You can make a difference
Join us at the La Porte Library on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 6pm as we welcome Congressman Frank Mrvan for a Community Forum. He is our U.S. representative for all of Lake and Porter Counties and for most of La Porte County. He will update us on issues and legislation that impact us nationally and locally Bring your questions—and a friend! Please register here.
Join Indivisible and Vote Forward to write letters to voters! Learn how and sign up here. From Indivisible National: We know that even a small impact on turnout can translate into thousands of votes at scale — and those thousands of votes can ultimately make a huge difference in elections. That’s why we’re writing letters to voters in key House races. These letters are part of The Big Send — our collective effort to write 10 million letters to voters this year. We’re writing letters and sending them between October 1 and October 29, to ensure they arrive when they’ll have the most impact on turnout.
Building Bridges for America is a grassroots organization that grew out of Pete Buttigieg’s campaign. They train people in a variety of areas to help them be better activists. “Conversations that Break Through” is their next training, but it was during our forum with Valerie McCray. You can watch on video and download course materials. It will help you have those difficult conversations about politics that we all need to be having. Check out their website for other great trainings: https://www.buildingbridgesforamerica.com/
Please let your voice be heard about Indiana’s plan to revamp diploma requirements. Hoosiers are invited to offer a first round of online feedback through July 30. “A plan to overhaul Indiana’s high school diplomas has drawn mounting concerns from Hoosier teachers, students and families over the propose”d graduation requirements. Although the original plan was for the state board to vote on the new diplomas in September, Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said at a board meeting last week that — in response to feedback received already — the process is slowing down, at least somewhat. Jenner said the board will hear a revised draft proposal at the August meeting, followed by a second round of feedback, including a public hearing, before the board releases a final proposal. Under a law passed by Indiana legislators in 2023, the state must adopt new diploma requirements by December.”
The draft plan has garnered increasing criticism. The new diplomas seem to prioritize workforce development while de-prioritizing well-rounded education and college readiness.
Concerns include
- Watering down or eliminating requirements that many colleges require, including history, foreign languages and fine arts. Many parents, students, and community members also think these courses are necessary to teach students to become critical thinkers.
- If passed, it would no longer require economics, world history and geography. Requirements would also be wiped out for fine arts, foreign language, and career and technical education.
- Math, social studies and social studies requirements would be significantly reduced.
- Eliminating the current Academic Honors diploma, linked to college- going while creating requirements under the “GPS Diploma Plus” that won’t be attainable for many students.
- Neither of the proposed diplomas’ baseline requirements meet admissions requirements
- Rep. Sheila Klinker, D-Lafayette called for board members to create diplomas that prepare non-college-bound students, but still offer an equivalent to the current academic honors diploma for those who want to pursue higher education.
(Indiana Capital Chronicle) (WRTV)
“Indivisible, one of the nation’s largest grassroots organizations, announced its endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for President following an overwhelming vote from its members in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, with more than 93% of Indivisible members voting in favor of endorsing Kamala Harris for President: “Indivisible is beyond proud today to join President Biden in announcing its endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to be the 47th president of the United States,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible…“Everything we care about is on the ballot this November. We can and will use our people power to win: to elect Kamala Harris, expand our majorities, and reclaim our rights and democracy.”” (Indivisible)
The truth matters
Kamala Harris successfully addressed underlying causes of migration in three countries, a task given to her early in the Biden Administration. Kamala Harris was NOT put in charge of the southern border. Republicans have cast Kamala Harris as the ‘border czar’.
- Early in the Biden Administration she was tasked with focusing “on examining and improving the underlying conditions in the Northern Triangle of Central America—El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—which has been racked by decades of poverty, war, chronic violence, and political instability. The strategy relied on allocating billions for economic programs and stimulating private-sector investment in the region in hopes that these programs would ultimately lead fewer migrants to make the dangerous journey north.”
And she was successful:
- Harris allocated funds for humanitarian relief from natural disasters, and directed more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccines to the Northern Triangle countries.
- She held bilateral meetings with the region’s leaders, as well as meetings with NGOs, business executives and human rights advocates.
- She worked with the U.S. Justice Department to launch an Anti-Corruption task force focused on prosecuting corruption cases with ties to the region, as well as Anti-Migrant Smuggling task forces in Mexico and Guatemala.
- Most importantly, Harris spearheaded a public-private partnership that, as of March 2024, had secured commitments from major U.S. and multi-national companies to invest more than $5 billion in the region.
- The Vice President “put her name on the line with very serious senior CEOs and kind of created a brand appeal for Central America that didn’t exist,” says Ricardo Zúniga, who until recently served as the U.S. special envoy to Central America.
- Harris also spent time in Washington communicating with regional leaders…It gave the U.S. the standing and relationships to help prevent Guatemalan prosecutors from overturning the results of last year’s presidential election, which was won by anti-corruption outsider Bernardo Arévalo.”
Harris’ efforts have resulted in a stabilization of migration from the three countries she was tasked with addressing. (Time)
Measures Biden have taken have also contributed to a significant drop in illegal immigration.
“July is on track to see the fifth consecutive monthly drop in migrant apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border and the lowest level in illegal immigration there since the fall of 2020, during the Trump administration, the internal Department of Homeland Security figures show.” (CBS)
Read the truth about false claims about Kamala Harris from the Associated Press.
Congress
Passed the House and Senate, President next
H.R. 1076: Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act
S. 3706: Victims’ VOICES Act
S. 1973: All-American Flag Act
House
“The U.S. House on Thursday passed a measure to reverse an Education Department rule seeking to extend federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ students, though President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the legislation should it land on his desk.
The nine-member Indiana delegation split along party lines for a 7-2 vote, with Republicans supporting the measure and Democrats opposed.” (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Passed the House, Senate next
H.R. 8998: Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025
Last Action: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 210 – 205 with all democrats but one voting nay. View the vote.
This bill includes many anti-environmental measures. It “attempts to block protections for endangered Right and Rice’s whales, undermine policies that could protect old-growth trees and forests, open pristine wild lands in the Arctic to drilling, allow toxic mining near the beloved Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and strip Endangered Species Act protections from threatened species, among other destructive environmental actions.
The House also voted to add more anti-environment amendments to the bill, including amendments to block potential national monument protections for special places in Colorado, Oregon and Minnesota. Other amendments would block the Bureau of Land Management from protecting critical wildlife habitat from drilling in Wyoming and Colorado and block the Fish and Wildlife Service from expanding the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.”
(Environment America)
H.R. 897: Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act passed 349-19
H.R. 5441: Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023 passed by 333-51
H.R. 7637: Refrigerator Freedom Act
Passed 212-192 with only Indiana Reps Mrvan and Carson voting no.
H.R. 7700: Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act passed by 214-192 with Indiana Reps Mrvan and Carson voting no and all other Indiana reps voting aye.
Both bills say they will prevent energy efficiency standards that are too costly or technologically infeasible even though there is no indication that any such regulations exist or are planned.
H.R. 8281: Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act
Passed 221-198 With all Indiana Representatives voting aye except Reps Mrvan and Carson who voted no. View the vote.
GovTrack.us: “This bill would do two primary things: first, it would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and second, it would make it easier for private citizens to sue election officials.
It’s already law that a voter must be a citizen and 18 and over to vote. What kind of proof the prospective voter must provide when registering varies by state. Because of the REAL ID system for getting driving licenses now in use nationwide, in states where you can simultaneously register to vote, license applicants already do provide proof of citizenship in the form of birth certificates, passports, proof of naturalization, etc in order to get a license. It would be incredibly rare for someone to register inappropriately.”
Passed with little opposition, either by Voice Vote or under suspension of the Rules, by the yeas and nays—requires a 2/3 vote:
H.R. 5441: Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023
H.R. 8812: Water Resources Development Act of 2024
H.R. 890: GOOD Act of 2023
H.R. 7377: Royalty Resiliency Act
H.R. 2969: Financial Technology Protection Act of 2023
H.R. 7280: HUD Transparency Act of 2024
S. 1258: Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2023 (Passed with changes, back to the Senate)
H.J.Res. 165: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance” passed 210-205 on a party line vote.
Failed in the House
H.R. 7887: ACCESS Act
Last Action: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 178 – 234
H.R. 1631: Pro Codes Act
Last Action: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 248 – 127
H.R. 8772: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2025 failed by 205-213. All Indiana representatives voted yea expect Reps Mrvan and Carson who voted nay. View the vote.
H.Res. 1344: Finding that Merrick Garland, Attorney General of the United States, is in contempt of the House of Representatives for disobeying a certain subpoena failed 204-210
Four Republicans did vote against it, but more consequential were the 12 who didn’t cast a vote at all. It may come back for another round of voting. All Indiana representatives voted yea except Reps Mrvan and Carson who voted nay. View the vote.
Passed the Senate, House next
Passed with little opposition by Voice Vote or Unanimous Consent
S. 3696: DEFIANCE Act of 2024
S. 150: Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act of 2023
S. 612: Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act
S. 912: Technology Grants to Strengthen Domestic Mining Education Act of 2023
S. 412: Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution Act of 2023
To find and contact your Members of Congress: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
In other news
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended his country’s conduct in the devastating Gaza war, urged the U.S. to support the fight against Hamas and ridiculed protesters during a scathing address to Congress.
But he also cited an unverified intelligence report and ignored much of the criticism in a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza.” (AP News)
“Vice President Harris said she told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that it is time to get a cease-fire deal with Hamas done, describing their one-on-one meeting as “frank and constructive.”” (The Hill)
“A jury on Tuesday found Sen. Bob Menendez guilty on all counts in his federal corruption trial…” (CNN) He has agreed to resign his senate seat.
POTUS
“President Biden announced another round of student loan debt forgiveness, totaling $1.2 billion for 35,000 public-sector workers like teachers, nurses and firefighters. The borrowers are eligible for student debt cancellation after making 10 years of monthly payments while working in a qualifying public-sector job for a nonprofit or the government. Student loan debt forgiveness now t $168 billion for nearly 4.8 million Americans. But its signature, one-time student loan forgiveness program remains in legal limbo. The Supreme Court is expected to decide soon whether to block part of the SAVE plan while the matter is fully litigated.” (CNN)
Trump
“The federal classified documents case against former President Donald Trump was dismissed Monday by a Florida judge on the grounds that the Department of Justice unlawfully appointed special counsel Jack Smith… perpetrator of the 2nd…
Not Above the Law, a coalition of 150 organizations, issued a statement calling the ruling “flatly wrong.”
“The special counsel statute is clear. Its constitutionality has been upheld by multiple courts in the past, and Judge Cannon has no grounds to reject such a well-settled principle,” read the statement signed by the organization’s four co-chairs.
“Accountability, protecting the rule of law, and justice cannot be further delayed. We expect Judge Cannon’s ruling not only to be swiftly appealed, but also promptly reversed,” continued the statement from Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen; Praveen Fernandes, vice president of the Constitutional Accountability Center; David Sievers, interim organizing director at MoveOn; and Brett Edkins, managing director for policy and political affairs at Stand Up America.” (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Special Counsel Jack Smith has appealed to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. (ABC)
“Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to one charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States for its role in two fatal 737 Max crashes, the Justice Department said in a court filing Sunday evening.
It represents yet another black eye for the company after a series of embarrassing safety blunders, but the agreement avoids what could have been more serious consequences.
It will pay up to $487 million in fines — a fraction of the $24.8 billion that families of crash victims wanted the aircraft maker to pay. The families of victims of two fatal crashes of the 737 Max oppose the deal, the department said.” (CNN)
Climate crisis
“The Biden administration announced it would seek to curb U.S. emissions of powerful industrial greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide as it enters a new phase in the national strategy to fight climate change under the Paris agreement.” (Fast Company)
“Hurricane Beryl is the earliest hurricane on record and a consequence of climate change. “Ocean temperatures in the Atlantic basin remain historically warm and have been for more than a year, particularly where Beryl first became a hurricane. Warm oceans are a major consequence of a world warming due to fossil fuel pollution and provide the fuel for tropical systems to explode in strength at a breakneck pace.” (CNN)
“It’s been the hottest summer on record to date for around 100 US cities from Maine to California. Heat is suspected in the deaths of least 37 people in the US in July, a number that is likely underestimated given the amount of time it takes to attribute a death to nature’s most prolific weather killer.” (CNN)
Economy
“Economic activity in the U.S. was considerably stronger than expected during the second quarter, boosted by a strong consumer, government spending and a sizeable inventory build, according to an initial estimate Thursday from the Commerce Department.
Real gross domestic product, a measure of all the goods and services produced during the April-through-June period, increased at a 2.8% annualized pace adjusted for seasonality and inflation.” (CNBC)
“Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, showed a monthly increase of 0.2% and 2.6% on the year, both also in line with expectations. Personal income rose 0.2%” (CNBC)
Indiana
“Nippon has hired former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to try to drum up political support for the proposed $14.9 billion U.S. Steel acquisition that’s faced opposition from both parties” (NWI Times)
“In a showdown between the old guard and the younger faction of Hoosier Democrats, party delegates chose Destiny Wells as their nominee for attorney general in a 1,067-475 vote while also easily nominating former state lawmaker Terry Goodin for lieutenant governor.”
“Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is being asked to respond to another disciplinary grievance filed against him, this time for statements he made during a news conference about the terminated pregnancy reports filed with the Indiana Department of Health.
This is the third known disciplinary investigation into Rokita’s conduct since he was elected attorney general in 2020.” (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Indivisible NWI enthusiastically endorses this ticket. Get out the vote! Change is finally on the way with a ticket that supports women’s rights, the LGBTQ2+ community, public education and integrity in government. Read more about these superb candidates: https://www.wellsforindiana.com/ and https://www.mccormickforgov.com/about
“The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) on Friday filed to stay a federal court ruling that it says invalidated the state’s Medicaid expansion program for moderate-income adults under 65.
The agency also has appealed the ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court.” (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
