 |
| Call Your Reps |
Major Concerns:
- Racism - Was previously denied a federal judgeship over allegations of racism, and the Congressional Black Caucus state that he holds discriminatory views against African-Americans.
- Civil Rights - Has a dubious track record regarding civil rights cases (a poor 20% rating by the ACLU), and has overstated his role in the cases he was involved in
- Affirmative Action - he is given a poor 7% rating by the NAACP, meaning he is anti-affirmative action
- Voting Rights - his record is very spotty in regards to voting rights. He also feels that the Voting Rights Act is "intrusive" and that voter-ID laws are not discriminatory toward blacks and Latinos, even though other courts have ruled they are.
- Violence Against Women - he has recently gone back-and-forth on what he says constitutes sexual assault (particularly in regards to Donald Trump's grabbing statement)
- Immigration - he takes a hard line on immigration and has voted to curb legal immigration, and for building walls along the border, and thinks protection for those who were brought illegally to the country as children should be repealed.
- LGBTQIA+ Rights - he is extremely anti-gay rights and has consistently voted against adding sexual orientation as a factor in hate crimes.
- Religious Freedom - he called Islam a "toxic ideology" and has wavered as to whether he would support a Muslim ban, first supporting a Muslim ban (see also here) then backing down in his hearing. He also receives financial backing and advice from anti-Muslim groups.
What Can You Do?
1. Call the Committee who can approve/reject his nomination.
2. Call your individual senators if (a) they are on the committee or
(b) his nomination is taken to a full senate floor vote.
(The website It's Time to Fight is an amazing resource to find committee lists,
as well as call/email scripts)
MY CALL SCRIPT:
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CALL SCRIPT
The Senate Judiciary Committee is who will confirm Jeff Sessions' nomination.
Call: 202-224-5225
Note: Keep in mind who your audience is. Many Democrats will already oppose his nomination, so those that you're trying to convince are the Republican senators. Keep that in mind when considering your talking points.
Hi, is there someone I can talk to to voice my concerns about one of the appointees?
Thanks. I am concerned about the appointment of Jeff Sessions.
Jeff Sessions has a spotty record when it comes to civil rights and voting rights. He does not appear willing to defend religious freedom in this country and does not seem to uphold a definition of sexual assault that would protect women.
For these reasons I am very concerned about his nomination, and would recommend that the committee members vote no.
Thanks for your time!
CALL TALKING POINTS:
If you're like me and don't really like reading out an actual script, here is a list of the main talking points:
- Spotty civil rights record
- Spotty voting rights record
- Unwilling to defend religious freedom
- Definition of sexual assault doesn't protect women.
I realize that there are a lot more talking points than those listed above, but I personally feel that these are the ones that will hold the most sway with Senate Republicans, which is largely our audience at the moment.
It's Time To Fight Script
Call Them In Script
National Council of Jewish Women Script
Flood The Gov Script
Tiny Letter Script (personally, though I think this script contains a little too much left-leaning rationale to be of use in influencing the Republicans in the committee to change their minds)
Further Reading:
Jeff Sessions - It's Time To Fight
Jeff Sessions Confirmation Hearing
Is Jeff Sessions Trump's Worst Cabinet Pick?
Jeff Sessions as Attorney General an Insult to Justice
10 Things to Know about Jeff Sessions
Five myths about Jeff Sessions
Did Jeff Sessions Desegregate Any Schools?
Does Jeff Sessions have a Strong Civil Rights Record?
Jeff Sessions' Comments on Race: a detailed breakdown
Sessions Addresses Past Racism Controversy in Hearing
ACLU - Jeff Sessions has a long history
Black Dems Rip Sessions as Unqualified
What We Did and Didn't Learn about Jeff Sessions at His Hearing
5 Questions for Jeff Sessions
No comments:
Post a Comment