SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Rep. Nadler Delivers 850,000 Petition Signatures Supporting Congressional Investigation into Trump
Rep. Nadler will deliver the signatures to the House Judiciary Committee today before the committee votes on his "Resolution of Inquiry" that would begin a Congressional investigation into Trump’s financial conflicts and ties to Russia. Hundreds pack the hearing. Line to get in has extended outside and down the block: https://twitter.com/MoodyRev/status/836591312367386625. MoveOn sending in donuts and coffee for those in the hearing and standing in the hall who are waiting for the House Judiciary Committee to take up H.Res. 111.
WASHINGTON
Progressive organizations have generated nearly 850,000 petition signatures from Americans petitions backing Rep. Jerry Nadler's call for an investigation of Donald Trump.
Petition signatures were collected by MoveOn.org Civic Action, Daily Kos, Friends of the Earth, Working Families Party, Together We Will, Public Citizen, Free Press, SEIU, and Demand Progress. Nadler will deliver the petitions to the House Judiciary Committee today before the committee votes on his "Resolution of Inquiry" that would begin a Congressional investigation into Trump's financial conflicts and ties to Russia.
** View sample petitions here: **
MoveOn.org: www.moveon.org/investigate
Daily Kos: https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/petitions/sign-the-petition-investigate-donald-trump
Friends of the Earth: https://action.foe.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=21194
Working Families Party: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/tell-congress-demand-answers-on-trumps-corruption-and-ties-to-russian-government-2
Public Citizen: https://action.citizen.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=13433
SEIU: https://action.seiu.org/page/s/investigate-trump
"We're far from finished in our pursuit of truth, and this resolution is one step in making sure every member of Congress takes a public stance on calling for an independent investigation," said Rep. Jerry Nadler. "When it comes to Russia, to foreign entanglements, to financial dealings, we deserve to know what Trump knew, when he knew it, and what he might be hiding. There is an avenue to investigate -- and the American people want to know the truth and it's the Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee who are standing in the way."
A new video from MoveOn.org features Nadler laying out his plan to "force the Republicans to vote whether they want to participate in the cover up of what went on or do their job of proper oversight" by investigating the Trump campaign's ties to Russia and his business dealings. Nadler also notes that Attorney General Jeff Sessions could "squelch any investigation and destroy evidence," underscoring why it's so important that all evidence is in the hands of Congress.
"The public is demanding to learn the truth about Russia's interference in our election, Trump's financial entanglements, and his seemingly endless conflicts of interests," said Anna Galland, Executive Director MoveOn.org Civic Action. "If Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee kill Rep. Nadler's resolution in committee, Republicans will be on record against finding out the truth."
"Americans just turned out in droves at town halls to demand that their members of Congress resist Trump's attacks on working families and investigate his corruption and ethical violations. The only proper response from Congress is to demand a full and independent investigation. Rep. Nadler's Resolution of Inquiry puts House Republicans on the spot: will they go along with Trump's cover-up, or will they actually start to do their jobs?" said Joe Dinkin, National Communications Director for the Working Families Party.
"Popular vote loser Donald Trump reeks of conflicts of interest and ties to Vladimir Putin's government," said Chris Bowers, Executive Campaign Director of Daily Kos. "If the Republican Congress will not investigate, none of their investigations should ever be taken seriously again."
"All we are asking for is transparency. It is the duty of Congress to oversee and ensure that Trump's conflicts of interest pose no meaningful threat to the integrity of our government, and we expect them to live up to that responsibility," said Lisa Gilbert, director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch division.
"Donald Trump's global business empire poses unprecedented conflicts of interest between his business interests and the public interest of our country. These conflicts tread into counter-intelligence concerns, and so both Congress and the public need to know the potential dangers," said Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen's Congress Watch division.
"It is likely that Trump is working with Russia to try to help Exxon drill in the Arctic. The American public deserves to know how Trump will cash in on this deal." said Ben Schreiber, Senior Political Strategist at Friends of the Earth.
For more information or interviews, please contact press@moveon.org.
MoveOn is where millions mobilize for a better society--one where everyone can thrive. Whether it's supporting a candidate, passing legislation, or changing our culture, MoveOn members are committed to an inclusive and progressive future. We envision a world marked by equality, sustainability, justice, and love. And we mobilize together to achieve it.
LATEST NEWS
'We Need a Cease-Fire Now': Israeli Bombings Kill Dozens During Polio Vaccination Drive
"Israel kills 33 Palestinians in 24 hours but wants Palestinian families to think it's safe to travel to vaccinate their kids against polio," said one clinician.
Sep 04, 2024
United Nations agencies reiterated their calls for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after healthcare workers completed the first phase of a polio vaccination push in the face of relentless, deadly Israeli airstrikes.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, announced early Wednesday that more than 187,000 children under the age of 10 were vaccinated during the first three days of the vaccination drive, an effort launched shortly after health officials detected the first polio case in the enclave in over two decades.
"Four fixed sites will continue to offer polio vaccination for the next three days in central Gaza to ensure no child is missed," said Tedros. "Preparations are underway today to roll out the vaccine campaign in south Gaza, which will start tomorrow. We are grateful for the dedication of all the families, health workers, and vaccinators who made this part of the campaign a success despite the dire conditions in the Gaza Strip."
"We ask for the humanitarian pauses to continue to be respected," he added. "We continue to call for a cease-fire."
The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) echoed that message, writing on social media that "above all, we need a cease-fire now."
U.S.-armed Israeli forces have bombed the Gaza Strip throughout the dayslong vaccination drive, with one human rights monitor noting that some of the attacks "targeted locations near the vaccination centers."
Al Jazeerareported Wednesday that the Israeli military "targeted a home" in Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least one person. In Khan Younis, an Israeli airstrike "killed two more people, including a child," the outlet reported.
Gaza health officials said Tuesday that more than 30 people had been killed over the preceding 24-hour period.
" Israel kills 33 Palestinians in 24 hours but wants Palestinian families to think it's safe to travel to vaccinate their kids against polio," clinician and activist Annie Sparrow wrote on social media.
Health officials and aid workers risking their lives to vaccinate Gaza children against polio have said an enclave-wide inoculation campaign could only be successful with a sustained cease-fire deal, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is obstructing an agreement with hardline demands, including a continued Israeli military presence in the Palestinian territory.
The Washington Postnoted Tuesday that Netanyahu's insistence on Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor—a strip of land along Gaza's border with Egypt—"has also raised tensions with Egypt, which objects to any Israeli presence there and has warned that it violates the 1979 Israeli-Egypt peace treaty, a landmark agreement that has preserved peace between the two countries for more than four decades."
In the absence of a deal to end Israel's assault, humanitarian conditions on the ground in Gaza continue to deteriorate.
Tor Wennesland, the U.N.'s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said after returning from Gaza earlier this week that he "witnessed firsthand the catastrophic impact of the hostilities."
"The scale of destruction is immense, the humanitarian needs are colossal and soaring, and civilians continue to bear the brunt of this conflict. I unequivocally condemn the horrifying civilian death toll in Gaza," said Wennesland. "A deal is crucial to saving lives, reducing regional tensions, and enabling the U.N., in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, to accelerate efforts to address the pressing needs of Gaza's population."
"The ongoing conflict has destroyed the lives of countless families," he added. "It must stop."
Keep ReadingShow Less
While US Arms Israel, DOJ Hits Hamas Leaders With Terrorism Charges
"We could, at any time, simply stop providing weapons to a far-right nationalist state intent on genocide. Instead, we just filed criminal charges against Palestinian militants who fought back," one professor lamented.
Sep 03, 2024
The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday unsealed terrorism and other criminal charges have been filed against half a dozen senior members of Hamas, the Palestinian resistance group that governs the Gaza Strip, and whose militant arm led the October 7 attacks on Israel.
The DOJ said in a
statement that the six individuals "are senior leaders of Hamas responsible for planning, supporting, and perpetrating Hamas' October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel resulting in the brutal murders of more than a thousand innocent civilians, including over 40 American citizens."
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said that "the Justice Department has charged Yahya Sinwar and other senior leaders of Hamas for financing, directing, and overseeing a decadeslong campaign to murder American citizens and endanger the national security of the United States."
"On October 7, Hamas terrorists, led by these defendants, murdered nearly 1,200 people, including over 40 Americans, and kidnapped hundreds of civilians," he continued. An unknown number of Israelis were killed by so-called "friendly fire" and under the Hannibal Directive, which allows Israeli forces to kill Israelis rather than let them fall into enemy hands.
"This weekend, we learned that Hamas murdered an additional six people they had kidnapped and held captive for nearly a year, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli American," Garland said. "We are investigating Hersh's murder, and each and every one of Hamas' brutal murders of Americans, as an act of terrorism."
"The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas' operations," he added. "These actions will not be our last."
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has applied for warrants to arrest Sinwar plus two other men charged on Tuesday: Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader assassinated in Tehran in July, and Mohammed Deif, who led the group's militant arm. Israel also claims to have killed Deif.
The men are wanted for alleged crimes including extermination and rape. Khan also wants to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, his defense minister, for alleged crimes including extermination and forced starvation.
Israel is already on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice. Israel’s obliteration of Gaza has left more than 145,000 Palestinians dead, wounded, or missing and millions more displaced, sick, and starving.
Despite this, the Biden administration continues to provide Israel with billions of dollars in weapons, diplomatic cover in the form of United Nations Security Council cease-fire resolution vetoes, and repeated genocide denials.
Responding to the new DOJ charges, Liam O'Mara, a history professor at Chapman University in California, said: "Our government doesn't want peace in Palestine. It never has. We could, at any time, simply stop providing weapons to a far-right nationalist state intent on genocide. Instead, we just filed criminal charges against Palestinian militants who fought back."
Keep ReadingShow Less
As Supreme Court Case Looms, 164 US Lawmakers Defend Trans Youth
"Decisions about healthcare belong to patients, their doctors, and their families—not politicians," said Rep. Mark Pocan.
Sep 03, 2024
As LGBTQ+ rights advocates prepare for oral arguments in a U.S. Supreme Court case about bans on gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth, 164 members of Congress on Tuesday urged the justices to strike down Tennessee's 2023 law.
Tennessee is one of over two dozen states that has recently banned some or all of such care for trans minors, according to the Movement Advancement Project. In response to challenges from advocacy groups and the Biden administration, the right-wing high court agreed to take the case in June.
Arguments in United States v. Skrmetti are expected in the fall. The justices will decide whether Tennessee Senate Bill 1—which bans surgery, puberty blockers, and hormone treatment for trans youth—violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Congressional Democrats' new "friend of the court" brief argues that the court "should be highly skeptical of legislation banning safe and effective therapies that comport with the standard of care," and "should carefully examine the deeply troubling role that animosity towards transgender people has played in state legislation."
"The law at issue in this case is motivated by an animus towards the trans community and is part of a cruel, coordinated attack on trans rights by anti-equality extremists."
The amicus brief is led by House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Chair Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
"For years, far-right Republicans have been leading constant, relentless, and escalating attacks on transgender Americans," Markey said in a statement. "Their age-old, discriminatory playbook now threatens access to lifesaving, gender-affirming care for more than 100,000 transgender and nonbinary children living in states with these bans if the Supreme Court upholds laws like Tennessee's at the heart of Skrmetti that are fueled by ignorance and hate."
"It takes a special type of cruelty to target children for who they are," he continued. "I am proud to stand with my colleagues against dangerous, transphobic attacks and to reaffirm that our nation's commitment should be to equality and justice for all."
Pocan emphasized that "decisions about healthcare belong to patients, their doctors, and their families—not politicians."
"The law at issue in this case is motivated by an animus towards the trans community and is part of a cruel, coordinated attack on trans rights by anti-equality extremists," he added. "We strongly urge the Supreme Court to uphold the Constitution's promise of equal protection under the law and strike down Tennessee's harmful ban."
The brief is co-signed by another 150 Democrats in the House of Representatives, eight other Democratic senators, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who caucuses with the party. It is also supported by the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
"Thank you to the many members of Congress for standing with transgender and nonbinary youth across our country in asking the Supreme Court to find bans on lifesaving gender-affirming care to be unconstitutional," said HRC vice president of government affairs David Stacy.
"The government should not be able to interfere in decisions that are best made between families and doctors, particularly when that care is necessary and best practice," Stacy stressed. "These bans are dangerous, animated purely by anti-transgender bias, and have forced families to make heartbreaking decisions to support their children."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular