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Here on the mnpACT! action page you'll find all the tips and information you need to ACT! To challenge the latest outrages from the Bush administration, the U.S. Congress, the Pawlenty administration and the Minnesota State Legislature.
It is human nature to put off for another day some of those things that need action today. We will try to help you prioritize. We will present you with easy, effective ways to take action NOW!
| ACTION 1 |
Demand that the House Stand Firm on Wiretapping Legislation!
Our hard fought victories on the Bush administration's illegal wiretapping program are in danger once again.
Earlier this year the House of Representatives -- thanks in large part to pressure from the grassroots and the netroots -- stood strong and refused to pass the Senate version of "FISA reform." The Senate's version, you'll recall, removed effective judicial oversight from White House wiretapping programs, and also granted retroactive immunity to the big telecom companies that are alleged to have assisted the Bush administration in the illegal wiretapping of American citizens.
Our allies on the Hill are now reporting that high-ranking members in the House are working behind closed doors with the Bush administration and conservatives in Congress to negotiate a compromise bill. Apparently, they're considering caving in and handing over everything the President has demanded: expanded surveillance powers, and a "get out of jail free" card for big phone companies that broke the law.
House leadership must not buckle to pressure from the White House and its allies at all costs. House leadership -- and every representative -- should reject any compromise that would undo the battles we fought so hard to win in February.
Please send a message to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi using the form at right and ask her to refuse any such "compromise" legislation. With less than a year remaining in his disastrous presidency, now is not the time to cave in to Bush and his allies.
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| ACTION 2 |
Support the Emergency Paper Ballot Bill
An alarming example of our flawed and insecure voting system was the fact that New Jersey governor John Corzine was unable to cast a vote in the Feb. 5 primary because the voting machines at his precinct were not working. In light of the myriad voting machine problems that occurred during the 2000 & 2004 elections -- and continue to this day -- it is clear that we still do not have an election system that we can trust.
Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) has recently introduced an emergency bill that, if enacted, will urge election officials to switch from unreliable electronic voting machines to paper ballots and audits by offering to pay for the move.
Many states are already using paper ballots, but others are still using flawed, insecure, and hackable voting machines. For Americans to have the chance to vote on paper ballots in the November election, it is imperative that your representative co-sponsors -- and then votes to pass -- Rep. Holt's Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act (H.R. 5036).
With the introduction of this emergency measure to insure that this year's presidential election is more secure, now is the time to push Congress to support election integrity.
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| ACTION 3 |
End Anti-consumer Credit Card Practices!
On March 9, U.S. Reps. Mark Udall (D-CO) and Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) introduced legislation to protect consumers from banks and other credit card issuers who now can increase interest rates without notice, assess excessive or unjustified fees, and target minors.
H.R. 1461 is the first legislation introduced in the 110th Congress to protect consumers from anti-consumer practices. Let's make sure that credit card reform passes in the 110th Congress.
Write now to urge Congress to support this important bill!
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| ACTION 4 |
Tell Congress: Reject Bush's Cuts to Public Broadcasting
This past week, the New York Times reported that the Bush administration has once again proposed deep cuts in federal funding for public broadcasting. Unfortunately the cuts proposed this year are even more severe than in past years -- but with your help, we can convince Congress to restore this funding.
If it seems like we go through this process every year, you're not mistaken. For eight straight years, the President's budget requests have attempted to cut or entirely eliminate funding for public broadcasting. For seven of those years, Congress has responded to massive public pressure and restored the funding. Let's convince them to do it again.
This year's proposed cuts are the deepest ever proposed by the administration. Even Patricia Harrison, a former co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee who currently serves as the President of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), has called these cuts "draconian." In addition to slashing current and future funding, this year's proposal even tries to go back and withdraw funding already approved in previous years.
Practically every day we hear a new story about media consolidation. More and more, the free press that is so essential to our democracy is owned and controlled by a smaller and smaller number of mega-corporations. Never has it been more essential to have a publicly funded, noncommercial media outlet that provides thoughtful rather than partisan news and doesn't waste our time covering Britney Spears and the baseball steroids scandal.
In his last year in office, don't let Bush pull the plug on Bill Moyers, the NewsHour, Big Bird, and the Cookie Monster.
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| ACTION 5 |
Start our clean energy future now
We need to start our clean energy future now. We can get electricity from solar and wind, create jobs, and save consumers money--all in one bill.
The U.S. currently gets only 2% our our electricity from solar, wind, and other alternative fuel sources. If we pass H.R. 969, the Federal Renewable Energy Standards Act, we will increase that number to 20% by 2020--the equivalent of taking almost 37 million cars off the road.
A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to your Senators and Representative.
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