By Election Day 2016, it had become painfully obvious that Donald Trump was hiding something in his tax returns. The less troubling possibilities were troubling enough: that he had lied to the American people about his degree of business success, or that he had exploited tax loopholes that, while technically legal, would strike most Americans as improper. But there are growing reasons to be concerned about darker possibilities: corrupt business practices that would make Trump vulnerable to blackmail by anyone who knew the truth, or financial ties to foreign governments that would amount to taking bribes once Trump took office. Many members of the cabinet, and other political appointees (such as heads of independent agencies) wield significant power. Furthermore, in the case of lower-ranking political appointees, Federal law allows the President to reappoint them to higher positions in an acting capacity once confirmed by the Senate to the first position. Therefore, it is dangerous for the Senate to confirm any appointee who may have been chosen for improper reasons. Many of Trump's nominees would arguably stand a good chance of being reappointed by Trump's successor were he to resign or be removed from office with their appointments still pending. However, even with Trump's less-controversial nominees, it would be deeply embarrassing for the Senate to have rushed their confirmations, if the worst suspicions about Trump ultimately proved true. Offering Trump an ultimatum will provide Trump with a powerful incentive to resolve these questions as quickly as possible. So for the sake of the country, and the dignity of the Senate, we ask you: tell Trump you will not vote to confirm any of his political appointees until he lets the American people know the truth.

I am outraged that in less then week Trump will ascend to the Presidency of the United States before the American people know the extent of foreign interference into our election.

Donald Trump is a threat to our nation. And any politician who attends Trump's inauguration is normalizing and legitimizing a presidency that should only be resisted. Denounced. Defied. Boycotted. Thankfully, on the eve of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday weekend, Congressman John Lewis has announced that he will not attend Trump's swearing-in ceremony. Trump's response has been to launch a fierce attack against Lewis, accusing the congressman—who has served our nation as a tireless leader of the civil rights movement and for 16 terms in Congress—of being “all talk, talk, talk - no action or results.” This is Trump’s latest, vicious outburst in what’s become a terrifying pattern of using outright lies and insults to bully and subdue his critics. But this time, Trump's well-worn tactic is falling flat. Not only is Congressman Lewis standing strong, more than two dozen other members of Congress are standing with him in a growing Inauguration Day boycott of demagogue-in-chief Trump. Congressman Lewis says he cannot view Trump’s presidency as legitimate because of a now widely understood Russian effort to influence November’s election. Congresswoman Barbara Lee has cited Trump’s “divisive and prejudiced campaign.” Congressman Luis Gutierrez referred to Trump’s attacks on women, communities of color, and Muslims. Congressman Ted Lieu noted that Trump will be in violation of the Constitution the moment he’s sworn in, due to numerous alleged conflicts of interest. In also choosing to skip Trump's inauguration, other members of Congress have cited Trump's threats to immigrant rights, the environment, national security, and more. And about Congressman Lewis, who has helped spark this growing boycott, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke said it best: "When you insult Representative John Lewis, you insult America." Congressman Lewis has shown yet again that when a leader takes a courageous action, others follow. If more members of Congress join him and skip the inauguration, we can strengthen the power of the opposition. Democratic lawmakers past and present have a choice to make. Help make sure they stand on the right side of history with—with Congressman John Lewis, not Donald Trump—by signing and sharing this petition with your family and friends.

Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) recently investigated an American Humane Association (AHA) Certified egg farm in California that supplies eggs to Whole Foods. The investigators found hens living in filthy, crowded conditions. Many of the hens had bloody wounds and prolapses, a condition where, due to having laid so many eggs, a hen’s internal organs are pushed out of her body. Other hens had died, and their bodies were left to rot on the floor of the barns. In the course of the investigation, DxE rescued a hen and named her Ava. Ava’s feet were severely injured and she was struggling to walk. With love and care at a sanctuary, Ava recovered and is able to walk again. Watch Ava's story at eggfarm360.com. Whole Foods claims to care about animals, and they market their eggs as cage-free despite raising hens in sickening confinement. Sign the petition and ask Whole Foods to cut ties with all farms that abuse birds.

Life before the ACA was a mess. I personally saw all of the following: 1. An insurance company placed riders on a coworker's pregnant wife who had a history of cancer. They refused to cover either her pregnancy or any form of future cancer. 2. My small business's insurer denied coverage to a "high-risk" employee: a young man with hypertension. 3. Without a reliable way to vet insurance companies, an employer unknowingly selected a fraudulent one. Two of us were left with massive medical debt despite paying our premiums faithfully. 4. A young, healthy friend chose to forgo insurance. She's still paying off her emergency appendectomy. 5. My brother had a stroke in his thirties, and had to delay surgery until he could get better insurance. I'm just one person, and I don't even work in the insurance industry, yet I saw all of that. Don't return us to those days. Don't repeal the ACA without a good replacement!

We, the people, should not be required to pay for health care coverage for elected officials. We must redirect our tax dollars to other more important needs.

My younger sister Elizabeth was able to afford her health insurance with the Affordable Health Care Act. With my representative Martha McSally and with Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain voting for the measures to repeal the ACA , she would lose her health insurance. With this repeal, we are putting children, the elderly, and even our Veterans at risk of losing their vital health insurance. Please tell Congress that repealing the ACA is wrong.

When we shop we have to look at vicious tabloid headlines that ignite and fan the flames of hatred and division in our country. Full-color headlines scream: HOT-HEAD HILLARY BEAT BILL UNCONSCIOUS! MUSLIM SPIES INSIDE OBAMA'S CIA!  55 DOUBLE AGENTS EXPOSED! OUT OF CONTROL HILLARY CLINTON HOOKED ON DRUGS! OBAMA HID GAY LIFESTYLE TO BE PRESIDENT!  MARRIAGE TO MICHELLE IS A SHAM! IMPEACH OBAMA!  *  LIES * COVER-UP & ABUSE OF POWER!  GIVING AWAY U.S. NUCLEAR SECRETS TO OUR ENEMIES! ANTI-SEMITE HILLARY COZIES UP TO TERRORISTS! HILLARY CLINTON CAUGHT WITH LESBIAN LOVERS ON UNSECURED PHONES! HILLARY'S ISIS CONNECTION:  HER BLOOD-MONEY DEALS! CAUGHT ON VIDEO!  HILLARY CLINTON'S SATANIC INNER CIRCLE RUTHLESS MICHELLE IS A MONSTER! INSIDE MICHELLE'S HOUSE OF HORRORS! It is blatantly obvious how socially irresponsible these sordid tabloids are.  We are tired of turning a blind eye as they spew malicious lies, vicious innuendo, fear-mongering and hatred. These stores would not sell garbage for people to eat. Why sell garbage to feed people's minds? Since our dollars support the stores that are selling these fake-news papers, we are compelled to ask them to fulfill their social responsibility to our communities and stop selling these scurrilous tabloids.

Democrats should show NO support for Donald Trump.

Congressman John Lewis is a Civil Rights hero; we are indebted to him for his decades of activism and moral courage, from Bloody Sunday to today. Donald Trump’s attacks on Congressman Lewis are unconscionable, and force all of us to ask ourselves: which side are you on? We stand with John Lewis. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has spent her lifetime standing up for the dignity of women, people of color and the residents of the District of Columbia. We respectfully urge her to stand with John Lewis and against Trump’s bigotry and hate by not attending Trump’s inauguration this week.

Donald Trump is #NOTMYPRESIDENT. He won the election by conspiring with the Russians.

Taxpayers are paying for top of the line health care of Congress members, in some cases for rest of their lives, while 22 million people who are currently covered through the Affordable Care Act will be without health coverage. Fair is fair, none for us? NONE FOR YOU!