Our elected officials should govern in the public interest, not for personal financial gain. But Donald Trump's global business empire exposes him to massive conflicts of interest -- and the President is brazenly refusing to address them. And by doing so, he's violating our Constitution, says a new lawsuit by nearly 200 Democratic members of Congress. The "emoluments clause" of the Constitution forbids elected officials from taking payments from foreign governments, but the Trump Organization has business entanglements in more than 20 countries. We already know that foreign dignitaries are purposely patronizing Trump-owned hotels and other businesses to curry favor with the President -- and that could be just the tip of the iceberg. Especially given the dark cloud already hanging over this administration and its potential ties to Russian election meddling, it's critically important that the American people know if our President is receiving money from foreign governments. That's why we must call on the House Oversight Committee, and its Republican leader Trey Gowdy to use Congress's oversight role to fully investigate the President’s conflicts and overseas business ties. The Democrats wouldn’t have to sue if Congress was doing its job -- and we should use this moment to push them into action. Americans agree that strong oversight is necessary to ensure that public servants look to their time in government as a way of contributing to society, not a way of enriching themselves and their friends. Add your name and demand that Congress investigate Donald Trump's conflicts of interest.

Just after a hunger strike launched by nine detained asylum-seekers in Southern California made headlines across the country on Monday, they were brutally attacked by guards of the private prison company GEO Group (GEO). After they delivered a letter stating their demands to prison staff, GEO guards drenched the #Adelanto9 with pepper spray, beat them, handcuffed them, and transferred them to segregated housing. Some of the strikers were slammed against walls and floors and one was beaten severely enough that a dental crown was knocked out. Afterwards, strike participants reported that guards forced them to shower with hot water, which reacts with the pepper spray to greatly increase the pain, and that they were humiliated and insulted by prison staff. Despite their mistreatment, the #Adelanto9 are still on hunger strike three days later, and a group of 33 women also detained at Adelanto just announced that they, too, have begun a hunger strike! Like the 9 men whose hunger strike began on Monday, the women have demanded: 1. Adequate medical care: Adelanto is infamous for substandard medical care and is now the deadliest detention center of 2017, where three detained immigrants have died so far this year. 2. Treatment with respect: Guards for the private prison company which runs Adelanto, GEO Group, have brutalized hunger strikers and threatened others with assault, but this is just the most extreme form of daily humiliations reported by detained immigrants on a regular basis. Sara Salcido, one of the hunger strikers declares: “We want them to speak to us like we are humans, not animals. We don’t want to be disrespected and cursed at.” 3. Immediate release: Adelanto is currently holding detained immigrants on unreasonably high bonds, in the tens of thousands of dollars, which strikers have called “a humiliating joke” and not so different from the extortion demands that many of the asylum-seekers are fleeing. We call on ICE and GEO to investigate the use of force and threats by guards against hunger strikers, make the findings public, hold the guards as well as their chain of command accountable, and release all 42 hunger strikers immediately SEND A LETTER OF SUPPORT: Send a personal letter of support to the hunger strikers in Adelanto! Include a personal message in the "Comments" box at the top-left of this page (it can be in English or Spanish) and we will deliver your message to the hunger strikers as a letter to let them know they have support from around the country and around the world.

Our goal is to make the Stone Mountain Confederate Carving more inclusive and to change its designation. Who should be included in the carving on Stone Mountain? Native Americans, African Americans, women, Lincoln, Sherman, Grant, McCallum, etc. The carving should be removed If it cannot be made more representative of the Civil War history. In 1915, Samuel Venable the principal owner of Stone Mountain was a member of the Klan and hosted KKK events on his mountain for decades afterwards. Both Venable and the carving sculptor Gutzon Borglum were associated with the KKK. The KKK was a terrorist group who believed in white supremacy and race separation. The Venable Brothers deeded the north face of the mountain to the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1916 to create the carving. The UDC established the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial Association (SMCMA) for fundraising and on-site supervision of the project. The Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial Association was packed with KKK members. In 1958, the State of Georgia purchased Stone Mountain. However, the Confederate Carving was not completed until 1972. The story of Stone Mountain actually predates both the first white settlers and the Creek Indians before them. At least 12 Archaic Indian sites have been identified in the vicinity of Stone Mountain. Crystal Mountain was the name given it in 1567 when Spanish explorer Juan Pardo visited it, in search of the Moundbuilder civilization discovered by deSoto on an earlier trip. The Moundbuilders were gone, replaced by Creek Indians who called the peak Lone Mountain and used the easily spotted mountain as a meeting place. In the early 19th century, the area was known as Rock Mountain. Woodland Indians built a rock wall, encircling the top of the mountain. By the beginning of the 20th century the wall had disappeared. At the beginning of the Civil War, 22 million people lived in the North and 9 million people (4 million of whom were slaves) lived in the South. About 2.75 million soldiers fought in the Civil War 2 million for the North and 750,000 for the South. Over ninety-five percent of African Americans lived in the South. Approximately 620,000 soldiers died from combat, accident, starvation, and disease during the Civil War. By the end of the Civil War, roughly179,000 black men (10% of the Union Army) served as soldiers in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 served in the Navy. Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died over the course of the war—30,000 of infection or disease. Even though a majority of African Americans lived in the South, the racism was so deep that African Americans were not allowed to join the Confederate army or have weapons. They served only in support roles. 28,693 Native Americans served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. 250 documented cases of women serving as soldiers in the Civil War but it is suspected there were many more than that.

On June 13, 2017, the Senate narrowly failed to vote against Trump's Saudi arms deal, reflecting "mounting concern over the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen’s war," according to the New York Times. "Nearly half of the U.S. Senate sent an overwhelmingly clear message to Riyadh that ... it needs to stop killing civilians in Yemen," Human Rights Watch said. [1] The vote was 47-53, with 43 Democrats and 4 Republicans voting against Saudi Arabia and 48 Republicans and five Democrats voting in favor of Saudi Arabia. The Republicans voting against Saudi Arabia's imposition of famine in Yemen were Heller (R-NV), Lee (R-UT), Paul (R-KY), and Young (R-IN). The Democrats voting in favor of Saudi Arabia's imposition of famine in Yemen were Donnelly (D-IN), Manchin (D-WV), McCaskill (D-MO), Nelson (D-FL), and Warner (D-VA). Special criticism goes to Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who, while Republican, pretends to care about human rights. Yet Rubio voted to support Saudi Arabia's imposition of famine in Yemen. [2] Special praise goes to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who excoriated Saudi Arabia's export of extremist ideology in a strong speech on the Senate floor. [3] "Praise and protest" your Senators by signing and sharing our petition. Then call your Senators at 1-855-68-NO-WAR [1-855-686-6927]. If they voted against Saudi Arabia, say: "I thank the Senator for voting against Saudi Arabia's imposition of famine in Yemen." If they voted in favor of Saudi Arabia, you can say : "I'm very disappointed with the Senator for voting to support Saudi Arabia's imposition of famine in Yemen." When you've made your calls, report them here. [4] References: 1. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/world/middleeast/trump-weapons-saudi-arabia.html 2. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=115&session=1&vote=00143 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqbebpDHCnE 4. http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/call-in-praise-protest-senate-saudi-famine

The Oregon Legislature's session ends on July 10. Time is short to address Oregon’s housing crisis. The cuts to HB 2004 will leave Oregon’s renters vulnerable to huge rent increases and discriminatory evictions. Join us June 20th at noon on the Salem Capitol steps to rally for these demands and hold Oregon Democrats accountable.

In December 2016, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued a letter to California’s school officials calling for them to declare their districts and schools "safe havens." Livermore School District has not responded to this call. Protecting our students should include educating and guiding everyone, not only students but our community, toward a civil climate in which everyone is respected regardless of their perceived differences such as race, religion or sexual orientation. Although the protective policies are in place, they are challenging to enforce consistently. Teachers and school administrators could use support in dealing with incidents of hate speech and bullying on campus. Undocumented students and their families need to be assured that they are protected to the full extent of the law. We urge the board to show leadership by making a strong, positive, public statement through adopting a Safe Haven Resolution, followed by full and uniform implementation of its provisions. -------- En diciembre de 2016, Superintendente de Instrucción Pública, Tom Torlakson envió una carta a las autoridades escolares de California pidiendo que declaran sus distritos y las escuelas "Santuarios Escolares". El Distrito Escolar de Livermore no ha respondido a esta llamada. La protección de nuestros estudiantes debe incluir la educación y la guía de todos, no sólo de los estudiantes sino de toda la nuestra comunidad, reafirmando la promoción de un clima de tolerancia civil en donde todos son respetados independientemente de sus diferencias de raza, religión u orientación sexual. Aunque existen medidas de protección, se dificulta su aplicación sistemática. Los maestros y administradores escolares pueden recibir mas apoyo para tratar incidentes de discurso de odio y el acoso en los planteles escolares. Los estudiantes indocumentados y sus familias necesitan tener la seguridad de que gozarán de toda la protección otorgada por la ley. Instamos a la junta escolar que demuestre su liderazgo haciendo una declaración pública, solidaria y positiva mediante la adopción de una Resolución de Santuario Escolar, seguida por la aplicación completa y uniforme de sus disposiciones.

I started this because I watched the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing live, and thousands watching with me were absolutely horrified at the incompetence and lacking mental capacity of the Attorney General. I believe the American public deserves a competent lawyer making critical decisions, an Attorney General who knows what he is talking about and is able to recall his actions in regard to the safety of our democracy.

Americans deserve transparency from our government, especially when our healthcare and financial well-being is at stake. But Republican leaders seem to favor rushing a vote to repeal Obamacare over transparency and accountability. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is refusing to release a draft version of the Senate’s healthcare bill for public scrutiny, as they make a mad dash to pass get it passed before the July 4th recess. In doing so, they’re denying the American people a voice in a law that would profoundly affect each of our lives, all so they can meet an artificial deadline to appease President Trump, political donors, and special interest groups that want to repeal Obamacare. House Republicans already greased the wheels for their own healthcare bill -- granting themselves a special waiver from House rules requiring the text of legislation to be posted online for 72 hours before a vote. They were in such a hurry to vote that they didn’t even wait for the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office score to find out how many people would lose healthcare under the bill -- a nearly unprecedented step for major legislation like this. Congressional Republicans criticized the process by which the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2009, claiming it was rammed through without a fair hearing. Now, they’re doubling down on what they claimed to oppose, rushing a bill that could leave millions of Americans without health insurance. When wealthy special interests set the healthcare policy agenda instead of the American people, we all pay the price with higher premiums and less coverage. And when politicians draft bills in secret and reject common sense transparency, we all pay the price with rigged rules that benefit big donors and wealthy special interests instead of everyday people. The American people deserve transparency from our elected officials, and a fair chance to scrutinize and debate such consequential legislation. Without any publicly-available bill and public hearings, we can’t allow a vote on a bill that would affect millions of Americans. Add your name and tell Senate Republicans to share their healthcare bill with the public.

Please sign today to help our country and penalize any collusion with Russia! According to the Palmer Report: A new report connects the financial dots between Russian money and Mitch McConnell, Scott Walker and other Republican leaders. The newly unearthed research has been produced by political pundit Scott Dworkin. This week he’s posted a treasure trove of documents tying various Republican Party leaders to campaign funding that’s coming from entities that appear to be close to the Russian government. For instance he’s found that a Super PAC linked to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took $2.5 million from a pro-Kremlin oligarch in Ukraine during the most recent election. Dworkin has also determined that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker took $1 million in similar fashion during the last election cycle (link) – and he’s publicly posted the relevant documents to support his assertions. He’s also tied Republican leaders including Ted Cruz, John McCain, and Marco Rubio to much smaller amounts of Russian money (link), suggesting Russia has been trying to cover its bases across the entire GOP. And so, even as everyone from the Senate Intelligence Committee to the FBI to newly appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller digs in and attempts to determine why Donald Trump is so personally and politically loyal to Russia, and whether it’s due to a money trail, some of his most prominent allies in the Republican Party have already been confirmed to have taken money that’s come from Russia or its intermediaries. (http://www.palmerreport.com/politics/mcconnell-russia-money/3046/) Note, Legislators can be removed by the House in which they serve. What might also need to be considered, is recall. Art 1, section 2 "The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment" Article 1 section3 "The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present. Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law." "Under Article I, Section 5, clause 2, of the Constitution, a Member of Congress may be removed from office before the normal expiration of his or her constitutional term by an “expulsion” from the Senate (if a Senator) or from the House of Representatives (if a Representative) upon a formal vote on a resolution agreed to by two-thirds of the Members of that body present and voting." (2nd source) "As to removal by recall, the United States Constitution does not provide for nor authorize the recall of United States officers such as Senators, Representatives, or the President or Vice President, and thus no Member of Congress has ever been recalled in the history of the United States." As noted in the second source to permit recall would require a Constitutional amendment. That is a cumbersome process. The process of recall would require spending tax money on a recall vote. There would much political debate, name calling and maneuvering. in the case of Representatives with only a 2 year term, recall would be impractical. It would be simpler to vote them out of office at the next regular election. Source(s): http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-pub... Also see: http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/west-palm-beach/florida-senator-bill-nelson-supports-robert-mueller-as-special-counsel

In June 2013, Holman Acosta Rodriguez was detained for driving without a license during a routine checkpoint, on his way home from a soccer game with his step-son. (In North Carolina undocumented people are not able to apply for drivers’ licenses.) For the past four (4) years Holman has remained in the United States under an Order of Supervision and been allowed to obtain a work permit and driver’s license. He has complied with every rule of his supervision so he might be able to stay united with his family. He is also the beneficiary of an approved petition, which was filed on behalf of his US citizen wife. If he is given more time to stay in the US he will be able to apply for a Green Card. Today, June 14, 2017, he went to a routine check-in with USCIS and was detained! Please sign this petition to FREE HOLMAN NOW! He is a good person, and an amazing husband and step-father. He supports his wife who has medical issues and can only work part time. Without Holman’s emotional and financial support his wife won’t be able to get the care she needs and her life will be put in danger. Please sign and share widely! Thank you for your support. - Familias Unidas, Charlotte, NC

I am starting this petition on behalf of the families who lost their children and loved ones due to the horrific Sandy Hook tragedy.

I have not been personally affected by the plan for this meeting but I think the tech companies should be very wary of associating themselves closely with an administration which has demonstrated contempt for science.