Biden-Harris Progress Report #8: Taking Care of Unfinished Business!

In July of 2020, presidential nominee, Joe Biden, and Senator Bernie Sanders announced their Unity Task Force recommendations for a Democratic presidency. Their bold plans to address the pressing needs of working-class families, combat climate change, and much more helped us win the presidency and Senate majority, as well as hold the House majority. We entered 2021 with high expectations!

As we begin 2022, many of our expectations remain unfulfilled. The scope of the Build Back Better Act has narrowed dramatically, remaining two votes short of passage. Existing filibuster rules stand in the way of passing the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Delivering victories for all three of these and more is crucial to millions of us and for Democratic electoral success in the midterms.

Join members of proDA to learn about and discuss the negotiations for all three bills, the prospects for their passage, and the consequences of further delay. We will advocate for action, urging all of us to intensify our efforts. Time is very short and so, too, is the patience of those whose needs are not being met!

WHEN: Saturday, January 22nd, at 9-10:30am ET, 3-4:30pm Berlin time, 7:30-9:00 New Delhi time, 10-11:30pm Beijing time

WHERE: Zoom–Please RSVP for the link.

CO-SPONSORS: DA Austria, DA Canada, DA Guadalajara, proDA Austria, proDA Germany, and proDAUK

Double your impact! A generous donor in Asia Pacific will match donations to DA through proDA’s donate page, up to a total of $2500. Donate to help inform and mobilize members around the world to support our unfinished business. The Fight for (at least) $15. Meaningful Medicare expansion. Tuition-free community college. Student debt relief. Reparative justice. Truly ambitious climate change mitigation. Federal Voting Rights legislation. And more.  Will you donate today to help America build back even better? Please donate here. Thank you!

Scared to Debt!

Film Screening & Panel Discussion with Filmmaker

[Note: film can be viewed anytime between January 27th-31st!]

Currently, 45 million borrowers are saddled with close to $1.9 trillion in federal student loan debt in the United States. The Biden Administration has extended the CARES ACT payment pause until May 1st, 2022. Many borrowers perceive the decision as kicking the can down the road. They remain victims of predatory loan practices within a corrupt system that profits while increasing their debt far beyond their ability to pay it.

View the award-winning Sallie Mae Not documentary, episode one of the Scared to Debt documentary film by Michael Camoin, and join him and others for a panel discussion to learn the chilling reality of student loan corruption in America and options to confront it effectively.

Panelists:

• Michael J. Camoin, Filmmaker: Scared to Debt: America's Student Loan Scam
• Alan Collinge, Founder: StudentLoanJustice.Org
• Reggie Harris: American singer/songwriter (pending)
• Heather Taylor, International Chapter Leader and Social Media Manager: StudentLoanJustice.Org 

How to watch film and participate in panel discussion:

Watch the film in advance on your own [January 27th to 31st] via the easy access link you will receive when you RSVP below. The film is 41 minutes long. No fee/donation is necessary.

THEN

Join the panel discussion on Zoom on Monday, January 31st, at 12:00pm to 1:30pm ET, 6:00pm to 7:30pm CET, 9:00pm to 10:30pm Dubai time. [A link to the recording of the panel discussion will be shared with those who register and are unable to attend the discussion.] 

RSVP below for your free film screening access, panel discussion Zoom link, and invitation to submit a question for the panel discussion. 

Invite your family and friends to participate as well. Here is a Facebook post to share. 

** Double your impact to get out the vote for Democrats**

For a limited time, a generous donor in Asia Pacific will double your donation!

Join with others today to win for Democrats up and down the ballot, including Congressional Progressive Caucus Members who are committed to student debt relief for borrowers in the United States – If you are able, please consider giving $4.50, $45 or anything in between to help us reach our goal of 45 donations in recognition of the 45 million American student debt borrowers. Please donate here today. Thank you!

Co-hosted by the Global Progressive Caucus and Global Youth Caucus. 

This event is part of the proDA series “Monthly Mondays for Your Progressive Minds.”

Add your photo to the DA healthcare stories booklet that will be shared with Members of Congress after the new year.

Act quickly to be added to the booklet before printing.

Photos could be of yourself, family or health-related, like a health receipt, medical equipment or prescription.  You can even use the "I Heart Universal Healthcare" sign in a selfie picture at this link. 

Even better, write a short description of why you love healthcare where you live and take a photo of you with your story, or maybe just your story if you like.  

Your story of affordable, quality, accessible healthcare overseas will help Members of Congress understand what is possible in other countries – and what is possible for all Americans.

Send your photo by email to Kent.

Write a letter back to your US papers!

It’s time for Medicare For All. We have won the House and the Medicare for All H.R.676 is being revised and needs your help to get it out of committee and introduced before Congress.

The momentum behind Medicare For All has been bubbling for decades, and if we turn up the heat, it will boil over. It is a moral imperative, and it will save us - trillions.

We, as Democrats Abroad, have experienced first-hand the benefits of a universal, public, single-payer system truly works. This was the reason we launched Healthcare Stories - and will soon be sharing these stories members of Congress.

The Progressive Caucus of Democrats Abroad is now asking for you to contribute to the next phase of how we can amplify our voices to combat the disinformation against Medicare For All being pushed by lobbyists and greedy moneyed interests who can see that momentum is growing for change.

Would you be willing to write a letter back to your local newspapers in the states  expressing your personal experience as an American abroad who has lived with Medicare for All?

We are joining the national campaign by National Nurses United that has “ a special focus on 15 target House Districts across the country represented by Democrats who are on key committees for getting the bill to the floor who have not yet co-sponsored. Those are: AL-7, CA-12, CA-29, CA-39, CA-52, CT-1, MA-1, MA-4, NJ-6, NJ-9, NM-3, OR-5, TX-35, WA-1, and WI-3. However, we also know we need to build power in every district in the country.”

You can write your letter to as many local papers you have a connection to, such as where you vote, grew up, went to school, visit relatives, vacation or do business.  And in each letter we send, we can get the attention of House members by naming them in the letter and either encouraging them to support Medicare For All or recognizing that they rightly support the Bill.

If you write a letter, you will be enlightening many other Americans who have not experienced such a system, whose minds may be swayed by the intentional spin cast by those who do not have the best interests of all Americans at heart. And encourage them to call their House Representative to demand that they support Medicare For All.

Your voice matters just as much as any “expert” on healthcare. You have lived experience of how a public system helps you.

We have made some tips and facts to help you get started.

Please also register here if you are interested, we will be in touch.

Questions? Email the Healthcare Working Group!

2019 will be an enormous fight for Medicare For All. Because it has a chance to win, it will be fought.

Let’s help spread the truth and help make Medicare For All a reality in the United States.

Healthcare Working Group
Progressive Caucus of Democrats Abroad

Volunteer with the Progressive Caucus

Posted by Susan Alksnis · January 02, 2019 2:16 PM