74 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:
- Advocate with your Senators and House rep for transparent and honest political advertising.
- Action 2: Protect college students’ right to vote where they attend school.
- Action 3: Advocate for the safety of Black aspiring Americans.
In this edition of the AoC Checklist:
- Senate actions: What we’re contacting our senators about.
- House actions: What we’re contacting our House reps about.
- Action 1: Advocate for Healthcare.gov to include voting registration.
- Action 2: Protect college students’ right to vote where they attend school.
- Action 3: Advocate for the safety of Black aspiring Americans.
- Action 4: Advocate for humane and equitable immigration reform.
- Say Thanks: Acts of Gratitude
- Check out Good News from around the nation
- How you can support and share the AoC Checklist
Contact your senators
Check the box if you made contact–whether for one issue or all–so we can count your action. Contacting your senators’ staffers with multiple concerns is more efficient for both of you.
Join the 74 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Your script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] calling/writing about several issues. I’d like Sen. [NAME] to:
- Reintroduce S. 4625, the Tribal Nutrition Improvement Act, which would enable Tribes to administer child nutrition programs and support the availability of culturally appropriate food. [Source: Food First]
- Oppose the Senate version of H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which deprives families of food assistance, prioritizes fossil fuel projects, and guts environmental protections. [Source: 350 US]
- Pass S. 1487, the Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act, to protect election workers from violent threats and strengthen election security. [Source: AoCC]
- Pass S. 1596, The REAL Political Advertisements Act, to require the disclosure of any AI-generated audio and video, which could mislead voters and affect elections. [Source: AoCC]
- Pass S. 1677, the Democracy Restoration Act, to restore voting rights to the nearly 3.5 million formerly incarcerated Americans disenfranchised by laws that disproportionately affect people of color. [Source: Brennan Center]
- Oppose the Senate version of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, to avoid further endangering people seeking asylum. [Source: AoCC]
- Pass S. 1187, the Fairness to Freedom Act, to establish the right to federally funded legal representation for all people facing deportation. [Source: Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project]
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 66 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Your script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] calling/writing about several issues. I’d like Rep. [NAME] to:
- Support H.R. 1589, the Tribal Nutrition Improvement Act, which would enable Tribes to administer child nutrition programs and support the availability of culturally appropriate food. [Source: Food First]
- Oppose H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which deprives families of food assistance, prioritizes fossil fuel projects, and guts environmental protections. [Source: 350 US]
- Pass H.R. 3130, the Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act, to protect election workers from violent threats and strengthen election security. [Source: AoCC]
- Pass H.R. 3044, The REAL Political Advertisements Act, to require the disclosure of any AI-generated audio and video, which could mislead voters and affect elections. [Source: AoCC]
- Pass H.R. 2697, the Fairness to Freedom Act, to establish the right to federally funded legal representation for all people facing deportation. [Source: Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project]
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: Advocate for Healthcare.gov to include voting registration.
Sources: Leadership Conference on Human Rights, Brennan Center
Join the 31 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Write: The Honorable Xavier Becerra, Secretary
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
200 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20201
Script: Hi, I’m a resident of [STATE] asking you to follow the recommendations of over 100 civil rights organizations to support the voting rights of eligible Americans in the following ways:
- Integrate voter registration into the Healthcare.gov application by the Fall 2023 open enrollment period.
- Launch a voting information hub for older adults and people with disabilities.
Thank you for considering these recommendations.
Action 2: Protect college students’ right to vote where they attend school.
Source: AoCC
Join the 30 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
If you live in AZ, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MS, MO, MT, ND, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, UT, WI, or WY, your state restricts or disallows student ID as voter ID. Check your state’s restrictions, then contact your state legislators (look up).
Script: Hi, I’m a resident of [ZIP] calling to ask you to protect and expand the voting rights of students who attend college in [STATE]. Student voter turnout has increased in the past four years, yet 5% of 17- to 20-year-olds and 11% of 21- to 24-year-olds don’t have the kind of ID that’s accepted as voter identification. Please support legislation to mandate the acceptance of student ID for voting purposes, and vote against any new restrictions on student voting. Thank you.
If you live elsewhere, your state either accepts student IDs as valid or does not require photo ID to vote. Donate to SpreadTheVote.org to get IDs to citizens who need them.
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 3: Advocate for the safety of Black aspiring Americans.
Sources: National Immigration Law Center, FWD.us, USCRI
Join the 94 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: President Biden via the White House contact form or by phone at (202) 456-1111.
Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [STATE] urging you to designate Temporary Protected Status for people from African countries. Black aspiring Americans are more likely to be targeted for detention and deportation, and TPS designation can help mitigate this unfair treatment and keep families together. I am counting on you to protect people seeking asylum from Mali, Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Sudan, South Sudan, and Nigeria by designating and renewing TPS for those nations. Thank you.
Action 4: Advocate for humane and equitable immigration reform.
Source: Mi Familia Vota
Join the 57 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: President Biden via the White House contact form or by phone at (202) 456-1111.
Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [STATE] to support reformed immigration policies. Our nation has a constitutional obligation and moral imperative to welcome people seeking asylum and to implement immigration protections that address structural and racial inequities. I am joining multiple civil rights organizations in urging you to use your executive authority and follow the blueprint for effective immigration reform by:
- Immediately designating and redesignating TPS for those in the U.S. who can’t return to their home countries due to armed conflict, natural disasters, or other humanitarian reasons.
- Protect DACA recipients.
- Reduce immigration case backlogs.
Thank you.
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 RI state legislators Sen. Bridget Valverde (D) and Rep. Katherine Kazarian (D) for their work towards the passage of the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act, which will provide insurance coverage for abortion care to Rhode Islanders with Medicaid.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use these addresses:
BV: 14 Cambridge Court, North Kingstown, RI 02852
KK: State House, Room 323, 82 Smith St, Providence, RI 02903
Thank LA state Sen. Fred Mills (R) for upholding transgender youth’s right to access gender-affirming care in their home state.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: 1019 Periou St., Parks, LA 70582
Thank Sen. Patty Murray (D–WA) for re-introducing legislation that would require insurance companies to cover over-the-counter birth control pills should they become available without a prescription.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: 154 Russell SOB, Washington, D.C. 20510
Good News
If you find good news for democracy, equality, and the planet, share it with us here!
*An asterisk denotes a Good News item submitted by a subscriber.
Indigenous Nations
- Lands sacred to the San Carlos Apache and other tribes will remain untouched by a proposed copper mine while the Indigenous nations continue to consult with the Biden administration about the project.
National
- The FDA approves a first-of-its-kind RSV vaccine for pregnant people that will protect their newborns against the virus.
State
- AZ’s recently passed 2024 state budget includes $40M for the Promise Scholarship Program and $225M to address the state’s housing crisis.
- AZ, CA, and NV will use less water from the parched Colorado River.
- MD passes the Trans Health Equity Act, which will provide insurance coverage for gender-affirming care for Marylanders with Medicaid.
- MD repeals their outdated sodomy law.
- MN passes a paid family and medical leave program.
- MN’s new public safety bill includes:
- The repeal of outdated sodomy, fornication, adultery, and abortion laws.
- A provision defining gender identity as separate from sexual orientation and sex.
- The expansion of nondiscrimination and hate crime laws to explicitly include protections based on sex, gender, gender identity, and gender expression.
- Provisions that make it easier for drug users to stay safer and seek treatment without threats of punitive measures.
- MO terminates an emergency rule that would have limited gender-affirming care for minors and most adults.
- MS: A federal court extends a temporary block on an anti-democratic law that would require the state chief justice to appoint judges to the otherwise elected Hinds County Circuit Court.
- OK Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office will not enforce a ban on gender-affirming medical care for young transgender people while civil rights organizations seek a temporary court order blocking the law.
- RI passes the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act, which will provide insurance coverage for abortion care to Rhode Islanders with Medicaid as well as state workers.
- TX: A bill that would have required public schools to display religious text in violation of the 1st Amendment fails to pass the legislature.
Local
- A federal court temporarily blocks Miami, FL’s city commission map from being used in the November 2023 elections, finding that the districts were racially gerrymandered in violation of the 14th Amendment.
- Superior Court rules that Los Angeles County’s cash bail system is unconstitutional, meaning bail for non-violent felonies is now $0.
- NYC bans discrimination based on weight.
Corporate/business
- A federal judge orders American Airlines and JetBlue Airways to end their northeast partnership on the grounds that it stifles competition at the expense of accessible prices and customer service.
- E-cigarette maker Juul Labs and tobacco company Altria will pay the state of MN $60.5 million in a settlement over deceptive marketing of nicotine products to minors.
Groups and organizations
- The Christian Ministerial Alliance and a group of Black residents of Pulaski County, AR file a lawsuit challenging the state’s congressional map on grounds that the 2nd Congressional District is a racial gerrymander.
- After two years of negotiations and a 24-hour strike, the workers’ union of New York Times newsroom employees and the paper reach a contract agreement.
- The storytelling platform Right To Be provides a safe space to share personal stories of harassment, get support, and help others with similar experiences.
- *The Si Se Puede lowriders club provides material support to the United Farm Workers.
News with heart
- Following the removal of her book of poems from a school library, Amanda Gorman raises over $50,000 for PEN America.
- Lizzo shares her support for the right to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare for Nebraskans at her Omaha concert.
- *The nonprofit Partners in Health and the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health improve pregnancy- and birth-related care at the country’s Koidu Government Hospital (as explained in this video).
- Brazil’s environmental agency blocks an offshore oil drilling project planned near the mouth of the Amazon River.
Need inspiration?
- Read this week’s inspiring message from guest writer Zoe Moret: U.S. politics from a 17 year old’s perspective
- Four Perks of Doing Something
- How can we respond to hateful policies?
Support the Checklist
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