PUT THE BRAKES ON THE NOMINATION TRAIN
Republicans are racing to get Senate approval for as many nominations as possible, and many of them are really bad. Trump picked:
- Thomas Farr, one of the architects of North Carolina’s redistricting that federal courts invalidated as a “racial gerrymander” and the man who helped draft that state’s voter-suppression law “target[ing] African-American voters with almost surgical precision,” for the North Carolina district court.
- Jonathan Kobes, whose main qualifications are his staunchly conservative, anti-choice political beliefs, to sit on the 8th . In addition to his skimpy resume, Kobes would be the fourth white male appointed by Trump to that Circuit, which has only 1 woman.
- Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist and BFF to Big Polluters, to lead the EPA.
- Kathleen Kraninger, an Office of Management and Budget functionary with no consumer regulatory experience but close ties to Mike Mulvaney, to be Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director.
These nominees are unqualified and unfit because they oppose the mission of the institutions to which they have been nominated. Final votes for these and several dozen more judicial nominations are expected before the end of the year.
Oppose These Extremist Nominations!
Make Your Calls!
**ACTION ONE: CALL OUR SENATORS**
(Leave a message if you can’t get through)
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [town/city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because the GOP is doing its best to rush the Senate confirmation process for dozens of unfit and unqualified nominees with extremist views that are outside the mainstream and opposed to the mission of the institutions to which they have been nominated. Although Democrats are in the minority in the Senate, we need you to apply the brakes to the Republicans’ nomination process so that the American people can see how flawed it is. Please do everything you can to ensure that Trump’s regime in the US Senate can be held accountable. Thank you.”
SENATOR RON WYDEN Portland: (503) 326-7525, DC: (202) 224-5244
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 960-7691
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/
SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY
Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/
**ACTION TWO: READ “INDIVISIBLE ON OFFENSE”**
The Democratic majority in the House can now determine which bills get votes. Read Indivisible’s new strategy for how progressives can exercise their power to go on the legislative offense in 2019 and 2020 utilizing “messaging” bills and “must-pass” bills. https://indivisible.org/campaign/indivisible-whats-next Then get ready to make sure the newly-elected House uses its power wisely.
