August:

Summer to Prepare for Fall Action

100 Days Until Midterm Elections

Justice Department Begins Asking Witnesses About Trump in Jan. 6 Investigation. Read Here.

How Climate Change Is Fueling Extreme Weather. Read Here.

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin announced a HISTORIC deal on an energy and health care bill, representing a breakthrough after more than a year of negotiations.

• President Biden and Congressional Democrats made historic progress fighting inflation and lowering costs for the American people. 
• This agreement would make prescription drugs cheaper by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices, and lower health insurance costs for 13 million Americans by an average of $800 a year, under the Affordable Care Act. 
• This bill will improve our energy security and tackle our climate crisis – by providing tax credits and investments for energy projects, and creating thousands of new jobs and helping lower energy costs in the future. It will reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030. 
• This bill will reduce the deficit beyond the record setting $1.7 trillion deficit reduction this year, which will help fight inflation as well. 
• And, we will pay for all of this by requiring big corporations to pay their fair share of taxes, with no tax increases for families making under $400,000 a year.
• This is the action the American people have been waiting for. This addresses problems of today – high health care costs and overall inflation – as well as investments in our energy security for the future. The Senate and House should pass it as soon as possible. Read More.

Presidential Accomplishments.

President Biden travelled to Ohio to Announce Historic American Rescue Plan Pension Relief for Millions of Union Workers and Retirees. Because of the American Rescue Plan, every multiemployer pension plan that faced near-term insolvency and benefit cuts and that receives Special Financial Assistance is projected to remain solvent through 2051, and many of them for much longer. The President is strengthening families’ retirement savings, while Republican Members of Congress — led by Senator Rick Scott — want to threaten them by putting Social Security on the chopping block every five years.

President Biden has taken action to make our communities safer during his first 18 months in office. He has tackled gun violence by implementing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to rein in the proliferation of ghost guns and crack down on gun traffickers and rogue gun dealers. He has funded the police and improved police accountability. He has invested in community-led crime prevention and intervention. And more.

A Health Care Reconciliation Bill is a Big Freaking Deal Benefitting Millions, was Decades in the Making and has Overcome Big Pharma’s Greed and Unanimous Republican Opposition. President Biden and Congressional Democrats are moving forward with the most important and extensive effort to improve health care coverage and lower costs for the American people since passage of the Affordable Care Act. This legislation is historic. Congress after congress and president after president — including President Trump — have failed to make a dent in the greed of big Phrama. But now, President Biden and congressional Democrats are poised to take on the pharmaceutical lobbyists and win.

From Left to Right: Marie Leaner, Jeanne Galatzer-Levy and Sheila Smith

Pictured: Activist Tamar Manasseh and Kendra Snow

This is about our freedom to decide whether, when, and with whom to have a family. The opposition believe politicians have the right to make our most personal decisions, based on their faith and values. We believe in the freedom to make our own decisions, based on our faith and values.

“The renowned activist has been fighting for abortion rights since the 1960s. She talked with TNR editor Michael Tomasky about what we must do now to fight for reproductive freedom.” Read Article.

January 6th Hearings.

DOJ has multiple possible paths to Trump indictment: In recent days, federal prosecutors have reportedly obtained phone records from former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, secured cooperation from the committee’s star witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, and questioned two of former Vice President Mike Pence’s top aides before a grand jury. The department’s new line of inquiry will give it an opportunity to corroborate the select committee’s evidence and fill in remaining gaps in the lawmakers’ case against Trump. Jeff Robbins, a former federal prosecutor and congressional investigative counsel, said he believes the committee’s hearings have likely prompted the renewed DOJ efforts by presenting a persuasive public case against Trump. “It’s probably not coincidental that there seems to be an uptick in DOJ activity either aimed at the former president or encompassing the former president’s conduct after these hearings,” Robbins said. “I don’t think the circumstances are the same as they were several months ago, because the entire country has seen so much evidence of criminal intent.” Read More.

A Pathway to Victory.

IF We Win 2 More Senate Seats and Hold the House–we can revise the Filibuster and Codify Roe, win sensible gun laws, address climate, voting rights, racial inequality, economic injustice and more. IF We Organize!

Full Pathway to Victory PowerPoint Here

Supreme Court Update:

The extreme MAGA Republicans are dismantling our freedom to make the most personal decision of our lifetime–when, whether, or with whom we have a child. The great majority of the public supports keeping Roe. The 6 Extremist Right Wing members of the Supreme Court were each nominated by presidents who did not win the election with a majority of the popular vote. Democrats have won a majority of the popular Presidential vote in every election since 1988, except for 2004. We have to organize to build the power reflecting the popular will. This is a battle between Freedom and Tyranny. Read More.

Summer Reads.

July 30: Medicare and Medicaid Anniversary

August 1: Dogust – Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs

August 4: Barack Obama Day

August 10: S’mores Day

August 14: Anniversary of Social Security (Protect and Expand!)

August 16: Roller Coaster Day

August 19: World Humanitarian Day

August 26: Women’s Equality Day (97th Anniversary of Women in the United States Winning the Vote)

Remembering Jerry McEntee – Former President of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees: 1935-2022, AFSCME.

Gerald W. McEntee, the longtime president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFL-CIO), who led the union to historic growth, positioning it as a voice for working people and a force to be reckoned with in the nation’s civil rights movement, and who went toe to toe with U.S. presidents in defense of public services, passed away Sunday at his home in Naples, Florida. He was 87- a fighting champion for labor and a broader movement for justice.

Read Full Obituary Here.

From the Film Casablanca.