JULY 2026 NEWSLETTER
“When we lose faith in each other—when we stop believing that voting matters, that citizenship matters, that our collective voices matter, that how we treat each other no longer matters—then we give away our power to decide our own futures. We open the door to the most ruthless or the most careless or the most fearful among us, who see some groups and some people as more equal than others and see government as nothing more than a way to divvy up the spoils, and punish enemies and keep those who are different in their place…I do not believe that is the story of America that prevails in the end." –President Barack Obama
President Obama's speech at Chicago presidential center opening
"Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land."
Toll the Bells and Unite Americans on America's 250th Anniversary.
Protect your right to vote! Submit a public comment to USPS by July 2, 5pm ET Federal Register comment form.
Hot off the presses! Supreme Court upholds grace periods for mail-in ballots : NPR
Greetings. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country, we reflect on what we have accomplished and what needs to be improved. We need to TAKE ACTION now to protect our right to vote by absentee ballot! DA International Chair Chair Martha McDevitt-Pugh has sounded the alarm: “The Trump Administration and the U.S. Postal Service are moving forward with a plan that could fundamentally disrupt voting by mail. Your ballot and millions of others could be at risk.
What’s happening? The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has said it is building a new records system and will only deliver ballots to voters who are on their mailing list. If carried through, this rule would mean that the USPS will only deliver ballots to voters who appear on specific lists provided by the states. This is yet another attempt by Trump to take control of elections from the states by creating a federal database of voters and determining who gets a ballot.
USPS is currently accepting comments on this proposal in a Federal public comment period. This period is one of the few opportunities we have to demand answers before these changes move forward. The deadline for submitting a comment is July 2, 5pm Eastern. Find the comment form here.
The USPS states that UOCAVA voters are outside the scope of this work. However, for U.S. citizens living abroad, any disruption to mail ballot delivery poses a significant threat to voter participation.
Join Democrats Abroad in calling on USPS to protect the votes for U.S. citizens and military voters abroad and preserve reliable access to the ballot for millions of other U.S. citizens back home.
Take Action Now: Submit a public comment to USPS by July 2, 5pm Eastern.
Federal Register comment form. Verify your UOCAVA status and make sure you have a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) on file for 2026 - and have asked to have your ballot emailed to you. The right to vote should not depend on where a U.S. citizen happens to live or serve. USPS should provide clear assurances that overseas and military voters will remain able to successfully receive, cast, and return their ballots.”
Will you join us to ring the Freedom Bells on July 4th as we did on November 11th? Please take a photo and send it to us–be as creative as you want with the “bell” you ring! What do your American Freedoms mean to you? Please share your thoughts with us at [email protected].
The DAG-VMF Caucus participated in the annual KMC Pride SummerFest with a Voter Outreach Table. Through July 4th we encourage you to set up your own Voter Outreach tables in your community. You should also volunteer to help the Voter Assistance Officers at your nearby military bases in conjunction with FVAP’s Armed Forces and Overseas Citizens Voters Week and then focus on August 3-10 for Military Spouse Voters Week and September 28-October 4 for Absentee Voters Week. Voter assistance is the key to success! Set up as many Voter Outreach tables as you can this summer! We need everyone’s help to restore our Democracy.
DAG-VMF was represented at the Barney Frank Celebration of Life in Boston at Faneuil Hall, the Cradle of Liberty, on June 8th where Barney’s colleagues, family, and friends turned out to honor the memory of this iconic Democrat with a Celebration of Life that brought together political leaders from all over the United States.
Action Alert! Continue to contact your U.S. Representatives and Senators! The SAVE Act is creeping onto the scene again! This time they are trying to hide it by attaching it to various other bills! Alert all your elected representatives to stay on top of this and not let it be enacted! CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS about the efforts to deprive overseas U.S. citizens of their right to vote. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: +1 (202) 224-3121 This bill, if passed, will directly infringe upon overseas U.S. citizens’ right to vote because registration would have to be done in person every year-this would mean everyone would have to return to the U.S. every year to register!
Take Action! CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS to oppose passage of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act !Massive veterans bill nears a vote, and Democrats, labor groups vow to fight it
Resist with Democrats Abroad! Phonebanking volunteers needed!
Have YOU requested your absentee ballot? Please do it now and get a few friends to do the same! Let us know when you complete your request. Waiting to hear from you! [email protected]. Remember to use www.VoteFromAbroad.org to request your UOCAVA absentee ballots to ensure your rights as a U.S. citizen voting from outside the U.S.A.
How many DA members will vote in the 2026 elections? So far, only 9% of DA members have used VFA to request their absentee ballots. 274 Democrats Abroad leaders have not yet requested their absentee ballot through VFA! Please request your ballot through VFA today! Protect your UOCAVA rights!
Your right to vote deserves 100% turnout! Let’s do it!
Robert Scott and Terese Sarno
DAG VMF Caucus Co-Chairs DA Germany
What would you like to organize? Contact us at [email protected]
Ready to join our caucus? Be part of the conversation and make your voice heard!
FVAP 2024 Post-Elections Report to Congress excerpt:
Turnout among the civilian population was at a record high in 2024. Among civilian voters with similar characteristics, turnout was 70 percent, resulting in a 24-percentage-point difference between military and civilian voters in 2024.The 2024 "Overseas Citizen Population Analysis" (OCPA) conducted by FVAP estimated there were 3.3 million U.S. citizens living overseas in 2024, 2.2 million of which are of voting age (18+).
U.S. citizens living abroad consistently vote at much lower rates than U.S. citizens voting domestically in U.S. elections. In 2024, an estimated 11 percent of eligible overseas voters returned a ballot – nearly seven times fewer than the roughly 76.1 percent of domestic voters who did so. The OCPA indicates that a part of this voting gap is an effect of the real and perceived obstacles experienced by many overseas voters – an "obstacle gap" – and identifies the remainder as the "residual gap."
REMEMBERING BARNEY FRANK
Barney Frank remembered as "one of a kind" by Barack Obama…
Former Rep. Barney Frank, champion of Wall Street reform and gay rights trailblazer, dies at 86
September 2026 publication of Barney’s last book:
“The Hard Path to Unity: Why We Must Reform the Left to Rescue Democracy,”
“There are no moderate Republicans left, with the exception of a few who would vote with us when it doesn’t make any difference…It’s the most rigid ideological party since before the Civil War… The bumper sticker I’m going to have printed up for Democrats this year is ‘We’re not perfect, but they’re nuts’.” –Barney Frank
"Barney Frank was one of a kind. For more than three decades in Congress, he fought tirelessly for the people of Massachusetts, helped make housing more affordable, stood up for the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, and helped pass one of the most sweeping financial reforms in history designed to protect consumers and prevent another financial crisis." – President Barack Obama
“Perhaps the congressman’s greatest legacy was changing how we do politics in Boston. He believed that government at its best could solve problems that mattered, and he trusted the people of Boston — all of Boston — to figure out those solutions.” –Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
"Barney Frank was one of a kind -- a giant in public life who helped change Massachusetts and America for the better…In Congress, Barney fought tirelessly for working people, civil rights, and LGBTQ+ equality. He was brilliant, fearless, quick-witted, and never afraid to say exactly what was on his mind." –Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi: “May it bring comfort to know that Barney's legacy lives on. We know that, we have heard it in the laws he helped write and the countless lives he touched with his legislation. America’s working families have lost an iconic champion. Massachusetts lost one of its greatest public servants and many of us have lost a treasured friend. For decades, Barney stood at the center of the great debates of our time. He deeply believed that government could be a force for good in people's lives to expand opportunity, protect consumers, expand and defend civil rights and strengthen our democracy. He brought that belief to every fight. So I have many stories to tell you about how he did that, so that I will honor Barney's charge to me always, be brief.
In moments of challenge, Barney brought clarity. In moments of uncertainty, he brought perspective. In moments of tension, he often brought laughter. Barney possessed one of the sharpest minds in public life. He could dissect an argument in seconds. Yet behind that famous intellect was a generous spirit and those are some stories i will tell you. These are stories that Barney liked me to tell. So one of them was that you all know Father Drinan who served in the Congress of the United States as a Jesuit. When Father Drinan passed away, I was asked to speak at his service. Barney said tell my story and that was that His Holiness, Pope John Paul, had said that the father had to choose between being a Jesuit priest and a member of Congress. The father chose The Path but what Barney liked about that was that when Father Drinan left the Congress, he wanted me to say to those in the church that day that I was absolutely sure His Holiness was glad that he was replaced by an openly gay man. He was always, shall we say, giving us direction…you mentioned Barney's talking about the Defense of Marriage act. I remember when that bill came to the floor. It was a horrible thing but the person who was proposing it had been married a number of times. So then Barney shouts out, what are you protecting, your first marriage, your second marriage? I just wanted to talk about one bill, the Hate Crimes bill, because this was so personal in his presentation. We had this bill that -- we had a few bills …this one was the fully inclusive Hate Crimes bill. Just having some trouble getting it out of committee. People came to us and said, if you take out trans you can pass this in a minute. and Barney and I said if we take out trans, we won't pass it in 100 years because we are never going to bring it up that way. What was important and why I bring it up today is Barney then took control of the whole debate. He went to the caucus, he spoke so personally about his youth as a teenager, his whole authenticity about himself, crying, We were all crying. It was the most -- the generosity of spirit of Barney Frank that day. To make a difference in the lives of so many people, of course, he then went around to the members with the mother of Matthew Shepard, and of course we overwhelmingly passed the fully inclusive Hate Crimes bill. It would not have happened without him.
Since the Dodd-Frank bill has been mentioned, I want you to know he gave me a lot of credit for that because he said to me, you were really important in this. I said really? He said yeah, because you kept out of my way. …in conclusion…This is my favorite story. Barney was being interviewed for a magazine article. A young man was interviewing him for a new magazine, I guess, and he said to him, my editor wants to know what poignant quote has meant a lot to you that you still remember and draw upon. So Barney said, tell your editor that's easy for me. My most poignant quote is Jimmy Durante saying Good night, Mrs. Calabash wherever you are. I have always wondered what that meant. So he asked me if I would be interviewed by this young person, too. So he came to me and he said help me with this. My editor said that's a great quote, but he wanted to know if we could change it to Good night, Ms. Calabash wherever you are. No, I don't think so. Good night, Mr.Chairman, Barney Frank. We know where you are. May you rest in peace.”
Memorial Service for Former Representative Barney Frank
Welcome to the Freedom Bells WebApp
On July 4, 2026, you are invited to participate in a celebratory bell tolling at 12 noon local. The Freedom Bells Ceremony App and this website provide you all the tools
Join the international community that is participating by registering here.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Celebrate 250 Years of America
Join the National bell-tolling celebration at 12 noon local time on July 4, 2026. This July 4th is different. America turns 250 years old -- and across the country, in communities large and small, bells will ring at noon to mark the moment. Church bells. School bells. Firehouses. Town halls. Courtyard bells. Front porch bells. Any bell, everywhere.
What it is: Freedom Bells is a national civic celebration organized by the Military Order of the World Wars, inviting every American community to participate in a shared moment of patriotic joy on the most significant Independence Day of our lifetimes.Freedom Bells provides you with all the tools to organize and participate in this national moment of celebration
-A countdown to 12 noon local time
-A ceremony opening for your gathering with music and words for you to say or play
-A bell tolling moment for your local bells and if you don’t have any – we have them for you.
-A unique reflection and exploration of the words that our nation’s founders issued this day, 250 years ago
-A pledge for your group or event to honor America and your role in it
-Then it is time for fellowship and celebration with your family, friends, and community.
Why it matters:
America's 250th birthday is an important moment to reflect on the hard won principles that this nation is built on, and stands for. It is a moment of reflection; it is a moment of celebration; and importantly, for those who may have forgotten, or never knew, it is an important teaching moment.
What you do:
-Go to FreedomBells.org and register your planned participation. Include a “Birthday Wish” to America. If you are a community, veterans organizations, church, chapter, post, or school, you are welcome to upload your logo to share with the others. All registrants receive a commemorative copy of the Declaration of Independence.
-Use the “Ceremony WebApp” to plan, organize, and execute your America 250 moment. Use the “Circle I” for detailed instructions. Step through and familiarize yourself with Countdown, Gather, Ring, Reflect, Pledge, and Celebrate.
-Access founding documents to deepen your understanding of what led to this incredible experiment called the United States of America.
Then gather at 11:30am local on July 4th and celebrate America with your friends and neighbors.
REGISTER & LEAVE YOUR OWN BIRTHDAY WISHES TO AMERICA
UPCOMING ELECTIONS
2026 Election Calendar: Primary and General Election Dates
U.S. Senate: 35 states, Governor: 36 states, U.S. House: 50 states
Remember this when casting your ballot:
Did Trump Say The U.S. Can't Afford Health Care Because 'We're Fighting Wars'?
At a private White House Easter luncheon, Mr. Trump said words reported as: “Don’t send any money for day care, because the United States can’t take care of day care… We’re fighting wars,” and extended that logic to federal programs including Medicaid and Medicare…
FBI Raids Ohio Voting Registration Group
Pete Hegseth's Pentagon Purge: List Of 20 Senior Army Generals Ousted
Courtesy of Clayjonz
NEWS YOU CAN USE
US Navy hospital in Italy reverses scheduling limitations on civilians, retirees
“Effective immediately, the appointment limits announced on June 2 are no longer in effect and you can continue to schedule your appointments exactly as you have in the past.”
Two years after their last debate, Biden jabs at Trump: ‘What a loser’
“The reflecting pool reflects something even worse than the narcissism and incompetence at the core of this administration. It’s the corruption, the corruption, the brazen, blatant corruption. Corruption on a scale never seen before in American history in any administration.”
A top Army general set to announce retirement in abrupt move: Official
The Obama Presidential Center, built for sustainability and climate resilience, opened June 19th on Chicago’s South Side. Visit the Center | The Obama Foundation
Judge orders Trump administration to restore signs changed at national parks In a scathing 63-page ruling on Friday, Judge Angel Kelley wrote, “Under the guise of promoting American dignity, this Administration seeks to share a limited history by ordering the removal of all signs, displays, and interpretive exhibits at National Parks that do not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling half-truths.”
Kennedy Center removes Trump's name from building
Judge Orders Kennedy Center To Provide Update As Tarp Still Covers Name
Courtesy of Clayjonz
How Trump Skewed Presidential History
Eight historians evaluate Trump’s gold plaques for each president.
Opinion - Party of 1: How Trump’s ego destroyed America’s 250th birthday
What Trump doesn't realize is that Americans would prefer nothing at all to another one of Trump's self-glorifying publicity stunts.
Trump further guts Education Dept. by shifting oversight of special ed, civil rights
"This is another vindictive attempt to undermine public education…And at this moment, when we know that children with disabilities need more support, not less…"
Opinion - Trump’s reign of grift and graft is without parallel
The ringmaster of graft in Trump's second administration is the president himself. There are so many examples that it's hard to know where to begin.
In blatant violation of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause — which bars U.S. government officials from accepting gifts from foreign potentates — Trump eagerly accepted a $400 million 747 jet from the Royal Family of Qatar. Shortly afterwards, he publicly vowed to defend the oil-rich Persian Gulf sheikdom.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
Why Supreme Court Term Limits Wouldn’t Sacrifice Judicial Independence
Social Security to Fully Transition to Electronic Payments
Some beneficiaries may not be able to make this transition. If you need an exception because of challenges, such as mental health concerns or you live in a remote location without access to financial institutions, you can request a waiver through the U.S. Treasury.
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
From Army Echoes: A military family member/dependent turning 18 doesn’t require additional action simply because the adolescent is reaching legal adult age. However, for surviving children of a fallen Soldier, it does trigger the end of DIC benefits associated with that child once they are 18 and not a full-time student. Eighteen is also the age of eligibility for surviving children to apply for the Dependents Education Assistance (DEA) program or the Fry Scholarship. For other military family members/dependents, the first major status change begins at age 21 if the dependent is not a full-time student. Benefits are extended to age 23 while they are full-time students. To locate your nearest ID card office for renewals, visit the Department of Defense ID Card Office Online.
VA Overseas Military Services Coordinators
More about DoD Summer Reading Program!
Sign up and participate at your installation.
From Army Echoes: All military ID card holders with MWR permissions, including Retired Soldiers and their family members, have access to the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) libraries on any installation. That means any military service, not just Army. If you are close to an Air Force, Space Force, Navy, or other military installation, you can use the physical libraries located there. You can register for an account using your ID number on your military ID and get access to a wealth of online resources, including eBooks, audiobooks, newspapers, magazines, children’s resources, biography and genealogy, and more. Be sure to sign up for the DoD MWR libraries, and not a service-specific library.
JULY EVENTS
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
July is extra special for veterans because of National Hire A Veteran Day on July 25th.
July 2 – Protect your right to vote! Submit a public comment to USPS by July 2, 5pm Eastern. Federal Register comment form.
July 4 – Happy 250th Birthday, America! Ring the Bells at noon local time.
What to know about the 4th of July’s origins and traditions
July 5 – RSVP today! DA Germany OKTOBERFEST Early Bird pricing ends July 5!
July 9-14 – National Veterans Wheelchair Games Detroit
July 25 – National Hire A Veteran Day
July 27 – National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day
July 28 – National Buffalo Soldiers Day
July 29 – Army Chaplain Corps Anniversary 251st anniversary
Upcoming DA Activities
OKTOBERFEST!
RSVP today! Early Bird pricing ends July 5, 2026. Please contact the planning team at [email protected] if you have any questions. Time to experience this world famous fest and help DA Germany raise funds for voter outreach!
SUPPORT DA GERMANY’s GOTV EFFORTS
Your monetary donations to Democrats Abroad Germany stay here and are used exclusively to organize and get out the vote among Americans.
Request your absentee ballot for 2026.
Take the free Voter Assistance Training - Democrats Abroad. You can also take the FVAP VAO training. Help us increase overseas voter participation!
Request US absentee ballots | Students.VoteFromAbroad.org
