I voted against Congressman Tom Price for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Right now, one-year-old Henry from Warwick, Rhode Island, who’s battling cystic fibrosis, can no longer be denied insurance because of his pre-existing condition. Martha from Cranston doesn’t have to worry about her son, who can stay on her insurance policy until he turns 26. Timothy from Rumford, who has a heart condition, doesn’t have to worry about hitting a lifetime limit on coverage. Catherine and her husband, who run a small business in Cranston, can finally afford quality health insurance. And seniors on Medicare, like Susan from Kingston, no longer face the ‘doughnut hole’ that forced some to choose between paying for medicine and paying the mortgage. These are just some of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act—a law that’s meant hundreds of millions of dollars in savings in Rhode Island and new-found peace of mind for so many Americans. Now Republicans, like Congressman Price, want to take away those protections.
During the confirmation process, Congressman Price had a chance to ease Rhode Islanders’ concerns about losing the reliable care and economic security they receive through the ACA and other important programs. He could have explained how the Trump Administration can build on the gains we’ve made through the Affordable Care Act. Instead, he echoed Tea Party talking points and defended his efforts to voucherize Medicare, passing costs to seniors while eroding benefits. He wouldn’t answer simple questions about his commitment to science or the harm his own legislation may cause Rhode Islanders facing addiction or behavioral health issues. And like the rest of the Republicans in Congress, he failed to outline a realistic vision for replacing the Affordable Care Act that lowers spending and gives Americans access to the care they need. That’s why he didn’t get my vote tonight.
Human Rights Campaign.
When it comes to the health of our community, we’re not going back. We will not give one inch on the progress we've made in the last 8 years. The Trump administration should know that we’re watching and will hold each and every appointee accountable.
TWO GROUPS, HISTORICALLY THE VICTIMS OF INJUSTICE AND DISCRIMINATION IN THE U.S., STANDING TOGETHER. TO ALL PROGRESSIVES\LIBERALS: THIS IS HOW INEQUALITY AND HATRED IS OVERCOME.
As we mark the start of Black History Month, HRC honors all of the Black LGBTQ and allied trailblazers who have helped us in our fight for justice and equality for all. http://www.hrc.org/…/hrc-marks-black-history-month-with-our…
Alison Lundergan Grimes- "Y'all" means welcome all. #NoBanNoWall.
Grimes speaks out against Trump order banning citizens from seven countries from entering United States.
THE CLASSROOM- Trump just signed a Muslim ban --
David --
Late on Friday afternoon, Donald Trump signed an executive order effectively halting the refugee resettlement program and blocking visas from being issued to people from several Muslim-majority countries -- the beginnings of a Muslim ban.
This is some mind-blowing, next level evil stuff. We need an immediate show of solidarity for our Muslim friends, family members and neighbors in the face of this senseless attack, and we need to be ready to do whatever it takes to stop this absurd action from being enforced.
Late on Friday afternoon, Donald Trump signed an executive order effectively halting the refugee resettlement program and blocking visas from being issued to people from several Muslim-majority countries -- the beginnings of a Muslim ban.
This is some mind-blowing, next level evil stuff. We need an immediate show of solidarity for our Muslim friends, family members and neighbors in the face of this senseless attack, and we need to be ready to do whatever it takes to stop this absurd action from being enforced.
MPower Change is a Muslim-led digital organization dedicated to standing for justice, and they're leading the way fighting back against this deeply wrong and unconstitutional action by the Trump administration. We want to have their back at this critical moment.
Donald Trump hasn't even been in office for a full week, but the danger level for Muslims in America is already off the charts. Hate crimes are on the rise from coast to coast -- and actions like these from bigots in our government are only going to make things worse.
It's clear that these executive orders are driven by the deep-seated, almost maniacal anti-Muslim hate that has captured Trump and many in his administration. And Trump's call to halt Syrian refugees is shockingly morally bankrupt.
Eden James, Political Director
Democracy for America.
THE CLASSROOM- President Trump has handed ISIS a path to rebirth.
David -
Donald Trump's long-awaited Muslim ban became a reality yesterday. No, you might say, it's not actually the proposal he outlined during the campaign. True, the ban doesn't cover every Muslim globally, just a set of Muslims from countries Trump perceives, rather arbitrarily, to be dangerous.
But yesterday's announcement is anchored in his campaign rhetoric, and the fact that every country on yesterday's list is a Muslim-majority nation confirms that he meant what he said - that Muslims are dangerous and need to be treated differently than any other set of people.
This is why yesterday's proposal is likely to get Americans killed.
ISIS, the most dangerous of a global array of radical Islamic terrorist groups, is in retreat. Every day, they lose more territory, and it is only a matter of time before their self-proclaimed caliphate disappears before the world's eyes. The continual loss of territory robs from ISIS one of their two main rationales for existence - the creation of a geographic entity based on their perverted interpretation of Islam.
But ISIS has a second purpose - to take part in an imagined global struggle of civilizations between Christians and Muslims. President Obama and President Bush before him knew the danger of stoking talk of war between east and west. Obama knew how important this kind of talk was to ISIS's recruitment and expansion, and he went out of his way to tamp it down.
Trump has now handed ISIS a path to rebirth. They can and will use his announcement as confirmation that America is at war with Muslims, especially those Muslims living in desperate circumstances. Their recruitment bulletin boards will light up with new material. Their entreaties to would-be lone wolf attackers in America will have new energy and purpose.
All the work we have done to cut down on extremist recruitment at home and abroad now goes out the window. It's a new day for terrorist recruiters.
And the list is dangerous for other reasons. It makes Americans think that terrorists can be contained simply by focusing on a few countries that are often in the news. But the real threats to America are much broader than just these countries. Where is Saudi Arabia on this list? Or Pakistan? Does Trump not recall that the attackers on September 11th came not from Syria or Iran or Sudan, but from Saudi Arabia, our supposed ally? And what about Europe, a continent that now enjoys relatively unfettered travel rights to the United States? Radicalized European citizens have already carried out massive terrorist attacks, and under current law, they can travel to the U.S. without almost any security screening. Terrorist threats do not originate in one set of countries, and thus a geographic approach is feckless.
If President Trump was serious about tackling the terrorist threat, he would make sure the Europeans were sharing counterterrorism intelligence with each other, and with us, so we can track potential terrorists no matter what country they come from. Another commonsense measure would be to ban people on the terrorist watch list from buying deadly firearms in America. But rather than do any of these things that would actually make Americans safer, Trump is pursuing misguided policies rooted in bigotry and fear.
And the boon to flailing terrorist groups is just the beginning of the tragedy of yesterday's announcement. During my last trip to the Middle East, I was upbraided by our allies in the region for our country's refusal to help them with the flow of refugees out of Iraq and Syria. Over and over they told me, as they had told the Obama Administration, that we would never be perceived a partner in the fight against Islamic extremism if we washed our hands of the refugee problem.
We assail Libya and Yemen and Syria and Iraq with bombs, and then simply expect other countries to deal with the consequences. We make the mess, then expect others to clean up. This infuriates our friends and damages our partnerships. Now, Trump's Muslim ban will risk severing ties between us and many of these nations. They will see our policy as xenophobic and detrimental to the displaced persons crisis in the region. Our ability to build a truly multi-national response to extremism will become impossible.
Finally, the decision to turn our backs on millions of men, women, and children attempting to flee torture and terror shrinks us as a nation, and marks an unconscionable abandonment of our founding principles. Remember, those who make it into the U.S. refugee program have survived the worst of the worst - they are those who are so badly injured, so in danger, that they cannot survive in refugee camps. The vast majority of them are women, young children and the elderly. They are desperate and scared, and without harbor in the United States, many of them will perish.
We are a nation founded by religious refugees.
Over and over, we have opened our doors to those fleeing war and terror. Jews during the Second World War. The Vietnamese in the 1960s and 1970s. Bosnians and Albanians during the Balkan War. I am proud to represent Connecticut, a state which is a testament to this past practice. Each time we found ways to sort out the good guys (99%) from the bad guys (1%). There were terrorists in Vietnam and the Balkans who wanted in - we kept them out. We can do the same here. We can protect ourselves from terror and rescue others from terror - these are not mutually exclusive ends.
And we must do both. Trump's Muslim ban is a moral abomination. It is fundamentally un-American. And it is dangerous - it will give life back to the terrorist movement and eventually get Americans killed.
We knew this was coming. Trump means what he says, and now his offensive ramblings against people of Muslim faith are edified in law. But we don't have to accept it. We must fight this new policy. We must seek to rescind it. We must let the world know that Trump's discriminatory views do not reflect the true America. And we must rally Americans who think that keeping Muslims out keeps us safe to understand that this policy does exactly the opposite.
This isn't who we are. It's not who we should be. And I will fight this policy with all that I have.
Every best wish,
Chris Murphy
U.S. Senator, Connecticut.
U.S. Senator, Connecticut.
After filling his cabinet with anti-LGBTQ nominees, President Trump started his first week in office pushing hateful and dangerous executive actions at breakneck speed. He's seeking to deny crucial health care access in the United States and around the globe. His order attacking immigrants and refugees is a direct assault on America’s most fundamental values and could be a death sentence for LGBTQ people escaping violence abroad. And Press Secretary Sean Spicer refused to answer whether or not the Trump administration would simply maintain President Obama's order guaranteeing basic protections for LGBTQ workers.
This all comes on the heels of LGBTQ documents disappearing from government websites and WhiteHouse.gov erasing any mention of our civil rights. The new administration also scrubbed every single page written in Spanish — a custom that dates all the way back to George W. Bush’s first administration.
The only way we stop these people from enacting every last bit of their discriminatory agenda is by showing we outnumber them — and spending the resources it takes to fight them at every turn.
We saw just how many HRC members and supporters turned out to march in Washington and across the country — and we were proud to be a sponsor of those marches. This team is powerful, and our message is clear: This is our country. And we won’t back down until Donald Trump understands that every single one of us deserves to be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.
Thanks so much,
Sarah McBride
National Press Secretary.
Sarah McBride
National Press Secretary.
David,
I’ve never been so hopeful as I was on Saturday at the Women’s March in Boston.
175,000 women (and friends of women) filled the Boston Common – America’s oldest park – with pink hats, hilarious signs, and enough good energy and cheer to light Fenway Park.
I’ve never been so hopeful as I was on Saturday at the Women’s March in Boston.
175,000 women (and friends of women) filled the Boston Common – America’s oldest park – with pink hats, hilarious signs, and enough good energy and cheer to light Fenway Park.
Photo by Sen. Karen Spilka
And the best part is? We weren’t alone. Knowing that there were millions of people across the country and around the world fighting alongside us, at sister rallies and in spirit, made it all the better. It proved that when we get organized, we can give each other strength and courage.
Before we tried to march in Boston (there were so many people that the route was actually filled up), I spoke about why we were there – to remind ourselves what we believe in.
Before we tried to march in Boston (there were so many people that the route was actually filled up), I spoke about why we were there – to remind ourselves what we believe in.
There are lots of things that you can do to keep the energy up after the rallies. Call your representatives and speak out about the Affordable Care Act, or the Supreme Court, or whatever issue is most important to you. Volunteer for a great elected official or candidate near you – or start planning your own run for school board, city council or Congress.
And I’ll mention just one more thing: We don’t exactly know what fights are going to be coming our way – but we need as big of a team as possible to fight when they happen. This email list is one way that we can get organized when Donald Trump and the Republicans attack heath care, or Social Security, or Wall Street reform, or immigrants, or any of the other zillions of reckless ideas they have for our country. Hundreds of thousands of people are already a part...
The way I see it: We can whimper, we can whine, or we can fight back. Me? I’m fighting back. And I believe America is ready to fight back too.
Thanks for being a part of this,
Thanks for being a part of this,
Elizabeth.
ECONOMIC DISARRAY- TOM UDALL.
Within hours of taking his oath of office, President Trump signed an executive order to speed along the collapse and undoing of the Affordable Care Act.
His order stops the government from enforcing the individual mandate, which requires all Americans to get health coverage. It also opens the door for insurance companies to leave the health exchange market all together.
Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are still moving forward with their ACA repeal effort without any plan to replace coverage for the 20 million Americans who will lose it. Their actions threaten to destabilize our fragile health care system and put our economy in a state of disarray.
Health care not only significantly impacts Americans’ personal financial circumstances, it is also a big portion of our overall economy.
A report from George Washington University found that repealing the ACA’s health insurance subsidies and Medicaid expansion -- which is what Republicans are aiming to do -- could result in a nationwide loss of 3 million jobs and a $2.6 trillion loss in total business activity between 2019 and 2023.
Moreover, we would return to a time when more Americans went without health insurance because they could not afford it. This puts a $1 trillion burden on our healthcare system in uncompensated costs between 2019 and 2029.
We need President Trump and Republicans to first think about consequences beyond politics. We need them to think about Americans’ health and our nation’s economic health.
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MAGGIE HASSAN.
David,
Tomorrow, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, and women across the country are fearful that their rights could disappear.
These fears aren't unfounded. Trump has made it clear that defunding Planned Parenthood, undoing Roe v. Wade, and dismantling the Affordable Care Act are top priorities for his administration.
But if Trump and Washington Republicans want to rip away decades of progress, they're going to have to go through every single person who speaks up — and the hundreds of thousands of people heading to Washington to protest Trump's anti-woman agenda at the Women's March.
We know that when everyone's voices are heard — including women's — we ALL do better.
With a new administration about to step into the White House, now is the time to speak out.
Team Maggie.
AMERICANS FOR
RESPONSIBLE
SOLUTIONS PAC
Tomorrow morning, Donald Trump is set to take office as the 45th President of the United States. The gun lobby spent many millions of dollars to make this day a reality, and they’re ready to cash in. President-elect Trump himself promised to overturn President Obama’s executive actions on guns. And the Republican controlled Congress is slated to try to lift restrictions on the sale of firearm silencers and pass a federally mandated concealed carry bill.
This is dangerous stuff.
Before Trump takes the oath tomorrow, it’s up to us to send an unmistakable message that we are committed to fighting those changes. We need to remind them that we are capable of defeating gun lobby favorites, like we did to Kelly Ayotte in the last election. Because when we do that, they’ll have to think twice before passing dangerous legislation that puts us all at risk.
For the past 4 years, we’ve made progress because we’ve stood together. We’ve passed state ballot initiatives, defeated gun lobby favorites at the ballot box, and advanced responsible change in state legislatures across the country. It’s going to take all of us recommitting ourselves to this fight if we’re going to protect that progress.
All our best,
Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly
Americans for Responsible Solutions.
David,
Donald Trump has been sworn in as President. Millions marched against his agenda Saturday at Women’s Marches around the country. This Tuesday we continue to build this movement, by blocking his notorious picks for Cabinet. Senate Republicans are rushing the confirmation process for the nominees -
One of the most troubling nominees is Tom Price, Trump’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Trump wants Price to oversee the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act, dumping 30 million people off health care.
We are sending a clear message: Stop Tom Price. Stop the #SwampCabinet. Protect our health care.
This is just the first of many struggles we face under a Trump Presidency. We pledge to take action every Tuesday during Trump’s first 100 days-
Jordan Estevao
People’s Action.
THE CLASSROOM- Donald Trump's first week-
Jeanne Shaheen.
David, what we’ve seen so far from President Trump and Republican leadership is nothing short of-
-People are not just angry, they’re frightened. I’ve heard from Granite Staters who are scared that without the Affordable Care Act, no insurance company will cover them because they have a pre-existing condition. We’ll go back to the days when being pregnant qualified as a pre-existing condition. I’ve heard from parents who worry their children won’t have access to a quality public school or the right to learn in a safe environment.
There is too much at stake to stand still and let President Trump and Republicans move us backward. I’m committed to fighting for women’s rights, voting rights, disability rights –
Thank you,
Jeanne.
I know how you're feeling, David. This isn't the inauguration any of us hoped for. And like you, I am very worried about the future of our country.
But I know that my fear is nothing compared to the fear many families across the country are feeling right now. I am not going to lose my health care. No one is trying to deport the Murphy's of Connecticut. And as a white man from the northeast, there is no systematic effort to deny my reproductive or voting rights.
But here's my promise to you: I am going to fight for those families every single day. Because that's our choice right now; we can give into our despair, or we can fight.
I choose to fight.
Like many of you, I am not entirely sure what the next days, weeks, months and years will hold. But I do know that the only way forward for progressives is if we stand together. I am thankful for your support. It means the world to me.
Every best wish,
Chris Murphy
U.S. Senator, Connecticut
U.S. Senator, Connecticut
When it comes to fighting back against Donald Trump's agenda, we can't miss a beat.
That's why, first thing Saturday morning, my family and I will join thousands of folks from across the Commonwealth for the Boston Women's March. We'll be proudly marching with Planned Parenthood -- as Republicans in Congress continue to threaten their funding and the millions of patients they serve.
We’re rallying to protect reproductive rights. We're rallying to end violence against women and demand economic equity. We’re fighting for the human and civil rights of everyone – no matter where they’re from, who they love, or the color of their skin.
Joe
DONALD TRUMPS INAUGURATION: DEMOCRACY FOR AMERICA.
David --
I've got some great news: The campaign to encourage Democrats in Congress to stay away from Trump's inauguration -- led by CREDO Action and supported by DFA -- is gaining huge momentum.
Since Trump launched a vicious attack on civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis this weekend for saying he wasn't going to the inauguration, more than 60 Democrats in Congress have committed to boycotting the inauguration on Friday, January 20.
It's clear that the broad, growing demand that Democrats refuse to normalize Trump is having an impact. But we don't have much time left to convince members of Congress to do the right thing and send a message to Trump at this critical moment.
- Karli
Karli Wallace Thompson, Campaign Manager
Democracy for America.
David --
Donald Trump is not normal -- and we should not treat his impending presidency as if it is. He just went and proved that again when he launched a bigoted attack this weekend against Civil Rights leader and American hero Congressman John Lewis.
John Lewis has spent his life protesting for justice and racial equality. He was beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965 in a march for voting rights. It was in that tradition that Rep. Lewis announced late last week he will join more than a dozen other Congressional Democrats in not attending Trump's inauguration this coming Friday.
It was no surprise, sadly, that Trump responded with a Twitter rant viciously attacking John Lewis and the Georgia district he represents. Trump showed he has no respect for civil rights, for a Black leader who has worked so hard for justice, or for an American community.
As a result, another dozen Democratic members of Congress have announced they too will not attend Trump's inauguration. That's a good start. But why should any elected Democrat attend this inauguration and help normalize what is already shaping up to be the worst presidency in history?
Democracy for America is joining CREDO Action to urge every single Democrat in Congress to not attend Trump's inauguration on Friday, January 20.
The growing list of Democrats who won't attend the inauguration includes Raúl Grijalva, Pramila Jayapal, Ted Lieu, Mark Takano, Barbara Lee, Earl Blumenauer, John Conyers, Yvette Clark, Katherine Clark, and many more.
Rather than watch Trump take the oath of office, they're fighting back against his bigoted, greedy agenda. Many of these leaders will instead be in their districts, standing with community members who are facing an immediate threat from a Trump presidency and the Republican Congress.
Boycotting Trump's inauguration will send a clear message that we will not treat him and his actions as normal, legitimate, or constitutional -- because they aren't. Trump and his fellow Republicans are already planning an unprecedented attack on our rights, our health care, our national security, and more. There's no reason for Democrats to stand there on Friday watching him get sworn in, rather than fight back.
CREDO Action has led the way in rallying Democrats to boycott the inauguration, and Democracy for America is proud to stand with them -- and with the growing list of Congressional Democrats who have agreed to not attend.
- Charles
Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director
Democracy for America.
David,
What’s still ringing, you ask? I’m talking about the giant ringing alarm bells I mentioned in a recent email. I rang those bells because the GOP is angling to end Medicare as we know it. It’s a big deal, and we need to act fast. Oh, you didn’t hear the giant ringing alarm bells? Well, allow me to ring them for you again -- the GOP is planning to end Medicare as we know it, and we need to organize to stop them. Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington have shown a remarkable capacity to push their preferred storylines in place of, you know, facts.
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