Common Cause

Campaigns

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  President Biden: Lead the way for voting rights

  Earlier this summer, President Biden told a crowd in Oklahoma that he was going to “fight like heck” to ensure the For the People Act passes. But weeks later, he’s still leaving multiple options on the table -- letting Mitch McConnell’s filibuster get in the way of this once-in-a-generation legislation. In that time, several states have moved new laws that would make it harder for voters, especially Black and Brown voters, to cast their ballot. And if we don’t act soon, anti-democracy forces -- like Big Money special interests and gerrymandering politicians -- will have free reign to manipulate the 2022 elections to their advantage. Our democracy can’t wait -- and we can’t risk our future in futile hopes that Mitch McConnell will come to the negotiating table. We urgently need President Biden to keep his promise by doing everything in his power to get the For the People Act over the finish line. The For the People Act includes proven, comprehensive provisions that would protect the freedom to vote, end partisan gerrymandering, limit Big Money’s stranglehold on our democracy, hold elected officials to a higher ethical standard, and so much more. Restoring our democracy is far too important a job to let Mitch McConnell veto it with a Senate minority. McConnell and Senate Republicans already filibustered debate on the For the People Act -- and we can’t let them do it again. If we want to see this historic bill passed this summer, Biden needs to get bold -- and fast. He must publicly urge the Senate to abolish the filibuster, wield the power of the bully pulpit, and appeal directly to senators like Joe Manchin, who we’ll need to break McConnell’s stranglehold on the Senate. If Biden doesn’t take bold action right now, he’ll be handing control of many of his top priorities and his legacy over to Mitch McConnell. Add your name and urge President Biden to do whatever it takes to pass the For the People Act.

  6 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
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  Save the USPS: Fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

  Even though Donald Trump is no longer president, his handpicked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy remains in charge at the USPS -- and is still trying to run this cherished institution into the ground. Last year, DeJoy -- a GOP mega-donor with no previous USPS experience -- made headline after headline for his efforts to sabotage the Postal Service. He imposed outrageous restrictions on postal workers, had mailboxes removed by the truckload, and more. And though many of these dangerous directives were reversed by courts, thanks to lawsuits from voting rights groups -- we now know that hamstringing the USPS was a key part of Trump’s plan to undermine vote-by-mail in the 2020 election. Trump even admitted it, when he opposed funding the USPS by saying: “they need that money in order to make the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots.” [1] But even now that the election is behind us, DeJoy remains committed to bringing the Postal Service to a grinding halt. Earlier this year, he unveiled a 10-year plan that would further slow down first-class mail delivery, reduce Post Office hours, and raise postage prices. Recently, President Biden’s three nominees for the USPS Board of Governors -- which has the authority to fire DeJoy -- were confirmed by the Senate, potentially giving the Board a more reform-minded majority. But as of now, the Board hasn't made any commitments either way about DeJoy’s future at the USPS. So unless we take action immediately, DeJoy could remain Postmaster General for, in his words, “a long time,” [2] -- calling the shots for the very agency he has tried to destroy. Americans nationwide are counting on the Postal Service to safely deliver their paychecks, life-saving medications, and more. Add your name to tell the USPS Board of Governors to defend this vital public service by firing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. 1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/12/postal-service-ballots-dejoy/ 2) https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/24/politics/usps-board-of-governors-joe-biden-nominees/index.html

  67 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
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  Pass the For the People Act & protect our planet

  Recently, a haunting image made its way around the Internet and shocked the world: thanks to an underwater pipeline that had burst, the Gulf of Mexico was actually on fire. This devastating event was a reminder to all of us that if our democracy can’t respond to the climate crisis -- we are sure to face horrific consequences. Nearly two-thirds of Americans agree with scientists that protecting the environment should be a top priority for the president and Congress. [1] And yet year after year, our elected officials fail to pass dozens of popular, common-sense reforms to combat the climate crisis. Why? Because those who prefer the status quo -- those who are willing to endanger our planet to protect their profits -- have an outsize say in our political process. That’s right: voter suppression tactics, campaign finance loopholes, and weak ethics laws ensure that politicians and their polluting corporate backers get to make the rules, not the American people. We all pay the price for that -- but especially communities of color, which not only are the primary target for anti-voter laws, but also face a disproportionate burden from the climate crisis. That’s not how our democracy should work. We’re calling on the Senate to pass the For the People Act -- a bill that’d strengthen disclosure laws so we know which candidates rely on fossil fuel money, make it possible to run for office without selling out to polluters, and give those communities targeted by environmental racism a meaningful voice in politics. But Mitch McConnell and his GOP allies have mounted a partisan blockade against the For the People Act, filibustering the bill in June. In this high-stakes moment, we must urge the Senate to abolish the filibuster -- and protect our planet by passing the For the People Act. 1) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/21/how-americans-see-climate-change-and-the-environment-in-7-charts/

  1,152 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
• Limit Tax Money Spent on Trumps

  Trump's family business trips and vacations cost taxpayers over $11 million in just his first month in office. That $11 million paid for security on Trump's children's business trips on behalf of the Trump business organization and for Trump's three trips to the Mar-a-Lago resort, which he owns. By contrast, the Obamas' personal travel expenses averaged $12 million per year through eight years in office. In light of this exorbitant spending, Representative Earl Blumenauer introduced the No Taxpayer Revenue Used to Monetize the Presidency Act, or, the No TRUMP Act, to prohibit the use of taxpayer funds to pay for events, overnight stays, food, and other miscellaneous expenses at hotels owned or operated by a president or his or her relatives. What's worse, while the taxpayers continue to pay millions for him to play golf, Trump recently unveiled his cruel and immoral budget plan that would cut funding to PBS, NEA, Meals on Wheels, heat assistance, and other important social services. Essentially, we, the taxpayers, are paying exorbitant sums for the wealthy Trumps to further enrich themselves personally. It's hypocrisy and it's unfair to taxpayers. Lawmakers must find a way to limit extravagant spending by this administration—especially when it profits the president personally—and prevent similar behavior by future administrations and presidents.

  219,063 of 300,000 Signatures

  Created by Maja Seif
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  EXPOSED: These corporations fund voter suppression

  GOP lawmakers nationwide -- who are upset that their party lost major elections in 2020 -- are using ex-President Trump’s conspiracy theories to pass new laws that make it harder to vote. In April, UPS released a statement that condemned this widespread attack on our rights and pledged to work with lawmakers to “strengthen our democracy by facilitating equitable poll access.” [1] Why, then, does UPS still fund one of the major right-wing groups pushing these horrific anti-voter laws? That’s right: UPS is one of the many companies that funds the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). And both before and after the election, ALEC has worked around the clock to restrict the freedom to vote, spread vicious lies about the integrity of our electoral process, and undermine American democracy entirely. ALEC’s top figures have been widely pushing Trump’s “Big Lie” about the 2020 election in an effort to manipulate the American public. At the same time, ALEC representatives have met with prominent GOP lawmakers -- like Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Rand Paul -- to discuss strategies to restrict voters’ rights. And according to one report -- in 2021 alone, more than 100 ALEC-connected state legislators have been lead sponsors or co-sponsors of anti-voter bills in Georgia, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas. [2] The fact is: by continuing to back ALEC financially, companies like UPS, FedEx, and Anheuser-Busch are endorsing this modern Jim Crow effort. And they’re hoping everyday Americans won’t notice. Over the last few years, we’ve pushed over 100 major companies to cut ties with ALEC due to its extreme agenda -- and now, we need to keep the public outcry going. Add your name to condemn these corporations’ hypocrisy and urge them to stop funding ALEC immediately. 1) https://about.ups.com/us/en/newsroom/statements/ups-supports-equitable-poll-access-and-voting.html 2) https://www.commoncause.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ALEC-anti-voter-letter.pdf

  24,740 of 25,000 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
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  Stop letting Mitch McConnell destroy our democracy

  Right now, Mitch McConnell is using every dirty trick in his playbook to preserve his own power, stifle the will of the voters, and block progress on issues that matter to the American people. Just look at his latest outrageous move: despite the immense support for a 9/11-style investigation into the January 6th insurrection from constituents and legislators alike -- McConnell and his Senate cronies filibustered this bill. That’s just shameful. After a violent insurrection that put his colleagues in mortal danger, McConnell decided to protect his party and cover for Donald Trump rather than get real answers for the American people. Plus, this isn’t the only extremely popular bill that Republicans have committed to filibustering. The For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1), which would protect our freedom to vote and stop states from playing partisan games with their election laws, passed the House this year and is headed to the Senate floor. But McConnell has called blocking the For the People Act his “top priority” -- and has threatened to abuse the filibuster to do it. It seems that he and other Republicans have made their priorities clear: party over country, Trump over democracy, and obstruction over progress. Here’s what our elected officials can do about it -- the Senate must swiftly abolish the filibuster, an outdated and undemocratic parliamentary maneuver that McConnell and others have abused to hamstring Congress. If you agree that it’s time for our elected officials to step up and put a stop to Mitch McConnell’s dangerous partisan games -- add your name today.

  1,239 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
• End Unfair Drawing of Legislative Districts in Maryland

  Maryland’s districts are comically gerrymandered. These maps are drawn behind closed doors, with no meaningful opportunity for public comment or review. As a result, they slice and dice counties, communities, and neighborhoods. Your legislators now need to hear from you that Maryland needs a change in how we draw our districts.

  25 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause Maryland
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  Demand statehood for DC

  Wyoming has 578,000 people, is 92% white, and has two US senators. Vermont has 624,000 people, is 94% white, and has two US senators. DC has 705,000 people, is 47% Black -- and has zero senators. As local advocacy group DC Vote notes: “With a majority Black and Brown population, the fight for DC Statehood cannot be separated from the fight for racial justice.” But right now, those living in our nation’s capital don’t get the fundamental rights that their fellow Americans enjoy -- like a meaningful vote, real representation, and a full voice in their government. That’s because the Constitution says that only states can be represented in Congress. And as a result, DC residents have no one to fight for them in the Senate -- and in the House, they only have a non-voting delegate. People in DC pay more in total federal income tax than those in 22 other states -- only to get no say in how those tax dollars are spent. (It’s the reason DC license plates say “Taxation Without Representation.”) And Washingtonians have fought and died in every war our country has been in -- yet those veterans are denied the very freedoms they risked their lives for. These Americans have been denied a seat at the table of our democracy for far too long. And the Washington, DC Admission Act -- which was passed by the House in June -- would bring an end to this long-standing injustice. If you believe that EVERY American deserves an equal say in our democracy, tell the Senate to make DC the 51st state.

  1,292 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
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  Sign the Petition: We need a fully functional FCC

  During the pandemic, one thing became entirely clear: in our 21st-century democracy, We the People must have access to affordable Internet and phone services. But as we move toward the second half of 2021, the FCC remains deadlocked with two Democrat commissioners and two Republican commissioners. With no nomination for the fifth and final commissioner -- the FCC is below full capacity, meaning the agency isn’t able to deliver open and reliable high-speed broadband to every home. Frankly, this is unacceptable -- without a fifth commissioner, former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s legacy of decision-making that put profits over people and industry interest over the public interest remains in place. We can’t afford inaction and compromises when we are so heavily dependent on affordable, reliable Internet access. Plus, this is all the more urgent given the fact low-income families and people of color are disproportionately disconnected from high-speed internet access, compounding grave inequalities that were only made worse during the pandemic. Given the Senate’s legislative calendar and the diminishing number of days left for hearings and confirmation votes, we have reached a critical point to guarantee the FCC can do meaningful work during the Biden administration. If we are to reach the goal of having a country where everyone -- no matter their address or size of their bank account -- has affordable access to high-speed internet, we need a fully functional FCC as soon as possible. Please add your name to demand that the White House take action now.

  476 of 500 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
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  NEW: Trump-approved postmaster general's policies could delay mail-in ballots

  The United States Postal Service offers crucial services for Americans nationwide -- including enabling millions to vote safely from home this year. But if Trump’s new postmaster general gets his way, the agency will become so overburdened that it can no longer reliably provide these services. That means voters' ability to cast an absentee ballot during this pandemic will be limited -- potentially disenfranchising countless Americans in November, or forcing them to risk their health at the polls. Since the Postal Service’s founding, USPS workers have been committed to ensuring that every piece of mail gets delivered in a timely, reliable fashion -- and that the mail is picked up from every address every day, even despite staffing shortages. But DeJoy -- a Trump mega-donor with no previous USPS experience -- just implemented extreme new regulations that will inhibit postal workers’ ability to do their jobs. He is eliminating all overtime, cutting all extra trips, and directly instructing mail carriers to leave mail behind at distribution centers -- if delivering it might extend their hours. This will lead to serious delivery delays of everything from life-saving medications to vote-by-mail ballots and 2020 Census forms. And it’s particularly dangerous as we get closer to Election Day -- when there will be a substantial increase in vote-by-mail usage across the country, straining the Postal Service’s now artificially limited capacity. DeJoy claims these changes will cut costs -- but more likely, they’ll put the already beleaguered agency in even deeper financial peril, while also crushing customers’ confidence in the USPS. Instead, our senators need to step up for the Postal Service and follow the House’s lead in passing crucial funding to save it. Right now, we need a massive outcry directed at DeJoy from everyday Americans who rely on the Postal Service. Add your name today.

  64,316 of 75,000 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause