Tell JPMorgan Chase: Stop financing private prisons and immigrant detention centers

Petition to all major banks that finance or profit from private prisons and immigrant detention, including JPMorgan Chase, reads: “Stop financing corporations like CoreCivic and The Geo Group that build and manage private prisons and immigrant detention centers and make enormous profits from the suffering of immigrants and communities of color." Add your name:

Who wins when the Trump regime fails to reunite families it tore apart at the border? Banks like JPMorgan Chase. JPMorgan Chase is one of the biggest investors in CoreCivic and The Geo Group, private prison corporations that build and manage hundreds of horrific immigrant detention centers across the country.1 Trump's mass incarceration and deportation agenda is a boon for their business and the banks that finance them stand to make millions from the pain of immigrant communities. To end Trump's war on immigrants, we must expose and hold accountable the financial institutions that are enabling and profiting from his cruel and racist regime. Speak out now to demand that JPMorgan Chase stop financing Trump's hate. Tell JPMorgan Chase and all major banks: Stop financing private prison and immigrant detention corporations. Click here to sign the petition. Public pressure grows stronger by the day to free and reunite the families Trump separated at the border and imprisoned in inhumane detention facilities. But his cruel administration could not care less. It just missed its second court-imposed deadline to reunite the more than 2,500 children it ripped away from families at the border, and has no plans to roll back the racist policies that created this crisis in the first place.2 Instead, Trump and his craven lapdogs in Congress are trying to ramp up these attacks. ICE locked up more than 30,000 undocumented immigrants a day in inhumane and overcrowded detention centers in 2016.3 Trump’s hateful administration just increased ICE’s incarceration quota to 80,000 immigrants a day and is planning to expand the department’s workforce and infrastructure to reach that daily goal.4 Congressional Republicans are working hard to make this xenophobic nightmare a reality. They just advanced dangerous bills in both chambers of Congress that would expand ICE and CBP and hand Trump tens of millions of dollars to build his southern border wall and more ICE run prisons.5,6 If Trump and his heartless party succeed at passing these bills, private prison corporations, and the banks that finance, them will make huge profits. Immigrants will suffer even more. Private prison corporations CoreCivic and The Geo Group are notorious for exploiting immigrant detainees for cheap labor and forcing them to live in inhumane conditions.7 Nine detainees have filed a class-action lawsuit against The Geo Group for allegedly forcing more than 50,000 immigrants imprisoned in its detention centers to work for less than one dollar a day.8 The U.S. Bureau of Prisons canceled its contract with a CoreCivic prison in New Mexico after reports of its cruel treatment of sick inmates gained national attention.9 Now, ICE has contracted with the same prison to detain immigrants, without demanding any changes to the institution’s practices. That is unacceptable. Trump and Republicans’ immigration crackdown means more immigrant arrests, more taxpayer funded corrupt detention facilities and more business for morally bankrupt private prison corporations. We must do everything we can to stop their xenophobic agenda. If we join together now and use our power as consumers and customers to force big banks to get out of the mass incarceration and deportation business, we can block Trump and Republicans' racist plans. That's why we're teaming up with our friends at Make the Road New York, Mom’s Rising, Presente and other members of the Families Belong Together Corporate Accountability Coalition to make sure JPMorgan Chase feels the full force of our resistance. Will you add your name now? Tell JPMorgan Chase and all major banks: Stop financing private prison and immigrant detention corporations. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/jpmc_backersofhate_2018?t=7&akid=29488%2E3130208%2Ej02KNm - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Katie Lobosco, "Immigrant advocates attack banks for financing private prisons," CNN, July 26, 2018. Patrick Greenfield, "Family separation: hundreds of migrant children still not reunited with families in US," The Guardian, July 26, 2018. Madison Pauly, "The Private Prison Industry Is Licking Its Chops Over Trump’s Deportation Plans," Mother Jones, Feb, 21, 2017. Ibid. Niv Elis, "House panel advances homeland security bill with $5 billion in border wall funding," The Hill, July 25, 2018. Ali Rogin, John Parkinson and Elizabeth Brown-Kaiser, "Government shutdown looms with impasse over border wall," ABC News, July 30, 2018. Madison Pauly, "How a Private Prison Company Used Detained Immigrants for Free Labor," Mother Jones, April 3, 2017. Ibid. Pauly, "The Private Prison Industry Is Licking Its Chops Over Trump’s Deportation Plans."

Tell Congress: Don’t Weaken the Endangered Species Act

Bills that could seriously weaken the Endangered Species Act are making their way through both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The proposed plans would make it harder for species to get protection under the Act and make it easier to strip species of their protected status. These changes would strip protections from the gray wolf, the sage grouse and the American burying beetle.

Another proposal, a rule change from the Department of the Interior, would allow economic interests, like those of the fossil fuel industry, to be taken into consideration when deciding if a species should be granted protections.

If successful, these rollbacks would not only drive American plants and animals towards extinction, they would also open up vast areas of land to extracting fossil fuels. The coal, oil and gas industries are lobbying for these changes, but if we want to fight climate change, we need to keep those fuels in the ground.

This week, we can act on climate by contacting our elected officials and asking them to oppose efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act. When you call, you can say something like this:

“Hello, I’m calling to urge [YOUR OFFICIAL’s NAME] to oppose efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act, including rules that would allow corporate interests to be considered when deciding if a species should receive protections. Thank you.”

- The Years Project 

CONTACT YOUR OFFICIAL

Rep. Martha McSally's website

Sen. John McCain's website

Sen. Jeff Flake's website

More information

Push to Weaken U.S. Endangered Species Act Runs into Roadblocks

Scientists Tell Congress: Don’t Strip Science Out of the Endangered Species Act

Tell your members of Congress: Protect your people from the known dangers of TCE

TCE or trichloroethylene

It’s a known human carcinogen as well as toxic to our immune system, kidneys, and brain. It’s a frequent contaminant of soil and ground water found at Superfund sites and is commonly detected in our air.

Yet the Trump Administration is taking every opportunity to delay proposed bans on key uses of this toxic chemical while simultaneously ignoring many sources of exposure in an ongoing larger assessment of its risks.

It’s time for Congress to take action. Email your elected officials today, and tell them Americans need to be protected from this dangerous chemical.

An EPA 2014 risk assessment of certain key uses of TCE found it presents excessive risk to workers, consumers, and bystanders.

In December 2016, under the nation’s newly strengthened chemical safety law, EPA proposed to ban uses of TCE for aerosol degreasing and spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities. In January 2017, the agency proposed a second ban on its use in vapor degreasing.

But the Trump Administration has taken every opportunity to keep the American people from benefiting from the finalization of these crucial bans — instead opting to delay action and allow the chemical industry to keep putting American’s health at risk.

And if this isn’t already enough, Trump’s EPA is choosing to ignore many important sources of exposure to TCE in a larger ongoing assessment of its risks. Exclusions include emissions to air, releases to landfills, and contaminated drinking water. This would ignore millions of pounds of TCE present throughout the environment.

Trump’s EPA may be answering to the chemical industry but Congress still answers to the people.

Take action today, and tell your elected officials: Protect your people from the known dangers of TCE.

- Heather Shelby, Environmental Defense Fund

Click the link above to send the message below.

Message

Please work to protect the American people from TCE

Dear [Decision Maker],

(Personalize your message for more impact.)

The passage of the Lautenberg Act - finally reforming America's badly broken chemical safety law - was one of the greatest bipartisan successes efforts in recent history. But under the Trump Administration, EPA's atrocious implementation of the law is putting all of that progress at risk. Among other bad decisions, the agency is delaying badly needed bans on key uses of the known human carcinogen trichloroethylene (TCE) and ignoring major sources of exposure to TCE in a larger ongoing evaluation of its risks.

In addition to causing cancer, TCE interferes with early-life development and is toxic to the kidneys, immune system, and central nervous system - among other harmful health effects. It's also a contaminant in the water, land, and air of communities across the country.
With the passage of the Lautenberg Act, Congress updated the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 to give EPA desperately needed authorities to protect the American people from harmful exposures. But now that EPA is refusing to implement the law as written, the American people are relying on you.

Please take action to protect us from this dangerous chemical immediately. Our families and communities are counting on your leadership.

Urge Members of Congress: Fix America's parks by supporting this bipartisan legislation TODAY!

It’s not every day that we come to you with news and an opportunity like this!

Both chambers of Congress -- with strong support from both Republicans and Democrats, plus the Trump administration, have come together around new legislation that begins to address the $11.6 billion in overdue maintenance projects in America’s national parks.

This is truly remarkable and it’s our best opportunity in more than 50 years to get the parks the help they need with much-needed repairs! But for this to happen, Congress needs to know you care.

Urge your members of Congress to do everything they can to fix America's parks by supporting and passing this bipartisan legislation today!

America's national parks suffer from more than $11 billion worth of overdue maintenance needs, such as degraded roads, deteriorated trails and outdated visitor centers.

Thankfully, Republicans, Democrats and the administration recently worked together to craft this legislation that addresses the most critical maintenance needs in our national parks over the next five years.

Congress is to make a significant investment in protecting and repairing America’s national parks for future generations, they simply must hear from you. Tell your members of Congress to support and pass this important legislation today!    

- Emily Douce. Director of Budget & Appropriations

Below is the letter you'll find on the link above. 

(Since Sen. McCain and Rep. McSally proposed a similar bill last year, I suggest that you personalize the letter including that information. ) 

You can also send a your revised letter through their websites:

https://mcsally.house.gov/contact

https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

I'm not sure about Sen. Flake's position on the bill, so the letter (below) would be fine for him.

https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff

As one of the 1.3 million members and supporters of the National Parks Conservation Association and as your constituent, I urge you to do everything you can to support and pass the Restore Our National Parks (and Public Lands) Act (S. 3172/H.R. 6510) that, if enacted, would help address the most critical maintenance needs in America's national parks.

National parks suffer from over $11 billion in overdue repairs such as deteriorated roads, overrun trails, and degraded visitor centers. This consensus bill brings together bipartisan champions from similar legislative proposals striving to address these maintenance issues in our parks.

Please provide the overdue and necessary funding to address the backlog of repairs in national parks by supporting and passing S. 3172/H.R. 6510. If you have already cosponsored this legislation, thank you! Your continued support is crucial.

We must ensure national parks protect America's natural wonders and history for our children and grandchildren. Thank you.

More information:

ttps://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3172/text

Bishop, Grijalva Introduce Bill to Establish a Fund Addressing National Park Maintenance Backlog

Bill would create fund for national park maintenance

In June of 2017, Sen. McCain and Rep. McSally proposed a bill to preserve and revive public lands. 

The Senate must have all of Kavanaugh’s records before holding hearings

Tell the Senate: "Release and review all documents, emails and paperwork associated with Brett Kavanaugh before proceeding with his Supreme Court confirmation process."

Mitch McConnell wants to fast-track Brett Kavanaugh's nomination before October. That is an outrageous timeline. If McConnell gets his way, there will be no time to review the more than 1 million pages of documents from Kavanaugh's career, including important records from his time as White House staff secretary under George W. Bush. It is common practice to release these kinds of documents. The Senate reviewed all of Justice Elena Kagan's documents from her time in Bill Clinton's White House before confirming her. But Republicans are so committed to steamrolling this process and handing Trump the Supreme Court that they are opposing the release of Kavanaugh's records.1

Tell the Senate: Don't fast-track hearings on Brett Kavanaugh. Release and review his records before holding confirmation hearings. Click here to sign the petition.

Republicans don't want to release the records, so they are trying to downplay Kavanaugh's five and a half years as staff secretary in the George W. Bush White House. In that key role, he gave final approval to Bush's controversial "signing statements" that Bush used to circumvent laws passed by Congress, including laws about torture and national security.2 There is even a question of whether Kavanaugh lied under oath about his involvement in deciding Bush's torture policy during his confirmation hearing for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2006.3

Kavanaugh has the longest paper trail of any nominee in history. It's one of the reasons Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to discourage Trump from nominating Kavanaugh.4 It will take significant time to thoroughly review Kavanaugh's papers, and more controversy about his record is likely to emerge.

Earlier this month, two Republicans joined Democrats to block Circuit court nominee Ryan Bounds over his racist writings from college.5 If a judicial nominee's college writing matters, then Kavanaugh's career writing and his time as a key adviser to Bush absolutely must be examined before he is given a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. We have to pile on pressure to make sure that every member of the Senate – starting with the Senate Judiciary Committee – reviews all of Kavanaugh’s documents, emails and paperwork before the confirmation process continues.

Tell the Senate: Don't fast-track hearings on Brett Kavanaugh. Release and review his records before holding confirmation hearings. Click the link below to sign the petition.

https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Kavanaugh_records?t=7&akid=29455%2E3130208%2EQacDFP

- Kaili Lambe, CREDO Action


References:

1. Ali Rogin, "Senate Republicans clash with Democrats over access to Kavanaugh's White House records," ABC News, July 25, 2018.
2. Laurie Kellman, "Kavanaugh denies role in detainee policies," The Boston Globe, May 2, 2006.
3. Michael Kranish, "Kavanaugh’s role in Bush-era detainee debate now an issue in his Supreme Court nomination," The Washington Post, July 18, 2018.
4. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Martin, "McConnell Tries to Nudge Trump Toward Two Supreme Court Options," The New York Times, July 7,2018.
5. John Bowden, "White House formally withdraws Bounds nomination after McConnell cancels vote," The Hill, July 24, 2018.

Finally! Some good news from the EPA! ----- A Win Against Dirty Trucks

We did it! More than 14,000 UCS supporters weighed in with acting EPA Administrator Wheeler and told him to do the right thing on dirty trucks...and it worked!

Andrew Wheeler, acting administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just announced that he won’t follow former Administrator Scott Pruitt in giving super polluting trucks a temporary pass on pollution regulations.

This is an important victory for science-based decision making–and science champions like you played a critical role.

With new shiny shells but old dirty engines, these dirty trucks (or glider vehicles) only make up five percent of the freight fleet, but they emit a third of the pollution for ALL long-haul trucks. And the toxic pollution emitted from these vehicles could cause at least 1,600 premature deaths every year and is hundreds of times more pollution than from new trucks. It’s safe to say that this is a win for public health—especially for folks who live in proximity to trucking corridors.

We may have won this battle, but we aren’t completely out of the woods just yet. The rule to limit the pollution from these vehicles is still under threat, but acting Administrator Wheeler has the power to do the right thing. We’ll be looking to science champions like you to help us push him to, once and for all, kill these dirty trucks. But for now, let’s savor this victory and celebrate!

Thank you for all your support. We won this together.

- Anisha Mehta, Union of Concerned Scientists

EPA COMMENTS OPEN: Tell them to Prevent Chemical Spills Into Water and Protect Drinking Water Sources

FREEDOM INDUSTRIES W. VIRGINIA RELEASED 10,000 GALLONS OF CHEMICALS INTO DRINKING WATER SUPPLY,  JANUARY 13, 2014

In 2014, hundreds of thousands of people in West Virginia faced a crisis. Due to a leak from a chemical storage tank they couldn't use their water for anything other than toilet flushing or firefighting for more than a week. Families were without drinking water, people couldn't shower, businesses had to close.

Environmental justice and environmental organizations sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to force the agency to deal with hazardous spills and leaks from aboveground storage tanks. In late 2016, EPA pledged to develop a program to keep drinking water safe and hold companies that leak or spill chemicals accountable.

Fast forward to June 2018. EPA finally told us what the plan was. And the plan was...nothing. Trump's EPA has decided that it won't protect communities from chemical spills because it wrongly asserts that the risks from spills is low and there are other programs that can handle this issue. Both of those claims are false. 

Help us set Trump's EPA straight. Send a message right now demanding that the agency safeguard communities against the spills and leaks of toxic chemicals.

EPA’s analysis dismisses the impact that chemical spills from storage tanks and other facilities can have on people’s health, on drinking water sources, and on communities’ well-being. Other federal programs do not address this problem comprehensively. Relying on other programs that are not designed to address spills, leaks, and other discharges of hazardous substances from industrial facilities will leave low-income communities and communities of color in jeopardy. These communities are often surrounded by these risky facilities and are already disproportionately impacted by pollution from industrial plants, factories, and power plants.

We need robust plans for prevention of chemical spills, and for containing and cleaning up hazardous substance discharges. Otherwise, there will be gaps in protection for drinking water sources, for people’s health, and for water quality that is safe for swimming, other recreation, fishing, and wildlife.

Take Action (click link to send the message below.) 

In February, 2016 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) settled a lawsuit by committing to develop a program to prevent an clean-up chemical spills into our nation’s water bodies.

Now EPA has unveiled the details of this hazardous spill prevention program: No program!

EPA is accepting comments on this idea until August 24. Help us tell EPA that our drinking water sources, rivers, lakes, and streams from leaking storage tanks and other chemical spills that threaten our health, our water, and wildlife.

Subject: Re: Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2018-0024

The Letter: (Feel free to personalize it for more impact.)

Prevent Chemical Spills Into Water and Protect Drinking Water Sources  

I urge EPA to reconsider its decision not to develop safeguards to prevent spills of hazardous substances into rivers, lakes, streams, and other water bodies. The Clean Water Act directs EPA to set up this program. Existing laws and regulations do not ensure that drinking water sources and all of our water are protected. 

Facilities handling hazardous substances should develop comprehensive plans to prevent discharges into water. 

Send a message to Trump's EPA today. Tell the agency that it's time to stop catering to polluters and to start protecting drinking water and communities throughout the country.

- Lynn Thorp, CLEAN WATER ACTION

More information:

Industrial waste pollutes America’s drinking water

Congress: Make Trump's tax returns public. After Trump's praise for Putin, Americans deserve to see his tax returns immediately

After the shocking spectacle of Trump siding with Putin over U.S. intelligence about Russian influence in America's election, Congress should have no choice but to force Trump to finally release his taxes.

Petition to Congress: “Trump's praise for Vladimir Putin makes it even more urgent that Americans understand the scope of Trump's financial dealings. Make Trump's tax returns public by passing the Presidential Tax Transparency Act or using existing subpoena power.”

Trump has broken with decades of precedent and refused to release his tax returns. So Americans have little idea who his business partners have been, how much money foreign entities are paying him even as he occupies the White House – or how indebted he may be to Russian interests.1 Think about this for a second: Vladimir Putin may know more about Donald Trump's business dealings than the American public. Tell Congress: Make Trump's tax returns public. Sign petition. Even some Republicans are demanding to see Trump's tax returns after his disturbing performance in Helsinki, where he sided with Putin and praised the brutal autocrat.2 Sen. John McCain declared it “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory,” and conservative Rep. Mark Sanford admitted he does not know if Putin has damaging information on Donald Trump.3,4 Without a look at his tax returns, the American public cannot know whether Trump’s current debt or his previous business partnerships obligate him financially to Russian oligarchs aligned with Vladimir Putin. Trump’s debt load increased from $350 to $630 million in 2016, when American banks were reluctant to extend Trump credit.5 In 2008, Trump’s son is claimed to have said, “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.”6 What's more, a government watchdog filed a lawsuit just days after the inauguration claiming that Trump is in violation of the Constitution because any payments to Trump from foreign entities violates the anti-bribery “emoluments” clause of the Constitution.7 It appears clear that Trump is using his position to enrich himself and his family, but without his tax returns, Americans are left wondering if Putin has dirt on the man occupying the White House. Tell Congress: Make Trump's tax returns public. Click here. Congress has multiple options to give the American people access to Trump's tax returns. Chief among them is Sen. Ron Wyden’s Presidential Tax Transparency Act, which would require candidates to release their last three years of tax returns within 15 days of being nominated, or the Federal Election Commission would do it for them.8 Key committees may also have the power to subpoena and release Trump's tax returns to the public. The American people deserve the truth about Donald Trump's businesses and to whom he owes money. If Trump has something to hide, it raises the possibility of intentional Russian blackmail. If not, there's no reason for his tax returns not to be public. Tell Congress: Make Trump's tax returns public. Sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/helsinki_trump_taxes?t=8&akid=29411%2E3130208%2Egbj_8p Heidi Hess, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Avery Anapol, "GOP lawmaker renews call for Trump to release tax returns after Putin summit," The Hill, July 17, 2018. Ibid. Ibid. Sarah Hallam, "John McCain: Trump gave 'one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory,'" CNN, July 16, 2018. Josh Marshall, "Trump & Putin. Yes, It's Really a Thing," Talking Points Memo, July 23, 2016. Tom Hamburger, Rosalind S. Helderman and Michael Birnbaum, "Inside Trump’s financial ties to Russia and his unusual flattery of Vladimir Putin," The Washington Post, June 17, 2016. Kim Bellware, "President Trump Has Already Violated The Constitution, Lawsuit Claims," HuffPost, Jan. 23, 2017. Amber Phillips, "Want your presidential candidates to release their taxes? There’s a bill for that." The Washington Post, Oct. 3, 2016.

Tell Congress: Stop Trump's mass incarceration agenda. Pass the Detention Oversight Not Expansion Act

The petition to Congress reads: "Don't let the Trump administration make the country's mass incarceration crisis even worse. Pass the Detention Oversight Not Expansion Act (S. 2849/H.R. 5820) to block the construction of more immigrant detention centers and increase ICE's oversight and accountability."

No more Trump internment camps. The Trump regime already jails up to 40,000 immigrants a day – including children – in inhumane detention facilities across the country.1 With Trump's DOJ criminally prosecuting all undocumented immigrants, that number will skyrocket. We cannot sit by while Trump's racist regime throws more Brown and Black people behind bars. One way Congress can block Trump's mass incarceration agenda is to stop him from expanding and building more immigrant detention centers. Sen. Kamala Harris' Detention Oversight Not Expansion Act (DONE Act) does exactly that. Speak out now to demand that Congress pass this important bill. Tell Congress: Stop Trump's mass incarceration agenda. Pass the Detention Oversight Not Expansion Act now. Click her to sign the petition. ICE’s mismanagement of the immigration detention system has resulted in a network of hundreds of jails riddled with reports of abuse and human rights violations. Immigrant detainees have filed complaints about excessive solitary confinement, physical abuse, medical neglect that has led to death, and sexual assault in ICE run prisons.2,3 In the vast majority of cases, immigration officers carry out these abuses with relative impunity. More than 95 percent of all cases of alleged misconduct have resulted in “no action taken” by the federal government.4 That is unacceptable. Immigrant detention facilities are also cesspools of corruption. The ACLU is suing a detention center in Georgia for forcing immigrant detainees to work for basic necessities like food and soap.5 No member of Congress should help Trump sanction or expand these horrific immigrant internment camps.6 It's important to remember that before Trump, some undocumented immigrants were free until their day in court, staying with family members or sponsors. Now, Trump has given ICE agents a mandate to jail every undocumented immigrant at the border and the DOJ a directive to criminally prosecute them in mass trials. That's why Trump wants to expand and build more prisons. The DONE Act would obstruct Trump's racist immigration policies by blocking the expansion and construction of new immigrant detention facilities and increasing ICE's oversight and accountability.7 Speak out now to demand that Congress backs this bill. Tell Congress: Stop Trump's mass incarceration agenda. Pass the Detention Oversight Not Expansion Act now. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/done_act?t=7&akid=29399%2E3130208%2EBY-72Q - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Democracy Now, "Investigation: Substandard Medical Care in ICE Detention Is Killing Immigrants, Endangering Lives," June 22, 2018. Alice Speri, "Detained, Then Violated," The Intercept, April 11, 2018. Anna Núñez, "Inhumane Human Rights Violations Found at U.S. Immigration Detention Centers," America's Voice, Dec. 19, 2017. Marie Solis, "New Border Patrol report shows 'no action' in more than 95% of misconduct cases," Mic, Aug. 5, 2017. Catherine E. Shoichet, "Lawsuit alleges 'forced labor' in immigrant detention," CNN, April 17, 2018. Laila Lalami, "How the Trump Administration Is Normalizing Immigrant Internment Camps," The Nation, July 20, 2018. Gabe Ortiz, "Democratic Lawmakers Want Moratorium on New Ice Facilities and Better Oversight of Existing Ones," Alternet, May 17, 2018.

Protect the Mueller investigation.Tell the House: Resist efforts to impeach Rosenstein

Tell the House: "Protect the integrity of Robert Mueller's investigation. Resist the efforts to impeach his supervisor, Rod Rosenstein." Add your name:

Reps. Devin Nunes, Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan along with other Trump lapdogs in the House want to impeach Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Robert Mueller's investigation into Trump's Russia ties.1 It's an outrageous and blatant attempt to discredit Mueller's investigation and protect Trump from Mueller's findings.2 The timing could not be more suspect: According to news reports, Rep. Meadows "had the impeachment document on the floor of the House at the very moment that Rosenstein spoke to reporters and TV cameras" to unveil the indictments of 12 Russian agents last Friday.3 In the wake of Trump's Putin presser and subsequent invitation of Putin to Washington, some Republicans have been critical of Trump, but instead of actually doing something to rein him in, Congress is poised to allow these extremists to give Trump cover by threatening the Mueller investigation. Tell Congress: Protect the integrity of Robert Mueller's investigation. Resist the efforts to impeach Rosenstein. Click here to sign the petition. Of course one of the chief architects behind this gross abuse of power is Rep. Nunes, a former member of the Trump transition team, who has done everything he can to undermine Mueller's investigation – as well as the parallel congressional investigation.4 Purportedly, he was forced to step aside from running the House Russia investigation after sharing classified information directly with the press and the White House in 2017.5 Nunes' most loyal ally in his effort to impeach Rosenstein is Rep. Jordan, who was recently named by Ohio State University survivors as complicit in covering up sexual abuse and seems to have a vendetta against investigations.6,7 Supposedly their attempt to impeach Rosenstein is based on his refusal to turn over classified documents. But given Nunes' history of leaking confidential information, Rosenstein is clearly in the right. Furthermore, the impeachment of a non-cabinet executive branch official is practically unheard of, but Trump and his lapdogs will try anything to undermine Mueller's investigation.8 Earlier this month, the Senate confirmed Trump-appointed Putin-linked Brian Benczkowski to head the Department of Justice Criminal Division, even though Benczkowski refused to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.9 As the new DOJ Criminal Division head, Benczkowski, who previously worked closely with Jeff Sessions, is now in a position where he can leak information about Mueller's probe to Sessions, who is recused, and even to Trump, who may be a subject of the investigation.10 If Nunes, Jordan and other Trump lapdogs succeed in impeaching Rosenstein, Trump could name Benczkowski as Rosenstein's replacement and effectively end Mueller's investigation.11 Tell Congress: Protect the integrity of Robert Mueller's investigation. Resist the efforts to impeach Rosenstein. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Protect_Rosenstein?t=7&akid=29374%2E3130208%2EC-BVgh - Kaili Lambe, CREDO Action  Add your name: References: Rachael Bade and Kyle Cheney, "House conservatives prep push to impeach Rosenstein," POLITICO, July 13, 2018. Fred Wertheimer and Norman Eisen, "In bid to impeach Rod Rosenstein, House Republicans are abusing power to protect Trump," USA Today, July 19, 2018. Bade and Cheney, "House conservatives prep push to impeach Rosenstein." Kelsey Snell, "Who Is Devin Nunes? A Look At The Man Behind The Memo," NPR, Feb. 2, 2018 Spencer Ackerman, "Devin Nunes steps aside from House intelligence committee's Russia inquiry," The Guardian, April 6, 2017. Bob Moser, "Rep. Jim Jordan Is Named in New OSU Sexual Abuse Lawsuit," Rolling Stone, July 18, 2018. Rep. Jim Jordan, "Tweet," July 11, 2018. Wertheimer and Eisen, "In bid to impeach Rod Rosenstein, House Republicans are abusing power to protect Trump." David Shortell and Jeremy Herb, "Senate confirms Justice Department nominee with ties to Russian bank," CNN, July 11, 2018. David Ignatius, "Could this Trump nominee interfere with Mueller?," The Washington Post, March 22, 2018. Pema Levy, "If Trump Fires Rosenstein, This Man Could end up with power over the Russia Investigation," Mother Jones, April 11, 2018.

Tell Congress: Veterans deserve better than Robert Wilkie for Dept. for Veterans Affairs

Petition to the U.S. Senate: "Block and resist Robert Wilkie's nomination to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. His racist and anti-LGBTQ history and record of defending hateful individuals and institutions is unbefitting of the office." Add your name: The brains behind Trump's transgender ban is poised to take over the Department of Veterans Affairs – and that's not the only disqualifying mark on his record.1 Robert Wilkie also proudly defended racists like Jesse Helms and Trent Lott and used racial and homophobic smears to attack Democratic candidates. He is a longtime loyalist to the Confederate cause, regularly appearing at events and supporting organizations that push to display the Confederate flag. Wilkie is just one more example of Trump preferring those who lean toward his own racist, bigoted worldview.2 Wilkie's past affiliations and statements are unbefitting of someone who will have to serve veterans regardless of their race, sexual orientation or gender identity. We need to make it clear that Wilkie has no place as VA secretary. Tell the Senate: Veterans deserve better than Robert Wilkie. Click here to sign the petition. First, Trump fired VA Secretary David Shulkin for opposing the White House's efforts to hand parts of the VA over to Wall Street and for-profit companies. Then, Trump tried to install his unqualified personal doctor, Ronny Jackson, only to see the nomination backfire when Jackson's turbulent history and mismanagement came to light. Now, Trump has nominated Department of Defense official Robert Wilkie, who has his own skeletons in his closet.3 Wilkie: Proudly defended racists like Jesse Helms and Trent Lott. Wilkie worked for and publicly championed former North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, who opposed Martin Luther King, Jr. and called LGBTQ Americans “weak, morally sick wretches.” He later defended Trent Lott after the senator praised Strom Thurmond's segregationist campaign for the presidency.4 Has his own racist and homophobic track record. Wilkie once attacked a Democratic senator for having “openly courted money from the homosexual community." As executive director of the North Carolina GOP, he defended a racist ad campaign implying there were enough black members of Congress already. On top of it all, he has led the Trump administration's efforts to impose a cruel transgender ban on the military.5 Crusaded for the confederate cause. Wilkie spent years as a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and would appear routinely at annual memorial ceremonies for the Confederacy. He has supported displaying the Confederate flag and once attacked Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, then the sole Black senator, for opposing an effort to patent a logo that included the Confederate flag.6 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs serves all veterans, not just straight white southerners. Wilkie's track record will make it impossible for many veterans to believe that he has their best interests at heart. We need to make sure senators of both parties don't deliberately overlook Wilkie's track record and instead oppose his nomination. Tell the Senate: Veterans deserve better than Robert Wilkie. Click below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/wilkie?t=7&akid=29352%2E3130208%2E4h6SRC Heidi Hess, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Paul Sonne and Lisa Rein, "Trump’s VA pick, once a defender of Confederate symbols, built his career serving polarizing figures," The Washington Post, June 26, 2018. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid.

Tell Congress stop privatizing incarceration of immigrant families and asylum seekers

Privatized detention and incarceration centers are hell on earth--and they are big business for private companies. Ending private detention is a way to start ending detention - period.

Between 2014 and 2018, the Office of Refugee Resettlement paid private companies $3.4 billion to house migrant children. Further, 44 percent of those companies face serious, well documented reports and allegations of child maltreatment.

In these centers children suffer from:

• Forced administration of psychotropic drugs
• Jail-like conditions with armed officers
• Physical abuse, sexual abuse and even death

Sign this petition to demand Congress end privatizing detention and incarceration now!

Another $2 billion is spent on adults facilities--more of which are being built to support Trump’s white nationalist immigration policy. These privatized detention centers are big money makers for the industry. And Trump has benefited from these industries, receiving monetary donations from industry CEOs. This is sickening and must end now.

 
Sign this petition to demand that Congress stop privatizing detention and incarceration centers that abuse thousands of immigrant children and families!

Message to Congress:

We demand that you end privatization of detention and incarceration of immigrant families and asylum seekers. These private contracts have led to documented cases of physical, psychological, and sexual abuses of children and families. Children have died in these facilities. End the suffering and injustices of these cruel companies. Stop privatizing detention of immigrant families now.

Participating Partners:

• Brave New Films
• CHIRLA
• Courage Campaign
• Daily Kos
• Franciscan Action Network
• People Demanding Action
• People's Action
• PFAW (People For the American Way)
• Progress America
• Rashida Tlaib for Congress
• United We Dream

Tell Congress: Protect the Endangered Species Act from Republican attacks

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The petition to Congress reads: "Forcefully reject and work to block any proposal that would gut the Endangered Species Act." Add your name:

It's absolutely alarming: The Endangered Species Act itself is now as threatened as the wildlife that it's meant to protect. Republican Sen. John Barrasso, longtime friend of the fossil fuel industry and enemy of the ESA, recently proposed new legislation to severely weaken the decades-old law that has saved dozens of endangered species and helped the recovery of hundreds more.1 What's more, the Trump administration just announced its own plans to roll back protections in the ESA to make it easier to de-list species.2 The future of countless threatened species is at stake if we don't take action now. We must speak out to build massive public pressure on Congress to reject this legislation and stop any attempt to weaken the ESA. Tell Congress: Protect the Endangered Species Act from Republican attacks. Click here to sign the petition. Since it was enacted in the 1970s, the ESA has been wildly successful in protecting endangered species on the brink of extinction.3 More than 99 percent of all species listed on the ESA have been saved, including the iconic bald eagle, grey wolf, whooping crane, and grizzly bear. Yet, under Sen. Barrasso's purely political, unscientific proposal, these incredible gains to protect imperiled animal and plant species could be completely wiped out. His legislation would shift much of the broad protection authorities away from the federal government and onto the states, that lack the resources to protect endangered species.4 It's no surprise that Sen. Barrasso has been leading the charge to gut the ESA: He is one of the fossil fuel and mining industries' top recipients of campaign cash. From 2011 to 2016, Barrasso received more than $700,000 from extractive industries that are eager to exploit the land that endangered species inhabit.5 And, as a result, Barrasso has been more than willing to do the industry's bidding. He has a long legislative record attacking the ESA, having led the charge on 10 bills to gut the ESA and voting against the law nearly a dozen times.6 Tell Congress: Protect the Endangered Species Act from Republican attacks. Click here to sign the petition. This is a fight we can win. While Barrasso and the fossil fuel industry continue to wage a lobbying and public relations campaign to weaken the law, the public is not falling for their spin. Polls show that the ESA is wildly popular – 90 percent of voters support the law and 70 percent believe scientists, not politicians, should decide which species should be listed under the act.7 At a time when climate change is threatening endangered species at an ever-growing rate, our public officials should be working to enact stronger protections, not weaker ones that allow the fossil fuel industry to exacerbate the climate crisis. Please add your name today demanding that Congress reject this dangerous Republican attack on our nation's endangered species. Tell Congress: Protect the Endangered Species Act from Republican attacks. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/protect_esa?t=8&akid=29346%2E3130208%2E7npXj4 - Josh Nelson, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Mark Hand, "Republican senator wants to undermine the law that saved the bald eagle," ThinkProgress, July 2, 2018. Miranda Green and Timothy Cama, "Trump administration introduces proposal to roll back Endangered Species Act protections," The Hill, July 19, 2018. Center for Biological Diversity, "A Wild Success: A Systematic Review of Bird Recovery Under the Endangered Species Act," June 2016. Hand, "Republican senator wants to undermine the law that saved the bald eagle." Rebecca Bowe, "What’s Behind Attacks on the Endangered Species Act? Lots of Industry Money," July 18, 2017. Center for Biological Diversity, "Senator Barrasso Proposes Legislation to Gut Endangered Species Act," July 2, 2018. Tulchin Research, "Poll Finds Overwhelming, Broad-Based Support for the Endangered Species Act Among Voters Nationwide," July 6, 2015.