The COVID-19 pandemic is worse than it's ever been. Nearly one year in, and cases are still increasing. Families across the country continue to grapple with unparalleled losses of income and necessary support systems. And despite the promise of relief from the vaccine, states are struggling with distribution. So even as we continue to wear masks, keep physically distant, and care for our neighbors, the situation remains dire for far too many. Along with the ongoing public health crisis, we continue to be challenged by an economic crisis that has left millions unemployed, uninsured, housing and food insecure, and more. We need our political leaders to step up in a major way and with the utmost urgency to tackle these overlapping crises. This is a once-in-a-century emergency, and it demands groundbreaking solutions to match. President Biden has proposed a $1.9 trillion relief package, representing an important first step in getting aid and relief to those who need it to survive this crisis. But we're already hearing troubling resistance from Republicans and even some Democrats—that the size of the proposal is too large, or that they don't like certain provisions, or that they don't see the need to pass relief right now. Those of us who are surviving through the crisis day to day know exactly how dire and urgent the need is for ourselves, our families, and our communities. We need to send a message to all of our representatives, and we need to be loud and clear: Relief for those of us facing down the impacts of this crisis can't wait. With nothing less than survival for tens of millions of Americans at stake, we need real, robust relief, and we need it now. The Biden COVID-19 relief proposal includes another round of survival checks, enhanced and extended unemployment insurance, aid to states and localities, more funding for vaccinations, an increase in the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and more. It's a great first step in tackling this burgeoning crisis, and members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus have already been organizing to strengthen the proposal in the House of Representatives. As we're pressuring our representatives to pass the package, here are a few things it should ensure: - Immigrants in the U.S. receive the same dignity, care, and respect as everyone else and are not left out of relief once again. This package should include survival checks and health care coverage for immigrants, and a pathway to citizenship for essential workers, immigrant youth, and TPS recipients. - Everyone can see a doctor. With millions unemployed and losing insurance, we need emergency health care coverage via a public plan. The proposal contains a modest amount of funding, but more aid to states and localities is needed to prevent layoffs and cuts to essential services. - And last but not least, we can't allow Republicans in Congress to water down Biden's proposal for a $15 federal minimum wage—or cut it out of any final legislation altogether. There are other important ways that the proposal could be strengthened or expanded as well: student debt forgiveness; auto-stabilizers so that assistance continues until the economy recovers, rather than expiring on an artificial timeline; rent and mortgage cancellation; and more. Overall, it's important that our representatives hear that we want them to expand and strengthen the Biden proposal, not water it down further. One last point: While President Biden has put forward calls for bipartisanship and unity—on a proposal that should be embraced by any elected official who doesn't want to see their constituents suffer—the reality is that most Republicans won't support legislation that provides relief to middle- and working-class Americans. There's no time to waste in getting people the relief they need to survive, and if Republicans won't get on board, Democrats should be prepared to pass this proposal—and future ones—without them. Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer, along with Senate Budget Committee Chair Bernie Sanders, have all spoken up in support of using Congress's reconciliation process to pass the proposal, which would allow Democrats to pass it in the Senate with a simple majority, instead of trying to convince ten or more recalcitrant Republicans to vote for it. This is absolutely what must happen to ensure our communities are able to weather the brutality of the pandemic, and every representative must be ready to vote for reconciliation in the House and the Senate. Whether our representatives are Democrats or Republicans, they need to get on board or get out of the way.

Since she was inaugurated on January 3rd, 2021, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has continued to show that she is unfit for the office with which she is charged. She has repeatedly promoted dangerous conspiracies, refused to wear masks on the house floor, and has a history of violent rhetoric. She harassed young activist, David Hogg, and it has recently been discovered that she made numerous posts on Facebook calling for the execution of Democratic leaders, including the Speaker of the House. She harassed Muslim members of the House and demanded that they swear an oath on the bible in direct violation of Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits religious tests as a requirement to hold federal office. It is increasingly clear the constitution holds little meaning to Rep. Greene. The House of Representatives' power is not guaranteed to anyone, as it is a privilege bestowed by the people. This privilege, sacred in its nature, is maintained by an oath of office, entirely dependent upon the competence and good faith of the person swearing that oath. Representative Greene has no such competence or good faith. Her rampant conspiracism, history of violent rhetoric, and her disregard for other House members' dignity make her unfit for office. Therefore, the signatories of this petition call upon Speaker Pelosi to bring a vote of expulsion to the floor and remove this dangerous woman from her position.

Too many are right now trying to sweep the events of January 6th, 2021 under the rug and pretending it wasn't that bad. But insurrectionists and anyone who somehow encouraged this - whether they are in congress or not - need to be reminded of their actions so they- at the very least learn something. The savage beatings of police and other Capitol defenders with American flags needs to be addressed as criminal and unpatriotic.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was recently assigned to the House Education and Labor Committee by Republican leadership. Rep. Greene supports the QAnon cult and has called deadly school shootings “false-flag” operations by gun-control groups. She even accosted and harassed Parkland student and activist David Hogg on Capitol Hill. Back in 2019, Republicans removed Rep. Steve King of Iowa from the Judiciary and Agriculture Committees in response to his support for white nationalists. Based on this precedent, Republican House leaders must remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee appointments. Her dangerous ideas have no place in Congress.

1) To reduce the work needed for third party organizations to register voters; 2) To greatly increase the number of voters in this country; 3) To expand upon the goals of the National Voter Registration Act; 4) To overcome the hurdles set in place by petty state governments; 5) To allow popular agencies, including USCIS, VA, DOD, DHS, SSA, Interior, etc, to register voters under the laws of their respective states. More: https://www.demos.org/policy-briefs/millions-polls-national-voter-registration-act-expansion https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/15_Executive_Actions.pdf

If you march because Black Lives Matter, our calls for racial justice are one: Last summer, the people of D.C. were tear gassed while peacefully protesting for our lives. This January, white supremacists descended not just on the U.S. Capitol but on the neighborhoods we call home. Our community was left vulnerable to the violence of hate and then called to clean up the mess, because we lack the protection of statehood. And, if the District is granted statehood, it would be the first and only state with a plurality of Black residents. D.C. statehood is a racial justice issue. If you advocate for a path through the pandemic, our calls for relief are one: In the first COVID stimulus bill, D.C. received a fraction of the support we needed to take care of our own, because we did not have the status of statehood. This too left the communities around us more vulnerable to the virus. D.C. statehood is a health care issue. If you walked out of school to demand safety, our calls for gun violence prevention are one: Congress has used its outsized authority over D.C. to block and threaten the local government’s ability to pass life-saving measures. D.C. statehood is a gun violence prevention issue. If you know #MyBodyMyChoice should be policy, our calls for reproductive rights are one: D.C. is blocked from spending local dollars on abortion care because without statehood, our elected local leaders don’t control our budget. D.C. statehood is a reproductive health, rights, and justice issue. The movement for D.C. statehood is inextricably linked to the movements for progress you are leading in every corner of this nation, so it will require all of us joining together to demand a real path to D.C. statehood. Add your voice today.

I am a career high school teacher, my life's work has been the education, support, and nurturing of our oldest children during one of the most challenging transitional periods of life. In addition to all the stresses of adolescence, our young people must routinely prepare to have their learning spaces invaded by armed domestic terrorists that can slaughter them in cold blood. Because of shamefully lax gun regulations in the US, school shootings happen with damnable regularity subjecting families to the murder of their precious children and the surviving students to the trauma of witnessing their friends gunned down. It is bad enough that the members of US Congress have allowed this social crisis to get to the point that it has but now, in your ranks is a representative that publicly harassed a survivor of the Parkland School shooting just weeks after he witnessed the murder of his friends. As if that was not bad enough, that representative, Marjorie Taylor Greene sits on the House Education Committee. This is an affront to all teachers, parents, and our precious children. Representative Marjorie Taylor Green MUST be removed from the House Education Committee immediately

Banks in the US collected more than 30 billion dollars in overdraft fees in 2020 amid the public health crisis of Covid-19. For further reference, banks collected 19 billion in overdraft fees in 2019. Additionally, the average overdraft fee soared to $33.47. This is a deeply unethical practice, especially during a time when so many Americans are hurting financially and on the verge of losing everything due to no fault of their own. This is a call to action for an executive order from President Biden to stop this practice of charging for overdraft immediately, protecting the American people who bailed out some of these same banks a few years ago with their tax dollars. Please sign and share widely. Even if you haven’t been personally affected by this, someone you love definitely has. It truly takes all of us. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/01/banks-will-get-30b-in-overdraft-fees-this-year-heres-how-to-avoid-them-.html

Hate groups are targeting children to join them, and it is working. White supremacist movements are massively exploding in the US, facilitated by tech platforms like YouTube where vulnerable young people are recruited and radicalized. More than half of kids 8 and up have reported watching YouTube every day, and YouTube is cited by researchers as the primary source for radicalization of young people online. Here’s what happens: A kid searches for something that interests them on YouTube, like their favorite video game. After they watch that video, YouTube recommends another based on their algorithm, which often plays automatically. This way, kids and teens can get sucked into watching hours of increasingly extreme content -- something white supremacist recruiters actively exploit. The solution is clear: YouTube must fix algorithm-driven recommendations to stop promoting hate and default auto-play. Please, join us in asking YouTube to stop recommending white supremacy to children.

Marijuana accounts for 53% of all drug arrests in Tennessee, 33% of which are for simple possession. Approximately 20,000 residents of Tennessee are arrested for marijuana possession each year. With the requirement for arrest being 1 ounce of marijuana worth potentially $580 dollars at street value, equating to $11,327,400 minimum worth of potential sales in a legal setting, based on arrests alone. With Tennessee's tax rate of 9.25%, this equates to $1,047,784.50 in potential tax revenue per year at a minimum. (Drugscience) Legalization has already been shown by Forbes.com to be a massive boost in tax revenue for states that have taken the first steps. After Legalization, Tennessee can expect figures similar to the state of Washington where marijuana sales generated $395.5 million in tax revenue in 2019, or Colorado where tax revenue from marijuana exceeded and nearly doubled the $42,000,000 collected from alcohol taxes in the last fiscal year with an astonishing $70,000,000 in tax revenue. Colorado witnessed a $2,000,000 boost in tax revenue from a 10% flat tax on all marijuana products added to the original sales tax of 2.9% in just the first month of 2014 from marijuana sale. Regardless of special taxes in areas of Colorado, sales stayed consistent and healthy, with a total of $14,200,000 worth of marijuana sold. The legalization also came with a bylaw that dedicated the first $40,000,000, which was met in the first fiscal year, of tax revenue directly to school construction. (Forbes) Alcohol, a legal drug, caused 88,000 deaths from 2006-2010, according to the CDC. Marijuana has never been reported to cause death in the history of mankind. One would sooner die of smoke inhalation than of an overdose of THC. Legalization poses no threat to public health or society. In Tennessee, marijuana prohibition has created a racial disparity of arrests in an otherwise fairly equal society of marijuana users. Marijuana users of African descent are 4 times more likely to be arrested than their Caucasian counterparts, even though Caucasians are 5% more likely to partake in recreational marijuana, according to a study done by the American Civil Liberties Union. (ACLU) The State of Tennessee would see more Tax Revenue from legalization then they do from Court Fees collected from simple possession cases, all while saving money from prosecution of said cases. The American Chemical Society has shown that Marijuana is an effective treatment for Alzheimer's. Rather than further bogging down our healthcare system with prescription man made pain killers, or opioids, which has a high level of addiction, legalizing it for medical purposes will allow those with medical disorders to be treated by their choice of medication, which falls under President Trump’s “Right To Try” policy. It is also nature's oldest nausea medication for cancer patients, as well as a stimulant for those who suffer from narcolepsy.(ACS) Tennessee is one of a few states that is behind in the times. Former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions once said, “Good people don’t smoke marijuana.” Well sorry t Studies show that motor skills can not be impaired by marijuana more than the legal limit of 0.05% Blood Alcohol Concentration. Driving while under the influence of THC, while not recommended, is still safer than alcohol, according to a 2001 study. (NORML) o spoil Former AG Sessions mind frame, but good politicians who are not doctors or have no background in science don’t stand in the way of medical treatment that is a choice by the individual which is protected under Freedom of Choice within The Constitution of not only The United States but also The Tennessee State Constitution.

If congressional members really want to help heal our divided nation, they must tell their constituents the truth that Joe Biden legitimately won the election. Congress has certified the results and Biden was sworn-in on January 20th. Yet, due to the barrage of lies from Trump and complicit media, many of his supporters still believe that the election was somehow stolen, to the great detriment of our country. Congress must act swiftly to rectify this lie and set the record straight. Every elected representative in the Capitol must tell their constituents the truth. Action must immediately be taken by engaging the media--TV, radio, newspaper, congressional websites—in a truth campaign. In addition, congressional members must mail a letter, via USPS, to all of their constituents simply stating--once and for all—that Joe Biden legally won the election and is now our 46th president of the United States. If our nation is to survive and return to prosperity again, the truth must be accepted by all of our fellow citizens. This truth will set us free. If you agree, please sign this petition and tell Congress how vital it is that truth is upheld so the healing process can begin.

On January 6th, 2021, a violent mob of extremists motivated by conspiracies that were sowed by the White House stormed into the Capitol, forcing legislators and their staff to barricade with the protection of armed guards. After hearing an address with yet more incendiary rhetoric from the outgoing president, they forced their way inside the Capitol building, carried a Confederate flag through the rotunda, and threatened lawmakers and our seat of government in Washington DC. Anyone involved in inspiring, encouraging, and abetting these terrorists must be held responsible for their actions. Unfortunately, they have been enabled by a large cross section of extremist politicians, many of whom represent Texans. They have made a mockery of democracy by embracing the fascist rhetoric of a far-right figurehead with a far-right movement behind him. They have suppressed votes while lying about the nature of our election system, sullying our elections while opposing their legally legitimate losses. They have proven themselves entirely unfit for office. They must resign. Additionally, we support the resolution of Representative Cori Bush to expel the seditious members of Congress attempting to undermine the legitimacy of our democratic election results. We support accountability that will expel, censure, disbar, begin ethics investigations into and cease campaign donations to the complicit congressmen, Texas Attorney General, as well as continue the impeachment hearing and conviction of Donald Trump. We believe in the power of democracy and the power of the People to make progress in the United States. Those who have proven that they would prefer to destroy the country rather than hold Trump accountable must surrender their power permanently. Their power is vested in us and they have shown themselves willing to use it abusively.