Election Eve Candlelight Vigil for Democracy, Peace and Hope
Organized by All Souls Church, Unitarian D.C., co-sponsored by UUSJ

Monday, November 4
5:30 p.m. ET
On 16th Street in D.C. and Beyond

On the evening before the national election, from the White House to Silver Spring, please join a candlelight standing vigil with houses of worship along 16th Street NW in Washington, D.C., and beyond to shine a light for democracy, peace, and hope. All ages are welcome. More details are here.

“And Beyond”: No matter where you are located in the U.S., consider holding a vigil, if possible at your church, and share it with @UUSJ via #VigilForDemocracyPeaceHope #ElectionEve2024

Forward Together: After Election Day
Hosted by UU The Vote

Results So Far: Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

More Impactful Together: DMV Voter Mobilization Debrief
Hosted by UUSJ and the Reeb Voting Right Project

Thursday, November 14
7:30 p.m. ET
RSVP: via Zoom

Come together with friends from across the DC-MD-VA region to hear what we did and how we engaged this election season.  With more than a week from election day, we should have a solid sense of how our c3 voter engagement project fits into the bigger picture

Immigration Realities, a Post-Election Perspective

Tuesday, November 19
8:00 p.m. ET • 7:00 p.m. CT • 6:00 p.m. MT • 5:00 p.m. PT
RSVP: via Zoom

Misinformed assumptions and harmful misconceptions pervade conversations about immigration. They have been rife throughout the election season and will likely influence public opinion and policy for the foreseeable future. 

Join us to hear from Ernesto Castañeda, Ph.D, Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, the Immigration Lab, and the Masters in Sociology, Research, and Practice at American University in Washington, DC, on his new book Immigration Realities: Challenging Common Misperceptions (with Carina Cione Columbia University Press 2024); and to share his perspective on how these issues played in the election and will be profoundly influential moving forward.

A Sword of Damocles for Dreamers and other DACA recipients

Over 12 years ago, the Obama administration implemented Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is now considering a formal end to DACA, impacting hundreds of thousands of Dreamers and other recipients.

• Take Action: Tell President Biden and Vice President Harris to press for and pass legislation to provide permanent protection for the Dreamers and other DACA recipients

• Take Action: Tell Congress to act for Dreamers and other DACA recipients

Sign the Petition to Congress: D.C. Statehood

The people of Washington, D.C., want the exact representation as Americans living in the 50 states. They want full voting representation in the U.S. Congress and an end to Congressional interference in their local government--and we Unitarian Universalists support that!  To resolve this, D.C. should become the 51st state, formed from the residential and commercial areas of the District of Columbia and preserving a smaller federal district as the nation's capital.

• Join the Petition: Tell Congress you support statehood for Washington, D.C.!

Gratitude and Respect for Native Peoples

As we approach the season of gratitude in the U.S., when so many of us use Indigenous food such as the Three Sisters (corn, beans, and squash) and marvel at the beauty of our transforming American landscapes, let us remember that Native peoples want our support for policy and legislation. 

First Nations peoples are not a monolith, but most want more respect in honoring the past, present, and future of Native peoples throughout the U.S. and the Americas. You can help do that with the following two actions:

• Take Action: Tell Your Legislators to Pass the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Act

• Take Action: Tell Congress to Support Truth and Healing on Indian Boarding Schools (Review President Biden's apology remarks from Arizona.)

Alerts for Voters

Virginia voters beware, see SCOTUS blog, Emergency Docket: Supreme Court allows Virginia to remove suspected non-citizens from voter rolls.

• Virginia voters should double-check their voter registration status as soon as possible. If eligible Virginians are not registered, they can register and vote at their local polling place during Early Voting or on Election Day.

Don't let Severe Weather Damage Deter your Vote

• The U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division launched a webpage compiling information to help voters in states impacted by recent hurricanes Helene and Milton preserve access to the ballot.

New Congregational Partners In Colorado

UUSJ proudly welcomes Prairie UU Church, Parker, Colorado, as a partner congregation. We celebrate and welcome these new collaborators into our circle of members, friends, and supporters. We cherish the vital participation of all our Congregations.

Prairie is committed to the interdependent web of all existence and holds “that faith-based justice work is more than obtaining and sharing information about these interdependencies. It is about transformation. To transform the world, we need to be transformed.” 

If you, like Prairie UU, are primed for transformative action, explore how your Congregation, Church, or Fellowship can become a partner and deepen your federal engagement. Review the details.

Celebrating our First Year

Last fall, UUSJ and UUSC joined organizations nationwide to launch the #LetAsylumSeekersWork campaign. One year later, the coalition has grown to more than 60 partners, and our call for action is even more vital. We are urging Congress to support the bipartisan House Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act (ASWAA). 

Watch a powerful video on the topic. For related themes, see L.A.Times Opinion: It's time to tell the truth about how immigration affects the U.S. economy.

• Take Action: Tell Congress, #LetAsylumSeekersWork.

November Board Meeting - Our Trustees will meet on Friday, November 8, 2024; for more information, email info@uusj.org

“Happy Election Week,” and “A Merry Certification Season to You.”

We all need to get comfortable with the idea that November 5th is the formal beginning of an election result determination process. We can no longer expect a clear winner by bedtime, nor perhaps the morning of the 6th, as in decades past.

We now recognize an “election week” ending Tuesday, November 12th, when most key states have their final opportunity to count or reconcile ballots and announce results (some schedules go till November 15th for local races and others through the 26th). Followed by a "certification season" with key dates of:

Certificate of Ascertainment of Appointment of Electors Issued: no later than December 11, 2024

Meeting and Vote of Electors in their States: Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Deadline for Electoral Votes to be Received: December 25, 2024

119th Congress Convenes: January 3, 2025

Congress Counts Electoral Votes: January 6, 2025

Inauguration Day: January 20, 2025

Related materials:

• 2024 Election Roadmap, and The Pre-Election Day Context (slides)(video), National Task Force on Election Crises
• Roadmap to the Official Count in the 2024 Election, Brennan Center
• 2024 Election: Key Dates Beyond Election Day, Bipartisan Policy Center
• Counting the votes in 2024—What you need to know about certification, Brookings

Plan Based on Verified Facts

Many of us are anxious as the election draws close. ‘There’s People That Are Absolutely Ready to Take on a Civil War’ What will happen if Donald Trump loses the election? The Atlantic

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are concerned domestic extremists may engage in violence before and after the November election. Many of us heard that FEMA adjusted hurricane-recovery efforts in North Carolina after workers threatened PBS. Election workers, public officials, candidates, and opposing voters are likely targets. 

Yet, we have to vote. The issues we care about can’t afford us to sit out this election. We can’t let the threat of violence function as voter suppression. If you are concerned about your local situation, please check for verified threats and consider voting early or by mail. Basing your vote plan on verified facts is a vital mitigation step.

Christian Nationalism Reemergent

During the past several election cycles, the Christian right has regained national attention as an increasingly powerful force in our national politics at every level, from our community school boards to our federal executive. The roots of this movement go back decades and perhaps further. In The Genesis of Christian Nationalism, ProPublica reports, “The more extreme elements didn’t just materialize a few years ago. They’ve been there from the start.”

• 'Extremely American' explores the Christian theocracy movement in the U.S., NPR
• Christian nationalism on the march, Axios Explains
• Trump allies prepare to infuse ‘Christian nationalism’ in second administration, Politico

A Bit of Hope for the Future

When we emerge from this challenging time, a bill introduced in the Senate could provide some hope for the future on the issue of election violence. The Election Worker Protection Act of 2023 (S. 1318) was introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Dick Durbin (D-IL); the proposal would:

• Increase penalties for individuals who threaten or harm election workers.
• Provide grants to states and local governments for recruitment, training, and protective measures for election workers.
• Make it a federal offense to harass or dox election workers.
• Offer physical security services and social media threat monitoring.

Proposed Tariffs and Farmers

Our friends at Farm Action offer a synopsis: What Would More Trump Tariffs Mean for Food and Farmers?

They find that “With just a handful of corporations controlling our food system, new agricultural tariffs would only further harm U.S. farmers and consumers who struggle enough under the thumb of dominant abusive food and agriculture firms.” See their recent report, “Kings Over the Necessaries of Life”: Monopolization and the Elimination of Competition in America’s Agriculture System​. You can also see, Trump's Proposed Tariffs Would Fall Hardest on States in the Midwest and South, TPC

In related farming news, they also highlight an older blog post about the “glaring contradiction between the kind of food our government recommends and the kinds of food it supports.” 

We are supposed to eat 50% fruits and veggies, but 2019 data suggests that only 4% of federal farm subsidies go toward producing this food. See Putting Our Money Where Our Mouths Should Be: the Great Contradiction between U.S. Food Subsidies and Dietary Guidelines

Did you Catch This?

Claudia Sheinbaum became Mexico's first female president and its first Jewish president when she took the oath of office. With her PhD in energy engineering and degrees in physics, Mexico's New President Vows Dramatic Climate Policy Change, Newsweek. 

Despite broad support from environmental groups, Kamala Harris urged to flesh out climate plan amid warnings about Trump, The Guardian.

Reflecting upon our own UU Climate Justice Revival, this new study caught our attention:  Global study reveals people, including those most affected by climate change, do not understand climate justice Phys. Review the Original research.

Environment and Climate Coverage:

• Most in Florida support candidates who fight climate change: Survey, The Hill
• 90% of Floridians Believe Climate Change is Happening, FAU
• This possible Trump adviser says electric cars, walkable cities and even talking about climate change are harmful, Politico
• What’s Causing the Recent Spike in Global Temperatures?, Yale Environment 360
• Climate emotions, thoughts, and plans among US adolescents and young adults, Lancet. Also see the Climate Emotions Map
• New Report Unveils Alarming Health Costs of U.S. Coal-Based Steelmaking, Industrious Labs. Review the Full report
• Carbon capture is not the answer to the climate crisis, Guardian
• Trees and land absorbed almost no CO2 last year. Is nature’s carbon sink failing?, Guardian 
• The 10 U.S. Cities With the Lowest Risk of Climate Disasters—Including Hurricane, Fire, and Flood, Realtor
• Where climate change poses the most and least risk to American homeowners, TWP
• The greenhouse gas footprint of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exported from the United States, SCI Journals
• Here's how to turn climate change anxiety into action, NPR

DACA in Jeopardy as 5th Circuit Looks to Rule

In October, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard oral arguments in a case filed by Texas and six other states that could end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and tear hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, families, and communities. Their ruling could end protections for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

As Unitarian Universalists, we pledged to Protect the Dreamers, the Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) with a Pathway to Permanent Residence, with our 2023 Action of Immediate Witness.

DACA was never meant to be a permanent solution; it was meant to provide temporary protection and time for Congress to enact a permanent solution. Subsequent injunctions mean even more immigrants have no hope but for Congress to pass legislation.

• Take Action: Tell President Biden and Vice President Harris to press for and pass legislation to provide permanent protection for the Dreamers and other DACA recipients

• Take Action: Tell Congress to act for Dreamers and other DACA recipients

Jeopardy System-Wide

Adding to the apprehension for DACA recipients are reports that “If he regains power, Donald Trump wants not only to revive some of the immigration policies criticized as draconian during his presidency, but expand and toughen them.” See Sweeping Raids, Giant Camps and Mass Deportations: Inside Trump’s 2025 Immigration Plans, NYT

Worry over what policies will be in jeopardy has renewed concern for Plyler v. Doe — the U.S. Supreme Court decision that guarantees access to K-12 public education for every child in the United States, regardless of their immigration status.

The End of Systemic Border Turnbacks?

It's been seven years since the American Immigration Council (AIC) first sued the U.S. government over its policy of turning back asylum seekers from ports of entry at the southern border.

In October, after a long legal battle, we all had good news from their case—the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with AIC, affirming a lower court's decision that the systemic turnbacks were unlawful. Read the ruling.

#ThisIsWelcome, Launches

We join the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) as part of its steering committee in launching a new campaign to amplify stories of welcome and work for justice and opportunity for all. 

We invite you to join us in promoting the campaign and landing page called #ThisIsWelcome.

• Let's have a strong UU showing. Invite folks in your networks to participate.
• Note that one of the early storytellers is a UU.

Ways you can join:

1. Sign our #ThisIsWelcome Petition urging elected officials and candidates to denounce hate and prioritize national immigration policies that uphold justice and opportunity. 
   -  Individuals of any faith background can sign here 
   -  Organizations can endorse here
2. Share a Story. Submit a story of welcoming newcomers or your own story of being welcomed to the U.S. Consider these guidelines for respectful story-telling.
3. Explore resources by the IIC, its members, and partners on asylum, refugee protection, family-based immigration, common myths, and more!
4. Raise your voice online using this social media toolkit! Post online to show you support the call to welcome the stranger.

Raising Our Voices in Solidarity

Our Executive Director, Pablo DeJesús, was called upon several times this past month to raise his voice, on behalf of UUSJ, for immigration justice: 

• Faith Leaders Celebrate Biden Administration’s New Refugee Admissions Goal of 125k and Success in Resettling 100k Last Year, October 23, 2024
• Faith Leaders Condemn Biden Administration’s Decision to Solidify Harmful Restriction on Access to Asylum, October 9, 2024
• Faith Leaders Denounce Anti-Immigrant Statements on Haitians and Newcomers, October 9, 2024

Oh Naughty, Naughty!

Benjamin Guggenheim's report for Politico, They were lobbying on legislation before his committee. They were also employing his son, is getting attention “He took the gavel of the House Ways and Means Committee, with far-reaching powers to shape the nation's tax code. A year later, his 45-year-old son Brendan Neal launched a one-person public affairs firm dedicated to 'political advice, lobbying, and strategic communications.'”

While American for Tax Fairness (ATF) released a report detailing the bad behavior of a dozen massive corporations since the enactment of the 2017 Trump-GOP tax law. The report offers snapshots of 12 big corporations – including behemoths Amazon, AT&T, Citigroup, and Walmart – in the wake of the Trump tax law that cut the corporate tax rate by two-fifths (from 35% to 21%) and offered new incentives for offshoring.

Contrast Candidate Proposals

A new brief from the American University's Institute for Macroeconomic and Policy Analysis (IMPA) contrasts the macroeconomic and distributional effects of the presidential candidates' corporate tax proposals. 

The policy brief finds that Vice President Harris' proposal to increase the corporate tax rate to 28% would modestly increase GDP and government revenue. In contrast, Former President Trump's proposal to lower corporate rates to 15% would lead to a contraction in GDP and government revenue.

Philanthropic Overhaul in 2025 Tax Fight

A recent article from Inequality.org is catching attention as policy analysts gear up for the 2025 Tax fight and debt ceiling negotiations. In “What Could Our Working Charities Do With $339 Billion? Let’s Find Out,” Helen Flannery and Bella DeVaan argue, “Our country could use these charitable donations to level the playing field for under-resourced families and safeguard our planet’s future.” Review the research here.

See a related eye-catching article, ‘Money Is Power': 44 Ultra-Wealthy Philanthropists Are Top Political Donors This Election Cycle, The Commons.

For more 2025 tax fight information, see: 

• Principles for the 2025 Tax Debate: End High-Income Tax Cuts, Raise Revenues to Finance Any Extensions or New Investments, CBPP
• Which provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire in 2025? Brookings
• 2025 Congressional Top Priorities May Not Include Tax Reform, Forbes
• Congress is already bracing for a 2025 fiscal pileup, Politico

Direct File Expands in 2025

Continuing our support of Direct File, a means by which many Americans can file their taxes without charge, we note 24 States Partner With IRS Direct File Next Tax Season, Expanding Free Tax Filing for Millions of Taxpayers and the Economic Security Project.

“IRS Direct File smashed expectations as a pilot program earlier this year, allowing over 140,000 tax filers in 12 states to file their taxes for free securely. Research shows that when the program is fully available in all 50 states and for various tax situations, IRS Direct File could save taxpayers $11 billion annually in cost and time savings.”

Tax Policy Content and Clippings:

Campaign-related:

• Do voters care what billionaires think? Baltimore Sun
• The $5 trillion dollar issue neither campaign wants to talk about, Semafor
• Tax lobbying ramps up in third quarter ahead of elections, Roll Call
• The Secretive Billionaire Network Funding 'Stop the Steal' 2.0, WSJ
• Meltdown at the LA Times: Billionaire Owner Denies Presidential Endorsement, Top Editor Resigns, The Wrap
• Trump Flirts With the Ultimate Tax Cut: No Income Taxes at All, NYT
• How Would the Harris and Trump Tax Plans Affect Different Income Groups?, ITEP
• Harris Goes Quiet on Biden's Push to Tax Unrealized Gains, Bloomberg
• These Pro-Crypto Billionaires Have Endorsed Trump Or Harris As Election Day Nears, Forbes
• Donald Trump's Social Security Plan Could Lead to Major Cuts, Report Finds, Newsweek
• Mark Cuban speaks out against piece of Harris' tax plan while campaigning for her, NBC
• Trump tax plans could exempt 93 million Americans from income taxes, CNBC
• With $75 Million Gift, Musk Joins Right-Wing Billionaires Bankrolling Trump Campaign, Common Dreams
• 2024 State Tax Ballot Questions: Voters to Weigh in on Tax Changes Big and Small, ITEP
• Trump Keeps Promising New Tax Cuts. Other Republicans Are Wary, NYT
• Trump takes a scattershot approach to income-tax reform, WaPo
• Pro-Trump dark money network tied to Elon Musk behind fake pro-Harris campaign scheme, Open Secrets

Policy Articles:

• How Billionaire Investors Are Disrupting the U.S. Housing Market, Ineaquality.org
• IRS raises standard deduction, adjusts tax brackets for 2025, WaPo
• What Is Unrealized Capital Gains Tax? Unpacking 'Economy Killer' Proposal On Ultra Wealthy, Forbes
• How Did Elon Musk Become the Richest Person on Earth?, Inequality
• The promise of equitable and pro-growth tax reform, WCEG
• Lessons From the 2017 Tax Law for the Future of U.S. Corporate Taxation, CBPP
• FACT Coalition Calls on Congress to End "America-Last" Tax Policies, FACT
• The Tipped Wage System Is Failing Us. Removing Taxes on Tips Won't Save It, Inequality: