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Financial reform is on the way!
Financial reform has been passed by Congress. The legislation will "protect our families, our neighborhoods, our homes and our communities."
Read our full press release or blog post.
Stop the Big Oil Bailout
 While reaping the largest corporate profits in history, BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron and other Big Oil companies have taken more than $35 billion in special subsidies and tax breaks from U.S. taxpayers. After dumping millions of gallons of oil into our oceans and waterways, they want us to help pay the cleanup bill.
It's time to end federal subsidies and tax breaks to BP and other Big Oil companies. Instead of subsidizing the most profitable dirty fuel companies on the planet, we should support new startups that specialize in clean energy. We can break our addiction to oil, create green jobs and make sure disasters like the one in the Gulf of Mexico never happen again. But we need your support, sign a petition to Congress.
One Nation Working Together
 We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to achieve the American Dream – a secure job, a safe home, and a quality education – but banksters and corporate lobbyists have made off with trillions of public dollars while small businesses can't get loans and cities are laying off teachers, police, and firefighters. USAction endorses One Nation, which seeks to transcend superficial differences and bring us together in a common quest for equal opportunity and justice for all. Read more and get active.
35,000 protest proposed budget cuts in New Jersey
New Jerseyans rallied on May 22 against proposed budget cuts in the largest protest ever in Trenton. "We're sending out an SOS today - save our schools, save our students, save our state. The human needs infrastructure in New Jersey is falling apart, and that is a crisis," said William McNary, USAction President. McNary, pictured above, emceed the event that was sponsored by 129 organizations and attended by a diverse mix of community activists, union members, parents, children and people of all ages. Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, Executive Director of New Jersey Citizen Action (NJCA), said "We stand together today, not for ourselves but for us all."
Read more about the event or watch video coverage.
NJCA is an affiliate of USAction.
Americans for Responsible Taxes
USAction is proud to be a part of Americans for Responsible Taxes – a group of concerned communities and working families that believe the US can start to address the economic and budgetary issues we face by ending irresponsible tax policies that have cost us about one half of the nations deficit. Congress needs to act right away because there is about $1.4 trillion in revenue at stake that is needed to protect vital services we all depend on. Through public opinion research ART found that most Americans support raising taxes on the wealthiest individuals and biggest corporations.
To get the US on the right track the ART campaign proposes that; the Bush Tax cuts for the wealthiest should expire this year, we should restore the estate tax, we close tax loopholes for the wealthiest individuals and corporations and special tax subsidies like those for oil and gas companies, and tax relief for working families be made permanent.
Thousands rally for humane immigration reform
USAction affiliate Washington Community Action Network (Washington CAN) was the target of hate-based vandalism in late April. Over the course of a few days, more than 27,000 USAction/TrueMajority members signed an online petition to stand in solidarity with Washington CAN against racism. The signatures were used to create a "Stop Racism" banner that Washington CAN carried in a march for immigrant rights and humane immigration reform. Thousands of people attended the march and rally in Seattle on May 1.
15,000 march on Illinois' capital against budget cuts
William McNary, USAction President and co-director, Citizen Action/Illinois, moderated one of the largest rallies in Springfield, Illinois history as a coalition of more than 200 groups came together to oppose sweeping budget cuts to schools and other essential services. The crowd of 15,000 strong chanted, "Show some guts! No more cuts!"
Read "Tell the Whole Story," a blog post detailing Americans' demand for effective government that works for us.
Health Care Reform Is On Its Way!
Marcelas Owens claps as President Obama prepares to sign health care reform. Marcelas, a member of USAction affiliate Washington Community Action Network, lost his mother to pulmonary hypertension. His mother had lost her health insurance after getting sick and no longer being able to work her job as an assistant manager at Jack in the Box. Read more about Marcelas.
Health care reform is on its way and here to stay – but the work toward building a health care system that serves the people instead of the special interests has just begun. USAction Executive Director Jeff Blum praised the House for what he called a "courageous, history-making vote that will make Americans stronger and more secure."
Read Jeff Blum's thank you note or some of the benefits of health care reform we'll see this year.
Jobs for America Now
 The current jobs crisis is not just an economic crisis, but a moral one as well. To address this emergency, a sweeping coalition of over 60 national organizations has come together to form Jobs for America Now. As part of the coalition’s efforts to spur job creation and put America back to work, USAction supports a five-pronged approach to creating jobs in the short-term and ending the unemployment crisis.
Read The Fire this Time: Progressive Strategy on Jobs, a blog post by USAction's Policy Director discussing strategy on jobs and economic justice.
USAction Supports Afghan Exit But Opposes Troop Escalation: Too Great a Risk, Too High a Cost
USAction praised President Obama's goal of a concrete end to the war in Afghanistan, coupled with political and military benchmarks for success, but expressed profound concern over plans to commit at least 30,000 new troops to the war effort. Read our full press release.
Cut Wasteful Military Spending
 The Senate voted in 2009 to strip unneeded F-22 jets
out of the Defense Authorization bill, but
the journey towards a safe and sane future is far from over. Now, we've got a chance to save $2.5 billion by ending another plane we don't need - the C-17. Click here to send a message to Congress.
USAction and TrueMajority are working with their members and coalition partners to keep pressure on any member of Congress who continues to spend billions on weapons we do not need while lining their campaign war chests with money from weapons builders. Join
our campaign for True Security.
Take Back the Economy
 We
didn't cause this economic crisis—but we sure are paying for the banks'
mistakes. Easily one of the worst actors is Ken Lewis' Bank of America.
With loans, credit cards & other products to almost half of all
Americans, they played a central role in creating this recession. They
took $45 billion in taxpayer bailouts while spending billions
on bonuses, lavish salaries and parties—and then fired thousands of
workers.
B-of-A has survived because of our $45 billion
taxpayer bailout, making us the single largest shareholder - and that
gives us a chance to change their ways. So Service Employees
International Union and other progressive groups
are calling for the resignation or firing of CEO Ken Lewis. Learn more and take
action. |
