from, and urge them to support immigrant youth by doing everything they can to pass a clean Dream Act by the end of the year. It will take only five minutes of your time, but will make a big difference.

Every day that Congress fails to pass a clean Dream Act, an average of 122 DACA recipients lose their status and protection. Since President Trump rescinded DACA, more than 10,000 undocumented youth are no longer legally allowed to work or protected from deportation.

-Hilary, Renata, Antonio, and Evelyn

Note from Jana: I actually got a hold of Rep. McSally's staffer with this number!

The Trump Tax Scam is now Trumpcare!

Make a call to key Senate Republicans: Stop Trump’s handout for the wealthy and big corporations

Donald Trump wants to reward tax-dodging corporations and the ultra-wealthy with a huge tax handout while raising taxes on everyone else and slashing the social safety net. Cruel and craven Republicans in the House voted this month to pass his bill, but a few key Senate Republicans have the power to stop it from becoming law and they need to hear from you. Can you make a call today? Click below for a sample script and the number to call:

Recently cruel and craven Republicans in the House voted in favor of a huge giveaway to corporations and the wealthiest Americans. Now the fight turns to the Senate, where the bill would sneakily repeal part of the Affordable Care Act.1 Senate Republicans may try to rush a vote on the Trump-Tax Scam-turned-Trumpcare as early as this week.2 The Trump tax scam would make deep cuts to the social safety net and raise taxes on middle- and lower-income families – all while giving Trump and his wealthy friends trillions in handouts.3,4 As we showed when we stopped Trumpcare, our collective action makes a difference, and now that the Trump Tax Scam is Trumpcare all over again, we must show up in force to stop this dumpster fire of a bill in its tracks. Call key Republican senators: No tax handouts for the wealthy and big corporations. Click here to get started with your calls. Republicans are desperate to deliver a win to their corporate donors, and the Trump Tax Scam is a massive handout to corporations and the wealthiest Americans. They are trying to pull the wool over their constituents' eyes with the false promise of tax cuts for working Americans, but in reality the Trump Tax Scam would be devastating.5 The Trump tax scam would: Repeal the deduction for state and local taxes, used by the majority of middle-class taxpayers, and strain budgets for local services. 6 Allow massive amounts of wealth to accumulate untaxed by raising the cap and then eliminating the estate tax – a tax paid only by the ultra-wealthy.7 Slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to just 20 percent – less than what most workers would pay.8 Allow tax dodgers to get away with refusing to pay their fair share by eliminating the alternative minimum tax, which has been a safeguard against the ultra-wealthy like Donald Trump paying virtually nothing in taxes.9 Sneakily undermine health care by repealing the individual mandate.10 Increase the burden of health care costs by eliminating the deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses.11 Strike an intentional blow to abortion rights and lay the groundwork for banning abortion outright by enshrining the language “unborn child” into the federal tax code.12 Make higher education even more unaffordable by eliminating the deduction for student loan interest and ending exemptions for graduate students paid for research work or teaching while in school.13 Reduce incentives for consumers to purchase clean energy vehicles.14 Jeopardize the fragile natural environment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by opening it up to drilling in order to pay for corporate tax handouts.15 Republicans need to know that going along with Trump’s greedy and cruel tax plan will be devastating for everyone but the 1%. CREDO activists made more than 10,000 calls to key House Republicans, and two of them voted the right way.16 We need just three Republicans to stand up to Trump in the Senate. Will you call now to tell them we are watching and that it's unacceptable for them to do anything less than fully resist Trump’s tax scam? Call key Republican senators: No tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. Click the link below to get started with your calls. https://act.credoaction.com/call/Stop_Trump_Tax_Scam_Senate/?t=7&akid=26177%2E3130208%2EmLobc_ - Kaili Lambe CREDO Action from Working Assets Click below for a sample script and the number to call: References: Heather Long, “The House is voting on its tax bill Thursday. Here’s what is in it.” The Washington Post, Nov. 16, 2017. Ashley Killough and Lauren Fox, “Here are the Senate Republicans who will decide the fate of the tax bill,” CNN, Nov. 20, 2017. Alan Rappaport, “Republicans May Use Cuts in Entitlement Programs to Reduce Deficit,” The New York Times, Nov. 15, 2017. Binyamin Appelbaum, “Trump Tax Plan Benefits Wealthy, Including Trump,” The New York Times, Sept. 27, 2017. Josh Barro, “Here's how the Trump tax plan would raise taxes on many middle-income families,” Business Insider, Sept. 28, 2017. Michael Leachman, "House Tax Bill’s Changes to State and Local Tax Deductions Would Hurt States,” The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Nov 2. 2017. Long, “The House is voting on its tax bill Thursday. Here’s what is in it.” Americans for Tax Fairness, “13 Terrible Things About the House Republican Tax Plan,” Nov. 2 2017. Appelbaum, “Republicans May Use Cuts in Entitlement Programs to Reduce Deficit.” Jennifer Haberkorn, Seung Min Kim and Bernie Becker, “Senate GOP adding Obamacare mandate repeal to tax bill, senators say,” POLITICO, Nov. 14, 2017. Americans for Tax Fairness, “13 Terrible Things About the House Republican Tax Plan.” Charles P. Pierce, "This Tax Bill Isn't Just Bad Economics. It's Got a Backdoor Anti-Abortion Measure, Too," Esquire, Nov. 3, 2017. Long, “The House is voting on its tax bill Thursday. Here’s what is in it.” Ibid. Dino Grandoni, “The Energy 202: ANWR drilling is one step closer to happening,” The Washington Post, Nov. 16, 2017. K.K. Rebecca Lai, Wilson Andrews and Alicia Parlapiano, “How Every Member Voted on the House Tax Bill,” The New York Times, Nov. 16, 2017.

Tell Senate Democrats not to bargain away EPA funding

Foam on the polluted Androscoggin River seen from North Bridge at Lewiston Textile Center, Maine 1973.

Trump, EPA Administrator Pruitt and Republicans in Congress don’t just want to ignore global warming—they are bound and determined to accelerate it.

The funding for our entire government is set to expire by December 8, the end of next week. Trump and the GOP see this as an opportunity to cut the Environmental Protection Agency by as much as 30 percent.

But they can’t slash the EPA budget unless Senate Democrats help them. 

Tell Senate Democrats: Stop Trump from gutting our environmental protections!

Before the EPA

If Trump and Pruitt get their way, the carbon profiteers will be free to keep destroying our climate while the rest of us pay the price. And then they’ll pump those profits back into distorting and destroying our democracy—just this week, it was announced that the Time media empire is being sold to a group of investors backed by the Koch brothers.

If every Democrat votes the right way, the Senate can stop Trump and Pruitt from gutting our environmental protections. We need to send the message that our planet isn’t a bargaining chip. If every Senate Democrat stands together, they can still stop this attack on our environment and public health. But unless they know the public cares about this issue, our protections could be bargained away as part of a larger deal.

Add your name to this critical joint petition to protect our climate.

Tell Senate Democrats: “Publicly announce that you will filibuster any legislation that cuts the Environmental Protection Agency below its current funding level.”

- Brad from Climate Hawks

References

Senate bill would cut EPA funding by $150M, The Hill
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/361250-senate-bill-would-cut-epa-funding-by-150m

House bill would cut EPA funding by $528M, The Hill
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/341507-house-bill-would-cut-epa-funding-by-528m

Trump's fiscal 2018 budget would slash EPA spending by 30%, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/19/politics/congress-epa-final-budget-cuts/index.html

The U.S. Senate is set to vote — this week — on a dangerous tax bill that opens up the Arctic Refuge to drilling

It's crunch time in our fight to save the magnificent Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil companies and their fossil fuel backers in Congress.

The U.S. Senate is set to vote — this week — on a dangerous tax bill that opens up the Arctic Refuge to drilling while giving a massive tax break to corporate polluters and the super-rich.

Oil companies have been chomping at the bit for decades to get access to the oil under the Arctic Refuge, and some pro-polluter members of Congress — with full backing of President Trump — are working overtime to give it to them ... unless we can put a stop to it.

Before the Senate votes this week, the NRDC Action Fund and our friends across the environmental movement are targeting a handful of senators whom we might be able to sway to vote NO on this terrible tax bill. These include Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), John McCain (Arizona), Joe Manchin (West Virginia), Bob Corker (Tennessee), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), Rob Portman (Ohio), Cory Gardner (Colorado), and Dean Heller (Nevada).

That's where Arizona residents like you come in. Please call Senator John McCain today (and again tomorrow) in his Capitol office at (202) 224-2235 and ask him to oppose this egregious tax bill.

Tell the senator's staff person your name and where you live.

Then tell them that you urge the senator to vote NO on any tax bill that tries to pay for corporate tax breaks by opening the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

Why the Arctic Refuge Must be Protected:

Turning the Arctic Refuge over to oil companies would jeopardize our nation's largest denning site for pregnant polar bears ... the last home of 350 shaggy muskoxen ... the birthing ground for the 197,000-member Porcupine caribou herd ... and the culture and survival of the region's Gwich'in people.

The refuge is one of the last unspoiled ecosystems on earth — and it's too important to sell off to oil giants so Congress can pay for tax cuts for the people and polluting companies that need them the least.

What's Next:

The House of Representatives already passed its own version of this terrible tax bill (the House version also eliminates the electric vehicle tax credit and undermines support for wind and solar power). If we fail to stop the Senate's tax bill, a compromise will need to be hammered out between the two versions. We'll be in touch with you again in the critical days ahead with next steps in our fight.

We have been fighting to keep the oil companies at bay in Alaska's Arctic Refuge for decades. We can't give up now.

So, please call Senator John McCain at (202) 224-2235 and urge him to vote NO on a tax bill that opens the Arctic Refuge to oil drilling.

- Rhea Suh
President, NRDC Action Fund

You can also leave a message on Sen. McCain's website HERE. 

Stop the donor payback scam...eh, I mean Republican tax plan

On Thursday, the Senate is expected to vote on the Republican tax plan that provides tax breaks for high-income households and corporations including so-called “pass-through” entities such as hedge funds and private equity firms. The bill could also result in automatic cuts to Medicare, starting as soon as 2018. Instead of tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations―paid for by cutting critical services for working families―call your Senators and tell them to reject Donald Trump and Republican leaders’ tax plan. Here’s a suggested call script:

Call: 888-516-5820 My name is _______. I live in TOWN, STATE and I’m a constituent of the Senator's. I want Senator [NAME] to OPPOSE the Senate tax plan that delivers huge tax cuts to America’s wealthiest families and corporations. Instead of tax breaks for hedge funds and private equity firms ―paid for with cuts to Medicare and Medicaid―we need a tax plan that invests in our country’s future.

This is how we stopped Trumpcare. Millions of Americans stood up and made our voices heard. Let’s stand together now to stop this disastrous tax plan that benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of working families.

- Josh Bivens, Economic Policy Institute


I left a message at Sen. Flake's Washington office: 202-224-4521 and his website: https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff

Maybe we should try faxing...

Washington, D.C. Office
F: 202-228-0515

Phoenix Office
F: 602-840-4092

Tucson Office
F: 520-797-3232