Fighting Trump’s power grab

Update 2/25/19: On Tuesday Feb. 26 the House is scheduled to vote on H.J. Res 46, Representative Joaquin Castro’s resolution to terminate Trump’s national emergency declaration. All of the East Bay representatives have cosponsored the Joint Resolution.

 

Thousands of people nationwide took to the streets on He’s Not Our President Day, February 18, to protest the fake president’s fake national emergency. Indivisible East Bay members joined local protests, and IEB’s CA-11 team organized the El Cerrito action, where nearly 200 people showed up to chant and flash their great signs.

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See more wonderful photos taken by Mary DeShaw, a volunteer photographer with Pro Bono Photography.

Hitting the streets was our first step – now we fight Trump’s unconstitutional power grab in Congress and with lawsuits brought by states and other groups.

What you can do NOW: 

1. Tell your Members of Congress to:

• Support a joint resolution of termination to end the emergency status in the House and Senate, under the National Emergencies Act. Rep Joaquin Castro has asked all members of Congress to support his joint resolution. If a resolution passes in one chamber, the other must bring a vote within 18 days. If the resolution passes both chambers and Trump vetoes it, a two-thirds majority in Congress could override the veto.
• Sponsor and support the Protecting Disaster Relief Funds Act, companion bills in the Senate and House that would prohibit Trump from taking funds granted to the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or the Army Corps of Engineers in recent appropriations, and using those funds to build a physical barrier on the border. Senator Harris is an original cosponsor of S 534; please thank her, and ask Senator Feinstein to sign on. As of February 19 none of our East Bay representatives has cosponsored the House bill, HR 1214; ask your Rep to sign on.

What to say:

For Senator Harris:

My name is ____, my zip code is ____, and I’m a member of Indivisible East Bay. Trump abused his power to declare a fake emergency and Congress must do everything in its authority to stop this antidemocratic move. Thank you for cosponsoring Senate bill 534, the Protecting Disaster Relief Funds Act. Please also support a joint resolution of termination to end the emergency status under the National Emergencies Act.

For Senator Feinstein:

My name is ____, my zip code is ____, and I’m a member of Indivisible East Bay. Trump abused his power to declare a fake emergency and Congress must do everything in its authority to stop this antidemocratic move. I want Senator Feinstein to cosponsor Senate bill 534, the Protecting Disaster Relief Funds Act, and to support a joint resolution of termination to end the emergency status under the National Emergencies Act.

For Representatives DeSaulnier, Lee and Swalwell:

My name is ____, my zip code is ____, and I’m a member of Indivisible East Bay. Trump abused his power to declare a fake emergency and Congress must do everything in its authority to stop this antidemocratic move. I want Representative ______ to cosponsor House bill 1214, the Protecting Disaster Relief Funds Act, and to support a joint resolution of termination to end the emergency status under the National Emergencies Act.

• Sen. Dianne Feinstein: (email); (415) 393-0707 • DC: (202) 224-3841
• Sen. Kamala Harris: (email); (415) 981-9369 • DC: (202) 224-3553
• Rep. Mark DeSaulnier: (email); (510) 620-1000 • DC: (202) 225-2095
• Rep. Barbara Lee: (email); (510) 763-0370 • DC: (202) 225-2661
• Rep. Eric Swalwell: (email); (510) 370-3322 • DC: (202) 225-5065

2. Thank California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for leading a coalition of 16 states in filing a federal lawsuit on February 18 to block Trump from diverting money that Congress designated for other purposes, in violation of constitutional separation of powers. Call AG Becerra at (800) 952-5225, or send an email.

See our prior article for more info and background. We’ll update this article or post a new one as this fast-moving situation develops, so check back!

Featured photograph by George McRae; slideshow photos by Heidi Rand