Urge Democrats: Fight for a progressive plan to crack down on Big Pharma

Petition to the House Ways & Means, Education & Labor and Energy & Commerce Committees: "Fight for the most progressive plan to crack down on predatory Big Pharma. At the very least, any proposal to negotiate drug prices must include more than 25 drugs per year with no ceiling on the total number and policies to address high prices at initial launch." Add your name: Under pressure from House progressives, Speaker Pelosi just unveiled a better-than-expected plan to crack down on predatory Big Pharma prices.1 But this plan still isn't as strong as what we need to bring drug prices down and stop Big Pharma's out-of-control greed. And there's a real risk it gets watered down even more in fruitless negotiations. We can't let that happen – we need to keep up the pressure for the most progressive plan possible.  Tell Democrats: Fight for a progressive plan to crack down on Big Pharma. Click here to sign the petition. Sen. Warren's plan would direct the government to manufacture generic drugs. Sens. Sanders and Merkley and Rep. Ro Khanna's plan would force companies to follow international average prices or face tough consequences. Rep. Lloyd Doggett's bill would allow Medicare to negotiate discounts and let the government issue a license to produce a generic version of the drug if Big Pharma refuses to negotiate in good faith.2,3 Democratic leaders took these bold plans off the table. Their plan is weaker than the progressive options, but tougher than some of the draft plans that were floated by some of Speaker Pelosi's closest allies. It instructs HHS to negotiate the prices of only a minimum of 25 pharmaceutical drugs each year, with an unnecessary maximum of 250. It leaves room for prices above international standards and for Big Pharma to launch new medicines with absurdly high prices only to "bargain" them down. It levies penalties instead of creating competition when Big Pharma refuses to negotiate. It does include important protections to cap out-of-pocket pay under Medicare Part D and repeal some recent price hikes, and it does not include Pelosi's horrible earlier idea to let corporate-friendly arbitration panels set drug prices.4 Our voices helped block a terrible Big Pharma-friendly Democratic proposal, but we need to fight to improve the new Democratic plan and keep pushing for progressive plans that actually crack down on Big Pharma and deliver lower prescription drug prices for the American people. Tell Democrats: Fight for a progressive plan to crack down on Big Pharma. Click below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/big-pharma-pelosi-sep19?t=9&akid=34223%2E3130208%2EdmyTA1 - Heidi Hess, Co-Director, CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: Li Zhou, "House Democrats just introduced an ambitious plan to take on prescription drug prices," Vox, Sep. 19, 2019. Zach Carter and Daniel Marans, "Democrats Ran On Lowering Drug Prices. Now They Could Cut A Bad Deal With Donald Trump." HuffPost, April 19, 2019. David Dayen, "Nancy Pelosi's Drug-Pricing Talks with the Trump Administration Are About Mediating Fights Between Corporate Interests," The Intercept, April 22, 2019. Zhou, "House Democrats just introduced an ambitious plan to take on prescription drug prices." More Information Pelosi's new drug plan pressures Trump on campaign pledge - Politico

Tell Congress: Support the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, which would give more than one in four Americans a raise

Give America a raise!

Petition to Congress: "Support the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, which would give more than one in four Americans a raise." Add your name:

Congressional Democrats just united to introduce the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, which would immediately bump the minimum wage and raise it to $15 by 2024.2 Preschool teachers, fast-food workers, bank tellers and working parents: millions of Americans would benefit immediately, some seeing as much as $3,500.3 Time to force Trump Republicans to go on the record opposing a raise for one in four workers.1 We need to drive up public support for this bill immediately to force Republicans to show where they really stand – on the side of big business and bad bosses. Tell Congress: Give millions of Americans a raise. Click here to sign the petition. No one benefits more from raising the minimum wage than women and people of color forced into low-wage jobs by prejudice and institutional racism. Forty percent of Black workers and 34 percent of Latinx workers would see a pay increase under this legislation. Nearly 56 percent of the overall number who would get a raise are women.4 The Raise the Wage Act would eliminate the tipped wage so that even employees who get tips, like restaurant servers, are guaranteed a fair wage – a change studies show benefits workers. It would eliminate loopholes businesses use to underpay workers. Most importantly, it would peg the minimum wage to the median wage so the minimum wage stops slipping in value.5 Today, the real value of the federal minimum wage is actually a few dollars lower than it was in 1968. Boosting the minimum wage would also create jobs by injecting more money into local economies. Restaurants continue to thrive even in cities that raised the minimum wage, and more than 90 percent of those who would benefit are adults.6 In other words, every Trump Republican talking point on the minimum wage is a lie to disguise their alliance with businesses that aim to pay people as little as possible to pad their own pockets. This is our chance to show who really fights for working people. Tell Congress: Give millions of Americans a raise. Click below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/min_wage_2019?t=7&akid=31351%2E3130208%2Ec4Iapm Thank you for speaking out, Josh Nelson, Co-Director CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: National Employment Law Project, "Raise the Wage Act of 2019 Letter of Support," Jan. 16, 2019. Dave Jamieson, "House Democrats Propose $15 Minimum Wage With New Majority," HuffPost, Jan. 16, 2019. National Employment Law Project, "Raise the Wage Act of 2019 Letter of Support." Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. More Information:   Democrats introduce bill to hike federal minimum wage to $15 per hour - CNBC

Pelosi and Democratic Party Leadership: Democrats have the House. Now we demand a real climate plan.

Target: Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leadership

We have 12 years to transform our economy and society to stop climate change. Democrats must put forward a plan to protect our planet, our communities, and our economy. Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders in Congress have the power to create one.

But recent developments show the Democratic Party leadership has no intention of fighting for a real climate plan in the new Congress. With the UN’s recent climate report, the Democratic Party leadership’s position is tantamount to climate denial. The science is undisputed, we have the technology, and the public is overwhelmingly on the side of bold action on climate and jobs -- the only thing standing in the way of a livable future is the failure of political leadership.

Add your voice with Climate Hawks. Tell Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leadership:

1. Champion a Green New Deal that would create millions of good jobs to transform society over the next decade to stop climate change. This means creating a committee tasked specifically to write policy on creating jobs and moving our country off fossil fuels over the designated 12 years that the IPCC has given us. Let’s protect the lives of all working people -- black, brown, and white -- from the ravages of disaster and pollution.

2. Mandate that any Democrat in leadership must take the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge and reject campaign contributions from fossil fuel executives and lobbyists and prioritize the health of people and planet over industry profits. Oil and gas executives profit off a business model that's incompatible with the future of human civilization. It's time for the Democratic Party to reject their influence wholesale.

A rising generation of young people of all backgrounds just helped flip the House with a record turnout. We will no longer tolerate empty promises and words without action. We’re not expecting miracles -- we understand that the GOP is corrupted by dirty oil money and will stall us at every turn. We know that sweeping change isn’t possible until Trump is gone -- but we need to start laying the groundwork and put forward our vision for America now.

We’re asking Democrats to step up to the fight alongside us.

1. "We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report

2. "Dems damp down hopes for climate change agenda."

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/411766-dems-damp-down-hopes-for-climate-change-agenda

3. "House Democrats’ Agenda: Ethics, Infrastructure and Medical Legislation"

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/house-democrats-nancy-pelosi.html

4. Nofossilfuelmoney.org

Click here to send the following message.

(Please, personalize it a bit so it won't be disregarded as a form letter.)

To: Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leadership
From: [Your Name]


Dear Congresswoman Pelosi and Democratic Party leaders,

We’re calling on you to commit to using your leadership over the next two years to create a select committee to develop legislation for a total economic mobilization to transition our country toward a 100% renewable energy economy — as the IPCC has tasked every nation to do.

We have 12 years to transform our economy and society to stop climate change. Democrats must put forward a plan to protect our planet, our communities, and our economy. Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders in Congress have the power to create one. But recent developments show the Democratic Party leadership has no intention of fighting for a real climate plan in the new Congress. With the IPCC’s recent report, the Democratic Party leadership’s position on climate is tantamount to climate denial.

The science is undisputed, we have the technology, and the public is overwhelmingly on the side of bold action on climate action — the only thing standing in the way of a livable future is the failure of political leadership.

A rising generation of young people of all backgrounds We will no longer tolerate empty promises and words without action. We’re not expecting miracles; we understand that the GOP is corrupted by dirty oil money and will stall us at every turn. We know that sweeping change isn’t possible until Trump is gone -- but we need to start laying the groundwork and put forward our vision for America now. 

We’re asking our leaders to step up to the fight alongside us and create a climate plan.

Sincerely,

- Climate Hawks

Immediate Action: Stand with the young people urging Congress to adapt a Green New Deal

It’s been 10 days and my home state of California is still being devastated by the most destructive and deadly wildfires in its history. These fires are an urgent reminder that we need bold action to address the climate crisis and we need it now.

That's why we're joining with our allies and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to call for a Green New Deal that would put millions of people to work building a just and equitable 100% renewable energy economy.

Call your member of Congress today and tell them to reject fossil fuel influence and embrace a Green New Deal today.

The idea of a "Green New Deal" is spreading rapidly thanks to the bold action of over 200 youth with the Sunrise Movement. Last week, they did a sit-in at Nancy Pelosi's office in DC that sparked a national conversation. Now more than 10 members of Congress have signed onto the idea and it's being debated on the pages of the Washington Post and the New York Times. 

Specifically, this growing movement is calling on Speaker Pelosi to set up a special select committee that will lay out how a Green New Deal can get us off fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy over the next decade in a way that prioritizes the needs of low-income and communities of color who have been on the frontlines of climate impacts. It's a bold, progressive solution at the scale of the crisis we face.

Tell your Representative to endorse the plan that tackles climate change to the scale of the crisis: A Green New Deal.

Our movement has also made it clear that whoever joins the Green New Deal committee -- whoever wants to be considered a climate leader -- must pledge to say no to all fossil fuel money. We know we won’t see real climate leadership from elected leaders who’re in the pocket of the fossil fuel billionaires. That’s why we need to make sure every new leader in the Democratic party shows they’re serious about climate action by refusing big polluters’ dirty dollars. 

Click here to call your Representatives and ask them to support the Green New Deal and refuse to take a single dollar from the fossil fuel industry.

- Julian Brave Noisecat, 350 Action 

P.S. - If you’re on Twitter, there’s one more way you can push for real climate leadership right now. Today, our friends with the Sunrise Movement are visiting hundreds of Members of Congress to demand more elected leaders support a Green New Deal — and you can support them by tweeting at key Congressional leaders today. Click here to take action on Twitter.

URGENT: We have 24 hours to shutdown Trump's spy program

Silencing Black voices through surveillance has been a blatant government tactic for decades -- but tomorrow, the House of Representatives will hold a vote to massively expand Trump's power to silence Black voices. And some Democrats are thinking of voting to give Trump this power.

There’s not a lot of time to fight back. We need to use our voices now and tell Democratic leadership not to turn the internet into a giant spy tool for a white supremacist Trump administration.

Democratic leadership, Rep. Pelosi and Rep. Hoyer, need to get turncoat Democrats in line and close the legal loopholes in the Section 702 surveillance authority. With full Democratic support for the USA Rights Act, we can shutdown Trump's and the FBI's power to spy on us without a warrant.

Tell Democratic leadership to stop this abuse of power: Don’t let Trump spy on us!

Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions justify their surveillance efforts under the cloak of “protecting Americans from terrorists” and now, they're using the newly made-up ‘Black Identity Extremists’ classification to treat Black activists and organizers like threats. They have deemed Black activists criminals for having the audacity to protest police violence and demanding an end to the deaths of Black lives at the hands of the police. With the power of an unchecked Section 702 and the 'Black Identity Extremism' classification, the FBI and Trump will have unprecedented ability to monitor and harass Black communities that oppose them.

But if Democrats get behind the USA Rights Act tomorrow - we can cut off a powerful surveillance tool that allows Trump and the FBI to treat our communities like criminals and threats.

Tell Democrats that NOW is the time to put an end to the reauthorization of Section 702 and support the USA Rights Act -- the privacy and safety of our communities are at stake.

The USA Rights Act, a bi-partisan bill introduced to rein in the runaway surveillance of Section 702 would defend our rights by:

• End​ing ​back​ ​door​ ​searches:​ Under current law, the government can conduct unlimited, warrantless searches through the vast data collected under Section 702 for private communications to, from and about Americans. The bill requires a warrant for those searches.
• Ending​ ​reverse​ ​targeting:​ ​With no limits to the warrantless backdoor searches of Americans or the amount of information on Americans that gets reported around the government, there are no checks in place to prevent “reverse targeting” of Americans communicating with foreign targets. The bill requires a warrant when a significant purpose of targeting foreigners is to collect the communications of Americans.
• Preventing the​ ​misuse​ ​of​ ​information​ ​on​ ​Americans:​ The bill prohibits the use of information on Americans collected under Section 702, except for foreign intelligence and crimes directly related to national security, such as terrorism and espionage.

Being Black and exercising our right to protest are not crimes, let alone activities that justify being monitored or repressed by counterterrorism spy programs. Rep. Pelosi and Rep. Hoyer need to step up and defend our communities by getting all Democrats to stop Trump's reauthorization of Section 702 and pass the USA RIGHTS Act

Tell Democratic leadership to stop this abuse of power: Don’t let Trump spy on us!

Until justice is real, 

- the Color Of Change team

 #Trumpspyprogram