H.R. 1466, the Surveillance State Repeal Act, would, as its title suggests, repeal both the USA PATRIOT Act and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 -- because you might as well go big, and the aforementioned laws are two of the worst humiliations ever visited upon the American people by the Congress that purports to represent them. These two bills have birthed (or sanctioned) the massive surveillance state begun by George W. Bush and expanded by Barack Obama, which latter development should not have surprised anyone who watched Barack Obama the Candidate rail against warrantless wiretapping only to see Barack Obama the Senator vote for the FISA Amendments Act because of "the grave threats we face." And thanks to Edward Snowden's revelations, we also know that sunsetting the most controversial PATRIOT Act provisions hasn't delivered the oversight its supporters promised -- or else our government's spying upon us wouldn't have gotten so much worse over the years. So CREDO helps you tell your Congressfolk to support the Surveillance State Repeal Act.
Meanwhile, the Union of Concerned Scientists helps you tell oil corporation Royal Dutch Shell to sever ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. Why? Well, mainly because ALEC has given us some of the most anti-freedom state legislation ever, which includes Voter ID laws, "Show Your Papers" laws, ag-gag laws, "three strikes" laws, tort "reform" laws, tax-cuts-for-the-rich laws, anti-community broadband laws -- need I continue? And Shell's CEO has said that climate change is an actual, real thing that we can and should fight, whereas ALEC says it's not, and with other corporations (now including British Petroleum!) lately cutting ties with ALEC for its climate change denialism, Shell is also feeling the pressure. And ALEC has also been supporting efforts to make home solar power users pay a "sun tax" out of the absurd belief that solar power users are "free riders" on the electric grid. No oil corporation should want to be caught up in any of ALEC's madness -- people are already suspicious enough of oil corporation motives, after all.
Finally, if you've missed previous opportunities to tell your Congressfolk to support paid family medical leave, then Moms Rising still helps you do that. Most of us get 12 weeks of unpaid family medical leave, thanks to the Family Medical Leave Act, but try not getting paid for three months so you can take care of a newborn baby or a sick parent, or so you can get that surgery you've been putting off. You'll find yourself behind on your bills and with creditors knocking at your door, if you're lucky enough to still have a place to live. But the FAMILY Act (H.R. 1439) would allow you to make up to two-thirds of your salary while you're out taking care of business, and despite the squeals of the WE'RE BROKE!!!!! crowd, a .2% tax (that's one-tenth of two percent, "liberal" media, not "2 percent") would fund the entire thing, and then finally we could be like the 177 nations on Earth that have, for example, paid family leave for new mothers. Really, do you want to let your can-do pride put you in the poorhouse? Why not avail yourself of an insurance program that you pay into?
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