85 weeks to the presidential election
The AoC Checklist features clear, well-researched actions for Americans who value democracy, equality, voting, and decency. We are a big tent for all people who want a kinder, flourishing nation.
If you only have 10 minutes, take our top three suggested actions:
- Action 6: Oppose a proposal for restrictive new asylum policies by March 27.
- Action 1: Demand transparency in political funding.
- Action 5: Protect access to abortion pills.
In this edition of the AoC Checklist:
- House actions: What we’re contacting our House reps about.
- Action 1: Demand transparency in political funding.
- Action 2: Advocate for accessible voter registration opportunities for new citizens.
- Action 3: Advocate for accessible voter registration opportunities for students.
- Action 4: Advocate for pay transparency legislation.
- Action 5: Protect access to abortion pills.
- Action 6: Oppose a proposal for restrictive new asylum policies by March 27.
- Action 7: Advocate against family detention.
- Say Thanks: Acts of Gratitude
- Check out Good News from around the nation
- How you can support and share the AoC Checklist
Contact your House representative
Check the box if you made contact–whether for one issue or all–so we can count your action. Contacting your representative’s staffers with multiple concerns is more efficient for both of you.
Look up your House representative here.
Join the 70 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Your script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] calling/writing because I’d like Rep. [NAME] to:
- Oppose H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which seeks to amend Title IX to exclude transgender youth from its discrimination protections. [Source: The Leadership Conference]
I value democracy
With respect and collaboration, we work to create a nation that welcomes all people, expands freedoms, and upholds the Constitution. Each citizen must be able to freely and fairly elect those who represent their values.
Action 1: Demand transparency in political funding.
Source: Brennan Center
Join the 208 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Since 2010, anonymous mega-donors, corporations, and non-U.S. entities have spent billions of dollars to influence U.S. elections and sow disinformation. The Brennan Center is calling on Congress to increase transparency in campaign funding by passing the Honest Ads Act and the DISCLOSE Act.
Sign: The Brennan Center petition. (Note: Uncheck the box above the SEND YOUR MESSAGE button to ensure you’re not added to the Brennan Center mailing list.)
Alternate: Contact your two senators and one House representative directly (look up).
Action 2: Advocate for accessible voter registration opportunities for new citizens.
Source: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Join the 51 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Write: The Honorable Ur M. Jaddou, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 5900 Capital Gateway Dr., Camp Springs, MD 20746
Script: Hello, I’m writing from [STATE] to support new Americans’ voting rights. The U.S. welcomed nearly 1 million new citizens in 2022 alone, and it’s important that all of our new neighbors can participate in their democracy. Please ensure that high-quality voter registration services are available to all prospective voters at or immediately after all naturalization ceremonies. Thank you.
Action 3: Advocate for accessible voter registration opportunities for students.
Source: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Join the 43 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Write: The Honorable Miguel Cardona Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202
Script: Hello, I’m writing from [STATE] in support of increasing voter registration access for students. It is crucial that young people are empowered to be civically engaged, and the federal government can help. I’m asking you to follow President Biden’s Executive Order and add voter registration opportunities to the FAFSA forms. Thank you.
I value equality
Support the dignity of your rainbow of neighbors from every religion, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, age, and ability. We also support policies that show welcome to aspiring Americans and decency to people seeking refuge.
Action 4: Advocate for pay transparency legislation.
Source: MomsRising
Join the 53 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: Your two STATE legislators (look up).
Script: Hi, I’m contacting you from [ZIP] to urge legislative action in support of pay transparency laws, which have been proven to reduce the gender and racial pay gap. In 2022, women in the U.S. worked 3-11 months more to earn the same pay for the same work as white men, with Latina and Native American women working almost twice as long for the same pay. I’m asking [NAME] to pass and enforce pay transparency laws in our state to close this unjust pay gap. Thank you.
Bonus: If you live in CA, CO, CT, MD, NV, NY, RI, or WA, your state already has pay transparency laws! Send your governor a thank-you (look up).
Action 5: Protect access to abortion pills.
Source: SisterSong
Join the 250 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: Walgreens via their contact form or by writing to:
Rosalind Brewer, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., 108 Wilmot Road, Deerfield, IL 60015
Script: Hi. I’m contacting you from [STATE] to urge Walgreens to dispense FDA-approved mifepristone to your customers in states where abortion remains legal. By denying provision of such medication in 20 states, Walgreens is rejecting federal policy aimed at protecting abortion access and reducing maternal mortality. Please respect the will of the majority of voters who support abortion rights. Thank you.
Action 6: Oppose a proposal for restrictive new asylum policies by March 27.
Source: AoCC
Join the 88 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
The Biden Administration has introduced a new transit ban that will require people from outside of Mexico seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border to first apply for—and be denied—asylum in another country. The proposed rule is open to public comment for the next 10 days.
If you haven’t already, submit a public comment: In your own words via the Federal Register before the comment period closes on March 27 using these talking points. This policy would:
- Uphold a fundamental human right the U.S. is constitutionally obligated to uphold, and previously championed at the international level.
- Reinstate prior asylum bans that were deemed illegal.
- Create unnecessary barriers to protection that will put the lives of people seeking asylum at risk.
- Rush the timeline, risking that public comments will not be seriously considered before the rule is implemented.
- Be implemented after the end of the current presidential term, which opens the door for its indefinite extension.
- Breaks from President Biden’s campaign promises and threatens to bring back some of the previous president’s most harmful asylum policies.
- Impact you, your loved ones, and/or your community (if true, please describe).
Action 7: Advocate against family detention.
Source: Detention Watch Network
Join the 134 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: President Biden using the White House contact form.
Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [STATE] because I oppose the cruel practice of detaining aspiring American families. Numerous professional medical associations and the DHS’ own medical experts have documented the harmful effects of detention on individuals and families, especially children, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and malnutrition. I am calling on the entire Biden administration to live up to campaign promises and permanently end family detention.
Alternate: Sign the petition through Action Network. (Note: Click “Edit Subscription Preferences” and uncheck the box to ensure you’re not added to the Detention Watch Network mailing list. You may still receive emails from Action Network.)
Acts of Gratitude
We believe in gratitude as a tool for change. We will print a letter of thanks from Americans of Conscience with your signature and mail it to the recipient. Your information will be removed from this website no later than four weeks after the Checklist’s publication date.
*An asterisk denotes a Gratitude suggested by a subscriber!
Thank Gov. Tim Walz (D–MN) for safeguarding transgender people’s right to access gender-affirming healthcare.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: Office of the Governor, 130 State Capitol, 75 Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155
*Thank NE state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D) for filibustering for three weeks to block legislation that would limit transgender youth’s access to gender-affirming healthcare.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509
Thank FL state legislators Sen. Lauren Book (D) and Rep. Rita Harris (D) for introducing a bill to outlaw the so-called “panic defense” in cases of violence against members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use these addresses:
LB: 228 Senate Building, 404 South Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399
RH: 1302 The Capitol, 402 South Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399
Good News
If you find good news for democracy, equality, and the planet, share it with us here!
Progress on issues previously featured in the Checklist
- A fundraiser to benefit survivors of a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, CA meets their goal.
Indigenous Nations
- Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. (Cherokee Nation) signs legislation dedicating $1 million to preserve the tribe’s historic sites and authorize official biographies of past leaders.
National
- The Biden-Harris administration’s budget proposal seeks $512 million for the Title X family planning program, a 79% increase over this year’s funding.
- The Biden-Harris administration announces actions to advance women’s economic security.
- The Biden-Harris administration and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau propose the Junk Fee Protection Act, which would curb excessive charges for entertainment ticketing fees, airline fees, and more.
- The CFPB creates a unit to review and monitor large banks with a habit of breaking consumer protection laws.
- HUD proposes a rule that would better enforce compliance with the Fair Housing Act.
- The FDA approves a monoclonal antibody treatment for hospitalized adult patients with moderate to severe COVID-19.
- The EPA limits levels of unsafe “forever chemicals” in drinking water.
- SCOTUS will not hear an appeal by oil companies ordered to pay damages for environmental devastation in Louisiana, clearing the way for 42 lawsuits against fossil fuel companies to proceed through state courts.
- In 2022, 41% of the U.S.’s energy was generated by carbon-free sources, a record high.
- Veterans and Gold Star Families can access over 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests with free lifetime passes.
- West Point removes Confederate symbols from their campus.
- The Library of Congress’ 2023 Innovator in Residence Jeffrey Yoo Warren uses Library collections to build immersive digital 3D models of historic neighborhoods of color.
- People from Ukraine seeking refuge in the U.S. are authorized to live and work here for at least another year.
State and Local
- AZ voters from both major parties approve a ballot measure that will require large anonymous political donors to reveal their identities.
- CA suspends a $54 million contract with Walgreens over the pharmacy chain’s decision not to distribute mifepristone in at least 20 states.
- CA: For the first time in the whole of the U.S., aspiring American adult residents of the state can access food assistance.
- IL passes a law making it easier for people to change the gender on their birth certificates.
- MA: Court rules in favor of Ludlow Public Schools in a lawsuit, clearly stating that using students’ preferred names and pronouns is an act of respect and inclusion under nondiscrimination law.
- MN: Gov. Tim Walz signs a comprehensive executive order that safeguards transgender individuals receiving gender-affirming care, their families, and their healthcare providers from out-of-state prosecution.
- MN: All state residents can apply for driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status.
- MN: Over 50,000 people on parole, probation, or community release due to a felony conviction regain their voting rights.
- MS: Jackson residents will maintain control of their water system following the failure of a relevant bill in the state House.
- NY passes the Stop Immigration Bond Abuse Act, which offers protections for detained individuals against exploitative for-profit bond companies.
- OH’s Ballot Board approves the language for a ballot initiative that will give voters the opportunity to enshrine reproductive rights in the state.
- WV: Transgender women and girls can compete in school sports on the teams that match their gender identity while a ban on their participation is halted during a federal appeal.
- Burlington, VT and Redondo Beach, CA voters choose to adopt ranked choice voting for future city elections.
Corporate/business
- Eli Lily caps the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 per month for all who need it.
Groups and organizations
- 105 United Nations member states sign on to a resolution calling for the International Court of Justice to weigh in on what actions governments are legally obligated to take to mitigate climate change.
- Several immigration rights groups protest outside the White House to demand that the Biden administration halt all plans to detain families and break asylum law.
- The ACLU establishes a network of defense lawyers to represent patients, healthcare providers, or anyone who might be prosecuted for exercising their rights to abortion and related reproductive care.
- A trans-led research team at the University of Michigan solicits input from members of the trans community as part of their research into travel burdens related to gender-affirming care.
- MIT’s Indigenous Communities Fellowship opens applications to those supporting community-based solutions by and for Indigenous communities.
- Harvard Law’s Consumer Protection Clinic helps eliminate debt for Boston residents.
- The Oklahoma School for the Deaf offers free American Sign Languages classes for anyone, anywhere.
- The AP Stylebook updates their style guide to more accurately reflect the realities of abortion care.
- PFLAG and independent bookshop Shop Queer create the Read With Love Book Club, which focuses on books by LGBTQ+ authors.
- Ballot Ride, a Houston program that educates students about the democratic process and helps facilitate election participation, wins the Rather Prize for educational innovation.
- School chefs learn how to make nutritional, easy-to-prepare food from scratch through the Healthy School Food Pathways Fellowship.
- The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign facilitates multi-faith Iftars during Ramadan to encourage relationship-building among Muslim and non-Muslim communities.
News with heart
- Nearly 1 million new Americans became citizens in 2022, the most in almost 15 years and the third-highest number ever.
- Author Carly Manes and illustrator Emulsify’s picture book What’s an Abortion, Anyway? offers kids and their parents and caretakers nonjudgmental, gender-inclusive, and medically accurate information about abortion.
- Over 190 countries establish new protected areas in international waters to safeguard the biodiversity of the world’s oceans.
- 12-year-old chess master Tanitoluwa “Tani” Adewumi and his family are granted asylum in the U.S.
- Following the release of Brittney Griner in December, Navy veteran Taylor Dudley also returns home after being detained in Russia for nine months.
- Composer Raven Chacon (Diné) wins the Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first Indigenous person to win the award.
- Michelle Yeoh wins the Academy Award for best actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, becoming the first Asian actress to win in the category.
- Designer Ruth E. Carter wins her second Academy Award for best costume design for her work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, becoming the first Black woman to win multiple Oscars in any category.
- In his best supporting actor Oscar acceptance speech, Ke Huy Quan shares about his childhood experience as a person seeking refuge.
- The Elephant Whisperers wins the Academy Award for best documentary short, becoming the first Indian-produced film to win an Oscar.
- “Naatu Naatu” from the film RRR wins the Academy Award for best original song, becoming the first song from an Indian film to win an Oscar.
- Oscars attendees wear blue ribbons to demonstrate support for people seeking refuge.
- In light of threats to the performers and venue, MMA fighter Jonathan Haught and his trainees volunteer to keep watch at a local drag show.
- A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine confirms that gender-affirming hormone therapy improves the mental health of trans and nonbinary youth.
- The New York Times features a profile and obituary of Charles Silverstein, who was at the forefront of the movement to destigmatize homosexuality.
- Raya Kenney’s 5th grade vision of a national monument to women’s contributions during World War II finally sees fruition.
- Elementary school students make a groundbreaking scientific discovery.
Need inspiration?
- Why engage in the slow work of change? Read some of our answers: Something to believe in
- Black History Month: The fight for water justice
- Work worth doing
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