Message from DA Spain Chair

My husband and I have been in the US for the past few weeks, traveling in California and Oregon. Two of our stops were in Yosemite and Crater Lake National Parks. The picture here shows the latter on a spectacularly sunny day. But this column isn’t just a catalog of how I’m spending my summer vacation; being in these lovely places has reminded me of the importance of progressive policies in American government.

Part of that is simply the fact that these beautiful places are here for us to enjoy. Nature gave us the scenery, of course, but preserving it requires planning and work. Roughly a century ago, the federal government chose to preserve these wild places by establishing the national park system, and the National Park Service protects them to this day. The clear blue sky exists in large part because of the Clean Air Act. Many of the animals in the parks survive because of the protections in the Endangered Species Act. Our government is at work here, caring for nature and allowing us to enjoy it.

But that’s not all. Progressive laws open this slice of America to many who could not have enjoyed it before. For example, thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, ramps and smooth, broad trails now allow visitors with limited mobility to marvel at the views that once were inaccessible to them. Then too, civil rights legislation ensures that visitors of color will not be turned away from hotels and restaurants that were “Whites Only” for far too long. And female visitors can pay with their own credit cards, which would have been denied them before Fair Credit laws were enacted. I could go on, but you get the idea.

So I’ve recently been reminded of how much we all benefit from progressive government policies. But we can’t forget that many in our society would gleefully undo environmental protections, eliminate safeguards for our most vulnerable citizens, and take away personal freedoms from wide swaths of our population. So I’m recommitted to electing Democrats and, therefore, to the work of Democrats Abroad. I hope you’ll join me in that work.

Kathy Tullos (Chair) 

News

Global Annual General Meeting

Democrats Abroad held its global Annual General Meeting on May 21 and 22. Due to ongoing concerns about Covid, it took place online.

The first day included a welcome from DA Global Chair Candice Kerastan and the election of Cory Lemke (DA Korea) as international treasurer. We also heard from such Democrat luminaries as Senator Cory Booker about the importance of turning out voters in the midterm elections.

On the second day, DA considered a number of resolutions. The most important of these for DA’s day-to-day work was a resolution to establish a committee to advise on financial operations and legal compliance. That committee is now organizing and will begin its work this summer.

For further information about the AGM, please contact [email protected].

Views on the News

For Dems Abroad Spain readers of this column who are looking for summertime mood enhancement, spoiler alert: Stop reading now.

Our party has a lot of heavy lifting to do over the next five months until congressional, gubernatorial, state, county and local elections in November. The planets are not in good alignment for our side. However, the opera is not over until the junoesque-challenged diva sings, and we still have time to rally our forces.

A carefully researched opinion column by Nate Cohn sets out the challenge. Cohn makes his living primarily as a consultant to Democratic campaigns, but his reports for The New York Times are essentially nonpartisan -- just the facts, comforting or otherwise. He recently cited an ABC News/Ipsos poll on the most important issues cited by likely voters in November. Inflation led, with 21%, and the economy in general was next, at 19%. Effectively, this means that pocketbook issues such as bread, butter, gasoline prices and housing costs top the list. Most economic forecasts suggest that the overall picture is unlikely to improve by the end of October. 

Economists on both sides of the political divide mostly agree on at least one thing: Presidents and other politicians have little or no control over the real global economy, in good times or bad. Even the Federal Reserve has limited ability to make good things happen, or to prevent painful outcomes. "It's the economy, stupid," worked well as a Clinton slogan in 1992, but that knife cuts both ways.

The same poll showed gun violence as the next area of voter focus, at 17%. This comes as a reminder of the "Groundhog Day" film plot, in which every day repeats itself. Heavy media coverage of a made-for-TV shooting episode leads to agreement that "something must be done," then legislation for moderate control enhancements passes the House on a party-line vote but grinds to a halt in the Senate, strengthening that body's reputation as a staunch bulwark against common sense and broad public opinion.

The fourth source of voter concern was abortion issues, standing at 12%. It is important to recognize that this total includes voters on both sides of the Roe v. Wade struggle. The next chapter of that battle will begin later this month, when the Supreme Court issues its ruling. We plan to analyze the specifics of the decision in the next newsletter.

The televised public hearings of the House Select Committee looking into the January 6 insurrection have just begun, and several more are scheduled to follow. It appears probable that the carefully researched investigation will produce even more damning evidence of a Trump-directed coup attempt to overturn the 2020 results. Whether these reports will shift entrenched Republican denial of reality is doubtful. Most people on both sides of the aisle have already made up their minds. As Groucho Marx demanded in one of his film roles, "Who are you gonna believe? Me or your lying eyes?"

That said, it’s noteworthy that nearly 20 million people watched the opening session of the committee’s public hearings last week, nearly double that for the beginning of former president Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial and well over twice that for the second.

Reflecting on the results of primary and recall votes in California, Bay Area progressive Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna pointed out the party's need for a broader messaging recalibration on crime and urban violence to avoid sounding elitist to voters whose three favorite TV programs are "Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football." The House hearings on January 6 do not make that list.

Daniel Solon (member, DA Barcelona)

Calls to Action

Request Your Ballot

Have you requested your ballot for the 2022 elections yet? So far this year, our records show that less than 9% of Democrats Abroad Spain members have used www.votefromabroad.org to request their overseas absentee ballots. Remember that you must send in a new Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) every election year in order to ensure that your ballot will be sent to you. This year, more than ever, local election officials are under partisan pressure from the right to wipe voter rolls. This could affect your right to vote in this critical midterm election ‒ in a year in which everything from women’s rights to voting rights to democracy itself hangs in the balance.

If you aren’t absolutely sure whether you have submitted an FPCA this year, send in another one! Using VoteFromAbroad ensures that your request will be completed correctly and sent to the proper election office. It takes only 5-10 minutes to complete the online form, upload your signature and mail. Please do it today. In 2022, every vote matters.

Caucus News

LGBTQ+ Caucus

Happy Pride from the DA Spain LGBTQ+ Caucus!

This month we join communities around the world in celebration, remembrance, and dedication: a celebration of what it means for each of us to live as our most authentic selves, in remembrance of the many LGBTQ+ trailblazers who have fought and sacrificed in the name of a more open and just society, and in dedication to continuing this vital work and building upon their progress through the power of our collective voices. For this, we join in wishing you a Happy Pride!

Pride events are in full swing across the country, but it isn’t too late to get involved with Pride festivities in Barcelona (June 13-26), Madrid (July 1-10), Valencia (June 9-July 2) and numerous other celebrations during the coming weeks.

Share your photos, stories, and memories with us by tagging #DASPride22 on social media, or by sending your content to [email protected] for us to share!

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Women's Caucus

Celebrating 30 Years!

The Global Women's Caucus was created 30 years ago this month. To celebrate, there will be an in-person celebration in Paris, as well as an online event, on June 18. Click here for more information and to attend. 

Here in Spain, our young Spain Women’s Caucus is still taking baby steps. The Caucus came to life a little over a year ago when Doris Stanger volunteered to become the leader. With the unstinting support of the Executive Committee and other active DAS members, the Women’s Caucus began its presence in Spain, with a web page, contributions to the monthly newsletter and regularly-held events, most notably the very popular ‘Living in Spain’ series. 

It’s time for the Spain Women’s Caucus to move into a new phase. With so many urgent issues at hand, like the right to abortion and gun control, not to mention the upcoming midterm elections, it’s time to change the focus and range of our activities. We’d like to grow and reach out to members throughout Spain, especially to those in regions that do not have chapters. To that end, we are forming a steering committee to help make decisions on how to move forward. If you have a few hours to dedicate to this Caucus and are interested in participating in the committee, we would love to hear from you. Email [email protected]. 

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Lots of great caucus events are on the calendar for 2022 – click here to see them all!

Chapter and Verse

Barcelona 

Voter Registration:  The Barcelona chapter is laser-focused on voter registration these days, making visits to international schools and American Society of Barcelona meetings and sponsoring a VR table at a local beer hall. We will continue to work on voter outreach throughout the summer and early autumn. If you can help with this effort, please contact us at [email protected]. 

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Watch Parties:  This month, and again in September, we plan to hold watch parties for the January 6 Select Committee hearings. These events will be in-person and will provide an opportunity to watch a rebroadcast of the historic hearings and share your thoughts with like-minded Americans. Keep an eye on this page for upcoming events.

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La Lucha Continúa Special:  On June 20, we will hold a special La Lucha Continúa session in conjunction with the Global Hispanic Caucus, during which we will learn about gun violence, honor the victims of Uvalde, and take action together. More information and RSVP here. 

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Be sure to join our Signal group (texting app, a safer alternative to WhatsApp) to stay on top of local news as it develops!

Madrid

Strive for Change:  The Madrid chapter used this month's meeting to strive for change. On June 16, we met at the Toast Taproom Malasaña to discuss the issues surrounding gun violence in the U.S. After discussing the issues, we started writing emails and making phone calls to representatives with ties to the National Rifle Association. If you couldn't attend and would like a copy of the list, email us at [email protected].

While working on our emails, one of our members offered several prototypes for T-shirts to protest gun violence. Proceeds from them will be used to benefit Democrats Abroad Spain. If you're interested in possibly ordering one (proposed design shown in image), send us a message at the above email address. 

Throughout the event, we also helped members get registered to vote. July's monthly event will also offer voter registration services, so if you've yet to register to vote and want in-person assistance, make sure to stop by!

See you next month!

Valencia

First Friday Coffee:  DA Valencia’s First Friday Coffee continues to be a success. For those of you who haven’t attended, we look forward to seeing you on July 1st at 10:30 CET at Salad Planet. Come out and share your story with everyone.

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Beer Get-together:  A small group of us gathered on May 26 at Beer & Travels Bar to sample the many types of beer they carry. Serendipitously, we were joined by DA Alicante members who just happened to be visiting town. It’s nice to know we can find friendly faces all over Spain. Those of us in attendance decided we had enough fun to set up another beer get together in the future. Keep your eyes out for an email, Facebook post or Listserv post for future dates.

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March for Our Lives:  DA Valencia participated in the March for Our Lives Demonstration on June 11 . The safety of our children is just one more reason to talk to every American expat you know about the importance of voting in the upcoming midterm elections.

Gay Pride Parade:  Last but not least, our chapter will be participating in the Gay Pride parade held in Valencia on June 25 at 19:30 CET.  Further information will be posted and mailed closer to the event.

Alicante

The time is now! We are finally hearing from the January 6 Committee, and we feel all DA members should tune in to find out what has been discovered about the horrible attack on our democracy in 2021. Alicante is posting video of the proceedings on its Facebook page and we are also planning a live watch party in the coming days. Look to our social media for details.

As we plan our summer events and efforts, we are also here to support all the DA Spain chapters in spreading information on issues affecting us all, whether we are in Spain or the United States. Now is the time to stand up and do our part for the midterm elections, and we need your help. Reach out to [email protected] for questions and comments. 

Spain Fun Fact

If you didn’t raise your children here, or haven’t been long in the country, you might not know that instead of a tooth fairy, Spain has a mouse that collects the children’s baby teeth and leaves a small gift in exchange. The mouse, who goes by the name Ratoncito Pérez, first appeared in children’s literature in 1877. In 2006, he starred in a popular animated film.

To stay on top of all the news, follow Democrats Abroad Spain on social media. And please forward this email to your American friends in Spain who may not know us!

Donations to Democrats Abroad go directly to registering Americans and get out the vote (GOTV) activities such as phone banking, postcards, and most importantly, social media. Democrats Abroad is an incredible investment in our Democracy because it is 100% volunteer led and organized. Every euro or dollar you give supports our work to elect Democrats who will fight to make a better life for all Americans.