The Trump Administration has escalated U.S. military attacks against forces associated with the Syrian government - without Congressional authorization. Under the Constitution, such military actions should not happen if they have not been authorized by Congress. The U.S. military engaged in strikes against pro-government forces on May 18, June 6, and June 8, and shot down armed Iranian-made drones in Southern Syria on June 8 and June 20. On June 18 a U.S. fighter aircraft shot down a Syrian SU-22 bomber, marking the first time the U.S. has downed a manned Syrian aircraft in the course of the Syrian conflict. On June 26, the White House released a statement threatening further military action against the Syrian government. [1] The key to preventing U.S. military escalation in Syria is getting Members of Congress to speak up in writing against it. In 2013, U.S. military escalation in Syria was prevented because Members of Congress signed letters insisting that President Obama come to Congress for authorization before taking military action. [2] Congressional Progressive Caucus Vice Chair Rep. David Cicilline [D-RI] is circulating a letter to President Trump insisting that he stop escalating in Syria without Congressional authorization. Urge your Representative to join the Cicilline letter by signing our petition. References: 1. https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/assert-war-powers-to?r_by=1135580 2. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/8/29/1234850/-162-Reps-Including-64-Democrats-Call-for-Debate-Vote-Before-War-With-Syria

If Republican legislators are going to introduce massive, structural change into the health care sector, it is only fair that they should personally experience the effects of this change. Direct empirical experience of the law will be the best test of its proclaimed benefits. We should let Congress enjoy the same quality of insurance that will be available to Americans on the self-insured market. That's why I started a petition to end taxpayer subsidies for Congress's health care and to make Trumpcare mandatory for members of Congress, their staffs, and their respective families if they vote to pass Trumpcare.

On Thursday, June 22nd the New Jersey state Assembly passed a bill that would require schools to teach children from K-12 how to interact with police. Assembly Bill A1114 passed in the Assembly 76-0 and was sent to the State Senate Education Committee. The primary sponsors of the bill were Sheila Oliver, Mila Jasey, and Cleopatra Tucker, who represent the Assembly. This bill shifts the burden of a police encounter from the law enforcement professional to the child. The bill requires children to be taught "mutual cooperation;" however, nowhere in the bill does it require law enforcement professionals to be properly trained in respecting the rights guaranteed to every child under the Constitution. The initial version of the bill required schools to teach students how to comply with law enforcement officials but ignored teaching students about their constitutionally protected rights. Out of the nine organizations on the advisory committee, six will represent the law enforcement and public education institutions. Assembly Bill A1114 will strip power from the parent and instead entrust the public education and law enforcement stakeholders to craft a curriculum for your child. Do not let the state indoctrinate your child with a curriculum that shifts the burden on them. The National Independent Black Parent Association is calling on all parents to sign the petition and call NJ Senators to tell them you do not support Bill A1114. Also contact State Senators Teresa Ruiz, Shirley Turner, Diane Allen, James Beach, and Michael Doherty, who are members of the state Senate Education Committee.

Transparency is a bedrock value in in our democracy. Our democracy relies on a free, fair, and adversarial press to hold power accountable. That’s why it’s so alarming that President Trump’s White House has decided to ban television cameras and live audio from multiple press briefings -- CNN even had to send in a sketch artist instead, while C-SPAN showed just the podium! It’s just the latest example of the White House refusing to communicate openly with the American people about the decisions it makes that affect all of us -- from our healthcare to our national security. When journalists challenged this latest move, Sean Spicer just replied that the White House was doing what “we can to communicate our message” and that Administration has “tremendous respect for the First Amendment.” But this ban smacks of contempt for the First Amendment as well as the American people -- not “respect.” The camera and live audio ban is part of a disturbing pattern out of the Trump Administration to attack institutions that serve as a check on power. Whether it is the President’s Tweet that the media is the “enemy of the American People” or rhetorical broadsides against the federal judiciary, Americans are increasingly aware of the hostility that the Trump Administration has shown to those whose job it is to safeguard and uncover the truth. But we’re not an authoritarian state -- we must stand up for a free and independent press that holds power accountable. Tell the White House to drop its ban on cameras and live audio from press briefings.

Late on Monday, June 26, the White House threatened military escalation against the Syrian government. US defense officials reached by BuzzFeed News said they were unaware the White House was planning to release its statement. [1] Military officials were caught off guard by the White House statement, the New York Times reported. [2] As Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote at the Washington Post, "While Washington is fixated on President Trump’s tweets, antics, lies and Russiagate, the administration is ramping up a stealth escalation of our military involvement across the Middle East." [3] Congress has never authorized the use of military force against the Syrian government, just as it has never authorized U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. [4] Under the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution, Congress, not the President, decides if the U.S. should use military force against the Syrian government, so long as the Syrian government has not attacked the United States. Attacking Syria without Congressional authorization is an impeachable offense. [5] Some Members of Congress are speaking up. Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Mark Pocan said, "Trump must get Congress's approval before plunging us into unauthorized war with Syria. The Constitution demands it." [6] Rep. Barbara Lee said, "Congress hasn’t authorized Pres Trump to take action in Syria. A statement released by the WH in the dead of night doesn’t change that fact." [7] Rep. Ted Lieu said, "Assad is horrific. But Congress has never authorized @realDonaldTrump to use force against him or Syria, a country that has not attacked US." [8] Rep. Michael Capuano said, "the President must observe the Constitution and seek Congressional approval before he takes any further military action in Syria." [9] Rep. Pramila Jayapal said, "If Trump truly believes there is an urgent case for waging war in Syria, he must seek authorization from Congress." [10] Urge your representatives in Congress to join these Members in asserting Congress' Constitutional war powers to challenge Trump's unconstitutional military escalations by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.buzzfeed.com/claudiakoerner/white-house-says-syria-may-be-preparing-another-chemical 2. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/26/us/politics/syria-will-pay-a-heavy-price-for-another-chemical-attack-trump-says.html 3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-chaos-is-covering-for-stealth-escalation-overseas/2017/06/27/30bab1f0-5a9d-11e7-a9f6-7c3296387341_story.html 4. https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/house-back-un-call-for?r_by=1135580 5. http://www.npr.org/2017/05/17/528743744/the-president-the-comey-memo-and-the-elephant-in-the-room-impeachment 6. https://twitter.com/repmarkpocan/status/879727854312968192 7. https://twitter.com/RepBarbaraLee/status/879724659213824001 8. https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/879527084758093826 9. https://www.facebook.com/RepMichaelCapuano/posts/1340254579362321 10. https://twitter.com/RepJayapal/status/879683252100841472

Under Trump's proposed budget all long distance Amtrak passenger train services would lose federal support and could be discontinued. The national passenger train network would be destroyed. It would no longer be possible to cross the United States by train. As the resident of a small community I would no longer be able to travel to see family or pursue business and employment possibilities. Many other small towns across the USA would lose their ability to travel to the outside world to seek medical help, educational opportunities and job opportunities. The amount of federal support for these Amtrak services is very small compared to the rest of the federal budget. Many more tax dollars are spent in supporting the White House fleet of airplanes than is spent on the entire Amtrak budget. For more information on this issue go the the website of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) at NARP rail.org.

Despite enormous gains in productivity, working families in the United States have seen almost no pay increase in the last forty years. In fact, a typical family is making less today than they did in the year 2000. These extreme levels of income inequality are holding back our potential economic growth and making it harder for working people to thrive in America. That's why we're calling on Congress to support legislation we introduced with Sen. Sherrod Brown for a $1 trillion raise for workers. By boosting the "Earned Income Tax Credit," we can give working families a 20% raise to compensate them for the stagnancy of wages since 1979. As an example, a single mother with two kids who makes $40,000 a year would get nearly an $8,000 raise. Our proposal would be a massive boon for the economy, putting more money in the hands of people who will in turn create jobs. Sen. Brown and I are grateful to already have the backing of Robert Reich on this proposal. Now, we're asking for MoveOn members to join us and call on members of Congress to cosponsor our bill. Let's pass a long overdue raise for working families! Sign our petition to Congress now to say you support our $1 trillion expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Chicago has a serious problem with violent and unaccountable policing, and one of the biggest obstacles to accountability and reform is the Fraternal Order of Police, and their contract with the city. Police should not be above the law, but provisions in their contract have allowed them to assault, brutalize, and kill Black people without any real consequence.The epidemic of police violence and corruption will continue until we change the rules and hold the police accountable like everyone else.

AMHP has been at the forefront of ensuring that Americans are aware of and connected to health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and this new bill will have devastating consequences for the most vulnerable members of our population and will undermine many of the gains made over these past four open enrollment cycles. An estimated 22 million Americans will lose their health care coverage. There will also be a reduction in coverage for our most vulnerable populations—including those suffering from addiction and mental illness. Promoting affordable and attainable healthcare coverage for all Americans has been a top priority for AMHP. As an organization that represents over 2,000 health professionals and students, we are committed to keeping the ACA's protections in place.

Our jaws are on the floor. The Senate version of the Trumpcare bill is worse than even our darkest fears. It will take a wrecking ball to health care in this country, leaving millions without care, making health care unaffordable for many, eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood, and giving massive tax cuts to the wealthy. Shockingly, this bill's cuts to Medicaid are even deeper than those passed by the House--at a moment when Medicaid and Medicare should be dramatically expanded. If the House bill was 'mean,' this bill is cruel. Nothing remotely like this bill should be considered by any member of Congress, and amendments won't get it into the ballpark of the compassionate and practical policy-making we need from our elected officials. As-is or with fig-leaf amendments, this bill would go down in history as the most cruel, destructive act of wealth transfer to the richest Americans at the expense of kids, low-income Americans, the elderly, those with disabilities, and the vast majority of Americans. It's a moral disaster and political malpractice by any senators who dare to support it.

I do not want to live in a nation where the government of the nation is committing GENOCIDE on innocent human beings in that nation. I do not know if a vote in favor of trumpcare is an act of GENOCIDE. Before there is a vote on trumpcare we need, as a nation, to decide if one of the side effects of the bill is to commit GENOCIDE.

Under Trump's proposed budget all long distance Amtrak passenger train services would lose federal support and would be discontinued. The national passenger train network would be destroyed. It would no longer be possible to cross the United States by train. As the resident of a small community I would no longer be able to travel to see family or pursue business and employment possibilities. Many other small towns across the USA would lose their ability to travel to the outside world to seek medical help, educational opportunities and job opportunities. The amount of federal support for these Amtrak services is very small compared to the rest of the federal budget. Many more tax dollars are spent in supporting the White House fleet of airplanes than is spent on the entire Amtrak budget. For more information on this issue go the the website of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) at NARP rail.org.