Signature needed: Don’t ban abortion

Tell the Senate: Block the federal abortion ban Tell the Senate: "Stand up for women's rights. Block S.1922, a dangerous, extreme and unconstitutional 20-week abortion ban." Add your name: Dear Katy, Republicans in Congress have been waging war on women for decades. Now, emboldened by Donald Trump's misogyny and Mike Pence's right-wing religious extremism, the House just passed an abortion ban.1 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised to bring the bill to the floor of the Senate as well. From their attacks on sexual assault survivors, the Affordable Care Act, abortion rights and birth control to their attacks on immigrants, Muslims, people of color and LGBTQ people, Republicans are playing a dangerous game with women's lives. We have to push back now. We must show that there's not only massive opposition to this abortion ban, but to Republicans' entire extremist anti-women agenda. We need to make sure our allies know we have their backs, ensure that every Democrat holds the line and put anti-woman senators on notice that when they try to take away women's rights, we fight back. Tell the Senate: Block the 20-week abortion ban. Click here to sign the petition. Republicans are relentless in their attacks on abortion. They mandate waiting periods and ultrasounds. Their medically unnecessary rules for abortion providers close clinics and intimidate doctors. The Trump administration was recently in court for trying to prevent an undocumented minor from getting an abortion.2 These attacks keep women from having autonomy over their bodies and lives and reinforce the misogynistic belief that women are not capable of making their own decisions. They also chip away, bit by bit, at Roe v. Wade's full protection of abortion rights and create a slippery slope of exceptions that lay the groundwork for a complete rollback of Roe. Now Republicans are trying to ban abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy. Banning abortion after 20 weeks takes crucial medical decisions away from women, their families and their doctors at a moment when, more often than not, something terrible has occurred with a pregnancy. The bill that the House just passed is exceptionally cruel: It makes no exceptions for rape and incest unless women report to authorities or undergo mandatory counseling. It requires that abortion providers ensure that the fetus survives, unless doing so would pose a grave medical risk to the pregnant woman. It punishes abortion providers who perform abortions after 20 weeks with fines or prison.3 It uses junk science to lift up the false claim that fetuses feel pain at 20 weeks.4 It is also clearly unconstitutional since Roe protects a woman's right to choose an abortion up to the point of fetal viability (which occurs well beyond 20 weeks). Can you add your voice today to demand that the Senate block this dangerous bill? Tell the Senate: Block the 20-week abortion ban. Click here to sign the petition. We know that when abortion rights are under attack by right-wing extremists, CREDO members are always there to defend them. We have helped hold the line against congressional and state-level attacks before. It is time to do it again. Anti-abortion extremists are already threatening to use the vote on the 20-week ban against vulnerable Democrats facing reelection in 2018.5 We must stand together now to make sure Democrats hold the line against this Republican attack and show Republicans that we won't back down. Tell the Senate: No playing politics with women's lives. Block the 20-week abortion ban. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Senate_Abortion_Ban?t=8&akid=25736%2E12967895%2Eht2x-p Thank you for your activism, Heidi Hess, Senior Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: 1. Anna North, "The House just passed a 20-week abortion ban. Opponents say it's 'basically relying on junk science.'" Vox, Oct. 3, 2017. 2. Ruth Marcus, "The Trump administration is holding a teenager hostage over abortion," The Washington Post, Oct. 23, 2017. 3. Jessie Hellman, "Graham brings 20-week abortion ban to Senate with 45 co-sponsors," The Hill, Oct. 5, 2017. 4. North, "The House just passed a 20-week abortion ban. Opponents say it's 'basically relying on junk science.'" 5. Christine Grimaldi, "Republicans to Use 20-Week Abortion Ban Against Vulnerable Senate Democrats," Rewire, Sept. 27, 2017. Share on Facebook Post to your wall Tweet this Post to Twitter © 2017 CREDO. All rights reserved. This email was sent to katy63.kelso@blogger.com. To change your email or mailing address, please click here: https://act.credoaction.com/me/update/?t=21&akid=25736%2E12967895%2Eht2x-p To unsubscribe, please visit our subscription management page at: http://act.credoaction.com/cms/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=23&akid=25736%2E12967895%2Eht2x-p

Tell Congress: Stop supporting war, famine and destruction (sign this)

Tell Congress: No war in Yemen The petition to Congress reads: "Pass H.C.R. 81 to immediately halt unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Republic of Yemen." Add your name: Dear Katy, On August 25, an American-made laser-guided bomb killed seven children in Yemen's capital city.1 Before the strike, a five year-old named Buthaina had five brothers and sisters. After the strike she had none. The ongoing Saudi-led war in Yemen has killed thousands, forced millions to flee their homes, resulted in the world's worst cholera outbreak, and left 7 million people at risk of starvation.1,2 American-made bombs – dropped by American-made planes and refueled by American military forces – have been used by the Saudis and their allies to destroy crops, cut off access to ports, and wreak havoc on the people of Yemen. This war depends on American support, and now we have a chance to shut that down. Congress has never approved American involvement in this war, and progressive Reps. Ro Khanna, Mark Pocan and others have introduced legislation to demand the United States immediately halt all unauthorized military involvement in Yemen. Under the War Powers Resolution, this important legislation is guaranteed a vote, which means in the next few weeks, the House of Representatives will finally debate and vote on this completely unauthorized war. Tell Congress: Pass H.C.R. 81 to immediately halt unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Republic of Yemen. Click here to sign the petition. For nearly three years, under the guise of our reckless, illegal "war on terror," the United States has assisted Saudi Arabia in their conflict with the Houthis – a Yemeni Shiite rebel group. We have provided weapons, helped refuel coalition jets as they dropped bombs and provided logistical and intelligence support. But the Houthis have absolutely nothing to do with Al Qaeda, ISIS or any other terrorist organization that could conceivably fall within the scope of military intervention authorized by the current Authorization for Use of Military Force.4 In providing the Saudi-led coalition targeting intelligence, mid-air refueling and other logistical support, the United States is complicit in violations of international law. We are also helping create one of the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The civilian death toll in Yemen has been heart-wrenching – with over 10,000 casualties and rising – but the United States continues to offer resources to the Saudi-led coalition. Last October, a coalition airstrike targeted a funeral procession, killing over 130 innocent people and injuring 500 more.5 The United States responded by doubling down on the amount of fuel we provide to the jets that drop those bombs of devastation.6 Tell Congress: Pass H.C.R. 81 to immediately halt unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Republic of Yemen. Click here to sign the petition. This conflict is devastating the Yemeni people, and U.S. involvement has not been authorized by Congress – whose responsibility it is to debate, vote on and authorize military action. By participating in this war in this way, Congress and Donald Trump are robbing the American people of their right to be represented in these decisions. Congress must remove us from this conflict, immediately. Tell Congress: Pass H.C.R. 81 to immediately halt unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Republic of Yemen. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/No_War_In_Yemen?t=8&akid=25750%2E12967895%2EzRAfX3 Thank you for standing up for peace, Tessa Levine, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images References: 1. The New York Times, "Young Yemeni Girl Is Sole Survivor After Airstrike Topples Her Home," Aug. 26, 2017. 2. Bethan McKernan, "Yemen: almost one death per hour as cholera epidemic spreads like wildfire," Independent, June 9, 2017. 3. Robert Naiman, "Rand Paul: Unconstitutional Saudi War In Yemen Is Not In Our Interest, And Congress Should Vote," HuffPost, Sept. 18, 2017. 4. Joost Hiltermann, "The Houthis Are Not Hezbollah," ForeignPolicy, Feb. 27, 2017. 5.Naiman, "Rand Paul: Unconstitutional Saudi War In Yemen Is Not In Our Interest, And Congress Should Vote." 6. Samuel Oakford, "U.S. Doubled Fuel Support for Saudi Bombing Campaign in Yemen After Deadly Strike on Funeral," The Intercept, July 13, 2017. Share on Facebook Post to your wall Tweet this Post to Twitter © 2017 CREDO. All rights reserved. This email was sent to katy63.kelso@blogger.com. To change your email or mailing address, please click here: https://act.credoaction.com/me/update/?t=22&akid=25750%2E12967895%2EzRAfX3 To unsubscribe, please visit our subscription management page at: http://act.credoaction.com/cms/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=24&akid=25750%2E12967895%2EzRAfX3

Big Pharma is fueling the opioid epidemic (sign the petition)

Sign the petition: Congress must stop Big Pharma from fueling the opioid epidemic Petition to Congress: "Restore the Drug Enforcement Agency's power to crack down on companies contributing to the opioid epidemic by supporting Sen. Claire McCaskill's bill to repeal 2016 amendments to the Controlled Substances Act." Add your name: Dear Katy, The opioid crisis has devastated families, stolen more than 200,000 lives and made billions for the pharmaceutical industry.1 The drug dealers of the opioid crisis wear suits and ties and lab coats. They line their own pockets with illicit sales or by deliberately looking the other way when pharmacies place huge orders. According to former Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents quoted in a recent blockbuster report, drug distributors ignore red flags out of pure greed.2 Worse still, the drug industry worked with well-paid former DEA agents and well-compensated members of Congress to pass a little-noticed 2016 law that sabotaged the DEA's anti-opioid efforts.3 Now, there is a bill in Congress that would stop Big Pharma from further fueling the devastating opioid crisis by repealing this law and giving the DEA power to suspend the operations of shady drug distributors.4 Lives depend on Congress passing this bill. Tell Congress: Stop Big Pharma from fueling the opioid epidemic. Click here to sign the petition. One family, the Sacklers, have made around $35 billion off of one drug: OxyContin. Doctors were originally reluctant to prescribe opioid painkillers, chemical relatives of heroin, due to fears of addiction and overdose. But intentional and well-funded campaigns from pharmaceutical companies resulted in a massive uptick in prescriptions in the mid-90s, pushing the drugs on patients who did not need them and kicking off the opioid crisis we know today where people who get hooked after injury end up overdosing or moving on to heroin.5 For years, one of the DEA's best tools was its ability to suspend the operations of distributors who were funneling suspiciously large shipments of painkillers – for instance, millions of pills to a pharmacy in a sparsely populated county. But a former DEA agent – who walked through the revolving door to a drug industry lobbying firm, and then a drug distributor – worked with lobbyists to rewrite the law to effectively rob the DEA of that power.6 Rep. Tom Marino, who Trump had named as his anti-drug czar, recently had to withdraw his name from consideration. He was the primary sponsor of the lobbyist-written legislation to hamstring the DEA, all in pursuit of making drug enforcement less of a nuisance to deep-pocketed pharmaceutical companies.7 Now, Sen. Claire McCaskill has introduced legislation to undo the glaring 2016 mistake that hampered the DEA,8 and with enough public outcry we can overcome Big Pharma opposition and strike a blow against the opioid epidemic. Tell Congress: Stop Big Pharma from fueling the opioid epidemic. Click here to sign the petition. Marino's bill changed the standard under which the DEA could intervene when it saw suspicious behavior – kind of like introducing a new rule that all students need to get straight A's in order to graduate and then acting surprised when the graduation rate falls. Selling opioid painkillers is big business for Big Pharma, and companies are willing to make significant political contributions and spend millions on lobbyists to keep profiting off an epidemic. Siding with big companies who are getting rich off addiction, death and suffering is everything that is wrong with Washington. This bill won't end the epidemic, but it will undo a major misstep and we need to fight hard to make it real. Tell Congress: Stop Big Pharma from fueling the opioid epidemic. Click below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/pharma_opioids?t=8&akid=25717%2E12967895%2EFVliew Thank you for speaking out, Murshed Zaheed, Political Director CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: Scott Higham and Lenny Bernstein, "The drug industry's triumph over the DEA," The Washington Post, Oct. 15, 2017. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Patrick Radden Keefe, "The family that built an empire of pain," The New Yorker, Oct. 30, 2017 Issue. Higham and Bernstein, "The drug industry's triumph over the DEA." Ibid. Nathaniel Weixel, "Senate Dem introduces bill to repeal controversial opioid law," The Hill, Oct. 16, 2017. Share on Facebook Post to your wall Tweet this Post to Twitter © 2017 CREDO. All rights reserved. This email was sent to katy63.kelso@blogger.com. To change your email or mailing address, please click here: https://act.credoaction.com/me/update/?t=20&akid=25717%2E12967895%2EFVliew To unsubscribe, please visit our subscription management page at: http://act.credoaction.com/cms/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=22&akid=25717%2E12967895%2EFVliew

Don’t let corporations kill endangered whales

Kathleen- Protect our oceans and critically endangered whales from seismic blasting! You can help stop this destructive practice. Sign our petition to stop seismic airgun blasting! TAKE ACTION Kathleen- There are only a few hundred North Atlantic right whales alive today. They live right off our east coast in the Atlantic Ocean, from Florida all the way up into the Gulf of Maine — right in the way of fossil fuel corporations' oil rigs and billion-dollar profits. Fossil fuel companies and our federal government want to bring offshore oil drilling to a coastline near you. In fact, President Trump already signed an executive order to expand offshore drilling off our nation's coastlines, and seismic blasting could start as soon as this fall! And with drilling comes the seismic airgun blasting used to find oil deposits beneath the ocean floor. These blasts are so ear-splittingly loud, they can be heard from 2,500 miles away — that's about the distance from New York to L.A. — and the damage to the marine ecosystem will extend far beyond the Mid and South Atlantic region, as affected species of whales, sea turtles, and fish migrate throughout the Atlantic Ocean. Sign our petition demanding that Congress protect the North Atlantic right whale, not billion-dollar oil corporations' profits. Experts on the North Atlantic right whale warn that oil corporations' seismic blasting may be the "tipping point" that wipes one of the most endangered species on the planet out of existence.1 As you've likely heard by now, we're sending the historic ship, Arctic Sunrise, up the Atlantic Coast on a tour of the right whale's habitat, where it will amplify the voices of coastal communities that are calling on us all to help them hold the line against fossil fuel corporations — and the climate science-denying politicians who support them. Please sign our petition to stop seismic airgun blasting right now! If the hundreds of thousands of Greenpeace activists stand together, we can send Congress the message that we care about our oceans, coastal communities, and vulnerable species — not fossil fuel corporations and their obscene profits! Greenpeace supporters like you are the reason our movement is so strong! Thank you for all that you do on behalf of our oceans, wildlife, and peaceful planet. Sarah Rasmussen Digital Director, Greenpeace USA P.S. We can't let fossil fuel CEOs blast the North Atlantic right whale into extinction! Please sign our petition to end seismic blasting — our oceans and whales are depending on us. We have worked too hard and too long to see these sensitive marine ecosystems destroyed. [1] https://nicholas.duke.edu/about/news/letter-to-obama-seismic-effects-whales Greenpeace never takes a dime from corporations or governments. Everything we do is thanks to the generous support of people like you! DONATE NOW   facebook twitter website instagram   Greenpeace 702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 | 1-800-722-6995   Greenpeace Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(4) organization. As a result of our effective work for new environmental policies, contributions are not tax-deductible.   If you wish to no longer receive our emails, you may unsubscribe. We value your privacy. If you have any questions about how we use your information please read our privacy policy.

No handouts for coal and nuclear power (signatures needed)

Tell the Federal Energy Regulation Commission: No handouts for coal and nuclear power The petition to the Federal Energy Regulation Commission reads: "Rick Perry's proposal to bail out coal and nuclear power would increase energy bills, harm public health and threaten the transition to clean, safe renewable energy. Do not adopt any rules to prop up dying industries at the cost of our future." Add your name: Dear Katy, Rick Perry has come up with a creative new way to bail out failing coal and nuclear plants – by forcing electricity customers to pay for them. As Trump's Secretary of Energy, Perry has proposed a new rule that would actually require customers to subsidize certain coal and nuclear plants, guaranteeing their profits.1 Worried that cheaper, cleaner and safer forms of energy are beating out their favorite industries, Trump and Perry want the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC) to stack the decks. We must let FERC know that this is unacceptable. Tell the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Reject Rick Perry's plan to bail out coal and nuclear plants. Click here to sign the petition. To justify his plan, Perry is claiming that coal and nuclear power are necessary to make sure the electricity grid stays reliable. But his own agency released a study just months ago concluding that closing coal and nuclear plants has not threatened grid reliability, and neither has the increased use of renewable energy.2 In reality, the main threat to our electricity grid is its aging infrastructure – but forcing customers to prop up unprofitable power plants will do nothing to help with that. FERC is the independent expert agency in charge of managing the electricity grid, and ultimately FERC commissioners will decide on Perry's proposal. A bipartisan group of eight former FERC commissioners wrote a letter opposing Perry's plan. They said that it won't help with grid reliability but will cost customers more and disrupt energy markets.3 Not only would Perry's proposed rule lead to higher energy bills and more dangerous pollution, it would increase the chances of catastrophic climate change. In a year when climate-fueled storms and wildfires have already left thousands of Americans homeless, we should be investing in the cleanest, most affordable energy sources available. We cannot let Trump and Perry stop our progress to renewable energy. Tell the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Reject Rick Perry's plan to bail out coal and nuclear plants. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/no-coal-handouts?t=7&akid=25657%2E12967895%2E5TTwJt Thanks for fighting back, Brandy Doyle, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: David Roberts, "Rick Perry's plan to subsidize coal and nuclear plants is bonkers," Vox, Oct. 4, 2017 Ibid. Steven Mufson, "Bipartisan group of former FERC commissioners rejects energy secretary's bid to help coal plants," The Washington Post, Oct. 19, 2017. Share on Facebook Post to your wall Tweet this Post to Twitter © 2017 CREDO. All rights reserved. This email was sent to katy63.kelso@blogger.com. To change your email or mailing address, please click here: https://act.credoaction.com/me/update/?t=17&akid=25657%2E12967895%2E5TTwJt To unsubscribe, please visit our subscription management page at: http://act.credoaction.com/cms/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=19&akid=25657%2E12967895%2E5TTwJt