FEDERAL:
Demand a Bailout that Helps People, Not Corporations:
Literally nothing has changed in the last 24 hours. Moscow Mitch and the Pandemic Profiteers have offered a whopper of a coronavirus relief bill that would do almost nothing to help the average American but that would line the pockets of some of the wealthiest individuals on the planet. The GOP Senate bill would give $500 billion to Steve Mnuchin to manage. He could dole out this $500 billion without revealing which multi-billion dollar companies got the money until six months after the fact. In fact, it is distinctly possible that Mnuchin could give a bailout to Trump hotels.
The bill also would provide no funding for states and local governments to address the Coronavirus crisis. It would not add one dime to SNAP’s budget. It does not expand emergency leave. It has no OSHA protections for workers forced to work through the pandemic. Direct payments would not be available to people who did not file tax returns in 2018 or 2019 (which affects many low-income individuals). It’s an absurdly bad bill.
Details:
https://twitter.com/ThePlumLineGS/status/1241798822877114377
Script:
Hello, I am a constituent from zip code ____________ calling to urge Sen. ______________ to oppose Mitch McConnell’s stimulus bill. It is absolutely ridiculous that the Senate would support a bill that would allow Steve Mnuchin to dole out $500 billion to corporations with absolutely no transparency or accountability. Instead, we should be giving money directly to people who need it, including workers who will be laid off due to the pandemic. Thank you.
Federal Contact Numbers:
Thom Tillis: DC: (202) 224-6342
Richard Burr DC: (202) 224-3154
Tim Scott (SC): Washington, DC: 202-224-6121
Lindsey Graham (SC): Washington, DC: 202-224-5972
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Burr Kept Dangers of COVID-19 Secret. Call Him On It:
A few days ago, we learned that Richard “No Socks, No Soul” Burr was privately warning a small group of donors at a Capitol Hill luncheon of the imminent dangers of the virus, comparing it to the 1918 flu epidemic that killed thousands of people. But despite these known dangers, Burr did not warn his constituents or the general public, implicitly allowing transmission of the virus to continue unabated. It’s a horribly irresponsible and hypocritical action, and he needs to be called out on it. We have a tweet and a call script you can use to call out Burr for not taking the health and safety of his constituents seriously.
But it gets worse. Thursday, evening, ProPublica reported that Burr may have engaged in insider trading, selling off $600,000-$1.8 million in stock just before the market collapsed a few days ago. So, Burr was denying the seriousness of COVID19 in public, but in private, he was warning his high-donor friends and selling off stock as fast as his fingers could dial his stock broker. Not only should he resign, he should also be prosecuted. Let’s push extra hard tomorrow. Burr’s phones should not stop ringing from the moment his office opens until the moment his staffers go home tomorrow afternoon. It’s time for him to resign.
It’s probably better to call about the coronavirus emergency legislation, BUT if you tweet, it might be worth reminding everyone that Burr knew of the dangers weeks before he told his constituents.
The Juicy Details:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/19/senate-intel-chair-warned-of-coronavirus-disruption-in-private-137407
Burr Tweet:
.@SenatorBurr thought it was OK to warn a private audience of big donors about the dangers of the Coronavirus but didn’t bother to warn his constituents. Then he sold off millions of dollars in stocks. He should resign.
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STATE:
Call, tweet, resistbot Governor Roy Cooper to call for "shelter in place".
[Thanks to Andrea for the tweet] We need to take all data with a grain of salt, but a group of data scientists is predicting that North Carolina will soon reach a tipping point when it comes to the spread of COVID19. If we don’t have a statewide Shelter in Place order by March 28, we could face a situation where the number of deaths would be significantly higher. We would also see hospitals and medical professionals being overwhelmed and unable to handle the number of patients. Let’s encourage Governor Cooper to take decisive action to protect all North Carolinians.
Details:
https://covidactnow.org/state/NC?fbclid=IwAR2RbegLV2Z36MoIoOzwVZOH6gspRMgP9leM9qNvhD3U750K9uVpylKf_fE
Tweet/Script:
.@NC_Governor it's time to order a statewide "shelter in place." Please do this for the sake of everyone. Many people are not heeding the warning of social distancing and this virus will overwhelm our resources in less than 10 days time #COVID19 @NCPolicyWatch #ShelterInPlace
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Allow Nurse Practitioners to Practice without a Collaborating MD:
Nurse practitioners are not allowed to maintain their own practice in North Carolina without registering with a collaborating physician. This places severe limits on NPs who are board certified. In most states, this rule has been eliminated. And during a time in which we are facing a medical emergency, we need more qualified medical providers to be able to practice without archaic limitations. This is actually a nonpartisan issue. The link below is from a conservative think tank, but it show clearly that we need to update our laws regarding NPs.
Details:
https://www.johnlocke.org/update/save-act-increasing-freedom-for-n-c-nurses/
Tweet:
.@NC_Governor drop the outdated Nurse Practice Act rule that forces NPs in NC to have collaborating MD in order to practice. We are board certified providers that could volunteer in this crisis in our full capacity if you do this now #NursePractitioner #COVID19
Script:
Hello, I am a constituent from ____________ calling to urge Rep./Sen./Gov. ___________ to support the SAVE Act. This bill would remove the requirement that nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives have a collaborative practice agreement to treat patients. North Carolina is one of 12 states that restrict the practice authority of nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives unless they obtain a collaborative practice agreement with a supervising physician. And in a time when we face an approaching medical crisis, we need all of the qualified medical providers to be able to work independently without any archaic restrictions. NPs could easily volunteer in remote locations or other areas where supervising physicians would be unavailable. Thank you.
State Contact Numbers:
NC House: http://bit.ly/2CVneDK
NC Senate: http://bit.ly/2DamgAn
Governor: Phone: (919) 814-2000
Email: https://governor.nc.gov/contact/contact-governor-cooper
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MEDIA:
Tell MSNBC and CNN to Stop Airing Trump’s COVID19 Press Conferences Live:
I have been so frustrated at Trump’s press conferencesTrump’s coronavirus press conferences are actively doing harm. They are not informing us properly, and some of the misinformation he is spreading could make things significantly worse. Broadcasting these events live is a public health risk. Trump is feeding his viewers with disinformation and misinformation. It is impossible to fact-check this information in real time, and viewers are likely to engage in dangerous, risky behaviors if they listen only to Trump's public statements.
He is also using this platform to campaign for reelection by promoting his "brand" as someone who stands up to the news media. By broadcasting these segments, you are feeding into an unhealthy dynamic in which Trump is able to further undermine trust in the news media. By carrying these briefings live, you are complicit in spreading dangerous lies and division: both are killing us.
Link:
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/tell-msnbc-and-cnn-to-stop-airing-trump-s-covid-19-press-conferences-live?share=78cabc71-d9cc-48c5-959a-997fbe5107bb&source=email-share-button&utm_medium=&utm_source=email
