Talk Talk Vote!

Rachel and Anne talk spending bill, SAVE Act, local involvement (mutual aid!), and how to make your voice heard when you're calling an elected official who isn't your own (hint: money). Call Congress (the switchboard number): 202-224-3121 Five for Democracy Call to express your disappointment about voting on the spending bill: Sen. Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sen. Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Fetterman (D...

Join Anne and Rachel for a reminder about what society's different sectors can actually do, an up date on cabinet nominations, and a couple of topics to keep an eye on. Five for Democracy Call on your Senators to vote NO on: UN Ambassador Nominee Elise Stefanik. Call Senators Hawley (R-MO) and Sanders (I-VT) to thank them for introducing the bipartisan bill to cap credit card interest rates at...

Know thine enemy's goals and you can mess with them. Keep thinking critically about the news you hear. Five for Democracy 1 – Give your senators a call to ask them to vote no on: Attorney General Nominee: Pam Bondi Secretary of Energy Nominee: Chris Wright Secretary of Health and Human Services Nominee: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. UN Ambassador Nominee: Elise Stefanik 2 – Also, give Costco a call to...

We're back, baby.

Hello! We're back for a short series in the lead up to the November 2024 election. Over the coming weeks we'll address some of the whys and hows of voting. This week: Election Integrity Tune in to hear more about the integrity and security of our elections. Brace yourselves for a throw back to the hanging chad era. Want to know what voting methods your jurisdiction uses? Check out https://...

Hello! We're back for a short series in the lead up to the November 2024 election. Over the coming weeks we'll address some of the whys and hows of voting. This week: Why Vote? Rachel has 10 really good reasons why you should vote in this (and every) election.

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: H.R. 354: LEOSA Reform Act – OPPOSE This bill broadens the authority for certain law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms across state lines. Specifically, the bill allows qualified active and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms and ammunition (including magazines) in school zones; in national parks; on state,...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: H.R. 7109: Equal Representation Act – OPPOSE To require a citizenship question on the decennial census, to require reporting on certain census statistics, and to modify apportionment of Representatives to be based on United States citizens instead of all persons. Call Your Representative: tell them to vote NO on HR 7109 Read more here H.R. 2925:...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: H.R. 4016: Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act – SUPPORT For those veterans who become unable to manage their VA benefits, the VA has a program in which another person can serve as a fiduciary to help the veteran. However, as with anything, there's the potential for fraud. This bill would provide for reimbursement to veterans defrauded by fiducia...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: H.R. 4016: Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act – SUPPORT For those veterans who become unable to manage their VA benefits, the VA has a program in which another person can serve as a fiduciary to help the veteran. However, as with anything, there's the potential for fraud. This bill would provide for reimbursement to veterans defrauded by fiducia...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: H.R. 4389: Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act of 2023 – SUPPORT This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 and revises the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, which provides financial assistance for projects to promote the conservation of neotropical migratory birds. Call Your Representative: tell them to vote YES o...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: H.R. 6610: Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act – SUPPORT This bill is intended to provide for the modernization of the passport issuance process, and for other purposes. Call Your Representative: tell them to vote YES on HR 6610 Bipartisan Support Read more here H.R. 7520: Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: H.R. 7521: Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act – BE INFORMED This bill is intended to protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications, such as TikTok and any successor application or service and any other application or service developed or p...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: HR 6585: Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act– SUPPORT This bill expands student eligibility for Pell Grants by establishing the Workforce Pell Grant Program. Call Your Representative: ask them to vote YES on HR 6585 Read more here (PASSED – HR 7102: Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act – we asked you to SUPPORT last week. Passed out of the H...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: HR 7102: Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act – SUPPORT This bill establishes an Office of Native American Affairs within the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes. Call Your Representative: ask them to vote YES on HR 7102 Bipartisan sponsors Read more here HR 6585: Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act– SUPPORT This bill expan...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: HR 6976: Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act – OPPOSE This bill makes driving while intoxicated or impaired a ground for (1) barring a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) from admission into the United States, or (2) deporting the individual. Call Your Representative: ask them to vote NO on HR 6976 Read more here HR 6678: Consequences f...

The House is not in session this week, so we're focusing on Senate hearings. Senate Hearings Scheduled: Rules and Administration Hearings to examine the use of Artificial Intelligence at the Library of Congress, Government Publishing Office, and Smithsonian Institution. Tune in at 2:15m ET, Wednesday, January 24, 2024 (or watch after! ) Judiciary - Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Countert...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: HR 4250: PRESS Act – SUPPORT Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act Under this law, federal entities would not be able to compel journalists to disclose protected information except in very limited circumstances. Call Your Representative: ask them to vote YES on HR 4250 Bipartisan sponsors Read more here HR 3058: Recruiting Families...

Bills expected on the Floor of the House this week: HR 788: Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2023 – OPPOSE This law would limit the government's ability to direct settlement payments by corporate wrongdoers to organizations that work to assist in relief efforts for broader groups of victims. In the past, this ability has been used to direct settlements from big banks who were held responsibl...

Rachel and Anne talk Congress (why are there two chambers? what do they do for us?), learn that Idaho was a successful trolling of Congress, and put their Senators' and Representative's numbers in their phones. Do you have another example of Congress getting trolled? Already have your Senators' and Representative's numbers in your phone? Give us a shout at talktalkvote@gmail.com

Anne and Rachel talk federalism (we cover all the hot topics here), geek out about congressional records, and explore the federal government's resource page: www.usa.gov . Do you also geek out about old records from 1874? Did you notice when Rachel said "supra-natural" instead of "supranational"? Let us know at talktalkvote@gmail.com

Rachel and Anne talk free speech (what exactly is it??), surprising protest songs, and how petitions can have a real impact. Do you have a protest song we didn't mention? Got a petition you want us to sign? Let us know at talktalkvote@gmail.com