Introduction The August recess for Congress is here, making it a critical time for you to engage with your elected officials. Representatives began their break on July 28, and the Senate a few days later on August 3. Congress will be back in session after the Labor Day weekend on September 5.This document will arm you with the information you need to ask challenging, hard-hitting questions of your representatives at town halls, meetings or other events. The RISE Stronger Policy Working Group Program has prepared for you overviews of key topics on the national agenda across a range of areas, including the economy and jobs; education; energy and the environment; ethics and open government; foreign policy and national security; healthcare; infrastructure and urban policy; justice and civil liberties; science and technology; and trade and development. These key issues are summarized with background information and relevant questions for you to ask, as well as additional resources for yo...

Read More

SummarySteven Bradbury is the nominee for General Counsel at the Department of Transportation. During his tenure with the Bush Administration, he infamously wrote three memos justifying the use of torture as an interrogation technique, a position which has since been rejected by Congress and the Supreme Court. Whether you care about transportation, civil rights, the environment, or something else, Bradbury will likely poised to make a decision on that issue. Contact your Senators to oppose Bradbury, whose lack of judgment and moral character are antithetical to everything we stand for.Steven Gill Bradbury has been nominated for the position of General Counsel at the Department of Transportation. The position is the Department's primary legal advisor and has final authority on any questions of law arising at the Department. Bradbury served in several top positions at the Department of Justice from 2004-2009, heading the Office of Legal Counsel during George W. Bush's second term.Duri...

Read More

Fact Checking the Infrastructure ProposalPresident Donald Trump, in his budget proposal, included a 2018 Infrastructure Initiative Fact Sheet. The plan is geared towards metropolitan regions and explicitly covers sparsely populated regions in the country, providing them with special treatment.Trump's Plan Claims: The flexibility to use federal dollars to pay for essentially local infrastructure projects has created an unhealthy dynamic in which state and local governments delay projects in the hope of receiving federal funds. The Reality: According to the EPA, 95% of water infrastructure projects are funded by state and local government entities. While the federal government lacks capital, state and local governments who prioritize job creation of cutting taxes and offering corporate subsidies are filling the void. Trump's Plan Claims: During the construction of the Interstate System, the federal government played a key role – collecting and distributing federal tax revenue to fund ...

Read More

The United States of Resistance is a weekly industry newsletter sharing the top news from across the resistance. Please share with others! Sign up | Archived Newsletters Ladies & Gents, We have a special counsel! And that's the way the cookie crumbled...seems to be an appropriate way to kick off this week's United States of Resistance digest. Your demands worked. We now have a s...

Read More

What You Can DoSign up for updates from the CarsonWatch powered by our friends at Public Advocates in collaboration with the Poverty & Race Research Action Council, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and PolicyLink.Share your own stories about HUD's impact on your lifeSee how HUD budget cuts impact your specific communityQuestions to Ask Your Member of CongressDo you agree with Secretary Carson's stance on making life that much harder and uncomfortable for those who benefit from HUD programs?Why is there still no infrastructure bill?In an exclusive interview with the New York Times, President Trump indicated that he may attach infrastructure funding to a new health care bill, since it has bipartisan support. Specifically, the President said, "Yeah. I may put it in with something else because it's a very popular thing. We've spent $6 trillion in the Middle East, as of two months ago … uh, $6 trillion ... and yet we can't fix our own roads and our own highways. And...

Read More

How HUD Budget Cuts Affect Local CommunitiesAs we reported in last week's report, according to preliminary budget documents for fiscal year 2018 that were leaked, the Trump administration has considered more than $6 billion in cuts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). We know that Trump's HUD budget cuts would disproportionately impact cities' poorest residents. Cities and counties are not taking this news lightly: CHICAGO: Eight Arrested at Downtown Protest Against Trump's Budget Cut: "Eight people were arrested on Tuesday during the eighth #ResistTrumpTuesday protest, which focused on President Donald Trump's proposed budget cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 'For us here in Illinois it means less direct rental assistance payments including section 8 housing, housing vouchers for homeless veterans would be cut by at least $300 million,' said one organizer." ChicagoistNEW ORLEANS: New Orleans Braces for Deep Cuts in Trump's Spending Plan: ...

Read More

HUD Budget CutsAccording to leaked, preliminary fiscal year 2018 budget documents, the Trump administration has considered more than $6 billion in cuts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Under the preliminary plan, compared to previous funding: About $1.3 billion would be cut from the public housing capital fund$600 million would be cut from the public housing operating fundDirect rental assistance payments — including Section 8 Housing and housing vouchers for homeless veterans — would be cut by at least $300 millionHousing for the elderly — known as the Section 202 program — would be cut by $42 millionThe HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which provides block grants for local communities to build affordable housing, would be cut entirelySection 811 housing for people with disabilities would be cut by $29 millionMoney available for Native American housing block grants would be cut by $150 millionChoice Neighborhoods, a program that invests in redeveloping...

Read More

Last week, Ben Carson was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. His recent controversial comments about slavery notwithstanding, Carson is likely to roll back gains in the Affordably Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, which the new SOHUD referred to as a "social engineering" tool. AFFH requires federal grantees to further the mission of the Fair Housing Act.This week, the House Subcommittee on Aviation will hold its third in a series of hearings to prepare for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reform and reauthorization bill later this year. Witnesses will include Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden, SkyWest CEO Russell Childs, Air Transport Services Group CEO Joseph Hete, Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson, and Travelers United Chairman Charles Leocha. Also this week, President Trump nominated Jeff Rosen to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation. Rosen, who has spent nearly 30 years with Kirkland &...

Read More

Last Friday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency announced an upcoming solicitation for the design and construction of prototype wall structures for the border. Konstantin Kakaes, a fellow with the New America Foundation and the former Mexico City bureau chief for The Economist, estimates that the cost of building Trump's wall will be nearly $38 billion higher than current estimates.Meanwhile, H.R. 482, the Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act of 2017, is still making its way through the House after being introduced last month by Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ). The bill would nullify new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) regulations and assessment tools. It would also prohibit federal funds from being used for the HUD database system, which contains information relating to community racial disparities and disparities in access to affordable housing. In positive news, last week members of the House and Senate have moved to protect the U.S. Treasury's New Markets Tax ...

Read More