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.

In 2014, I adopted my best friend Violet from the basement of a taxpayer-funded animal experimentation lab. Now, I’m working with Congress to get dogs like her, as well as cats and monkeys, released from government labs at the end of experiments.  When I met Violet, she lived alone in a cage in a laboratory basement.  She had never been outside, never seen stairs and most of her experiences with humans involved fear and pain. She loved other dogs but was understandably terrified of humans. Now, we’re inseparable, and she’s best friends with our cats and even helps us foster kittens! But, Violet is one of the lucky ones. Thousands of cats, monkeys and dogs like her are experimented on each year in government labs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Smithsonian Institution. Because its quicker and easier than relocating them to rescue groups, private homes or sanctuaries, experimenters usually kill these animals and dispose of them like trash, even if they’re healthy.  Now, the taxpayers who bought these animals want them released. Recently, our organization White Coat Waste Project has secured the release of monkeys from the FDA, and is working to get dogs out of VA labs and kittens released by the USDA.  Please join me in urging all government agencies to #GiveThemBack: retire and release animals at the end of taxpayer-funded experiments! --Julie Germany, Board Member, White Coat Waste Project

Ask Congress to pass the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, the first-ever general federal Animal Cruelty law in history. This is a bill with broad bipartisan support. Even prior to swearing in the new members of Congress, this bill had 36 Co-Sponsors in the Senate and 283 Co-Sponsors in the House. It was previously blocked from a vote by a single congressman. Now that the House of Representatives has changed, this bill needs to be brought to the floor of Congress for a vote. We should not go another day without protecting the animals from cruelty, bestiality, and torture. Why is this law important? This law will allow the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies to crack down on malicious cruelty and the sexual exploitation of innocent animals. The legislation will build on the federal “animal crush” video law that was enacted in 2010, which banned the creation, sale, and distribution of obscene videos that show animals being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or subjected to other forms of heinous cruelty. The PACT Act will prohibit those same extreme acts of animal cruelty when they occur in interstate or foreign commerce, regardless of whether a video is produced. The PACT Act will also enable the federal government to prosecute malicious acts of animal cruelty on federal property such as military bases, federal prisons, airports, and national parks. Additionally, it will enable federal authorities to crack down on the practice of bestiality which often involves a subculture where animals are moved across state lines and where information is exchanged on websites that enable the exploitation to happen. Who supports this bill? This legislation is endorsed by more than 200 law enforcement agencies across the country. This bill was previously passed in the Senate by a UNANIMOUS bipartisan vote. This bill had 283 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 36 Co-Sponsors in the Senate even prior to the swearing in of the current members of congress. History In December 2017 the Senate UNANIMOUSLY passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, S. 654.  This bipartisan legislation protecting animals against cruelty and torture was led in the U.S. Senate by Senators Pat Toomey, R-Pa, Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and was joined by 34 cosponsors. Despite the overwhelming bipartisan support we still do not have this important federal law. The bill was blocked by a single member of Congress despite the valiant efforts of Reps. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Ted Deutch, D-Fla. to help pass this bill (H.R. 1494). Reps. Lamar Smith and Ted Deutch previously secured an unbelievable 283 cosponsors and broad bipartisan support by ⅔ of Congress. Now, with the change of leadership in Congress, there is a new and fresh opportunity for congress to pass this important law with vast bipartisan support. Why should we sign this now? There is a new and fresh opportunity for congress to pass the overwhelmingly bipartisan Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act that was previously blocked by a single member of congress. The shift of power in Congress has removed this one congressman as an obstacle. Now this bill has a real opportunity to pass if the public demands that Congress makes it a legislative priority, and brings it to a vote. Passage will bring the first federal animal cruelty bill that protects against bestiality, animal cruelty, and animal torture. Your signature will help demonstrate the public outcry to make this a legislative priority.   The animals cannot speak for themselves. Please consider being the voice for the voiceless and sign the petition. Your support will speak volumes to lawmakers! "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have." ~Margaret Mead What you can you do to help RIGHT NOW in addition to signing the petition? (IMPORTANT) (Total Time: 5-7 minutes) 1.  Share this Petition on social media, and ask your friends, co-workers, and family to sign the petition and consider sharing it as well. 2.  Contact your congressional representative's office, and politely inform them that you are calling to ask your representative to support H.R.724 - The PACT Act which will make animal cruelty a federal crime. (The process is simple. Just call the Capitol Switchboard. (202) 224-3121. Give them your zip code, and they will provide you with the telephone number for your congressional representative. Call that number, and express your support.) This will make a big difference. 3. Follow the progress of this petition on our Facebook page, and find ways that you can have a positive impact on the lives of animals: Animal Welfard Center Facebook Page

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.

On December 1, 2013 Kari Rene Hunt was murdered by her estranged husband whom she was intending to divorce. She agreed to meet him at a local motel to leave their children with him for a short visitation while he was in town. Her estranged husband ambushed her in the motel room and cornered her in the restroom. During the struggle and resulting death of Kari, her oldest daughter, age 9, (name with held for privacy) attempted to dial 911 from the motel room phone. She followed instructions as taught by her mother on the way to call for help but she was never instructed that in some hotels and motels you must first dial a "9" and then 911. We are attempting to ensure that any person needing police, EMS or the Fire Department at any hotel or motel location or from any MLTS/PBX system be able to dial the numbers 911 and receive emergency response. In a panic, any under age child, or for that matter anyone in an emergency situation should be able to depend on dialing 911 from any phone in the United States and receiving assistance. We pray the lawmakers in our Congress and Senate hear the cries of Kari and her children and enact a law requiring all hotel and motel chains, including all "Mom & Pop" locations have all phone systems updated to E911 systems. These systems allow the 911 call to automatically connect to a 911 operator without having to dial a "9" in order to get an outside line. Total E911 fees/funds collected from the use of telephones in the United States was $2,322,983,616.36 in 2012. Total amount spent for E911 or 911 enhancements in the United States was $97,367,543.46 leaving $2,225,616,072.90 un spent. Where is this money? Some states such as Illinois, has diverted monies from the collection of E911 fees to it's general fund therefore being spent on who knows what. The money is there, it's being collected by who? THE GOVERNMENT! It's being spent on very little E911 functionality or just sitting there. Why?  WE ask that Wyndham Hotels, which is the parent company of Baymont Inns and Suites where this incident occured, lead the way in the industry by updating the antiquated phone systems still used in some of their hotels. Sadly though, 2 year 11 months later we have heard nothing from the Wyndham Corporation, however, the Marriott International Corporation has mandated to all franchise hotels under the Marriott brand to update their systems to be direct dial 911. Can you you guess what hotel we will be using from now on will be? That's right , MARRIOTT! Seconds count and when a 9 year old little girl is mature enough and brave enough to attempt to dial for help, she should be answered. When that child dialed 911 she should have heard, "911, what is your emergency?" Instead she heard static. We understand the cost implications (which in most cases is very minimal or free) and know that E911 has been a requirement for a few years, but only a handful of states require it. Why? Money is collected from every citizen that uses a phone but it's the citizen that is NOT benefiting from the collection of these funds. We ask the United States Congress to make it a requirement for all hotel and motels operating the United States and offer conversion assistance where needed. We also ask that such law(s) prohibit excessive charges for doing this update, in most cases it is simply a series of buttons from a keyboard that will solve the problem. Please help make this "Kari's Law".  https://www.change.org/f/help-get-karis-law-through-the-senate?source_location=petition_show

My name is John Feal and I’ve been to 181 funerals since September 11, 2001, for first-responders who joined me at Ground Zero after the attacks on the World Trade Center. They are now dying from cancer due to exposure to asbestos, burning jet fuel, burning computer parts, pulverized concrete and other toxic substances. By 2021, it’s expected that more people will have died from toxic exposure than were killed in the attacks. And Congress could break their promise to provide them with compensation. I went to Ground Zero hoping that my experience as a US Army veteran and demolition supervisor could save lives. Seventeen years later, many of my fellow responders have died or are dying from cancer, respiratory illness, and other health problems caused by their exposure to debris and toxic chemicals. In 2015, we successfully fought to reauthorize the James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act, which ensures victims could receive health screenings and medical benefits for 70 years, and compensation through 2020. In less than two years, that Victim Compensation Fund will close — and it’s already running out of money. After 9/11, the EPA assured the responders and residents that "the air is safe," and hundreds of thousands of residents and workers returned. Today over 10,000 people have been diagnosed with WTC-linked cancers and more than 2,000 of those people have died, including 184 NYC firefighters. I live with the memory of the lives lost that day, but also the sadness of knowing survivors are still dying. It’s tragic that our elected officials won’t come together to guarantee support for these victims, who inhaled cancer causing chemicals as they searched for survivors and recovered bodies. Now, thousands of families face steep medical bills and struggle every day just to survive. This is no way to treat human beings who sacrificed so much that day. Please sign my petition to make sure 9/11 responders and victims are supported by the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund after they sacrificed everything.

President Trump calls reports of his alleged compromising ties to Russian businesses and government officials, “FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT.” He can prove it by releasing his tax returns. Who does our president owe money to? Can they use his debt to manipulate our Commander-in-Chief? Is he receiving income from foreign sources to his businesses from which he has yet to divest? The answers are easy to discover if he releases his tax returns. In a press conference, Trump told the assembled reporters, “The only people who seem to care about my tax returns are you people here.” Our country does care. In fact, according to an ABC/Washington Post poll, 74% of Americans (including 53% of Republicans) want him to RELEASE HIS TAX RETURNS. Every major presidential candidate for the past 40 years has voluntarily released their tax returns. President Nixon even released his tax returns while under audit. Why does President Trump refuse to release his taxes if he has nothing to hide? Please sign and SHARE this petition calling on President Trump to RELEASE HIS TAX RETURNS NOW.

My oldest daughter came to visit on Christmas day with the expectation that she would be receiving a furlough notice after the holidays. I am a retired transportation executive and a former Marine in my early 70's. Katie has worked for the federal government for almost 27 years. We disagree on most domestic political issues, and we vote for different parties. But we found common ground when we started talking about the current partial government shutdown. Our country is in a difficult place. We are divided on so many issues, even within our families. But we can all agree that when the government shuts down, the wrong people pay for it. It’s time for Members of Congress and their highest-paid staff members to be docked salary when they don’t decide on annual budgets before the start of a new fiscal year. Continuing resolutions and government shutdowns waste taxpayer dollars year after year. Congress should be making tough decisions about how much the government should spend and for what. When they refuse to make decisions about the annual budgets of federal agencies, they create waste and chaos - without facing any consequences. Members of Congress and their senior staff are receiving their salaries during the shutdown even though they created it. Federal workers did their jobs, but they are not. When we were together over the holidays, Katie shared some frustration about working under Continuing Resolutions year after year, regardless of which party has a majority in Congress. In the 26+ years that she has worked for the government, it has been shut down six times. Every time it looks like federal employees might be furloughed because of lapses in federal appropriations, agencies have to prepare furlough notices for thousands of employees and develop shutdown plans. This wastes millions of dollars and thousands of staff hours. While the things we want Congress to fund and tax are different, my daughter and I agree that Congress's failure to make decisions is seriously bad for the health of our democracy. This is not the first time Katie has been furloughed, but when it happened in 1995 she was single and had no children. Twenty-three years later, she and her husband have three kids, two of whom are still at home. He is also a federal employee. It's scary not knowing when the next paycheck is coming, even when you are pretty sure that the money will come eventually. Wherever you stand on the policies and funding that are being debated during this shutdown, please join us to make sure every Member of Congress, every Senator and every senior member of the Administration knows that We the People expect them to do their job. And if they're not going to do it, then they shouldn't be paid. The House of Representatives should introduce a bill to change Congressional pay regulations so future Members of Congress and their highest-paid staff members will face direct financial consequences when they cause a government shutdown.

The open internet is a revolutionary tool that offers countless benefits to everyone around the globe. Whether it be the freedom for anyone to speak one’s mind, start a business, collaborate with others or rally for a cause (like Ratify28), these things are only made possible by a free and open internet. Commonly known as Net Neutrality, all information on the internet must be treated equally. Internet service providers (ISPs) must allow any user to access any data on the internet that they wish. This protection ensures that everyone has a global voice and an equal opportunity. However, Net Neutrality is under attack… Again! Without it, the internet would be a much different place. ISPs would be permitted to control and regulate what their users see and do on the internet by either blocking or slowing websites that do not fit their business interests. Could you imagine if Netflix and Hulu were blocked by Comcast simply because Comcast wanted to force you to use their streaming internet services instead? How about no longer being able to read your favorite newspaper or blogger simply because your ISP didn’t agree with their political affiliation? ISPs have already begun planning for internet “fast lanes”, or toll booths, in order to extort additional fees from online companies. Creating a financial barrier would suppress startups all around the globe as they would not have the funds required to pay these fees. Net Neutrality resolves all of these issues and protects a free and open internet. Unfortunately, we are only days away from a vote that could drastically alter everyone’s online experiences. Therefore, we want to end this fight once and for all. By either directly petitioning Congress or by reaching out to state legislatures to call for a Convention of the States, we would like to propose the 28th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. We want to permanently protect the free and open internet for everyone by ensuring that all data on the internet be treated equally, regardless of its origin.“The right of the people to a fair, open and unbiased internet shall not be infringed.” Learn More:https://www.ratify28.org/

Despite the fact that it is a $10Billion/Year industry, the National Football League (NFL) continues to enjoy status as a non-profit organization -- meaning it doesn’t have to pay federal corporate taxes.  The Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, makes nearly $44 million a year -- earning more than the heads of companies like Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart. Through TV deals alone, the NFL has inked nearly $30 billion with various television networks. And so often, fans like you and me are asked to foot the bill for new stadiums through our own taxes. Yet despite being the most profitable sports league in the entire world, the NFL does not pay federal taxes.  The NFL should pay their fair share towards our economy! Just like Major League Baseball, which gave up its nonprofit status in recent years, as well as the National Basketball Association, the NFL should not be able to hide under a nonprofit status in order to avoid paying federal taxes.  The NFL has methodically worked to shift all the power to their side, leaving players, employees and PARTICULARLY THE FANS little say in what goes on with the league. We deserve a say, but do not wish to boycott our teams! Therefore, we are calling on our elected representatives to revoke the tax-exempt status we bestowed upon the league half a century ago. Please sign this petition, and let Congress know that you want them to reconsider the NFL’s tax exempt status.