Ask Your House Member to Support and Cosponsor H.R. 598
Take Action and use our poster for tabling after services.

The Earth Act to Stop Climate Pollution by 2030 (H.R. 598), popularly known as the “Earth Bill,” focuses on electricity, cars, and food as industries in which Americans support change–most Americans agree that our electricity should be renewable, our cars electric, and our food should be produced using healthy practices.

Let’s make noteworthy progress toward sustainability by 2030. As the Center for Biological Diversity finds in its report Out Polluting Progress, if we leave it to the current approach, it won’t happen.

We Need the Environmental Justice for All Act
Take Action: Environmental Justice for All

Congress should pass the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act of 2023 (H.R.1705, S.919). We want Congress to act on "the moral principle that all people have the right to pure air, clean water, and an environment that enriches life."  Use the poster for tabling after services.

Act in Support of Haiti

Sign on alert for your UU organization, congregation, or faith leader to join a letter to the Biden Administration by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) of which UUSJ is a member—your church can join by April 4th.

The letter calls for the redesignation and extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, a pause for all deportations to Haiti, a halt on plans to detain Haitian migrants interdicted at sea at Guantanamo Bay, and calls to expand key lawful migration pathways.

Call Congress in Support of the Child Tax Credit

H.R. 7024, Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, contains an important expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for working families that will reach 16 million low-income children, lifting 400,000 of them out of poverty in the first year. It particularly benefits communities of color. On January 31, it passed overwhelmingly through the House with a 357-70 vote. It is now stalled in the Senate primarily due to opposition from Senator Crapo (R-ID), who seems to be stalling until he is chairman of the next session. He’s lined up Senate GOP leadership behind him.  Meanwhile, a broad coalition of faith and secular organizations, UUSJ among them, are pushing to pass the package because of the CTC.

The most important and simple action is to call your Senators about the CTC. You can reach them by calling (202) 224-3121; here is a sample message:

Hello, my name is ____________. 

I call you as your constituent in ________ and a person of faith and conscience inspired by Unitarian Universalist values. 

I am calling to ask Sen. ____________ to speak out in favor of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (H.R. 7024). This bipartisan bill expands the Child Tax Credit for 16 million low income children and provides immediate relief to American families. 

I urge Sen. ____________  to publicly pledge support for the bill and urge Senate leadership to schedule a vote as soon as possible. Thank you for your time.

If you can not make a call, please take action in support of an expanded CTC.

Support the WATER Act!

Join Food and Water Watch, our allies in the People vs.Fossil Fuels coalition, in reminding Members of Congress that affordable access to safe drinking water is non-negotiable. It's a human right. People shouldn't have to worry about whether their water is safe to drink or if they will have reliable service. 

Congress should pass H.R. 1729, the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2023 to keep our water systems up-to-date and affordable and to protect our drinking water for generations. 

Take Action: Tell Congress it's Time to Support the WATER Act!

Tell the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to Save Vital Wildlife Lands in Alaska

Earth Works, another ally in the People vs. Fossil Fuels coalition, have an important public comment action for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to help save 28 million acres of Alaska’s wildlife and public lands. Add a personal comment to the prepared text and send it to Interior Secretary Haaland and Alaska BLM Director Cohn.

The lands in question are home to salmon, caribou, and moose. They are crucial for local communities and vital for our planet's health. BLM should prioritize clean water, healthy habitats, and food security over industrial development. We see value in these landscapes as they are. 

Take Action: Petition BLM to Retain Protections for 28 Million Acres

The Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Pause Advocacy is Real

Over 230 environmental groups, including UUSJ, sent a letter to the Biden Administration urging them to stop the Cameron Pass, or Calcasieu Pass, (CP2) LNG project and update the Administration's approval processes.

Since that letter and Biden’s subsequent liquified natural gas (LNG) pause announcement, a recent survey of the industry by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Dallas Fed Energy Survey, found an industry facing uncertain conditions. Politico’s E&E News reports: “Most oil and gas execs concerned about methane fee, LNG pause.” They highlight that the Administration’s approach to LNG is consistent with a pattern: “Biden’s climate playbook: Propose strong rules, then soften them.”

UUSJ has been involved in supporting the pause. We joined People vs. Fossil Fuels for Hill meetings, pressing the case in favor of the pause with Senators Gillibrand (D-NY) and Kelly (D-AZ), Representatives Rep. Castro (D-TX-20), Davis (D-NC-1), Rep. Foster (D-IL-11), and Sherrill (D-NJ-11). We are not alone; many Americans have been speaking out about LNG exports:

• 30 local and national public health organizations sent a letter to President Biden urging him to stop the buildout of LNG export terminals on the Gulf Coast 
• Frontline activists delivered over 230,000 petitions to the Department of Energy, calling on the Administration to halt all proposed facilities. 
• 60+ Members of Congress sent a bicameral letter urging the Biden Administration to overhaul its decision-making on CP2 and LNG exports to account for the climate, economic, local environmental justice, and national security risks.
• The Louisiana Bucket Brigade produced a “Gas Export Highlight: Venture Global’s Operational Failures & the Impacts on Fishermen.”

LNG and the “Public Interest” Dimension

Early this year, the Biden Administration announced it would take a “temporary pause on pending decisions” to permit new liquid natural gas (LNG) export facilities. See the White House Fact Sheet and supportive statements.

The Administration is looking to establish a process to review whether such projects are in the “public interest” of Americans. If such LNG projects are no longer determined to be in the public interest, they may no longer receive the same preference in policy and permitting – or in financing from Wall Street.

• The U.S. Department of Energy offers “Unpacking the misconceptions surrounding the DOE's LNG update.”
• The Center for Biological Diversity said, “The White House is directing the Energy Department to expand its criteria for evaluating new gas exports and take a hard look at the effects on energy costs, energy security and the climate.”
• Evergreen Action issued a blog “What You Need to Know About the Pause on New LNG Projects” that breaks things down nicely.
• A Data for Progress poll found that voters support limits on natural gas exports by a 2-to-1 margin as recently as November 2023.

Improving Our Immigration System

During the past few months, the Immigration Action Team’s advocacy has focused on opposing Congressional and Administration efforts to roll back the right to asylum and to hamper the attempts of migrants to reach the U.S. at our southern border. We have also continued supporting Afghan Adjustment and promoting work permits for immigrant populations. Take actions to help:

• Tell Congress, #LetAsylumSeekersWork . Watch a powerful video from our allies in the Let Asylum Seekers Work coalition.
• Remind Congress we care about the Dreamers and other DACA recipients

Moving forward, we are looking for opportunities to advocate for improvements in the immigration system in the remaining months of this Congress. To do this, we are meeting with several key players in this space, gathering intelligence and voicing our positions, and doing our part as members of several coalitions.

• On March 14, we had a meeting with the immigration lead staffer for Rep. Salazar (R-FL), who is the sponsor of the bipartisan Dignity Act. The staffer explained the rationale behind the bill and addressed concerns that activists and community members have expressed. The staffer made the case that the bill addresses many immigration issues comprehensively rather than in a piecemeal fashion and does so to increase the chance of passage while providing new pathways to citizenship and upholding fair treatment of migrants.

• On March 19, we gathered constituents of the TX-12th and others from across the state with our great partners, the Texas UU Justice Ministry, to engage Rep. Granger (R-TX) and urge her support for Afghan Adjustment, with particular consideration for Afghan women.

• On March 23, President Biden signed H.R. 2882, Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024. The law will fund the federal government through September 30, 2024. The bill included funding to process work permit applications! A great and needed step.

UU Solidarity From Across the U.S.

An important effort during March centered on the response to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton taking action to shut down Annunciation House. This Catholic humanitarian organization has provided hospitality and other life-saving services to migrants for decades. In reply, 268 faith leaders and 165 faith-based organizations signed an interfaith statement to express solidarity with Annunciation House and decry the attempted criminalization of their faith-based work with migrants. (See an earlier Press Release from Welcome with Dignity, which includes a UUSJ quote.)

UUSJ helped review and approve the letter and gathered 16 UU organizations, congregations, churches, or fellowships, along with 14 UU ministers, lay leaders, and staff, to join the letter. You can see an extracted list of UUs from the letter here.

Hearing Priorities From the Impacted

On March 21, the team heard from Jose-Arnulfo Cabrera, Deputy Director of National Policy and Campaigns for CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, an immigrant-led organization. To showcase this, he introduced himself by telling his story as an immigrant brought here as a child who became active in campaigns to protect migrant rights. He described CHIRLA’s mission, including an important effort to expand the registry program to provide more pathways for protection and citizenship. A national campaign is being developed to update and strengthen the registry for the first time in almost 40 years.

Collaborating with UUs for Immigration Justice

Team leaders joined the North Carolina UU State Action Network on March 22 for their action hour to describe why we support providing additional work permits to asylum seekers and others in the immigration system and our opposition to proposals to roll back the right to asylum.

After UUSJ remarks, using UUSJ materials and policy guidance, the impressive volunteers from NC contacted members of Congress and the Administration advocating on these issues.

Working as Allies in Coalition

In March, team members continued involvement with allied groups, including the Evacuate Our Allies (EOA) coalition, the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC), Value Our Families (VOF), and the Here to Work Coalition. 

• EOA continued to press for the inclusion of 12,000 additional Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) in the final text of the Appropriations Bill as well as Afghan Adjustment, which would allow Afghans who have arrived on our shores as part of the post-war evacuation to stay in the U.S.

• IIC drafted an interfaith letter on Haiti that is being circulated (UU organizations, including congregations and faith leaders, can join here by April 4th) and continued sharing information on many topics, including border developments, appropriations negotiations, and more negative bills introduced on the House side. 

• VOF had a day of advocacy featuring calls and social media outreach to the Administration urging the release of unused green cards and steps for family reunification.

• With Here to Work, we heard a briefing from the Immigration Research Initiative regarding the economic impact of asylum seekers and new immigrants.

A Deeper Commitment to Building a Broad, Inclusive, and Powerful Democracy Movement

The long-term goal of UUSJ and the Democracy Action Team (DAT) is to save democracy from the forces that are attacking it. We need your help! It doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. We want to inspire people – you – to do something right now! 

• Start by reviewing our Democracy in 2024 online action plan and resource page.

Learn more about the need for a Democracy movement:

• Video: Watch for a short but powerful discussion of the need to build a pro-democracy movement: MSNBC Morning Joe with Journalist Anand Giridharadas. (Share using: tinyurl.com/2cmcfepu)

• Read an article by Thom Hartmann, syndicated talk show host, “We Need a Progressive Democracy Movement to Defeat Fascism—Now”​​​​​​​

• Video: Watch the talk with UUSJ by Steve Phillips, “Securing a Multiracial Democracy,” to learn more about how UUs can fit into the larger movement for a healthy and multiracial democracy.

As we seek to do our part, we have brought together individuals representing congregations throughout the country to help build a democracy movement and mobilize voters to defend our democracy. We’re holding regular meetings and developing action plans. Email us if you are interested in joining Democracy@uusj.org

Saving Democracy in 2024 

This is a moment in history when UUs can step up. We can create democracy action teams in our congregations and communities, create our own action plans, and reach out to everyone we know, including family and friends. Critically important: we need to build a bigger and better movement than the anti-democracy foes are building.

What can congregations do? 

• Again, review our Democracy in 2024 online action plan and resource page
• Organize in your community as a part of UU the Vote and become a “Good Trouble” congregation 
• Establish a Democracy Action Team (DAT) at your congregation. Look to meet regularly for the election season and beyond
• Partner with other organizations in your area, such as your local League of Women Voters chapter and the ACLU

The work of David Pepper, a lawyer, writer, political activist, and author of “Saving Democracy: A User’s Manual for Every American,” is one helpful resource. The UUSJ DAT has utilized information from this book to create a checklist of 50 activities we can take to help save our democracy. 

• You can download our checklist to create your own personal checklist
• Develop your personal action plan
• Create a “footprint” of everyone in your sphere and contact them to build support for democracy (think broadly: local members of democracy-related organizations, book clubs, fitness trainers) 
• Register voters
• Write a letter to the editor
• Contact us if you want materials and support, Democracy@uusj.org

Learn more about what we need to do to Save our Democracy:

• Video: David Pepper – Saving Democracy: A User’s Manual for Every American and book, Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American

• David Brooks, an acclaimed reporter/opinion columnist for the New York Times and a political analyst for the PBS NewsHour: “Brutal era can be overcome by returning to core values.”

• Video: Author talk by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt and book, Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point

Bills to Watch in 2024 and 2025

While the Democracy Action Team, like many UUs, is organizing and growing UU support to protect democracy through voter engagement for the November election, we are also looking ahead and preparing the terrain for the next session of Congress. We want to advocate for and support proposals to improve our democracy. We are very interested in three bills that will not likely be deeply considered this year but deserve support in the next session of Congress. 

Fair Representation Act: This bill aims to reduce the number of safe-seat districts, encourage more political competition, and end partisan gerrymandering. It establishes multi-member districts for congressional elections, institutes ranked choice voting in these elections and creates new requirements for congressional redistricting. It would forbid redistricting plans from “materially favoring or disfavoring a political party.” Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) is the lead sponsor, with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) as a cosponsor.

Democracy Restoration Act: This bill (H.R. 4987) would restore voting rights in federal elections to disenfranchised Americans who have been released from prison and live in the community but are still denied the right to vote. Currently, 26 states disenfranchise people after release from prison. See a blog by the Brennan Center for Justice on the bill and its history.

High School Voter Empowerment Act: This bill would have a long-term impact on voter registration by designating public high schools as voter registration agencies. Schools would be required to conduct student voter registration drives and would be eligible for federal grants to cover their costs. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL) led the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives and introduced it in the 117^th Congress.

Advancing Reparations in the Empire State

Tuesday, April 9th, 2024
1:00 p.m. ET - 12:00 p.m. CT - 11:00 a.m. MT - 10:00 a.m. PT
RSVP: Online

The Reparation Information Thought Series is a webinar featuring reparations experts and racial justice thought leaders. Participants engage in critical discussion, reflection, and analysis on issues pertinent to the Movement for Reparatory Justice in the U.S. and abroad—the Reparation Education Project and the National Black Cultural Information Trust co-host the series.

April panelists: Nicole Carty, Executive Director, Get Free; Dr. Ron Daniels, Commissioner, NY State Reparations Commission; Lurie Daniel Favors, Commissioner NY State Reparations Commission; Antar Keith, Chair, Democrats Abroad Global Reparations Task Force; and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, NY State.  

IRS Direct File is a Positive Step for Fair Taxation

Did you know Americans spend 1.7 billion hours or $31 billion annually to file their taxes (ProPublica), even though the overwhelming majority should be able to file in mere minutes and for free?

On Tuesday, March 12th, the IRS launched its pilot program, DIRECT FILE. This pilot means taxpayers can file their taxes online, for free, and directly with the IRS for the first time in U.S. history! It is a groundbreaking new service allowing eligible taxpayers in 12 states to file their taxes quickly, easily, and for free. Residents of Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming have a unique opportunity to participate in the launch during the 2024 pilot. 

Why does this matter?

• Millions find filing taxes too hard or expensive, including over five million households (IRS) that qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) but still need to receive it. 

• An estimated 87 million taxpayers lose as much as $13 billion of their refunds (NerdWallet) annually to tax prep fees because the industry makes accessing the free file system difficult.

• 72% of taxpayers are “very” or “somewhat” interested (IRS) in a direct file tool, including 83% of taxpayers who self-prepare their returns.

• Tax filing can be complex and confusing, and many people end up paying private companies to file returns, often being surprised by filing fees only at the last minute.

• Filing taxes shouldn't be difficult, and doing our civic duty shouldn't cost money.  It’s time to say no to corporate greed (CNN)(ProPublica)(CNN) and finally implement an affordable solution that allows our communities to file taxes respectfully and with dignity.