Today is the deadline that President Trump set for a solution from Congress to save the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and protect Dreamers. Here’s what you need to know about where the issue stands right now:
- March 5 was an artificial deadline created by President Trump when he unnecessarily chose to end the program last September. When he blames others for not fixing DACA, remember that he was the one who ended it.
- The court injunctions allow current DACA recipients to submit renewal applications. But many Dreamers are left out and are vulnerable to being separated from their families, detained, and deported. These include those who were too young to apply, but should have aged-in to DACA, and many who never applied for a range of reasons. (And remember that renewals take months to process.)
Call your members of Congress TODAY, and demand they take action immediately to #ProtectDreamers! And find local actions happening today near you at ResistanceNearMe.org.
ACTION OF THE DAY
Stop Selling Weapons of War. Since the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, numerous companies have ended their partnerships with the NRA or taken action to make their gun sales safer. The only remaining major retailer of assault weapons is Bass Pro Shops. Demand they stop selling weapons of war by signing our petition!
WHAT’S TRENDING
Trump Administration Fails to Fight Russian Attacks. According to a new report from The New York Times, the “State Department has yet to spend any of the $120 million it has been allocated since late 2016 to counter foreign efforts to meddle in elections or sow distrust in democracy.” The report comes just days after the director of the National Security Agency (NSA) told members of Congress that he had not been authorized by anyone in the Trump administration to take additional action to prevent Russia from meddling in the 2018 midterm elections. America’s election infrastructure is still vulnerable to attack. The actions—or lack thereof—point to an overwhelmingly weak response by the Trump administration after evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections and would seek to do so again this year. The question is: why is the administration being so passive? Jane Mayer offers a new example of Russia’s improper influence over the Trump administration via the last report from Christopher Steele—that Russia demanded a friendly Secretary of State, and vetoed Mitt Romney.
Cowards. Over the weekend, the Florida State Senate rejected a proposal to ban assault weapons, despite calls from many, especially student survivors from Parkland, to ban these weapons of war. They did, however, fail to remove an amendment that would arm teachers. (Read why arming teachers is an awful idea here.) Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were especially distraught after the votes, yet they remained strong in their resolve to continue fighting. The Senate will vote on the watered-down final bill today, which includes banning bump stocks and a three-day waiting period on some gun purchases.
UNDER THE RADAR
Presidential Golf Tees? ProPublica is reporting that the Trump Organization ordered new golf tees for their golf courses—ones “that are emblazoned with the seal of the President of the United States.” But, ethics experts are warning that federal law forbids the use of the seal for anything but official government business. This new scandal is just the latest instance of Trump blurring the lines between his role as the Commander-In-Chief and his stake in the family business.
Abstinence-Only Wins at HHS. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance for “applications for Title X grants, which are dedicated to family planning and preventive health services.” Instead of promoting the use of evidence-based strategies surrounding family planning, the released guidance emphasizes “natural family planning,” which includes the rhythm method—a practice that is much less effective than birth control pills or IUDs. As noted by Clare Coleman, the CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, the guidance raises fears that HHS will give preference to organizations that fit within the HHS’s ideological agenda by promoting less effective family planning efforts, such as abstinence-only programs.