We the People Wednesdays Action for July 29

ACTION 1:

Last week a few Democrats joined House Republicans in passing HR 7008, the deceptively-named “Stop Insider Trading Act”.  This bill would prohibit members of Congress from purchasing publicly traded stocks.  It does not go nearly as far as other bipartisan bills that would also cover the President and administration officials, and would prohibit ownership of stock.  But more importantly, HR 7008 includes an unrelated provision that requires voters to show photo identification when voting in federal elections, a key voter suppression technique extracted from Trump’s so called “Save America Act”.

Write to Senator Fetterman to oppose this bill.  Adapt this sample text:

Dear Senator Fetterman,

  Please oppose HR 7008.  We need stronger ethics rules, not voter suppression.

Sincerely,

<your name and zip>

Senator John Fetterman

142 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

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ACTION 2:

The Trump administration is trying to rewrite the history of the United States.  On July 4, they issued a report criticizing the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and directly attacking its director, Dr. Anthea Hartig.  The report says the museum “purposely presents America as a problematic country irredeemably conceived, founded by deeply flawed men, and still operating today as an instrument of systemic racism and oppression.”  It says the museum should instead “tell the story of how the colonies inherited slavery from both global and European slaving practices” and how “America’s Founders helped spark a worldwide movement that ultimately ended slavery.”  Then last week, Trump issued an executive order requiring warning signs and exhibits installed outside the museum to alert the public that the museum does not accurately reflect American history. In testimony before Congress last week, museum director Hartig refuted inaccurate claims in the administration report, while repeatedly stating “I love this country unconditionally.”

Write to Dr. Hartig to support her steadfast accurate portrayal of history. Adapt this sample text:

Dear Dr. Hartig,

  Thank you for your commitment to portraying an accurate historical narrative amidst political pressure to whitewash our American story.

Sincerely,

<your name and zip>

Dr. Andrea Hartig

Smithsonian Institution

PO Box 37012

Washington, DC 20013-7012