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.
This Week’s Actions
Action 1: Oppose the warrantless government surveillance of Americans.
Source: Brennan Center
Thank you to the 56 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Step 1
Contact: Your two senators (look up).
Script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] asking you to end the civil rights violations enabled by flaws in Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Section 702 is due to expire on April 19 unless it’s reauthorized. I’m asking you to support the bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act (S. 3234) and oppose the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act (S. 3351), which would expand our government’s ability to spy on Americans.
Step 2
Contact: Your one House representative (look up).
Script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] asking you to end the civil rights violations enabled by flaws in Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Section 702 is due to expire on April 19 unless it’s reauthorized. I’m asking you to support the bipartisan Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act (H.R. 6570), and oppose both the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 6611) and the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (H.R. 7320), which would expand the government’s ability to spy on Americans.
Action 2: Support the workers and families impacted by the Key Bridge disaster.
Source: CASA
Thank you to the 22 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
On March 26, a bridge collapse in Baltimore led to the injury and death of multiple Hispanic and Latino aspiring American workers. The Baltimore Civic Fund is collecting contributions to help support the survivors and families of the victims following this tragic event.
Donate: To the Key Bridge Emergency Response Fund.
Action 3: Advocate for the protected status of Haitian people escaping violence.
Source: Human Rights First
Thank you to the 60 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Contact:
The Honorable Antony Blinken
Secretary of State
U.S. State Department
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2801 Nebraska Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20528
President Joe Biden
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
or via the White House contact form
Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [STATE] asking you to redesignate Temporary Protected Status for people from Haiti. Scores of people there have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced due to a rise in coordinated acts of violence, with civilians facing limited access to basic necessities and millions of children in need of immediate humanitarian aid. I join over 400 organizations in urging the extension and redesignation of TPS for people from Haiti in addition to a moratorium on deportations.
Action 4: Protect the security of Ethiopian people whose home country is unsafe.
Source: USCRI
Thank you to the 56 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Contact (postmark by April 8):
The Honorable Antony Blinken
Secretary of State
U.S. State Department
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2801 Nebraska Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20528
President Joe Biden
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
or via the White House contact form
Script: Hi, I’m reaching out from [STATE] urging an 18-month extension and redesignation of Temporary Protected Status for people from Ethiopia. The armed conflict, persistence violence, and food insecurity there make the safe return of Ethiopian people residing in the U.S. impossible. I’m joining over 100 organizations in calling on you to safeguard those facing crisis by extending and redesignating TPS for affected persons.
Action 5: Be ready to vote in all 2024 elections.
Source: Voto Latino
Thank you to the 80 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Even if your state’s presidential primary has already been held, you may have a later statewide primary for other offices. It’s never too early to verify that your info is correct and that your voter registration hasn’t been purged before the November general election.
Take action:
- Register to vote for the first time (make sure you meet your state’s deadline).
- Update your address or re-register if you’ve recently moved.
- Confirm that your voter registration is still valid.
- Find out who and what is on your ballot.
Action 6: Increase the security of election infrastructure.
Source: Brennan Center, CISA
Thank you to the 16 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Contact: Your local and state elections officials (look up).
Script: Hi, I’m contacting you from [ZIP] to urge you to secure your election website before the November elections. The Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency recommends that you take the following steps:
- Use a .gov domain to ensure that voters know your information is legitimate.
- Get a free health scan of your web applications from CISA.
- Implement free DDOS (online attack) protection services.
Action 7: Restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act.
Source: League of Women Voters
Thank you to the 49 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Contact: Your two senators and one House representative (look up).
Script: Hi, I’m contacting you from [ZIP] to ask you to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (S. 4/H.R. 14). This bill restores and modernizes key provisions of the historic 1965 Voting Rights Act that were removed by the Supreme Court in 2013. It will protect the rights of all voters, especially people of color, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community. Thank you.
Action 8: Ensure all Americans have the freedom to vote.
Source: The Leadership Conference
Thank you to the 37 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Contact: Your two senators and one House representative (look up).
Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [ZIP] because I’m committed to ensuring all Americans can exercise their right to vote. The Freedom to Vote Act (S. 2344/H.R. 11) would protect the voting rights of underrepresented groups, end partisan gerrymandering, improve campaign finance, and establish nationwide standards for ballot access. Please do everything in your power to pass this critical bill.
Reminder: Support humanitarian efforts in Gaza and defend against anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish aggression in the U.S. with a thoughtful list of actions from our recent special edition Checklist.
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.
Thank RuPaul for distributing books by authors from diverse backgrounds to communities across the U.S.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: Ruco, Inc., 2581 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 93, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Thank you to the 63 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Thank Sec. of State Bob Evnan (R–NE) for encouraging voting by proactively reaching out to the 3% of eligible NE voters currently without photo ID.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: P.O. Box 94608, Lincoln, NE 68509
Thank you to the 65 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Thank the Beaufort, SC Board of Education for upholding students’ access to diverse reading materials by returning the majority of 97 challenged books to school shelves.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: ℅ Chair Christina Gwozdz, 2900 Mink Point Blvd., Beaufort, SC 29902
Thank you to the 74 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
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
- The Phoenix, AZ city council unanimously passes an ordinance requiring heat protection for outdoor workers.
- Crystal Mason is acquitted for unknowingly casting a vote while ineligible.
Additional Good News
- The Yurok tribe regains rightful control of 125 acres of their land, which they will manage in cooperation with the U.S. National Parks Service.
- 20% and counting of an estimated 43M student loan borrowers have their debt canceled under President Biden’s initiatives.
- The Office of Management and Budget updates standards for collecting and utilizing race and ethnicity data to improve it policies, programs, and investments in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
- The Interior Dept.’s Bureau of Land Management limits methane production from drilling operations on federal and Tribal lands.
- U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s “You Are Here” project features poetry installations as public art throughout national parks.
- CO’s state House will consider a ban on assault weapons for the first time.
- FL: A federal court overturns a provision of a state law aimed at preventing aspiring Americans from helping people register to vote.
- MS: Six former law enforcement officers face legal consequences for abusing two Black residents of Rankin County.
- NJ: A court bars the use of new “county line” ballots in the state’s June primaries that would have introduced undemocratic bias due to how candidate’s names were listed.
- Beaufort, SC’s school board upholds students’ access to diverse reading materials and returns the majority of 97 challenged books to school shelves.
- Jacksonville, FL’s Emerald Trail receives federal funds to construct 30 miles of trails and green spaces, reconnecting 14 historic neighborhoods to downtown and various waterways.
- AstraZeneca and Boehringer cap the out-of-pocket cost of inhalers, bringing costs down from $645 to $35 per month.
- Girl Scouts Troop 6000 program welcomes aspiring American members among others who live in the NYC shelter system.
- A 13-year-old from Needham, MA designs and sells themed cookies to raise awareness of government-sponsored book censorship in New England.
- 1 in 5 new cars purchased globally in 2023 were electric.
Have good news to share? Write to us at checklist@americansofconscience.com
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