Senate Republicans have chosen Senator John Thune to lead them next Congress. And much like his predecessor, Senator Mitch McConnell, one main “qualification” for the job comes at all of our expense: raking in millions of dollars in Big Money donations. That’s right: the incoming Senate Majority Leader built his candidacy around raising $31 million for the GOP this cycle and setting a new record for the largest transfer of money from his personal campaign to other Senate Republicans.  But Thune hardly stands out – in order to be serious contenders, Thune and the other Senators running had to prove they could keep the campaign cash flowing from the fossil fuel industry, big banks, private health insurers, and other special interests. • A primary selling point for Senator John Cornyn was raising over $400 million for the GOP in his career, including $33 million this cycle.  • And Senator Rick Scott, who’s also independently rich after co-founding the nation's largest for-profit healthcare company, is a leading advocate for essentially ending Medicare and the Affordable Care Act – hardly a coincidence.  • They have big shoes to fill, as Senator Mitch McConnell raised over $1 billion for the GOP during his time as Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader.  The unfortunate truth is that no matter who got selected, Big Money is the real winner – which means the rest of us lose. Wealthy special interests shouldn’t have this big of a say in our democracy; that power belongs to the people. Common Cause knows this status quo must end – which is why we’re fighting to overturn Citizens United and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the DISCLOSE Act.   These critical measures would help shine a light on secret political spending, get Big Money out of politics, and establish small-dollar citizen funded elections – giving ordinary Americans a stronger say in our democracy. Join us in calling on Congress to END the Citizens United era and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the DISCLOSE Act!

President-elect Trump just announced on social media he is nominating election denier and far-right ideologue Rep. Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. If you’re familiar with Matt Gaetz, you already know he belongs nowhere near the Department of Justice, except as a defendant. Here’s what you need to know about Matt Gaetz, and why he simply cannot be allowed to be confirmed as Attorney General: • Rep. Gaetz was one of Donald Trump’s point men in Congress during the deadly January 6th attack – voting to overturn the 2020 election results from the wreckage later that day, and in the months that followed to shield Trump and the insurrectionists he led from accountability. • He’s also an anti-voter extremist – introducing bills to purge eligible voters and even threatening to shut down the government to pass his voter suppression agenda. That’s why he earned a “perfect” score of zero on our 2024 Democracy Scorecard.  • And, his words and actions prove he’s not up to the task of ensuring all Americans are treated equally – he called for violence against racial justice protestors in the summer of 2020, and openly promoted the white supremacist “Great Replacement Theory” the next year.  Attorney General of the United States is one of the executive branch’s most important roles – overseeing the Department of Justice, upholding the rule of law, and enforcing civil and voting rights protections. We already knew the Department of Justice was going to be on Trump’s target list – he swore revenge after they did their jobs and held him to the same laws every other American follows. But Matt Gaetz is, without exaggeration, one of the most extreme choices Trump could have made. We can’t let it stand. Here’s the good news: with a record as tarnished and controversial as Matt Gaetz’s, Senate confirmation is anything but a done deal. We need to speak out IMMEDIATELY to demand Senators put country before party and stop him. Can you add your name today?

President-elect Trump has repeatedly vowed to conduct the “largest deportation effort in American history” and plans to mobilize the military and National Guard to raid our communities. These plans are instilling fear in our immigrant neighbors and, if carried out, will traumatize families through cruel separation efforts. We must prepare NOW to protect our immigrant neighbors’ safety and rights in the face of mass deportation efforts. The election results are not a mandate for cruelty. Governors and local governments have the ability to take strong, proactive countermeasures to protect immigrant communities immediately. Together, we can make sure our local governments are prepared to mount a defense and blunt the worst of Trump’s white supremacist plans. Governors and local governments can immediately implement these crucial policies to protect our immigrant communities:  • Use sanctuary measures that prevent the use of state and local resources in ICE’s deportation and detention operations • Prepare a coordinated response to mass raids by convening a task force to communicate when and where deportations are taking place and funding emergency resources, such as legal clinics, for deportation defense • Expand and publicize state assistance programs, including medical care and food assistance, for mixed-status families and undocumented immigrants in the event Trump cuts basic services to noncitizens  It’s imperative that our local officials take Trump at his word and his record. His anti-immigrant agenda goes beyond mass deportations—it includes cutting constitutional rights like birthright citizenship and cutting critical public benefits for U.S. citizen children while ramping up the militarization needed to enforce his cruel policies. In the face of these devastating policies, our local governments must step into their power as the first line of defense in protecting our immigrant communities. Will you sign the petition to tell Democratic governors to take decisive action NOW to prevent mass deportations and protect immigrants? Photo: WEYE-TV

At that point, our President will be a person who, in different instances, has been accused, admitted, and even convicted of a sex offense.   His recorded words and actions show the world his moral position, particularly WRT, to younger women.  We can not change that fact.   America has a duty to the world to clarify that this is how, in the past, he has treated people, young women in particular, and that he could treat you if you interact with him — which is why he is included in this specific National Registry.

If you or someone you love is LGBTQ+ on this campus, sign this petition to take necessary steps in making UPG safer and actually inclusive. 

If a felon can be elected to office, as has been demonstrated by recent examples, it highlights the inconsistency in denying voting rights to others with similar records. It shows that individuals with criminal convictions can hold positions of leadership and public trust, which logically should extend to their right to vote and influence policy. The right to vote is a fundamental part of democracy. Excluding felons from voting creates a two-tiered system, where some Americans are denied a voice in the decisions that affect them, even though they live and work in their communities post-incarceration. Denying felons voting rights sends a message that they are not full citizens, which undermines the principles of equality and justice.   Allowing felons to vote supports their reintegration into society by encouraging civic engagement and responsibility. Studies show that when individuals have a stake in their community, including through voting, they are more likely to contribute positively and less likely to reoffend. Felony disenfranchisement disproportionately impacts Black and Latino communities due to systemic issues in the criminal justice system. Restoring voting rights is a step toward addressing these racial inequities, giving historically marginalized groups a stronger voice in policies that directly affect them. Felony disenfranchisement laws date back to post-Reconstruction efforts aimed at reducing the political power of African Americans. Ending these restrictions strengthens democracy by ensuring that all voices, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are included in the political process. In summary, this petition advocates for fair treatment of all citizens and aligns with democratic values. Restoring voting rights to felons not only addresses inconsistencies in our political system but also promotes rehabilitation and community integration, making democracy stronger and more inclusive.

This is necessary to ensure the integrity of our democracy and rule of law.

Fascism isn’t a term to throw around lightly, but experts agree that Trump has demonstrated the traits of a fascist leader. And his longest serving chief of staff from his first term recently shared that Trump "met the definition of a fascist, would govern like a dictator if allowed, and had no understanding of the Constitution or the concept of rule of law." In these weeks before Donald Trump takes office, we must loudly prove that we will remain resolute against his many deceitful, dangerous attempts to stoke fascism and further divide our country.  We’ve seen how powerful Trump’s lies are—as soon as he lost the election in 2020, he began a smear campaign to discredit our democracy and free and fair elections. Now, he claims he should have never left the White House in 2021—straight from the authoritarian playbook. We have no choice but to do everything possible to resist further power grabs and fight back against Trump's fascist agenda.

Donald Trump's Project 2025 agenda makes clear his plans for a second presidency–to divide communities, replace civil servants with MAGA extremists, defund critical government agencies, and strip away our fundamental rights.  The stakes couldn't be higher. And with Trump having declared that he’ll be a “dictator on day one,” Biden must do everything in his power to preserve our democracy and mitigate the harm vulnerable communities may experience under Trump's authoritarian rule. 

Elon Musk used his immense wealth and power to help elect Donald Trump. At the same time, he’s leading a company (SpaceX) that’s gaining a dangerous amount of power as a U.S. defense contractor. (1) Once Musk has a role in the Trump admin, he may very well be “regulating” the agencies who are in charge of regulating his own companies and doling out billions of dollars of federal contracts. (2) Before Trump takes power, the Biden administration must cut off Elon Musk’s billions in federal defense contracts. Sign the petition: Tell President Biden to end federal defense contracts with Elon Musk’s companies! Since 2020, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has secured 22 space missions from the Pentagon worth $2.5 billion. (3) Musk’s company is currently competing with other corporate giants for even more defense contracts. Now, under Trump, Musk plans to cut government spending while in charge of “reducing government waste and needles regulation.” (4) Our taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be helping to enrich a man readying to entangle himself in massive conflicts of interest. End Musk’s defense contracts now! Add your name: Urge President Biden to end Musk’s defense contracts before it’s too late. SOURCES: 1. Quartz, “Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos might be entrusted with America's national security space missions,” June 14, 2024. 2. New York Times, “U.S. Agencies Fund, and Fight With, Elon Musk. A Trump Presidency Could Give Him Power Over Them.” October 20, 2024. 3. Quartz, “Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos might be entrusted with America's national security space missions,” June 14, 2024. 4. NBC News, “ Elon Musk asks voters to brace for economic 'hardship,' deep spending cuts in potential Trump Cabinet role,” October 30, 2024.

This is important because in their version of America “We, The People” is no longer relevant. And as an advocate for The People, I can’t in good conscience allow this to happen. And nor should you. This is their intention as per explained by Southern Poverty Law Center in their June 2024 report: https://www.splcenter.org/anti-abortion-movement Elon drove this home with his purchase and manipulation of his social media platform by allowing them to use “Your Body, My Rights” as a campaign slogan promoted there.  Please help stop this. 

Vice President Harris confronted the hate, vitriol, and threats repeatedly spewed by Donald Trump, JD Vance, and MAGA Republicans. She did it because she believed in the promise of this country and the power of joy, community, and unity over fear and divisiveness.  Our movements are and always have been about more than a single election. Our fight to expose racism, white supremacy, and misogyny that this country was founded on, confront the powerful and wealthy elite, and resist hate meant to isolate and divide us—and instead dream and chart a better path forward—continues. It continues because of the tireless work of the movement leaders who came before us and the movement leaders of today—everyday people who endured the worst of this country and still believed in each other and the possibilities of the future. It continues because of the possibilities seeded by Kamala Harris—the hope she inspired in millions of people who saw themselves and their loved ones in her campaign, and the fire she ignited in the 67 million people who voted for the future that we still deserve.  Progress doesn’t happen overnight, and it is often faced with backlash. We appreciate Kamala Harris and the Black women and other women of color who faced that backlash head on this election. Who pushed forward. And who reminded us that our families and communities are worth fighting for every time.  We will keep fighting.  Thank you.