We, the undersigned, members and retirees of Teamsters Joint Council 42 participating in the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Trust Fund (WCTPT) urge you to oppose the Give Retirement Options to Workers (GROW) Act (H.R. 4997). This legislation weakens the entire multiemployer pension system, putting our retirement security, and that of millions of other Americans, at risk. WCTPT is the largest and most successful multiemployer defined benefit pension plan in the nation. WCTPT provides retirement security to over 600,000 families in all 50 states and nearly every congressional district. We rely on the WCTPT and the current multiemployer pension system as critical components to support the financial well-being of our families. The GROW Act would change the rules for multiemployer pension plans in a way that weakens the system as a whole and threatens our retirement security: • First, the bill would drain contributions from existing multiemployer plans to fund new composite plans—setting up both plans for failure and putting our retirement benefits at risk. • Second, the bill would permit draconian cuts to workers’ promised benefits and subject retirees to devastating cuts to their pensions. • Third, the GROW Act would make it easier for employers to withdraw from pension plans without paying their fair share of the plan’s liabilities. • Fourth, the bill undermines the solvency of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) because composite plans would be exempt from paying premiums, despite creating significant new liabilities for the PBGC due to the plan failures that would result from weakening plan funding. • Finally, under the GROW Act, workers lose the safety net of PBGC insurance coverage and face the prospect of total benefit loss in the event of a plan failure. We strongly urge you to oppose the GROW Act and to instead support efforts to sustain and strengthen the multiemployer pension system in a way that protects the retirement security of millions of American workers and retirees, including those of us who depend on a healthy WCTPT for our financial future.

Donald Trump just named Iraq War architect John Bolton as his National Security Advisor and Islamophobic war hawk Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State. There's no question: Trump is building a war cabinet. But Mike Pompeo needs to clear a Senate confirmation vote before he can take the reins of the State Department. Bolton’s shockwave appointment as National Security Advisor gives us an opening to convince senators that Pompeo is a five-alarm nominee — but we’ve got to move fast. Add your name and urge the Senate to vote no on Pompeo.

General medical practice that only covers minor emergencies on campus is not enough for residents of the University. The institution should provide specialized care or discounted rates to off-campus clinics for their registered full-time students.

Pruitt has worked to derail more environmental safeguards in a shorter period of time than ever before in EPA’s 47-year history—all while spending close to $43,000 of taxpayer money to ensure nobody at EPA overhears his conversation with the President or the oil and gas industry executive he routinely hosts in his office. It's time to get him out of the EPA.

America’s most vulnerable wildlife is in jeopardy—because Congress is considering multiple attacks on the Endangered Species Act. This is an outrageous assault on America’s natural heritage. We can’t let it stand.

“How about kids, instead of looking to someone else to solve their problem, do something about maybe taking CPR classes or trying to deal with situations where there is a violent shooter?" Those are the words of Rick Santorum on CNN this weekend. Do you need any more reason to sign?

When $100 can make or break you, parking tickets can set off a series of events that completely destroy your life. I've seen vulnerable people forced into even more extreme vulnerability by Oakland's exploitative parking enforcement system.

Cambridge Analytica, the GOP data firm in the news for stealing massive amounts of user data from Facebook, might be in even deeper legal trouble for violating campaign finance law -- and so could Steve Bannon, who ran Cambridge at the time. Common Cause just filed official federal complaints with the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission, based on publicly available data that shows Cambridge and its employees repeatedly violated federal election law -- by letting foreign nationals participate in political expenditure-related decision-making of U.S. political committees in the 2014 and 2016 elections, including the Trump campaign, the John Bolton Super PAC and others. From our complaint: Cambridge "violated the federal law prohibition on foreign nationals 'directly or indirectly participat[ing] in the decision-making process of any . . . political committee . . . such as decisions concerning the making of . . . expenditures'" in connection with U.S. elections. That means Steve Bannon and his benefactor Rebekah Mercer -- who were running Cambridge at the time -- could be exposed to criminal prosecution for conspiracy or aiding and abetting these violations of our laws. We are a nation of laws, and our campaign finance laws must be enforced by the FEC and the Justice Department in order to safeguard the integrity of our elections from foreign interference. These companies and individuals ignored the law, enriched themselves performing millions of dollars of prohibited work for candidates and committees, and then boasted about the effectiveness of their activities in swaying U.S. elections. The laws Cambridge violated are meant to ensure a fair democracy where everyone plays by the rules -- and we must speak up for the rule of law. That's why it's of the utmost importance that the Federal Election Commission and Department of Justice fully investigate Cambridge Analytica's misconduct, and hold any and all wrongdoers accountable to deter future violations. Please add your name today.

The interest rates charged on delinquent property taxes are excessive and a significant cause of homelessness. If circumstances prevent a person from the timely payment of property taxes, the 16% interest rate can put them in a hole from which they can never climb out.

As a blood relative of the great Native American woman Matoaka aka Pocahontas I’m disgusted and offended by President Trump’s continued denigration of her name as a political insult. I believe most people with native blood feel the same. President Trump stop the childish insults of a native woman who had more integrity in her short life than you will ever have.

WE THE PEOPLE MUST DEMAND THAT THIS AMENDMENT BE AMENDED!! The Thirteenth Amendment (Amendment XIII) to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. In Congress, it was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, and by the House on January 31, 1865. The amendment was ratified by the required number of states on December 6, 1865. On December 18, 1865, Secretary of State William H. Seward proclaimed its adoption. It was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments adopted following the American Civil War.

The students organized the March for Our Lives to call on government to enact common sense gun restrictions. They were exercising their First Amendment rights to petition the governement for legislation so students and others are safe. Rick Santorum said they should instead take personal, individual responsibility including enrolling in CPR classes and learning ways to respond to mass shootings and not look to government or others to solve problems. Santorum should be dismissed forever as a CNN commentator and roundly condemned.