Due to time constraints, this email is short today.
Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option:
- Watch Jack Smith’s public testimony live TODAY
- Save the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from Mining Pollution
- Sign the MayDayStrong solidarity pledge
Actions
1) Watch Jack Smith’s public testimony TODAY at 10am ET:
Share this with as many people as possible (I know it’s last minute—sorry about that!) and watch it yourself. I wish I knew a way to get MAGA people to watch. You can stream it live here or on CSPAN 2, if you have access to it.
2) Save the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from Mining Pollution:
In 2023, the Biden administration implemented a 20-year moratorium on mining in the Rainy River watershed, which is next to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the most visited wilderness area in the country. Since last June, the Trump administration and members of Congress have been working to dismantle these protections for the Boundary Waters. Now Congressional Republicans have moved closer to lifting that ban, despite environmentalists’ warnings that toxic runoff from mining devastate the Boundary Waters and the wildlife that makes their homes there.
The end goal seems to be to grant mining leases to Twin Metals (a mining company owned by a foreign corporation), while also preventing any future mining bans within the watershed area. This would further the administration’s push to make mining and resource extraction the primary uses of our public lands and waters. What’s more, Congressional action would have a more permanent effect than an executive order, which can be undone by a future administration.
The Senate could take this up at any time. The good news is that a previous attempt to roll this back last summer was stopped by a ruling by the Senate Parliamentarian, and it’s possible this attempt could end the same way. But there’s no guarantee. So if environmental protection is important to you, contact Senators King and Collins and urge them to vote against rolling back this rule.
3) Sign the MayDayStrong solidarity pledge:
The May Day Coalition is working toward a huge national protest on May 1st. If you’re so inclined, sign their pledge to help the effort. To have an effect, it needs to be HUGE. Read more here or go straight to the pledge. If you’re involved with one of the larger organizations, talk to them about making sure we have large events planned locally.
Contact info:
Reminder: When you call vs when you email via our reps’ websites (best way to contact them in writing), don’t forget to begin with: “Hi, my name is [name] and I’m a constituent calling from [zip code]. That is important, because if they don’t know you’re actually a constituent, your opinion will be ignored.
Angus King
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292
Susan Collins
DC: (202) 224-2523
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417
Chellie Pingree
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019
Waterville: (207) 873-5713
Jared Golden
DC: (202) 225-6306
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767
Find your State Representative:
By name: Here
By district: Here
(Please note that for those of you receiving this email who are not represented by Senators or House members in our district, I have to leave it up to you to find the contact info for your own representatives.)
Yours in Civic Action,
Bold Coast Civic Alliance
