Action Items List - 12 December 2024

It's an incomplete list, but it will get you started

Before I get to the items I’m going to cover with you, look at the image - it’s a written list. Not a typed list. Not a list on your phone or computer. A WRITTEN list.

When you write things down, they have far more impact than any other way of recording them. Using pen and paper enhances learning and memory. There are a lot of other good reasons for using pen and paper, and I’ll spare you - but I’m going to give you a list from which you should select several items to work on, and if you write, it will be easier to think through exactly what you want to do, and who you may want to ask to join you. In addition, it helps with concentration.

So let’s start.

The Senate is in for a bit longer, and President Biden is in office until noon on 20 January. There may be things that you want them to do before some retire, and control of the Senate is given over to the miscreants.

The Action Item is to reach out to YOUR Senators¹, and the President. That which matters differs from one person to another, so select from the list below and communicate YOUR priorities.

You can email through the official websites. You can also use ResistBot².

Topics:

• Confirm more judges. Write your Senators.

• Confirm more regulatory positions. (Senators)

• Release the Gaetz Report. Rumor has it that the pedophile is going to be on one of those far-right networks - but before he re-emerges in public life, perspiring minds want to know… (Representative)

• Publication of the ERA. I’ve been told that President Biden can publish this, alternately, that Vice President Harris can. You’d contact them AND your Rep and Senators. It hasn’t been published because the time frame for ratification ran out, although enough states ratified. But if it’s published, it ends up going to court, and slows down the incoming fascist regime, and ends up putting all Rethuglicans on record regarding whether women are full citizens or not. (Biden and Harris)

• Abolition of the federal death penalty. (Biden)

• Spend every dollar possible from the IRA. (Biden)

• Every possible dollar and armament to Ukraine. (Biden)

You may have other issues that truly matter to you - add them to the list, and reach out to the appropriate parties.

I have not included anything about passing the NDAA or any of the other appropriations bills, nor doing anything about the debt ceiling³. There are people who want to see certain things in the bills, and care that either all 12 bills pass by 20 December (HA HA HA HA HA) or a CR is passed, and if that’s you - write your Rep and Senators. Personally, I’m rooting for the new fascist regime (ALL OF IT) to fail. And if Congress reconvenes on 3 January facing a government that’s been shut down for all of holiday season, and they therefore need to deal with that prior to things like the bathroom bill, I’m all in for that. Yes, it’s bad for government workers. Yes, it’s bad for DC tourism during the holidays. Yes, it’s bad because it’s bad.

But.

In addition to everything WE can do to promote democracy, get Democrats elected in 2025, and various protests and actions, THEY need to fail due to their own ineptitude, avarice, peccadillos, and outright crime. And every single obstacle they can face helps that failure effort.

1. Senators (and Representatives) only care about emails, cards, letters and phone calls that come from their constituents. There are things floating around the internet to ask Chuck Schumer, in his position as Majority Leader, to do this or that. No - contact YOUR Senators. It’s a good idea for everyone to know the names of all 100 Senators, but at least, you should know your Senators.

2. ResistBot goes on your phone (or iPad, albeit no other tablet) and allows you to send mail to your elected Federal representatives (and some mayors). If you can afford it, I recommend upgrading to Premium so you can send more messages and do other cool things. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve had a premium ResistBot account since a few months after they launched. When Pat Toomey was my senator, I used ResistBot to write to him most days of the week.

3. It is reinstated on 2 January at June 2023 debt limits — using “extraordinary measures” there should be enough to cover everything until at least tax season, and we’ll see how much comes in.