News From Washington

Posted by Etta Worthington

Last night I was on a call with national Indivisible leaders and got an update on the latest in Washington.

Defund Hate Campaign
It's not over. Remember a couple of weeks ago when we hate a week of action?  

This was, as you may recall, about the Appropriations Bill that Congress had to pass to keep the government running after the end of September.  Our concern specifically was the funding for ICE and Border Patrol (CBP).  What we were asking was a return to 2016 levels of funding for ICE and CBP, and elimination of a slush fund and curtailment of robbing from other agencies to fund ICE and CBP.

What you may not know is that an appropriations bill was passed in the form of a continuing resolution. That's a resolution to keep funding the government short term. In this case, for 60 days, until November 21.

The good news about this resolution was that Democrats were strong  and got an agreement to cut funding to ICE and CBP. However, they were not able to get agreement on slush fund and robbing other agencies' budgets.

So, we got part of a win and we have two months to work on getting more of a win on this.

Did you make a phone call on September 9th, which was the national call-in day? Well, a lot of people did and it had an impact. According to some congressional staffers who were talked with, the call volume on that day was amazing. They were stunned at how many calls they were getting.  Good work, folks. Keep it up. And that week of action that many Indivisible groups participated  in was the biggest week of action for Indivisible so far.

Impeachment

 I know. You thought I would start off with this.  We need to be contacting our members of Congress (MoCs) and ask this:
• cancel the Congressional recess coming up for September 30-October 15
• push to move quickly on the impeachment process
• demand public hearing
Then, once this has moved through the House and he is impeached, we need to call Senators and demand that there be a fair and open trial and that they not let Mitch McConnell coverup facts or restrict the content of the trial.

By the way, if you haven't had a time to read the whistleblowers letter, you can get a copy:
Read and share the 9-page whistleblower report.
Or listen to it as an audiobook from Penguin Random House.


Two Year Plan for Democracy
We're thinking ahead here. There are a number of issues the Indivisible team is working on and will be things that we hope to see enacted in 2021, when we have a Blue Washington.
• Gerrymandering is a big issue we'll be pushing on. More on the Indivisible position here.
• Eliminating dark money from politics. This is a fight that right now has to be fought on the state level. You can read more about this process by going here.
• And then there's election security. Indivisible position and proposals can be found here. 
• Eliminating the filibuster.
• Statehood for the District of Columbia. This may be something that is brought to a vote early next year. More about that here.
• Court Reform. Expanding and modernizing the Supreme Court, to set the course for a less hyperpartisan process for selecting and appointing judges

Well, there's lots of work to do, but right now, let's focus on Impeachment and Appropriations for ICE and CBP.

Check with our Facebook page for more information as well as the weekly action list.


 

What Can YOU Do About Climate Change?

posted by Sheila Ondrachek

The threat of climate change can seem overwhelming. What steps can we take? And will it really make a difference? There are a lot of things we can do, and yes, if enough of us get on board, it CAN really make a difference. We’ve all been in denial too long about our way of life and how it impacts the environment. We won’t save the planet if we don’t start to make changes. All it takes is starting with a few small steps at a time.

Waste is a main driver of climate change, and plastic is a one of the biggest culprits. Less than 50 years ago, plastics and plastic-coated paper products were a rarity. Now, just about everything is wrapped, packaged, and served using single-use plastic. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Yes, it might be hard to change old habits, however, it will be worth it.

Here’s just a few shifts I’ve made, and that you can do too. I promise, it won’t be as painful as you might think.

I drink a lot of Diet Coke, and I usually get it from 7-Eleven. I’ve reused the same plastic cup going on three years. If you do the same, or drink coffee, bring your own cup and have it refilled. Keep one with you in the car, so you always have it handy. I drink it almost every day, and so I’ve saved close to 1000 plastic cups and lids from going into landfills. That’s a lot of cups!

Are you a user of Ziploc bags for leftovers, lunches, and snacks? I used to be, but I’ve realized how much I’ve thrown away over the years, and that’s more plastic going into landfills and possibly our oceans.  There are several alternatives, including paper sandwich and quart-size bags that are compostable called Lunchskins, and you can buy them online or at Whole Foods. Stashers, made of food-grade silicone, are also a great alternative to zip-close plastic bags, and an even more sustainable option. Not only can you use them for food storage, you can freeze in them, boil in them, microwave in them, put them in the oven and clean them in the dishwasher. They are an investment, but if you sign their plastic-free pledge, you’ll get 20% off your order. Also, keep an eye out on Good Morning America or the View for deals on them from time to time, up to 50% off.

If you don’t already have reusable grocery bags, I love this set by My Eco. It has four bags that are labeled for produce, chilled, cold, and frozen, glass bottles and jars, as well as groceries and dry goods, which is also the zippered pouch to store the others in. I’ve had them for a few years, and they have held up well. Also, think about investing in reusable mesh produce bags. I never have to use a plastic bag from the produce or bulk sections anymore. There are many places to purchase these, but I got mine at Flip and Tumble. Of course you can also get them from Amazon, and these from Ecoware have good reviews.

Let’s take a trip into your bathroom. There’s plastic everywhere. From hand soap, shampoo and conditioner, shower gel, and even your toilet paper — it all comes in plastic. How can you ditch the plastic in your bathroom?  A few things I’ve found that have been fairly easy switches are hand and body soap instead of bottled gel soap. It might take some trying different types to find one you like, but think of all the plastic bottles you won’t be tossing away. Lush has some great soaps to choose from, and one of their initiatives as a company is to fight climate change and reduce waste.  How about shampoo and conditioner? Ever heard of shampoo bars? There are conditioner bars, too. They are a complete zero-waste alternative to the plastic-bottled packaged hair products you’ll find at the store. Lush and a company called Ethique make both shampoo and conditioner bars, however, Ethique has them based more on hair type where as Lush is more about scent.  I’ve tried the Ethique’s conditioner bar and I really like it. Once I’m finished with my plastic bottle of shampoo, I’ll be ordered a bar of that, too.

If you don’t think you can go the bar route for your hair, there’s another option. Plaine is a company that sells shampoo in the more traditional way, except they’re in aluminum bottles that you can be sent back for recycling. They send you a refill, then you send your old bottles back.

Another thing I’ve tried is toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap?, a sustainable alternative to what’s sold at mass retailers. You buy it in bulk, and they have two types, one made from recycled material, and one made from bamboo. I’ve only tried the bamboo version, which is more expensive, but I like it. It also comes without any plastic packaging; unlike the type you buy from the store. 

Just think, if only the members of Western Front Indivisible made these swaps, think how much plastic we’d prevent from going into landfills and our oceans. And if the whole state of Illinois started doing it. And then the entire country. And then the world. It only has to start with a few — we are that few. And we can help change the world.