Mitch McConnell and Senate Rules Committee Chair Roy Blunt have instituted unprecedented press restrictions in order to prevent the public from having full access to Trump's Senate impeachment trial -- including limits on what the public can see and on reporters' ability to talk to Senators. Without the free press, we can’t fight against abusive governmental policies or defend our basic freedoms. The Trump administration has been attacking the free press for years. Now that Trump has a chance of getting held accountable for his abuses of power, the Senate is allowing him to hide details from the public.

Why is this not important ?

It is not hyperbole to say that our country is at a crossroads and the very health of our Republic is at stake. It is undeniable that President Trump has abused the power of his office by seeking the interference of a foreign government in our elections and that he refused to provide Congress with documents and witnesses who would have provided important information regarding the impeachment investigation. By requesting assistance from a foreign leader, Trump violated the law established by the FEC Act. By refusing to provide witnesses and documents, he was in Contempt of Congress. Both acts are crimes. Both acts are impeachable offenses. Both acts require witnesses, testimony, and further discovery to determine in an impartial manner if the President should be removed from office. We, the American people, including the constituents in your respective states deserve to have fair and impartial representation in the Senate, especially at this moment. If you do not stand in defense of the Constitution at this moment, and this trial is the circus that the Republican leadership is promising, it will be the beginning of the end of our Republic as we know it. The Congress will forever lose its ability to check the power of the Executive Branch. This is not about this President, this is about the pillar of our country which requires separate powers that balance each other. You have each shown the independence, thoughtfulness, and leadership to show the country and the world that the idea that is America still breathes powerfully through our Constitution. Thank you.

It allows for full transparency and scrutiny by the American public to every step of the Impeachment trial, by it being broadcasted to television and the internet.

The United States has a very low voter turnout compared to other countries. It's important that as many citizens as possible be given the opportunity to participate in our democracy by voting. Making election day a federal holiday will give significantly more people the opportunity to vote. Since it will replace Columbus Day, it won't generate any additional costs.

We are at a critical juncture in our democratic process of the impeachment trial of President Trump, and the future of our republic hangs in the balance. We must have a fair and open trial in which the witnesses and evidence which have recently become public, and those withheld or blocked previously by the administration, are brought forward and examined by an impartial Senate, and the President provides his defense under oath. He will then either be cleared, censured, or impeached based upon the facts, and our republic will be made stronger by our re-commitment to the rule of law in these partisan times. The Senate Majority Leader has publicly committed himself AGAINST this very process by announcing publicly, “Everything I do during this, I’m coordinating with the White House counsel. There will be no difference between the president’s position and our position as to how to handle this to the extent that we can.” While Senator McConnell is entitled to his personal opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the President based upon the partial case so far, he can NOT be allowed to manage the impeachment process at the direction of the accused President. Leader McConnell, having repeatedly made his intentions to obstruct efforts for an open and fair-minded inquiry clear, must either recuse from any leadership role in the impeachment so that an impartial member may be appointed by the majority, or he must be expelled from the Senate for violation of his oath and blatant obstruction of justice and of the senate. Any impeachment trial conducted "in coordination with the White House Counsel" is a mockery of the rule of law, and if allowed, will mark the end of our Democracy. Please sign and share this petition to tell our senators that they must either persuade Senator McConnell to recuse himself from any leadership role in the impeachment trial of the president, or initiate an expulsion process against Senator McConnell for violation of his oath and for his blatant and self-confessed collaboration with the defendant to obstruct justice in the most important trial in our nation's history.

UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW PROTECTS CITIZENS' FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION.

The Muslim Ban is a racist and xenophobic policy dividing families and targeting refugees from Muslim nations. This latest expansion is nothing then more of the same.

The American public are entitled to know the facts.

He most likely will never receive a subpoena and he can change the course of the impeachment proceedings. Either way we will have his truth.

Declaring war on a social media platform is an outrage. The actions this President is taking circumvents all forms of checks and balances and directly affect the mental health of millions of users worldwide.

If this campaign is really about “Us”, I'd like to see the Bernie campaign bring more leadership in this regard. I don’t want this campaign to be about one 78-year-old white man (as awesome as he is). I want this campaign to be about the strong, diverse, deeply passionate, visionary LEADERS (emphasis on the plural) we need to get us out of this giant mess and into a bright future. Show us that future. Show us the strength of our diversity. Show us what a Sanders Administration would look like, sound like and act like. Introduce America to these people and help us get to know them.  Help us build trust in that broad coalition and not just in one man.  Help these leaders become household names as well. Help us clearly see the diverse coalition of leaders who could represent our hopes and our future. Don’t wait for the nomination to figure this out. Be different. Show me the “Us”! Show me women and people of color in the top leadership of your administration. Show me worker's rights leaders, indigenous leaders, LGBTQ leaders, immigrant-rights leaders. Show me youthful next generation leaders, please.  Show me small business leaders for local living economies and strong communities.  Show me advocates for farming, local livelihoods and functional ecosystems. Show me advocates for uplift of the poor. Show me environmental and climate justice leaders. You get the idea. Build me this coalition. Show me the "Us"! There are so many reasons why this would be a smart strategy: 1. This would be a powerful demonstration of this campaign’s most prominent value. It’s right there on the home page. 2. If the campaign is able to demonstrate its ability to a gather a diverse coalition of progressive leaders (in which women and people of color are strongly represented), don't you think that might help the campaign appeal to those communities? Just a thought! 3. This is not a traditional political strategy and that is GOOD.  This is a way to diversify the power of an American presidential campaign. This is also a powerful opportunity for the Sanders campaign to differentiate itself and show the American people that it is no ordinary political campaign. 4. A broadly-based coalition of leaders is more difficult to destabilize. 2020 is not an ordinary campaign year and Trump and the Republicans have demonstrated a zeal for foul play. To win, the Sanders campaign will need to be prepared for dirty tricks of all sorts. 5. Bernie is 78 years old. The wise and responsible course of action for such an elder leader is to use his name recognition to build a coalition of next-generation visionary leaders and introduce these leaders to the American people, pronto. America’s (and perhaps the world's) future should not depend solely on the heart health of one 78-year-old man. Let’s build a strong, resilient coalition of progressive leaders for a livable future. 6. By featuring a diverse coalition of leaders at the heart of his campaign, Bernie would be directly manifesting the democratic revolution that he claims to represent. Show me that revolution. Show me the “Us”!