Where we stand on immigration reform, no holding back

The organization Fast for Families is calling for an end to unjust deportations, deaths on the border, exploitation at work, and fear of living in the shadows. Sign their petition demanding that Speaker Boehner call for an up-or-down vote now!  Sign the Petition

Dear MoveOn member,

Lo siento, me duele—it hurts.  

There's no sugarcoating it: things don't look good for comprehensive immigration reform in the near future. I'm disappointed. I had hoped that by now we would be looking at an up-or-down vote on the House bill, not a piecemeal deal.

But most Republicans in Congress are still refusing to allow a vote on reform. 

So, how did we get here?

After a decades-long battle for a comprehensive solution to immigration reform, it seemed that the issue would take center stage in 2013. During his inaugural address, President Obama asserted that the time had come for comprehensive immigration reform, raising the hopes of nearly 11 million aspiring Americans and their families, immigration reform leaders, and allies.

In June, a far-from-perfect but bipartisan bill passed overwhelmingly in the Senate, only to get stalled in the House. Back in 2007, the fight for reform was derailed in the Senate by the far-right, and the bill never even made it to the floor. This time around, it was the right-wing members of the House and Speaker Boehner who stopped the bill from ever coming to the floor for an up-or-down vote. 

Meanwhile, despite this failure of leadership, MoveOn members and allies have been doing inspiring work to build support for reform at the grassroots level. Fighting hard for a way to bypass Speaker Boehner and force a vote on immigration reform, MoveOn members started calling on Democrats to adopt a discharge petition strategy that could force a vote without Boehner's consent.  

• MoveOn leaders like Amos Lim from California, an immigrant in a bi-national relationship, appeared in a video explaining the issues at stake in the immigration debate for other MoveOn members. Amos has continued to stand on the front line, sharing his story with the media and his representative in Congress, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
• MoveOn leaders like Linda Serafini-Gale from Washington risked arrest while doing non-violent direct action, and Harriet Heywood from Florida, Andres Pacheco, and Stephanie Hamm from Texas started petitions and led local actions.
• MoveOn members created the Wall of Shame website—calling out some of the most egregious and bigoted attacks made by ultra-right Republicans—like Representative Steve King, whose seat is now vulnerable in 2014. 

These leaders and others have organized actions and never backed down from pushing Democrats and persuadable Republicans to do everything in their power to fight for comprehensive immigration reform. 

Today, I am uninspired by the lack of progress in Washington. President Obama started the year demanding comprehensive reform only to close it by saying he would accept a piecemeal deal. It's infuriating to see the Democratic leadership willing to let Republicans set the tone for this fight—from the racist remarks of Steve King to Speaker Boehner's refusal to call the House bill for an up-or-down vote.¹

And yet, the tenacious spirit of the immigrant rights movement perseveres. Allies continue to push Democrats and Republicans to explore viable solutions in order to pass reform. At the same time, more and more people are demanding an end to unjust deportations that only serve to tear families apart. 

Given the people power from the grassroots, and President Obama's commitment to reform, we're likely to see some meaningful change in the coming year. 

Thanks for all you do.  

–Mariana, Alejandro, Victoria, Ilya and the rest of the team

Source:

1. "Obama Backs Piecemeal Immigration Overhaul," The Wall Street Journal, November 20, 2013

http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295181&id=80280-10220574-ShFMYfx&t=2

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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Deadline Tuesday: Apply to be a #FrackingFighter

Grassroots organizing is the key to saving our communities and our planet. If you're fighting fracking in your community, will you apply to become the first MoveOn #FrackingFighter in New York? Or share this opportunity with friends and family? Applications are due this Tuesday, December 3, at 10 p.m. local time, and are available in English and Spanish. Apply Today

Dear New York MoveOn member,

I'm Josh Fox, director of the films Gasland and Gasland 2.

In 2008 my family's home and my neighbors' homes came under siege by the gas industry, which was buying up leases left and right to start fracking all over the Delaware River Basin. I've experienced first hand the devastation that fracking brings.

My two documentaries, Gasland and later Gasland 2, became award-winning films precisely because they called out the fracking industry for its lies and put a face on the millions of Americans at risk—along with our environment and global community—because of the largest domestic fracking campaign in history.

Traveling all across the U.S., I witnessed the destruction that drilling and fracking brings to communities, to public health, and to the environment. Water so contaminated it lights on fire, air so polluted it causes multiple health problems, and communities overrun by this destructive industry.

And along the way, I've seen that our only way out is to organize—to rally together, to petition our elected officials, to get out into the streets.

That's why I'm very excited about MoveOn's new initiative to support the fracking movement at its heart, and why I hope you'll apply to be one of 50 MoveOn #FrackingFighters.

Click here to learn more and apply to become a MoveOn #Fracking Fighter.

Applications are due this Tuesday, December 3, at 10 p.m. local time—so don't wait any longer to apply.

You can also help by forwarding this email to friends or family who might be affected by fracking. Or click here to share this opportunity with folks in your network on Facebook. Nearly every state is touched by some part of the fracking process, and the climate change caused by the fossil fuel industry truly affects us all.

If you're selected as a FrackingFighter, you'll receive a $500 grant to use for your campaign, a toolkit of materials like banners and clipboards, and training from experienced organizers. And you'll join a network of grassroots leaders fighting fracking across the country—from the oil fields in California and Texas, to the gas fields in Pennsylvania and Colorado, from the Midwestern dunes being mined for the silica sand used in fracking, to the New Jersey and North Carolina neighborhoods threatened by pipelines and export terminals that would transport fracked gas.

I had the pleasure of working with MoveOn members to screen Gasland 2 at movie parties coast to coast earlier this year—and I've since met MoveOn members across the country who are educating their neighbors, lobbying their elected leaders, and earning media coverage to put an end to fracking.

In my town, after years of meetings, letters, and phone calls, we won. This summer, the two biggest gas companies fracking in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, announced they were canceling all leases and backing out of fracking in our county.

It's only the start of what our movement can make possible. We need more victories like that across the country—and you can be part of it by applying to be a MoveOn #FrackingFighter before the deadline at 10 p.m. this Tuesday, December 3.

Thanks—and good luck,
Josh Fox

P.S. La solicitud para #FrackingFighters también está disponible en español aquí: http://moveon.org/frackingfighters/solicitud/index.html?source=email. Please forward this email to friends and family or click here to post about #FrackingFighters on Facebook, so that we can reach even more people with this exciting opportunity. Applications are due this Tuesday, December 3, at 10 p.m. local time.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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Next weekend in New York City

☆YOU'RE INVITED!☆

Attend the MoveOn New York City Organizing Summit

What: A special organizing summit and training for MoveOn members   When: Saturday, December 7, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. Where: SEIU Office, 310 West 43rd, Manhattan  Cost: Free! (Transportation assistance available!)   Can you join us for the MoveOn New York Organizing Summit?   Click below for more details and to RSVP.     Yes, I'll be there! Space is limited, so RSVP here.   Over the last six months, thousands of MoveOn members, such as Sheila Thomas, have made a difference in their communities using our free online organizing platform. Sheila helped pass the Violence Against Women Act by gathering more than 219,000 signatures on her petition and mobilizing the signers to contact their congressional representatives. Members like Sheila are proof that with just a little bit of confidence and know-how, every MoveOn member has the power to win real progressive change in their community. That's why we're launching our most ambitious free training program yet—to help thousands of MoveOn members over the next three months run and win progressive campaigns on issues that matter to them locally, regionally, and nationally.

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on November 30, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Walmart's latest outrage

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Anthony Goytia, a Walmart worker and MoveOn member. I started a petition on MoveOn.org to Walmart's owners, the Walton family, which says:

For too long, many Walmart employees have been forced to rely on public assistance just to scrape by. I was shocked to hear that Walmart held a food drive for its own employees. Walmart's owners, the Walton family, have an estimated $144.7 billion, more wealth than 42% of our country combined. It's time for Walmart to pay its workers a decent wage.

I work hard at Walmart and I shouldn't have to donate plasma just to pay my bills. But as the father of three, I struggle each month just to keep my kids fed. It's gotten so bad that I'm forced to live payday loan to payday loan. This year, I'm on track to make just $12,000 at Walmart.

And I'm not the only one. Recently, news broke that Walmart was actually running a food drive asking its own employees to donate to hungry coworkers so they could enjoy Thanksgiving. That isn't right.

While the Walton family has more wealth than 42% of our country combined, many Walmart workers like me are forced to turn to government assistance just to pay our bills. It's time for a change. That's why I'm calling on the Walton family to publicly commit to paying us a decent wage.

Click here to add your name to the petition urging Walmart to pay its workers a decent wage, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks so much for your help, and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

–Anthony Goytia 

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site by Anthony Goytia, along with OUR Walmart (the Organization United for Respect at Walmart). Nobody paid us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Legal Disclaimer: UFCW (the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union) and OUR Walmart have the purpose of helping Walmart employees as individuals or groups in their dealings with Walmart over labor rights and standards and their efforts to have Walmart publicly commit to adhering to labor rights and standards. UFCW and OUR Walmart have no intent to have Walmart recognize or bargain with UFCW or OUR Walmart as the representative of Walmart employees.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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Pledge to not shop on Thanksgiving

Below is an email from Mike Lux of the organization American Family Voices. Mike started a petition on the MoveOn website, where anyone can start their own online petition.

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Pledgenot to shop on Thanksgiving. Sign the Petition!

Dear MoveOn member,

In retail, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are the only two holidays that workers traditionally receive. Now that many stores are choosing to open on Thanksgiving, that break is being taken away, denying retail workers the rare opportunity to spend a holiday with their families. And most of these workers are only being paid minimum wage for their trouble. 

A holiday should not be a luxury for the rich—all workers deserve time to spend with loved ones.

That's why I started a petition to retail CEOs, which says:

Thanksgiving is one of the only holidays that retail workers receive. By opening stores on Thanksgiving, stores rob thousands of men and women of the opportunity to spend time with their families. 

A holiday with family should not be a luxury for the rich; we believe that all workers deserve the chance to relax and give thanks with loved ones. 

We, as consumers, have the power to tell stores not to open on Thanksgiving by staying home. We hereby pledge not to shop on Thanksgiving Day, to show the retail industry that everyone deserves a holiday.

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

Thanks!

–Mike Lux

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. American Family Voices didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on November 27, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thankful for Obamacare? Talk about it at Thanksgiving dinner

Dear MoveOn member,

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

This year, we're thankful because—despite every Republican attempt to repeal it—health care reform is still the law of the land and millions of Americans are seeing the benefits. And whether you're celebrating the holiday with close family, friends, or your conservative relatives—it's the perfect time to tell them why you're thankful for Obamacare too.

Since the Affordable Care Act passed, we've heard countless stories of people receiving better coverage for less, no longer being denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions, and receiving rebates from their insurance companies. But too much of the mainstream media has been obsessed with a bungled website rollout and insurance companies dropping people from junk policies—instead of the millions of Americans who've directly benefited from Obamacare.

That's precisely why MoveOn members are using Thanksgiving dinner to counter the propaganda and to have a frank talk with family about why we're thankful for health care reform. Can you commit to having a conversation about Obamacare tomorrow?

Check out some of these benefits of health care reform and click here if you plan to talk about them at dinner this year.

Almost all of us have at least one conservative family member or friend and it's up to us to make sure that they know—despite everything they've heard on Fox and CBS—that the Affordable Care Act is working. And what better time to convince them than over a hearty meal on a day of reflection like Thanksgiving.

The Obamacare success stories are out there—nearly a thousand have been submitted by MoveOn members in the last week alone. And chances are—if you look hard enough—there's someone quite close to you who's benefiting directly from the Affordable Care Act. Just imagine how the national conversation will change if 8 million MoveOn members take to dining room tables, living rooms, and soup kitchens tomorrow to talk about the benefits of Obamacare.

To make it easy, we've created a kit to help you get the most out of your dinner conversations. If you can commit to talking up Obamacare with family and friends during Thanksgiving this year, click here to get the kit:

http://moveon.org/thanksgiving-dinner/index.html?id=79668-10220574-jpo_O0x&t=3

Thanks for all you do.

–Mark, Eric, Maria, Alejandro, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on November 27, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tell Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to demand a vote

Dear MoveOn member,

We are just 18 votes away from being able to pass comprehensive immigration reform in the House. 

It's true: Despite Speaker John Boehner's refusal to compromise, there is still one clear way to pass comprehensive immigration reform in January—with a discharge petition.¹

There are currently 200 representatives who've signed on as co-sponsors of H.R. 15, the House immigration bill. All we need is one Democrat gutsy enough to lead and 217 representatives to vote for a discharge petition—that's 18 more members than are already co-sponsoring the bill. It's a simple process that would bypass Speaker Boehner and trigger an up-or-down vote.²

However, it seems that the House and President Obama have made up their minds that the only way to pass any kind of immigration reform is a piecemeal deal.³

This is a bitterly disappointing concession from President Obama. A piecemeal approach is far from perfect, since it could mean delays in getting the bills passed as well as hacking away at the strengths of the current bill.

Given the power that Democrats showed during the shutdown, it's hard to believe that they won't do more to make sure that comprehensive immigration reform passes in the House. 

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who initially sponsored H.R. 15 back in October, should do everything in her power to avoid a piecemeal approach and ensure that comprehensive immigration reform passes.

Will you join MoveOn member Amos Lim and share this image on Facebook, calling on Nancy Pelosi to start a discharge petition to pass comprehensive immigration reform? 

Thanks for all you do. 

–Mariana, Stephen, Alejandro, Stefanie, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Boehner: Immigration reform 'absolutely not' dead in House," The Washington Post, November 21, 2013

http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295188&id=79181-10220574-b%3DPSpdx&t=2

2. "And then there were two," MSNBC, October 29, 2013

http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=294722&id=79181-10220574-b%3DPSpdx&t=4

3. "Obama Backs Piecemeal Immigration Overhaul," The Wall Street Journal, November 20, 2013

http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295181&id=79181-10220574-b%3DPSpdx&t=5

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on November 24, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.