Their issues are varied and well researched. It's an experience we recommend to get familiar with the protocol and push issues that are important to our values. Here's the last letter left with Rubio's aide as of course, he was MIA over the 2 week recess. Enjoy:
Sen.
Rubio April 10, 2018
Earlier
this month, tens of thousands of Palestinians protested Israel’s blockade of
Gaza. Israel responded to this
nonviolent protest through a brutal show of force, opening fire on protesters
and deploying tear gas by drones, killing at least 23 Palestinians and injuring
approximately 2,000. Gaza can now be portrayed
as a prison, with Israel as the jailer. Disturbing videos on social media show
Israeli forces apparently shooting unarmed Palestinians, including people shot
in the back while moving away from the wall between Gaza and Israel praying.
We
urge you and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to initiate a Middle East peace process that includes the following
elements.
·
Hold
Israel accountable for the inhumane actions detailed above.
·
Insist
that someone with proven foreign policy experience and free from business and
personal conflicts of interest be named to replace Jared Kushner as chief negotiator
charged with brokering a peaceful settlement that assures the safety of
Israelis and Palestinians alike.
·
Cancel
plans to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem which only serves to inflame tensions
and impede the peace process.
·
Reject
the nominations of Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State and Gina Haspel as
Director of the CIA. Both support
Trump’s Islamaphobia and waterboarding which further inflames tensions and
degrades relationships with Middle East Muslims.
———————————————————————————————————————
We
urge you to curtail and defund
deployment of National Guard troops to the southern border for the following
reasons.
·
dozens
of local communities have expressed their objections.
·
unauthorized
border crossings at the southern border are at a 46-year low
·
there
is no money in the current debt ridden Federal budget and tight State budgets
———————————————————————————————————————
Trump
started a trade war and now China has proposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of
American soybeans, cars, chemicals, and other goods in retaliation. Congress
must overturn these impulsive actions to reverse de facto taxes and protect
jobs and farm incomes.
———————————————————————————————————————
The
US Senate and Foreign Relations Committee must immediately address the
following threats to national security created by the Trump Administration which
has no coherent strategy for Syria. On April 3, Trump said he wants to pull US
troops out of Syria “very soon.” Also on April 3, Army General Joseph Votel
said that troops will remain in Syria. The next day, the White House issued a
statement saying that troops will remain in Syria. Trump now owns the ‘red line’
against chemical weapons and barrel bombs he criticizes Obama for creating. The
Syrian/Russian coalition crossed this line for the second time this past
weekend. The launch of 59 Tomahawk
missiles the first time obviously made no lasting impact. As the US is pulled further into the quagmire
of conflict in Syria the Administration still has no idea what it’s doing
there. It is up to Congress to set foreign policy and address the chaos in the
White House and State Department.
———————————————————————————————————————
We
will probably never agree when human life begins along with right to life
protections you mentioned in your email response to my expression of support
for the moral right of women to maintain reproductive control over their
bodies. However, I think we all agree that we can and should explore
ways to reduce the number of abortions performed on American women. Here
are a few thoughts that come to mind to address some of the reasons women cite
for terminating their pregnancies.
·
Fully
fund Planned Parenthood to provide sex education and women’s health services to
women so they can prepare themselves for healthy pregnancies and wanted
children.
·
Implement
education reforms to break the school to prison pipeline and prepare males for
becoming responsible parents.
·
Support
restorative justice programs and end mass incarceration for non-violent crimes
so that young adults aren’t saddled with criminal records keeping them from
obtaining jobs.
·
End
gender and minority pay gaps so young parents can earn enough to support
families.Reject proposed reductions in SNAP funding so parents can afford to
adequately feed their families.
In
addition we encourage you be consistent and take other equally strong positions
for protecting human life such as enacting gun safety measures and ending the
death penalty.
———————————————————————————————————————
There
is mounting evidence that the President, his family and associates have been
involved in money laundering, bank fraud, illegal campaign contributions and conflicts
of interest. As such we renew our request
from early last year that Congress
demand the President release his tax returns as promised in the campaign.
———————————————————————————————————————
The
CBO economic report released yesterday projects the national debt, which has
already topped $21 trillion, is expected to increase by another $1 trillion in
2020 and soar to more than $33 trillion in 2028. By then, debt held by the
public will almost match the size of the nation’s economy, reaching 96 percent
of gross domestic product, a higher level than any point since just after World
War II and well past the level that economists say could court a crisis.
The
budget office expects the economy to grow at an average annual rate of 1.9
percent over the next 10 years versus overly optimistic projections by some
members of Congress that the Tax Cut Act will push economic growth above 3
percent a year. These projections do not
take into account the “short term pain” the President expects as a result of
his impulsive imposition of tariffs and ensuing trade war.
As
a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee we urge you to address abuse, waste and mismanagement in the Executive
branch and insist that any proposed cuts in social program budgets be more than
matched by corresponding cuts in defense spending in addition to rescinding
some of the recently enacted tax cuts.
———————————————————————————————————————
We
are now in the fifteenth month of the Trump Administration and 115th
Congress and none of the following campaign promises have been fulfilled.
·
The
ACA was effectively repealed but not replaced
·
No
job creating infrastructure plan has been introduced and no funding is
available
·
The
havoc wrought by reliance on Continuing Resolutions has not been resolved
·
The
national deficit and debt have skyrocketed despite promises to balance the
budget
·
Immigration
reform and DACA have been abandoned as national priorities
·
Ethical
conduct and faith in government appointees has not been restored
Is this a record
you and members of your party will be proud of in the upcoming midterm and
presidential elections?
Respectfully,
on behalf of Indivisible Northeast Florida
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