Elizabeth Warren vs. Donald Trump (The Dream Act)

Watch this short video of Sen. Warren making the case for the Dream Act, in stark contrast to Trump's xenophobic agenda

Dear MoveOn member,

Last night, Trump released a list of demands to Congress that hold 800,000 young immigrants, known as Dreamers, as bargaining chips—making their fate contingent on a a border wall, 10,000 more ICE agents to round up Dreamers' parents and terrorize immigrant communities, and the closing of our nation's doors to asylum seekers.

Recently, Senator Elizabeth Warren gave a speech on the critical importance of fighting for a clean Dream Act—a bipartisan, popular law that would defend immigrant youth and their families without treating Dreamers as bargaining chips—and how this can lead us to the longer-term goal of comprehensive immigration reform.

Please watch this short video of Sen. Warren and share it with friends and over social media, as a rebuke to Trump's announcement and a declaration that we all stand ready to fight for a clean Dream Act.

(Not on Facebook? You can watch it here on YouTube.)

It is more important than ever that all of us—whether immigrants or Americans born in the U.S.—stand together right now to declare that defending the rights and contributions of Dreamers is a national priority. Passing a clean Dream Act a priority for the Resistance as we fight against the toxic Trump agenda, and it is a measure supported by a majority of Americans, including a majority of Republican voters.

More than 250,000 MoveOn members have signed petitions calling for a clean Dream Act, tens of thousands have made calls to Congress, and MoveOn members across the country will be hosting petition deliveries next week during a Dream Week of Action.

In the face of Trump's abhorrent demands yesterday, we need to elevate voices like Sen. Warren—as well as voices of Dreamers and immigrant youth, who are courageously leading this fight to uphold our best values of dignity, fairness, and justice for all.

Watch and share this video, as we continue to build momentum needed to win a strong, clean Dream Act that upholds dignity and rejects Trump's xenophobic agenda.

Thanks for all you do.

—Corinne, Michael, Sara, Seth, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on October 10th, 2017. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Watch now: My floor speech on Trump and nuclear war

A new military conflict on the Korean Peninsula or in the Middle East would be nothing short of catastrophic.

Dear MoveOn member, 

We've been witnessing a dangerous war of words between Donald Trump and North Korean officials.

This does not make our nation any safer and is only serving to bring us closer to an all-out war.

And let me tell you: A military conflict on the Korean Peninsula would be nothing short of catastrophic.

That’s why I spoke last week from the House floor, calling for an end to Trump’s name-calling and saber rattling and for Congress to pass Representative Ted Lieu’s No First Use legislation that would prevent Trump from unilaterally launching a preemptive nuclear strike without a declaration of war by Congress.

Please watch a one-minute video of my floor speech now. And please share this call to action with your family and friends.

(Not on Facebook? Click here to watch the video on YouTube.)

A war with North Korea would put tens of millions of lives at risk, and the looming threat of nuclear war only heightens tensions.

And now, there is also a very real threat that Trump could de-certify the hard-won Iran deal, which has successfully prevented an all-out war in the Middle East.

In North Korea—and in Iran—diplomacy is the only answer. The U.S. must pursue diplomacy and reach a peaceful solution that does not put U.S. troops and families in danger. Direct talks are our best opportunity for resolving this conflict without the use of force. And yet Trump’s warmongering is taking us further and further away from that path forward.

Please help make sure your family and friends are paying attention to what’s happening—because there is something we can do, together, to help reduce the threat of nuclear war.

As always, it's good to be with MoveOn members like you, Eddie, in our common work for justice and peace.

Thanks for all you do.

–Representative Barbara Lee

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on October 7th, 2017. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tell Donald Trump to declare the opioid crisis a "national health emergency"

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Matt Hildreth, a MoveOn member in Columbus, OH, and I started a petition to President Donald Trump, which says:

The opioid crisis must be declared a "national health emergency" so that communities can mobilize resources to fight this epidemic.

President Trump must follow up on his promise to declare a national health emergency for the opioid crisis.

This summer, Trump stated that he considered the opioid crisis to be "a national emergency." As a result, many members of the media reported that a national emergency had been declared.

However, to this day, no official emergency has been declared which means the extra resources and authority that come with such a declaration are not in play.

For example, a declaration of emergency could remove the restrictions on which doctors can prescribe two common medications for treating opioid addiction.

Or, with a declaration of emergency, the Food and Drug Administration could allow for the widespread use of an overdose antidote without a prescription.

Please join with me and demand that Donald Trump follow up on his promise to declare a national health emergency for the opioid crisis by signing this petition.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

—Matt Hildreth

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here.

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on October 6th, 2017. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Re: We're taking on the NRA directly. Here's how:

As we continue to grieve the tragic loss of lives in Sunday's massacre in Las Vegas, NV, let's be really, unmistakably clear: This tragedy was preventable. Gun control legislation to keep weapons of war out of our communities and reduce the frequency of these disasters is in place elsewhere in the civilized world. Just not here, in the United States.

Dear MoveOn member,

As we continue to grieve the tragic loss of lives in Sunday's massacre in Las Vegas, NV, let's be really, unmistakably clear: 

This tragedy was preventable. Gun control legislation to keep weapons of war out of our communities and reduce the frequency of these disasters is in place elsewhere in the civilized world. Just not here, in the United States.

And let's also be straightforward in assessing the fight for common-sense gun safety reform so far, because the stakes are too high to spin this or to kid ourselves:

Big picture, we've been losing to the NRA. Badly.

No doubt, we've worked tirelessly to counter the NRA's power for years. And we've contributed to some hard-fought wins, like President Obama's executive order to narrow a gaping gun-show loophole and important state-level wins across the nation, from Colorado to New York.

But more often than not, the NRA is setting the national agenda and pushing America in an ever-crazier direction—from prohibiting schools from banning guns to deregulating silencers for guns.

And the body count from massacres—and daily shootings—continues to rise.

The NRA wants us to accept the status quo and give up on ever challenging its dominance in American politics. But I refuse to accept that. I believe that we must do far more than ever before. And the announcement today that they may support federal review of "stock bumps"—an incredibly modest step, meant to block real reform from moving in Congress—does signal a shift in the political climate. They may finally be on the defensive.¹

Now's the moment: Let's take on the NRA's political strategy directly.

Will you chip in $3 to MoveOn's efforts to defeat NRA-backed candidates in 2017 and 2018, demonstrate that the NRA can be beat, and break its stranglehold on American politics?

Yes, I'll chip in.

Here's what we're facing—and how MoveOn members can help make the difference:

Most immediately, the NRA has plans for a massive media campaign in this November's election in Virginia, supporting the Republican candidates for governor and state legislature who toe the line on their anti-gun safety agenda.

MoveOn members have already endorsed candidates across Virginia who believe in sensible gun laws. Now we need to get them over the finish line.

One unique tool at our disposal is a data-driven innovation of using online videos to persuade and mobilize key voters. Working with the cutting-edge tools of our analysis team, our in-house Video Lab team will produce and promote cost-effective videos that can move the needle on voter turnout—at a fraction of the cost of the NRA's TV blitz.

This could help elect a slate of progressive Virginians, fine-tune our tools for 2018, and offer a clear rebuke of the NRA—shattering the myth of their political power.

Will you chip in $3 to help MoveOn's efforts to put gun control on the ballot and defeat the NRA in Virginia this year?

Yes, I'll chip in.

Then, we shift to 2018, where one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for re-election is Senator Dean Heller of Nevada. He voted repeatedly to take health care away from his own constituents, which has made him even more vulnerable in next year's race. And now, even after the terrible massacre in his state, he is refusing to stand up to the NRA and won't support sensible measures to get assault weapons out of our community.

Dean Heller must go—and MoveOn members are committed to defeating him.

We'll continue to push the message to Nevada voters and local media that Heller continues to side with corporate lobbyists against Nevadans on health care, tax breaks for the rich—and, even now, sensible gun laws.

MoveOn will run ads, hire organizers in 2018, and help fuel a grassroots uprising to remove Heller from office—and in doing so, defeat the NRA and weaken their hold on the Republican Party and Washington.

Can you chip in $3 to help defeat Dean Heller in Nevada in 2018, win seats in Virginia this year, and deal a crushing defeat to the NRA?

We might not be able to get Congress to act today, this week, or even this year (although we will try!). And there's no point in trying to convince Donald Trump. But by defeating the NRA in elections this year and next, we'll help take back the House, get more pro-gun control Democrats into office, and show the remaining Republicans that the NRA doesn't speak for the American voters—so it's time for our politicians to stand up to the NRA.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Marie, Ben, Gabby, and the rest of the team

P.S. For more details on how we're taking on the NRA directly in the upcoming Virginia elections, see Maria's message from the other day, below:

---

Dear MoveOn member,

In any other country, what happened in Las Vegas, NV, on Sunday and its aftermath would be unthinkable: a devastating gun massacre followed by zero legislative action. But here in the U.S., that's just how it is—because our politics are frozen by the perceived power of the NRA.

The key word: "perceived." Because Republican politicians see the NRA as ultra-powerful, they think that staying in power means always siding with the gun lobby—against public safety. So the only way to end this lethal political limbo is to show that the NRA is not a political blessing, but, in fact, a political curse.

We've got a massive opportunity to do this—to take on the NRA in its own backyard. On November 7, Virginia—the state where the NRA's headquarters are located—will elect a governor and state legislature. This is becoming, in part, a referendum on NRA's power and has the potential to transform the perception of the gun lobby's strength—especially important as we head into the 2018 elections.

MoveOn is ready to scale up our work in Virginia to the next level—if we have the resources. Can you chip in $3 to help?

Yes, I'll chip in.

The GOP candidate for governor of Virginia, Ed Gillespie, has an "A" from the NRA and says that it's "too soon" to discuss policy change after the Las Vegas shootings. By contrast, the Democratic candidate, Ralph Northam, has an "F" from the NRA and argues that "we do not need assault weapons on our streets."²

Gun safety will be a critical issue in the House of Delegate races, too. As The Washington Post reported, "[g]un violence roils Virginia election"—the NRA is already on its heels, delaying a huge planned ad campaign by a week.³

This is it. We've got just 33 days to puncture the myth of NRA invulnerability in Virginia. Can you help?

Yes, I'll chip in $3 to help defeat the NRA in Virginia.

With your support, here's what MoveOn will do:

• Mega-volunteer mobilization through our new custom-built, volunteer-driven text message mobilization tool. Not only can we get volunteers out in the streets, we can start testing tactics that will be central to our 2018 efforts.
• Viral gun-safety videos on social media. The video that we posted two nights ago—featuring a gun-owning MoveOn member urging gun safety laws—has already notched a million views. We'll pay to get those videos in front of every person who needs a reminder of what's at stake. We'll also use these videos to test their impact and fine-tune our micro-targeting.
• Media advocacy to make our message clear: In print and on TV, we'll make sure that the Virginia election serves, in part, as a referendum on the NRA's power.

If Democrats win big in Virginia, Republicans nationwide will see the wave building—accelerating a growing wave of GOP retirements and giving us our best shot at taking the House (and perhaps even the Senate) in 2018. We'll make progressive policies possible in Virginia and nationwide. And we'll show that an unapologetic anti-gun-violence position can help win elections.

Can you chip in $3 support this critical work?

Yes—I'm in!

In the United States of America, power should flow from people voting at the ballot box, not a shadowy special interest group committed to undermining public safety. The horror in Las Vegas should not paralyze us, but propel us to action. Let's stand up to fight for a country in which no one has to live in fear and where our democracy is worthy of its people.

Thanks for all you do.

–Maria, Seth, Hawley, Ann, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "NRA moves to head off gun control fight in Congress," Politico, October 5, 2017
http://act.moveon.org/go/18276?t=8&akid=190958%2E10220574%2Eso2LrQ

2. "Northam: 'We do not need assault weapons on our streets,'" The Washington Post, October 3, 2017
https://act.moveon.org/go/18201?t=10&akid=190958%2E10220574%2Eso2LrQ

3. "Gun violence roils Virginia election — NRA puts ad on ice, gun control advocates cancel events," The Washington Post, October 2, 2017
https://act.moveon.org/go/18202?t=12&akid=190958%2E10220574%2Eso2LrQ

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back towards sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.

---

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

We're taking on the NRA directly. Here's how.

In any other country, what happened in Las Vegas, NV, on Sunday and its aftermath would be unthinkable: a devastating gun massacre followed by zero legislative action. But here in the U.S., that's just how it is—because our politics are frozen by the perceived power of the NRA.

Dear MoveOn member,

In any other country, what happened in Las Vegas, NV, on Sunday and its aftermath would be unthinkable: a devastating gun massacre followed by zero legislative action. But here in the U.S., that's just how it is—because our politics are frozen by the perceived power of the NRA.

The key word: "perceived." Because Republican politicians see the NRA as ultra-powerful, they think that staying in power means always siding with the gun lobby—against public safety. So the only way to end this lethal political limbo is to show that the NRA is not a political blessing, but, in fact, a political curse.

We've got a massive opportunity to do this—to take on the NRA in its own backyard. On November 7, Virginia—the state where the NRA's headquarters are located—will elect a governor and state legislature. This is becoming, in part, a referendum on NRA's power and has the potential to transform the perception of the gun lobby's strength—especially important as we head into the 2018 elections.

MoveOn is ready to scale up our work in Virginia to the next level—if we have the resources. Can you chip in $3 to help?

Yes, I'll chip in.

The GOP candidate for governor of Virginia, Ed Gillespie, has an "A" from the NRA and says that it's "too soon" to discuss policy change after the Las Vegas shootings. By contrast, the Democratic candidate, Ralph Northam, has an "F" from the NRA and argues that "we do not need assault weapons on our streets."¹

Gun safety will be a critical issue in the House of Delegate races, too. As The Washington Post reported, "[g]un violence roils Virginia election"—the NRA is already on its heels, delaying a huge planned ad campaign by a week.²

This is it. We've got just 33 days to puncture the myth of NRA invulnerability in Virginia. Can you help?

Yes, I'll chip in $3 to help defeat the NRA in Virginia.

With your support, here's what MoveOn will do:

• Mega-volunteer mobilization through our new custom-built, volunteer-driven text message mobilization tool. Not only can we get volunteers out in the streets, we can start testing tactics that will be central to our 2018 efforts.
• Viral gun-safety videos on social media. The video that we posted two nights ago—featuring a gun-owning MoveOn member urging gun safety laws—has already notched a million views. We'll pay to get those videos in front of every person who needs a reminder of what's at stake. We'll also use these videos to test their impact and fine-tune our micro-targeting.
• Media advocacy to make our message clear: In print and on TV, we'll make sure that the Virginia election serves, in part, as a referendum on the NRA's power.

If Democrats win big in Virginia, Republicans nationwide will see the wave building—accelerating a growing wave of GOP retirements and giving us our best shot at taking the House (and perhaps even the Senate) in 2018. We'll make progressive policies possible in Virginia and nationwide. And we'll show that an unapologetic anti-gun-violence position can help win elections.

Can you chip in $3 support this critical work?

Yes—I'm in!

In the United States of America, power should flow from people voting at the ballot box, not a shadowy special interest group committed to undermining public safety. The horror in Las Vegas should not paralyze us, but propel us to action. Let's stand up to fight for a country in which no one has to live in fear and where our democracy is worthy of its people.

Thanks for all you do.

–Maria, Seth, Hawley, Ann, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Northam: 'We do not need assault weapons on our streets,'" The Washington Post, October 3, 2017
https://act.moveon.org/go/18201?t=5&akid=190879%2E10220574%2Eojs3Do

2. "Gun violence roils Virginia election — NRA puts ad on ice, gun control advocates cancel events," The Washington Post, October 2, 2017
https://act.moveon.org/go/18202?t=7&akid=190879%2E10220574%2Eojs3Do

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back towards sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.

---

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Add your name: Gun control now

Will you sign and share my petition telling Congress that we need commonsense gun control now? Click here to sign.

Dear MoveOn member,

What's unfolding in Las Vegas—one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern United States history—is yet another tragic illustration of the effects of gun violence in our country.¹ And in the aftermath, it's clear that families and individuals will need emergency aid measures such as blood donations, grief counseling, and more. 

We also know that the days to come will be a moment to confront and have public discussion about our nation's gun violence epidemic.

Will you sign and share my petition telling Congress that we need commonsense gun control now and help encourage public dialogue on gun control? Click here to sign.

We need commonsense gun control now.

I'm a MoveOn member. I'm a gun owner. I'm a Christian. I'm a Grammy-winning country music producer. And I'm asking us to come together, in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history, and stand up to the NRA by calling for an end to senseless gun violence.

We need commonsense gun control now, including the following:

• Ban civilian ownership of weapons designed for warfare.
• Close the gun show loophole.
• Create certificates of ownership for firearms, similar to automobiles, which should be governed by similar regulations, including the need for training, testing, and insurance.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks for taking action!

–Mark Carman

Source:

1. "Deadliest Mass Shootings in US History Fast Facts," CNN, Updated June 28, 2017
http://act.moveon.org/go/16569?t=17&akid=190791%2E10220574%2E-C2FeB

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here.

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on October 3rd, 2017. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Puerto Rico

Lin-Manuel Miranda here. I wrote "Hamilton." I'm writing you today to ask for your help.

Hello hello hello, MoveOn member,

Lin-Manuel Miranda here. I wrote "Hamilton." I'm writing you today to ask for your help.

Puerto Rico—my family’s island, America’s island—is in desperate need of supplies and resources. Like Texas and Florida, Puerto Rico was just devastated by a natural disaster, but Puerto Rico’s need is magnified by the island’s geographic isolation from the U.S. mainland. It’s been over a week since Hurricane Maria, but so far, help for Puerto Rico is in short supply.

That's why I'm asking for your help with hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution to the relief efforts on the ground through MoveOn, and they will pay 100% of the credit card fees.

There's no shortage of heartbreaking stories about the devastation experienced by people in my beloved Puerto Rico.

From the children still searching for their parents, to the families who've lost everything but one another, to those displaced from the only homes they've ever known … Hurricane Maria's destruction of Puerto Rico has been the most brutal disaster in the island's modern history, leaving a destroyed power grid and unprecedented destruction in its wake.

If you’re able to help, please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution to support relief in Puerto Rico, and MoveOn will pay 100% of the credit card fees.

My cousin Daniela lives in Puerto Rico and is studying to be a veterinarian. Her parents' home in the hills of Vega Alta is practically an animal sanctuary—there are two goats, a number of cats, several bunnies and a few birds, nine dogs(!) and a couple of horses. Her older sister Camila has been studying recently for the MCAT exam—she wants to be a doctor.

Across the street from their home is my Aunt Yamilla's house, formerly the home of my grandparents and the place where my sister and I spent every summer as children. I remember when my grandfather Guisin was building it—at last, he was moving up to the peaceful hills after a life in town.

As Hurricane Maria roared toward Puerto Rico earlier this month, my family in Puerto Rico braced for impact.

They knew that the wooden house built by Abuelo Guisin—my grandparents’ dream home, where I worked on new musicals during summer breaks from college—could not possibly withstand a major hurricane.

For a time, my uncle's concrete house across the street became Noah's ark, as my family sought refuge there—huddled together, along with Daniela's animal menagerie and the precious things that can't be replaced, like family photos and mementos that represent memories of generations of Mirandas.

My late grandfather's dream home is in pieces, the roof and the porch gone. Needless to say, my cousin Camila's MCAT exam has been postponed indefinitely. Thankfully, Noah's ark—my cousins’ family home across the road—still stands, and my family is safe so far.

I’m sharing my family's story to give you just a glimpse of what our island is going through.

The truth is that my family was very lucky compared to many. But they and their fellow American citizens in Puerto Rico now face a host of mounting crises—a lack of running water, a shattered power grid, no access to telephone service, and being unable to connect to the outside world.

There are 3.4 million people in Puerto Rico, each with their own powerful story, and they need our help.

Puerto Ricans need supplies and resources just as badly as their fellow American citizens in Texas and Florida, and this need is magnified by their geographic isolation from the U.S. mainland.

Please, click here to help.

The Hispanic Federation is currently facilitating the deployment of fully-trained and certified first responders, including paying for flights to Puerto Rico and related expenses. These first responders—comprised of NYPD and FDNY members and others—will join relief efforts on the island and provide the technical support and expertise that’s so badly needed. Relief efforts include examining the structural integrity of buildings so that individuals can safely return to their homes to providing basic supplies like food and clean water.

They need your help to keep it up. Click here to make a tax-deductible gift.

With so much to be done and such great urgency before us, let's help Puerto Rico dig out and rise up. Do it for Daniela and Camila and their dreams. Do it for your fellow citizens.

Siempre,

—Lin-Manuel Miranda

P.S. A version of this letter originally appeared as a guest column in The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to read it.

---