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Kathy's avatar

Another nasty tidbit in the House budget bill that needs 📣.

Repubs are pushing to repeal $200 tax on gun silencers.One House Republican has commented this is about “making sure people don’t lose their hearing.”

Included in MAGA 📲 today and wrote Letter To Ed/Orlando and Tallahassee where most recent Fl tragic shooting occurred.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-republican-budget-proposal-has-removal-gun-silencer-tax-its-sights-2025-05-14/

Safe travels,Jess !✈️

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Jess Craven's avatar

Omg. It literally never ends. And the crazy thing is is that a reconciliation bill is supposed to only be budget related. And so many of these things have nothing to do with the budget.

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Jane's avatar

OMG so they can kill silently

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Trina's avatar

Cruelty without limits. Utterly disgusting.

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Bob Morgan's avatar

Hi Jess, good luck at EWR!

I just sent you an email with some ideas for protest signs, in case you want to share any. Here's the message on one:

According to trump, the Qatari plane is a GIFT. He really means, "Grift," but to him, the "R," as in "Republican," is silent.

Bob

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Jess Craven's avatar

Love that!

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Margaret Bell's avatar

The Reconciliation Bill has also resurrected the Nonprofit Killer bill (formerly HR 9495) that would allow trump's treasury department to pull the tax exempt status of any nonprofit that goes against the MAGA agenda by designating it a terrorist organization and shutting it down. This violation of freedom of speech and our civil liberties is now a provision in the budget package.

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Jess Craven's avatar

Oh right I forgot that today! I had it in yesterday’s script.

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Angie's avatar

Thank you for sharing this here!

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Deborah K Davis's avatar

Thank you Carol M. and Susan G. for the great handouts! I will use them. My husband is handing out an invitation tomorrow to those in our weekly visibility protest group to gather for a little idea sharing about what we else we can do.

Last week I helped a friend download 5 Calls to her phone and gave a tutorial. A couple of days later she let me know that she had used it "a lot." She can't participate in many activities, but she wanted to do something ... the perfect solution!

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Jess Craven's avatar

That’s amazing!!

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Angie's avatar

What is Jeffries f’kn problem? He’s such a company man and he needs to learn we aren’t DOING that anymore. Done. He either lets go of Ken Martin’s and Nancy Pelosi’s apron strings and Oprah’s big donations, or they can continue to watch the country fall into fascism as they get their assess handed to them again. ENOUGH.

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Jess Craven's avatar

I think he was a terrible choice.

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Angie's avatar

Ugh, agreed!

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Maureen Longdo's avatar

And I told him in my voice mail that if he doesn't do what's right, he might not have a job any longer.

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rose.marien.black@gmail.com's avatar

Jess,

I was with a Black Lyft driver just now on a long drive to SF Airport. (sophisticated, political science degree) She said she and her group, the 92%ers (because 92%of Black women voted for Kamala) no longer participate in protests because too many Black participants are seen as an aggressive threat, which all too often triggers an aggressive police reaction. This is terrible! What can we do about this?

Rose Black

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Jess Craven's avatar

Yes I’ve heard the same. I think they’re entitled to do whatever they need to do to keep themselves safe. We will just need to pick up the slack. The Black community has carried the burden of civic engagemen for decades. If they feel the need to step back from the role we have to respect it.

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Angie's avatar

We stand up for them and bring our white friends.

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Jean Tesoriero's avatar

Now that is awful, and heartbreaking all at once. Thank you, Rose, for making us aware.

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BitsyBelle's avatar

Wonderfully helpful information today. Thank you and safe travels.

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Jess Craven's avatar

Thank you!

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Ava Donovan's avatar

Thank you Jess for all your time and energy you put into these!! You make fighting back so much easier with this daily guide. When I’m busy I know I can fit in 5-10 minutes easy to get these calls in.

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Jess Craven's avatar

Thank you!

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Trina's avatar

Thank you for these actions, Jess!

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Patti's avatar

Thank you & your subscribers for the extra resources especially fourth wall. And for the update on the Senators on the GENIUS “bad” list. Sen Kim was on the last list I saw so I’m hoping he’s shifted. Safe travels. I hope you have a good visit.

Last week I promised follow up on my experience at EWR this past Sunday…surprisingly & happily uneventful. Equipment/Inbound flight was on time. My departure was not cancelled & pulled away from the jetway a little early. Plane half full (not sure if that’s bc it was Mother’s Day). Saw LOTS of the construction 🚧 happening & equipment while on the tarmac waiting for takeoff. Flying back this coming Wednesday, will update again. Hope your trip is smooth & uneventful. ✈️

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Jess Craven's avatar

Ha we are four hours delayed but about to take off. Flight is also half full. 🤨

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Patti's avatar

Ugh. I hope that’s the worst of it for your trip. Yeah, number of people flying was incredibly surprising. If I was home I’d give you a rockstar welcome at the airport…I mean I’m so good at making signs now! 🤣

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Theda DeBacker's avatar

Jess, I really appreciate the hard work you've done, in particular providing guidance and tools to simplify the process of sending our leaders feedback.

I noticed that (under "Extra Credit") this article suggests that readers contact Hakeem Jeffries.

Below are 2 sources that explain why you shouldn't call congress members who don't represent you -- even house/senate leaders or committee heads.

The Indivisible section "aren’t there exceptions?" gives specific rationale. 

TIA for helping spread the word about this. [There are countless posts all over social media that zealously instruct readers to contact MoCs from other states and districts.]

https://indivisible.org/resource/why-you-should-not-call-members-who-arent-yours

https://www.congressfoundation.org/news/blog/1348

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Jess Craven's avatar

And I almost always agree, but in this case because he is the single person making this decision and because it has to do with the leadership of a committee I make an exception.

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Jan M. Flynn's avatar

BE SAFE, Jessica, and have a good weekend (one that includes some downtime!). Thanks to you, we will be unrelenting in pushing back on this atrocious OBBB (One Big Beautiful Bill, AKA Oblivious Bro-Barbarity Bullshit)

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Jess Craven's avatar

I call it the “death bill.”

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Jane's avatar

Safe travels. Thanks for the update.

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Polly Estabrook's avatar

Jess,

I can't thank you enough for these newsletters that keep us abreast of all the fast paced craziness going on in Washington.

Regarding the house budget reconciliation proposal , I am aghast at what the budget would do to our public lands:

Selling off 500,000 acres of public land, mostly in Utah and Nevada ;

Mandatory logging

Opening up fast, stretches of our wild lands for commercial roads and oil and gas drilling

Of course there is much much more like gutting NEPA and ESA , closing down Americorps, ...

Can you write about this?

And why can't the Republicans and Democrats reach some consensus that this would be far too irreversible to do? That the fire sale of public lands is ridiculous given that we actually make money off them through leasing arrangements.!

Do you know of any groups that are organizing to demonstrate at each GOP congressman's office regarding their support for this portion of the budget reconciliation?

There is so much wrong with this budget reconciliation plan, but I think this demise of our public lands is something we should be able to get a few Loop to concur with

What do you think?

Safe travels and a huge thank you for everything you do !!!!

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Jess Craven's avatar

I know there is wide bipartisan opposition to it. But yeah they just don’t care what we want. I’m hoping there will be lawsuits IF they get that part through.

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Sometomato's avatar

I like all the news and suggestions in your columns, but I would prefer to receive the communication ONCE a day, not multiple times.

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Christine Primomo's avatar

From The Hill

Democrat Sam Sutton has won a special election for a New York state Senate seat, repelling Republican efforts to flip the conservative-leaning district, Decision Desk HQ has projected.

Sutton, a businessman who has led a nonprofit for years, defeated Republican Nachman Caller, an attorney who previously ran for state Assembly a decade ago. His win keeps the seat in Democratic hands after the resignation of former state Sen. Simcha Felder, who resigned from his position last month to take a seat on the New York City Council.

The result seemed uncertain as Felder is a conservative Democrat who previously caucused with the state GOP conference for years. Felder repeatedly ran unopposed on the party line for the Democratic and Republican parties.

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