NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION!
STAND UP FOR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS
On President’s Day, we highlight three of the many threats to democratic institutions brought about by the current President and his party in Congress:
- The end run around Congress’s power of the purse, in which Trump declares a fake national emergency after Congress made clear that it would not fund a wall
- The possibility that the new Attorney General may interpret Justice Department rules so narrowly that Mueller’s report is never released
- The threat that Senate Majority Leader will use the “nuclear option” to unilaterally shorten debate to only two hours for most Trump judicial nominees.
As one expert on authoritarianism said, “Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning.”*
Today, in honor of the Presidency and the Constitution, we must defend democratic institutions and the checks and balances established by the Constitution. Demand that Congress: 1) revoke the national emergency and 2) pass legislation to make the Mueller report public; and also in the Senate that 3) rules about debate on Trump’s nominees remain untouched.
*Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons for the Twentieth Century, (NY: Tim Duggan Books, 2017), 22.
**ACTION ONE: CALL OUR SENATORS**
Sample script for Senators Wyden and Merkley:
“My name is [–] and I live in [town/city], Oregon [zip code]. I am deeply concerned about the erosion of democratic institutions. I am calling to ask the Senator to do everything he can to strengthen democratic institutions in three ways:
- Overturn Trump’s fake emergency.
- Pass legislation to make sure the Mueller report is made public.
- Prevent a rules change that would shorten debate on nominations.
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: CALL COMPLICIT GREG WALDEN**
Sample script (Note: Walden has come out against the emergency declaration!):
“My name is [–] and I live in [town/city], Oregon [zip code]. I am deeply concerned about the erosion of democratic institutions. I thank Mr. Walden for opposing Trump’s national emergency, and ask that he now:
- Vote to overturn Trump’s fake emergency and use your considerable power to persuade colleagues to join you
- Vote for legislation to make sure the Mueller report is made public.
Thank you.”
COMPLICIT GREG WALDEN
DC (202) 225-6730, Medford: (541) 776-4646
Bend (541) 389-4408, La Grande (541) 624-2400
https://walden.house.gov/contact-greg/email-me
**ACTION THREE: BE AN ACTIVIST**
Visit the ORD2 Indivisible Event Calendar on a regular basis to keep updated on our local activities. Participate with us as often as you can. Check out the following:
FLASH RALLY! Presidents Day Protest #FakeNationalEmergency – Ashland
TODAY – February 18 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/flash-rally-presidents-day-protest-fakenationalemergency-ashland/
Graphic by Nancy Bardos
Non-ORD2 Indivisible Sponsored Event: Senator Ron Wyden Town Hall – Medford
February 20 @ 10:15 am – 11:30 am
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/non-ord2-indivisible-sponsored-event-senator-roy-wyden-town-hall-medford/
Non-ORD2 Indivisible Sponsored Event: SOCAN’s February Monthly Meeting: Bugged by Global Warming: Insects in a Changing Climate – Medford
February 26 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/non-ord2-indivisible-sponsored-event-socans-february-monthly-meeting-bugged-by-global-warming-insects-in-a-changing-climate-medford/
Non-ORD2 Indivisible Sponsored Event: Political Repression in the Era of Climate Crisis – Talent
February 27 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/non-ord2-indivisible-sponsored-event-political-repression-in-the-era-of-climate-crisis-talent/
SUBMIT EVENTS TO BE ADDED TO THE ORD2 INDIVISIBLE EVENT CALENDAR
Help us keep current with our event postings. https://ord2indivisible.org/submit-your-event/
SOURCES:
Trump’s national emergency:
Nuclear option: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/21/senate-rules-gop-1116521
https://www.vox.com/2019/2/13/18220542/senate-rules-committee-trump-nominees
AG and Mueller report: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/16/us/politics/mueller-report-release-trump.html