Background: As you know, the Big Ugly Bill deep six’d the subsidies that made Affordable Care Act premiums actually affordable for a lot of folks (like around 22 million of our fellow citizens). After a lot of hemming and hawing, the Congress is finally (apparently) going to take a vote on extending “enhanced ACA premium tax credits” past their expiration date of December 31. A current bipartisan bill, HR 6010, the Fix It Act, (1) proposes a two-year extension of enhanced ACA premium tax credits, paying for it by cracking down on Medicare Advantage fraud and insurance broker misconduct. This would prevent a significant premium increase for millions of Americans, while the bill would also implement new income caps and fraud safeguards. The Coalition on Human Needs- CHN – (2) has sent a request that we pressure our delegation into signing on to this measure or at least vote for it. It’s not a complete answer to the problem, but at least it’s something. Just don’t let the media fool you into thinking it’s the whole answer. We need a complete overhaul of the medical insurance situation (like, single payer health care nationwide…which should be a plank in the Democratic party platform!)
Action: Write a letter in your own words and send to our delegation, or phone them! This is much more effective than sending a “canned” letter. You don’t have to lard your letter with statistics or rationale – they’ve heard all that. Just tell them what youwant them to do! And ask for a reply.
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.
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.)
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.
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:
A message (and addendum) from the Hancock Country Democrats:
Background: It’s hard not to come to the conclusion that the MAGA/Republican/Christian Nationalist method of keeping the human population numbers down is to first create more people in their own image, then kill off as many other living people as possible. Consider that
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed (including by Susan Collins). He aims to destroy life-saving vaccines and espouses other crackpot medical theories.
US Aid funding was destroyed, resulting in millions of deaths in other nations.
The Supreme Court eliminated most abortion care, risking women’s lives.
Medical insurance is about to become unaffordable, so people won’t get care until it’s too late.
And now, Trump has defined advanced nursing as not professional-degree worthy, creating a huge barrier to entering into these badly needed professions. (1)
Friends in the nursing profession had this to say about the latest Trump travesty: Not classifying graduate nursing as a profession “could seriously limit federal borrowing for graduate nursing students. It affects other careers too, but for nursing, all CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) programs are doctorate programs. The total program usually costs over $150k, and you are out of work for 3 years. That’s a rough total cost estimate of around $300-350k to obtain the degree, which includes lost wages and tuition. Professional degree seekers can borrow up to $200k, but now that nursing is to be excluded from the professional class, borrowing at decent rates would fall under the normal $100k cap for a graduate degree. DNP (doctor of nursing practice) and NP (nurse practitioner) programs would be similarly restricted. This would be a massive roadblock for the vast majority of prospective students, (as) most private lending for graduate degrees is incredibly predatory.”
Action: Alert your legislators and protest this absurd development. We need more well-trained medical professionals, not fewer. It shouldn’t be impossible for talented Mainers of modest means to enter these life-saving professions. Ask our legislative delegation to “pay attention to this matter” and do something about it. Talk to your nurse friends and ask them to share their stories with nurse.org (See Extra Credit item 2)
Urgency: The sooner the better, at least by year end. July 1, 2026 is when the new standard will go into effect if nothing is done, and it takes time to get matters like this acknowledged and addressed.
I love it when you write to amplify the action items! This is from Veronica: “Just FYI, it seems to be more graduate degrees than just nursing (I checked with Snopes fact checker). Social work (MSW), public health (MPH, Dr.PH), Physician Assistants (PA), Occupational Therapists (OT), Physical Therapists (PT), Speech and Language Therapists, and many types of Counseling Programs will fall under this removal from Professional status at Dept of Ed (if it passes). What does it mean “if it passes”? That’s hard to tease out. The process (per Snopes) is “negotiated rulemaking, a public comment period, and a final proposal before a rule becomes law.” I don’t trust this administration to follow ordered normal steps.” Agreed, Veronica! This administration will ignore public comments, unless there is an overwhelming public outcry. The whole scheme looks like a giveaway to those predatory lenders, and part of Project 2025’s destruction of public education. Becoming an MD also will be unaffordable except for the already wealthy.
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:
Oppose the CDC’s efforts to remove the universal Hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine recommendation
Save the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Pressure Apple to take back its donation to Trump’s ballroom
Learn about and join Ground Truth’s efforts to educate voters and help Democrats win back voters
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.
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 24th, 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
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.”
Background: We previously suggested that Janet Mills should sign LD 1971. (1) The title of the bill is “An Act to Protect Workers in This State by Clarifying the Relationship of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies with Federal Immigration Authorities” and the text of the bill can be found here.
Last Friday night, at the Maine Dems Gala in Portland (an excellent event BTW!) she sat at the same dinner table with Governor Pritzker, had a private audience with him prior to the dinner, and listened to his keynote speech where he gave a blistering takedown of ICE actions in Illinois. After the dinner, I asked her if listening to Pritzker might have moved her to reconsider her reluctance to sign LD 1971. Her reply? “I think about it every day”, and then she went on to say that she was thinking of crafting an alternative, involving the law enforcement community.
All well and good, but this is an emergency. Maine law enforcement should not be put in a position where they are acting as an arm of the federal DHS/ICE, no matter how much the feds try to sweeten the deal with offers of equipment, funding or other inducements to local law enforcers. LD 1971 passed the Maine legislature on the 18th of JUNE “to be enacted”, but was HELD by Governor Mills on JULY 8. She has had lots of time – almost half a year – to craft her proposed alternative. We have seen NOTHING. This is unacceptable. She touts her resolve to stand strong against Trumpian overreach. She needs to follow her historic “see you in court” statement with proof that she means it.
Action: Call Janet Mills. Ask her to sign the legislation. As with any other legislation, if it needs to be modified after some experience in the field, that is always an option.
Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option:
Keep pushing for the release of the Epstein files
Tell SiriusXM to get Megyn Kelly off their platforms
Protest the U.S. Border Patrol’s invasion of Charlotte, NC
Remove the Regime: March and Lobby in Washington, D.C., 11/20-11/22
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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 20th and 21st will be taken up by lobbying Congress directly. The main event is the Nov. 22nd march on Washington. You can learn more here: https://www.removetheregime.com/
Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option:
Push for the release of the full Epstein files
Fight for a permanent extension to the ACA tax credits—without conditions
Protest the Trump administration’s extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific and the military buildup in the waters off of Venezuela
Sign a petition to demand that Chuck Schumer step down as Minority Leader
Join a new boycott against companies enabling Trump’s illegal power grabs
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.
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 218th 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. Goldento 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.
“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 Millsto 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.)
Background: When Trump was first elected, Republicans fantasized about alternatives to the Affordable Care Act but have produced nothing in the nine years since. (1) The recent government shutdown, which was fought over the extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidy, has made health care the #1 issue in American politics at least through the 2026 elections, if not beyond. Democrats need to embrace this as their central issue and propose to DO something about it that will make a profound difference for all Americans. That “something” has been clear for some time, which is to incorporate a Medicare option as an amendment to the ACA, a measure supported by the vast majority of Americans according to numerous polls.
Americans balk at mandates, but embrace options, and are especially likely to do so in response to the compelling economics of a Medicare option. Gradual, but probably inevitable, adoption of a Medicare option by most Americans will put us on the path toward a sensible health care policy enjoyed by the rest of the developed nations. Compared to those countries, we bear on average almost twice the cost for health care as well as shorter life expectancies. (2) With a Medicare option open to all, personal bankruptcies due to medical costs (the primary cause of such bankruptcies (3) would become a thing of the past. In addition, companies which currently provide commercial insurance for their employees would be able to lower their costs and/or increase wages. (4)
The primary objection to the Medicare option is purported cost. However, that cost would not be born entirely by the government. People under age 65 (the current age of eligibility) opting to enroll in Medicare would presumably pay premiums, but ACA subsidies would still be available to offset those costs. In addition, the initial cost of the premiums is expected to be considerably lower than currently paid to commercial, profit-driven insurance providers simply due to the lower cost of Medicare administration – about 2 % for Medicare vs. 17% for private insurance. (5)
Putting this proposal on the table NOW by the Democratic Party would send a clear message to the American voters of Democratic intentions once returned to the majority, and provide a stark contrast to the Republicans who, by their actions, obviously could not care less about the well-being of average Americans. It should be a litmus test for Democratic aspirants to elected office and a core tenant of party identity into the future.
The recent budget bill passed with only a “pinkie promise” from Republicans to vote sometime in December whether or not to extend the ACA tax credits. If they are not extended, insurance costs will rise to unaffordable levels for millions of us. (6) Since the Dems are supposedly going to write the terms of the ACA extension bill promised by Republicans, NOW would be a good time to include the Medicare option. It is high time for Democrats to make a few, big, transformative promises like this and commit to sticking with them until victory is achieved, even if it takes decades. Think of it as building a new party identity with a foundation in the party’s past.
Action: Write to your Democratic representatives and all the aspiring Democratic candidates at any level of government, as well as to the party leadership, and urge them to declare publicly that they are in favor of the concept of a Medicare Option Amendment to the Affordable Care Act. Let’s change the focus from the ongoing Trumpocalypse and get something positive going, starting with health care. We’ve had enough of letting Republicans set the terms of debate! Golden could leave office as a champion of the Medicare Option Amendment. King could somewhat restore his badly tattered reputation by doing the same.
National Candidates: For Democratic candidates for office, a simple online search for their campaigns should give you contact info. For Matt Dunlap, see Amy Fried’s article about him here.
Current state legislators and party leaders: The state party chair is Charles Dingman, devon@mainedems.org. You already have your current Democratic state legislators in your files. If you have a Republican legislator, you might want to skip over them. Other Maine state legislators outside of Hancock County to contact could include:
(2) AI says “Healthcare costs and outcomes vary across the developed world, with the United States spending significantly more per capita ($13,432 in 2023) than other high-income nations, while often experiencing worse health outcomes like lower life expectancy and higher infant/maternal mortality rates. For comparison, the average spending in other developed countries was around $7,393 per capita in 2023, with countries like Switzerland ($9,688) and Germany ($8,441) having high costs, but still lower than the U.S.” See also:
(3) AI again: “Medical costs are a primary driver of personal bankruptcies in the United States, with a widely cited 2019 study reporting that 66.5% of people who file for bankruptcy blame medical bills as a key reason. This makes medical debt the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., exceeding credit card debt and mortgage problems.”
(4) Advantages include reduced cost, simplified administration, and improved competitive ability to attract employees by directing the cost savings into higher wages.
ALSO: Subscribe to Emanual Pariser’s almost daily action item emails! emanuelpariser@gmail.com There are enough actions described therein to keep you at work full time, helping to save our democracy.
Contact:
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number.
Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option:
Time Sensitive: Tell USPS to oppose privatization and protect vote-by-mail
Ending the shutdown
Support Tennessee candidate for the House of Representatives
Sign a petition to demand that companies who have donated to Trump’s ballroom take back their donations
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.
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.)
This week the US Postal Service is holding its annual open meeting, and this is the one chance for the board members to hear from the public. Today, Monday, November 10th, is the last day for comments from the public.
Speak out to oppose any effort to privatize the USPS.
Show your support for ensuring that mail-in ballots remain an option for voters.
Advocate for the Postal Service to expand banking services around the country. (Postal banking would allow everyone, including low-income families and people who don’t live near banks, to access banking services at their local post office.
Demand more opportunities for the public to weigh in on USPS business.
2) Ending the shutdown: I don’t know about you, but I’m very disappointed in Senator Angus King and the Democrats who voted on this empty shutdown deal. First of all, the GOP has given no cause for anyone to believe their promises of a vote to be held later. Plus, even if it is held, if the Republicans hold the line on not extending the ACA premium tax subsidies, the vote will mean nothing: It will show the people which of their Senators chose to throw their constituents under the bus with the currently skyrocketing costs of health insurance. Silver lining? That should help flip more Senate seats in the midterms. But I think that silver lining would have been there even had the Democrats (and those that caucus with them, like Angus King) stood firm in their resolve. The Republicans were doing a fine job all by themselves in spotlighting their cruelty and disregard for human lives. And speaking of Republican cruelty: As states have tried to move to fill in the SNAP gap caused by the administration’s refusal to release funds to pay for SNAP benefits, the Trump administration has told states that they must told states that they must “immediately undo” any actions to provide full food stamp benefits to low-income families. They are threatening harsh financial penalties on states that do not comply quickly with the new federal orders. Talk about sick! Political games are more important to these…[fill in the blank with whatever nasty wordage you like]…than making sure people don’t go hungry, especially now, right before Thanksgiving. The cruelty is unbelievable. So whatever happens with the shutdown, we need to keep pushing our representatives not to collude with the GOP’s cruel policies and to stand firm for the rights to healthcare for all Americans. Silver lining? Now Mike Johnson will have to call the House back into session, at which point he’ll have to swear in Adelita Grijalva, who will then sign on to demand the release of the Epstein files. It’ll be interesting to watch him dance around that. Contact Angus King and tell him how disappointed you are in his working with the GOP to come to a pathetic compromise to end the shutdown. Sure, the deal voted on will, if made law, help all the federal workers furloughed/fired during the shutdown, but what about all the Mainers who stand to lose their healthcare and access to rural hospitals that will be force to close now (Ellsworth is one of those in danger of closing)? Contact Susan Collins and blast her—again—for voting with her party on a budget that will cause so much harm to her constituents. Contact Jared Golden and tell him to stand firm with House Democrats in demanding an extension of the ACA tax credits. All the Senate Dems were asking, by the end, was an extension of one lousy year, not the permanent solution first demanded. Is that really too much to ask? Tell Golden, too, that Mike Johnson must now swear in Adelita Grijalva and hold the vote to release the Epstein files. And, of course, Golden must vote for the release of those files.
3) Support Tennessee candidate for the House of Representatives: Democrat Aftyn Behn is running for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District House seat on December 2nd. This is an open seat following the retirement of GOP Rep. Mark Green in July. This is a very Republican district, but so far, the race is fairly close. If she loses, the Democrats might lose any advantage they have when it comes to a vote on the release of the Epstein files. Ways you can help her campaign:
Sign up to write postcardsto rally Democrats to vote in this critical special election. Once you sign up, you’ll receive free postcards, a voter list, and instructions with three short message options. Depending on those instructions, you’ll have until November 17th or 21st to mail your postcards (you have to provide the postcard stamps), so NOW is the time to move on this. You can sign up here: https://turnoutpac.org/postcards/ I have to say, though, that the website is not super clear on how to sign up, other than simply joining them or signing up for updates.
Background: As you know, before they will end the government shutdown, the congressional Republicans are holding hostage the extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. (They need Democratic votes to overcome the filibuster and pass a continuing resolution to fund the government.) Most Democrats are insisting that the extension be approved before they will vote to end the shutdown, because they are sick and tired of “falling for Lucy with the football”(1). If the extension is not approved, health insurance premiums will more than double for 22 million of our fellow citizens. Republicans are hard at work persuading Angus King, Jared Golden (still in office), and a handful of other congressional Democrats (and of course Collins) to capitulate.
Yes, the shutdown is painful. But we should have “learned our lesson” by now. We cannot trust the Republicans to do the right thing. They have the power to simply extend the tax credits first, then end the shutdown. Or, include the tax credits as part of the “continuing resolution”. Republicans have the power to do that, now. The fact that they are not doing it speaks volumes about their lack of trustworthiness, their callous indifference to millions of Americans who need the tax credit to be able to afford health insurance, and their adherence to the Project 2025 playbook (which, in a nutshell, is a blueprint for destroying the social safety net).
Action: Call King, Collins and Golden today. Demand that they NOT CAVE to the demand to pass a continuing resolution to end the shutdown without including the extension of the ACA tax credits.
Contact:
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number.
IF the capitulation has already happened, call in protest.
Extra Credit:
(1) https://slate.com/culture/2014/10/the-history-of-lucys-pulling-the-football-away-from-charlie-brown-in-peanuts.html AI overview says: “”Falling for Lucy with the football” is a metaphor for repeatedly being deceived by someone or falling for the same trick over and over, despite previous negative experiences. It represents a cycle of dashed hopes and a naive belief in a person who consistently betrays trust, often symbolizing the conflict between optimism and cynicism.” In this instance, Republicans have touted for many years that they will propose a better alternative to the ACA, but they have proposed absolutely nothing. There is no reason to suspect that they will in the future, because the only sensible alternative is “medicare for all”, which is anathema to their privatization agenda.
(2) For more in-depth info, check out this Google document here. Thanks to Emanuel Pariser for this action item.
