FEDERAL ACTION ALERT – Oct 2, 2021
Produced by Democrats of the Red Rocks and Coconino
County Democratic Party
THIS WEEK’S ALERTS: Aggressive Message for Sen Sinema objecting to her working
against President Biden’s agenda; Pull out the stops on the social and climate provisions in
the Reconciliation Bill; Push the compromise Freedom to Vote Act finally supported by Sen.
Manchin, and the Native American Voting Rights Act; use the Equality Act as another reason
to pressure Senator Sinema to support elimination of the filibuster
AGGRESSIVE MESSAGE FOR SENATOR SINEMA. STOP WORKING AGAINST PRESIDENT
BIDEN AND THE BUILD BACK BETTER AGENDA!
Has money bought Senator Sinema? Sen. Sinema has threatened to vote against any reconciliation
social infrastructure bill if it 1) is paid for rescinding the Trump tax cuts and by making the obscenely
wealthy and major corporations pay their fair share in taxes AND 2) if it allows for Medicare to
negotiate lower drug prices (supported by 80% of Americans and even Donald Trump!) With the
other hand, Sinema is taking money, lots of it, from lobbyists seeking to destroy Biden’s agenda. Last
Tuesday Sinema scheduled a fund raiser with five business lobbying groups, many of which fiercely
oppose raising taxes to pay for Biden’s agenda. 1 Now it’s come out that she has accepted tons of
money from big pharma and other corporate lobbies. 2 Last week she was warned by the Arizona
Democratic Party she will face censure if she continues to work against President Biden’s Build Back
Better agenda. What is going on with Sinema?
Here’s a sample aggressive message for Sinema – the one following is less aggressive and could be
used for both Senators and Rep. O’Halleran to pass social infrastructure:
Aggressive sample text or message for Senator Sinema: “My name is XXXX, and I’m a
Democrat living and voting in XXXXX. I was stunned to hear that you are actively working against
President Biden and his Build Back Better agenda. You’ve threatened to tank the social
infrastructure plan if it was paid for by rescinding the obscene Trump tax cuts that benefited super
rich tax cheats. You also threatened to tank the plan if it allows Medicare the power to negotiate
lower drug prices with big pharma. At the same time you are accepting major contributions from big
pharma and corporate lobbyists. Do you realize how much this stinks of hypocrisy? This harms (us)
elderly Arizonans struggling to pay for things like insulin. Is that what you want? Even Donald Trump
supported giving Medicare the authority to negotiate on drug prices. If you continue down this path,
I’ll have to support another candidate against you in the next primary.”
Sen. Sinema: Call (202) 224-4521 (DC) or (602) 598-7327. Email via her website at
“http://www.sinema.senate.gov” Tag the Senator at @senatorsinema . Senator Sinema sits on the
Commerce Science and Transportation Committee (drug prices, Medicare), and on Banking Housing
and Urban Affairs (housing proposals).
1 See NYT, September 27, 2021 “As Sinema Resists the Budget Bill, She is Set to Raise Money from
Business Groups that Oppose It.”
2 See The New Republic, Sept. 22, 2021, “Kyrsten Sinema is Corporate Lobbies’ Million-Dollar
Woman” https://newrepublic.com/article/163745/kyrsten-sinema-corporate-donations-chamber-
commerce?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tnr_daily
Less Aggressive text or message for Sinema, Kelly and O’Halleran on Reconciliation Bill: As
a Democrat I’m imploring you to support and fully fund ambitious social/climate programs in the social
infrastructure proposal at the same time the bipartisan infrastructure bill is passed. 7 of 10 Americans
support the social infrastructure plan and you should too. I am especially urging you to support the
most expansive proposals on [see below – choose one of these: climate, care economy, housing,
Medicare and drug prices]. The bipartisan infrastructure bill, focused on physical infrastructure
investments, is fine as a start but by itself will not build the recovery we need! We can pay for a true
and fair recovery for all Americans entirely paid for with a repeal of the Trump tax cuts that unfairly
enriched the super-rich and corporations.”
Climate: creation of clean energy jobs and employment, including a Civilian Climate Corps; an
ambitious Clean Energy Standard and use of both incentives and penalties to speed up the move
away from fossil fuels to true renewables; and ensuring that 40 % of these climate investments go to
historically disadvantaged communities.
Care economy: affordable childcare benefits for all, paid family and medical leave, improved quality of
and access to home and community-based care for seniors and those with disabilities.
Housing: expanded housing choice vouchers, expanded investment in construction and upgrades of
public housing facilities.
Healthcare: a lowered age for eligibility for Medicare, expansion of Medicare to cover vision, dental,
and hearing, ability for Medicare to negotiate prices for prescription drugs [this provision would go far
in saving the federal government dollars to be used in paying for the expansion of coverage]
Sen. Sinema: Call (202) 224-4521 (DC) or (602) 598-7327. Email via her website at
“http://www.sinema.senate.gov” Tag the Senator at @senatorsinema . Senator Sinema sits on the
Commerce Science and Transportation Committee (drug prices, Medicare), and on Banking Housing
and Urban Affairs (housing proposals).
Sen. Mark Kelly: Call (202) 224-2235 (DC), Email via his website at http://www.kelly.senate.gov Tag
the Senator at @senmarkkelly . Senator Kelly sits on the Environment and Public Works Committee
and the Committee on Aging.
Rep. O’Halleran: Call (202) 225-3361 or send an email via his website at
http://www.ohalleran.house.gov
SUPPORT THE COMPROMISE “FREEDOM TO VOTE ACT” & AND THE NATIVE AMERICAN
VOTING RIGHTS ACT, AND MODIFY FILIBUSTER TO ENSURE PASSAGE
After months of negotiations Senate Democrats have come up with a scaled back “For the People
Act” to protect voting rights bringing along Senator Manchin. It is sponsored by Senators Klobuchar,
Manchin, Kaine, Warnock and others. The bill contains a raft of measures designed to support
access to the ballot, including automatic voter registration and online registration; designating
Election Day as a federal holiday; same-day registration; at least 15 days of early voting; uniform
standards for voting by mail and for drop boxes; rules for voter-roll purges; requirements for counting
provisional ballots in whatever precinct they are cast; voter-ID standards; the enfranchisement of
former nonviolent felons after they have served their time; and new rules to ensure access for voters
with disabilities. While it doesn’t require independent commissions on redistricting, it attempts to set
up criteria that are enforceable in court.
After a meeting with Sen. Manchin, Senate Minority Leader McConnell stated the scaled back bill
will not have a single Republican supporter. This is a must pass for Democrats and has the potential
to change Senators Manchin and Sinema’s reluctance to modify the filibuster – at least as to voting
protections.
This week also saw the introduction of the Native American Voting Rights Act, aimed specifically
at ensuring fair access to the ballot for citizens of tribal nations (you can read more about this bill at
Native American Voting Rights Act (NAVRA) - Native American Voting Rights (narf.org) ). S 2702 in the
Senate, HR 5008 in the House call for provisions that would address key challenges for Native
American voters (e.g., allowing tribes to designate buildings to serve as physical addresses for those
reservation residents lacking a home address, requiring acceptance of tribal ID if voter identification is
required, mandating access to registration and voting locations in reasonable distance of tribal
residents). Many civil rights and justice organizations have endorsed this bill as a complement to
other voting rights legislation.
SAMPLE VOICE MAIL FOR SENATORS:
“I’m a lifelong Democrat living and voting in XXXXX, Arizona. I’m am very happy that Senators
Manchin and Klobuchar have co-sponsored voter protection legislation in the “Freedom to Vote Act.”
Now that we finally have 50 senators on board it MUST be passed to help preserve American
democracy. With Minority Leader McConnell promising not a single Republican senator’s vote it will
be time to look at modifying the filibuster in terms of voter protection legislation. While I appreciate
the bi-partisan spirit, if you can’t find 10 Republicans to come along, its time to consider other options.
This bill is just too important to our democracy to let slip away under archaic procedural rules. I also
believe our Native American neighbors in Arizona deserve improved access to the ballot! The
provisions of the recently proposed Native American Voting Rights Act make a lot of sense to me.
Please do all you can to make sure the Freedom to Vote Act includes these provisions, or that the
Native American Voting Rights Act passes separately.”
SENATE NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD PROTECTION FOR LGBT AMERICANS, AND SINEMA
NEEDS TO ASSIST BY ABANDONING HER SUPPORT FOR THE FILIBUSTER
Early in 2021 the Equality Act was introduced in both House and Senate; Senators Mark Kelly and
Kyrsten Sinema both signed on as co-sponsors. The bill (S 393) has been sitting in the Senate
Judiciary Committee without a hearing, in large part because of Republican threats to filibuster. The
Equality Act would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity
in the provision of public accommodations and services. Senator Sinema’s refusal to consider
elimination or modification of the filibuster is (again!) a key obstacle in moving this important civil
rights bill forward.
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR SENATOR SINEMA:
“My name is XXXX and I’m a voter and constituent in YYY, Arizona. I have been disgusted and
frightened by the many state laws passed in the last couple of years targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and trans people for discrimination – from bathroom bills to health care. [Add anything personal here
– family? Neighbors? Community safety?] Federal protection for LGBTQ people is desperately
needed! I know this issue matters to you, and I know you are a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, S 393.
I appreciate that support, but your support is meaningless if Senate Leader McConnell uses the threat
of filibuster to prevent a Senate vote on this bill. This is yet another reason I am urging you to help
eliminate or modify the filibuster, so that the Senate can actually function. Your leadership would be
so influential – please help restore the Senate’s functionality by eliminating the filibuster and then
helping to move forward the Equality Act.”
Sen. Sinema: Call (202) 224-4521 (DC) or (602) 598-7327. Email via her website at
“http://www.sinema.senate.gov” Tag the Senator at @senatorsinema .