Message from DA Spain Chair

In last month’s Executive Committee meeting, we discussed the need for talking points. In other words, what’s my elevator pitch for Democratic candidates?

I’ve thought a lot about this question and done a bit of homework. Specifically, I raised this issue at the Global Communications meeting, reviewed some Democratic materials, and read a lot of news articles. And this is what I’ve concluded: what’s going to persuade voters is not necessarily a list. What’s going to persuade people is for each of you, acting as the person you are, to let someone know what matters most to you, and explain why and how voting Democrat will contribute to fixing a problem or achieving a goal.

So I’ve compiled the following list of potential points. What I’d suggest is for you to pick a couple that really resonate with you and create your pitch based on that point. Do not feel like you just have to parrot mine. And, when you’re ready, let’s make videos about our talking points! Just a minute of you talking to the camera or to a friend. And then send them to [email protected], so that we can edit and post them!

• Climate change: The United States is back in cooperation with the international community in addressing this issue, and the Democratic Congress has passed the largest investment of all time in measures to combat climate change.

• Student loan forgiveness: Student loan debt has crippled many Americans, making it impossible for them to raise families, buy homes, save for the future, and do what our country has always urged us to do to secure our futures and those of our loved ones. The new law doesn’t fix this problem, but it’s a start. And we have to start somewhere.

• Reproductive health care: Democrats can’t fix the reversal of the Roe decision, but we can take measures to make access to birth control and reproductive health care available. President Biden has signed an executive order on this issue, doing what he can with the power he has. Congress must remain in Democratic control to beat back Republican attempts to ban abortions nationwide and to place judges on the bench who use twisted logic to turn back the clock on citizens’ rights.

• Gun control: Gun violence has claimed thousands of lives and continues to do so. Under President Biden’s leadership, and thanks to the Democrats in Congress, we have the first major piece of gun control legislation in 30 years. It’s a start, not a solution. But Republicans aren’t going to vote for common sense gun control measures, such as more extensive background checks and longer waiting periods, that most Americans favor.

• Health care: Democrats have capped health care expenditures in the Inflation Reduction Act, especially for prescription drugs. They have also passed legislation that allowed millions to buy health insurance, allowing access to life- and money-saving preventive care and taking many treatments out of emergency rooms and putting them in doctors’ offices instead.

• Infrastructure investment: Democratic legislation has invested in American communities, providing for work on 65,000 miles of road and 1,500 bridges across the country. And this work translates into jobs and better, safer transportation for people and goods.

• Violence Against Women: After letting the Violence Against Women Act lapse for two years, Congress has reauthorized this law. It provides legal protection for victims of domestic violence and helps provide shelter for family violence victims. And FYI, the author of the original VAWA (in 1985) was Senator Joseph Biden.

• Economic growth: The deficit was reduced by $350 billion last year and is on track to decline $1.5 trillion this year. In 2021, the economy added 6.5 million jobs, the most ever. Last year, the USA had the strongest GDP growth since 1984. All of this happened without any tax increases for families making under $400,000 a year. As a result of explosive, post-pandemic growth, and in large part because of the embargo on Russian oil imports, inflation has increased, although its pace has slowed since the summer. Normally, a windfall profits tax on large corporations would help put the brakes on inflation, but that measure is unavailable because of Republican opposition.

• Diversity: The Democratic administration has put together the most diverse team in American history, including the first Black female vice president, the first Black female Supreme Court justice, and the most diverse Cabinet on record. Support for Pride has returned to the White House. And diversity initiatives at the federal level include provisions seeking to advance underserved and underrepresented persons such as workers providing care for loved ones, veterans and military families, as well as persons in rural areas.

• Rule of law: With armed insurrection, reported theft of nuclear documents critical to our country’s defense, and open contempt for the rule of law, Republicans have shown that the system of laws that we hold dear is nothing more than an impediment to their rush to authoritarian rule. Electing Democrats will help stop this dangerous movement away from democracy.

So focus on what resonates with you and share widely! And be proud that you’re a Democrat.

Kathy Tullos (Chair) 

Message from DA Spain Chair

Every once in a while, the fancy strikes me to mess with the algorithms that the digital world relies on. So I spent a few happy minutes yesterday asking completely random questions to our Google Assistant (the Google equivalent of Amazon’s Alexa). Included in my volley were the following:

• What’s the tallest underwater mountain? (Mauna Kea)
• How old was Elizabeth Taylor when she died? (79)
• How many people live in Indonesia? (Approximately 273,000,000, as of 2020)
• When was the trombone invented? (The 15th century)
• How many moons does Saturn have? (82, but not all of them are named yet)
• What country consumes the most macadamia nuts? (The USA)
• Where was Charles de Gaulle born? (Lille, France)
• How many Perry Mason books were not made into TV shows or movies? (Two)
• Would you like a piece of pizza? (No answer)

Unless you haven’t had lunch yet, none of these questions is likely to be important to you right now. . But here are two others that absolutely are: “Have you requested your ballot to vote in the 2022 midterm elections?” And “Have you encouraged all the Americans abroad you know to vote?

Voting from Spain has never been easier.

• You can get accurate, state-specific information about how to request and return your ballot at votefromabroad.org. That website also answers common questions, such as voting deadlines in each state and what a state means when it asks if you intend to return there.

• For detailed information on Voting from Spain, see this page. 

• Directions on returning your ballot, including how to use the US Embassy or Consulate’s diplomatic pouch service, is also available on this page.
• If you want to use DHL to return your ballot, send an email to [email protected] and we will share the ballot return discount code from that courier service.

So please vote, and tell your fellow citizens to vote. And then reward yourself with some macadamia nuts or pizza. It’s the American thing to do.

Kathy Tullos (Chair) 

P.S.  If you really want to treat yourself, click here to see the video of a recent virtual visit to DA by Politics Girl podcaster Leigh McGowan. The video is engaging, informative, and energizing. For more details, read the details in the report below from our Barcelona chapter! 

Message from DA Spain Chair

A lovely Democrats Abroad member told me that reading last month’s column was like getting a hug. Getting that feedback made me really happy, but I’m giving you fair warning about this one: it’s going to be more of a shove. 

It’s a shove because we’ve been reminded of the work immediately ahead of us. We’ve just had a visit from Ken Martin and Jarryd Rauch of the DNC, and our own Candice Kerastan, Chair of DA Global (keep reading for more about that). Chapters in Madrid, Alicante, and Barcelona organized terrific events for our visitors. Here’s a shoutout to Samuel, Revé, Maggie, Daniel, Tammy, Chris, Annie, and all the other people involved in organizing those events whom I’ve failed to name.

At each of our stops, Ken reminded us that we Democrats have a great story to tell. The Biden administration has brought us the first female Black justice of the Supreme Court, Covid relief, infrastructure investments, measures to check spiraling prescription drug costs, unprecedented funding for measures to combat climate change, and more. And it’s done this without the daily White House drama that roiled the nation for the previous four years. So Ken is right: we have a great narrative.

Now we have to tell that story. Fewer than 80 days remain until the midterm election, and we need to turn out in record numbers to hold our majorities in Congress. And, as Ken also said, we must stop agonizing and start organizing. For us in DA Spain, here’s how:

• VoteFromAbroad.org:  Tell the US citizens you know to go to votefromabroad.org (VFA) to get up-to-date information about registering to vote and requesting and returning ballots. To be even more effective helping others, sign up for a voter assistance training class here. 
• Check out GOTV efforts in your area:  If you’re in or near Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, or Seville, contact your local DA group and see what Get Out The Vote efforts are happening in your area. We’re putting up stickers with QR codes to direct people to VFA. We’re setting up tables to give US citizens information about voting. We’re getting together to phone voters around the world, especially those who are from battleground states. Get involved in what’s going on in your area. Email [email protected] or contact your local chapter.
• Volunteer from home:  If you prefer to work at home, phone bank from your computer. It costs you nothing and is an easy-to-learn process. Email [email protected] for more information.
• Wear DA Paraphernalia:  When you take a walk or run errands, wear a Democrats Abroad or Vote From Abroad t-shirt. You’ll be amazed how many folks will ask you about it! If you don’t have a t-shirt, send us an email or contact your local chapter to see what’s available.
• Return your ballot ASAP!:  Returning your ballot can be a challenge. Click here for details on How to Vote from Spain.
• Donate!  All of these efforts take money. Ten dollars fund multiple phone bank calls. Fifty dollars buy a banner for a DA table at a public event. Two hundred dollars buy enough stickers for an entire chapter this election cycle. Click here to donate to DA Spain. 

So let’s get going, friends! We’ve got a story to tell and voters to turn out. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do.

Kathy Tullos (Chair) 

Message from DA Spain Chair

I’ve been struggling with this column for days, without having any idea of where to start. Do we talk about the terrible recent Supreme Court rulings? The eye-popping revelations of the January 6th investigation? The devastating war grinding on in Ukraine? People being shot for the color of their skin or for the simple act of celebrating our nation's independence? Crippling heat and wildfires across the nation and around the world? As the incomparable Amanda Gorman puts it in her “Hymn for the Hurting”

Everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed and strange,
Minds made muddied and mute.
We carry tragedy, terrifying and true.

That’s a lot to tackle. What can you do? Register to vote, request your ballot, return your ballot, and tell every American you know to do the same. The midterm elections are critical. If we want to know what happened during the January 6th coup attempt, or to protect marriage equality and access to contraception, or to fight the climate change that threatens the entire planet, WE HAVE TO VOTE. 

We can do this! And again Gorman leads us with her wise words:

Maybe everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed & strange.
But only when everything hurts
May everything change.

So if you’d like to get more involved, please consider attending a virtual meeting of the Democrats Abroad Spain Executive Committee. For a meeting invite, please send an email to [email protected]. The next meeting is scheduled for August 12 at 19:30 CET. Or find out if there’s a local DA group near you. If there’s not, start one! 

And vote. Please vote. 

Kathy Tullos (Chair) 

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