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For Immediate Release
September, 14 2021, 03:56pm EDT
Contact:
Ellen Sciales, press@sunrisemovement.org
Sunrise Movement Responds to Texas Storm: Biden Must Pass At Least a $3.5T Climate and Jobs Package
On Tuesday afternoon, after Tropical Storm Nicholas made landfall in Texas, Varshini Prakash, Executive Director of Sunrise Movement, released the following statement:
WASHINGTON
On Tuesday afternoon, after Tropical Storm Nicholas made landfall in Texas, Varshini Prakash, Executive Director of Sunrise Movement, released the following statement:
"Once again, the devastating impacts of the climate crisis are on full display, as hundreds of thousands of Texans lose power yet again in Tropical Storm Nicholas. It comes after heat waves so intense in the Pacific Northwest they melted power lines, and after Hurricane Ida washed away cars and killed dozens of New Yorkers. It doesn't go unnoticed that Joe Biden is making the climate crisis a priority by visiting climate disaster zones, and raising the stakes of the fight in Congress over real investments in clean energy. But words alone won't meet the moment. Right now as people across Texas are facing yet another horrific, but preventable storm, suffering and barely surviving, politicians like Joe Manchin are derailing our chance of passing a bold climate agenda.
"Let's be honest: whether or not this historic legislation passes is largely on President Biden, and it will define his legacy. Joe Biden can't be the climate President if he lets Joe Manchin and conservative Democrats get in his way of passing the boldest reconciliation package possible. It's time to start playing hardball, and doing what it takes to hold accountable the Senators who are blocking progress on the most important crises of our time. President Biden must do everything in his power to pass at least a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package so we can transform our country's infrastructure and combat the climate crisis. $3.5 trillion was already the compromise."
Sunrise Movement is a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.
LATEST NEWS
'People Are Being Robbed': Maine's Platner Credited for Showing Democrats How to Win Back Trump Voters
"Not a lot of Dems who can pull this move off," remarked one observer.
Oct 06, 2025
Democratic US Senate candidate Graham Platner over the weekend earned plaudits after he urged compassion to working-class Americans who have been taken in President Donald Trump's false promises.
During a town hall event at an American Legion post in Caribou, Maine over the weekend, Platner, who is running to unseat incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in 2026, was confronted by a woman who demanded to know what he planned to do about "the illegals" living in the state who were purportedly getting "free benefits."
While many in the audience reacted negatively to the woman's question, Platner urged them to have compassion for her.
"If you listen to what she was saying, at her core, she's angry about the exact same things you are," said Platner. "People are propagandized, people are misinformed, but people are not stupid, and we shouldn't treat them as such. People are angry because they know they're being screwed."
People are being robbed. The answer to that is not shame or anger.
The answer is empathy and compassion. pic.twitter.com/82JFvRyjtM
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) October 5, 2025
"If somebody robs your neighbor's house, you don't go over there and laugh at them afterward," he said. "They've been taken advantage of, and that's what this is. People are being robbed. They're being robbed of their critical thinking, they're being robbed of their empathy."
Platner concluded by saying that "the answer to that is not shame, the answer to that is not anger, the answer is empathy and compassion."Platner then likened people who get "taken in" by MAGA propaganda to neighbors who have been robbed.
Platner's answer earned praise from some observers who said it offered Democrats a way to win back blue-collar voters whom they have been losing in recent elections.
"Not a lot of Dems who can pull this move off," remarked Washington Post economics reporter Jeff Stein.
Democratic political consultant Rebecca Katz also had praise for Platner's message and said it made no sense for Democratic voters to line up behind an establishment candidate such as current Maine Gov. Janet Mills, whom party leaders including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are pushing to enter the race.
"Can you imagine seeing the incredible response this guy is getting all over the state, the lawn signs popping up for him, the volunteers signing up, the small donors engaged, the people genuinely EXCITED and then deciding, 'Nope, we need someone older and more establishment?'" she wondered.
Pro-Palestinian organizer Tariq Habash shared the video on his X account and said that it should basically end the Maine Democratic Senate primary right now.
"If Democrats actually try to run another candidate instead of Graham just shut down the whole party," he wrote.
Platner, an oyster farmer and political novice, has made fighting against oligarchy the centerpiece of his Senate campaign, and he has repeatedly called attention to the class divide as the biggest problem in the US.
On his campaign website, Platner says that he would “be a strong supporter of a Medicare for All system, moving away from the for-profit insurance system that has brought us nothing but grief." He has also vowed to protect Social Security, and to implement a “billionaire minimum tax" that would crack down on the loopholes used by the superrich to avoid making tax payments.
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Governors Warn of 'Martial Law' and Trump 'Invasion' as US Judge Halts Troop Order—for Now
"This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness," declared Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Oct 06, 2025
A federal judge in Oregon issued a new and broader order on Sunday night to halt President Donald Trump from deploying any National Guard troops—regardless of their state of origin—to Oregon, Illinois, or elsewhere, as Democratic governors resisting the president warned of a frightening escalation in his authoritarian tendencies.
U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, who on Saturday ruled that Trump could not lawfully federalize National Guard troops from California for deployment to Portland, Oregon, issued a second order after the president mobilized 400 National Guard troops out of Texas, with the blessing of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, to deploy instead.
"It seems to me that based on the conduct of the defendants and the now seeking National Guard from Texas to go to Oregon again, I see those as direct contravention of the order [...] issued yesterday," said Immergut, nominated to the federal bench by Trump during his first term.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who brought the challenge with the request for a temporary restraining order (TRO), explained the ruling and the events leading up to it in a Sunday night video statement:
Late tonight, a federal judge issued a sweeping new order prohibiting the president from deploying National Guard forces—from any state or DC—to Oregon.
The president can’t keep playing whack-a-mole w/ different states’ Guard units to get around court orders & the rule of law. pic.twitter.com/X8hhZBSFhx
— Attorney General Dan Rayfield (@AGDanRayfield) October 6, 2025
California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration had challenged the order to send the California soldiers, applauded the ruling after calling Trump's effort to send the Texas troops "a breathtaking abuse of the law and power by the President of the United States."
"America is on the brink of martial law," said Newsom. "Do not be silent."
According to the Associated Press:
Approximately 100 California National Guard troops landed in Portland after midnight Sunday and around 100 more arrived by early evening, Alan Gronewold, commander of Oregon’s National Guard, said in a court filing before the emergency hearing late Sunday.
The state of Oregon also included in its filing a memo written by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that ordered up to 400 Texas National Guard personnel activated for deployment to Oregon, Illinois and possibly elsewhere.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, also a Democrat, issued a stark warning about the president's effort to send soldiers to Chicago, where ramped-up immigration enforcement raids have roiled the city and terrorized community members.
"We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion," said Pritzer. "It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops."
"The president is abusing his power, attempting to militarize our cities. The power of the people must remain greater than the people in power. We need to show up in peaceful protest across this nation. Stay Loud!"
—Rep. Maxine Dexter
Pritzker called on Abbott to withdraw his support for Trump's deployment, saying, "There is no reason a President should send military troops into a sovereign state without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation."
As of this writing, the Trump administration had not responded to Immergut's latest ruling, but an appeal to a higher court is nearly certain.
Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.) said while the latest TRO was a vital development, sustained and peaceful protest against Trump's march toward a militarized dictatorship remains essential.
"We cannot rest," said Dexter. "The president is abusing his power, attempting to militarize our cities. The power of the people must remain greater than the people in power. We need to show up in peaceful protest across this nation. Stay Loud!"
Important update! Judge Karin Immergut just issued a broader temporary restraining order that precludes any National Guard troops from being in Oregon for 14 days.
We cannot rest. The President is abusing his power, attempting to militarize our cities. The power of the people… pic.twitter.com/Ii4J1JRpBS
— Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (@RepDexterOR) October 6, 2025
In a Saturday statement, in response to Immergut's initial TRO blocking the deployment of the troops from California, Hina Shamsi of the ACLU said it was vital for the court to block Trump's dangerous move.
"As the founders of this country made abundantly clear, turning troops on civilians is an intolerable threat to our liberties,” said Shamsi.
"When President Trump is trying his best to imperil our First Amendment rights and scare those protesting his cruel policies into silence," she said, "it’s encouraging to see this court ruling based on adherence to law and facts, not the President’s fantasies of beautiful, vibrant American cities as hellscapes.”
In a similar joint statement, the Not Above the Law coalition warned that Trump's effort to deploy Illinois National Guard troops despite Prizker's objection "isn't about public safety, it's about testing how far a president can override elected state leaders and deploy forces against American communities."
"Turning troops on civilians is an intolerable threat to our liberties."
—Hina Shamsi, ACLU
“The pattern is clear and dangerous. Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Portland, and now Illinois – each time against the will of local officials," said the coalition's co-chairs in their statement. "Our armed forces exist to defend the nation and protect our freedoms – not to patrol our own streets. And our nation’s brave servicemembers should not be used as the political pawns of a would-be authoritarian."
The coalition leaders said that lawmakers in Congress, who are nowhere to be seen this weekend due to Republicans in the House holding the chamber in recess, "must act now to prevent any president from weaponizing our National Guard this way. Whether you're a red or a blue state, every American should be alarmed when federal troops are deployed over the objections of local authorities. Americans in every community must speak out now. Stopping this abuse of power is essential to protecting our freedoms and our democracy.”
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Mass Firing Threat Proves Shutdown Is 'Project 2025 in Action,' Says Jayapal
The White House "does want to use the shutdown to inflict more pain on the American people, instead of addressing the healthcare crisis that we have."
Oct 05, 2025
US Rep. Pramila Jayapal said Sunday that the government shutdown that began last week and could be used as President Donald Trump's latest reason for mass firings of federal workers is "Project 2025 in action" and condemned the Republican Party's push to "inflict the most pain on Americans" that they can.
Jayapal (D-Wash.) spoke to MSNBC as the shutdown entered its fifth day, emphasizing that while the White House is threatening to fire federal workers en masse due to legislators' failure to reach a deal on a spending package to keep the government open, the Trump administration has already overseen the dismissal of more than 100,000 public servants.
"They have actually already fired at least 150,000 federal workers," said Jayapal. "They've already slashed agencies across the board and [Office of Management and Budget director] Russ Vought does want to use the shutdown to inflict more pain on the American people, instead of addressing the healthcare crisis that we have—both from the Big Bad Betrayal Bill and from the upcoming crisis we have around the Affordable Care Act subsidies."
Jayapal's comments came as Kevin Hassett, the National Economic Council director, told CNN that whether or not Trump takes advantage of what he has called an "unprecedented opportunity" to make more cuts to agencies is contingent on whether Democrats agree to the GOP spending proposal—which would keep the government funded for the time being but would allow for the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies and the Medicaid cuts that were part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The expiration of the subsidies could raise health insurance premiums by an average of 75% for millions of Americans, according to a KFF analysis.
Hassett expressed hope that the Democrats will be "reasonable once they get back into town on Monday."
"And if they are, then I think there’s no reason for those layoffs," he said.
On Saturday, unions representing public employees filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to block the administration from moving forward with the mass firings—with Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), placing the blame for the shutdown squarely with the GOP.
“These threatened mass firings are the latest attack on working people by an administration abusing its power to push through its extreme Project 2025 agenda,” said Saunders. “We’re facing a healthcare crisis with millions of Americans about to see their health insurance payments skyrocket, and instead of working across the aisle to solve it, the administration is threatening to use its orchestrated shutdown as an excuse to fire federal workers who perform critical services that Americans rely on. The threatened mass firings are unlawful. Public service work is vital to our communities, and we will do everything in our power to defend it.”
AFSCME and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) requested the temporary restraining order days after filing a lawsuit against Vought and other administration officials over the mass firing threat.
Norm Eisen, executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, which is helping to represent the unions, noted that Congress mandates "strict limits for personnel matters during a shutdown."
“Donald Trump's and his administration's rampant lawlessness continues, and so must the effort to hold him accountable,” said Eisen. “The administration's latest outrage against the Constitution and human decency is abusing the government shutdown to put in motion the firing of government workers. But Trump and his team have no such legal authority."
"The federal courts have served as a bulwark against prior illegalities and we look forward to a hearing here," he added.
Democrats in Illinois last week accused the president of also using the shutdown to threaten congressionally-approved funding for infrastructure projects in Chicago.
" Donald Trump and Russ Vought of Project 2025 are using this shutdown to inflict as much pain as they can," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) Saturday. "They're withholding federal money that has already been approved by Congress to target and punish American communities. This is illegal."
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