Courage Campaign

Campaigns

• No pay for Congress during the shutdown

  Since October 1st, hundreds of thousands of middle-class federal employees have been furloughed due to irresponsible members of Congress who refuse to govern for the well-being of the American people. The GOP-controlled House of Representatives decided to shut down the government rather than pass a spending bill that funds the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “Obamacare.” Not only has the President’s signature healthcare law been upheld by the Supreme Court, but it was a major issue in the last presidential election when Republicans were soundly defeated. These Republican members of Congress -- including California’s own House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy -- are putting the extreme and ideological demands of a small minority over the health of the American economy. And now, federal employees, veterans, and hard-working families will be the ones that have to pay the price. That is unfair and morally reprehensible. Congress should take responsibility for their own inaction and lose their paychecks until they come to a resolution. Every day this drags on, the more damage it does to everyday Americans and our nation’s fragile economy.

  459,545 of 500,000 Signatures

  Created by Laura Leavitt, Courage Campaign
• Equal Pay for USA's Women's World Cup Champions!

  The USA’s National Women’s team just won their THIRD World Cup, but FIFA is still treating our champions as second-class citizens. The high-profile Women’s World Cup final match shattered television records with over 25 million viewers -- making it the most watched soccer game in U.S. history.(1) Yet, our world champions are being paid FORTY TIMES LESS than their male counterparts did for LOSING the World Cup last year during the first round ($576 million vs. $15 million)!(2) FIFA, which generates billions in revenue, also forced women — but not the men — to play this year’s World Cup on artificial turf. This not only increased the risk of injury, but also increased temperatures on the field by 20-30 degrees. During tournament, field temperatures reached 120 degrees.(3) It is no secret that gender-pay disparity runs rampant in the United States with women making 78 cents per dollar to men.(4) And this blatant pay discrimination by FIFA may be the most extreme case yet. It is time for FIFA’s executives to take a stand for equal pay, stop underscoring our heroic female leaders, and provide them with the same awards and privileges as men. Join me to stand alongside women and men all across the globe to right this injustice and ensure that our champions and all women receive equal pay. 1. http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/womens-world-cup-carli-lloyd-usa-win-soccer-ratings-1201534249/ 2. http://www.politico.eu/article/world-cup-women-pay-gap-gender-equality/ 3. http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2015/07/06/3677105/fifa-will-pay-us-womens-championship-team-4-times-less-mens-teams-lost-first-round/ and http://www.sportingnews.com/soccer/story/2015-06-03/womens-world-cup-turf-war-fifa-canada-artificial-turf-natural-grass 4. http://www.newrepublic.com/article/121530/women-color-make-far-less-78-cents-mans-dollar

  1,229 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Laura Leavitt, Courage Campaign
• California Republican Assembly leader must resign over offensive rape comments.

  On Friday, March 1, Celeste Greig, head of the California Republican Assembly, told the media that pregnancies by rape are rare "because it's an act of violence, because the body is traumatized." Ironically, she said this while criticizing former Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin for his comments last fall about "legitimate rape." I started this petition because I am disgusted by scientifically illiterate Republican leaders attempting to defend rape related anti-choice policies. These uneducated and fanatical politicians attempt to minimize the horrific consequences of rape in order to pursue a twisted political agenda and in so doing degrade women. Everyone is welcome to their own opinion, but not to their own facts. Rapes cause pregnancy. Celeste Greig (and other factually challenged politicians) need to resign from their high profile political positions so policy can be made based on science, not ideology.

  30,158 of 35,000 Signatures

  Created by Sarah Callahan
• California Republicans: Shut down your fake, misleading Obamacare website IMMEDIATELY

  In a last ditch attempt to undermine the Affordable Care Act -- a.k.a. Obamacare -- California Republicans have launched a fake website (CoveringHealthcareCA.com) designed to capture those interested in the state's real Obamacare site: CoveredCA.com. California Republicans have promoted the fake site with tens of thousands of taxpayer-funded mailers to constituents. It sows fear and confusion by promoting misleading or outright false information and avoiding basic facts and benefits of the law. It's a politically motivated, unconscionable attempt to prevent sick people from getting the care they need. Disagreeing on a matter of public policy is one thing, but actively working to mislead voters and prevent them from accessing healthcare is unacceptable.

  32,264 of 35,000 Signatures

  Created by Eddie Kurtz, Courage Campaign
• Tell Apple: Reject the NRA's New Shooting App

  On the one month anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, the National Rifle Association launched a free mobile application for Apple's iPhone and iPad that allows users, even children, to shoot at targets with various types of guns, including assault weapons. Initially the app was recommended for users as young as 4. On January 15th, Apple responded to our concerns by raising the recommended age to 12 and adding warnings of graphic violence (http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nra-shooting-game-longer-preschoolers-18223790). This is a step in the right direction, but the app itself is shameless, insensitive and counterproductive, whether played by a 4-year-old or a teenager. We ask Apple to rescind approval of it.

  3,711 of 4,000 Signatures

  Created by Adam Bink
• L.A. City Council: Sever your "sister city" relationship with anti-gay St. Petersburg

  Russia's elected leaders are out of control -- and we can't stand for it any longer. First came a ban on the adoption of Russian-born children not only to gay couples but also to any couple or single parent living in any country where marriage equality exists. Then came a law allowing police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian or “pro-gay” and detain them for up to 14 days. And then the "gay propaganda" law, making any parent who tells their child that being gay is okay, any Pride parade organizer, any health official distributing information regarding safe sex between same-sex partners, even a judge or lawyer, can be subject to arrest or fine. Already people are being arrested, beaten, intimidated and more. One lawmaker even vowed that foreign nationals attending the 2014 Sochi Olympics would be subject to this. The St. Petersburg Assembly led the way for the "gay propaganda" law, legalizing it in 2012. The Los Angeles City Council failed to take action then, and Russia took the law nationwide recently. It is time for action now. In 1979, Los Angeles suspended its sister city relationship with Tehran, Iran over the hostage crisis. We can and should do so now. If we build enough pressure in advance of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Russia will be forced to act. Sign with me to tell the Los Angeles City Council: sever your sister city relationship with St. Petersburg.

  1,461 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Courage Campaign
• Tell California legislators: Women deserve equal pay NOW!

  It's shameful that in 2015, women make 78 cents for every dollar a man earns. And that wage disparity is even higher among minority groups. Latinas make $0.54 and black women make $0.64 for every dollar a white man makes. Over a 40-year career, the average woman loses out on $431,000 -- and that number is nearly doubled for women of color. These wage gaps represent more than short-term losses. It represents a lifetime of being devalued in the workplace. It's past the time for all that to change! Equal pay for women is the right thing for our economy, for California, and for our nation. Senate Bill 358 will address this wage inequality by strengthening protections against pay discrimination for women and stopping retaliation against workers who make inquiries about pay. If we can pass SB 358 in California, we can serve as a model for the nation and urge other states and the U.S. Congress to pass similar legislation. JOIN US and help drive the movement for equal pay forward by signing our petition today!

  5,312 of 6,000 Signatures

  Created by Laura Leavitt
• STOP Act: Put an end to sexual violence in the military

  Sexual violence in the U.S. military is a crisis. The Pentagon estimates that sexual assaults increased from 19,000 in 2011 to 26,000 in 2012. That's 71 sexual assaults EVERY DAY, and in roughly 56% of cases, the victims are men. Making matters worse, each branch of the armed forces has its own judicial system. It's currently legal for base commanders to overturn a jury's guilty verdict, as happened at Aviano Air Force Base in February 2013. The STOP Act takes the prosecution, reporting, oversight, investigation, and victim care of sexual assaults out of the normal military chain of command -- which has proven grossly ineffective -- and places jurisdiction in an autonomous Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office. Join us to help pass it.

  59,890 of 75,000 Signatures

  Created by Congresswoman Jackie Speier
• The University of California Must Admit More Californians!

  The University of California (UC) system was built by Californians to serve Californians and should continue to prioritize Californians. The UCs have been turning away record numbers of qualified California high school students in favor of out-of-state candidates who can pay a greater price -- “full freight” -- for tuition. Meanwhile, California families are struggling as income inequality hits record highs, and tuition at the University of California has increased more than 300% since 2000. Despite all this, the Governor refuses to prioritize increased funding for higher education. While we recognize that including students from all over the country and the world is valuable to enhance diversity, the University of California must prioritize California families who have paid to support the system all their lives. Further tuition increases for in-state students is not the answer. The state, led by the Governor, must increase funding for higher education so the UC system can once again provide an affordable, world class education for all qualified Californians.

  329 of 400 Signatures

  Created by Lindsay Marsak, Courage Campaign
• Demand Nestlé immediately stop bottling precious water from California during drought!

  While the entire state is urged to conserve water and is potentially facing mandatory water usage restrictions, Nestlé is bottling the scarce resource straight from the heart of California’s drought and selling it for profit -- according to a recent Desert Sun report. Since Nestlé’s bottling plant -- which extracts water for its Arrowhead and Pure Life brands -- is located on the Morongo Band of Mission Indians’ reservation, it is exempt from oversight by local water agencies and is able to keep information about its groundwater levels and usage confidential. Therefore, it’s impossible to know just how much of the limited resource the plant is extracting to export and sell elsewhere. And to top it off, the bottling plant is located in one of the most drought-stricken areas of the state. With a recent report showing that California only has enough water to last the state one more year, we must put an end to this madness at Nestlé before it’s too late. Join us!

  30,630 of 35,000 Signatures

  Created by Laura Leavitt, Courage Campaign