FIGHT PUTIN’S INFLATION
Congress must pass President Biden’s inflation fighting proposals to increase the buying power of American families.
QUICK READ: Inflation has many causes including long-term structural supply chain issues exacerbated by the pandemic, corporate greed, and the Russian sanctions. The best short-term fix for American families is to shore up their buying power by lowering the costs of essential expenses like prescription drugs, child care, health care, and energy. Congress can do that, right now!
TAKE ACTION NOW:
BACKGROUND
Despite our booming economy and low unemployment, as President Biden realizes, inflation is robbing Americans of the gains they would otherwise feel.
It’s eroded the purchasing power of millions of working-class Americans, while corporations are making obscene profits and 700 billionaires now own more wealth than the bottom half of Americans (roughly 165 million).
Our current inflation, here and globally, stems from:
· Global supply chain disruptions caused by Putin’s Ukraine war and the pandemic
· Outsourcing of manufacturing to countries with cheap labor
· Concentrated power across economic sectors
· Corporate profiteering
To combat it and its effects, President Biden seeks to bring back manufacturing jobs, promote competition, crack down on corporate abuses and corruption, and lower the costs of essentials for working families.
Making prescription drugs and child care more affordable, providing tax credits for energy efficiencies, forgiving student loans, and raising the minimum wage to $15/hour would put more money in people’s pockets and make their wages go further.
Democrats must demonstrate that they, not the GOP, are actively fighting inflation.
They must use the approved reconciliation language to pass an anti-inflationary package putting money in people’s pockets that’s paid for by taxing corporations and billionaires’ wealth gains.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
To save our planet, we must end our overreliance on fossil fuels. Despite our booming economy, inflation is robbing American families of the gains they would otherwise feel. The best short-term fix is for Congress to shore up constituents’ buying power by lowering the costs of essential expenses like [take your pick: prescription drugs, child care, health care, and energy] and putting more money in their pockets by [take your pick: raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and forgiving student loans].
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
(Messages and calls are most effective if they are personal. Scripts are here to help.)
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Despite our booming economy, inflation is robbing American families of the gains they would otherwise feel. The best short-term fix is for Congress to shore up constituents’ buying power by lowering the costs of essential expenses like [take your pick: prescription drugs, child care, health care, and energy] and putting more money in their pockets by [take your pick: raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and forgiving student loans].
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
Your constituents are suffering from inflation, caused partly by Putin’s war against Ukraine, and we need relief. It is time to work constructively with colleagues on the other side of the aisle to become part of the solution.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Despite our booming economy, inflation is robbing American families of the gains they would otherwise feel. The best short-term fix is for Congress to shore up constituents’ buying power by lowering the costs of essential expenses like [take your pick: prescription drugs, child care, health care, and energy] and putting more money in their pockets by [take your pick: raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and forgiving student loans].
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Your constituents are suffering from inflation, caused partly by Putin’s war against Ukraine, and we need relief. It is time to work constructively with colleagues on the other side of the aisle to become part of the solution.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Despite our booming economy, inflation is robbing American families of the gains they would otherwise feel. The best short-term fix is for Congress to shore up constituents’ buying power by lowering the costs of essential expenses like [take your pick: prescription drugs, child care, health care, and energy] and putting more money in their pockets by [take your pick: raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and forgiving student loans].
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Despite our booming economy, inflation is robbing American families of the gains they would otherwise feel. The best short-term fix is for Congress to shore up constituents’ buying power by lowering the costs of essential expenses like [take your pick: prescription drugs, child care, health care, and energy] and putting more money in their pockets by [take your pick: raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and forgiving student loans].
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Despite our booming economy, inflation is robbing American families of the gains they would otherwise feel. The best short-term fix is for Congress to shore up constituents’ buying power by lowering the costs of essential expenses like [take your pick: prescription drugs, child care, health care, and energy] and putting more money in their pockets by [take your pick: raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and forgiving student loans].
ACTION 3: Join the fight
For Ukraine. Links from Ukraine historian and author “On Tyranny,” Timothy Snyder: Yet one thing is encouraging: whenever I speak to my colleagues in Ukraine, they are all doing something. The everyday courage is astonishing. We should help if we can. When I spoke to colleagues in Poland today, I was also astonished by the swift reaction of civil society to more than a million Ukrainians refugees. I think we should affirm that impulse when we can.
Here are a few ways to help. I have made donations today and I hope you will too.
1. Ukrainian reporters are, directly or indirectly, our main source of information about this war. Many of them are at work now at risk to themselves without salaries and proper protective gear. A fund that will direct support and equipment to journalists taking risks in Ukraine is 2402. Have a look.
2. For Americans who want a tax deduction, Razom remains a good bet. This is a volunteer organization that will make good judgements about partners for humanitarian assistance. Donate to Razom here.
3. Hundreds of small Polish NGOs are assisting Ukrainian refugees now. One of them that deserves support is Homo Faber in Lublin, near where many Ukrainian refugees cross. You can help them with a bank transfer:
Name of recipient: Stowarzyszenie Homo Faber; Purpose: Ukraina; IBAN: PL 93 1940 1076 3069 8598 0000 0000; SWIFT: AGRIPLPRXXX; Name of bank: Credit Agricole Bank Polska SA, ul. Legnicka 48, 54-202 Wrocław, Polska. If you are on PayPal you might also be able to reach them that way: PayPal Stowarzyszenie Homo Faber, ul. Chopina, 41, lok. 2, 20-023 Lublin, e-mail: info@hf.org.pl.
4. People have been using Airbnb as a way to transfer money to individual Ukrainians by booking rooms they do not intend to use. If you do this, make sure the phone number of your host has a 380 prefix (country code for Ukraine) and contact the host ahead of time. Airbnb as a a company also enables people to help in another way, by offering lodging to Ukrainian refugees.
5. Canada has a large and well-organized Ukrainian diaspora, and its organizations are raising money for assistance to Ukraine. Here is the the appeal of the Canadian Red Cross.
6. To provide assistance to civilians in need, you can now donate directly by credit card to the Ukrainian Red Cross.
7. The Russian press blackout is shocking. I urge you, if you want to support Russian reporters, to fund Meduza, working from Riga.
PS: The interest in supporting the Ukrainian armed forces is consistent, so I repeat that information here.
The organization Come Back Alive concentrates on protective gear and other equipment for soldiers. You can donate using the information here.
Army SOS supplies medical equipment but also everything a soldier might need. You can donate in cryptocurrency following this link or make a bank transfer in dollars via: IBAN: UA203052990000026003016809842; SWIFT: PBANUA2XXXX; Bank: JSC CB "PRIVATBANK
You can contribute directly to the Ukrainian armed forces via credit card. If you prefer a bank transfer that information is here.
GOOD TROUBLE: Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, go make some “good trouble.”
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Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Work to protect democracy in the House by replacing retiring US Representative Peter DeFazio with another Democrat, replacing Democrat Kurt Schrader, the “Manchin of the House,” with a progressive, and electing a Democrat in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Demand that your primary news source stop creating false equivalencies and just report the truth.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon.
Rally inconsisent Democratic voters to vote in 2022 with Progressive Turnout Project | Feb, 2022 | Medium
FURTHER READING:
How Dems Can Punch Back on Inflation
Here’s how President Biden wants to fight inflation in America
Biden Reframes Economic Agenda to ‘Building a Better America’
How wiping out all student loan debt would change the economy
When Billionaires Don’t Pay Taxes, People “Lose Faith in Democracy”
82% of US Voters Believe Inflation is Fueled by Corporations ‘Jacking Up Prices’
