It is unfair to Al Franken and the people he represents for him to resign over allegations that have not been subjected to an ethics investigation. He has stated he will resign on January 2. Please encourage him to reconsider.

I am not hearing about any support, only criticism and possible threats to the investigation. No one seems to be stepping up to defend it -- so the public must do so.

We have twice placed in office presidents who were clearly the minority vote getters in two of the last three changes in the presidency. We are the only nation in the world with such an undemocratic voting system for the sole nationwide office being voted upon. The Constitution says: "We the People..." without reference to the location of the people and our nationwide elections should reflect all the people's choice.

Because Merrill may drag his feet and delay Jones's seating the U.S. Senate when it is vital Jones be there, if at all possible, to help scuttle the present tax proposal by the GOP.

Like a cancer, there is an illness growing within our country. It’s an illness that is being nurtured by the POTUS and Republicans in Congress with tender and loving care. The coordinated effort by President Trump and his surrogates to discredit the Mueller investigation raises serious alarms. Rather than making themselves complicit in this assault on the rule of law, Members of Congress should send a clear message to the President that firing Mueller is a red line he must not cross. If Trump fires Mueller, as many now speculate is possible, the United States will find itself in a constitutional crisis—where the executive branch rejects scrutiny, checks and balances, and the rule of law in order to protect itself from accountability. The expert on government rights and wrongs is so concerned that—after a Trump-aligned member of the House, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, appeared on CNN and announced: “I call on my Republican colleagues to join me in the firing of Bob Mueller”— Walter Shaub, the former director of the US Office of Government Ethics who now serves as a senior director focusing on ethics issues for the Campaign Legal Center wrote: “Make a plan folks. Be ready to take to the streets. This is an attack on our Republic.” Taking it to the streets is always a good idea when the oligarchs and plutocrats spin out of control. That’s why the founding generation of the American experiment established First Amendment rights to assemble and to petition for the redress of grievances. But it is important, now, before a potential crisis becomes a real one, to signal what that reaction will be: a widespread public outcry to impeach President Trump. The POTUS and Congress need a wake-up call that their corruption is not being tolerated.

Banning words means banning any focus on groups of people or scientific inquiries. This ban obviously targets gay people and women and stinks of the Mengelian sort of Fascism practiced by Hitler. Rejecting LBGTs, pro-abortionists, and other diverse groups or scientific research related to them is motivated by the Christian idea of Creationism, and Trump has done this to appease this Christian Fascist arm of his party. It is a direct refutation of the First Amendment's call for separation of church and state. If this censorship stands at a major federal institution, it signals a complete breakdown of democratic principles and paves the way for rampant white supremacy, fuels racial and gender violence, as well as destroying the dynamic of scientific inquiry relative to the health of our nation.

President Trump has consistently bragged about his rights to pardon anyone he chooses within his inner circle who might be indicted as a result of the Mueller investigation. He is able to use this power over the heads of those who might be inclined to cooperate with the special prosecutor, but fear that said cooperation might prevent their potential pardon. Please prevent President Trump from using his power to obstruct justice by taking away his pardoning rights to members of his inner circle.

As everyone should know by now the FCC has voted against net neutrality. We must take a stand to protect the people's access to internet here in Oregon from corporate greed and censorship. The best way to do this is to give regulatory power over internet service to a representative body of the people. An example of this can be seen already in Independence and Monmouth OR.

Donald Trump banned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from using 7 very specific words and phrases in budget reports. This latest distraction is clearly aimed at appeasing the ideology and politics of a shrinking percentage of supporters still clinging on as Trump's transphobic and anti-science base. The CDC is no place for censorship of common language for the purpose of ideology or politics.

There cannot be a "legitimate vote" on a new tax bill if duly elected Senators are forbidden to take part in that vote strictly because Mitch McConnell, the Majority leader, is manipulating the vote for his parties advantage

The Majority Leader of the Senate is refusing to swear in a DULY ELECTED SENATOR to the United Sates Senate for the sole purpose of manipulating a vote favorable to only HIS PARTY and HIS CASH DONORS. Partisan politics should have no place in either house of Congress. Therefore we demand that he be seated IMMEDIATELY !

Here are areas Congress must address to help Puerto Rico: Relief package Congress must move quickly on the $94 billion aid package requested by the Puerto Rican government. The initial $15 billion aid package is far short of what is needed. The generosity of everyday Americans — including groups like the Hispanic Federation and many MoveOn members — helped to provide food and water to those in need. But that's not enough. Puerto Rico needs more disaster aid and the federal government needs to ensure that all funds are distributed fairly, efficiently, and without any further delay. Community-Driven Rebuilding Congress established the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) to oversee the Island’s debt. The entity is far too removed from Puerto Rico’s communities to properly identify needs and allocate resources. Congress and federal agencies should explore alternatives to the unelected FOMB that rely on existing structures, precedent, and the leadership of disaster recovery and reconstruction experts working hand-in-hand with affected communities. Debt relief Puerto Rico's creditors should do the right thing and walk away. It is the only way forward. Anything short of full debt forgiveness would be a brutal form of economic punishment to a people already suffering. Taxes Since the now-passed tax reform legislation treats Puerto Rico as a foreign jurisdiction, tell Congress they must remedy that immediately as well making tax benefits and incentives like the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit available for Puerto Rico's working families. Healthcare 3.4 million Americans live on the island, but Puerto Rico receives only a small portion of the Medicaid funding that it would qualify for as a state. The island’s hospitals and health centers are struggling in the wake of the storm. We all have watched in horror how the death toll has been undercounted—by perhaps 1,000 people, according to credible estimates. With the health of so many at risk, let's provide Medicaid parity while streamlining enrollment to many who are not working and need health care. There's no shortage of compassion and goodwill for Puerto Rico among the American people. But it must be matched by the recognition of our government that the American citizens of Puerto Rico need, demand, and require equal treatment. Please sign this petition to join the work Power 4 Puerto Rico and I are doing to help Puerto Ricans.