Today's Yopp comes from a new website The 65 which evolved from a Google Doc that some of you might have seen called "We're His Problem Now." I suggest you check out that website and bookmark it so you have it on hand.
Continue to Protest Betsy DeVos's Confirmation as Michael Moore urged in his address at the Women's March
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Alexander (TN), Enzi (WY), Burr (NC), Isakson (GA), Paul (KY), Collins (ME), Cassidy (LA), Young (IN), Hatch (UT), Roberts (KS), Murkowski (AK), Scott (SC), Murray (WA), Sanders (VT), Casey, Jr (PA), Franken (MN), Bennet (CO), Whitehouse (RI), Baldwin (WI), Murphy (CT), Warren (MA), Kaine (VA) & Hassan (NH)
SCRIPT: I'm <______>, a constituent. I'm <an educator / a parent / an advocate for education> and I want <Senator ____ or the Commitee> to stop Betsy DeVos's confirmation. DeVos doesn't have an education degree or even teaching experience. Rather, she's a powerful donor who advocates for school choice, which is useless without regard for school quality. Instead of specializing in pedagogy or curriculum, DeVos's skillset is commandeering public funding for private education. She was a key player in shaping the Michigan charter school system, which is severely lacking in oversight, demanding little accountability for how tax dollars are spent or how well students are educated. I don't want to see the same thing happen nationally, and I expect <Senator ______ or the Committee> to take a stand for quality education. America's students and teachers deserve better than DeVos!
For maximum impact, please call your Representative in the House as well, and if you have time it can't hurt to contact your representatives in your state government to express your concerns since education is largely a state matter!
Note: If your senator sits on the Education Committee, refer to the committee when you call. If not, simply refer to the senator.
OTHER NEWS
Senate confirmations are marching on, and Mike Pompeo has been confirmed as CIA chief with a vote of 66-32. Stuff to consider. There was one Republican who voted No...Rand Paul from Kentucky. 14 Democrats voted to confirm him. They were:
- Joe Donnelly of Indiana
- Dianne Feinstein of California
- Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire
- Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota
- Tim Kaine of Virginia
- Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
- Joe Manchin of West Virginia
- Claire McCaskill of Missouri
- Jack Reed of Rhode Island
- Brian Schatz of Hawaii
- Chuck Schumer of New York
- Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire
- Mark Warner of Virginia
- Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island
I'm going to let each of us decide how to respond to the above vote. If your senator is up there, I suggest at the very least that you call and say you noticed the vote and that you will continue to pay attention.
Two particularly dangerous nominations are still up for vote - Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State and Jeff Sessions for Attorney General. If you haven't called about each of them, please do so. The 65 has scripts for them if you need them.
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