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Promoting Peace
UAW member Randy Villegas is running for Congress in California’s 22nd Congressional District, one of the most competitive and flippable House seats in the country. He knows firsthand the challenges working families face. The child of hardworking Mexican immigrants, his family relied on Medicaid and food assistance to make ends meet while corporate polluters were allowed to foul the air. Those experiences shaped his lifelong commitment to public service. Randy became an educator, union activist, and community organizer, standing shoulder to shoulder with working people to fight for good jobs, affordable health care, clean air, and economic opportunity for every family in the Valley. He is a professor of political science at the College of the Sequoias. At the forefront of his campaign are reductions in household costs, support for organized labor, affordable health care, increased funding for public education, and immigration reform as campaign priorities. He has also opposed corporate political action committee contributions and has described the influence of wealthy donors and corporations as a central problem in national politics. He opposes the war in Iran. He has condemned ICE actions and tactics. His positions on LGBTQ+ rights have earned him the endorsement of Equality California.
Come November, Villegas will be facing the incumbent David Valadao (R) who came to office in 2013. Since then, he has earned an ADA lifetime voting record of 10%. Valadao was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2012 . He was re-elected in 2014 and 2016, but narrowly lost re-election to TJ Cox in 2018. He was re-elected in a rematch against Cox in 2020. Prior to serving in Congress, Valadao served one term in the California State Assembly. To give him his due, he did vote to impeach the President during the second impeachment trial. He was also one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol. That’s as far as the praise goes. He is a climate change denier. He opposes the Affordable Care Act. He has supported the President’s war in Iran and voted against a war powers act resolution which would have limited the President’s ability to conduct the illegal war.
Although he voted for the Respect for Marriage Act which codified the right to same-sex marriage in federal law, he did not join other prominent California Republicans in signing a Supreme Court brief in favor of same-sex marriage. On other issues, his record is very mixed. In today’s environment, he counts as a moderate – that’s not saying much.
CA-22 is essential to Democrats’ path back to the House majority. Joe Biden carried the district 57-40 in 2020, while Donald Trump won it by just over 3,000 votes in 2024. Incumbent David Valadao was reelected 53-46 in 2024, but recent redistricting has made the district significantly more favorable to Democrats. The Cook Political Report currently rates the race as a Toss-Up.
If you live in Valadao’s district, please take advantage of the August Congressional recess to let him know how you feel. Then, make a donation to Americans for Democratic Action’s get out the vote effort.
✅ 2465 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515, (202) 225-4695
✅ 2700 M Street, Suite 250B, Bakersfield, CA 93301, Phone: (661) 864-7736
✅ 107 South Douty Street, Hanford, CA 93230, Phone: (559) 460-6070
DONATE TO ADA’S VOTER CONTACT PROGRAM TODAY! https://adaction.org/elections
Much attention has been paid of late to the South Carolina Senate race, however the seat being vacated by Republican Nancy Mace in South Carolina’s 1st district is a dream district for yet another chance to flip a red seat blue.
The Democratic nominee is Nancy Lacore, a retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral with numerous awards to her credit. 35 years of exemplary service apparently ultimately stood for nothing. Her resume says “retired.” Actually, she was relieved of her duty as part of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s purge of female and minority military officers. Frankly, the picture of her getting elected, possibly serving on the Armed Services Committee and, in that role, grilling Hegseth is too wonderful to ignore.
Although this is definitely a right-leaning district, it has been held by Democrats and with an adequate blue wave could be represented by another. Lacore has been endorsed by EMILY’s List. She is very concerned about how she has seen ICE operate and wants their officers to wear body cameras, display badges and uncover their faces. She wants those detained to be afforded due process rights and be detained, if necessary, in humane, sanitary conditions. She is strongly pro-choice and wants full reproductive health care available for all women in this country. She supports the Affordable Care Act and wants to see it strengthened. She believes the war with Iran is unconstitutional. She promises to make affordability a top priority and lambasts the Administration’s handling of the economy. She has been endorsed by Give Green which says her election will help promote a pro-environment agenda in Congress.
In November, Lacore will be facing Republican Jenny Honeycutt who defeated a long field of primary candidates with a mere 22 percent of the vote. She is a lawyer who touts her strong conservative credentials. Her website is filled with conservative tropes and platitudes but little real substance. She is in favor of the President’s border wall and is a full-throated defender of gun rights. She is anti-choice and a firm believer in denying rights to transgender people. She advocates for making the President’s tax cuts permanent. We can find no specific statement about what she thinks about the war in Iran but we can guess. She has been endorsed by the President.
While we recognize that this is an uphill battle, the Cook Report has moved this race from solid to likely Republican. It’s moving in the right direction and, with proper organizing help, we believe this is winnable. And, remember, if Lacore is elected, she will have the privilege of putting Hegseth in the hot seat.
DONATE TO ADA’S VOTER CONTACT PROGRAM TODAY! https://adaction.org/elections
Although we’re quite sure they will deny it, it certainly seems as if this Administration is waging a war on children. Their motto seems to be “keep them hungry, uneducated and sick.” Children are the innocent victims.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy priorities, more than 1 million children have lost SNAP benefits thanks to this Administration. The Center for American Progress estimates that, as a result of the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to school meal programs, a typical family with two kids will be forced to spend $1,890 annually on school-offered meals. Keep them hungry.
The Administration’s well-publicized, systematic dismantling of the Department of Education already has had far-reaching negative impacts on our education system. But, they aren’t satisfied. Now, they’re taking aim at one of the most successful programs ever conceived. The Head Start program provides free education, health and nutrition services to hundreds of thousands of low-income children and has a proven track record. In the eyes of this Administration, that makes it suspect. They are tossing the regulations which govern the program and ensure that it will remain as successful as its history has shown. Keep them uneducated.
Yet, their complete disregard for science and health care stands out as among the most misbegotten and dangerous of all. The confusion sowed by Health and Human Secretary about childhood vaccines has had lethal effects. Misinformation and expressions of distrust from influential leaders have an effect on parents and childhood vaccination rates have dropped nationwide. As a direct result, at least 3 unvaccinated people have died with at least 2,465 confirmed measles cases reported in the United States and 38 new outbreaks. Yet, in 2000, measles had been officially declared eliminated. Then, despite all available science, on August 10, the President signed an executive order on vaccines which would:
‼️ Lower the number of recommended vaccines;
‼️ Falsely tie childhood vaccines to the occurrence of autism;
‼️ Call for splitting the combination measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine into three separate single-disease shots;
‼️ Direct the Department of Justice to investigate where states are in violation of exemptions for childhood vaccine mandates, including parental authority.
Aside from the obvious health care risks there are other problems: there is no split MMR vaccine available. Even if it were, that would require 5 separate doctor visits to get a child fully vaccinate, maybe resulting in missed appointments but surely adding medical office costs to an already financially burdened population. Keep them sick.
Please reach out to your Members of Congress, tell them to develop a spine and reject this attack on our nation’s children. Then, help us elect a more liberal House and Senate by donating NOW to ADA’s get out the vote and voter education campaigns.
DONATE TO ADA’S VOTER CONTACT PROGRAM TODAY! https://adaction.org/elections
Sorry (not really), but we can’t resist. This target is just too easy to ignore. When we need to pick up any House seat that’s potentially winnable, Congressman Max Miller (OH-07) has given us a gift. Sadly, it’s at the expense of his own family.
Beset by allegations of wife and child abuse culminating with holding a stuffed toy blue bunny hostage, Miller has hung tight and insists on continuing his re-election campaign despite having his former father-in-law Senator Bernie Moreno (D-OH) declare him unfit for office and the President who has called him a “good person” asking that he abandon the race. His abysmal personal record is underscored by his Congressional record which boasts a lifetime ADA voting record of 10%. First elected in 2022, Miller serves on the Foreign Affairs and Ways and Means Committees. He held multiple posts during the President’s first Administration and has characterized him as “the greatest POTUS this country has ever had.” He supports the President’s actions on the Southern border claiming it will help to end lawlessness in our country. Miller is anti-choice and has voted for legislation that would criminalize doctors and nurses who perform abortions. He has consistently voted for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. He supports the President’s ill-advised, illegal war in Iran. Miller claims “ICE does not do patrols, sweeps or raids” and focuses only on “targeted law enforcement actions” against those who “pose the greatest threat to public safety.” The facts be damned. Clearly, he needs to be defeated and current polling shows him down by 14 points in a district the President carried by 11 points. We cannot, however, be complacent.
Enter Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union official and iron worker who, thanks to Miller, might just win in what had been a solidly Republican district. He has served as an at-large member of the Brook Park City Council. He is an apprenticeship instructor for the Ironworkers Local 17 union. Citing as his inspiration, he calls on Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), James Talarico (Texas Senate candidate) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). He wants economic justice for working Americans saying they have too long come in second place to the billionaires. His campaign website states, “If you work hard, play by the rules, and contribute to your community, you should be able to count on a healthcare system that treats you with dignity. That’s not asking for special treatment. It’s asking for common sense.” He has been endorsed by Reproductive Freedom for All. Much of Poindexter’s positions on the issues remains to be fleshed out but, already, the contrast couldn’t be greater.
If you are unfortunate enough to be one of Max Miller’s constituents, take a moment to let him know how you feel:
☎️ Cannon House Office Building 143, Washington, DC 20003, (202) 225-3876
☎️ Parma, Ohio, (440) 692-6120
☎️ Medina, Ohio, (330) 661-6654
DONATE TO ADA’S VOTER CONTACT PROGRAM TODAY! https://adaction.org/elections
I only voted for a perfect candidate once. That was when I voted for myself the first time.
–Barney Frank
She can always be counted on to do the right thing. When it doesn’t matter.
–also Barney Frank on Susan Collins
This year’s Maine Senate race has certainly been interesting. Take that as a curse! After Graham Platner’s abortive run, this must win contest has now been set and provides cause for concern and a need for full throated support for Troy Jackson who has stepped into the breach.
Despite her seemingly moderate ADA Voting Record of 42%, Maine’s Susan Collins (R) is a top target. Collins, who has consistently voted pro-choice, gave a lame excuse and voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to become an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. The result was the Dobbs decision which has put the lives of women in this country in supreme jeopardy. But, the beat goes on. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins called for a hearing on the President’s request for funding for the Iran war. Then, she voted for it and said it was needed to protect troops and restore munitions before getting the Portland Press Herald, at her staff’s request, to change a headline to make it sound friendlier to the Senator. Following ICE’s murder of a young immigrant in Biddeford, Maine, Collins called for a “full and impartial investigation.” This, despite the fact that ICE admitted that the victim wasn’t even their target. We note also that the Senator was the deciding vote to approve an additional $70 billion in federal funding for ICE. To quote, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), “You just voted to give these thugs another $70 billion. You’re complicit in this and every other murder committed by Trump’s Secret Police.” Enough is enough. Time to vote her out.
Although some questions have been raised about Troy Jackson’s style, he is NOT Graham Platner. And, we remind you, this is one of several must-win seats if we are to have any hope of returning to a more liberal Senate.
Jackson is a former logger from northern Maine – important to carry if he is to win the election. He served in the Maine Senate from 2008 to 2014 and 2016 to 2024, serving as its president and majority leader from 2018 to
2024. Jackson began his political life as an anti-choice Republican but gradually matured, learned and has been a progressive Democrat for almost two decades. The transition began when he realized which Party supported the rights of workers in this country. Recent campaignshave focused on lowering prescription drug costs, expanding childcare, building affordable housing, strengthening labor protections, and curbing the political influence of private equity and large corporate interests. He is pro-choice, supports protections for the LGBTQ+ community, and is in favor of wilderness protection. He believes Medicare for All should be the law of the land. Notably for a logger, he is also in favor of working toward 100% clean energy by 2040.
Please take a moment to share this information with one and all. And, then, help with ADA’s organizing efforts by making a contribution to our get out the vote and education campaigns.
DONATE TO ADA’S VOTER CONTACT PROGRAM TODAY! https://adaction.org/elections
While many of us were having trouble breathing under skies turned hazy and orange as the result of wildfires in Canada. The geniuses in our Administration were busy denying science and plotting revenge.
It needs to be noted that it is not only in Canada that wildfires have been raging. The below chart shows where they were exploding as of July 21.
It should be noted that at least one of these fires is the direct result of the Administration’s DOGE activities. The July 26 Washington Post reports that Minnesota was ready to work on several thousand acres of dense, dry forest deemed to be at high risk of burning. In 2024, the Biden Administration awarded $10 million as part of a $100 million initiative to tackle wildfires in Minnesota. But, at the beginning of 2025, DOGE paused or cancelled these federal grants. Now, more than two dozen wildfires have been burning in the region since July.
That, however, is not enough for the geniuses in this Administration. In recent months, the Administration has closed several government laboratories that studied how wildfires affect human health, air quality, wildlife habitats and forest ecosystems. According to the New York Times, the Administration has almost completely dismantled the scientific research office at the Environmental Protection which studied the health effects of exposure to pollutants including wildfire smoke for more than a decade.
At the Forest Service, the Administration has proposed closing 57 of 77 research labs across the country. One of those labs, in Seattle, developed real-time smoke-tracking maps used by firefighters and local governments. Another, in Wenatchee, WA, studied when and where to light controlled blazes to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health and restore wildlife habitats.
In January 2025, as part of a long-standing, cross-border emergency partnership, Canada sent at least 250 firefighters, two aircraft tankers and other crews to battle wildfires in Southern California and a Canadian firefighter pilot died in July while helping fight a wildfire in this country. This was part of the Canada-U.S. Agreement on Emergency Management Assistance and the Joint Emergency Preparedness Committee.
With wildfires blazing across Canada, Mexico sent help. We sent hissy fits, threats and tariffs which will hurt American consumers far more than our friends in Canada. Friendship, diplomacy, alliances and science be damned. Wildfires don’t respect borders. Neither should compassion. To quote Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey (D), the President “putting a 50 percent tariff on Canada in response to the wildfire smoke is like an arsonist trying to collect on the insurance policy after the house burns down. Tariffs don’t put out wildfires. Firefighters do. If Canada is asking for our help, we should send it.”
Senator Markey is right both in terms of friendship and our own national interest. Congress may be on its August recess, but we are not. Use the time they are at home to go to town halls, visit their local offices and take every other opportunity to let them know how you feelabout this disaster.
And, then, join in ADA’s efforts to win back the Congress by donating today to our organizing efforts.
DONATE TO ADA’S VOTER CONTACT PROGRAM TODAY! https://adaction.org/elections/
Shut your mouth or the “bloodshed” will continue.
So sayeth Border Czar Tom Homan
This was the warning issued to Democrats who dared to criticize ICE in the aftermath of the cold-blooded murder of two people even ICE admits weren’t their real targets. “Shut your mouth?”
Criticism not allowed? Mr. Homan:this is a democracy not a dictatorship – at least not yet. It is our civic duty to question questionable actions on the part of our government.
Let’s take a very brief look at what’s happening:
‼️ Two innocent people were murdered because they “looked” like other people.
‼️ There continue to be ICE shootings aimed at moving vehicles after the President intervened and decided they needed to continue.
‼️ There have been at least 40 shootings by immigration agents since January 20, 2025, resulting in 11 deaths.
‼️ Both ex-wives of the agent implicated in the Biddeford, Maine shooting has stated that he has a history of domestic violence, mental illness and other abusive behavior. As a direct result of the allegations, in 2019, a judge issued an order for him to temporarily relinquish any firearms.
‼️ ICE agents have been tasked with making 2,000 arrests per day in effect turning them into bounty hunters.
‼️ Now comes word that ICE is actively recruiting personnel using advertising strategies that specifically target gun owners and military enthusiasts. They characterize it as part of a “wartime recruitment” strategy. They are investing $100 million into the effort. Nothing is stated about background checks or what would disqualify potential recruits.
Given the above history is it any wonder that protesters, innocent people who “look” guilty and bystanders are becoming the targets of gun-toting, trigger-happy people with no restraints?
This is an outrage of the highest order and Mr. Homan needs to be told so in no uncertain terms:
📞 Phone (White House): (202) 456-1414;
📫 Mail: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20500;
📩 Email: USADC.Media@usdoj.gov (U.S. Attorney’s Office for media/civic coordination)
The message must be clear and to the point: We will NOT shut our mouths. We will remember in November, and we will take action to oust your enablers in Congress.
DONATE TO ADA’S VOTER CONTACT PROGRAM TODAY! https://adaction.org/elections/
Holy Moly Guacamole!
While the President continues to try to divert us with bogus election fraud claims, a war in Iran and so much else, his Administration continues to display their reckless racism and shoddy economic understanding to the detriment of all who live here.
Just in case you thought your grocery bills weren’t high enough, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced that “There will be no amnesty under any circumstances for undocumented farm workers. Mass deportations will continue in a strategic way toward a 100% American workforce.” According to the Department of Labor, 63% to 77% of all agricultural workers in the U.S. were born in Mexico, and about 88% of all H-2A agricultural guest workers are from Mexico. When looking at all farmworkers of Hispanic origin (including U.S.-born workers of Mexican heritage), that number typically exceeds 80% of the entire agricultural workforce. In light of Rollins statement and fearing the rampaging ICE agents who indiscriminately target people who “look” Mexican, many are now refusing to work or not even come in legitimately. The result is predictable: crops will lie rotting in the fields as the supply of farm workers diminishes significantly and the “American workforce” refuses to take up the slack.
We have ample evidence to back up that assertion. When states passed aggressive anti-immigration laws in the past, they attempted exactly what Rollins is suggesting. When Georgia and Alabama cracked down on immigrant farmworkers, they tried to fill the gaps with local unemployed workers and people on public assistance. It was a disaster. Farmers reported that local workers walked off after a single day because of the extreme physical demands, leaving millions of dollars in crops to rot in the fields. Other state-level experiments to replace farm workers with domestic welfare recipients have universally resulted in rotted crops and massive financial losses.
Corn, wheat and other crops can be picked with automated tools. Delicate fruits and vegetables cannot. With a terrified, afraid to work migrant work force, avocados, tomatoes, and berries won’t make it to our grocery stores or be priced out of reach. It’s racism, short-sighted economic policy and a terrifying invitation for even more ICE excesses all wrapped up in a neat bundle.
Time is of the essence during this growing season. Please reach out to the House Committee on Agriculture – Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Angie Craig (D-MN) — and the Senate Agriculture Committee – John Boozman (R-AR) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and ask them to intervene immediately. If you live in an agricultural district, reach out to your Senators and House members with a similar message.
DONATE TO ADA’S VOTER CONTACT PROGRAM TODAY! https://adaction.org/elections/
The flamboyancy of Kristi Noem has been replaced by the much quieter Markwayne Mullin. While that is a welcome relief, it is still every bit as lethal as our country’s version of the Brown Shirts continues its reign of murderous, unchecked terror.
Just last week, ICE agents in Houston murdered a 35-year resident on his way to work. He was working to gain legal status. ICE admits he wasn’t the person they were seeking but, nonetheless, they are continuing to justify his shooting and are actively pressuring a witness to his killing to self-deport. That’s right: murder was committed and gun-happy vigilantes are trying to cover up their actions.
Sadly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. He is the 35th person killed by immigration agents this year alone. And, according Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights report calculate that in the first 500 days of Trump’s second administration, 52 people died in ICE custody. In Kansas City, people who are simply walking down the street are being stopped and asked for proof of their legal status. There are pictures of ICE agents brutalizing people who are complying with the agent’s orders. That’s right: walking while Brown is now taken as probable cause.
There’s more. According to Human Rights Watch, “In the 500 days between President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025 and June 4, 2026, 52 people died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in the United States. The mortality rate of deaths in ICE custody is at its highest level in over a decade and has more than doubled since Trump’s second term began.” These include at least one Afghan refugee who fought alongside American troops. His reward was to be denied necessary asthma medication and what amounted to a death sentence. The graph below details the horror.
With that success rate, since the beginning of the President’s 2nd term, ICE has opened 152 new detention facilities – many of which are being run by for-profit entities which are providing sub-par food and lacking basic medical facilities. As of May, the Administration has purchased 11 warehouses which it plans to convert to further detention facilities and processing centers each designed to house thousands of people most of whom are being denied due process rights.
Fortunately, people are taking notice and fighting back. Among others:
🎖 Maryland Governor Wes Moore has said, “Maryland will always work with the federal government when that coordination makes our people safer. But we will not let untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents deputize our law enforcement officers to do immigration work.”
🎖 Political commentator Ana Navarro, “We are talking about a government agency that is out of control, killing even American citizens, killing immigrants without a criminal record that are not the target of the investigation, lying about it as they have done, and not full, there being no full investigations and accountability!”
🎖 Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is calling for a full, independent investigation in the wake of the latest ICE shooting in his state.
🎖 Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has announced that her government will seek criminal investigations in the United States related to the deaths of 17 Mexicans in immigration operations during the President’s second term.
There is more, of course, but it is not enough. It is well past time for responsible Members of Congress to step up and demand action to halt the killing spree and inhuman detention system. If they won’t, put them on notice that they are our employees, hired at will, and they can be fired in November.
Then, please help us to turn the tide in November by making an immediate contribution to ADA’s education and organizing efforts to reach out to voters ahead of the mid-terms. Together, we can return some semblance of sanity to our nation’s governance.
DONATE TO ADA’S VOTER CONTACT PROGRAM TODAY! https://adaction.org/elections/
In a recent news feed about noteworthy women, the name of Judge Dorothy Kenyon appeared. Dorothy Kenyon was notable for many things but, most notably, she is known for standing up to Senator Joseph McCarthy at the peak of his power. He blasphemed her as a communist, but she confronted him in a Senate hearing; she called him a “liar” who was taking “cowardly refuge in his congressional immunity to smear innocent people;” and drove him from the room. But, that’s only part of her legacy: 
she was a women’s rights lawyer who had served as a U.S. delegate to a United Nations commission on the status of women. For the next twenty years, she kept drafting briefs on gender equality — that women should serve on juries, own property equally, hold the same standing in a courtroom as the men who wrote the laws. According to the profile written about her, the legal framework she built sits at the foundation of every gender discrimination case that came after her — confirmed, finally, by the Supreme Court of the United States.
And, she was an active member of the ADA national board. Those of us who have been around long enough remember 
her well-thought-out work in our on-going battle for social and economic justice. Well into her last years, she continued to be a force to be reckoned with. Some may even remember her taking on a very young Barney Frank with, “Young man. Just because you can speak faster than anyone else, doesn’t mean you’re smarter.” Suitably chastened, he sat down.
Yet, both as a Member of Congress and former ADA president, he never stood down. His commitment to liberal values was unwavering throughout his life.
Now, very sadly, both are gone. Their legacy and commitment live on and challenge us to live up to the examples they set. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, we are determined to meet their challenge. We must follow their examples and work diligently to wrest control from those in this Administration and Congress who work tirelessly to undo all of the gains we have fought so hard to achieve. Please join with us as we build to the mid-term elections and beyond.
ADA is mounting an organizing and voter outreach campaign but to maximize our efforts, we need your immediate help – both personal and financial. Please contribute to the best of your capability as soon as you can. If you can volunteer in an ADA project, please contact ADA director of organizing Rebecca Griffin at Rebecca@adaction.org. Or individually, you can
If you only have…
Research over many election cycles generally finds that personal conversations with voters—especially door-to-door canvassing and conversations with people you already know—have the strongest measurable effects on turnout, making them among the most productive uses of volunteer time in close races. (List compiled via ChatGPT).
Whatever you do, help us live up to the legacy of Dorothy Kenyon and Barney Frank. It’s the least we can do!
JOIN THE FIGHT! https://tinyurl.com/DemNeedsYou
JOIN THE FIGHT! https://tinyurl.com/DemNeedsYou
Not So Intelligent
In a not so delightful moment, the President has underscored both his disdain for intelligence and his belief that it’s part-time at best. If you think Tulsi Gabbard was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
After facing strong headwinds against Pulte, the President nominated Jay Clayton, a former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission who oversees the Justice Department office in the Southern District of New York. The Senate was set to begin nomination hearings but the President in a fit of pique threw one of his famous temper tantrums and put a hold on Clayton’s nomination. That means that, as of June 20, Pulte became acting again.
Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing and Finance Agency and self-appointed chair of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to be the acting Director of National Intelligence. The war in Ukraine continues with no end in sight; China is threatening Taiwan; the Middle East continues to blow up; the President is threatening Cuba; and an ill-conceived, illegal war with Iran is in limbo depending on what transpires in the next 60 or so days. Never mind. Pulte will continue as head of the Federal Housing and Finance Agency while taking on – presumably part time – the national intelligence job. And, oh yes, the man doesn’t even have a security clearance.
The law requires that the Director of National Intelligence have “extensive national security expertise.” Pulte has absolutely no direct background in intelligence despite the fact that he will be charged with coordinating the United States’ 18 different intelligence agencies. Part time? His sole qualification for the job is his total loyalty to the President evidenced by his retribution campaigns against the President’s critics, including Letitia James, Adam Schiff, Lisa Cook, and – of course – James Comey. As acting DNI, Pulte could similarly use the information available to him to refer cases to the Justice Department for prosecution. And as Director of National Intelligence, Pulte would have access to information collected under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act which allows the government to collect texts, e-mails and phone calls of foreigners without a warrant. In the process, information about U.S. citizens is also sometimes captured. One shudders to think how that kind of information, in the hands of a retribution loyalist, might be used. That prospect alone has Democrats sounding the alarm. Even some Republicans are voicing concern: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said, “We don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there.” Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) said, “I don’t see any evidence of qualification for that job.”
This appointment doesn’t require Senate approval because it is “interim.” That means Pulte could serve for 210 days. It does not, however, absolve the Senate from its oversight responsibilities. There are several ways in which the Senate could possibly mitigate the damage.
✅ Contact Members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and demand that they keep close scrutiny on Pulte: Michael F. Bennett (D-CO), Ted Budd (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King, Jr. (I-ME), James Lankford (R-OK), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), James E. Risch (R-ID), R. Michael Rounds (R-SD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Todd Young (R-IN).
✅ If the vote to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act comes to the floor, demand that it not be reauthorized until and unless Pulte is out and a suitable replacement has been named.
JOIN THE FIGHT! https://tinyurl.com/DemNeedsYou
Democrats are fielding a very strong candidate in Jo Mendoza, running to unseat two term Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R) who has never won by more than 11,00 votes in this sprawling district in southeast Arizona. It’s considered one of the most likely to flip districts in the country.
Jo, a native of the district, served 20 years in the Navy & Marine Corps with deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, before returning home and continuing to be a strong advocate for veterans, seniors, and low-income families. She grew up in a farm working family and can relate to the challenges that farmers face in the rural areas of the district.
She has won the endorsements of Senator Mark Kelly (D), Senator Ruben Gallego (D), former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D) as well as other notable Democrats in Arizona. Mendoza faces no serious challengers in the Democratic primary which will be held on July 21st and is in the DCCC’s Red to Blue Program. She has already outraised Ciscomani and has been actively campaigning throughout the district for months. A veteran campaign manager who ran a winning Democratic Gubernatorial race in a neighboring red state and now lives in AZ-06 recently commented that she has the best stump speech he has ever heard, focusing on all the issues – especially Ciscomani’s support for Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill that has had a devastating impact on health care availability and programs for low income families, and for Trump’s tariffs that have caused severe financial distress for AZ farmers and small business owners – that resonate with Democrats, Independents, and disaffected Republican voters.
Jo Mendoza is on track to defeat Ciscomani who has an ADA lifetime rating of 10%. He does not represent his constituents, has yet to hold a town hall and generally appears at Republican only events. Televised ads lambasting Ciscomani’s voting record are already airing on local stations and having a significant impact. This is a very winnable race and deserves your support. For more information go to joannamendoza.com.
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Last February, I wrote an overview of Iowa’s U.S. Senate race to choose a successor to Joni Ernst, who is not seeking re-election. While there was a Republican primary, the outcome was known well in advance. Ashley Hinson, currently my House member, is indeed the Republican nominee.
Despite the weakened state of the Democratic Party in Iowa, two exceptional senate candidates emerged in an effort to reclaim the seat held by Senator Tom Harkin until 2015: Josh Turek, Council Bluffs (the Iowa side of the Missouri River, across from Omaha), and Zach Wahls, Coralville, (adjacent to Iowa City, the state’s most politically progressive county).
Both candidates are bright, engaging, capable, and, at least to casual observers, electable, in what many think could be a good year for Democrats, myself included.
Tuesday, June 2, was Iowa’s primary; Turek is the Democratic nominee. He received 62.6% of the vote, compared to 37.4% for Wahls(unofficial results, 99% of votes counted). I was surprised by the margin, feeding my nascent optimism about November.
Within days, Nate Cohn, chief political analyst for The New York Times, listed Turek among the Democrats’ six best candidates for a Senate pickup (yeah, Cohn rates him sixth…). That noted, Turek makes the list.
Cohn’s thinking: “Based on national polling, Iowa would still be expected to lean Republican. … There is a case for Democrats to fare well in Iowa. Mr. Trump seems quite unpopular in Iowa; his tariffs have hit this agricultural state hard and so have high fertilizer prices. … It’s possible these factors will hurt Republicans more in Iowa than elsewhere. Democrats have a promising (match up) in the governor’s contest, where popular Democratic state auditor Rob Sand faces Zach Lahn, a MAHA-backed political newcomer. Maybe Mr. Turek can ride the coattails.”
I think Cohn may underestimate the possibility that in January, Iowa’s congressional delegation is evenly split, three Democrats, three Republicans (it’s now 0 – 6) with a chance it’s four Ds and two Rs, success in Hinson’s current district the difference between three and four.
Why my optimism? It comes down to strong recruitment in House races, my perpetual hope for a coordinated (if not totally unified) persuasion effort, coupled with a strong GOTV program. I know, I know… easier said than done. But the governor’s race is basically Democrat Sand’s to lose, with a first-time, flawed candidate having gained the Republican nomination.
Sand has both the record and the resources to carry on through November. Democrats’ edge this cycle may be three congressional races where savvy candidates have been nominated; meanwhile Republicans have three candidates, including two incumbents, that give voters pause.
All this bodes at least reasonably well for Turek’s chances. If Turek has a superpower, it’s his personal story – a four-time Paralympic athlete (two-time gold medalist) with a focused, tenacious approach to life. Turek endured twenty-plus surgeries in his first decade of life caused by spina bifida linked to his father’s exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Turek has run comfortably ahead of the ticket for several cycles in his state house district, not decisive in projecting statewide results… but hopeful.
Having met – actually hosted – the candidate before the primary, Turek is authentic – always a key campaign attribute, maybe even more so this year – a quality evident from the time you first see him guiding his wheelchair in your direction. Among the key questions: will his campaign have the resources needed to compete against a well-funded Hinson campaign. It will require an infusion of national money, which was available to Turek in the primary… including some “bang for buck” dollars wary of states like Texas and Ohio.
Perhaps the greatest asset Iowa Democrats have headed into the fall involves a few national comparisons. For example, right now Iowa has the worst economy in the country, including the slowest and lowest job growth in the U.S. Iowa’s average wage ranks 48th. Iowa is thirty-second in water quality. Iowa is twenty-sixth in education down from the top ten several decades ago and continuing to fall. Iowa has the second highest cancer rate, behind Kentucky.
These factors all bode well for a change election in Iowa. Ah, but the essential caveat: the general election is still almost five months away, meaning a lot can change between now and then. Inherent in this assessment is the fact that things could even look rosier on the first Tuesday after the first Monday. As my late mother was known to say, “We’ll see.” Indeed, we will.
Reporting from North Iowa,
Kurt Meyer
Former chair, ADA Executive Committee
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RACE FOR U.S. SENATE IN IOWA
BY READING THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES:
Midwest Values PAC, Al Franken
Majority Democrats: The Lesson From josh Turek’s Win In Iowa
——————-
If Democrats want to start winning, they should pay attention to what just happened in Iowa.
Josh Turek didn’t win his U.S. Senate primary because he ran as the most progressive Democrat or the most moderate Democrat. He won because he rejected ideological purity. He’s what we call a different kind of Democrat: voters over institutions, results over gobbledygook rhetoric, culturally normal, economically strong.
Turek represents the most conservative district in Iowa to send a Democrat to the state legislature. It’s a district that Trump won by eight points, one that’s voted Republican in every presidential election since Nixon.
Josh gets something a lot of national Democrats don’t: you can’t win Iowa by talking only to people who agree with you. He probably wouldn’t have won a primary in New York, Chicago or LA. That’s the point — his values are everyday Iowa values.
Winning in “red” states means mobilizing Democrats and earning the trust of independents and Republicans. You have to show up, listen, and build coalitions around the things people actually care about.
That’s what Josh has done his entire career, and voters took it into account at the ballot box.
Democrats can win in Iowa again. Tom Harkin did it. Obama did it twice.
And if Josh Turek wins this race — Tom Harkin’s old seat — it won’t be because Iowa suddenly became a “blue” state. It’ll be because voters trusted a candidate who understood them, respected them, and gave them a reason to believe somebody in Washington would fight for them.
The lesson from Iowa isn’t that Democrats need to move left or move right. It’s that voters are hungry for people who are more interested in solving problems than performing politics.
There are a lot more Iowas out there than establishment Democrats would like to admit. And there are a lot more Josh Tureks, too.
If Democrats want to start winning by more than 50 plus 1, we need to spend less time searching for ideological conformity and more time finding candidates who can actually earn the trust of the people they want to represent.
The future of the party won’t be built by finding candidates who ace the purity test. It’ll be built by finding candidates who fit their communities and giving them the support to win.
——————
And so you look at this stuff, and I know I hear the word “authenticity.” “Well, he’s authentic.” Here’s what I get about the authenticity point: We’ve all seen people who are Political Bot 9000, that just walk out there and they deliver talking points, and they’ve got the right gestures, and everyone’s just sick of that — just sick of it. But authenticity by itself isn’t a virtue. You can go into prison, and there’s a lot of authenticity in prison.
Cottle: You could be authentically horrible.
French: You could be authentically horrible. So I would prize virtues over authenticity.
…
Cottle: Because what it is clear is, it’s not that people want somebody who’s authentic; they want somebody who’s kind of charming and folksy or whatever. If you’re authentically awkward, they have no use for you.
If you are authentically anything other than what you can fake, if you’re a professional. So I have no sympathy for that, to the degree that it allows you to embrace complete jackasses or horrible people. Not that I’m saying he is; I’m just saying that that whole excuse drives me nuts, and I get your point about robots and things like that. But voters don’t want authentic. They want authentically charming and folksy and looking regular guy-y.
Bouie: They want someone who can perform a certain kind of ——
Cottle: Perform, yes!
Bouie: I’m going to sound like an academic here — perform a certain kind of legible authenticity, right?
Cottle: Thank you.
Bouie: Something that the capital-“A” authentic refers to is a set of traits that are politically advantageous, and if you can perform them well, then you get labeled authentic, right? So, as per your point, Michelle, if you are authentically a patrician — like, say, Mitt Romney, authentic patrician — that’s sort of a hard thing to get past. That reads to voters as being awkward and robotic, even if it’s not. Even if it’s just, he’s a guy being who he is. And that’s why you see candidates doing all kinds of often very silly things at state fairs, at all kinds of places, to try to perform this particular kind of authenticity.
———————
What Are Democrats’ Best Senate Pickup Opportunities? By Nate Cohn
After this week’s Iowa primary, the field is pretty much set in the six states that Democrats are mainly targeting to retake the Senate this November.
It won’t be easy. Democrats must hold their seats and win at least four Republican-held ones — including at least two in states that President Trump won easily in 2024. Those are seats Republicans should be able to defend, even in a challenging year.
But in most of the key states, there’s a good reason Democrats have a shot at winning, too — whether it’s the state’s partisanship, the strength of the Democratic candidate or the weakness of their opponent.
At this early stage, North Carolina stands out as the best opportunity for Democrats, and Iowa seems to be the likeliest Republican hold.
Iowa
To this point, every state on the list has something that Democrats can hang their hopes on: a blue state, a strong recruit or a weak Republican.
The same can’t be said for Iowa. While Democrats seem quite competitive, it’s hard to come up with a good reason Democrats should ultimately prevail.
At least based on the national polling, Iowa would still be expected to lean Republican in this environment. There have been almost no public polls of the state so far.
The Republican nominee, Representative Ashley Hinson, has a strong electoral record in her district. Democrats have a strong candidate of their own in Josh Turek, a Paralympic gold medalist and state lawmaker. He fared very well in his last election for state House, but that’s not quite the same as performing well statewide or in a federal election. At the very least, he’s not an established candidate with demonstrated statewide appeal and an existing reservoir of good will, like Mr. Brown or Ms. Peltola.
There is a case for Democrats to fare well in Iowa, but it doesn’t fit on this chart. You can read it in my colleagues’ reporting: Mr. Trump seems quite unpopular in Iowa; his tariffs have hit this agricultural state hard, and so have high fertilizer prices as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.
Obviously, much of this could be said for anywhere in the country, but it’s possible these factors will hurt Republicans more in Iowa than elsewhere.
While Democrats may not have an especially favorable candidate matchup in the Senate race, they may have a promising one in the governor’s contest, where the popular Democratic state auditor Rob Sand faces Zach Lahn, a MAHA-backed political newcomer who won impressively against a Trump-backed opponent in the Republican primary. If the governor’s race goes well for Democrats, maybe Mr. Turek can ride the coattails.
Is this a plausible story? Perhaps. In almost every election, some states move independently from the national trend. In 2022, for instance, there wasn’t an obvious demographic reason Florida and New York would zoom to the right, while Arizona and Pennsylvania would veer toward the left. But that’s exactly what happened, and the kind of analysis used here, based on national demographic trends and the track record of candidates, wouldn’t have anticipated it. Maybe this year, resentment toward tariffs and high prices will drive Iowa and other farm belt states disproportionately toward the left, much as resentment about crime and pandemic-era policies seemed to help move New York and Florida to the right.
Maybe polling in Iowa will bear out a leftward turn. For now, it’s at the bottom of the list.
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According to the Greek Mythology website, Narcissus was known for his striking beauty but he met each admirer with only disdain and contempt. He fell in love with his own reflection which lead to his ultimate demise.
While we don’t actually think that our President is beautiful, the hubris he displays, along with his disdain for anyone other than himself, is strikingly similar. He clearly thinks he is above the law and he wants his mark placed on all sorts of public displays. Just a few examples:
😱 Despite the fact that the Kennedy Center is a national monument to the former martyred President, he and his cronies have added his name to the façade and plan to recast the arts venue in his image. We rejoice in the fact that a judge has said it is against the law, ordered his name to be removed and that plans to close the Center for two years be halted.
😱 The President’s name has been plastered on the U.S. Institute of Peace. Irony abounds.
😱 The State Department is issuing “commemorative” U.S. Passports sporting the President’s image.
😱 The President wants Penn Station and Dulles Airport named after him.
😱 He has added his signature to U.S. currency.
😱 The Treasury’s advisory board announced a design for a 24-karat gold coin featuring a portrait of the president which the Trump appointed U.S. Commission on Fine Arts approved.
😱 There is a proposal for a $250 bill with the President’s visage emblazoned on it.
😱 And, then, there’s the infamous Triumphal Arch planned for near Arlington Cemetery. Showing his usual hubris, the President claims he doesn’t need Congressional approval. Fortunately, Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) begs to differ and has introduced legislation to stop its construction saying, “It is unthinkable that we would desecrate this hallowed space to build a monument to Donald Trump’s ego.”
We fully recognize that, at a time of war, political division and economic uncertainty, these may not be the most important issues we face but, sadly, they are emblematic of what has led us to these perilous times. It is well past time to stand up to the massive, unbridled ego and this is one step.
Please contact your Senators and Member of Congress to demand that they stand up and bring a halt to this disgraceful display of massive ego and juvenile narcissistic behavior and take a moment to thank Representative Beyer for his leadership.
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Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.
George Santayana
In this oft-repeated quote, Santayana makes no mention of those who deliberately try to erase it. That, however, is the hallmark of the current Administration and its enablers. In March, the President signed an executive order directing the Department of the Interior to “take action” against public content that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.” That has been widely interpreted as a mandate to obliterate from National Park Service signage anything which might make people uncomfortable or paint history in anything but roses. Sorry, but history isn’t always pretty and erasing it won’t change that fact. Hopefully, we aren’t “doomed to repeat it.”
Even before that executive order went into effect, there were indications that that policy was being put into place. In January, a series of informational signs about slavery was removed from the President’s House in Old City Philadelphia. So sorry if those signs made some people uncomfortable but slavery really did happen and we need to learn its lessons. The city of Philadelphia sued and the signs were restored. Frightening, however, is the argument made in the court hearing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory in den Berken, “Ultimately,” he said, “the government gets to choose the message it wants to convey.”
Then, in February, the Administration decided to stop flying the Rainbow Flag at the Stonewall National Monument. It was an affront to all who have fought so hard for LGBTQ+ rights and those who support them. Once again, there was an outcry and, in April, the government reversed its decision and has allowed the flag to fly once again.
Native Americans are another prime target for the Administration’s zeal to portray history in a positive light even when it’s negative. For example, in the Grand Teton National Park, a sign noted that Gustavus Cheyney Doane’s expedition led to the designation of the first national park – but also that he helped lead a massacre of at least 173 members of the Piegan Blackfeet – something he bragged about throughout his life. That fact has been eliminated from the signage. And, in California’s Muir Woods National Monument, signs on the contributions of Native Americans and women have been removed.
In addition, it has been reported that other items marked for review and possible removal include books for sale about slavery, displays about the forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and a film about 19th century mill workers in Massachusetts. Other examples abound but it is unclear how many are being removed.
Fortunately, some Member of Congress are pushing back against the whitewashing of history. They include principally Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Reps. Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) who have written to the Department of the Interior asking for an explanation of their actions.
Please take a moment NOW to thank them for their efforts to ensure that American history isn’t eradicated from our national parks.
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No, the Earth Isn’t Flat
By any available measure, this is possibly the most anti-science government since the Salem witch hunts. It is brought to you by a President who, during the height of the COVID pandemic, said, “And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning. Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs.”
Starting from that deep understanding of basic science, the President has surged ahead with his misbegotten ideas and is endangering the nation and the world. Let’s look at just a few recent examples:
🤯 He appointed noted anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services and the results have been disastrous highlighted by a surge in measles cases in this country. His claim that Tylenol causes autism has been refuted by years of science.
🤯 He consistently favors fossil fuels over renewable, clean energy sources.
🤯 He is obsessed with windmills and has cancelled government contracts and leases for offshore wind projects already under development. The latest cost us $1 billion to get a French company to walk away from projects off the coasts of North Carolina and New York. This comes after a federal judge vacated President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects in December, declaring it unlawful.
🤯 At South Carolina’s Fort Sumter National Monument, a sign that included details on the impacts of climate change, including information on how “rising seas could inundate most of the fort’s walls and flood the historic parade ground” has been removed.
🤯 Even as she blamed climate disasters for rapidly rising food costs, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said climate change “craziness” is a hoax.
🤯 The Department of Justice has filed suit against Minnesota to block climate lawsuits against oil companies.
🤯 The Administration was forced to withdraw its first choice to head the Centers for Disease Control because of his anti-vax views and a Congress which finally rebelled. In his stead, they have nominated former deputy surgeon general Erica Schwartz after a senior Administration official is quoted as saying, “We just need someone who’s not crazy.” It’s not a high standard but we’ll take it.
🤯 We’re sure the passengers on the cruise ship struck by hanta virus would be pleased to learn that the CDC eliminated the Vessel Sanitation Program designed to control and monitor illness outbreaks on cruise ships.
Then, on a Friday – April 24 – when they thought no one was looking, the President fired the entire National Science Board which oversees the National Science Foundation responsible for financing most of the public scientific research in the United States. This is the latest blow in the Administration’s war with scientific research organizations. According to the New York Times, many grants were eliminated because they contain words, including climate, diversity, disability, trans or women. Last year, the foundation terminated hundreds of active research awards and awarded new grants at the slowest pace in at least 35 years. It lost about a third of its employees in layoffs or forced retirements, and its director, a Trump appointee, resigned.
Sadly, this is just part of the picture painted with an anti-science, anti-fact bias by people wearing tin hats. Health, climate, aerospace and many other aspects of much needed research will suffer for years to come.
Please tell your Members of Congress to step up and stop this current outrage. Focus particularly on those charged with overseeing the National Science Foundation:
✅ House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Brian Babin, (R-TX), chair
Zoe Lofgren, (D-GA), ranking member
✅ Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
Ted Cruz, (R-TX)
Maria Cantwell, (D-WA)
Then, for a little fun in these trying times, you might want to make a tin foil hat to send to RFK, Jr. and Brooke Rollins. Find the pattern here https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Tin-Foil-Hat.
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Thousands marched. Many died. More were bloodied. Then, Congress voted for the Voting Rights Act. President Johnson signed it into law in 1965. It took years to achieve that victory. For 50 years it stood as a shining example of what our country can achieve and guaranteed equal representation under the law. It only took 6 people to undo all that blood, sweat and tears.
On April 29, the Supreme Court continued its love affair with Jim Crow when it effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act. Predictably, Louisiana Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi called special legislative sessions to address redistricting. Not surprisingly, all are Southern states and all are states which underscored the need for the Voting Rights Act to begin with.
A quick review of some basic statistics makes the point. In 1965, there were 6 African American Members of the House and no Senators. Today, there are 61 who identify as Black in the House and 5 in the Senate. Sadly, those numbers could shift dramatically downward if we are to rely on the good will of racist governors and state legislatures.
There is a reason that we keep posting the picture of Martin Luther King during his I Have a Dream speech surrounded by Americans for Democratic Action founders and past presidents.
There is a reason former ADA president John Lewis was elected to Congress.
There is a reason that unsung civil rights icons such as Marvin and Evelyn Jones Rich are part of our cherished past, present and future and why we honored Evie on the publication of her memoir.
We not only honor and cherish each of these individuals. They illustrate how deeply the fight for full civil and voting rights is embedded in our DNA.
In March, Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL) reintroduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act with all Democrats as co-sponsors. In July 2025, it was reintroduced in the Senate. Shamefully but not surprisingly, it hasn’t moved in either body.
Now, more than ever, we need to redouble our efforts at the state and national levels to ensure that full voting rights are restored. If your Representative or Senator has signed on as a co-sponsor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, send him/her a note of thanks. If not, demandthat they do so immediately despite Congressional leadership opposed to even bringing it to a vote. If you live in Louisiana Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi immediately contact your Governor and state legislators to demand that full voting rights for all citizens of your state be honored.
And, in the words of John Lewis, “Get in trouble; get in good trouble.”
March, educate, organize, get out the vote and vote.
Elections have consequences.
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ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
When we began this Spotlight series, we promised you we wouldn’t go after every shiny object thrown our way. Sadly, there have been far too many shiny objects, and we are often at a loss as to which to highlight for you.
For example, during this past month alone:
🆘 The President has posted increasingly vicious, vindictive posts of himself with an assault rifle, in a Jesus-like pose, and arm in arm with Jesus.
🆘 He has announced that his image will appear on U.S. passports.
🆘 The Administration has asked schools of higher learning to provide them with lists of Jewish students.
🆘 The Administration has demanded voting lists from the states.
🆘 The Administration has asked for more funding for its ill-conceived, illegal war on Iran.
🆘 Gas and food prices are rising at unprecedented rates.
🆘 The Department of Justice continues to wage vindictive cases against the Administration’s perceived enemies.
🆘 Even after the shooting during the White House Correspondents’ dinner, the Department of Justice, announced 34 planned changes which would weaken gun control laws.
🆘 The most anti-science Administration ever fired the independent board that oversees the National Science Foundation.
🆘 The Supreme Court effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act that ADA activists such as our former president John Lewis (D-GA) and our book party featured speaker Evelyn Jones Rich and her husband Marvin fought so hard for at so much cost.
We realize that we have left some horrors off the list but we’re trying to use the shiny object principle we promised you. The underlying and very clear message, however, is ELECTIONS MATTER.
We are determined to meet the challenge which that caveat presents. We have already been active in state and local elections and, most recently in Virginia where we mounted an aggressive campaign in support of the redistricting amendment. With your support there, we were able to reach more than 50,000 voters in key areas and we prevailed. We recognize that this is but one step in a critical election season leading up to the 2026 mid-terms. With your support, we will continue our campaign to educate and organize voters in key areas. That work is more important than ever. With your support, we will begin to right the wrongs that threaten our nation and our democracy.
To get involved and help us win this crucial battle, contact our director of organizing Rebecca Griffin at rebecca@adaction.org and/or donate to ADA at https://adaction.org/donate/. Your support is essential.
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This is NOT Normal
From his unhinged middle of the night rants to the offensive pictures he creates and posts, the President demonstrates time and again that he is increasingly unhinged and out of control. That would be bad enough but it adds to an already damning portrayal of someone in serious need of help even as he takes our nation down with him.
There is:
🆘 His massive need for self aggrandizement displayed in his plastering his name on public buildings like the Kennedy Center;
🆘 His uncontrollable lying about things which are very easily fact checked;
🆘 His deliberate alienation of long held alliances;
🆘 His blatant misogyny and racism;
🆘 His threat to “wipe out a whole civilization;”
🆘 His need to build massive structures in his own honor;
🆘 His totally inappropriate remarks at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll;
🆘 His picking a fight with the Pope and lecturing the Pope about theology;
🆘 His threat to take over Greenland
🆘 and so much more.
It’s far past time that he be reined in and that his mental acuity becomes a reason for serious concern. Fortunately, all-star Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has taken a significant first step in that effort. On April 10th, amid calls to invoke the 25th Amendment, Representative Raskin sent a letter to the White House physician demanding that he immediately evaluate Donald Trump’s Cognitive Fitness. In his letter, Mr. Raskin wrote, “This is plainly out of the realm of normal politics. When the President of the United States threatens to extinguish a civilization on social media, rants about combat missions with children at the Easter Egg Roll, and drops profane tirades on Easter morning, we have indisputably entered the realm of profound medical difficulty and concern,” We couldn’t agree more with Mr. Raskin and must see this effort bolstered in any way possible.
Please contact Congressman Raskin and thank him for his much-needed effort:
2242 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-5341
51 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 354-1000
Then, contact your own Representative and ask that he/she add their name to the request.
Full accountability must be demanded if we are to extricate ourselves from this national nightmare.
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It seems the Republicans are up to their old tricks again. Ahead of Tuesday’s critical redistricting vote in Virginia, a Republican-backed PAC, Justice for Democracy, is trying to trick black voters in Virginia.
The PAC and its allies have sent two rounds of mailers, one featuring a photo of former President Obama next to the text: “Protect Minority Representation. Vote NO on Gerrymandering!” And another comparing the Yes campaign to “Jim Crow.” Click here to read more.
Invoking Jim Crow and the Ku Klux Klan are old, stale tactics, and simply another ploy the Right is using to subvert democracy. Rarely has there been more deceptive advertising on an issue including claiming that Governor Spanberger says to vote no when she has emphatically stated that Virginians should vote yes.
Republicans have worked tirelessly over the past year to rig the midterms to give themselves an unfair advantage; using Republican controlled legislatures to re-draw congressional maps in the middle of the decade.
Now progressives are working to level the playing field! We won’t be fooled by the right-wing misinformation machine. And tomorrow, Virginians must respond by charting another path forward!
If you live in Virginia:
If you don’t live in Virginia
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT ADA’S GOTV PROGRAM IN VIRGINIA
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They’re collecting personal information. They’re compiling voting lists.
They’re putting together lists of Jewish students. What’s next?
First came the news that a juvenile DOGE staffer had made off with the Social Security numbers of millions of Americans. He’s totally unconcerned about the legality because he says he knows the President will pardon him. Obviously, we’re concerned because who knows what such a blatant scofflaw plans to do with that data.
Now, the Administration is trying to build a national database to hunt for suspected non-citizen voters – a problem which, study after study has indicated is infinitesimal at most. The President has issued an executive order on the subject and the Justice Department has pledged to give voter data to Homeland Security to run against citizenship verification programs which are fraught with inaccuracies. Never mind that how elections are run, according to the Constitution, is under the purview of each individual state. What could possibly go wrong? Fortunately, a number of states are suing to prevent this coming to fruition. If your state is among them, please let your Governor know you stand solidly behind them. If not, make sure to remind your Governor of their Constitutional responsibility
Under the guise of combating anti-Semitism, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has demanded that the University of Pennsylvania turn over a list of Jewish students, faculty and staff. The University has refused to comply but, horrifyingly, an Obama appointed Federal Judge has sided with the Administration. Anyone, with even a cursory knowledge of the history of university complicity in Nazi Germany, should find this terrifying. Fortunately, UPenn is appealing the decision. They deserve our gratitude.
Please contact UPenn’s president, Dr. J. Larry Jameson and underscore your full support for the University’s position. If you are or know anyone affiliated with UPenn, encourage them to do so as well. 1 College Hall, Rm 100, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6380, 215-898-7221, president@upenn.edu. Thank him for providing much-needed guard rails to at least one of the Administration’s excesses.
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Excursion: (1): a usually brief pleasure trip;
(2): a trip at special reduced rates
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Since the President is fond of calling the war in Iran an “excursion,” we thought we would look up the definition. Sorry, but we doubt the school children slaughtered and the others killed think of what is happening in this unjustified and illegal war as a “brief pleasure trip.”
And, it certainly isn’t coming at “special reduced rates.” In addition to the high price already expended for a war without specified dangers or goals, the Administration is now asking for an additional $200 billion for a war the President has declared “already won in so many ways.” Add to that the cost of international good will, alliances shattered, countless Iranians and others dead and soaring gas and oil prices worldwide.
Since we have already covered extensively what we think about the legality of this war, we decided to take a look at the price of the President’s excursion. The most luxurious excursion we could think of was on the Queen Mary. The highest price for a berth that we found was $650/person. Assuming currently about 7,000 additional military personnel deployed in the region, putting them on that cruise liner would cost about $4,550,000 (maybe without wine, tax and tip, but still). That is still considerably less expensive than what has already been expended and what is now being demanded. Nothing is justified but we think it puts it in perspective.
In the midst of this, Congress has vacated Washington for a two week Spring break. Please, make certain they hear from you while they are home with a very clear message:
NO MORE MONEY FOR AN ILLEGAL, ILL-CONCEIVED WAR.
Your Senators and Representative who already agree, need to hear from you with sincere thanks. Those who have refused to develop a spine and stop this “excursion” need to know you are paying attention and will remember in November.
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The Tail That Wags the Dog
Just in case you had any doubt about who is responsible for the current circus surrounding Department of Homeland Security funding, last Friday made it abundantly clear. Thursday night into Friday morning, the Senate worked and voted to fund all of DHS funding except for ICE and Border Patrol. The vote was unanimous.
Then the bill went to the House of Representatives where it met House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) singular lack of leadership and the absolute inflexibility of the House Freedom Caucus. Unable to muster the votes necessary, Speaker Johnson announced on Friday that no vote would be taken on the unanimous Senate bill and a counter measure was sent back to the Senate. It was declared “dead on arrival” as it should have been because it contained unfettered funding for ICE and Border Protection and untenable voter ID measures. Speaker Johnson said the Senate bill was a “joke” but the joke’s on him. He needs to take lessons from Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on how to run Congress.
Meanwhile, each and every one of us should be outraged that people who truly serve the public interest – including a most especially TSA agents – are being denied pay and are being forced to take desperate measures in order to survive. The House Freedom Caucus is chaired by Andy Harris (R-MD); the deputy chair is Jim Jordan (R-OH). Lauren Boebert (R-CO) was elected communications chair, and Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) was elected policy chair in 2022. The Freedom Caucus, which doesn’t believe in open governance, does not provide an official list of its members but lists as of April 2025 indicate the following members:
✅ Alabama
Rep. Barry Moore (R)
Rep. Gary Palmer (R)
✅ Arizona
Rep. Andy Biggs (R)
Rep. Eli Crane (R)
Rep. Paul Gosar (R)
✅ Colorado
✅ Florida
Rep. Greg Steube (R)
✅ Georgia
✅ Idaho
✅ Illinois
Rep. Mary Miller (R)
✅ Indiana
✅ Louisiana
✅ Maryland
Rep. Andy Harris (R)
✅ Missouri
✅ Ohio
Rep. Jim Jordan (R)
✅ Oklahoma
✅ Pennsylvania
Rep. Scott Perry (R)
✅ South Carolina
✅ Tennessee
Rep. Mark Green (R)
Rep. Andy Ogles (R)
✅ Texas
Rep. Chip Roy (R)
Rep. Keith Self (R)
✅ Virginia
Rep. Ben Cline (R)
✅ Wisconsin
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R)
✅ Wyoming
If you are unfortunate enough to be represented by any of these Members, please, please, please take advantage of Congress’ Spring Break to let them know exactly what you think. Organize your friends and neighbors to do the same or, even better, go to one of their offices and invite the press for the occasion. Hardworking TSA agents and the rest of the country deserve better than this.
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During last week’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Iraq, Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was skewered for her lack thereof – intelligence, that is. Leading the charge was Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff (D) who gave us all a master class in just what a Senator should do. He deserves our thanks.
Now he is up for re-election in what is certain to be a very close race. We need him to prevail both for the sake of a hoped for more liberal majority and for the sake of the nation. He first won election in a close fight against the Republican incumbent Senator David Perdue. The fact that that election went to a run-off in which Ossoff prevailed with a mere 50.6 percent of the vote tells you all you need to know about how tight this re-election bid is likely to be.
The Georgia primary is May 19th. Ossoff is unopposed but there are multiple Independents running for the seat along with 5 Republicans. U.S. Representative Earl (Buddy) Carter whose ADA lifetime voting record is 1% has a website filled with photos with the President. He bills himself as a “MAGA Warrior” but states absolutely no issue positions on his website. The campaign took a body blow when Georgia Governor Brian Kemp informed Carter he would not support him. That hasn’t dissuaded Carter and others have joined the race including:
Carter’s House colleague Mike Collins whose ADA lifetime voting record is 0%. Collins is trying to out-MAGA Carter with his “American First Agenda.” He says he has “been a consistent figure at Trump rallies.” As opposed to Carter, he does list some of his legislative actions but also has no specific issue page on his campaign website.
John Frances Coyne, III
is a mystery. He lists himself as a businessman has no content on his campaign website. Of note, Coyne has run for office in the past, once for the U.S. House of Representatives, where he lost in the primaries, and twice for the U.S. Senate – as a Democrat, where he garnered 4% of the vote.
Derek Dooley
has won the endorsement of Governor Kemp a family friend. Dooley is a former college football coach. One of his touted “keys to his campaign is about transparency and honesty” but, honestly, we couldn’t find any issues statements no matter how hard we tried. We do know, however, from prior statements, that a top priority will be keeping transgender athletes out of women’s sports.
Finally, we have Jonathan McCollum who has worked as a clergyman, a General Officer in the U.S. Army, and an instructor at Phoenix University. The retired Brigadier General’s website is heavy on God, life beginning at conception and only two genders – male and female. To his credit, he firmly states that his campaign is based on a “biblical world view” and that he supports the direction of the current Administration. Interesting mixed bag with no details but we can guess.
Senator Ossoff, a top GOP target, will face one of these in the general election and, even discounting the Independents running, this is certain to be a very close race and a top priority. He is firmly pro-choice; has supported economic relief for businesses and households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; Ossoff voted for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. He believes in the science of climate change. He supports Israelis but does not believe in the unconditional support of Israel in light of the Gaza war and even before the war in Iran. His support for LGBTQ+ rights is “unwavering.” Preserving the Affordable Care Act is a priority. He was mentored by former ADA president John Lewis so, needless to say, he supports passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and has a stellar 93% ADA lifetime voting record. He opposes the war in Iran. Prior to his service in Congress, he investigated war crimes, corrupt officials, and organized crime for international news organizations through his multi-Emmy award winning investigative television production company called Insight TWI. That experience has stood him in good stead when questioning the likes of Gabbard and other Administration cronies. He serves on the Committee on Rules and Administration and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
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We know it’s a Long Shot
But
There is a Chance
Even before Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told our former national director — during the Clinton impeachment battle — how she should feel as a woman, we knew he wasn’t a Senator for us. It has only gotten worse since then. Once a severe critic of the President, he has now turned into the President’s chief bootlicker and cheerleader. And, now, he is an ardent supporter of the war in Iran saying, among other things, “We’re killing all the right people, and we’re cutting your taxes.” Did he, we ask, have school children in mind? That, however, is not enough. He is reported to have claimed that he is the one who convinced the President to go to war. Please don’t tell Mr. Netanyahu.
Senator Graham is running for re-election this year. He is widely favored to win the June 9th GOP primary by possibly as many as 40 points despite a crowded field.
Graham served in the South Carolina state house from 1992-1995. He served in the U.S. House from 1995-2003 when he succeeded Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC). During his House and Senate tenures, he has amassed an ADA voting record of 10%. He started out as a champion of bi-partisan work and characterized himself as a McCain Republican. Now, front and center on his campaign website is the following, “TRUSTED BY TRUMP. ENDORSED BY TRUMP. Senator Lindsey Graham is fighting back against the socialist ideas of the Radical Left every day and is working to put America FIRST!” He’s certainly not hiding his light under a barrel. He brags about his role in securing the confirmation of Trump-appointed Justices and Judges. He is a proud supporter of the President’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” and thinks an unfettered ICE is a good thing. He advocated for the overturn of Roe v. Wade and voted against the Affordable Care Act. He voted against a Constitutional amendment to support same sex marriages. He chairs the Senate Committee on the Budget and serves on the Committees on the Judiciary, Environment and Public Works and Appropriations.
Like Senator Graham, Dr. Annie Andrews must first survive the June 9th Democratic primary. Also like Graham, Andrews has far outraised her opponents and is the prohibitive favorite to secure her party’s nomination. Andrews is a pediatrician who says the appointment of RFK, Jr. to head HHS made her decide to run this time. She supports reproductive choice and is strongly in favor of affordable quality health care. As a member of Moms Demand Action, she supports sensible gun control laws and vows to take weapons of war off our streets. Unlike Lindsey Graham, she opposes endless wars and will fight for Congress to force votes on the War Powers Act. She is a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights.
In 2022, Andrews lost a bruising battle to Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) who falsely accused Andrews of child abuse for supporting gender affirming care for trans youth. We expect this current campaign to be equally nasty but think she just may be able to pull it off if a blue wave actually materializes. Current polling has her down by only 2-6 points and there are infinite numbers of ways for Senator Graham to shoot himself in the foot with his constant fawning over an increasingly unpopular President.
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It’s not often that we think we should send a thank you note to the Texas GOP but Tuesday’s Senate primaries were a true gift for which we are thankful. No, we are not counting our chickens but we are very hopeful. And, the fact that Democrats outpaced Republicans in primary turnout – reaching record levels – gives us additional hope.
While we will sorely miss Congresswoman Jasmin Crockett (D) with her 95 percent ADA voting record and her insightful, incisive leadership in the House, we are truly delighted that Democrats in Texas will be spared a runoff battle and can concentrate on flipping this Senate seat in November.
At the same time, Republicans are facing a potentially nasty battle culminating in a May 26 runoff vote. The fight pits incumbent Senator John Cornyn whose lifetime ADA voting record of 5 percent tells its own tale against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who is in the middle of a nasty divorce waged by his wife citing “Christian values.” Somewhat unbelievably, Paxton is challenging Cornyn from the right.
MAGA darling, scandal ridden Ken Paxton’s campaign website is replete with pictures of him next to Trump. The message couldn’t be clearer but, just to underscore it, he declares himself “a staunch supporter of the America First movement.” He promises to complete the border wall. Front and center on his website is: “He will stand with President Trump to protect our gun rights, defend the unborn, and defeat the radical transgender movement that’s desperate to put men in girls’ sports and woke indoctrination in our classrooms.” In addition, he uses every opportunity to attack Presidents Biden and Obama. You get the idea!
Incumbent Senator John Cornyn is fighting what is widely perceived to be an uphill battle for a fifth term. Ironically, he is a former Texas Attorney General, so this becomes the fight of the AGs. Like Paxton’s, his website is filled with references to the President, America First, the border and conservative principles. In fact, with a blindfold on, it would be hard to discern any difference but, for reasons we can’t explain, he is being painted as too moderate for Texas. He serves on the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Finance and Judiciary Committees.
While the Republicans are duking it out, Democratic nominee James Talarico has already started building on his formidable base. He won with wide margins amongst Hispanics, liberals and the college educated. The only group he didn’t win were African Americans and we strongly believe that Jasmine Crockett’s gracious concession, coupled with her pledge of support, will close that gap and make Talarico a very strong opponent to whomever the GOP chooses.
The 36-year-old state representative is a seminarian studying to become a minister. He has served four terms in the state legislature. Before that, he taught English in San Antonio as part of Teach for America and, then, became the Central Texas executive director for Reasoning Mind, a Texas nonprofit focusing on bringing technology to low-income classrooms. Much of his state legislative focus has been on education, childcare and youth workforce development. Unlike any number of candidates we have researched – including Cornyn and Paxton – Talarico’s campaign website is clear about his positions on the issues we care about. In the state legislature, he fought against the outrageous redistricting effort which launched the awful tit for tat battles in other states to redistrict in favor of one party or the other to gain or maintain control of the US House.
He vows to make corporations and businesses pay their fair share in taxes. He will work to lower health care and prescription drug costs and to repeal the Administration’s tariffs. He is pro-choice and supports the right of individuals to marry whom they love. And, there is so much more. We commend his issues website to you https://jamestalarico.com/issues/
This is clearly an opportunity not only to flip a major Senate seat but also to do it with a first-class candidate.
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“If we lost the midterms – heaven forbid, if we lost the majority in the House – it would be the end of the Trump presidency in a real effect.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)
Americans for Democratic Action has long believed in and advocated for independent, non-partisan redistricting procedures. We believe it is central to our democracy and should be protected.
That said, when the President and MAGA Republicans decided that gerrymandering and partisan redistricting were useful tools to maintaining and expanding their razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives and when Republican governors and state legislators took up the challenge, the game changed. Liberals have been left with no choice but to counter their outrageous efforts to thwart election integrity. Our next battle will take place in Virginia.
The situation in Virginia is confused to say the least. A referendum has been scheduled for April 21 to ratify redrawn Congressional maps which could, potentially, give Virginia 4 more Democratic seats in the House of Representatives. The measure is a temporary one related only to the 2026 midterms and designed to counter measures started in Texas which the GOP believes gives them 9 additional seats. California and other states responded getting Democrats 6 more seats. Should Virginia’s redistricting plan prevail, it would provide the needed margin to mute the MAGA games playing with election integrity.
Yet, a Circuit Court has issued a temporary retraining order blocking the referendum. Virginia’s attorney general is appealing that ruling. The restraining order is in effect until March 18 but early voting on the referendum is scheduled to begin on March 6.
As we said, the situation is confused to say the least. It also means that we have significant hurdles to overcome and we, quite simply, cannot afford to wait. At the moment, polls show upwards of 60 percent of Virginia voters are opposed to the redistricting effort. We truly believe, however, that with outreach and education, the referendum can be won.
If last week’s State of the Union speech did nothing else, it underscored the need to make Speaker Johnson’s prophecy come true. ADA has experience with major education and organizing efforts in Virginia. We have prevailed in the past and know that, with your support, we can do so again. For only $10,000, we can reach out to more than 100,000 voters with a message about what is at stake. Time is of the essence so, please, take a moment NOW to contribute to this essential work. We guarantee you that it will be money well spent.
In addition, if you wish to volunteer to help with our campaign, contact ADA field director Rebecca Griffin at rebecca@adaction.org
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Save us from SAVE
For them, the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) is the perfect package. It combines their bigotry with their false narrative about a problem which doesn’t exist, widespread voter fraud. Despite its obvious flaws and despite the fact that the Senate needs to be focusing on reforming ICE and ending yet another federal government shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has said he will bring the SAVE Act to the floor for a vote when the Senate returns from its Presidential Day recess this week. The House already has voted for this bill, so it is imperative that it be stopped in the Senate.
Center to the provisions in the bill are requirements to prove citizenship before registering to vote. This is a requirement which already exists and for which no remedy is needed. The danger is in the details:
‼️ Those wishing to register on-line or via mail must provide proof of citizenship in person thus in reality negating the on-line or mail-in option.
‼️ The bill provides criminal penalties for officials who register someone who fails to present documentary proof of citizenship, even if that applicant is a U.S. citizen. It also authorizes private individuals to sue election officials under the same circumstances. This is coming from state rights advocates who believe in states’ rights only when it suits their own purposes.
‼️ And then, the misogyny and racism bloom on full display: As part of the proof of citizenship, a birth certificate or passport are required and the name on the birth certificate and that of the person registering to vote must match. Obviously, for women who take their husband’s surname this isn’t possible and is absurd on its face. A birth certificate doesn’t contain a photo which, we dare say, wouldn’t look a whole lot like the person trying to register anyway. We assume this is coming from men who would decry women who don’t assume their husband’s surnames as radical feminists.
‼️ Finally, less than half the population has a passport and those that do are disproportionately Caucasian. If a passport is required, it costs an exorbitant $165 and could be construed as a poll tax. Hail Jim Crow!
Once again, this is a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist and falls largely on women and non-whites who often don’t vote for this Administration or its enablers . A week after we lost Rev. Jesse Jackson, a champion of voting rights, there can be no more fitting memorial than defeating the SAVE Act.
Please, therefore, contact your Senators IMMEDIATELY and demand that they vote against the SAVE act to save voting rights.
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Now is NOT the Time to Relax
On Thursday, “Border Czar” Tom Homan declared victory and announced that the surge of ICE thugs in Minnesota would be ending. This comes as it has been announced that the National Guard has been fully withdrawn from Portland, Chicago and Los Angeles. Rejoice in the victory but, please, don’t think this is the end of the
battle. It only means that the powers that be recognize that they have a major public relations defeat on their hands. Their excesses have unleashed untold suffering and cost lives. They are not done and neither are we.
❌ ICE continues to target people here legally trying to fulfill their obligations at asylum hearings.
❌ Places of work are frequent targets as are schools.
❌ US citizens are not exempt from the horror.
❌ Due process is legalese they don’t understand.
❌ ICE agents continue to operate with minimal vetting and limited training while masked to hide their identities.
❌ The notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador to which the Administration illegally sent 100s of detainees continues to operate as do others in Guatemala and elsewhere.
❌ There are currently 212 to 225 active detention facilities in the United States. The network has expanded significantly, with over 100 more facilities active compared to early 2025. Many are privately operated by for profit groups such as Core Civic;
❌ ICE is spending millions of dollars to buy warehouses to convert to even more detention facilities.
❌ The system holds tens of thousands of people including US citizens, people legally seeking asylum, political refugees (many of whom supported the US in places like Afghanistan) and others not deemed criminal in any way shape or form.
❌ A Marshall Project analysis found that ICE has booked at least 3,800 children into detention since the President took office last year. At least 1,000 children were held longer than 20 days, a court-ordered limit on child detention. In the Dilley Immigration Processing Facility, housing is inadequate, health care abysmal, food sparse and education virtually non-existent.
And, that’ just the tip of the iceberg. To quote Maryland Congressman Jaime Raskin (D): “I just exercised my right as a Member of Congress to conduct an unannounced oversight visit of the ICE field facility in Baltimore. The staff I met with respected my right to visit, but what I saw was disgraceful. Kristi Noem has a budget of $75 billion she could use to ensure humane conditions, but we saw 60 men packed into a room shoulder-to-shoulder, 24-hours-a-day, with a single toilet in the room and no shower facilities. They sleep like sardines with aluminum foil blankets. Whether it’s for three days or seven days, nobody would want a member of their family warehoused there. The room set aside for dangerous criminals and violent offenders was empty. We’re demanding immediate answers and action.”
He and other Members of Congress are saying enough is too much. They are demanding basic accountability for ICE and Secretary Kristi Noem. The Administration is saying their requests are “non-starters.” We are saying this horror should never have started. As a result of the impasse, a partial government shutdown is taking place while Congress is out of town for the Presidents’ Day break and could well extend even longer.
While your Representative and Senators are home, please take a moment to reach out to them at their home offices. If they are voting to hold up DHS funding until basic reforms happen, please thank them and ask them to stand firm in the face of what is sure to be enormous pressure. If they are caving into the Administration’s non-negotiating stance and – as a result – accepting the horror that ICE has visited upon our nation — make sure they understand you are paying attention. Remind them elections are approaching; you are their employers and they can and will be fired.
Finally, please support ADA’s organizing efforts to ensure that the mid-term elections produce liberal majorities in both the House and Senate to finally bring a halt to the Administration’s dangerous excesses.
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Fifty years ago, in 1976, Iowa sent eight men to Washington D.C. representing the state in Congress: seven Democrats, including both Senators, and one Republican. Currently, Iowa has a six-person Congressional delegation: six Republicans, including three women.
There will be a change in personnel after the fall election, since Senator Joni Ernst is not seeking reelection. The delegation MAY also see some changes in party, with competitive races in three of the state’s four Congressional Districts, plus an open Senate seat, the focus of this update.
Three candidates have a chance to become Iowa’s next Senator: Congresswoman Ashley Hinsonn (R), currently representing northeast Iowa, conducting her first statewide campaign, and two Democrats competing for the Senate nomination: State Representative Josh Turek, from Council Bluffs (western Iowa) and State Senator Zach Wahls, from Coralville (eastern Iowa). Since first assuming office in 2021, Hinson has amassed an ADA Lifetime Voting Record of 5%. Front and center on her campaign website is her support for the President accompanied by a lengthy endorsement quote from him. That, alone, tells you all you need to know.
When analysts begin to assess results shortly after polls close on November 3, 2026, Iowa may just be cited among the states bringing in “surprising results.” It’s far too early to say; hey, it’s only February with much to play out in the next nine months.
It’s worth noting, however, that Democrats a) have a compelling gubernatorial candidate (current state auditor Rob Sand); b) are once again making the party’s biennial pledge to run a “coordinated campaign” (as Mary Poppins says, “a pie crust promise… easy to make, easy to break”); and c) have announced preliminary plans to locate 60 fieldworkers scattered throughout Iowa’s 99 counties.
With open Senate and governor races, turnout is likely to be significant, pointing toward a Senate race won – or lost – by just a few percentage points (especially when factoring in our innate optimism).
As almost every reference to candidate Turek mentions, he’s a four-time Paralympian, having played for the U.S. men’s national wheelchair basketball team, helping bring home two gold medals and one bronze. Turek was born with spina bifida, likely caused by his father being exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. As a boy, Turek experienced 21 surgeries by age 12. He currently represents the reddest seat held by a Democrat in the Iowa legislature, first winning his seat in 2022 by a mere six votes.
Similarly, almost every reference to candidate Wahls mentions that he’s the guy who, 15 years ago, as a lanky 19-year-old, made an impassioned, impressive speech before the Iowa legislature in defense of same-sex marriage. Raised by a gay couple, video of the Wahls two-moms presentation has been watched more than 18 million times.
Self-descriptions: Turek calls himself a common-sense Democrat and a prairie populist; his political hero is former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D). Responding to ICE activities in Minnesota adjacent to Iowa, Turek noted,
“This is an issue that is deeply personal to me. My wife is an Afro-Latina immigrant, and my mother-in-law is here on a visa and does not even speak English.”
Meanwhile, Wahls emphasizes the importance of this race. “Political experts say my election could be the tiebreaking seat for a Democratic Senate majority. … I am the only candidate for the U.S. Senate in Iowa – from either party – to introduce or cosponsor any pro-choice state legislation (the 28th time co-sponsoring reproductive health legislation). His campaign accentuates electability. According to a recent email, “A new poll shows Zach Wahls is the only Democratic candidate leading against Iowa Republicans, and TIME Magazine declared Zach the favorite to win.”
At this stage of the campaign, candidates battle every day to acquire and allocate resources. According to the Des Moines Register, February 2, “State Sen. Zach Wahls outraised state Rep. Josh Turek in the last quarter of 2025, taking in $742,000 to Turek’s $678,000.” Not a huge difference.
The Register story quotes a Wahls campaign memo released last week, “The fundraising reports show he is the clear Democratic frontrunner, raising more than $2 million during all of 2025, compared with just shy of $1.7 million for Turek.” Again, a rather insignificant margin, especially, as the Register notes, “Wahls launched his campaign June 11 compared to August 12 for Turek, giving him more time to build his operation.”
Importantly, the Register observes, “Republican Ashley Hinson outraised the entire Democratic field combined in the fourth quarter. She took in $1.7 million… and has a $5.1 million campaign war chest.”
Whichever Democratic candidate emerges from Iowa’s June 2 primary (presumably with limited cash-in-hand) will require a significant influx from out-of-state funders to compete with Rep. Hinson’s treasury. A mid-summer ‘26 poll suggesting the mere possibility of Iowa sending a Democrat to the U.S. Senate will be essential to surprising analysts in early November.
Stay tuned. This is a much-needed victory and one which we can achieve.
Until then, please take a moment to tell Representative Hinson how dismayed you are by her voting record:
✅ 2458 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, Phone: (202) 225-2911
✅ 111 7th Ave SE, Suite 580, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401, Phone: (319) 364-2288
✅ 1050 Main St., Dubuque, IA 52001, Phone: (563) 557-7789
✅ 531 Commercial St, Suite 302, Waterloo, IA 50701, Phone: (319) 266-6925
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If there is any hope – and we think there is – of winning a liberal majority in this year’s mid-term Senate races, it is essential that the seat being vacated by New Hampshire Senator Jean Shaheen (D) remains in Democratic hands. Vying to replace her are Representative Chris Pappas (D) and former Senator John Sununu (R). There are others in the race, but this is the very likely match up.
Republicans believe they have a good chance of winning this race and already are running ads targeting Pappas. Others rate this one of the closest races in the country. New Hampshire may no longer be the personal fiefdom of the Loeb Family and the old Manchester Union Leader but it remains unpredictable and the Sununu name is magic in the state.
Congressman Chris Pappas (D) who represents New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District got his start in politics in high school when he volunteered for Jeanne Shaheen’s gubernatorial campaign. He has never looked back. Congressman Chris Pappas was first elected to represent New Hampshire’s First Congressional District in 2018. He was reelected three times, winning in 2024 with 54% of the vote. He has an ADA lifetime voting record of 80.
Pappas is a proponent of sensible gun safety reforms – a stance which is particularly courageous in a state like New Hampshire. He also has voted for statehood for Washington, DC and to reaffirm the Equal Rights Amendment. He has worked to hold polluters accountable and help communities upgrade their water systems. He fully supports the Affordable Care Act and promises to work to expand and improve it including by making prescription drugs more affordable. He favors international arms control measures and opposes new kinds of nuclear weapons. He recently introduced legislation to redirect excessive ICE funding to local law enforcement. He serves on Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure , Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and Committee on Small Business. He is a member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus which he co-chairs and the House Pro-Choice Caucus. Pappas is precisely who we need to support if we are to maintain and expand a liberal majority in the Senate.
Although former New Hampshire Senator John Sununu must first defeat former Massachusetts Governor Scott Brown in the September 8 primary, Sununu is the clear front runner for the seat he lost to Shaheen. In these days, he has the aura of a moderate despite his lifetime ADA voting record of a mere 9 percent amassed when he served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2003 and the Senate from 2003 to 2009. To his credit, he has been a harsh critic of the Bully in Chief and has never endorsed him. We, however, cannot find a campaign website for him and he hasn’t filled out Ballotpedia’s 2026 candidate survey. Despite his carefully crafted moderate image, a Washington Post survey found that he voted with the GOP’s position 84 percent of the time. That, and his 9 percent ADA lifetime voting record, tell us all we need to know.
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They’re Eating the Cats
They’re Eating the Dogs
No They Aren’t
But
THEY are Kidnapping the Children
Predictably, ICE is saying that these removals have done with the safety of the children in mind. Remember, however, that this horror is being perpetrated by the same people who, during the first Bully in Chief’s Administration, separated children from their families when they crossed the southern border. Then, they couldn’t reunite many because their records were inadequate and family separation became permanent despite desperate pleas on the part of anguished parents. The Nazis kept better records.
Now, there’s the report that an entire family was abducted as they were outside a hospital emergency room entrance trying to get care for their bleeding 7 year old. This comes after Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, said in a Wednesday news conference that four of the district’s students had been “taken” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in recent weeks. Two of those students were on their way to school. One school had ICE officers come onto school property as school was being let out.
To quote Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar (D), “Little kids scared. Dangerous encounters. This is no longer about a fraud investigation. If it was 3000 ICE agents wouldn’t be hanging outside of schools & wrestling people to the ground. They wouldn’t be chasing door dash delivery workers into homes.”
This all comes as ICE has admitted it held at least 400 children longer than a court-mandated limit often in facilities lacking adequate medical facilities and in which other problems have been cited. According to the Marshall Project of Immigration and Customs Enforcement data obtained by the Deportation Data Project, this Administration’s revival of family detention has swept thousands of children into ICE custody. As of December 2025, at least 3,800 children under age 18, including 20 infants, have been booked since January 20, 2024.
Fortunately, though, some Members of Congress are beginning to stand up to ICE and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Illinois Representative Robin Kelly (D) has introduced articles of impeachment against Noem. To date, her effort has garnered at least 100 co-sponsors: The 100 House members now co-sponsoring the impeachment resolution are:
Adelita S. Grijalva; Adriano Espaillat; Al Green; Alma Adams; Angie Craig; April McClain Delaney; Becca Balint; Betty McCollum; Bonnie Watson Coleman; Brad Sherman; Brendan F. Boyle; Brittany Pettersen; Chellie Pingree; Chris Deluzio; Dan Goldman; Danny Davis; Dave Min; Diana DeGette; Dina Titus; Doris Matsui; Emily Randall; Eric Sorensen; Eric Swalwell; Gabe Amo; Gabe Vasquez; Greg Casar; Gwen Moore; Ilhan Omar; J. Luis Correa; James P. McGovern; Jan Schakowsky; Jared Huffman; Jasmine Crockett; Jerrold Nadler; Jesús G. “Chuy” García; Jill Tokuda; Jimmy Gomez; Joaquin Castro; John Garamendi; John Larson; Jonathan Jackson; Joyce Beatty; Juan Vargas; Judy Chu; Julia Brownley; Julie Johnson; Kelly Morrison; Kevin Mullin; Kweisi Mfume; LaMonica McIver; Lateefah Simon; Laura Friedman; Linda T. Sanchez; Lloyd Doggett; Lori Trahan; Luz Rivas; Mark DeSaulnier; Mark Pocan; Mark Takano; Maxine Dexter; Maxine Waters; Maxwell Frost; Melanie Stansbury; Mike Quigley; Mike Thompson; Morgan McGarvey; Nanette Barragán; Nikema Williams; Nikki Budzinski; Norma Torres; Nydia M. Velazquez; Paul Tonko; Pramila Jayapal; Raja Krishnamoorthi; Rashida Tlaib; Ritchie Torres; Rob Menendez; Sara Jacobs; Sarah Elfreth; Sarah McBride; Sean Casten; Seth Moulton; Shontel M. Brown; Shri Thanedar; Stephen F. Lynch; Steve Cohen; Suhas Subramanyam; Summer Lee; Suzanne Bonamici; Sydney Kamlager-Dove; Sylvia Garcia; Teresa Leger Fernandez; Tim Kennedy; Val Hoyle; Valerie Foushee; Veronica Escobar; Wesley Bell; William R. Keating; Yassamin Ansari; and Yvette Clarke.
If your Member of Congress is on the list, take the time to thank them. If not, encourage them to do so immediately. ICE has clearly overstepped its bounds – in more ways than one. The people of Minnesota are taking a stand against Administration lawlessness, kidnapping and murder. We need to as well.
Also, legislation which funds ICE at current levels is up for a vote in the Senate – probably by Friday. It takes 60 votes to pass. Call your Senators NOW and demand they vote against funding ICE. 202-224-3121!
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Do not be afraid. Do not be silent. Speak out.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), January 13, 2026
We wrote about this horror last year, and in the interim, it has only gotten worse, so it bears repeating. The days of racial profiling are back. We are rapidly returning to the horrors of the 1950s. Instead of moving forward in our quest for civil rights, we are moving hell bent backward to our nation’s discriminatory past. And, it’s not as if we had achieved our goal of full civil rights for all who reside here. It is no accident that this is being sent to you on the holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
The protection of basic civil rights has always been a centerpiece of ADA’s founding principles. An iconic photo taken during Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech shows him surrounded by former Americans for Democratic Action founders and presidents including Joseph L. Rauh Jr., Walter Reuther and former Congressman John Lewis. Our former president Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink (D-HI) was the mother of Title IX. ADA activists Marvin Rich, Hilda and Charles Mason, James Farmer and others were critical components of the civil rights movement and the Freedom Rides. Other ADAers including former ADA president Allard Lowenstein, at great danger to themselves, spearheaded voter registration drives in the South. In other words, this battle is embedded in our very DNA.
Now, here we are again and our heads are about to explode.
In a week which saw abomination in Minneapolis, we actually thought nothing could shake us even more. Yet, true to form our President has underscored his core racist beliefs. We sort of laughed when he said the only thing that could stop him was his own morality. In the same New York Times interview, he declared that civil rights-era protections resulted in white people being “very badly treated.” He apparently believes that “reverse discrimination” needs to be countered by his aggressive crusade against diversity policies.
Never to be outdone, his enablers have also rung in. Andrea Lucas, chair of the EEOC, has issued a video aimed at white men and encouraging them to file suit if they feel that they have faced discrimination. The Vice President has echoed her call saying that civil rights laws have deprived white men of opportunities. Then, there’s Stephen Miller – need we say more?
This blatant racism is echoed in our nation’s now immigration policies. One need not apply to immigrate if not a Caucasian of European descent. Those already here and operating in good faith, are being subjected to the worst kind of bait and switch. Just last week, for example, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ended temporary protective status for Somalis – the current scapegoats being targeted in Minnesota. This comes after Afghans who supported the US and fled the Taliban are being threatened with a similar fate. All of this is cloaked in Nazi rhetoric – “One of ours, all of yours.” Following that theme, DHS has unleashed its ICE thugs in Minneapolis’ largely Somali neighborhoods to do door to door searches – without warrant or probable cause – to find people to deport and meet Stephen Miller’s quotas. Then, just to underscore the ridiculous nature of their policies, they detained members of the Oglala Sioux tribe. Who are the illegals here?
These are the classic divide and conquer tactics used by dictators. They make enemies of the people they are supposed to serve and invariably do irreparable harm. Americans for Democratic Action is determined to fight to stop this gross injustice but we will need your help if we are to continue reaching out and educating voters in key states as we continue to organize around this year’s elections.
We are determined and we know we are not alone. Thankfully, Minnesota and Illinois have filed suit to stop the storm trooper actions. On its face, ICE tactics are terrifying. Even more frightening is that a Supreme Court, which said that racial profiling was allowed, may not wake up to reality and bring a speedy halt to the multiplying outrages. Some Members of Congress also have said enough is enough but, so far, there are not sufficient numbers with spines to stand up to the lethal bullies. Please take a moment NOW to reach out to your Senators and Representative and thank them if they are standing up to the Bully in Chief or demand that they immediately counter the blatant racism of this Administration.
Although he was writing about something else, please also take Senator Mark Kelly’s admonition to heart. Thank him for his courage and heed his call.
Senator Mark Kelly:
✅ 2201 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 115, Phoenix, AZ 85016, (602) 671-7901
✅ 100 North Stone Avenue, Suite 600, Tucson, AZ 85701, (520) 475-5177
✅ 516 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, (202) 224-2235
Remember Senator Kelly’s advice: Do not be afraid. Do not be silent. Speak out. To that we would add, use every means necessary to counter our nation’s nightmare: demonstrate, write letters to the editor, organize, educate and help get out the vote. And, of course, support ADA’s organizing efforts.
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We Couldn’t Have Said It Better
“You gotta win the midterms… if we don’t win the midterms… they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached”.
The President, January 26, 2026
Hard as it is to believe, there is much more at stake than a potential, but unlikely, impeachment and conviction. The very soul of our nation is at risk and only a Congress which is willing to stand up to the outrages of the Bully in Chief and his enablers can begin to right this terrible wrong. We, therefore, will be focusing our Spotlights in 2026 not just on important issues but also on key races in the House and Senate. Our first in this series featured former Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH). Today, we turn once again to Ohio and the 9th Congressional District seat held by Marcy Kaptur (D-OH).
During the last election cycle, the GOP had Representative Kaptur firmly in their sights. Thankfully, she prevailed winning with less than one percentage point at 48.3% to the President’s endorsed candidate Derek Merrin’s 47.6%. Recent redistricting wins by the GOP in Ohio make this an even more difficult proposition The new map, gives the GOP a better opportunity to flip her seat which President Donald Trump won by about 7 points in 2024 and was made even redder. If we are to achieve our goal of a functioning liberal majority in both the House and the Senate, it is essential that Kaptur be reelected.
Currently running in the May 5 GOP primary are:
🐘 Derek Merrin is seeking another chance to unseat Kaptur. Merrin is a conservative former state legislator who touts his conservative values.
🐘 Alea Nadeem, a member of the Air National Guard with an announced “America First” agenda.
🐘 Josh Williams, a “Trump Republican for NW Ohio.” He pledges to “eliminate the woke agenda in education” and defend the 2nd Amendment.
🐘 Jacob Frost, there appears to be no website and we were unable to find anything about him.
🐘 Anthony Campbell, a non-profit founder whose website is long on platitudes and short on details.
Congresswoman Kaptur has a lifetime ADA voting record of 83 percent. Prior to her service in Congress, Kaptur served as director of planning for the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs founded by another ADA friend Geno Baroni. She was also a domestic policy advisor for President Jimmy Carter. Since her 1982 election, Ms. Kaptur has been a close ally and friend. So it is not surprising that, despite her 2020 victory with 63 percent of the vote, she is a top target for the GOP determined push to defeat her.
Her record in Congress is exemplary. She helped lead the opposition to NAFTA and fast track authority for the President. She is an advocate for sustainable, clean energy both for environmental and job creation reasons. She is a strong supporter of organized Labor and small businesses and opposed bank bailouts. She believes neither big money nor Right-Wing politicians, but voters should determine the outcome of elections. As such, she is an advocate for campaign finance reform and a staunch supporter of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Support of the Affordable Care Act and its expansion are top priorities as well. She is so effective that Ross Perot asked her to be his running mate. Needless to say, she declined. In Congress, she is a member of the Progressive Caucus and serves on the House Committee on Appropriations and some of its most important subcommittees. She is fifth in line for House seniority and her wisdom, expertise and experience are true assets for liberals everywhere.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
As we happily say farewell to 2025, we began to prepare our New Year’s resolutions to share with you. The list was a very long one and included items related to health care, education, immigration, civil rights, energy and the environment, war powers, and so very much more. Then, we realized that, while we will continue to work on the issues we have spotlighted, none of what is so critical to liberals and the entire nation will be possible until and unless we focus on electing liberals at the state and local levels and achieving a functioning liberal majority in the House and Senate. So here is our truncated list of resolutions with the hope that you will become active participants with Americans for Democratic Action in the battle for the soul of our nation.
✅ Build on 2025 victories to take back the House and Senate with functioning liberal majorities.
✅ Place organizers in 10 key locations to educate voters and get out the vote.
✅ Increase on-line outreach to liberal donors to build on ADA’s activist base.
✅ Get out the vote and achieve victory on November 3, 2026!
Then,
✅ Build on 2026 victories to return sanity to the White House in 2028!!
We know this is short and sweet, but we truly believe that, with your support, we will prevail and our nation will be able to stand proud again as we rebuild from the disaster that is this Administration and Congress.
So, with determination and resolve, we wish you a very
HAPPY NEW YEAR
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Now that Christmas 2025 is in the rear-view mirror, we think the Ghost of Christmas Past should do a brief encore before going into hibernation until 2026. A visit to the toddler in chief to remind him that his revenge tour has dire consequences seems to be in order.
Today, we are shining the spotlight on his most recent disastrous actions regarding energy and the environment. The first of the disastrous cascading events was the news that the President is furious that Colorado Gov. Jared Polis refuses to transfer 2020 election-denier Tina Peters, serving a prison sentence for state crimes, to a federal prison in order to facilitate a presidential pardon. She is serving time for election tampering but, true to form, a temper tantrum has ensued, and the Administration has announced that it is dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a premier climate change research facility in Colorado. There is no acknowledgement of how much the government uses their data including airports to prevent planes from crashing. The level of ignorance and evil is astounding but vengeance is mine says the toddler in chief.
Then, because that wasn’t enough, Russell Vought his head of the Office of Management and Budget announced that they have cancelled $8 billion in climate funding to the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. These are all states which voted against the toddler in chief so he’s going to take his ball and go home. So there! Never mind that we have constant climate disasters which will only get worse if we don’t confront them.
And, then, just to make sure we get the message, the Administration announced, citing unprovided national security issues, it is halting all offshore wind projects. We suspect this is because he doesn’t find them “aesthetically” pleasing. After all, they aren’t painted in gold. Snarkiness aside, this is a major blow to clean energy and a major win for his cronies in the oil and gas industry. Once again, he is ignoring science and we will all suffer for his ego. To quote Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), “Trump cancelling the Revolutionary Wind Farm off of New England, again, is absolutely nuts – cruel and stupid. It will skyrocket electricity costs, put thousands out of jobs, waste millions already invested in a wind farm nearly 90% complete.”
As we said, it’s time for another visit from the ghost of Christmas past, telling this Administration that they have been naughty and it’s time for a time out and repentance. In the meantime, though, we do ask that you reach out to your Senators – particularly if they are from a state directly affected – and demand that they take both legislative and legal action to bring this insanity to a halt.
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OK, we will admit we didn’t listen to the President’s December 17 speech. It’s a weakness but we can’t abide the sound of his voice. We did, however, read it – twice – in its entirety. And, guess what: aside from more immigrant bashing, there was no mention of the current unemployment statistics. What a convenient way for the President to forget that he promised, if elected, there would be a blue-collar job boom. Like the vast majority of his promises, this one turns out to be a lie. We guess even he is discovering that you can fire the messenger, but the message still gets through.
So just to remind him and give others appropriate ammunition when confronting Members of Congress home to celebrate the holidays:
#️⃣ The unemployment rate of 4.6 percent is the highest since September 2021.
#️⃣ The unemployment rate for young Americans is more than 10 percent.
#️⃣ There are more than 700,000 unemployed as compared to last year at the same time.
#️⃣ The unemployment rate for Hispanics is 4.8 percent.
#️⃣ For Hispanic youth, that rate jumps to around 10 to 12.6%, depending on the specific month and age grouping.
#️⃣ For African Americans that rate is a whopping 8.3 percent.
#️⃣ For African American young people (16-19 years old), it is an astonishing 30 percent.
No, Mr. President, the economy is not booming and especially not for those at the margins of our society. Yes, affordability is a major problem for all but the billionaires but, for those at the lower end of the economic scale, it’s not a problem; it’s a crisis. Cutting food assistance programs and increasing health care costs in addition is simply a guarantee that people will die from hunger and illness.
Congress must, must, must develop a spine when it returns in January. They must stand up to the despot in the White House and his minions and reverse his disastrous course. Please take a moment, as you celebrate this holiday season to reach out to your Representative and Senators with a very clear and repeated message: You are paying attention. You are their employers and they can be fired.
NB: The numbers come from his hated Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite everything, they are still telling the truth. Merry Christmas.
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They Want to Kill Us All
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising. After all, during the President’s first Administration when COVID was running rampant and approximately 450,000 people lay dying from the pandemic, he famously asked members of the government’s coronavirus task force to look into whether disinfectants could be injected inside people to treat COVID-19. He also said researchers should try to apply their findings on sunlight’s effect on the virus by inserting UV light into patients’ bodies. In addition, he repeatedly claimed that Ivermectin – an antiparasitic agent mainly developed for livestock farming, such as to deworm horses – was a miracle cure against COVID-19. His advice was refuted by nearly all health experts and his own health care experts could be seen either hanging their heads or covering their eyes as he spoke.
It was hard to believe that things could get even worse but Trump 2.0 and its state “health care” minions have doubled down on their anti-science medical advice and edicts starting with the appointment of RFK, Jr. as Health Secretary and a Supreme Court willing to ignore precedent on abortion-related care.
‼️ As states cave in to anti-choice zealots, there are countless incidents of women being denied medically-necessary abortions and, as a result, either dying, being rendered sterile or suffering other major illness.
‼️ As a direct result of the anti-vax rhetoric, frightened parents are opting out of needed childhood vaccinations and whooping cough and measles cases are surging – some resulting in death.
‼️ For 34 years, the CDC recommended that all newborns get a first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours after birth. Yet, despite ample evidence that it is a life-saving vaccine, RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine panel changed the recommendation to delay the vaccine for 2 months. Health care professionals are sounding the alarm.
‼️ Riding one of their favorite hobby-horses, the President and RFK, Jr. have falsely claimed that Tylenol given to children causes autism. Years of voluminous studies prove no such thing.
Then this past week just as Hanukkah was about to begin and two weeks before Christmas, this Administration and Congress put the ultimate coal in our stockings.
‼️ Congress failed, once again, to extend Obamacare subsidies designed to help provide health care to those most in need. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that about 7.3 million people will lose subsidized ACA coverage and 4.8 million will become uninsured. The result will be a sicker nation; people will die and an unhealthy nation will suffer economic damage.
‼️ Studies estimate that, in their first year of use, COVID-19 vaccinations averted almost 20 million deaths around the world. But, that’s not good enough for this Administration. Reports are that the Food and Drug Administration intends to put a “black box” warning on COVID-19 vaccines This is the FDA’s most serious warning, designed to warn about risks such as death or life-threatening or disabling reactions. Not yet finalized, if implemented, the warning could discourage people from getting life-saving vaccines just as COVID is again surging.
Batten down the hatches. We are in for a rough ride as the anti-science Luddites strengthen their grip on our health care.
Please make sure that your Senators and Representative know of your concern. They are heading home for the holidays and need to hear from you as soon as they get home. Our nation is facing a health care emergency and they need to know that you, their employers, recognize the urgency. Remind them that 2026 is an election year, you are their employers and they can be fired if they don’t take action.
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Carefully Taught
There’s a famous song in the musical South Pacific which begins, “You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear, You’ve got to be taught from year to year, It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear—You’ve got to be carefully taught! You’ve got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made, And people whose skin is a different shade— You’ve got to be carefully taught.”
We already know that the President was “carefully taught.” His father, Fred Trump, was arrested in 1927 at a Ku Klux Klan demonstration. Fred Trump was such a notoriously discriminatory landlord that, in 1954, Woody Guthrie wrote “Old Man Trump” a song which states, in part, “I suppose that Old Man Trump knows just how much racial hate He stirred up in that bloodpot of human hearts When he drawed that color line Here at his Beach Haven family project.” Later, the Trump Village on Coney Island became notorious for refusing to rent to potential Black tenants.
The President learned his lessons in bigotry very well, indeed. This is the man who, during his first term, after the demonstrations in Charlottesville, VA featuring people chanting antisemitic and racist slurs was able to say that there were good people on both sides. Now, in the second term, that bias is front and center and he’s not even subtle about it. A few examples:
❌ Anything deemed DEI is considered “woke” and forbidden.
❌ Mention of the Tuskegee Airmen was erased from military training.
❌ There were attempts to take down portraits of noted African American military heroes including Colin Powell.
❌ National Guard troops are being deployed to cities with large minority populations.
❌ People who “look” dangerous are disproportionately targeted by ICE agents, whether or not they have a criminal record or are American citizens.
❌ The President has referred to Haiti, El Salvador and African nations as “shit hole countries.”
❌ A Congressionally mandated report on missing and murdered Native Americans was removed from the Department of Justice’s website to comply with an executive order against diversity, equity and inclusion.
❌ The President’s unauthorized attack on supposed drug traffickers aims at, you guessed it, Spanish-speaking people — acting as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner without any legal authority.
❌ Escalating his feud with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), the President has announced he is sending troops into Minneapolis to target Somali immigrants whom he calls “garbage.” The Mayor of Minneapolis begs to differ.
❌ He is now proposing banning all immigrants from any country he views as “potentially dangerous.” Only Afrikaners and Caucasian Europeans need apply.
❌ And just as we get ready to go to press with this spotlight, it has been announced that the President has removed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list of free entry days at national parks, replacing them with his own birthday. You really can’t make this stuff up.
Who’s overseeing this horror? “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth whose misogyny and racism are well documented and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem whose inflammatory rhetoric about Native Americans has gotten her banned from all tribal land in her home state of South Dakota.
This is not a fight we in ADA will shy away from. Many of our founders stood alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. when he gave his “I Have a Dream Speech.” The Freedom Rides were conceived by ADA activists and John Lewis is a former ADA president. Thus, fighting bigotry is both our history and our current mandate. We, too, have been “carefully taught.”
We ask you to join us by reaching out to your own state and local elected officials as well as your Members of Congress with a clear message: We will not tolerate bigotry in any form. We ask as well that you reach out to the leaders of the Congressional Homeland Security Committees with a similar message and demand that they put a stop to this nightmare.
Please note: We are not asking you to contact the committees overseeing the Department of Defense at this time because they are knee deep in investigating the legality of the bombing of the boats near Venezuela.
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Thankful
Last week asked you to thank the six Democratic Members of Congress who had the courage to stand up to the machinations of an Administration that thinks the law of the land is a mere speed bump to achieving its spurious, hateful goals. We revisit these courageous six leaders because their service to our country and illustrious records deserve a deeper dive.
Those six stated what should be obvious and what the post-World War II trials at Nuremberg forged into international law: Those who obey illegal orders do so at their own peril and will be held accountable. All six have extensive military and/or national security experience and pledged an oath to the Constitution. Their statement was a relatively mild reminder that people should not obey illegal orders. The result was hysteria on the part of a run amok Administration. The President screamed “sedition” and said they should be executed. The Secretary of War is threatening one with court martial and the beat goes on. Remember: all they said was that illegal orders should not be obeyed. And, a plaque posted at West Point underscores that message although, given this Administration’s willingness to blot out history, we would be surprised to see it disappear. So, herewith….
Let’s take a look at who appeared in the video:
👏 Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) – former US Navy captain who served in the Gulf War; retired astronaut, now being threatened with a court martial.
👏 Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) – former Central Intelligence Agency analyst; and former Department of Defense official, ending her career as the acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.
👏 Representative Jason Crow (D-CO) — former Army Ranger with three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan In 2003, he led an 82nd Airborne platoon into combat during the Battle of Samawah. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq.
👏 Representative Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) –former Naval officer; wife of former national security advisor Jake Sullivan.
👏 Representative Chris Deluzio (D-PA) – former U.S. Navy officer.
👏 Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) — former U.S. Air Force officer.
We will put these illustrious records up against the record of the Commander in Chief and we know who will come up wanting. Yet, for their allegiance to the Constitution, each has become the target of the Administration’s ire, vitriol and harassment as well as threats to their lives and the lives of their families. They need to know that they have been noticed by those who appreciate their service and their efforts in upholding domestic and international law. Please take a moment to say thank you. They more than deserve our gratitude.
✅ Senator Mark Kelly, Hart Senate Office Building, Suite 516, Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-2235.
✅ Senator Elissa Slotkin, 291 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4822.
✅ Representative Jason Crow, 1323 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, (202) 225-7882.
✅ Representative Chris Deluzio, 1222 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, (202) 225-2301.
✅ Representative Maggie Goodlander, 223 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, (202) 225-5206.
✅ Representative Chrissy Houlahan, 1727 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, (202) 225-4315.
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Things Happen
Last week during a press briefing with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a reporter had the temerity to ask about the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi. The President leaped to the Prince’s defense with the now infamous “things happen” quote.
This is yet another example of how the President cozies up to dictators – think Putin and Kim Jong Un – calling them his good friends. He claims that his magnificent relationship with them is guaranteed to lead to world peace and, based on that and his diplomatic expertise, he should be given the Nobel Peace Prize.
Let’s take a look at his record of achievements in the arena of peace at home and abroad:
So, no, Mr. President, we don’t think you will get a Nobel Peace Prize anytime in the near future. In the meantime, please contact your Members of Congress and tell them to develop a spine and rein in the reckless adventures of the current Administration.
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NOT RESTING ON OUR LAURELS
When we last wrote to you, it was – in part – to encourage you to reach out to Congressional Republicans to urge them to negotiate in good faith the retention of Obamacare subsidies. At the time, we said that they needed to stop talking only to themselves and reach out to Democrats before passing the Continuing Resolution. Sadly, they didn’t need to as 8 Democratic, or Democratically-aligned, Senators capitulated, and the deal was done at the jeopardy of millions of Americans.
Many of those who crossed the aisle to vote with their Republican colleagues have garnered ADA support in the past and all contend they acted in good will. They voted to reopen the government based on a paper-thin promise from Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to hold a vote on the subsidies sometime in December. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), smelling victory, didn’t bother to make any promises. The 8 defectors claim a political victory saying, among other things, that health care is now front and center in the nation’s political debate. They may be correct in the moment, but political memory is notably short. And millions of Americans are paying the price for that “victory.”
Americans for Democratic Action has, for decades, lobbied for universal health care. While we rejoiced when Obamacare was enacted, we said, at the time, that it wasn’t enough. Sadly, we have been proven right. Current estimates are that, if nothing is done to ensure health care subsidies, costs will skyrocket and as many as 22 million people will be forced to choose between food and health care. Given that difficult decision, many will go without necessary care. The result is an estimated 50,000 will die needlessly. When this Administration and its enablers let medicine and food spoil after they shut down the Agency for International Development, they proved that they didn’t care for the needs of those suffering overseas. Now, they have carried that philosophy domestically.
The 8 Democratic Senators (yes, we know that Angus King is an Independent) and 6 Democratic Representatives who crossed the aisle on this vote need to hear from you. They were duped and they need to know that you know.
and the Senators
And, then reach out again to Majority Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson with the absolutely clear message that lives are at stake and it is well past time for the GOP to take the threats to our nation’s health seriously.
Mike Johnson
John Thune
Thus, while we do rejoice in recent election victories, we know full well that we must go into the 2026 elections with absolute determination. It, quite simply, is not enough if all we achieve are Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. What we need are not just majorities but functioning majorities. Please do join us in this critical work.
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NOT RESTING ON OUR LAURELS
We will admit it: we have a huge grin on our faces, and we are relishing the moment, but we know we must resist the temptation to relax when so very much is at stake.
On November 4, voters from Mississippi to California, from Georgia to Maine sent an abundantly clear message to the current Administration and its enablers. People are starving; health care costs are soaring; planes aren’t flying; innocent people are being kidnapped by masked government employed thugs; workers are forced to work without pay while others can’t work and aren’t getting paid for work they should be doing. Voters across the nation said, loudly and clearly, enough is enough. Your policies are a disaster and your intransigence inexcusable.
Their NO reverberated around the world. Yet, neither the Republicans who lead Congress nor the President seem to have understood. The President went so far as to discount the results saying it was only blue states voting and, if he had been on the ballot, the results would have favored the GOP. Really Mr. President? Mississippi, Virginia and Georgia are blue states? And, we’re sorry to tell you but, even if your name didn’t appear, you definitely were on the ballot and you got a drubbing.
ADA is proud that we were a part of these victories with major get out the vote efforts in key areas. Your support helped to make it happen and we couldn’t be more grateful. Now, we move on to 2026 with equal determination and the vow, with your support, to do even more.
In the meantime, though, there is more work to be done. It is time the crippling gridlock in Washington comes to an end. The President and Republicans in Congress need to understand that negotiating isn’t one-sided. They need to hear what the voters said: health care is not negotiable, people need to be fed, and basic needs must be met by giving our federal workers their well-earned pay checks.
Please, therefore, tell Republican Members of Congress that they need to stop talking only to each other and hear the people’s voices. Real negotiations need to begin immediately and consider the needs of everyday Americans. Immediately please, contact your own Representative and Senators with this message and bombard the offices of House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune with the same message – best if you are a constituent but, if not, do it anyway.
Mike Johnson:
John Thune:
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The road to taking back the Senate for liberals in 2026 runs directly through Ohio. That is why we are turning our attention today to a make-or-break Senate race in that state and shining a Spotlight on a race that presents stark differences between candidates.
We have had ample evidence that elections have consequences. We know that it is absolutely essential that we win this Senate race. And, that is why re-electing former Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D) is critical to that effort. Because this is likely to be one of the closest Senate races, we must do everything in our power to ensure that he is successful.
Long time ADA ally Senator Sherrod Brown (D), first elected to the Senate in 2006 and amassing an ADA Lifetime Voting Record of 95 percent, has a long history serving Ohio and causes in which we believe. Prior to his Senate victory, he also served as Ohio secretary of state, a state representative and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. In other words, he has a record of achievement on which he can be proud to run. He is a staunch champion of working and middle class Americans and organized Labor. He has said that the U.S. should place more emphasis on progressive populism. He supported the new START treaty, opposed the war in Iraq and urged the President not to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. He has worked tirelessly for sensible gun control measures and is pro-choice. He supported Obamacare and continues to work to expand health care coverage for all who live here. That said, he is not shy about working across party lines when possible. A prime example is, in the wake of the East Palestine Rail Disaster, he worked diligently with Ohio’s junior Senator, now Vice President J. D. Vance (R) to make certain that the railroad is held accountable and that the citizens of East Palestine are made whole again. He served on the committees on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Finance; and Veterans’ Affairs. There is so much more working in his favor. Sadly, he lost to the blatantly unqualified Senator Bernie Moreno (R) who garnered only 50.1 percent of the vote. We clearly need to regain Brown’s experience, his wisdom and his leadership in the Senate of the United States.
On May 5, 2026, primaries will be held to determine the nominees for the November 2026 special election to fill the remainder of Vice Present Vance’s term. The clear front-runners are Brown and current Republican incumbent Senator Jon Husted. Husted was appointed to the seat by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) to fill the seat vacated by the Vice President. Ironically, it was DeWine who was defeated by Brown in 2006. Husted has served in Ohio’s state house and state senate; as secretary of state and lieutenant governor before being appointed to the Senate. He serves on the Committees on Aging (Special); Committee on Environment and Public Works;Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Husted’s website features multiple pictures of him standing side by side with the President. He is staunchly anti-choice. While in the Ohio house, Husted voted for banning same sex marriages and against allowing gays and lesbians to adopt a child. He boasts an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association. He supports a work requirement for those who receive Medicaid and defended the cuts to Medicaid embodied in the President’s awful bill. He supports the President’s position on tariffs – whatever that may be at any given moment. During his relatively brief tenure, he has been a reliable vote for the Trump agenda.
In other words, the differences are stark and Sherrod Brown is a must win for the liberal position.
Therefore, take a moment now to thank Senator Brown for his tireless work:
and, then, particularly if you are a constituent, let Senator Husted know your dismay
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We are truly appalled by the destruction of the White House and the Rose Garden but…
WE WILL NOT BE DISTRACTED
The destruction at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is horrific but it pales in comparison to the destruction being writ large on our nation as a whole as the President and his enablers disregard the rule of law, try to create a police state, dismantle our health and education systems and wreak havoc on the economy. No matter what they do, we promise you we will stay focused. That is why, this week, we will turn our eyes away from the White House itself and shine a spotlight, instead, on the President’s revenge tour.
You’re either with him or against him is the byword of this President. As a result, we have seen John Bolton, James Comey and Letitia James indicted even though seasoned Federal prosecutors have said the evidence isn’t there. Further evidence came when he commuted former Rep. George Santos’ sentence saying, “… at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN.”
But, he’s not satisfied. Now, he plans to weaponize the Internal Revenue Service to go after those who have the temerity to speak the truth to his version of power. Under the cover of the shutdown, the non-partisan IRS is being decimated with hundreds of staff layoffs. In their place, the Administration is planning to install loyalists specifically charged with silencing political dissent and crushing free speech. According to the Wall Street Journal, the effort is specifically designed to target left leaning groups. That’s correct, left leaning, like your Americans for Democratic Action. While we are not yet on any published lists, we do know that these moves are designed to strike fear into any group that opposes the President and his programs. Not surprisingly, this appears to be another Stephen Miller gem. We pledge to you: we will not be intimidated and we will not remain silent.
Congress must take action before this outrage goes even further. Already, Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Glen Ivey (D-MD) have spoken up in opposition. Their colleagues need to do that and more. Please – particularly if you are a constituent – thank Goldman and Ivey:
Then reach out to your Senators and Representative. Tell them you know they are focused on the shutdown but demand that they also address this threat to free speech and dissent that are the hallmarks of our democracy. Fulfilling their oversight roles here is crucial.
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In just a little over two weeks, the eyes of the nation will be focused on an increasingly competitive Governor’s race in Virginia. It is essential that we do everything we can to ensure that the current Administration is sent a message that Virginia does not stand with them.
The Republican candidate, current Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, is so extreme that even the President has, so far, declined to endorse her. To judge her by her television ads, she is a one issue candidate. She is heavily focused on nothing but her desire to deny basic civil rights and protections to a minuscule transgender population. That’s bad enough but she is also a full-throated endorser of the Administration’s economic policies. She is anti-choice – even in cases of rape and incest. And, not surprisingly, she is against gay marriage and any protections for the LGBTQ+ community, even going so far to say that firing someone for being gay is not discrimination. She is a staunch defender of Virginia’s “right to work” laws aimed at making it difficult for workers to organize. Earle-Sears has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association – enough said.
By contrast, the Democratic candidate, former Representative Abigail Spanberger pledges to push back against the Administration’s misguided economic policies. She defends reproductive rights. Strengthening Virginia’s schools is a top priority. She supports LGBTQ+ rights and has pledged to fight against any effort to diminish them. She will work diligently to promote clean energy and help to counter the impacts of climate change. She supports common sense gun control laws.
Americans for Democratic Action has, throughout this campaign, been active on the ground in Virginia doing what we do best – organizing. And, we’re not limiting ourselves to the Governor’s race. Key legislative districts are also being targeted so that, when Spanberger wins, she has a supportive state legislature. Amongst our targets are the infrequent voters who can make a real difference. We are reaching out to as many others as we can in the final push to these critical elections. Click here to take a look at our targets.
What can you do:
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Gratuitous cruelty is the hallmark of this Administration.
They seize every possible moment to deploy their vicious, vindictive, small-minded pettiness. This past week was replete with examples.
♦ Floating the denial of back pay to furloughed government workers;
♦ The ICE campaign of terror featuring zip tying toddlers, invading an apartment building in the dead of night and the indiscriminate often violent kidnapping of racially-profiled individuals and others;
♦ The indictments of James Comey and Letitia James.
Once again, they have grabbed the moment to inflict even more pain on already shattered federal government workers. Battered by DOGE cuts and uncertainty, people who have dedicated their lives to serving the public interest are now being subjected to further indignity and uncertainty as their lives and livelihoods are threatened. That’s bad enough but the result is also terrible for our country. In the past few days, Education Secretary Linda McMahon fired nearly everyone in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. And, at the Centers for Disease Control firings included entire offices and teams that investigate disease outbreaks, manage infectious disease responses, collect data, publish scientific reports and communicate with global partners and Congress. But, oops, maybe those at the CDC weren’t actually meant to be fired – the result of a “glitch.” Typical of this Administration’s shoot first, aim later approach to workers.
Other essential workers received termination notices on the Friday evening of a long holiday weekend. As the President has clearly stated, this was all aimed at so-called “Democrat” programs. Well, if the health and welfare of this nation are Democrat programs, we stand tall and proud.
They clearly think they are above the law and nothing will stop them. We are determined to prove them wrong. That is why we were delighted to honor American Federation of Government Employees president Everett Kelley with the Reuther-Chavez Award at this year’s annual gala. We pledge to him and to you that we will not be silent.
Now, you can help. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) have introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act designed to repeal two union-busting executive orders and restore collective bargaining rights and workplace protections for federal workers. The companion bill in the House of Representatives was introduced by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (D-PA) and Jared Golden (D-ME). Please thank those who have taken the leadership to protect America’s workers – especially if they represent you. Then, take a moment to reach out to your Representative and Senators and encourage them both to sign on and to demand a vote. America’s government workers deserve no less.
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Racism, Misogyny and Authoritarianism on Full Display
We will give this Administration and their enablers full credit:
They are masters of distraction.
On Tuesday of last week, one of the most horrific clown shows on record took center stage in Quantico. What happened there would have been treated as ludicrous and unbelievable showmanship if someone had tried to stage it in a play. It was definitely not funny. Instead, it was one of the most dangerous moments in our nation’s history.
Let’s take a look at what happened in Quantico during an all-hands-on-deck moment for the nation’s top military:
♦ The Secretary of Defense began his tirade by insulting those assembled: “Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations or really any formation and see fat troops. Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It’s a bad look.” We feel certain that the nation’s top military were delighted to have left their posts and traveled many miles to hear such utterances.
♦ He furthered his version of “wokeness” by saying “no more beardos.” This, of course, means no more religious waivers; i.e. Christians don’t have a problem. And, it affects service members who previously received medical waivers for conditions like pseudofolliculitis barbae, which disproportionately affects Black men.
♦ He then continued his outrageous performance with a full display of his prejudices. “For too long, we’ve promoted too many uniformed leaders for the wrong reasons based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on historic so-called firsts.” “No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship, no more division, distraction or gender delusions.” Climate change?
♦ Then he went on to showcase misogyny at its best saying he would ensure, “every designated combat arms position returns to the highest male standard.”
♦ The Secretary of Defense called on the military to ignore “stupid rules of engagement.” FYI, Mr. Secretary, those rules were created after World War II to stop war crimes.
♦ In deriding so-called wokeness, the President said, “There are two n-words and you can’t use either of them.” No, Mr. President, racial slurs are not allowed.
♦ The President gave full reign to ICE and the military to target protesters with full force. “I say, they spit, we hit.”
Most dangerous of all, however, was this chilling quote:
“I told Pete we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military. National Guard, but our military, because we’re going into Chicago very soon. That’s a big city with an incompetent governor.” Two problems here: 1) Is he admitting they are not trained for and, thus, are very dangerous when deployed in this type of urban warfare. 2) This is in direct violation of the Posse Comitatus Act signed into law in 1878 and later expanded. More importantly, this is straight out of a fascist playbook. Then, they went into Chicago with Blackhawk helicopters.
Fortunately, those assembled have taken this oath:
We trust they will honor it despite the outrageous demands from the Secretary of Defense and the President.
Then, hoping to divert attention from their blatant threats to our beloved democracy, they forced a government shutdown as another diversionary tactic. The result is that essential programs are being jeopardized and, oh by the way, the military isn’t being paid.
Many of us grew up hearing our parents ask, in the wake of World War II, “Where were the good Germans.” Now, it’s time for us to ask ourselves the same question and take immediate, firm action to counter the threat to all we hold dear.
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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
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Racism on Full Display – or not
Edmund Burke (1729-1797) said
“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”
George Santayana (1863-1952) said
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Neither said anything about those who try to erase history. Emboldened by a Supreme Court that sanctions racial profiling, that attempt took center stage last week as blatant bigotry was honored in the form of the murdered Charlie Kirk, the ultimate racist and misogynist. And, to underscore the point, this Administration has continually tried to scrub references to slavery from museums and other national sites. It now has ordered the removal of information on slavery at multiple national parks and museums in an effort to scrub them of “corrosive ideology” — including a historic photograph of a formerly enslaved man showing scars on his back. They claim it’s because it makes people uncomfortable. Sorry, folks, history is often uncomfortable and, if we don’t confront it, we are doomed to repeat it.
That is front and center. The Administration’s other attacks are sometimes hidden but even more lethal. According to an article in the Washington Post for example, the Administration has cut nearly 24 projects aimed at tackling health and environmental problems in rural Southern African American communities including those in desperate need of sanitation upgrades, efforts to stop flooding, limiting industrial pollution and other issues leading to increased rates of cancer. Also cut were air quality monitoring services; the weatherization of vulnerable homes; shelter, water and other support during a climate disaster; and the building of new health care facilities. That is, of course, just the tip of the racist iceberg but the fact that it’s so blatantly targeted just adds to the outrage.
In countless neighborhoods and cities across the country, people are standing up and saying no. Their activism, and ours, are just the beginning. Americans for Democratic Action is determined to fight the scourge of hatred that has resurfaced in our beloved country. And, we have been gratified by your support.
A generous donor offered ADA a matching grant of up to $10,000 to enhance our organizing and outreach work. We are pleased, beyond words, to tell you that grant has not only been matched but far surpassed. It is a very strong beginning with the first steps coming in New Jersey and Virginia in just a few weeks. Then, we’re off and running for 2026 with a full campaign designed to send a rousing message to the Administration and its enablers that, despite their threats, we will not be silenced.
We assume you are already doing whatever you can but just in case, here are a few simple steps you can take to guarantee that history is neither forgotten nor repeated:
✅ Take part in demonstrations in your community;
✅ Write letters to the editor if you still have a newspaper and don’t forget the smaller local ones;
✅ Attend town halls and speak up; make your voice heard;
✅ Attend and/or contribute to ADA’s annual gala honoring those who can’t be silenced;
✅ Organize an ADA chapter in your community by contacting ADA director of organizing Rebecca Griffin
✅ And, of course, continue to contribute to Americans for Democratic Action.
To quote Robert Reich once again:
We All Must Be Activists
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A Call to Activism
Week after week, we try to focus our Spotlights on current, urgent issues wrought by this Administration and its enablers. We sincerely hope we are giving you the ammunition you need to reach out to your Members of Congress, local elected officials, the media and your friends and family.
Every voice is sorely needed as we confront the crisis before us. And, it’s having an impact. Members of Congress at work in their home districts during August were confronted by angry constituents demanding action and no more excuses. Those who are working diligently, however, face a daunting task in an ultra-Right Congress scared to tell the Administration the truth and protect the American people.
The ultra-thin margin in both Houses of Congress gives us some hope that 2026 will turn that situation around. At the beginning of last week, the Senate was made up of 53 Republicans, 47 Democrats and 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats. At the beginning of last week, the House consisted of 219 Republicans, 212 Democrats and 4 vacancies. That changed last Tuesday when Democrat James Walkinshaw won the special election for the seat formerly held by Gerald Connolly who died in May. And, it wasn’t even close — 75 percent voted for Walkinshaw. It’s the first step but a big one and we need to build on that momentum.
In the Senate, thirty-three of the 100 seats are up for election and two are up for special election. Democrats need to gain a net of four seats to win a majority while Republicans can only lose two seats and retain a majority. After last November, the task had looked daunting but with first-rate candidates like Roy Cooper (NC) and Sherrod Brown (OH) our hopes are high. We are also waiting to see what happens in Iowa where the naysayers say it’s a sure GOP seat. We’re not so sure because we have an active group in the state and they know what needs to be done.
None of this will be easy but we know, with your help, it can be done. In his new book Coming up Short, Robert Reich speaks against being passive in historic times. Citing civil rights martyr Mickey Schwerner and “others in the civil rights movement, from Mario Savio and others in the Free Speech Movement, and from friends in the anti-Vietnam War movement, … nothing important works out in the end unless we work hard for it now. We must all be activists.”
There are, of course, others including many in ADA who have stood up when the need was great. Never has it been more important. Thus, this is a call to action. Please get involved in any way possible. With determination and activism, we will prevail. And, if you want to start an ADA chapter in your area, contact ADA director of organizing Rebecca Griffin at rebecca@adaction.org
We Must All Be Activists
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Time and again, this Administration has shown its absolute, total disdain for the rule of law, for the Constitution, and for the separation of church and state. Because the outrages pile so quickly upon one another, one blatant example of the latter became something of a flash in the pan. It is insidious, dangerous and truly open to abuse and must not be ignored.
In a memo titled “Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace,” OPM Director Scott Kupor truly opened Pandora’s box when he, in essence, urged Federal employees to discuss religion at work. In his memo titled “Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace,” Kupor said, that Federal employees “may engage in conversations regarding religious topics with fellow employees, including attempting to persuade others of the correctness of their own religious views, provided that such efforts are not harassing in nature.”He went on to say, “Employees may also encourage their co-workers to participate in religious expressions of faith, such as prayer…” The memo went on to say that OPM would not seek to restrict federal employees’ expressions of faith in interactions with the public, such as a national park ranger leading a tour group in prayer, or a doctor with the Department of Veterans Affairs praying over a patient for their recovery.
The dangers are obvious and “not harassing in nature” is open to broad interpretation. One can well imagine an employee feeling threatened or coerced in such a situation if he or she is of a different faith from the supervisor. And, if one disagrees with the other, could that ultimately lead to a poor performance review? We do wonder why all the strict Constitutionalists out there aren’t crying foul.
Even if we are fervently praying that the nightmare of this Administration draws to a quick conclusion, we do believe that this kind of proselytizing has absolutely no place in the Federal work force no matter what one’s religion.
Please take a moment at every opportunity to raise this issue with your Member of Congress and Senators. If they are strict Constitutionalists, please ask them to stand up for their purported beliefs and speak out against this violation of the premise of the separation of church and state.
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“I invite you to see your big beautiful face on a banner in front of the Department of Labor because you are really the transformational president of the American worker.”
Transformational is one way to put it.
It should come as no surprise that the master of the bait and switch tactic who campaigned on “behalf” of our Nation’s workers began dismantling anything and everything that protected those he tried to dupe. On day one, the President began firing thousands of workers and dismantling the protections each and every worker in this country thought were an underpinning of our society.
We cannot and will not stand silently by while the very fiber of our democracy is being attacked. Workers’s rights are central to ADA’s mission. It is no accident that Walter Reuther, Victor Reuther, David Dubinsky and Joe Rauh (look them up if you don’t know who they are), lions of the union movement, were among the founders of Americans for Democratic Action. Their vision was central to our founding and remains true to this day.
So, let’s take a look at what the transformational president of the American worker has foisted upon our nation:
🛑 On day one of this Administration, he turned his video game playing children loose to wreak havoc on the federal government and, since then, between 154,000 and 300,000 (numbers vary) have been forced out of their jobs. The result has been devastating to them, their families, their communities and the programs they served which affect each and every one of us.
🛑 Union contracts which had been negotiated in good faith are falling prey to the bait and switch tactics and are being terminated or severely undercut. In this the Courts need to take full blame as well. Just within the last week thousands of public health employees at the Department of Health and Human Services have lost union representation through their collective bargaining agreements.
🛑 As a result, union membership and worker protections are being severely undercut.
🛑 Almost 10,000 employees at the Agency for International Development were fired and most of the programs shut down. Rather than honor prior commitments, the government decided to let essential food and medicine be destroyed.
🛑 The Veterans’ Administration terminated union contracts citing “national security concerns.” The result: 100s of thousands of union workers have lost union protections. The unions impacted include the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), the National Federation of Federal Employees, National Nurses United and the Service Employees International Union.
🛑 Thousands of Environmental Protection Agency employees saw their rights and protection disappear on August 8 when the Administration cancelled their union contracts.
🛑 Their attacks on workers are not limited to the Federal work force. The Department of Labor also decided to stop enforcement of minimum wage and overtime rights for home care workers. That’s right, they’re going after those charged with caring for our most vulnerable.
As we said at the outset, it is no accident that we are mobilizing to the best of our ability to counter this onslaught on America’s workers. It is also no accident that, among others, we will be honoring former acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and American Federation of Government Employees president Everett Kelley and featuring former Labor Secretary Robert Reich at our annual gala in Washington on October 8. We sincerely hope you will join us preferably in person or via Zoom and contribute to this event. The proceeds will be put to immediate action in support of workers’ rights through lobbying and organizing. We will do all we can but your help is absolutely essential to this effort. Please click here to sign up and/or contribute.
Contribute to Americans for Democratic Action so we can get more organizers in the field to educate voters and get out the vote in special elections and in preparation for 2026 and 2028.
Donate here: https://adaction.org/donate/
There’s Nothing Like Good,
Old-Fashioned Racism
And they’re not even subtle about it. The racism of this Administration and their Congressional enablers is on full display on a daily basis. Sometimes, it’s cloaked in the guise of crime control but we are neither fooled nor amused. The danger to the very fiber of our nation cannot be overstated.
Once again, because there is so much, we confine ourselves to just a few examples:
💀 Immigration targets, jailings, and deportations are aimed disproportionately people of “color” whether or not they are in the country legally, U.S. citizens and without criminal records; and, of course, without due process.
💀 The Administration is trying to ignore the U.S Constitution and demand that the census exclude those who are here illegally.
💀 The President has ordered the Education Department to begin collecting data on the race and gender of college applicants.
💀 A former DOGE staffer was brutally attacked in Washington, D.C. The result is that the Administration is increasing Federal law enforcement in our nation’s majority minority Capitol and mobilizing the National Guard. We find it odd that they didn’t feel the same need when a predominately white group of thugs rioted on January 6 and people died or were the subject of life-time injuries.
💀 Much-needed affirmative action programs are deemed “woke.”
💀 Colleges and universities are being subjected to scam attacks for minority admissions.
💀 Gerrymandering to garner more Republican Congressional seats – particularly in Texas but possibly in other states – will disenfranchise minority voters.
💀 Confederate statues which had been removed from Washington, D.C. and Arlington National Cemetery are being refurbished and are slated to be prominently displayed.
This is a vital issue for us as it has been since the days of our founding. It is no accident that the iconic photo taken when Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his I Have a Dream speech, he is surrounded by ADA founders and former presidents including John Lewis who put his life on the line to combat racism.
We assure you we will not stand idly by while our citizens are under attack. We will do everything in our power to combat the virus attacking our nation. But, we need your concerted help if we are to be successful. So, once again, we are calling on each and every one of you to confront your Members of Congress and, where appropriate, your state law makers. Despite their best efforts and 61 years after the Civil Rights Act was signed into law, the racists at the head of our government cannot be allowed to take us back to Jim Crow.
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The Administration’s total disdain for facts of any kind but, especially, for scientific facts, is constantly on full display. During this President’s first term, tens of thousands died because he refused to acknowledge the depth and breadth of the COVID crisis and the need for science-based solutions.
The results of their ill-conceived pseudo-science are already obvious with cases of measles and whooping cough on the rise. Now comes word that Health and Human Services Secretary RFK, Jr. has removed $500 million in funding for vaccine development even with widespread predictions that the next pandemic could well be on our doorsteps. Research on COVID, flu vaccines and others are among the targets.
This is all part and parcel of an extremely dangerous pattern. Much research at NIH has been stopped. All 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) were replaced by RFK cronies many of whom lack relevant experience. A 40-year-old Korean researcher and green card holder who has lived in the United States since he was 5 and who is doing research on a potential Lyme disease vaccine was detained “pending removal proceedings” when he returned from attending his brother’s wedding in Korea.
The results are, sadly, predictable. Scientists who in the past might have been eager to come to the United States for the research opportunities are more than likely to look elsewhere. There could well be a brain drain on U.S. born scientists to other countries. We will be totally unprepared for another potential pandemic. People will die from preventable illnesses.
Short-sighted doesn’t begin to describe this threat. Take the opportunity now to reach out to friends and acquaintances in the medical profession and ask that they attend town halls in their areas to bring this threat to the forefront. Write letters to the editors whenever possible. If you are a medical professional yourself, use your own professional and personal experiences to paint the picture in the boldest possible terms. Above all: organize, organize, organize.
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It was 90 degrees at the top of the Alps this Summer.
Wild fires rage and the resulting air pollution is a danger which lingers.
“100-year storms” and destructive floods occur regularly.
Glaciers are melting. Cities are flooding. Oceans are rising.
Tornados are being seen where they have never before been.
None of this is hyperbole. It is the stark reality of climate change in our current world. The Administration’s response has now become unbelievably typical: shoot the messenger and ignore the science. Worse yet, the Administration is being aided and abetted by the very Members of Congress who have been elected to take care of the health and welfare of our nation and the individuals they represent.
Here is just a sample of what the head in the sand, flat earth people in charge of “Environmental Protection” have done or are doing:
♻️ EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency will no longer consider the climate and health impacts of greenhouse gases.
♻️ The Department of State has fired employees who worked on climate change.
♻️ The United States has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on climate change.
♻️ Administration cuts to NOAA gut critical climate research and delay severe weather warnings.
♻️ The Administration has taken steps to weaken or eliminate methane emissions from oil and gas operations.
♻️ They plan to review and possibly rescind regulations on new power plant emissions including coal-fired plants.
♻️ They want to deregulate the energy sector and promote fossil fuels.
♻️ The EPA has argued that there is no basis for regulating climate pollution.
♻️ The President signed an Executive Order to eliminate subsidies for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
♻️ The EPA is considering weakening rules on so-called forever chemicals in drinking water.
That’s right. Their thinking apparently is if you don’t drown, burn up or get smothered by pollution, we’ll find another way to get you. Science be damned!!! And, if that’s not enough, now acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy has directed the agency to fast-track plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. What could possibly go wrong?
On this as on so many other fronts, the time for action is now. The results, if we are complacent, are disastrous not only for the United States but for the planet as a whole. Al Gore tried to warn us and, sadly, everything he said is happening now.
Please take a few moments to get in touch with both your Members of Congress and your state and local officials to demand immediate action. Find groups in your area that are working to combat this disaster and join in their efforts. If you can’t find one, form your own and get in touch with ADA’s organizer Rebecca Griffin to form an ADA chapter in your area. Remember our last name is Action and we would more than welcome your help in working to save our planet.
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Shoot The Messenger?
The numbers don’t add up. At all. Friday’s jobs report definitively put to the lie what this Administration has been peddling: that the economy is doing splendidly. It isn’t and the numbers underscore that fact. Mass deportations and high tariffs imposed on friend and foe alike are not providing a booming economy, but rather, one that is in a state of collapse even without adjusting for seasonal employment.
In brief, for July, only 73,000 jobs were added. Even worse are the figures for the previous two months with the May numbers revised down to a mere 19,000 jobs created, and in June only 14,000. The unemployment rate has edged up to 4.2 percent with the numbers far higher for minorities and youth. We guess those mass deportations aren’t working quite as advertised and neither is trickled-upon economics. This is the absolute worst showing since before the pandemic with no immediate signs for improvement. As former ADA economist Woody Ginsburg used to say, we need 250,000 new jobs for a healthy economy. That clearly isn’t happening. And, employers, skittish about the effects of the Administration’s ill-advised and erratic tariffs, are reluctant to hire. The President’s solution: fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sorry, Mr. President, that’s not economic policy.
The House of Representatives is already on its so-called August recess having left town to avoid facing the growing Epstein scandal. The Senate will head out shortly, possibly as soon as this week. It is imperative that each and every one of us seizes the moment and accosts Members of Congress while they are home. If they are holding town halls, go to them and demand answers; if not, demand that they hold them. If they refuse, make sure the press knows and demand that they make their cowardice public. Please remember the small, local papers as well; they can have a large impact. As President Truman said, if they can’t stand the heat, they should stay out of the kitchen. And don’t forget to thank those who are trying to stem the tide as the economy is tanking. They, too, need to know that you are paying attention and appreciate their efforts.
Above all, please help in any way you can to support ADA’s work to get organizing boots on the ground as we fight to regain control of the agenda. It will take quite a while to undo the damage but, by working together, we can do this.
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Anti-choice…yes.
Pro-life not so much.
The hypocrites currently in charge of our government continually work hard to prove former ADA president, former Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) correct when he famously said that conservatives believe, “life begins at conception and ends at birth.”
They have worked diligently in the first six months of this Congress and this Administration to prove Congressman Frank right.
A quick look at some of their misbegotten actions:
😱 As a direct result of their actions, premiums on Obamacare could rise as much as 50 percent.
😱 They have withdrawn us from the World Health Organization.
😱 According to the non-partisan Congressional Budge Office, at least 12 million people will lose health care coverage because of cuts to Medicaid about 37 percent of whom are children.
😱 Rather than distribute it, they have burned 500 tons of food which had been destined to feed the most desperate in need.
😱 The cut off food aid has resulted in the unprecedented deaths of Afghan women and children.
😱 Cuts to the SNAP program will result in the loss of food for desperately needed American families. The same cuts will result in the loss of school nutrition programs to feed needy students.
😱 Draconian anti-abortion laws have resulted in maternal deaths.
😱 Funding for research to prevent and cure HIV/AIDS has been slashed.
😱 A critical independent panel to review and make recommendations about vaccines has been replaced by hacks who share the anti-vax Secretary of Health and Human Service’s views.
😱 Programs for maternal and infant care have been slashed.
😱 Immigrant farm workers are being targeted by ICE and afraid to go to work (yes, we know there are others but that’s not our focus here.) The result is crops languishing in the fields instead of going to feed our hungry. And this comes at a time when ill-advised tariffs are likely to raise the price of food to unsustainable levels for many.
😱 Rural hospitals and health care facilities are already closing in anticipation of funding cuts.
😱 Hundreds, many of them children, died in recent floods because warnings did not go out in a timely fashion and FEMA could not respond quickly thanks to red tape mandated by Secretary Noem. And, denying what is before their eyes, the Environmental so-called Protection Agency is eliminating its scientific research staff.
We know there are more but 13 seems like a good number to stop at. He wants to talk about renaming football and baseball teams. We want to talk about saving people’s lives! The balls we are keeping our eyes on are this year’s special and off-year elections and next year’s mid-terms. We are not exaggerating when we say lives are at stake. Please join with us as we fight to regain sanity in government.
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We promised you we wouldn’t go after every shiny object the President throws our way, and we won’t. So this week’s Spotlight will NOT be about Rosie O’Donnell.
Instead, we will focus on the Administration’s relentless assault on programs designed to promote world peace, health care and education.
It started with the shutting down of the Agency for International Development. The short-term result was that food and medical supplies designed to go to the world’s neediest languished and spoiled while people died. In the long run, many more will continue to die. Impoverished countries and desperate families were counting on promised help; instead, they were the subject of more of this President’s bait and switch tactics. And, the good will engendered by AID programs will disappear.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Institute of Peace – created by Congress and signed into effect by Ronald Reagan 40 years ago – was invaded by DOGE and essentially shut down. Staff bravely called D.C. police and reported a break in. The Institute worked to advance U.S. values in conflict resolution, end wars, and promote good governance. An appeals court ruling in May briefly restored the Institute. It was closed again by DOGE and almost all staff fired in a weekend email after an appeals court overturned the May ruling that had briefly restored the Institute. Apparently, the promotion of peace is not a part of this Administration’s agenda even when carried out by an organization that was designed to be independent.
Then, because all that wasn’t enough, Secretary of State Rubio fired all staff at the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations. Once again, the rule appears to be head counts not the viability or essential nature of the work to which many have dedicated their lives.
Rosie O’Donnell may be high on this Administration’s agenda, but we will not be distracted when peace, justice, health and safety are being attacked. This requires immediate action to reverse these short-sighted actions.
Please contact immediately Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and demand that they move expeditiously to reverse these actions. Then, do the same for the Senate International Relations Committee. Time is of the essence. Lives and our nation’s credibility are at stake.
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Last week, we focused on part of the outrage in the budget bill passed by Congress. This week, we turn our attention to another horrific aspect of the bill: the massive explosion in funding for ICE. That’s right, the ICE budget is slated to increase from $3.5 billion to $48.5 billion. That’s more money than that of many nations’ military budgets for an unfettered group of bullies which has been turned loose on America.
If that doesn’t give you pause, this quote from the President should, “We have a lot of bad people…many of them were born in our country. I think we ought to get them the hell out of here too.” He’s not talking about so-called illegal immigrants. He’s talking about American citizens presumably predominantly non-white and those with whom he disagrees.
Let us be clear: we are not opposed to legitimate law enforcement. But, as we have stated before, masked, unidentified thugs with no warrants grabbing people off the streets, at their places of work, in courtrooms, and immigration facilities are, quite simply, terrifying. Due process has already been thrown out the window. Innocent people, sick children, long time legal residents, essential workers and others are being detained with many sent to horrific detention centers here and abroad. Life threatening mistakes are being made and the Administration brags about it. Chilling doesn’t begin to describe it and it is now likely to become even worse.
This has got to stop and each and every one of us has a responsibility to step up in outrage and determination. Here’s a beginning:
‼️ Call your Senators at 202-224-3121and demand immediate action!
‼️ Ditto your Representative 202-225-3121!
‼️ Find their district/state contact information and let them know you are a constituent and you are outraged!
‼️ Organize to oust those who applaud and support Gestapo-like tactics!
EACH AND EVERY one of us needs to do something small or large to turn the tide on this chilling, despicable action. Lives are, quite literally, at stake.
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Congratulations Jeff Bezos!
Last week, the President and Congress gave Jeff Bezos a huge wedding gift and helped to pay for his extravagant wedding.
The gift?
THE BIG, TERRIBLE, NIGHTMARE BILL, H.R. 1.
On July 4th, the President signed legislation that further enriches American billionaires at the expense of the rest of those dependent on funding for basic human needs. The U.S. House passed the Big, Terrible, Nightmare Bill including a huge tax handout for the wealthiest among us, an unhinged immigration policy and more toys for the boys at the Pentagon. The rest of the country be damned. This is the same House of Representatives that Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said after her indefensible vote to approve in the Senate, “My hope is that the House is gonna look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.” Newsflash Senator Murkowski: They didn’t.
As a direct result of Members of Congress’ unwillingness to stand up to the President and for the citizens they represent, people will die, go hungry and be unhoused. Veterans will suffer, needed infrastructure won’t happen and Federal assistance for disaster relief will disappear. And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
At the end of his remarks after the bill passed, Speaker Johnson said, “This is without a doubt the most important vote of this Congress and I think the most important vote that many of us take in our entire lifetimes and everybody better remember it however you voted today.”
Rest Assured, Speaker Johnson, We Will Remember
The vote in the Senate was a razor thin 51-50 with the Vice President casting the tie breaking vote. In the House, it was 218-214. A clearer picture of why elections matter simply could not be drawn. As Speaker Johnson said, we will remember and we pledge to you to take immediate action. The 2026 elections are already under way but even before then, there are at least 5 special elections in the House of Representatives in 2025 and we intend to be laser focused on ensuring that as many liberals as possible win those seats. At the same time, we will be building the grassroots network needed to reclaim the House and the Senate for the American people. We will be calling on you often to support those efforts both through your actions and, yes, because it is necessary, through your contributions. We look forward to working with you on these critical races. MAKE YOUR DONATION TODAY!
In the meantime, if you live in a state or a district where your Senator(s) or Representative voted in support of this big monstrosity of a bill, make sure you let them know just how furious you are. Tell them that, for once, you agree with Mr. Johnson: you will remember and you will organize and vote accordingly. CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TODAY!
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“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” – Elie Wiesel
Just when we thought it couldn’t get much worse, as always, “they” surprise us. SCOTUS has now handed the Administration a BIG win. On Friday, the court’s conservative majority decided to curb the power of federal judges, limiting their ability to stop Trump’s agenda, especially his campaign to destroy the fourteenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Here’s a brief recap of (some) of the atrocities we have already covered, a few of which were stopped by federal judges. We promise we will continue to cover these and other atrocities as we move into the 2025-2026 election cycle. In summary:
🏹 Thousands of people have been detained or sent to overseas, notorious prisons without being given the right to defend themselves.
🏹 People speaking out about the horrors of the war in Gaza have been taken into custody for simply exercising their First Amendment rights.
🏹 Approximately 9,000 Afghan refugees who supported the United States during the war there, fled after the Taliban takeover and faced an almost certain death sentence had they remained. They were granted Temporary Protected Status which the current Administration is threatening to revoke even while telling them to “self-deport.”
🏹 Temporary Protected Status for some 350,000 Venezuelans fleeing violence in their homeland has been ended by the current Administration.
🏹 Children suffering from and receiving treatment for severe medical issues have been deported with their parents – again often without due process. For the children, the abrupt cessation of their treatment could mean death. In some instances, the child involved has a US citizen parent living in this country who was not afforded the opportunity to protect their child.
🏹 People brought to this country as young children and who have known no other home are being seized and detained for no apparent cause other than their parents brought them here.
🏹 Unaccompanied children, some as young as 4, are having to make court appearances without the presence of an attorney or an advocate.
🏹 The Administration has threatened the deportation of US citizens and has said it is in negotiations with Libya to receive deportees.
And, now, as if all of that isn’t bad enough, word comes that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem – who likes to play tough dress up — has been working with the producer of “Duck Dynasty” to pitch a reality TV show—titled “The American”—where immigrants will compete in a string of challenges across the country “for the honor of fast-tracking their way to U.S. citizenship.” DHS says it is in the beginning stages of the vetting process for the show and nothing is finalized. WOW!!! Hunger Games? What next? Justify and try to replicate the horrors of Abu Ghraib?
Enough is much more than enough! THESE ARE NOT GAMES!
Please, please, please speak up at town halls. Communicate with your Members of Congress, mobilize your community but, whatever you do, do NOT remain silent. People’s lives are at stake as is the very soul of our nation.
Once again, we quote Elie Wiesel, “In the face of suffering, one has no right to turn away, not to see. In the face of injustice, one may not look the other way.”
Please contact your Members of Congress today and demand they stand up for the rule of law today.
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Shortly after Inauguration Day, we promised you both that we would continue to focus on issues and elections critical to liberals and the nation. We also promised that we would not go after every shiny object these people throw at us. We hope we have held to that promise, but it hasn’t been easy because one thing this Administration is good at is putting forth diversionary tactics day in and day out. For example:
📛 Pardon the January 6 rioters. People get outraged. Take over the Kennedy Center.
📛 Call for renaming the Gulf of Mexico. People don’t take it seriously. Let’s make Canada the 51st state or, better yet, take over Greenland.
📛 Shame President Zelinsky in the Oval Office. Outrage. Turn to Russia as the savior. How did that work out?
📛 Send innocent people to a notorious prison in El Salvador “by mistake.” Refuse to bring them back. Then, when forced to, trump (no pun intended) up excuses as to why they should have been there anyway.
📛 Decry election monitoring, then decimate the Federal Election Commission.
📛 Kill the Voice of America. Hue and cry. Turn your attention to Public Broadcasting.
📛 Promise a key Senator to adhere to protocols on vaccinations at the Centers for Disease Control. Disband the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
📛 Push for passage of the erroneously named Big Beautiful Bill in the Senate. Encounter serious opposition both to the economics and to the threats to democracy. Again, hue and cry. Send in the troops to LA.
You see the problem we and the nation are facing. We are being bombarded, and they are masterful at creating continuous distractions. We, however, and with your support, will continue to keep up the pressure on both the legislative and electoral fronts.
For today, we remind you that there are critical off-year elections in both Virginia and New Jersey. In addition, there are several House vacancies remaining to be filled. They include Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Sylvester Turner (D-TX), and Mark Green (R-TN). We beg of you, search out the election information for these races and get involved. The need couldn’t be more critical.
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Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.
“We’re going to have troops everywhere.”
The President of the United States
June 8, 2025
That’s correct: the quote is from the President of our supposedly democratic nation not the leader of a right-wing dictatorship. It was uttered in response to a reporter’s question after the President deployed 2,000 members of the National Guard to Los Angeles totally against the wishes of California Governor Newsom.
This is a game out of a playbook that is as old as time: Manufacture a crisis; send in the troops and declare the need for martial law and the suspension of democratic norms. We have arrived in very dangerous territory and need to counter it with every peaceful means at our disposal.
Just to underscore the point he is making; the President has now mobilized an additional 2,000 members of the National Guard and 700 Marines. This is all in response to what has widely reported to have been largely peaceful demonstrations. They could and should remain so. Instead, the Administration is escalating an already bad situation and could be said to be inciting to riot. This is not, repeat not an acceptable response to a situation they created when masked ICE agents conducted raids at court houses, job centers and even an elementary school graduation. When people legitimately protested, the response was to arrest a union leader, deploy troops and shoot reporters (and others) with rubber bullets. Not surprisingly, outrage ensued and continues but it remains mostly peaceful despite what appears to be a deliberate effort to provoke a more violent response.
Both Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have called for calm and decried the unwarranted presence of a massive military force in the city. Governor Newsom has responded to the latest escalation by saying: “U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes. They shouldn’t be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President.” We couldn’t agree more.
What to do:
✅ No matter where you live, let Governor Newsom you agree with him:
Governor Gavin Newsom
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
✅ Contact each and every one of your Senators and Representatives. Tell them to develop a spine or praise them if they are already speaking out. Remind them of their duty as a Member of one of the three equal branches of government. EVEN BETTER, ATTEND A NO KINGS RALLY THIS WEEKEND. CLICK HERE TO FIND A RALLY IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
✅ It has been widely reported that National Guard troops are being housed and fed in deplorable conditions because of lack of planning. Feed a trooper and encourage them to remember that their duty is to the United States not a despicable man.
✅ Tell members of the National Guard or active military that they do not have to defy the U.S. Constitution. They can refuse. For them to get more information and support, they should call the GI Rights Hotline at 1-877-447-4487. Tell them that you know this is difficult for them and let them know they have your support.
✅ For those in the Los Angeles area, if you see ICE in your neighborhood, call the LA Rapid Response Network Hotline at 1-888-524-4752.
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A Misnomer If Ever There Was One
Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) last name translates from the German to the English as “serious.” Seriously?
As has been widely reported, when confronted at a town hall event by an angry constituent furious that the proposed budget bill contains major cuts that threaten the lives of millions, Senator Ernst replied, “Well, we’re all going to die.” Called out on her flippant remark to a constituent – who in all probability – is also a voter, Ernst doubled down issuing a video in which she said in part, “I’m really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well.” And, then, went on to say that the only way to find eternal life is through belief in Jesus Christ. In part, this nonsense is being driven by the GOP trope that the Medicaid cuts would target undocumented immigrants.
We won’t delve into the theology here, but we think it’s time to remind Senator Ernst of some basic facts:
In other words, millions could be homeless, hungry and sick. And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Another fact: Senator Ernst is up for re-election in 2026. Everyone, but particularly those of our readers who live in Iowa, need to tell Senator Ernst that this is neither a time for flippancy nor for the cavalier dismissal of the basic needs of millions of Americans. Time to get serious, Joni!
So please contact her today:
✏️ 111 Seventh Avenue, SE, Suite 480, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52401, 319-365-4504
✏️ 2146 27th Avenue, Suite 500, Council Bluffs, IA, 51501, 712-352-1167
✏️ 210 West Second Street, Suite 806, Davenport, IA, 52801, 563-322-0677
✏️ 733 Federal Building, 201 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, 515-284-4574
✏️ 194 Federal Building, 320 Sixth Street, Sioux City, IA, 51101, 712-252-1550
A hand-written letter is the best way to communicate but a call will do. Or, even better, if you’re in the neighborhood, pay her and/or her staff avisit and let them know your thoughts. And, obviously, each and every town hall – if she continues to hold them – should have full and vocal attendance.
The Administration’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” is neither big nor beautiful. It is, instead, a horror show and Senator Ernst is one of the ring masters. Again: time for Senator Ernst to get serious.
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Last week we promised you even more detail on the Administration’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” as it moves to the Senate. At more than 1,000 pages, it is certainly big but, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Herewith, some of the details:
According to Penn Wharton, in 2026, the lowest income households will lose $820 while the richest 0.1% will get an approximate $390,000 tax break.
Using those numbers, the total in tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy would be $546,000,000,000, an astonishing number by any measure but from so-called “fiscal conservatives?”
Part of the funding for the tax breaks for the wealthiest would come from approximately 14 million losing their health care coverage.
Disclaimer: We know that number isn’t truly real but we thought we would play it out just to see what would happen.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the average family earning less than $50,000 would get under $300 in tax cuts in 2027, less than $1 a day, while the average tax filer earning $1 million or more a year would receive about $90,000 in tax breaks. Others come up with different estimates and this is still a work in progress.
According to the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCP), the cost would be $3.7 trillion over the next decade.
Taking a closer look at what that could pay for are just a few examples. We use both figures cited calculated using the JCP amount in red.
💲 The average school lunch costs $3. In other words, that tax break could fund 182 trillion school lunches. The JCP number 1.233 trillion lunches.
💲 Families on SNAP receive an average of $250/month. The tax break could fund approximately 2.184 trillion months of benefits for needy families. JCP 14.8 billion months.
💲 The most expensive estimate for funding a new school library is about $200,000. This includes furniture, shelving, technology, and initial book collections. In other words, these tax breaks could help establish 2.73 billion new school libraries presumably without banned books. Needless to say, even more existing school libraries could be maintained. JCP 18,500.
💲 The average annual salary for an elementary school teacher is $60,000. That means the tax break could fund 9.1 billion elementary school teachers. JCP: 61,666.67. Teachers are required to complete a four-year college degree in order to teach. According to a May 2024 Education Initiative report, an in-state bachelor’s degree for one year costs $27,146 per year and $108,584 spread out over four years. Thus, the tax break could cover the four year costs for 5,043,000 teachers. JCP: 34,100.
💲 The annual budget for CHIP in 2023 was $5.9 billion. That means the tax break could cover the CHIP budget for about 92,305 years. JCP: 629 years. Using either number, it seems like a sound investment in a healthy future even though we doubt any of us will live that long.
💲 In 2023, the annual budget for Medicaid was approximately $600 billion or 910 years in tax breaks. JCP: 6 years.
We recognize that the numbers we have given you are astounding but they are meant to astonish because we truly believe they illustrate just how outrageous the misplaced priorities in the current bill are. Further, the numbers cited as JCP are not from them but calculated using their base number and basic division.
Now is the time to bring an end to this dangerous nonsense. Please, please, please take a moment now to contact your Senators and tell them to bring our budget priorities back in line with the needs of our country. If you have a chance, also attend a town hall and bring the same message to your Senator, the public and the media. We need every voice to be heard.
Please contact your Senators today!
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Years ago, former Americans for Democratic Action president, former Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) famously said of anti-choice Members of Congress, “From their perspective, life begins at conception and ends at birth.” While we think Barney is almost always correct, we never dreamed that this quote would still be so very relevant today with House passage of this Administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill” which defies any pretext of guaranteeing “life after birth.”
That is this Administration’s constant refrain. It is bad enough that they think that deporting children undergoing potentially life-saving cancer treatment is acceptable. They did that one better by targeting those remaining in need here with passage of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” To us, it is definitely more of a nightmare than beautiful. There are many horrors in it – some hidden, some blatant. Here, we will focus only on two and will save the rest for later discussion as the bill moves to the Senate.
Specifically:
The sad but clear fact is that this is for the benefit of those with incomes above $500,000/year who will gain approximately $1.1 trillion in tax cuts. This is all being done by so-called fiscal conservatives who, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, will add approximately $2.3 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years.
If the Administration and the Congressional GOP don’t understand Barney Frank, maybe they will listen to Mr. Rogers: “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then, there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”
Fortunately, the bill now goes to the Senate where we have such unlikely allies as Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (R). He may not be motivated by altruism but he clearly understands the politics of enlightened self-interest. There is, thus, some minimal hope that the worst aspects of this bill can be defeated but we will need your help to do so. Take a moment NOW to contact each and every Senator, no matter how likely or unlikely, and demand that they reverse the actions of the House when they take up the “ugly” bill that the House has sent to them. Remind them that being pro-life means continuing their concern post birth and beyond.
Please contact your Senators today!
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On January 20, the President swore an oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserved, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
On May 4, in response to a question from Meet the Press moderator, Kristen Welker about whether he believes that he needs to uphold the Constitution during his presidency, he responded, “I don’t know.”
A quick look at his record during this term, makes us believe he really meant to say, “No.” He has, after all and time after time, totally ignored the Constitution when it suited his desires.
Due Process
What the Constitution says (5th Amendment): “…nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” Yet, this Administration has denied due process rights to hundreds of immigrants who are now languishing either in detention centers or in overseas prisons. They are threatening to do the same for U.S. citizens and apparently negotiating with Libya to house detainees. And, this is being done even as the Administration defies a Supreme Court order to bring at least one detainee home.
Freedom of Speech
The First Amendment to the Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Yet, in one of the most chilling aspects of this Administration’s disdain for the Constitution many of those kidnapped by ICE and incarcerated for months without specific charges are clearly being held simply because they have voiced their support for the Palestinian people. Fortunately, a wee bit of sanity has prevailed and at least three have now been released after weeks of uncertainty and in clear violation of their rights to free speech. Damage has been done and the ripple effects are threatening.
Birthright Citizenship
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution: “…persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” On the first day of his second term, the President signed an executive order which would upend the understanding of the 14th Amendment. And, even as we write this Spotlight, the Administration is arguing to the Supreme Court that his executive order should be upheld despite multiple rulings to the contrary. At clear jeopardy are the lives of many who think they are citizens.
Habeas Corpus
Article 1, Section 9, Clause 2 of the Constitution: “The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion, the public safety may require it.”
Thomas Jefferson on the same subject: “Habeas Corpus secures every man here, alien or citizen, against everything which is not law, whatever shape it might assume.
Despite both the Constitution and Jefferson, the President’s top advisor has said that the Administration is “actively looking at” suspending it using the spurious argument that we are under invasion. Even though he’s dead, we will rely on Jefferson before we rely on Miller.
Emoluments
Article I, Section 9, Paragraph 8: “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States; And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or Foreign State.”
Seems clear to us but not to the President or his Attorney General who argue that accepting the gift of a $400 million plane from Qatar is perfectly fine. It is outrageous on its face but there are also security risks and the appearance of bribery all to support the President’s ego because he thinks “their” planes look better than Air Force One.
This may be the least of our Constitutional worries but it may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back since even GOP Senators like Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have expressed skepticism.
*****
In brief, we are in the midst of a full-blown Constitutional crisis. It is time for GOP members of the House and Senate to develop a spine and remember they swore an oath to the Constitution not to an ego driven, bigot of a President.
Please contact your Members of Congress today and demand they stand up for the rule of law.
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Trump’s Tariff’s Redux, May 12th, 2025
“I’m just saying they don’t need to have 30 dolls. They can have three. They don’t need to have 250 pencils. They can have five.” – the President or Marie Antoinette redux or, once again, he just doesn’t get it.
You have probably heard even basically right-minded television “talking heads” asking whether the Trump tariffs will cause too much pain before the nation reaps their benefits. Why do the talking heads give so much ground? There will be no benefits. None. Nada.
Donald Trump is like an arrogant high school sophomore who flunked his elementary economics class – but is dead certain that he deserved an “A,” and that he is smarter than his instructor and all the experts on the reading list (that the sophomore never read). You can see that ignorant arrogance in Trump’s own public statements.
Trump has said that his tariffs will earn so much revenue that the income tax can be eliminated (cue the wealthiest). He also has said that his tariffs will force manufacturers to build US factories and make their products here. Any logical citizen knows that the nation will collect tariff revenues only if we continue to import. If we build new factories and all manufacturing is done here, tariff revenues will fall to zero. Trump can’t have it both ways. But, he obviously has no logic, and no idea what he is talking about; he has swallowed every pro-tariff slogan hook, line and sinker. And his White House staff, some of whom should know better, are clearly all cowed into silence, and value getting their “I worked in the White House” tickets punched above the well-being of the American people.
Trump promised tariffs that would be targeted to foreign abusers of the world trading system, or suppliers of fentanyl to the US drug trade; but what Trump imposed is a blanket tariff on all countries, all suppliers of basic metals, and all sellers of automobiles and parts. On another occasion, Trump said that tariffs would be “reciprocal,” and that we would charge each nation the tariff rate that it charges us. Instead, the “reciprocal” tariff rates that Trump displayed in the Rose Garden were an illogical hash of amounts that, if baselessly counted as exports and if imports did not change, would make US trade with each nation magically “balance” at net zero. Those tariff rates were far, far in excess of the tariff rates charged on US exports by other countries. Again, Trump, the arrogant high school sophomore, has absolutely no idea what he is talking about.
Trump’s tariff-first, ask-questions-later policy is far worse than just a sales tax on imports that will choke the poor but the rich can ignore. It will stall the economy by crashing not just imports but also all of the value-added on sales of imported goods by US shippers and retailers. It will raise the prices of even domestic manufacturers – half of all imports are either parts, tools or raw materials used in US production, some of which ironically is exported. And, by making imports either unavailable or more expensive, it will raise the competitive ceiling on prices of US goods, increasing inflation.
But, probably worst of all, Trump’s tariff tantrum has shaken the trust of every US ally and trading partner. Imagine if your own prospective spouse or work colleague suddenly and irrationally went off the emotional rails, disrupting your relationship for weeks. When could you ever trust that person again, even if the tantrum seemed to subside? Today’s tariff tantrum will upset not just US commercial relationships, but also our national security, for years.
The nation must reestablish its position as a standard-setter for international behavior. To do so, the Congress must reestablish its ultimate Constitutional authority over tariffs – telling our allies that policy will no longer be at the whim of one ignorant and impulsive man. The House and the Senate have both failed to advance a Joint Resolution to reject Trump’s emergency declaration for the current tariff increases. More promising now and more fundamental is the Trade Review Act, which would explicitly empower the Congress to review any President’s tariff impositions under existing delegations of authority, and to reject them if they are not warranted by the facts. (If the Congress gives the President the power to impose a tariff in an emergency, the courts would be loath to question the President’s designation of such an emergency.)
Tell Members of Congress – of both parties – to stand up for their Constitutional power and responsibility to make the ultimate decision as to whether tariffs are warranted – and thereby to reassure the world that the United States is a trustworthy partner again.
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The current Administration has spent its first 100 days showing its total disdain for the rule of law and/or the U.S. Constitution. Thus, we feel the need to publish the First Amendment here with emphasis on two particular parts.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
It reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” While we readily admit that it doesn’t say the President or his Administration shouldn’t ignore the sentiments voiced in this amendment, it is widely understood that these are Constitutionally protected rights to be guarded to preserve the very basis of our democracy.
The combined threat of the incarceration and potential deportation of student activists, the rescinding of much-needed funds at highly regarded colleges and universities and the outright assault on academic freedom in admission policies and courses of study pose an unprecedented attack on the very basis of free discourse.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the mass revocation of international student visas (the Administration has been forced to walk this back somewhat) and the arrest, frequently without warrant, of student activists. We are certain that we will leave out some and, for that, we apologize but below is a brief list of those we know who have already been detained:
🤐 Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national studying and teaching at Georgetown University who has never participated in any political activity but whose wife if of Palestinian heritage and once worked for Al Jazeera.
🤐 Yonsoo Chung, a permanent resident since she was 7 years old. She is an exemplary student at Columbia University who participated in a sit-in at Barnard protesting the expulsion of students who had participated in pro-Palestinian activism.
🤐 Alireza Droudi, a doctoral student from Iran studying at the University of Alabama. No reason has been given for his detention.
🤐 Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and perhaps one of the best known of the detainees. Khalil is a grad student at Columbia University who spoke out at demonstrations denouncing the war in Gaza. It has been reported that his wife, who is a US citizen and was 8 months pregnant at the time of his arrest, was also threatened with arrest. There was no warrant.
🤐 Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts who was seized outside her apartment by masked agents in what appeared to be a kidnapping. People, thinking it was a kidnapping, videotaped the horror and posted it on social media. She is accused, without apparent evidence, of supporting Hamas.
🤐 Dogukan Gunaydon, who is a Turkish citizen and a University of Minnesota graduate student. No charging document has been issued but it has been said that this is the result of a drunken driving conviction for which he served minimal time and paid a fine.
🤐 Rasha Alawieh, an assistant professor at Brown University’s medical school who was deported to Lebanon despite a court order to keep her in the country. The reason: she attended the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah.
🤐 Ranjant Srinivasan, a Fulbright recipient, doctoral candidate at Columbia University and adjunct professor at NYU. She signed an open letter related to the Gaza war.
🤐 Momodou Taal, a graduate student at Cornell self-deported after he was threatened with detention.
🤐 Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student living legally as a permanent resident of the United States for 10 years after growing up in a Palestinian refugee camp. He co-founded Columbia’s Palestinian Student Union and was president of the Columbia University Buddhist Association. He went to what he thought was going to be his citizenship interview and pledged to defend the US Constitution. He thought this was going to be his final step to becoming a U.S. citizen. Instead, he was taken into custody for advocating Palestinian human rights. He has since been released following a judge’s order.
Fortunately, some are fighting back. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) have visited detainees in Louisiana. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) have expressed concern particularly about Gunaydon. We are certain others will be stepping forth in the days ahead. Each and every one of them deserves our thanks.
Harvard led the way in filing suit against the Federal government’s decision to halt promised funding. Others are starting to do so as well as the chilling effects often on critical medical research are being felt. In addition, more than 300 colleges and universities have signed a letter protesting “unprecedented government overreach and political interference.” Follow the hyperlink to read the letter and see the list of initial signers. If your university has signed on, please send them a thank you. If not, encourage them to do so.
All of this is good, but the pressure needs to continue even more forcefully. Please reach out to your Members of Congress, your newspapers and, yes, the institutions of higher learning you have contact with. Tell them, in no uncertain terms, that terror and coercion aimed at stifling the rights to speech and assembly must not continue.
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A nation founded and shaped by immigrants needs to remember and honor that part of our history. Sadly, the current hate mongering, racism and xenophobia put a huge blemish on that legacy.
Amid all this horror, our President had the hubris to travel to Rome ostensibly to honor Pope Francis whose every example flies in the face of this Administration’s actions. It is both remarkable and wonderful that one of the Pope’s final actions was to meet with Vice President Vance and advocate for the humane treatment of migrants. While we can’t know precisely what the pontiff said, we do know what he has said in the past: “That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women….”and “It’s hypocrisy to call yourself a Christian and chase away a refugee who is hungry or thirsty, toss out someone who is in need of my help…If I say I am a Christian, but do these things, I’m a hypocrite…”
If the altruism of the Pope doesn’t move us, the enlightened self-interest voiced by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) who went to El Salvador should, “My whole point here is if you deprive one man of his Constitutional Rights, you threaten the Constitutional Rights of everybody…If you threaten the rule of law for one person, you threaten it for everybody in America.”
While there are many, many, many examples of the horrific excesses of this Administration, none is more egregious than the mass deportation of individuals without any recourse to the Constitutionally guaranteed right to due process. Not only are such mass deportations reminiscent of what went on in Nazi Germany and, more recently, with the so-called disappeared in Argentina during the period known as the “Dirty War” from 1976 to 1983.
We cannot let these kinds of outrages continue to happen here!
For many, the face of these horrors is Kilmar Abrego Garcia who was shipped to a notoriously horrible prison in El Salvador despite having been granted a “withholding of removal status.” As is well known, the Administration now claims his removal was the result of an “administrative error” but now claims it has no ability to return him despite multiple judicial orders to do so. Such blatant disregard for the rule of law and our nation’s system of checks and balances should send chills up every one of our spines.
What distinguishes Abrego Garcia from possibly hundreds of other deportees similarly sent away without due process and, quite possibly equally innocent, is that he has vocal advocates and excellent legal counsel – including past ADA honoree Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg. For the others, each and every one of us needs to become their advocate. If they are innocent, they need to be freed and allowed to continue their lives unimpeded. If they are guilty of some crime, that is for a court of law to decided, not some random ICE agent or – even more terrifying, someone deputized to act as one.
There are steps which we, as citizens, can take:
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We strive, in these Spotlights, to shine a bright light on the horrors visited upon our nation by the current Administration AND to give you some of the tools with which to fight them. We hope you find them useful and act upon them.
It must be noted, however, that the Administration and its right-wing allies are truly good at one thing: They bombard us with so many outrages that it is hard to focus. They are very strategic in their actions because they know it diffuses the opposition. They also know that they must truly dismantle the Constitutional system of checks and balances and they must do it before the 2026 Congressional elections when they fear that their sycophants will no longer be in control of the legislative agenda.
Part of that strategy is to ensure that thousands upon thousands of voters are disenfranchised. It is our job to make sure that doesn’t happen.
A centerpiece of the Right-Wing disenfranchising campaign is the so-called SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) which passed the House on April 10. You may have read about it but it’s worse than you thought. Under provisions of the act, driver’s licenses, military IDs and tribal identification documents would need to be accompanied by a birth certificate or record of naturalization that matches the name on them to be valid. The bill could end voter registration drives, severely limit or eliminate online voter registration, limit or end automatic voter registration and eliminate the ability to send in a voter registration application by mail. The latter provision could severely impact people living in rural areas who might have to drive many miles in order to register to vote. Also required is that the name on your valid passport or photo ID match the name on your birth certificate or naturalization card. However, it does not include proof of name change or a marriage certificate as acceptable documents to prove identity. That means that roughly 69 million Americanwomen who take their partner’s last name after marriage would not have a birth certificate that reflects their current, legal name.
Of further concern is that about half of U.S. citizens, or 146 million Americans, do not have a valid passport. The current cost for a new passport is $130. If forced into getting a passport, people trying to register to vote would, in essence, be subjected to a new form of a poll tax.
In addition, military service members overseas will no longer be able to use their military IDs to register. And the impact is likely to frustrate many young voters ages 18-24, who tend to have frequent address changes.
Oregon Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (D) tried to mitigate the damage by offering amendments to the bill which were intended to protect married women, military service members, people of color, native communities, survivors of domestic violence, seniors, people with disabilities, and rural residents. Republicans in Congress blocked her amendments. And, ultimately, the bill passed the House 220 to 208, with four Democrats voting for the bill and zero Republicans opposing it. Democrats who voted for the bill were Reps. Jared Golden (Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.), Henry Cuellar (Texas) and Ed Case (Hawaii).
The bill next moves to the Senate where it has not yet been scheduled for a vote but the danger is real that it could pass.
Take immediate action:
✅ Contact your Senators via phone, e-mail or mail and register your strong opposition to the SAVE act.
✅ Attend town halls in your area to raise your concerns.
✅ Contact Congresswoman Dexter and thank her for her efforts:
911 NE 11th Ave., Portland, OR 97232, 503-231-2300
Reach out to those Democratic Members of Congress who voted for this horror, let them know you are paying attention and that you are furious at their vote to disenfranchise American voters.
❌ Jared Golden, 6 State Street, Suite 101, Bangor, ME 04401 (207) 249-7400
❌ Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, 1053 Officers Row, Vancouver, WA 98661 (360) 695-6292
❌ Henry Cuellar, 1145 E. Commerce St., Suite 205, San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 271-2851
❌ Ed Case, 1003 Bishop Street, Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 650-6688
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Out of Touch Much?
Obviously!
Even as the Administration dug its heels in on tariffs and the resulting chaos, it proved, without the shadow of a doubt, that it is totally out of touch with reality, and they don’t even care what “the simple folk do.”
Now that the President has “paused” most tariffs for 90 days, he has proven that he is playing a dangerous game of chicken with the sole goal of satisfying his overblown ego. People who are not among the 1 percent are left swinging in the wind with little to no control over their finances and their futures.
Just to make clear that we understand their lack of understanding:
“But likewise, an old-fashioned term that we use, groceries — I used it on the campaign. It’s such an old-fashioned term but a beautiful term, groceries. It sort of says a bag with different things in it.” – the President.
“Foreign goods may become a little more expensive, but domestic goods do not. So if you’re looking at Poland Springs water versus let’s say Fiji Water, the Poland Springs is not gonna be more expensive.” Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick.
Newsflash folks: This is not just about a bag with things in it. Nor is it about fancy bottled water.
It is about the necessities of life: groceries, medications, cars, building materials, clothing, retirement savings, education savings accounts and even paper towels and toilet paper (and there’s no Sears’ catalogue to help). Meanwhile, noted economists are sounding the alarm about a recession and the Fed chair is concerned about increasing inflation and the possible need to increase interest rates.
Our noble leader’s response is to begin making plans for a four-mile-long military parade to celebrate his own birthday. Such an undertaking will necessitate massive coordination between groups decimated by DOGE cuts and come at an enormous expense to both Federal and local governments. Will someone please find a fiddle to give him for his birthday so he can fiddle while his version of Rome burns.?
Fortunately, some political leaders are beginning to find a spine and try to craft a solution. Washington’s Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell has introduced legislation to reaffirm Congress’ role in setting trade policy. The legislation would require the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing or increasing a tariff. That notification must include and explanation for imposing the tariff and an analysis of its impact on American businesses and consumers. Under the legislation, within 60 days, Congress must pass a joint resolution of approval on the new tariff, otherwise all new tariffs on imports expire after that deadline. In addition, Congress would the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.
Joining Cantwell as initial co-sponsors are Democratic Senators Michael Bennet (CO), Amy Klobochar (MN), Peter Welch (VT), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Chris Coons (DE) and Mark Warner (VA) and Republicans Chuck Grassley (IA), Jerry Moran (KS), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Thom Tillis (NC), Todd Young (IN), Susan Collins (ME) and Mitch McConnell (KY). A similar bill has been introduced in the House, you can find the co=-sponsor list here.
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THANK YOU
Your Activism Is Working
This week’s Spotlight begins with a heartfelt thank you to those of you who supported ADA’s work in Wisconsin. We couldn’t match Musk’s millions, but we were much more strategic and it paid off with Susan Crawford’s double digit win. Know, please, both that you helped make that victory possible and that we are enormously grateful.
Last week was not a good week for the GOP, the Administration and Elon Musk. The Republican victories in Florida – while disappointing – pointed out real weaknesses within the Party and dissatisfaction with the way our country is headed as previous overwhelming victory margins were sunk dramatically. Then, came Musk’s decisive defeat in Wisconsin. In the Senate, we were treated with Senator Cory Booker’s tour de force, epic speech. (Please do send him a thank you.) And, on the House side, House Speaker Mike Johnson was forced by a bi-partisan coalition forced him to cancel votes for the rest of the week after a band of GOP lawmakers staged a rebellion on the floor, bringing legislative action to a screeching halt. The announcement came minutes after nine Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing a procedural rule that would have killed a bipartisan effort to allow proxy voting for new parents. No, Speaker Johnson, women will not quietly return to the 1950s and relinquish hard won gains. The stock market tanked. And, millions took to the streets in protest across the country and around the world. To paraphrase the Viorst’s, for the GOP it was a terrible, awful, horrible, no good, very bad week.
Americans for Democratic Action and you, our members, have taken up the challenge and are letting Members of Congress and others know, in no uncertain terms, that what is happening with this Administration is neither normal nor acceptable. We need to redouble our efforts and keep up the momentum. DONATE HERE
Your activism is having an impact. GOP members of the House and Senate are beginning to get restive – even those who signed on totally to this Administration’s wild and dangerous antics. They are canceling town halls and running from angry constituents like children covering their ears so they won’t hear what they don’t want to hear. Many are toeing the line because they fear retribution from the Administration and its minions. We need to continue to apply pressure in equal or greater measure from the grassroots. With your help, we will confront them in this year’s off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey and continue our forceful activism for the 2026 election cycle. DONATE HERE
At this point, 2026 seems a long way off but – in political terms – it truly isn’t. Please, therefore, remind Members of Congress that, as constituents, you are their employers and you can and will fire them just as heartlessly as they are firing thousands upon thousands of critical government employees. Take a moment NOW to let them hear from you and, then, keep up the pressure.
Click here to see a select list of vulneralbe Republican Members that need to hear from you. This list includes district office contact information because that is often the easiest and best way to reach Members quickly. In many instances, Members have more than one office. We have selected only one but there may be another closer to you.
If none of the Members listed above is yours, adopt one; write them and say you are not a constituent but are a concerned citizen and are paying attention. Then, contact your own member identifying yourself as a constituent and insert the appropriate praise or condemnation as the case may be. All need to know that concerned citizens are paying attention and are determined to wrest control back from the misbegotten people who have taken over our democracy.
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Action Alert
Democracy is a Participatory Spor
This Spotlight is somewhat different from our normal ones because we won’t be focused on one specific issue.
What we want to underscore today is that our nation is in real danger and it is up to each and every one of us to do whatever is in our power to save our democracy. Here are some possible options:
✅ Write to your elected representatives. Don’t limit yourselves to your Representative and your Senators. Share your concerns with your state and local officials as well. When doing so, identify yourself as a constituent; i.e. their employer.
✅ If you live in Washington, D.C. and don’t have a voting Representative or Senators, adopt ones from another state. Tell them you are not a constituent and explain why you are writing to them.
✅ Even if you have Senators and a Representative, write to others. Say you are not a constituent but a concerned citizen who pays attention and, then, thank them or condemn them as the case may be. Whenever possible make it personal and relevant to their home turf: “I am not a constituent but I visit your state often…” You get the idea.
✅ Send a biography of Neville Chamberlain to the White House. Ok, he doesn’t read but the message will be received.
✅ Attend town halls. Check out accounts and websites run by the elected officials and their staff including: Facebook, Bluesky, official government websites – specifically check out the pages on press releases, events, and media alerts, official government newsletters – their sign up page is typically found on their websites.
✅ If your Members of Congress are refusing to hold a Town Hall, schedule your own and place an empty chair by the podium. Invite as many as possible to participate and make sure the local media know.
✅ Send a copy of The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire to the White House. See above about reading.
✅ Attend non-violent protest demonstrations whenever possible.
✅ Support the immigrants who make our nation strong.
✅ Write letters to the editor of newspapers small and large.
✅ Repost relevant information on social media. Begin creating an echo chamber. Follow ADA’s Facebook page here. Follow ADA’s Bluesky page here.
✅ Send a copy of the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich to Steven Miller or Elon Musk or both.
✅ When they make a laughing stock of themselves, spread the information widely; i.e. removing mention of the Enola Gay because their misbegotten AI found the work “gay” in the reference. They hate being laughed at.
✅ Oppose vigorously the rampant bigotry being displayed at all levels of this Administration.
✅ Shop judiciously. Support those who defy the Administration. Try to boycott those who don’t.
✅ Let your alma mater know that you don’t support their caving in to bullying.
We know there are many more creative ideas out there. Please share them with us at adaction.org. We welcome them. And, then…
Contribute to Americans for Democratic Action so we can get more organizers in the field to educate voters and get out the vote in special elections and in preparation for 2026 and 2028.
Donate here: https://adaction.org/donate/
BE AFRAID
BE VERY AFRAID
Our beloved nation which is supposed to be governed by a system of checks and balances is in danger of becoming – if it hasn’t already become – seriously out of balance.
The President, who once famously said, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters,” has continuously shown his absolute disdain for the judicial system. Despite being convicted of 34 felonies in his hush money trial; being convicted of sexual assault and defamation of character in the E. Jean Carroll case; and being indicted in the Georgia election fraud case, the President has yet to see a day in jail and has had his hubris bolstered by the Supreme Court’s immunity decision.
To add insult to injury, but not surprisingly, he has hired scofflaws who mirror his image and their actions are truly terrifying. Examples abound but here are a few:
⛔ DOGE employees broke into the headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) last Monday. This despite the fact that it is an independent agency and not part of the executive branch. To their credit, USIP called the DC Metropolitan police and reported a break in. We’ll see what happens.
⛔ The Administration has ignored or bent multiple judicial orders reflecting the unconstitutionality of its actions. They have been ordered to rehire those fired without reason, to restore international aid deliveries and explain their actions on many other items. In each case, if they have complied, they have complied in such a way as to make the ruling virtually meaningless.
⛔ Even more chilling, however, is their absolute total disdain for the rule of law where it applies to immigrants and, in some cases, American citizens. Many have been turned away, deported under inhumane conditions, or held far from their families and under threat of deportation simply for exercising their First Amendment rights. In at least two incidents — the deportation of a noted researcher from Brown University even though she had a valid visa, and the plane loads of deportees headed to El Salvador – separate judges ordered that they either be returned to the States or held here for further review. In neither case was due process involved.
There are many more outrages, too many to enumerate here, but you get the idea. Even more chilling is the pronouncement by the President’s Border Czar, Tom Horman, “We are going to make this country safe again … I’m proud to be a part of this administration. We are not stopping. I don’t care what the judges think. I don’t care what the Left thinks. We’re coming.” It would be hard to come up with a more horrifying quote.
Thus, the need for continuing, decisive action is URGENT. Please take a moment now to get in touch with your Senators and Representatives and tell them, in no uncertain terms, that the rule of law must prevail, and they MUST take immediate action to preserve our democracy. Lives are truly at stake.
Donate here: https://adaction.org/donate/
Former ADA president Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) inimitable, incisive quote master who gets it right almost all the time: about anti-choice people, for them, “…life begins at conception and ends at birth.” Never has that been more true and these Congressional hypocrites seem hell bent on proving him right.
The current Administration and their cohorts in Congress and across the country seem determined that America’s children are sick, uneducated and hungry and they are wasting no time in achieving their goal.
🚸 Many states and other jurisdictions have sought to erase history by banning in school and public libraries subjects which might make someone uncomfortable. These include history about slavery, the Holocaust and those with gay and lesbian themes.
🚸 The Administration has installed as the head of Health and Human Services an anti-vaxxer who thinks vitamins can either cure or prevent measles. Children whose parents have bought into this hoax have died.
🚸 Musk, the unelected head of government, in shutting down the Agency for International Development, has helped to ensure that countless children around the world will die of malnutrition or disease.
🚸 The threatened cuts to Medicaid will severely either diminish or prevent health care for almost half of our nation’s children.
🚸 SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the largest federal nutrition assistance program providing benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families is being threatened.
🚸 With the firing of half of the staff at the Department of Education, a full-fledged attack on public education is taking place.
🚸 At the same time, a crippled Department of Education is putting free and reduced lunches for 20 million school children on the chopping block.
🚸 The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, halting more than $1 billion in federal spending..
🚸 The Continuing Resolution, as passed by the House, will decimate the budget of Washington, D.C. resulting in devastating cuts to – among other things – the education system in our nation’s capitol. This is bad enough but the money they are prohibiting from being spent is locally raised not Federal dollars. Irresponsible doesn’t begin to describe this outrage.
As with our other spotlights, this is only the tip of the iceberg, but we truly feel the very devastating picture needs to be laid out. Our children’s futures and, thus, the very future of our nation is at stake and billionaires, who can buy the very best for their own children, have absolutely no idea how the rest of the world lives. Worse, they don’t care.
Whatever you are doing as you read this, please take a moment and contact your Members of Congress and tell them that protecting our kids is more important than pleasing billionaires.
Write, e-mail, call or visit your Members of Congress with either praise or dismay as warranted. Remind them that you are a constituent and, ultimately, their employer.
Then, do the same for others who speak up even if they don’t represent you. They need to know you are a concerned citizen and are paying attention.
If available, attend town halls in your Congressional District and make your voice heard.
And, finally, but importantly, make or increase your contribution to Americans for Democratic Action so that we can help amplify your call for an America in which we can, once again, take pride.
Donate here: https://adaction.org/donate/
Once again, this Administration has upended our plans for our weekly Spotlight. This week’s outrage, while not the worst thing they are doing is something we take personally.
Elon Musk has ordered the General Services Administration to sell off the historic Freedom Riders Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. This is another of their blatant attempts to white wash – and we do mean white – American history. In and of itself, this is outrageous. For those of us in Americans for Democratic Action who were privileged to work with our former president, Congressman John Lewis and those who helped conceive the Freedom Rides – particularly Marvin Rich, James Farmer and Hilda and Charles Mason – this is not only an abomination; it is personal and it cannot be allowed to stand.
Alabama Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell is taking the leadership to try to stop the latest attempt at Musk’s blatant bigotry. She deserves our full support. Please take a moment to thank her:
101 South Lawrence St.
Courthouse Annex 3
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: (334) 262-1919
And, then write to your Members of Congress asking that they support her and sign on to any relevant legislation.
Write, e-mail, call or visit your Members of Congress with either praise or dismay as warranted. Remind them that you are a constituent and, ultimately, their employer.
Then, do the same for others who speak up even if they don’t represent you. They need to know you are a concerned citizen and are paying attention.
If available, attend town halls in your Congressional District and make your voice heard.
And, finally, but importantly, make or increase your contribution to Americans for Democratic Action so that we can help amplify your call for an America in which we can, once again, take pride.
Donate here: https://adaction.org/donate/
We had planned and written a different Spotlight for this week but this past Friday’s disgraceful, vile display in the Oval Office has dictated otherwise. Much to our horror, we witnessed the President of the United States channeling both Neville Chamberlain and Quisling all at once. That’s quite a feat even for a vile, seasoned bully with no moral scruples. Since we’re told he doesn’t read and we’re certain he doesn’t understand history, we’e posting this photo to remind him exactly what’s at stake. There is a reason there are so many graves at the American cemetery in Normandy. Each of these graves honors someone who gave his life so that his descendants and the citizens of Europe could live in freedom. Now, our reckless Putin lover is both dishonoring their memory and putting each and every one of us in danger.
It is said that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Sadly, history appears to be being repeated at the expense of Ukraine, a nation standing bravely for democracy at very great sacrifice. The shameful behavior of our President is a dishonor to our country, a disservice to an ally, a threat to our European allies and a danger to the world. It couldn’t get much worse than that.
Many of us grew up hearing “Where were the good Germans?” The answer is that many were too frightened to speak out or act publicly in the face of clear and present danger. There were a some who dared to stand up and speak out. One notable example is the noted anti-Nazi theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” He paid the ultimate price for his bravery.
We cannot let this go that far. We, in Americans for Democratic Action, will not remain silent. The time for action is now. By bringing our collective voices together and protesting at town halls or in the streets of our nation, we must, must, must say enough is too much. We need to join our voices with those of our dismayed allies and bring an end to this shameful madness. Like Bonhoeffer, we need to speak and act.
So please:
Write, e-mail, call or visit your Members of Congress with either praise or dismay as warranted. Remind them that you are a constituent and, ultimately, their employer.
Then, do the same for others who speak up even if they don’t represent you. They need to know you are a concerned citizen and are paying attention.
If available, attend town halls in your Congressional District and make your voice heard.
And, finally, but importantly, make or increase your contribution to Americans for Democratic Action so that we can help amplify your call for an America in which we can, once again, take pride.
Donate here: https://adaction.org/donate/
When Marie Antoinette said, “Let them eat cake,” it sparked a revolution. When King George III imposed a tax on tea to benefit his friends in the British East India Company to gain a monopoly on the tea trade with the colonies, it sparked a revolution. Sadly, now we are being governed by an Administration with the empathy of Marie Antoinette and the economic savvy of George III. To be clear, we are not advocating violence but it is well past time for everyday Americans to take a stance. Fortunately, many are and Americans for Democratic Action definitely is.
This Administration, aided and abetted by their cronies in Congress, is taking direct aim at any but the very rich at the dire expense of all of the rest of us – both here and abroad.
Let’s take a brief look at what we know is only a partial list:
‼️ Their draconian actions with the Agency for International Development have left many thousands of the world’s poorest starving and without essential medications while supplies languish and spoil.
‼️ In the name of cost cutting, the Administration is firing thousands upon thousands of Federal employees who both serve the American public and rely on their jobs to support themselves and their families.
‼️ House Republican are poised to support a budget favored by the White House which would result in massive cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP; Head Start programs being shut down; community health clinics being shut down and reduced staff for veterans’ hospitals and clinics.
‼️ It also clear that they are gunning for Social Security which has kept untold numbers of seniors out of poverty. Worse, this is our money they are looting to benefit the wealthiest one percent.
‼️ The Administration’s tariffs will hit the American consumers who can least afford it directly in their pocketbooks just as inflation is certain to increase and the economy begins to tank. We know that’s the case because the previous incarnation of this gang that can’t shoot straight has provided ample history.
‼️ The VA has been forced to cut providers whose principal task is to support those who have served our country at often great danger and great personal sacrifice. So much, for supporting our military.
‼️ And, then they cut funding for the World Trade Center Health Center which provides critical care for 9/11 survivors and first responders.
The House is scheduled to take up the budget resolution this week. Urgent action is needed NOW. Please, please, please heed our pleas and take just two minutes of your time to call your Representative and weigh in on the need to oppose this disastrous budget resolution.
The Capitol phone # is 202-224-3121 and follow the prompts. Or you can contact their local office whose phone number is available on individual Member’s websites. It doesn’t matter if you think they agree with you or not. They need to hear from you either with praise or condemnation!
Donate here: https://adaction.org/donate/
The protection of basic civil rights has always been a centerpiece of ADA’s founding principles. An iconic photo taken during Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech shows him surrounded by former Americans for Democratic Action founders and presidents including Joseph L. Rauh, Jr., Walter Reuther and former Congressman John Lewis. Our former president Congesswoman Patsy T. Mink (D-HI) was the mother of Title IX. ADA activists Marvin Rich, Hilda and Charles Mason, James Farmer and others were critical components of the civil rights movement and the Freedom Rides. Other ADAers including former ADA president Allard Lowenstein, at great danger to themselves, spearheaded voter registration drives in the south. In other words, this battle is embedded in our very DNA.
Through their efforts to which we owe so much, much was accomplished even as much more needed to be done. Now, however, the battle must be joined once again. This Administration’s attack on those hard-won gains threatens to turn back the clock at foreign and domestic levels using so-called Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as their boogey man while ignoring the good that has been done. The entire package is an open invitation to blatant discrimination across all avenues.
Perhaps none of this is surprising given the Trump/Musk’s history of discrimination. Remember papa Trump got rich by building apartment buildings which excluded Black tenants. Our President himself was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging he and his family engaged in racial discrimination at their properties. And, Elon Musk’s personal history was forged in apartheid South Africa. Thus, just as our fight for equality and inclusion is in the very marrow of our being, so is a history of blatant discrimination in theirs. What they didn’t count on is that we will fight back.
Let’s take a look at a sample of what’s going on:
🆘 On his first day in office, the President signed an executive order for the sweeping dismantling of the federal government’s diversity and inclusion programs.
🆘 Under the President’s direction, ICE is largely targeting Hispanic (or Hispanic looking people) for arrest and deportation. Included in this broad sweep have been Native Americans and people arrested for speaking Spanish.
🆘 The President signed an executive order banning trans-women from participating in women’s sports.
🆘 The LGBTQ+ community has become the target of his wrath with the hope of upending the Supreme Court’s decision to allow gay marriage.
🆘 The President banned from entering the U.S. at least 1,600 vetted Muslims who had helped in the fight against the Taliban but extended an offer to white Afrikaner South Africans to come here as refugees.
🆘 The Department of Justice sent a memo to employees saying the Department will criminally prosecute private entities that implement Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI/DEIA) policies. Please note this is aimed at private businesses.
🆘 The President announced that he will replace the board at the Kennedy Center and install himself as chair because the Center hosted drag shows.
🆘 The President has forced the Federal Office on Violence Against Women to remove grant opportunities from their website.
🆘 The President’s unconstitutional attempt to ban birthright citizenship would hit minority communities disproportionately badly.
These are the classic divide and conquer tactics used by dictators. They make enemies of the people they are supposed to serve and invariably do irreparable harm. Americans for Democratic Action is determined to fight to stop this gross injustice but we will need your help if we are to continue reaching out to and educating voters in key states as we prepare for both off year elections and 2026.
If we are to be effective, we need to put organizers on the ground now. Every contribution helps and is deeply appreciated but – as an added incentive – a contributor has promised that every contribution of $100 or more will be thanked with a Patsy Mink quarter in an envelope with a John Lewis stamp. We can’t think of a better talisman than these memorials to two ADA giants. Donate here: https://adaction.org/donate/
When your house is on fire, you don’t wait until next week to hose it down. The time for action is NOW. Although our government is built on a system of checks and balances, there is no balance if there are no checks. Today, we are in the midst of a Constitutional crisis which needs to be confronted on all fronts and in every way possible. We are pleased to support and congratulate Members of Congress who are standing up to the horror we are living but the sad truth is that a Congress, ruled by MAGA extremists, is hamstrung at best and, quite simply can’t be relied upon.
Now, through the efforts of the co-Presidents, our personal and economic security are at risk. Musk’s gang of juvenile video game players are hacking into computers containing the personal and financial information of millions of people. Gaining access to everything the taxpayer database holds is unbelievably irresponsible. And, now there’s word that their next targets are Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. If people hacking into our banking information is frightening, we haven’t seen anything yet. Just imagine the damage that can be done. In addition, demands are being made which threaten people whose very lives are in danger. FBI agents – whose names have been turned over to a vengeful Department of Justice – could easily become the targets of the MAGA gang which stormed the Capitol. CIA personnel could well become the targets of violent extremists and outside agents.
This willful disregard for personal and financial security is worse than alarming. It is downright dangerous. ADA fully supports creative action taken by some Members of Congress to slow the dizzying pace. We will also, where appropriate, support legal action taken to thwart the clearly lawless activity of this Administration. And, we will look for electoral and legislative opportunities at the national, state and local levels to help curb this disaster.
In the meantime, we need you to take action as well. Please, please, please, continue putting pressure on Members of Congressto seek creative ways to block what is going on. It truly does work ~ as evidenced by this article in the Portland Press Herald. When constituents remind elected officials that we are their employers, they do listen. Also, please, seek out opportunities at the state and local level to support people and legislation working to counter the evil that is happening in Washington. Together, we can, will and must make a difference.
This week’s focus is on health care and the unprecedented, dangerous threats this Administration poses.
For decades, Americans for Democratic Action has been at the forefront advocating for a single payer (Medicare for All) health care system. Major success was achieved when so-called Obama-care was enacted and millions of people were able to get much needed health care. It wasn’t enough and we were working hard to expand and improve its coverage.
Now, we are faced with an Administration which seems hell bent on destroying our entire health care system. In the brief time it has been in power it has:
❌ nominated anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to become Secretary of Health and Human Services;
❌ removed the caps on costs for prescription drugs;
❌ withdrawn from the World Health Organization and ordered those at the CDC who work with WHO to immediately stop working with their counterparts there;
❌ halted NIH research on a host of health care issues;
❌ ordered government health care groups to cease providing information to the American public;
❌ vowed to overturn Obama-care;
❌ said it intends to remove vaccine mandates from our schools;
❌ reversed Biden Administration policies aimed at preparing the public for future infectious disease outbreaks’
❌ issued a blanket “pause” in all Federal grants and loans resulting in the shutting down of Medicaid payment portals;
❌ suspended the supply of HIV and malaria drugs to poor countries;
We’re sure we’ve left something out but you get the idea. It is absolutely imperative that we stop this onslaught in its tracks. Therefore, please start by contacting Members of the Senate Finance Committee and urge them, in the strongest possible terms, both to reject the Kennedy nomination and reverse the Administration’s dangerous assault on all aspects of our nation’s health care system.
Click here to find the Senate Finance Committee Members. They can be reached through the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. If one of these Senators represents you, please be in contact with him/her directly and identify yourself as a constituent.
With a Republican trifecta at the national level and a Supreme Court that will continue to roll back national standards, many of the most significant legislative battles will play out in the states, putting state governments in the spotlight.
Chamber control in the presidential battleground states was hard-fought. The Michigan House flipped from D to R, breaking a Democratic trifecta. The Minnesota House (formerly held by Democrats) is now tied, breaking Minnesota’s DFL trifecta. Democrats held onto the Minnesota Senate. Democrats hold both Nevada chambers and the Pennsylvania House. The Maine House is poised for coalition leadership and bipartisan majorities will control both the Alaska House and Senate following the election. Look at the legislative control map here: https://www.ncsl.org/resources/ncsl-state-elections-2024
So, what can progressives get done in the states?
Regardless of party control, developing budgets will continue to be a top priority for many states as the COVID-era infusion of billions of dollars of federal funds has now run out and nearly every state has enacted some kind of tax cut in the last few years. Progressives should gear up for a fight for funding new and existing programs, particularly Medicaid as Medicaid is one of the largest budget items for states. At the same time, there are 1.7 open jobs for every person looking for a position and the states are still weathering the storm of workforce shortages just as the private sector. This could force real movement on workforce issues such as employee benefit programs, paid leave, retirement wages, workplace flexibility and career advancement. A strong workforce impacts education, transit, childcare workers, the construction workforce—which also impacts the housing crisis. The housing and childcare crisis will be a hot topic in states in the coming session. The price of rental and owner-occupied housing stresses many household budgets, and the same is true for childcare, if it can be found. Education continues to be a perennial issue for states, this year lawmakers will consider systemic educational changes while reducing pandemic learning loss and helping older students afford higher education.
