Presidential Oath of Office

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” 

from the Editor…

On August 6, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which is considered one of the most important civil rights laws in U.S. history. Why? Because it finally gave real meaning to the promise of equal voting rights, helping to shift American democracy toward fairness and inclusivity.

Today, we’re backsliding. The daily assaults on Democracy, especially on voting rights, are shocking, and we are more determined than ever to FIGHT BACK. Bills which will potentially impact us most are listed with call scripts in our TAKE ACTION section below. Please join us in this critical fight by taking action on one or more of the items listed below.

We also want to take the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Labor Day! We support UNIONS! In celebration, below is a snippet from Ms Ariel Knox on Substack that resonates with me.

They Built a World That Works for Them & No One Else.

“They told us education was our ladder out, then sawed off the rungs & laughed when we fell into debt. They handed us:

• An economy they’d already stripped for parts.
• A climate set on fire for their convenience.
• A political system rigged to keep cruelty in power.

And still, they claim we’re lazy, entitled, or too sensitive to ‘how the world works.’”

“They” need to be voted out of power in 2026! As AOC succinctly put it, “The Math is not Mathing.” And so, we fight. 

Lessons from the Labor Movement 

“Organized working people in factories, farms, offices and other settings have been historically the most powerful constituency in the U.S. to check corporate power and the capitalist economic system.” Read the article from Move to Amend.

Every effort, every phone call, and every vote counts. Join us.

DA EVENTS

Disability Voting Rights Week - 8 to 12 September

led by the Disability Caucus, co-sponsored by the Seniors & Veterans and Military Families Caucuses

Celebrate Disability Voting Rights Week with us as we explore why we should vote, the power of collaboration and the basics of voting from abroad with two Events:

The Disability Vote in 2025 - RSVP
Challenges and  Opportunities for Future Elections with Douglas Kruse and Lisa Schur   
September 8  @ 12pm ET/6 pm CET

Voting from Abroad 101 - RSVP
À Practical Guide for U.S. Citizens Abroad - Including “Know Your Rights” for Citizens with Disabilities
September 9 @ 12-1pm  ET / 6-7pm CET

For more events, check out:

• DA Caucus Events for 2025
• DA YouTube channel

TAKE ACTION

1. The SAVE Act - still NO!!

This bill would require individuals to provide documented proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

Voters currently register in almost every state by simply swearing or affirming in writing under penalty of perjury that they are a citizen.

Call or email both of your Senators - whether they are Democrats, Independents or Republicans/Libertarians. Scripts are prepared for you HERE.

If you’re on social media, find the Senators speaking out against SAVE, and share their posts. This helps to spread the word globally. You can find Democrats Abroad on these platforms:

Facebook - Instagram - Threads — YouTube — Twitter / X — TikTok — BlueSky — Mastadon  — LinkedIn  — Reddit

2. The PROVE Act

This bill, introduced in the U.S. House on August 1, threatens to block overseas Americans from voting in federal elections.

H.R. 4851, the Proving Residency for Overseas Voter Eligibility (PROVE) Act, would sharply limit voting rights for millions of U.S. citizens living abroad. It amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to require non-military Americans overseas to prove either a current residential address in the United States, or that of an immediate family member, before they can receive an absentee ballot from their home state.

How many of us Seniors have a living parent or a child stateside? Very few, I’m guessing. We ask you to notify your Members of Congress to oppose the terrible legislation known as H.R. 4851 by relaying your thoughts on this bill’s effects on U.S. citizens living abroad.

3. Stop Trump Attack on Mail in Voting

Emboldened by Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump just announced he will sign an executive order to ban all mail-in voting nationwide - a lawless power grab he does not have the constitutional authority to make. Call Your Reps! Script provided.

4. Save Social Security and Medicare!

Call your representative to demand they protect Social Security! Links and call scripts are provided HERE. 

Background articles:

• 10 Things You Might Not Know About Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill
• Republicans Are Cutting Medicare, not just Medicaid, Medicare
• Trump's Big Ugly Law

5. Condemn The Weaponization of the DOJ

The People for the American Way, founded by Norman Lear, have a petition that you may want to sign, condemning Trump for weaponizing the DOJ to punish his opponents and those who speak out against his policies. You can sign on HERE.  

6. Register to Vote & Request Your Ballot

All races, from Mayoral to Federal are listed on DemList.
Check your state to see if you can vote in “down ballot” races.
We are encouraging everyone to Request Your Ballot this year.

Problems? Contact [email protected]

7. Find more ACTIONS on our new TAKE ACTION page.

8. Encourage Friends to Vote and RESIST  

Please get in touch with friends and family to ask them to take action too. We need all Dems to VOTE and get involved. Click HERE for more actions to take.

VOLUNTEERS

We need you!! Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. You can find our updated list on our Volunteer page. Please email our Chair to let him know which position you’re interested in:

• Vice Chair
• Secretary
• Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Coordinator
• Member/Volunteer Recruitment
  

DNC Meeting August 25 - 27 in Minneapolis, MN

An event to debrief us will be held on 13 September. RSVP here for

• Highlights from the August DNC meeting
• Implications for Democrats Abroad and our work - with Q&A

With Labor Day upon us, it is important to note that the meeting began with a protest at the Minnesota State Fair (a really big thing there) in support of the AFGE’s (American Federation of Government Employees) struggle to preserve workers rights. It’s worth noting that in Minnesota, the Democratic Party is the DFL - Democratic-Farmer-LABOR party.

While there, the DNC Seniors Council committed to get Martin O’Malley, former Maryland Governor and former Social Security Commissioner, to speak with DA about the current administration’s assault on Seniors by the Trump “misadministration.” Stay tuned for more details on that event.

 -- from Art Schankler, Chair of DA Seniors and DNC representative

New Global Team Leaders

DA has put more leaders in place to address our growing needs. You can find them HERE.

MEDICARE & SOCIAL SECURITY

How to sign up with the FBU at your Embassy

Last month, the Chair of DA’s Taxation Task Force, Rebecca Lammers, hosted a webinar to explain the process of applying for Medicare via Embassy Federal Benefits Units. It was very well received, the Q&A filled nearly an hour with excellent questions. You can watch it HERE.

Kicking the can down the road

Trump’s changes to Medicare will not take place until 2027. If we win back the House and Senate in 2026, we can stop his destruction of these services which we paid into during our working lives. While Americans overseas cannot access Medicare or Medicaid in our countries of residence (and we are working on changing that), many of us may return to the U.S. in the future - and we must ensure that those benefits are still available to us when we do.

No Taxes on SS Benefits?

Do we believe this? Are we so gullible? The SSA issued this press release on 3 July. No details or links to actual “legislation” were provided. We’re keeping an eye out. It is important to note that a reduction in taxes on Social Security will lead to an earlier insolvency in the Social Security Trust Fund.

Scrap the Cap

The tax cap has been part of Social Security since the 1930s, capping FICA contributions  on wages at $168,000 per year. But, the tax cap has not kept up with an ever-increasing disparity between the wealthy and the middle class.

Scrapping the Cap does not necessarily mean REMOVING it altogether. We favor raising the cap to keep SS viable for all who work for it. This is the kind of trickle down we approve of. Read more.

Watch the March Town Hall with Former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley and Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works HERE.

SSA Online Tools & Social Security Works!

We’ve provided you, our members, with a Quick Guide to SS & Medicare benefits on our U.S. Benefits page. Further detail is on our Medicare page.

STORIES

Blue Vote Cafe Podcast

DA members David Shellenberg and Rachel Eugster were busy all summer chatting with a wide variety of people. Listen in HERE.

Déjà vu all over again by Marian Vitale

“As much as I’d like to deny it, I am an old person—a senior citizen. Elderly. Over the hill. Ancient. But one thing I am not is new to this protesting stuff.” – Marian Vitale

Read on.

When to retire vs. how long do we want to work? It's not the same for everyone, or every country.

Gradually increasing the working lifespan is never going to be popular. But one way of making this policy more palatable could be to give people early access to some of the free time that retirement promises. Read on.

Black American Expats feel happier living abroad

Black Americans who moved abroad say they’re happier outside the U.S. “‘It is truly a more fulfilling, richer life.” See the article.

10 Eye-Opening Factors Driving Americans to Leave Their Homeland

In recent years, a growing number of Americans have chosen to leave their homeland in search of new opportunities abroad. The reasons behind this migration are as diverse as the individuals making the move, but one thing is clear: many factors are prompting Americans to reconsider their long-standing ties to the United States. From rising living costs to a changing political landscape, these factors are reshaping the American expat experience. Read the article.

Do you have a story to tell?

We all do. Have you been to a DA Event? Are you a volunteer? Are you impacted by impending legislation? No matter where you live, we’d like to see the faces of Democrats Abroad. Even very short (15 to 30 second) videos that are fun can make a big splash. Send to our Chair or Editor. Thanks!

TECH TIPS

Political Fundraising Scammers Targeting Seniors with Fake PACs

There are many political spam operations that use over-the-top emotional manipulation to find donors who will respond to increasingly aggressive tactics. Seniors should especially be on the alert - and investigate before they donate. The DNC’s Budget and Finance Committee announced at its recent meeting that the DNC would be taking steps to alert “donors” to the facts.

Democrats Abroad has taken a firm stand against the influence of undisclosed money in Democratic Party primaries. On August 19, the global organization’s Executive Committee unanimously voted to adopt a resolution titled Condemning the Use of Funds from Undisclosed Sources During Democratic Party Primaries.

The resolution, sponsored by Susan Alksnis (DA Canada, DNC Member) and Tory Mallett (DA Switzerland, DPCA Voting Representative), with broad co-sponsorship from DA leaders, calls on the DNC to take stronger action to protect the integrity and transparency of primary elections. The DNC, at its recent August meeting, also adopted a Resolution to take steps to crack down on these dark money donations.

Read about it HERE. Background research is HERE, HERE and HERE.

VOTING

A Democrat Wins in Iowa

On 26 August, Democrat Catelin Drey won Iowa’s State Senate District 1 with 55% of the vote—flipping a deeply conservative seat and breaking the GOP’s state supermajority. In a district Trump carried by the double-digits in 2024, voters proved a simple truth: when people show up, change happens. Keep reaching out, keep talking about it, spread the word on your social media platforms. When citizens rise, power shifts. It’s working!

He Cannot Do That

After President Trump declared on social media last week that he would seek to eliminate mail voting and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterms, the Institute for Responsive Government released a series of new resources to help better understand why the President can’t simply issue another elections executive order that would ban mail voting or interfere with elections equipment. Read on.

CISA funding cuts impact election security

The Trump administration just slashed vital CISA support for state and local election offices – cutting off cyber threat intelligence, emergency response help, and trusted guidance that workers depend on.

In its place, a new program - VOTE-ISAC is being developed. Read more here.

How to Vote from Abroad

We highly recommend that each voter file an FPCA form in 2025

Have questions about voting? Vote from Abroad (VFA) provides one-on-one voter assistance on voter status, never voted, or anything about voting as an American overseas. You can ask online, check our FAQspage, or come to a Voter Assistance Session. Voting made easy!

TAXATION

IRS Survey - Online Tax Filing

The IRS is now collecting public feedback through a survey. We need your help to tell the IRS they need to help Americans abroad! Deadline: 5 September.

• Take the survey here (it only takes two minutes).

Step-by-step Response Guide. To make sure your voice has the greatest impact, this guide will walk you through how to answer the survey in ways that highlight strong support for Direct File, and encourage the IRS to keep and expand the program. Of course, these are only suggestions, add personal stories if you wish.

If you’ve just moved overseas

and want to learn about tax filing, FBAR, FATCA and more, the Tax Section on this page will walk you through the basic information. It is not intended as tax advice.

~ This IRS page has helpful information for overseas taxpayers.

~ Watch this webinar on applying for Social Security & Medicare benefits.

~ Click Here to Get Your Social Security Statement for 2024.