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Petitioning Andy Beshear, Daniel Cameron, Rand Paul, Tom Wine, Donald J. Trump, U​.​S. Senate, U​.​S. House of Representatives

Justice for Breonna Taylor

Breonna Taylor was an award-winning EMT and model citizen. She loved her family and community, working at two hospitals as an essential worker during the pandemic. Over six months ago, a division of the Louisville Police Department performed an illegal, unannounced drug raid on her home, executing a discriminatory, botched no-knock warrant. Not a single officer announced themselves before ramming down her door and firing 22 shots, shooting Breonna 6 times, killing her, according to her lawyer, boyfriend, neighbors, and relatives.  Also named on the warrant was Jamarcus Glover, who had already been arrested earlier that day. Officer Joshua Jaynes lied to obtain a no-knock warrant on Breonna’s residence, citing that the US Postmaster had claimed that Breonna was receiving illegal packages at her home — the US Postmaster later testified that he had never verified these claims.  Police were dressed in plainclothes when they knocked Breonna’s door down in the middle of the night; Kenneth Walker, her boyfriend, fired a single shot, believing that someone had broken in. In response, the officers fired multiple rounds, killing Breonna.  No one has been held accountable for the systemic failure that caused Breonna’s death. 1. Charges must be filed immediately. The officers involved, specifically John Mattingly, Brett Hankison, Myles Cosgrove, Joshua Jaynes, and any other law enforcement officer involved in the death and coverup of the death of Breonna Taylor must be fired, charged, and arrested immediately. There have been no charges thus far (it has been over 7 months). Their pensions must be revoked.  2. Her family must be paid in damages for wrongful death and the negligence of the LMPD.  3. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear must speak up on behalf of Breonna, and Governor Beshear or Attorney General Daniel Cameron must appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Louisville Police Department immediately. An in-house investigation is unacceptable.  4. The "no-knock" warrant that police had used in Breonna's murder completely violates the constitutional rights to reasonable search and seizure. By law, police must be legally obligated to announce themselves before breaking and entering into a home privately owned by American civilians. Legislation to federally ban no-knock warrants must be passed in Congress and signed by the President; what happened to Breonna was a complete violation of her constitutional rights, and threatens the rights of all American citizens. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has voiced similar concerns. A special session must be intervened by Congress to discuss the constitutionality of no-knock warrants immediately.  5. WE DEMAND A NEW PROSECUTOR AND A NEW GRAND JURY HEARING. Recent testimonies released by the brave jurors involved in the grand jury hearing have revealed, quite clearly, the conflict of interest involved in allowing Daniel Cameron to serve as the prosecutor on this case. His partisan interests and position within the GOP have clearly influenced his ability to fulfill his responsibilities as an Attorney General and officer of the law. His conduct in the case, and his complete disregard for the injustice and tragedy that occurred to Breonna Taylor, is completely unacceptable.  This has carried on for over seven months. For weeks, the city treated Breonna like she was a criminal, calling her a “suspect” before finally admitting that she was an innocent, crimeless victim. She had no drugs. She committed no crime.  Yet, she is dead, and the perpetrators are facing no charges.  She was not only an exemplary citizen, but an essential one. She was a daughter, a friend, an American hero, and most importantly, a person. She deserved to be treated as such.  In what world is it fair, just, or legal, to kill a crimeless victim in their own home, and call it an accident? You cannot kill an innocent woman and chalk it up to a clerical error. At the very least, we must hold the system that killed Breonna Taylor accountable.  Let’s get justice for Breonna. Say her name.  PLEASE help me get the word out, and share this campaign on your social media platforms. Thank you to everyone who is helping in our fight to get justice for Breonna.

Loralei HoJay
11,441,530 supporters
Petitioning U​.​S. House of Representatives, U​.​S. Senate

$2000/month to every American #moneyforthepeople #covid19

**UPDATE: Our country is still deeply struggling. The recovery hasn’t reached many Americans – the true unemployment rate for low-wage workers is estimated at over 20% and many people face large debts from last year for things like utilities, rent and child care. These are all reasons that checks need to be targeted to people who are still struggling and that Congress needs to learn from this past year. It took nine months for Congress to send a second stimulus check, and just moments to spend it. Moving forward Congress needs to make recurring checks automatic if certain triggers are met. No more waiting around for our government to send the help we need. Sign to join our movement to get recurring checks to the people. My name is Stephanie, and I am one of millions of Americans who fear for my financial future because of this coronavirus crisis. With businesses and schools closing across the country to control the spread of this virus, many people have already lost their jobs. Others are being forced to stay home. This is catastrophic for working families like mine.  I’m calling on Congress to support families with a $2,000 payment for adults and a $1,000 payment for kids immediately, and continuing regular checks for the duration of the crisis. Otherwise, laid-off workers, furloughed workers, the self-employed, and workers dealing with reduced hours will struggle to pay their rent or put food on the table. My husband and I own a restaurant in Denver and these past two weeks have been a blur. Our restaurant community is wrestling with seeing everything we all have worked so hard for irrevocably changed. Our hearts were breaking as we watched our staff divide the ingredients in our kitchen to bring to their homes: a dismal token for employees who worked tirelessly every day. Our talented and cherished team, some of whom have been with us since we opened our doors 15 years ago, are now without an income. Like our team, my family has lost all of the income from our restaurant, and business owners and the self-employed can't claim unemployment. This is the story of America right now. For our team and other Americans who can claim unemployment, even the maximum payments will not be enough for most people to continue paying their bills – and avoid slipping into poverty. The facts are, even successful small businesses can’t go months with their doors closed.  But supplying Americans with monthly support until they can get back on their feet can save our communities from financial ruin. We need immediate checks and recurring payments so that we can keep our heads above water.  Congress needs to make sure that we won’t be left financially ruined for doing our part to keep the country healthy.

Stephanie Bonin
3,051,017 supporters
Petitioning Federal Communications Commission

Save Net Neutrality

The ability to organize grassroots movements, whether locally or across the globe, is made possible by an open Internet. Since its creation, the Internet has become the world’s megaphone for free speech, protected by the principles of Net Neutrality, which require internet service providers (ISPs) to give everyone equal access to everything you use the internet for -- email, watching videos, listening to music, or signing petitions on Change.org.  Without Net Neutrality, ISPs can choose what you see online, favoring some sources or blocking others. For example, if someone launched a petition on Change.org against a company like Verizon, Net Neutrality prevents Verizon from blocking or slowing their customers’ access to our site.   In December of 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 to repeal net neutrality rules -- giving big cable companies room to charge extra fees, block and censor users. By removing ISPs from Title II of the Communications Act, a rule that means ISPs are subjected to tougher regulations that prevent them blocking sites, creating paid “fast” lanes, and throttling internet speeds. This decision will have global implications for the way the world shares and receives information from journalists, newsrooms, and NGO’s. However, following the FCC’s vote, Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) announced a Congressional Review Act resolution that if passed, would stop net neutrality repeal. That resolution now has the support of 50 senate members, which means just one more vote is needed for it to pass the Senate. Net Neutrality also prevents ISPs from creating paid “fast lanes” that would give faster delivery of content to companies who can afford to pay more. An organization or platform like Change.org that couldn’t afford those fees, couldn’t communicate with their supporters.  In the United States, there is strong bipartisan support for Net Neutrality. A recent poll conducted by Mozilla found that Republicans, Democrats and Independents overwhelmingly support these rules.  At Change.org, we believe that people everywhere should have the tools they need to make their voices heard. We’re a social good company powered by technology that empowers anyone anywhere to take action on the issues they care about. A closed off Internet means fewer ways for millions of people to make the change they want to see. Without an internet equally accessible to everyone regardless of income or geography, we can’t continue that mission. Add your name to let Congress and the FCC know that you support an open internet.

Change.org
2,521,347 supporters
Petitioning U​.​S. House of Representatives, United Nations, U​.​S. Senate, Democratic National Committee, Nancy Pelosi

Hands Up Act

My name is Travis Washington. I received my M. A, degree in Higher Education and Administration from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in May 2019. I have been politically involved, from registering people to vote, to work in the Springfield Capitol (as an Alexander Lane Fellow, January to May 2017).   We know how so many people of cultural minorities constantly fear leaving their household. This fear in our lives far too often comes from individuals working in public safety who harm people. Every single week we hear about another unarmed innocent vulnerable human being shot by the police. This has increased the trauma and fear that has made people of color scared to leave their homes. Tyre Nichols video is an example of the fear people have about leaving their homes. Police Brutality causes pain in suffering for families.  Tyre Nichols video show justice has to be served.   We need legislation now that prohibits police officers from shooting unarmed citizens. If there isn’t a weapon found after someone has been shot (therefore, unarmed) by a police officer, then I propose that the officer should receive a mandatory 15-year prison sentence.   We have seen over and over police officers get off, even with videotape footage of citizens having been shot by police officers. This is a new form of lynching. I am pleading with you to propose a bill that protects people who have every right to feel threatened by law enforcement. We always say we need more training for those involved in public safety, and there are increasing policies and laws that mandate that police officers have “body cameras” on them. Those measures do not address the whole problem, not when the individual officers who shoot unarmed victims aren’t punished.       Senator, we are in a crisis where relationships between people of color and police officers are deteriorating beyond the critical level. In order to build any sort of positive relationships again, we need laws to keep a balance in the lives of all the public. I might even suggest this as a title for this proposed legislation: the Hands UP ACT.   I will be emailing this to all of your colleagues in the U. S. Senate, members of Congress, State Governors. Once this petition receives enough attention. My goal is to speak before the House of Representatives or the United Nations during a committee hearing to bring attention to this policy.      Thank You !! Justice for Tyre Nichols                            

Travis Washington
2,743,533 supporters
Petitioning U​.​S. House of Representatives, U​.​S. Senate, Donald J. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence

US Physicians/Healthcare Workers For Personal Protective Equipment in COVID-19 Pandemic

www.frontlineppenow.org As cases of COVID-19 escalate around the country, physicians and other healthcare workers (HCWs) are facing severe shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE). This shortage is already a major crisis and will place an insurmountable strain on the health system of this country as cases continue to rise and more people require hospitalization for complications of COVID-19. As a result of this shortage, recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for appropriate PPE for HCWs on the frontlines have shifted. This shift does not come in response to overwhelming evidence, rather to a supply chain issue. As quoted directly from the CDC website: “PPE recommendations for the care of patients with known or suspected COVID-19: Based on local and regional situational analysis of PPE supplies, facemasks are an acceptable alternative when the supply chain of respirators cannot meet the demand."..."When the supply chain is restored, facilities with a respiratory protection program should return to use of respirators for patients with known or suspected COVID-19."(1) These statements in no way suggest that droplet precautions are adequate, supported by the statement that as soon as the supply chain has been restored, we should go back to using N95 respirators. As a result of these recommendations, many hospitals have taken the CDC recommendations to mean that facemasks are the preferred PPE, rather than a less desired (and potentially less safe) alternative. They have thus rationed respirators to be made available only for procedures, such as intubation and bronchoscopy, during which the virus is more likely to become aerosolized. This is putting our HCWs in tremendous danger of contracting and spreading COVID-19, which is unacceptable in the country with the most expensive health care system in the world. The evidence that droplet precautions are acceptable is lacking. CNN recently published an article titled “Health care workers getting sicker from Coronavirus than other patients”.(2) This statement is corroborated by data from a Harvard Study in China that suggested HCWs were at a 20% increased risk of severe infection compared to the general public. This risk decreased once the Chinese implemented full gear: protective suit, medical goggle, face shield, N95 mask and gloves – following this change there were no further reports of infected HCWs.(3) The debate is still ongoing as to whether or not COVID-19 can be transmitted via droplets vs. aerosols, yet as we speak, HCWs around the world continue to get infected, end up in critical condition, and die while using “appropriate PPE”. According to an ahead of print New England Journal Article on aerosol and surface stability of COVID-19, the virus can be detected up to 3 hours after aerosolization.(4) According to Dr. Milton, professor of environmental health at University of Maryland, “you cannot tell epidemiologically between something aerosol transmitted by weak sources and large droplet spray”, and he suspects the capability of long distance transmission will be dependent on the degree of symptoms.(5) Considering the mortality risk and lack of data to support a step-down to surgical masks, N-95 masks should continue to be the standard PPE for care of COVID-19 patients. As a physician, I do not know how long it takes to make an N95 mask, but I do know how long it takes to train a physician, a nurse practitioner, a physician’s assistant, a respiratory therapist or nurse. We are the supply chain that needs to be protected. Our friends from Italy have described the loss of infected HCWs as a critical hit to an already strained system. Infected HCWs are of no benefit to patients – in fact, they pose a serious risk.(6) They not only endanger the health of their colleagues, families, and communities, they also serve as a vector to infect the most vulnerable among us – the patients they care for. China, Italy, and S. Korea have more experience with this virus than we do and are taking the protection of their HCWs seriously. In France, Dr. Benjamin Davido, Infectious Diseases and Clinical lead for COVID-19, explains the importance of protecting HCWs against the severity of the illness, by using FFP2, the European equivalent of N95 masks.(7) “If we don’t do all we can to protect them (HCWs), they will quickly transition from providers to patients… Governments must support private-sector manufacturers in providing N95s and other equipment to HCWs.”(6) This letter serves to urge our government, industry, media and general population, to assist HCWs in obtaining immediate access to critical PPE, including N-95 masks. Our HCWs are already on the front lines, taking care of patients without appropriate protection, and our COVID cases and we are nowhere near the peak. Many hospitals are already running out of protective supplies. (NY Times, 3/9/2020) Recommendations to protect HCWs should not be based on what’s available; availability should be based on what is necessary. We urge the government to access the Strategic National Stockpile, and to utilize both the public and private sector to immediately increase production of PPE supplies. In addition, we urge our hospital systems to maintain the highest level of PPE standard for our HCWs, and demand the supply of N-95 masks. Sincerely,  Dr. Milla J. Kviatkovsky Dr. Constance Chace Dr. Supraja Thota https://www.frontlineppenow.org/ #frontlineppenow #getmeppe References: 1)    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/infection-control/control-recommendations.html 2)    Howard and McLaughlin, ‘Health care workers getting sicker from coronavirus than other patients,’ expert says, CNN Health, March 12,2020 3)    Xihong Lin, ‘Analysis of 25,000 Lab-Confirmed Cases in Wuhan: Epidemiological Characteristics and Non-Pharmeceutical Intervention Effects, Department of Biostatistics and Department of Statistics, Harvard University and Broad Institute 4)     N Doremalen et Al, 2014, Aerosol and Surface Stability of HCoV-19 (SARSC-CoV-2) compared to SARS-CoV-1, New England Journal of Medicine 5)    Souchery, ‘Unmasked: Experts Explain Necessary Respiratory Protectin for COVID-19’, Center for Infectious Disease and Research Policy, Feb 13, 2020 6)    Osterholm and Olshaker, ‘Health-Care workers are the front-line warriors against coronavirus. We must protect them’, The Washington Post, Feb 14, 2020 7)    Duqueroy, COVID-19: Advice From a French Doctor on the Frontline, Medscape, 3/16/2020    

GetUsPPE .org
2,048,876 supporters
Petitioning Robert Menendez, Cory A. Booker, U​.​S. Senate, U​.​S. House of Representatives, Donald J. Trump, Michelle Obama, DA Mike Freeman, Mayor Jacob Frey, Nancy Pelosi, Charles E. Schumer, James Beach

Federally Required Psychological Screenings for Police Employment and Federal Reforms

Over this past decade, we have seen numerous police killings and brutality—much of which has been captured with the help of social media. The use of social media has exposed much of the violence which would have otherwise been hidden. Recently, George Floyd was a victim of this violence. A police officer in Minneapolis, Derick Chauvin, used his knee to pin Floyd down by his neck. A 10 minute video captured his murder. Floyd pleads that he can't breath, and about halfway through the video, Floyd appears unconscious and is likely dead at this point. Still, Chauvin keeps Floyd pinned to the ground with his knee until the paramedics arrive; ignoring his duty to render aid. Also captured, were the three other officers at the scene who also refused to assist Floyd and ignored the pleas of the bystanders to check his pulse. It was recently shown that Chauvin had multiple complaints against him, 2 of which he was punished for. The following proposed law would be able to prevent many of the incidents which have occurred with George Floyd, Freddie Gray, Atatiana Jefferson, and countless others. As of now, potential officers go through a psychological screening before employment that tests their fitness to be an officer. The test screens for judgement, integrity, dealing with stress, honesty, etc. This needs to go further in order to eliminate people who could pose a danger to citizens while on the job. Not all states require psychological screening which makes a federal requirement a necessity. The psychological screening, which is already done to screen an officer, should be more in depth and should also include evaluations that test for psychotic disorders, mood disorders & personality disorders. Around 88% of police departments have required drug screening. This should be included in all police departments since it would serve as a necessary precaution for screening. Since Chauvin was involved in incidents during his tenure as an officer, a re-screening should be required every 6 months to a year while the officer is employed. Much like how a doctor or lawyer is re-examined on their knowledge to ensure they are fit to practice, an officer should be required to take a re-examination too. These requirements should be federally mandated to ensure that across the country, officers are screened effectively. I appreciate you for taking the time to read this. Thank you! UPDATE (6/5/20): Since posting this petition, I have received numerous suggestions which I believe should be included and federally required as well. These include: regular & initial drug testing, social media screening, a federal hate crime for falsely reporting a racial crime, redirecting police funding in major cities to programs that support the communities, a national database for police officers involved in misconduct, QR codes on uniforms, an associates degree requirement for all departments, and banning police officers from being hired at another department if they are fired from one previously.

Bryce Showell
1,544,653 supporters
Victory
Petitioning U​.​S. House of Representatives, U​.​S. Senate, United States Department of the Treasury

Save the USPS

"The Senate has passed a bill to save USPS billions of dollars and reform deliveries (NPR) In a rare move of bipartisan support, the Senate passed a bill Tuesday night that will shore up the U.S. Postal Service's finances, providing support for the struggling agency and also ensuring service six days of the week. The Postal Service Reform Act, approved by a 79-19 vote, cleared the House with overwhelming support last month. It comes after decades of losses from the Postal Service, while reliance on mail delivery only increased during the pandemic. The bill aims to both cut costs and ensure more transparency. In addition to operating six days a week, the USPS will be required to create an online dashboard with data to track national delivery times. The USPS will also no longer have to pre-fund health benefits to its employees, which would save about $27 billion over the next 10 years. "This bill, which has been 15 years in the making, will finally help the Postal Service overcome burdensome requirements that threaten their ability to provide reliable service to the American people," Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who helped lead the legislation, said in a statement."Full Article #FireLouisDeJoy ---------- I started this petition almost two years ago. It's really been amazing to see so many who've shown their support and I'd like to thank everyone whose signed it. I'd also like to thank everyone who took the time to write a comment and tell their stories of support. It was inspiring to read. I'm sure all of our collective support through many different outlets led to this decision. And while I like my Postmaster General's not investigated by the FBI, I think this is a major win. I'm going to consider this petition closed. Thank you again and never let anyone doubt what millions of focused voices can accomplish for the better.  

Mike Hidalgo
1,610,306 supporters
Petitioning U​.​S. Senate, U​.​S. House of Representatives, Denis McDonough, Rep. Maria Salazar

Dogs need your help! Tell Congress to stop cruel taxpayer-funded experiments.

UPDATE (March 2018): Following your efforts, U.S. Congress enacted a law to de-fund the VA's dog experiments for 2018 and placed dramatic restrictions on the practice. Read more here. We're still working to end this waste and abuse for good! --- An investigation by White Coat Waste Project revealed that more than 1,100 beagles, hounds and mixed-breed dogs—even puppies—are subjected to secretive, wasteful and cruel experiments inside government laboratories each year. As a physician, researcher and dog-lover –and someone who once reluctantly experimented on dogs—I know there’s no way to defend the government’s use of dogs for invasive and unnecessary experiments.  It’s also a betrayal of a 10,000 year old bond between dogs and humans built upon mutual affection and loyalty. The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and other major news outlets have been documenting how the Department of Veterans Affairs, Pentagon, National Institutes of Health, and other agencies spend taxpayers’ money to abuse dogs: Death by Sand Flies: Infected sand flies are strapped to beagles’ bare skin, causing painful ulcers. Forced Vomiting: Dogs are cut open, their nerves severed, and electrodes are implanted on their intestines. They're then forced to vomit repeatedly. Forced Heart Attacks: "Snares" are tightened around dogs’ coronary arteries to induce heart attacks before they're killed and dissected. American taxpayers are forced to pay millions of dollars for these studies with virtually no access to information about what’s being done or why and how much it costs. Is this how you want your money spent? Please sign our petition to end wasteful spending and increase transparency and accountability about taxpayer-funded experiments on dogs! Most agencies including the VA, DOD, FDA and CDC do not reveal details of how our taxpayer dollars are being used for experiments on dogs, but on one of the few projects for which spending data is available, NIH experimenters have used nearly $6 million of taxpayers' money since 2011 to give dogs heart attacks. Bipartisan Members of Congress also recognize the ethical, scientific and economic problems with these controversial experiments on dogs. They’re now working to help spare dogs from abuse and cut wasteful government spending. Please join us and encourage Members of Congress and the administration to end this wasteful government spending on flawed research.

White Coat Waste Project
813,460 supporters
To Raise Awareness to Protect Abortion Access in Texas

Dear petition signers, The Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is wrong, and it endangers the health and safety of people in Texas and across the country. The impact of Texas Senate Bill 8 foreshadowed the dangerous consequences of the extreme abortion restrictions this ruling allows. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade forces women and girls to carry pregnancies that were conceived through rape and incest and empowers extremists to persecute people who suffer a miscarriage or high-risk pregnancy that threatens their life. I voted to protect reproductive freedom through the Women’s Health Protection Act, and my colleagues in the Senate need to act with urgency to do the same. Every American should have the freedom to decide when and how to start a family.

10 months ago
Dock Congressional Pay When Government Shuts Down

Two weeks ago, Congress managed to finally pass a spending bill to avoid another government shutdown. This bill was 3 months overdue, and we cannot wait for the next shutdown to hold Congress accountable. Every Member of Congress, “Solemnly swears [to] support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution states that “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of Appropriations made by law.” This means that when each Member of Congress takes the oath of office, it is their Constitutional duty to ensure the government is open, funded, and running. So, when the government is shutdown in any manner, it means Congress is not doing their jobs. (Disclaimer: Congress has fully funded the government on time only four times since 1974!) The fact that Congress continuously has the same issue every year is shocking. Where else in America do employees get paid for not doing their job? The answer is easy – nowhere. If this is the standard across America, then it should also apply to Members of Congress. As it stands now, Members receive regular pay when federal workers, and thousands of Americans, have their pay withheld during a government shutdown. This is ridiculous. It is appalling that Members get paid when the government shuts down, and now is the time to bring a dose of reality to Washington. If we cannot do our jobs we have failed the American people and therefore have not earned our pay – plain and simple. There is bipartisan consensus that Congress should not be paid during a government shutdown, and now is the time to bring common-sense back to the legislative branch of government. Without common-sense and proper accountability, Congress will continue to fail to do its job and will always fail the American people.

4 years ago
Dock Congressional Pay When Government Shuts Down

Two weeks ago, Congress managed to finally pass a spending bill to avoid another government shutdown. This bill was 3 months overdue, and we cannot wait for the next shutdown to hold Congress accountable. Every Member of Congress, “Solemnly swears [to] support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution states that “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of Appropriations made by law.” This means that when each Member of Congress takes the oath of office, it is their Constitutional duty to ensure the government is open, funded, and running. So, when the government is shutdown in any manner, it means Congress is not doing their jobs. (Disclaimer: Congress has fully funded the government on time only four times since 1974!) The fact that Congress continuously has the same issue every year is shocking. Where else in America do employees get paid for not doing their job? The answer is easy – nowhere. If this is the standard across America, then it should also apply to Members of Congress. As it stands now, Members receive regular pay when federal workers, and thousands of Americans, have their pay withheld during a government shutdown. This is ridiculous. It is appalling that Members get paid when the government shuts down, and now is the time to bring a dose of reality to Washington. If we cannot do our jobs we have failed the American people and therefore have not earned our pay – plain and simple. There is bipartisan consensus that Congress should not be paid during a government shutdown, and now is the time to bring common-sense back to the legislative branch of government. Without common-sense and proper accountability, Congress will continue to fail to do its job and will always fail the American people.

4 years ago
Dock Congressional Pay When Government Shuts Down

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about congressional pay during government shutdowns. You may be pleased to learn that I agree with you. In fact, when the partial government shutdown began in December, I immediately sent instructions to the Clerk of the House to halt my pay. The American people expect Congress to do its most basic job: pass a budget and fund the government. If we can’t, then we shouldn’t get paid. To ensure this is the standard, I introduced the No Work, No Pay Act of 2019 (H.R. 26). This bill would prohibit senators and representatives from being paid during periods when any Federal agency is shut down due to a lapse in funding appropriated by Congress. Republicans and Democrats need to come together and find an end to this government shutdown. Additionally, I believe we cannot continue to govern with continuing resolutions and short-term spending deals. I strongly believe it is an irresponsible way to govern and that we should focus on passing appropriations bills on time and through regular order. Before coming to Congress, I was the Mayor of Provo, Utah. I was proud that my city balanced our city’s budget every year. Washington should take note of states, like my home State of Utah, that do it right. Not only does the Utah Legislature pass a baseline budget at the beginning of each legislative session to avoid any state government shutdown threats, but they also responsibly balance the state’s budget every year. Utahns expect better from their elected representatives and I don’t intend to let them down. Once again, thank you for sharing your views with me on this important issue. Your input is an essential part of the decision-making process as I represent the interests of my constituents in Utah. Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @RepJohnCurtis for updates on my work in Congress.

4 years ago
No more kids with cancer: clean up the Santa Susana Field Lab

Thank you for your participation in the Change.org advocacy campaign regarding clean-up at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) site. I appreciate knowing of our shared commitment to clean-up the SSFL site and protect public health. Clean-up of this site is a high public health and safety priority, and my involvement with the clean-up goes back to my time in the California Assembly as a principal co-author of SB990, state legislation to require the full clean-up. It is vitally important that we hold all three responsible parties, the Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Boeing, to the highest standards that will fully protect the public health from harmful chemical and radionuclide contamination. As the state and federal environmental documents are prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it is also critical that DOE, NASA, and DTSC continue to engage with the local community to ensure that local resident and stakeholder views are heard. Since coming to Congress, I have been constantly engaged in this issue with local stakeholders, DTSC, and the two responsible federal agencies, DOE and NASA. I have also been working to push Congress to appropriate the necessary funding for the NASA and DOE federally responsible areas of SSFL. While Boeing was successful through the courts in overturning SB990, the law that was intended to force a complete clean-up for the areas controlled by Boeing, NASA and DOE, DTSC still has an important role in ensuring the highest clean-up standard possible and I believe it would be in Boeing's best interest to work with not only DTSC, but the community and local elected leaders to ensure the highest level of clean-up. Please be assured that I will continue to be engaged in this process and that the time you took to express your views is extremely helpful as the process moves forward. Please be assured that I will also continue to work at the federal level to ensure a full clean-up of the SSFL site.

5 years ago
Dogs need your help! Tell Congress to stop cruel taxpayer-funded experiments.

I would like to thank the White Coat Waste Project for starting this important petition, and the more than 100,000 citizens who have asked Congress to end unnecessary and cruel dog experimentation in government laboratories. Your voices are already making a difference, and this is going to be a priority for me in the 115th Congress. As a result of the outpouring of concern about this issue from my constituents and other Americans, I have initiated a bipartisan effort in Congress to investigate animal testing in government laboratories. As a first step, we have formally requested that the Government Accountability Office conduct an audit of what is being done to dogs and other animals in federal laboratories, what are the results, and what are the costs to taxpayers. As a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, I am especially concerned about the disturbing experiments on dogs being conducted at various VA facilities. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I have found that animal testing in government laboratories sometimes continues even when it is unnecessary. A few years ago, I discovered that a National Institutes of Health lab was subjecting infant monkeys to cruel psychological experiments. For more than 30 years, the multimillion-dollar studies involved traumatizing newborn monkeys by removing them from their mothers at birth and even addicting them to alcohol. After receiving requests from some of my colleagues and me -- and pleas from thousands of Americans -- the NIH ultimately agreed that these studies were not a judicious use of taxpayer resources and ended the project. I am very proud of this great victory for animals and taxpayers. But the ongoing experiments on animals demonstrate that there is still much more work to do. There are compelling scientific, humane, and economic reasons to end animal testing. There is inspiring work by Congress, federal agencies, and industry to replace old-fashioned animal testing with high-tech alternatives like “organs-on-a-chip” that are faster, cheaper, and more effective. We need to support and accelerate such efforts. Thank you for speaking out and urging Congress to take action to protect dogs, modernize science, and cut government waste. My colleagues and I are paying attention and working to swiftly address this pressing issue.

6 years ago
Grant Military Burial Honors to Women WWII Pilots

I want to thank the Miller family for the efforts they’ve made to make sure that the WASPs get the recognition they deserve. The WASPs risked their lives, defended our country, and broke barriers when they were called to serve at the height of World War Two. Some lost their lives. All played an equally valuable role alongside their male counterparts in the wartime effort. Yet WASPs did not receive military benefits after the war and now are unable to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. While the government has taken some steps toward giving the WASPs proper recognition and veterans benefits, decades later these heroic Americans are still being treated as second class citizens. I am pleased my colleagues on the committee supported this legislation and look forward to it passing the full U.S. House.

7 years ago