Seems like our lawmakers have finally gotten back to work—even some Republicans! Suddenly there are a number of new bills to research and act on. 

Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

1. Stop Trump’s and Hegseth’s illegal warmongering off Venezuela’s shores 
2. Support H.R. 6390, the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act 
3. Fight for Fair Social Security 
4. Oppose the government’s plan to hold back SNAP money from blue states 
5. Support the Experts Act to halt corporate corruption in government rulemaking and elevate the public’s support for strong safeguards 
6. Support the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act 
7. Support the Toxic Substances Control Act 
8. Support the renewal of the NewStart Nuclear Armed Forces Agreement 
9. Send a letter to our congresspeople to urge them to stop Medicare from using AI to deny care 
10. 2 Resistbot letters to send 

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. 

Contact info: 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.)

Actions 

1) Stop Trump’s and Hegseth’s illegal warmongering off Venezuela’s shores: 

    Democrat Senators Tim Kaine, Adam Schiff, and Chuck Schumer, along with Republican Senator Rand Paul, have filed a bipartisan war powers resolution to prevent the United States from using the U.S. armed forces to engage in hostilities with Venezuela without congressional approval. The resolution directs President Trump to cease using the military “unless specifically authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force.” Contact Senators King and Collins to support the resolution. 

2)  Support H.R. 6390, the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act:  
    Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) has introduced a bill (H.R. 6390, the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act) to rescind certain immigration enforcement funds and amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide for new credits related to expanding access to housing. This legislation would take the $175 billion given to ICE and put it instead toward making housing affordable for working Americans. As ICE is terrorizing more and more communities, the same communities are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. That’s just wrong. Our tax dollars should be helping Americans, not attacking and kidnapping them. Contact Jared Golden and urge him to take a stand and co-sponsor this bill, even if he thinks it won’t pass.  
 

3) Fight for Fair Social Security: 
   Senator Warren and House Representatives Larson and Horsford just introduced the bicameral Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act to provide a $200/month emergency increase to Social Security checks until July 2026. Medicare Part B premiums are rising by nearly 10% next year, yet Social Security recipients have received only a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment, amounting to just $56 per month. Contact Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to stand with senior citizens by co-sponsoring this bill. 
 

4) Oppose the government’s plan to hold back SNAP money from blue states: 
     Last week, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the Trump administration will block Democratic-controlled states from accessing billions of dollars they need to run their SNAP programs unless governors turn over their states’ benefits rolls to the federal government. The information they’re demanding includes vast quantities of identifying information on the over 42 million monthly participants, including names, addresses, when an individual enrolled in SNAP and whether they are still enrolled. (Per the Washington Post, it’s unclear if Rollins has the authority to demand that data, and the request could violate recipients’ privacy rights. Historically, no federal agency has required states to share this amount of private data with the federal government; current practice is for states to share only randomized samples. ) Twenty-two states, including Maine (Go, Maine!), refused to comply and sued the USDA.  
    Rollins claimed that the data from the complying states showed 186,000 dead people receiving benefits and 500,000 people receiving double benefits, and said that “more than 120 people” have been arrested on SNAP fraud. Makes me wonder: Over 600,000 supposed fraudulent benefits were paid and only 120 people have been arrested? That enormous amount of “waste, fraud, and abuse” (the constant refrain of the administration) is shocking. I’m also wondering why they need this information after DOGE supposedly got access to so much private information already. Why don’t they just demand that Musk turn over the data his minions mined from the government systems? 
    Contact Senators King and Collins, and House Representative Jared Golden to demand that Rollins and the USDA stop politicizing hunger, cease their demand for personal information that the federal government has no right to, and pay the blue states the administrative monies they are supposed to receive to run their SNAP programs. 
 

5) Support the Experts Act to halt corporate corruption in government rulemaking and elevate the public’s support for strong safeguards: 
   Senator Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Pramila Jayapal have introduced a bicameral bill (simultaneously in both parts of Congress) called the Experts Act (S. 3210; H.R. 6145), which would reform the rules for federal rule making by modernizing the process federal agencies use to develop vital safeguards like those that provide clean air and water, safe products, healthy workplaces, fair pay, and truth in lending, to name just a few. Formerly titled the Stop Corporate Capture Act, the legislation would achieve key improvements to the rulemaking process by lifting up the voices of the American people and closing loopholes that favor corrupt corporations and their lobbyists. 
   Contact Senators King and Collins and Representative Golden and push them to co-sponsor this bill.  
 

6) Support the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act: 
Senator Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Robert Garcia have introduced a bicameral bill called The Stop Ballroom Bribery Act (S.3191 and H.R. 6085) that would restrict donations for certain public projects linked to the President or Vice President, particularly from entities involved in litigation or seeking contracts with the federal government. Trump’s corrupt ballroom project is allowing companies he’s doing business with to funnel money his way. Contact Senators King and Collins to ask them to co-sponsor this bill in the Senate, and Representative Golden to co-sponsor the House version. 
 

7) Support the Toxic Substances Control Act: 
     In 2016, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was updated to reduce exposure to chemicals linked to cancer and chronic diseases. TSCA empowers states to ban chemicals like PFAS. The law prioritizes human health over corporate profits and has banned deadly solvents like trichloroethylene (TCE) and methylene chloride. States are already spending billions in taxpayer dollars cleaning up PFAS contamination—prevention is the only real solution.  
    But now the chemical lobby is pushing hard to weaken that law. Contact Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to tell them that this successful law should not be changed. You can personalize and send a letter to your congresspeople and Brooke Rollins, head of the USDA here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/take-action-to-protect-the-toxic-substances-control-act 
 

8) Support the renewal of the NewStart Nuclear Armed Forces Agreement: 
The NewStart Nuclear Armed Forces Agreement has been a part of a decades-long norm of limiting the deployment of deadly nuclear weapons. Its expiration in 2026 and current lack of enforcement makes it a top priority for renewal. Please join WPSR in contacting your members of Congress to join the NewSTART Arms control Resolution, H. Res 100 introduced by Representative Bill Foster and S. Res 61 introduced by Senator Ed Markey. Sign here. 
 

9) Send a letter to our congresspeople to urge them to stop Medicare from using AI to deny care: 
     A recent Senate subcommittee report on the use of AI to review prior authorizations reported that during the period that UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and CVS adopted AI tools, denials of authorization increased by anywhere from 54% to 108%, depending on the insurer. Plus, despite insurers’ claims about the bottom line benefits of AI review, the Senate study also found that patients with insurers utilizing AI will see their premiums rise $21.50/month from 2025 to 2026. So Medicare enrollees will be paying more for less. 
     You can personalize and send the letter from https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-medicare-from-using-ai-to-deny-healthcare 
 

10) 2 Resistbot letters to send: 
– urging Congress to immediately oppose the Trump Regime’s rollback of federal fuel-efficiency standards. Send it by texting SIGN PTYBKD to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram. 

– urging Congress to take immediate action to stop the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s new effort to undo the Biden-era rule that keeps medical debt off credit reports. That rule gave millions of Americans a fair chance to recover financially after illness or injury by preventing medical bills, often caused by emergencies or billing errors, from wrecking their credit scores. Repealing it would punish people simply for getting sick and hand power back to credit bureaus and debt collectors. We want our congresspeople to  speak out publicly, support legislation to preserve the CFPB’s medical debt rule, and ensure that medical debt stays off credit reports permanently. No one should lose their financial future because of a hospital bill. Text SIGN PDQVGT to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram. 

Yours in Civic Action, 

Bold Coast Civic Alliance

I apologize for jumping back into the fray so late this week. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! 

Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

1. Push for the impeachment and removal from office of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth 
2. Keep pushing for an extension of the ACA tax credits 
3. Oppose the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Department of Education and its vital programs and workforce 
4. Sign a petition to keep our air safe from fine-particle pollution 
5. Have a copy of the constitution sent to a congressmember in your name 
6. Don’t let our representatives in Congress think we’ve forgotten or no longer care about the Epstein files 

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. 

Contact info: 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.)

Actions 

1) Push for the impeachment and removal from office of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: 

    It’s beyond unacceptable to have a Secretary of Defense who rejects the Geneva Conventions and orders war crimes. Trump’s Teflon seems to have protected Hegseth against any real blowback from Signalgate, his demands for loyalty oaths from journalists, and every other ridiculous thing he’s done, but his excitement about killing is seriously sick and cannot be ignored. Senator Mark Kelly, whose death for “sedition” both Trump and Hegseth have demanded, gets right to the point: https://newrepublic.com/post/203827/mark-kelly-pete-hegseth-donald-trump-playing-army 

     Contact Senators King and Collins and Congressman Golden to call for impeachment proceedings on Hegseth. (Hakeem Jeffries has said the House Dems will NOT pursue impeachment against Hegseth because there’s zero chance it would pass with Republicans in charge, even if it were to make it to the floor, which he is sure it won’t. I think we can still ask Jared Golden to speak up about and get involved with any and all ways to make clear to America that Hegseth is massively unqualified for the job.)  

     Related: Urge Jared Golden to support the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act, which would prohibit the executive branch from spending any federal funds on the use of military inside Venezuela or against Venezuelan forces, including remote or intermittent strikes, unless Congress passes a specific Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). 

2)  Keep pushing for an extension of the ACA tax credits: 
     Remember how the Democrats in the Senate allowed the shutdown to end by giving up on their demand for an extension of the ACA tax credits and accepting, instead, the promise of a vote on the subject? That vote looks like it could happen next week, and given the way the GOP members of Congress freaked out at Trump’s plan to extend those credits for 2 years, they seem pretty determined to stick with their own plans to continue screwing their own constituents out of affordable health insurance. Almost everyone wants—needs—those credits extended: Without those subsidies, millions of Americans will face financial or health disaster—or both—and the resulting diminished market will raise costs further for everyone else, possibly even collapsing the entire healthcare system in this country. 
     Contact Senators King and Collins and make sure they know you want those tax credits extended. Susan Collins has called the extension of these credits a “poison pill,” so we know she’s not planning to vote for it. Let her know this is a slap in the face to all her constituents who will be directly affected by her obvious lack of compassion. 
     On the House side, Hakeem Jeffries has introduced a discharge petition to force a vote in the House on a bill to extend the ACA premium tax credits by three years. Contact Congressman Golden to thank him for signing on to this discharge petition and urge him to keep fighting for affordable healthcare for Mainers. 
 

3)  Oppose the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Department of Education and its vital programs and workforce: 
     Another nasty measure sneaked into the One Big Disgusting Bill now coming to light: The hugely diminished Department of Education now programmed to eat its own tail and consume itself entirely has announced changes to the degrees that are considered “professional.” Whether a degree is considered “professional” will influence how much reimbursement a student receives for their higher education and decrease the student loan caps for these degree programs. 
     Not included in the newly proposed list of professional degrees are nursing, physician assistants, physical therapists, educators, social workers, audiologists, architects, and accountants. 
     This is absurd. As those of us in rural parts of the country already know, we need more well-trained professionals, not fewer. Our state—really, most of our country—is already experiencing a decline in healthcare providers, teachers, social workers, etc. This is a complicated issue with many varied and valid explanations, but the bottom line is that adding to the problem is not a reasonable response. It will help no one to make it harder for less-wealthy but smart and talented students to train for these high-demand professions.  
     Contact Senators King and Collins and Congressman Golden to make sure they know that we know about this development and are outraged by it. We need our representatives to push back against these revised qualifications and limits to related student loans. I’m sure solving the overall problem will take some thinking out of the box, but preventing more people from being able to study for high-demand jobs is not the way to change things for the better. If you have any personal stories related to this issue, from your own experience or that of family or friends, share them. That’s one of the best ways to reach whatever these politicians might have left of their heartstrings. 
 

4)  Sign a petition to keep our air safe from fine-particle pollution: 

     The Trump administration just announced it will abandon a critical rule that strengthened limits on deadly fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) — a move scientists warn will lead to dirtier air, more asthma attacks, more heart and lung disease, and thousands of preventable deaths. Petitions aren’t a great way to affect government behavior, but they’re better than nothing and are easy to sign. https://civicshout.com/p/tell-the-epa-no-backsliding-on-clean-air-and-climate/ 

5) Have a copy of the constitution sent to a congressmember in your name: 

https://www.defiance.org/swag/p/constitutions-for-congress

6) Don’t let our representatives in Congress think we’ve forgotten or no longer care about the Epstein files: 

Yours in Civic Action, 

Bold Coast Civic Alliance

Today’s Action Items are short and simple. I’d like to preface today’s list with one item that I think is very important and easy for us all to do: Let’s all try to remember how important it is to feel grateful for what we have and what this country, with all its problems and the attempts of so many to tear it all down lately, has given us. Take comfort in family and friends, give thanks together, and renew the shared strength to keep on fighting for the survival of the freedom, compassion, and kindness that really can make America great.  

Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

1. Oppose the CDC’s efforts to remove the universal Hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine recommendation 
2. Save the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) 
3. Pressure Apple to take back its donation to Trump’s ballroom 
4. Learn about and join Ground Truth’s efforts to educate voters and help Democrats win back voters 
5. Maine-specific action from the Washington County Dems 

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. 

Contact info: 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.)

Actions Actions 

1) Oppose the CDC’s efforts to remove the universal Hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine recommendation: 

    Monday, November 24^th, 11:59pm, is the deadline for submitting public comments about the efforts of ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) to remove the recommendation of the universal Hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine. The Hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine has been given over a billion times to newborns and has saved countless lives with almost no side-effects. Now the CDC, under anti-vaxxer RFK Jr., is proposing to stop recommending this vaccine for newborns. Speak up now: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/CDC-2025-0783-0001 

2)  Save the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): 
   The Trump administration has falsely declared that the CFPB’s independent funding is illegal, setting the agency on a path to shut down in early 2026. Russell Vought, acting OMB Director and Trump’s shadow president, has been laying the groundwork for this outcome all year. He cut the CFPB’s funding request to zero, ignored Dodd Frank’s statutory mandate, and pushed a legal theory so fringe that even conservative courts rejected it.  
   Now the DOJ has signed onto that incorrect theory to justify blocking the CFPB from receiving any money at all. The Supreme Court has already upheld the CFPB’s funding mechanism. This maneuver is designed to bypass Congress and sidestep the courts. The CFPB’s cash reserves are rapidly draining because Vought refused to request funds from the Federal Reserve, even though the law requires the Fed to transfer whatever amount the CFPB director determines is necessary. 
   The CFPB investigates predatory lenders, monitorss credit card abuses, enforce anti-discrimination laws in banking, and returns money stolen by corporate scammers. So far, the CFPB has recovered more than $21 billion for consumers, eliminated junk fees, cracked down on discrimination, banned medical debt reporting, and stopped abusive practices across Wall Street, fintech, mortgage servicing, auto lending, and more.  
    The courts have temporarily blocked Vought’s mass firings and frozen some of the most extreme attacks, but those protections will not last forever. As this case moves toward the Supreme Court, the threat grows. Congress has the power to intervene right now and make clear that the CFPB must remain funded and operational.  
    Tell Congress to stop Russell Vought’s unlawful plan to dismantle the CFPB and protect consumers now. Congress must reinforce that the CFPB’s funding structure is legal, constitutional, and required by statute. Lawmakers must be loud and unambiguous that no administration has the authority to starve a federal agency that Congress itself created. Anything less invites a future where presidents can defund regulators at will, leaving families vulnerable to corporate abuse. Support the campaign to protect the CFPB, safeguard the billions it returns to the public, and prevent financial predators from rewriting the rules: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/afr_defend_the_cfpb_from_voughts_unlawful_shutdown 
 

3) Pressure Apple to take back its donation to Trump’s ballroom: https://act.citizen.org/page/91007/petition/1 
 

4)  Learn about and join Ground Truth’s efforts to educate voters and help Democrats win back voters:  
   https://ourgroundtruth.org/?ss_source=em20251119-184 
 

5)  Maine-specific action from the Washington County Dems:  
    The Department of Homeland Security is trying to purge new Mainers—and naturalized citizens everywhere– from voter rolls by creating a “citizenship” check system that could wrongfully keep eligible citizens from voting. They are doing this by using (abusing) private voter data that the Trump administration culled from Social Security files—in flagrant violation of the Privacy Act. 
   DHS is taking public comments on this effort until Dec. 1. Government agencies are legally required to pay attention to, consider, and respond to significant public comments.  
    Go to https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/USCIS-2025-0337-0002 to submit your comment. Here is a sample script—remember, it’s best to personalize it:  
    “The Privacy Act protects U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents from improper government use of their data. We share private citizenship information with the Social Security Administration with the guarantee that it will only be used for purposes related to benefits, retirement, disability, and death. We did NOT consent to our sensitive SSA data being repurposed by federal or state governments for use in a massive voter verification system. The government has no right to do this without our consent. 
    “This misuse of private data could wrongfully purge lawfully registered voters from voter rolls and prevent eligible voters from voting. In fact, some states have already started purging voter rolls and opening criminal cases using this system–even though this data is especially unreliable for naturalized citizens and states are doing little to confirm the data is accurate. 
    “In addition, the consolidation and misuse of our data in this way substantially increases the risk of our personal information being vulnerable to security breaches.”  

Yours in Civic Action, 

Bold Coast Civic Alliance

Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

1. Keep pushing for the release of the Epstein files 
2. Tell SiriusXM to get Megyn Kelly off their platforms 
3. Protest the U.S. Border Patrol’s invasion of Charlotte, NC 
4. Remove the Regime: March and Lobby in Washington, D.C., 11/20-11/22 
5. Revisit actions from the Friday, November 14th, action items email 

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. 

Contact info: 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.)

Actions 

1) Keep pushing for the release of the Epstein files: 

   It’s oddly concerning that Trump is now pressing House Republicans to vote for the release. It makes me wonder if the DOJ has redacted any mentions of him, or if they’re going to claim they can’t release the files due to them being part of the new  “investigations” of Democrat “enemies” ordered by Trump. Either way, this could continue to be an ongoing slog. It’s important to remember that releasing these files is an important step in finally getting justice for all of Epstein’s victims; it’s not just about the happy hope of seeing Trump humiliated. 

   Contact Rep. Golden again to urge him to vote for HR 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The vote could come as early as tomorrow.  

    Contact Senators King and Collins again to urge them to vote for S 2557, the Senate version of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Push Collins in particular, stressing the justice aspect of this crusade. While I wouldn’t expect her to speak out against Trump’s sleaziness, as a woman, she might be more responsive to the idea of validation for Epstein’s victims after all these years of oppressive secrecy.  

2) Tell SiriusXM to get Megyn Kelly off their platforms: 

In case you haven’t heard the latest from this right-wing nutjob, here’s a direct quote from her, said on her SiriusXM show: “Jeffrey Epstein was not a pedophile… He was into the barely legal type, like he liked 15-year-old girls… There’s a difference between a 15 year old and a 5 year old.” 

In other words, she stated on air that it’s okay for an adult to have sex with a 15-year-old girl. But it’s NOT. Many 15 year olds may already have the bodies of full-grown women, but emotionally they are still children and find it difficult to say no to an adult man, which makes any sex with them nonconsensual. The fact that a woman claimed that sex with a 15-year-old girl is okay just makes it all the more disgusting.  

Tell SiriusXM to dump her, and if you have a subscription with SiriusXM, cancel it and tell them why. You can submit your comment here: https://siriusxm.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0CcUkGIURd6sYxU 

By the way, SiriusXM owns Pandora, which, like Spotify, has been airing ICE recruitment ads. Another reason to dump them until they see the error of their ways. 

3) Protest the U.S. Border Patrol’s invasion of Charlotte, NC: 

    You know the drill. The Border Patrol goons are following their well-documented policies of accosting and detaining anyone who even looks like they might be native Spanish speakers. They arrived in Charlotte on Saturday, and by the end of the day they’d arrested 81 people, at least one of whom was a U.S. citizen. Needless to say, they are still there.  

     Contact Senators King and Collins and Congressman Golden that Trump’s terrorizing of American cities by the U.S. Border Patrol and ICE is unacceptable and has got to stop. 

4) Remove the Regime: March and Lobby in Washington, D.C., 11/20-11/22: 

     If you have any friends or family in or around DC, make sure they know about this event. If you have the ability to make the trip down there, do it! Hopefully this will be big. The 20^th and 21^st will be taken up by lobbying Congress directly. The main event is the Nov. 22^nd march on Washington. You can learn more here: https://www.removetheregime.com/  

5) Revisit actions from the Friday, November 14^th, action items email: 

Especially re:  

   -the military buildup near Venezuela, and the continued destruction of civilian boats (and the murders of said civilians) in international waters  

   -the Maine-specific actions 

Yours in Civic Action, 

Bold Coast Civic Alliance

Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

1. Push for the release of the full Epstein files 
2. Fight for a permanent extension to the ACA tax credits—without conditions 
3. Protest the Trump administration’s extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific and the military buildup in the waters off of Venezuela 
4. Sign a petition to demand that Chuck Schumer step down as Minority Leader 
5. Join a new boycott against companies enabling Trump’s illegal power grabs 
6. Maine-specific Action

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. 

Contact info: 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.)

Actions 

1) Push for the release of the full Epstein files: 

    With the House of Representatives back in session, Adelita Grijalva has finally been sworn in and, as she promised, has provided the 218^th signature required to force a vote on the bill to compel the release of all the Epstein files. Since those 218 signatures include 4 (if I recall correctly) Republicans, in all likelihood, the bill will pass. Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that he will bring HR 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, next week. Despite intense pressure on Republicans by Trump, it looks likely that the bill will pass. Unfortunately, it still will need to be passed by the Senate, where no one is even promising to bring it to a vote, and signed by Trump, who obviously has every reason to obstruct it and is continuing to denounce it as a Democrat hoax and claiming that only “very bad, or stupid” Republicans would fall into an Epstein “trap.”  

   Contact House Rep Jared Golden to urge him to follow up his signature on the discharge petition with a YES vote on HR 4405. 

    Contact Senators King and Collins to urge them to support bringing S 2557, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, to a vote once the House version passes, and then to vote YES to release the files. The American people have had enough obfuscation and downright lying. Trump campaigned partly on the promise to release these files, and a lot of MAGA folk want to see this happen. So do we. In the words of Representative Grijalva, “Just this morning, House Democrats released more emails showing that Trump knew more about Epstein’s abuses than he previously acknowledged. It’s about time for Congress to restore its role as a check and balance on this administration and fight for we, the American people.”  Make sure our Senators know how important we think this is. 

2)   Fight for a permanent extension to the ACA tax credits—without conditions:  
    The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act increased tax credits for ACA plan premiums, making health insurance more affordable for millions. However, these credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, and Republicans refused to extend funding for the credits in their recently-passed budget reconciliation bill. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that 4.2 million people will lose coverage by 2034 if the tax credits are not renewed. In addition, with the loss of those participants in the ACA, health insurance premiums will rise even further for everyone else.  
    A number of Republicans are on the record as being open to discussing extending the ACA tax credits once the shutdown was ended. That has happened. Now Senate Republicans say they’re open to extending a pot of Affordable Care Act funds that will expire at the end of the year — but only if Democrats acquiesce to stricter abortion restrictions on insurance plans. The influential Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group, whose goal is to ban abortion entirely in the U.S., is pushing hard to condition Republican support for ACA funding on tougher abortion restrictions: They are threatening GOP lawmakers with having their votes “scored, and double-weighted, in each member’s profile on SBA Pro-Life America’s National Pro-Life Scorecard.” (You can read more about it here: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-demand-tougher-abortion-restrictions-extend-obamacare-fund-rcna243206)  
       Contact Senators King and Collins and House Rep. Golden to pass a permanent extension of the ACA premium tax credits and block any additional abortion restrictions or attempt to sabotage the ACA. Remind them that the Hyde amendment already prevents federal funds from covering abortions, and that states should be free to shape their own laws about healthcare coverage within their own borders.  
 

3)   Protest the Trump administration’s extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific and the military buildup in the waters off of Venezuela: 
    Since late September, draft legislation has been circulated at the White House and on Capitol Hill that would hand Trump sweeping power to wage war against drug cartels he deems to be “terrorists,” as well as against any nation he says has harbored or aided them. In the meantime, over a dozen civilian boats have been struck in international waters, summarily killing all those aboard (nearly 70 people so far) without evidence of legal investigation or any due process. These attacks lack legal authority, are killing people without due process, and highlight this administration’s lawless use of military force. Also, Trump has been moving major military resources into the waters off Venezuela and has ordered covert CIA operations inside Venezuela.  
     Contact Senators King and Collins and House Rep. Golden to object to the Trump administration’s repeated military strikes on civilian boats in international waters and demand that Congress step up to protect its own powers to be a check on presidential overreach. We don’t want to be at war. Trump boasts about being a war ender—he can’t be allowed to get us into a new war just because he wants to distract the US people from his deep unpopularity and the Epstein files, while also continuing to consolidate executive power in his own hands. No kings, no wars. 
® A specific note to Susan Collins: Last week the Senate rejected legislation that would have required approval from Congress before Trump could take military action against Venezuela, despite bipartisan misgivings about the administration’s secretive efforts in the region. Just two Republicans broke ranks: Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul. Susan Collins voted with the rest of her GOP colleagues, basically supporting Trump’s claim that he can kill whomever he wants whenever he wants as long as he has declared them an enemy. Let her know that her support of Trump’s lawlessness is unacceptable. If the U.S. ends up in a war in Latin America, the blood of any Mainers who die in that war will be on her hands. 

4) Sign a petition to demand that Chuck Schumer step down as Minority Leader: 
    https://www.change.org/p/demand-that-chuck-schumer-step-down-as-minority-leader 
 

5)  Join a new boycott against companies enabling Trump’s illegal power grabs:  

    “We Ain’t Buying It” is a cross-coalition action to boycott Home Depot (for cooperating with ICE), Target (for betraying their DEI commitments), and Amazon (for funding the regime). The boycott is set to begin on Black Friday and continue through the end of the month.  Learn more here: https://weaintbuyingit.com/ 

6)  Maine-specific action: 

     We don’t want masked men roaming the streets of Maine claiming without proof that they are law enforcement.  

• Call Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau and Senate President Mattie Dougherty to ask them to reverse the decision of the Legislative Council and allow LR 2591, a bill to require that ICE and Border Patrol Agents operate unmasked in Maine, to be heard and voted on when the next Maine Legislative session opens this January.  
• Call your Maine State senators and representatives to ask them to advocate for allowing this bill into the January session. 
• Call Governor Janet Mills to ask her to support LR 2591. Also urge her again to sign LD 1971: An Act to Protect Workers in This State by Clarifying the Relationship of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies with Federal Immigration Authorities (This act limits the degree to which Maine State and Local Law Enforcement are allowed to cooperate/collude with Federal Immigration agencies.) 

Maine State-level Contact Info: 

Governor Janet Mills: 287-3531 or https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/contact/share-your-opinion 

Attorney General Aaron Frey: 207-626-8800 or email attorney.general@maine.gov 

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows: 207-626-8400 or https://www.maine.gov/sos/about-us/contact-us-form 

State Controller Douglas E. Cotnoir: 207-626-8420 or douglas.e.cotnoir@maine.gov 

State Treasurer Joseph C. Perry: 207-624-7477 or Joseph.C.Perry@maine.gov  

Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services Sara Gagné-Holmes:  (207) 287-3707 

And, of course, contact your representatives in the state legislature, which depends on your district.

Find your State Representative: 
By name: Here
By district: Here

Yours in Civic Action, 

Bold Coast Civic Alliance