Please join Democrats Abroad Madrid for its annual 4th of July picnic!

Given that the 4th falls on a Monday this year, we'll be celebrating a day early on Sunday, July 3rd.

Please join us in the Retiro (in the shade on the grass behind the Ángel Caído gate) from 2:30pm onwards. This will be a potluck style event, so please bring a dish to share and your own drinks. Kids, family, and friends welcome! Feel free to bring games, etc.

Date: Sunday, July 3rd

Time: 2:30pm

Location: Retiro Park, on the grass behind the Ángel Caído gate, at the end of the Cuesta de Moyano. Click here for location on GoogleMaps.

Please RSVP if you're able to make it - it's a big help with our organizational efforts.

We look forward to seeing you there! 

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) 

Message from DA Spain Chair

Is it ironic that I’m writing this column on Mother’s Day and that I spent the morning at the church where I first met Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who successfully argued Roe v. Wade? I refer, of course, to the topic of the leaked Supreme Court (SCOTUS) draft opinion that would overturn Roe if ultimately adopted. Such a ruling would do tremendous violence to the individual right of bodily autonomy as well as impede the delivery of the best practices in reproductive health care. Small wonder, then, that opposition to overturning Roe has been forceful and virtually instantaneous. Members of Democrats Abroad are already participating in this opposition. If you want to join that effort, please read on and follow DA Spain on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

But in addition to the drastic move backwards for American women portended by this draft opinion, the Supreme Court’s apparent willingness to overturn Roe signals two other significant dangers we ought to be aware of.

The first is that SCOTUS is expressing a potential willingness to curtail other rights delineated in historic opinions over the years. What does the fall of Roe mean for Obergefell, the opinion recognizing the right of same-sex couples to marry? Or for Lawrence, which struck down laws criminalizing homosexuality? Or Griswold, protecting the right of access to birth control? Or Gideon, requiring the provision of lawyers to indigent defendants in felony cases? Or Brown, ordering school desegregation? The list goes on and on, because a Court that overturns the expansion of rights in one area may have no compunctions about narrowing Constitutional rights in others.

The second danger is somewhat less obvious, but more far-reaching. It is explained very clearly in the book “How Fascism Works,” by Yale professor Jason Stanley. In the first chapter of this profoundly unsettling book (summarized in this video), Stanley argues that the first step in establishing a fascist regime is to invoke “a pure mythic past tragically destroyed.” Fascism claims that it, alone, can restore this perfect, fictional bygone era. In the pure, mythical past being heralded by the American right, women and other minorities were firmly under the control of men, both legally and physically. The Court’s promotion of this myth can be regarded as the first step on the path to a further unraveling of our democracy.

So what do we do? There’s no shortage of work, and for Democrats Abroad that means getting out the overseas vote for Democratic candidates. We must help American voters who live in Spain register to vote and then navigate the multi-step process of voting overseas. Without our efforts, thousands of votes for Democratic candidates — who will work to restore and expand our rights, not deny them to disfavored groups of Americans — will be lost.

So, over the next five months, let’s get out every Democratic vote we can! The stakes have never been higher.

Thanks for all that you do, 

Kathy Tullos (Chair)

Living in Spain isn’t all fun in the sun, siestas and fiestas.

For our next webinar, we welcome Mr. Roland Sabates from the firm Expat Legal Services Group. This webinar will be held on May 18th at 7:30 pm (CET) on the topic of US citizen tax obligations while living abroad. Roland will cover important tax issues for Americans in Spain. 

To tailor these webinars to your needs, we ask that you send us any questions you might have ahead of time. We will pass them on to our speaker, so that he is aware of your concerns and can plan the talk accordingly. Send your questions to [email protected] by Monday, May 16th. 

If you are unable to attend the live session but would like to see the recording, do send in an RSVP. We will send a link to the video to all who sign up.

RSVP here

I am still in contact with the Madrid Embassy about the possibility of a webinar on retirement and the agreement between the US Social Security and Spanish pension system.  Stay tuned for updates on this possible webinar. 

Are there any other topics of interest? Do you know anyone willing to be a guest on one of our webinars? Send your suggestions and ideas to [email protected].

All the best, 

Doris

Message from DA Spain Chair

Usually the fun fact in our newsletter appears at the end, but today we’re starting out with one, as well. Did you know that the average adult spends about 10 full months of their life talking about the weather?

As I write this, the weather here in our home in Torrevieja has been absolutely wild. March was the wettest it’s been in 95 years, and the wind has whipped the palms around so much I’m surprised the fronds aren’t in braids by now. On the plus side, local surfers are having a great time. And for good or ill, we entertained two sets of guests from the USA during this deluge. We apparently have hardy friends, because everybody just donned rain jackets and headed out to see the sights.

Our home country is experiencing heavy weather, too. In the midst of the world’s turbulence, we’re facing midterm elections in which forecasters say Democrats could lose up to 60 seats in the House of Representatives. SIXTY SEATS. Goodbye investigation of the attempted coup on January 6, and hello impeachment of Joe Biden for, well, being alive, along with anything else equally nefarious the Republicans can think up.

So Democrats Abroad Spain has to do its bit. Each of us has to do our bit. And here are the three things you can do:

1. Volunteer to phonebank. This is critical. We’re calling other members of DA to make sure they register to vote, request their ballots and return them. You use an online system that lets you know what to say, dials for you, and doesn’t tie up your own phone. Make five calls just to try it out; you’ll see how easy it is!  (See details below)
2. Tell other Americans abroad about the importance of voting from overseas. Guide them to votefromabroad.org, where up-to-date voting information about every US jurisdiction is available, along with individual help if users have questions. The vast majority of Americans who vote from abroad are Democrats, so your individual outreach can have a significant impact.
3. Help Democrats Abroad Spain find folks who are savvy about social media and who’d be willing to help DAS with its social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok) or otherwise help out with the communications team. Reach out to us at [email protected]. 

It’s time to pull on the raincoats, stuff our feet into rain boots, and get to work. We can’t change the weather, but we can change the outcome of our elections. So let’s get going!

Kathy Tullos (Chair) 

Living in Spain isn’t all fun in the sun, siestas and fiestas.

For our next webinar, we welcome back Mr. Ignacio Pellicer and Mr. Pedro Heredia, from the law firm Pellicer and Heredia. This webinar will be held on April 6th at 7:00 pm on the topic of Litigation in Spain.

To tailor these webinars to your needs, we ask that you send us any questions you might have ahead of time. We will pass them on to our speakers, so that they are aware of your concerns and can plan the talk accordingly. Send your questions to [email protected] by Monday, April 4th. 

If you are unable to attend the live session but would like to see the recording, do send in an RSVP. We will send a link to the video to all who sign up.

RSVP here

And mark your calendars for the May session, which has been confirmed: 

May 18th: US citizen tax obligations while living abroad 

Still being organized: 

• Retirement and the agreement between the US Social Security and Spanish pension system 

Are there any other topics of interest? Do you know anyone willing to be a guest on one of our webinars? Send your suggestions and ideas to [email protected]

Message from DA Spain Chair

One of my favorite poems is Tennyson’s “Ulysses.” The work presents us with Ulysses many years after his odyssey ended, safe in Ithaca but still yearning for adventure. As part of his meditation on aging, the hero utters the classic line: “Tho’ much is taken, much abides.”

This line has been with me often in the last few tumultuous weeks. As you may have noticed, Democrats Abroad has not officially spoken on the top news story, the conflict in Ukraine. Many are asking why we are silent in the face of this unfolding drama. I wanted to talk with you today about why that’s so.

When I joined Democrats Abroad, I was surprised to learn that the organization has a strict policy not to discuss foreign policy in any way, shape, or form. I’ve been told that there are legal reasons for this prohibition, although I have no firsthand knowledge here. What does resonate with me is that DA has members in more than 200 countries around the globe, and some of those countries would surely take offense at almost any foreign policy-related comment we could make. So, for example, if we were to condemn Russian actions, Russia and its allies would probably take umbrage at our decision.

Now, even my nearest and dearest know that I’m personally not afraid of hurting someone’s feelings in furtherance of the greater good. If someone gets mad at me, so be it, but DA is in a different position. We have members in countries with wildly varying stances on the issues at hand. Some countries have been known to retaliate against individuals who belong to organizations that publicly disagree with them. And that potential retaliation can be–and, apparently in some cases, has been–quite serious.

So here we are. As an organization, we have a responsibility to keep our members safe. Thus, as an organization, we don’t comment on foreign policy. As you can imagine, this prohibition has sparked a lively debate inside DA, and those discussions are ongoing. But in the meantime, the rule stands, and we will abide by it.

But, as Ulysses observed, though we can’t do some things, we can still do others. I’m sure many of you, because you have the good taste and open hearts that led you to join DA, are doing wonderful, vital work on issues in DA’s no-go zone, and DA is doing its bit by fulfilling its core mission: electing Democrats.

So, if you will, abide with us as we move towards the midterms. Please take advantage of the many volunteer opportunities described in this newsletter. Register to vote, request your ballot, and cast your ballot. Encourage other US citizens to do likewise. Because, as Ulysses saw, there is still much for us to do. 

Kathy Tullos (Chair) 

Message from DA Spain Chair

It’s February, and I’m writing to you from my home state of Texas. Remarkably, it’s actually been cold here; we had an entire week of at- or below-freezing temperatures at night. (The electrical grid didn’t even threaten to collapse, which it actually did last winter, but Texans with cold weather PTSD have been quite twitchy for a few days.) Anyway, the cold inspired me to make a couple of batches of soup.

As I stood in our kitchen stirring a fragrant batch of bean soup, I recalled one of my favorite childhood books. Stone Soup told a story that resonates with what we are doing at Democrats Abroad Spain.  Read more about stone soup...

Here at DA Spain, we make a lot of our own sort of soup together. Of course, our dishes aren’t liquid, and you can’t eat them, but they are important all the same. Members make a few phone banking calls – potatoes. Members staff tables at voter registration drives – carrots. Members use their social media platforms to talk up DA and tell others about how US citizens can vote from abroad – tomatoes. Members contribute small amounts to DA to help us pay for phone banks, mailouts, banners for our voter registration tables, and the myriad other items that enable us to connect with Americans abroad – beans. Again, you get the idea.

I’m grateful to every one of you who helps us fill the pot. And I hope each of you will consider adding to DA’s soup. We’re not the tricksters that our travelers were, so all we can do is assure you that whatever you choose to add, matters. Your efforts promote and safeguard democracy. And that’s a delicacy beyond compare.

So if you’re interested in volunteering or contributing, please take a few minutes to fill out the Volunteer Interest Form.

Thank you, and buen provecho!

Kathy Tullos (Chair) 

The GWC Reproductive Justice Team is launching a project to promote voter registration under the theme Reproductive Justice for ALL.

As you certainly know, the rights of all women to choose when and if to start a family are being taken away with over 26 States prohibiting or restricting the right to abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy even in the cases of rape, incest and the mother’s and/or the  fetus’ health. Texas has empowered vigilantes to sue everyone and anyone aiding and abetting abortion once the fetal heartbeat can be heard (eg at approximately 6 weeks and before most women know they are pregnant).

We cannot allow this to continue particularly with Roe v Wade in peril and the Women’s Health Protection Act stuck in the Senate.

Our project is a video launch via YouTube. We are asking all DA members to make a short (60 sec) video explaining why the right to abortion is absolutely necessary. If you come from a State where it is practically impossible to obtain an abortion, you can speak about the discrimination against minority and poor women whose lives are in jeopardy and who cannot travel. If you come from “good States” such as MA, CA, NY for example, you can speak to the injustice of access depending upon where you live. Make sure you mention in the video VotefromAbroad.org for expat voter registration and vote.gov for non expat voter registration.

We believe that many of our voters will be motivated to register when we roll out the videos.

Here are a few subjects that you could choose for your video:

• If you live/vote in a country that has “good” reproductive freedom laws, you could refer to the country and the liberal law(s) and how lucky you are to be in that country and how unfair it is for American women LIVING IN THE US who can’t benefit from such laws

• If you live/vote in a US State that has good reproductive freedom laws, see above. And you can say that living in a “bad” State is  discriminatory since women in “good “US States have rights that you are denied.

• You can share a personal experience. You don’t have to use your name or even mention where you live. The videos will be anonymous unless you do give details.

• You can make a statement about women should have the right to control their bodies. Period. There is no justification for the government to decide when, how  or even if women should have children.

If you can’t think of anything to say but still want to make a video, feel free to contact Salli at [email protected]. She will set up a call and walk you through some ideas and we can help you make the video.

Here is a link on how to make a video:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O7wGPrZmmXocOuMI5zZutc1w62nHlQWZOat8Srq_bFQ/edit?usp=sharing

For more information, visit our blog space here:

https://www.democratsabroad.org/wc_reproductive_justice_action_team

All videos should be sent to Salli Swartz at [email protected]

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN

Disclaimer: By submitting your video, you grant to Democrats Abroad a nonexclusive rights to use your video and your image only for the 2022 GWC Reproductive Justice Get Out the Vote video project. 

You therefore hereby waive all rights to any claims arising out of or in connection with Democrats Abroad GWC’s use of your video  and image in connection with the 2022 Reproductive Justice video project.

Message from DA Spain Chair

I’ve read a lot of murder mysteries. A LOT. And my favorites are the cozy ones, where, even before you start the book, you know that everything will turn out all right. Of course, there’s always one chapter toward the end where the protagonist is cornered by the dastardly murderer. That’s the bit I read the fastest, because I just want to get to the happy ending and enjoy the part where the villain is no longer holding a dagger at the detective’s throat.

A different dagger is being held at the throat of our democracy, as President Biden recently reminded us, and the threat is not fictional. We see signs everywhere that our homeland could easily slip into autocracy, or worse. Voter suppression is rampant; lies about the integrity of our elections spread faster than Omicron; open calls for civil war are heard in public discourse and on social media. And sadly, we can’t simply read fast and skip to the part where everything turns out okay in the end.

That’s why we, overseas Democrats, must turn out in droves in the midterm elections. We have to register to vote, request ballots, and return those ballots in a timely fashion. We have to be the people who refuse to succumb to the second, more insidious Big Lie: that our votes won’t count, so there’s no point in voting in the first place. And we have to ensure that our American family members and friends do the same. This is the only sure way to defeat the threats to our democracy.

Look, I know that phone banking, staffing voter registration tables, and sending messages to US voters abroad may not be on your list of Top 10 Entertaining Things To Do in 2022. I’d rather be reading the aforementioned murder mysteries myself, but if we want our democracy to survive, we all have to pitch in. Please go to VoteFromAbroad.org for reliable information on how you can vote in the midterms. And click on our Volunteer Interest Form to find out how you can do your bit to help others vote. Finally, please share this information with your friends.

So while there is a dagger involved, this time there’s no mystery. Let’s get out there and fight for our country.

Kathy Tullos (Chair)