This month, we shine the spotlight on Robert Scull, a dedicated volunteer from North Carolina's 2nd district. Robert’s unwavering persistence and strategic approach have paid off, as he has successfully secured an in-person meeting with Congresswoman Deborah Ross on Friday, October 11, 2024.

Congress passed a funding bill last week to avoid a government shutdown. The stop-gap spending bill funds all government programs at their current levels through December 20.

Those levels were established in a combined $1.66 trillion package of two spending bills passed in March. The larger of those bills, totaling  $1.2 trillion, funded Defense, Homeland Security and State departments and other aspects of general government. More than 70% of the funding of that package was earmarked for the military. Meanwhile, non-military programs decreased.

The stop-gap spending bill simply extends and locks in the current spending inequities across the federal government. 

Who (or what) benefits from current federal spending? Increasingly it’s corporations as governments increasing “privatize” (or more accurately “corporatize”) what previously were public functions performed by public employees whose work was publicly transparent driven by public service vs. corporate profit.

Joint Statement from Veterans For Peace and Move to Amend

     Veterans For Peace              Move to Amend

Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza has produced increasing calls for an immediate ceasefire, while a pro-Israel, U.S.-based group has waged an increasing war on democracy with little public scrutiny and no end in sight.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is one of the most politically and electorally influential groups in this country. They have bombarded our “democratic” system spending over $100 million just in 2024 to punish opponents of Israeli policies, including the military assault on Gaza that’s claimed over 40,000 deaths and displaced 2.3 million people.

Welcome to another week of #WeThePeopleWednesdays, where we unite our voices to advocate for H.J.R. 54, the We the People Amendment! 

This initiative is all about mobilizing our grassroots movement to demand that our Representatives support a constitutional amendment that clarifies that corporations do not have constitutional rights and that money is not speech. Each Wednesday, we rally together to take action, share updates, and amplify our collective impact.

THANK YOU to all our incredible volunteers who dedicate their time each week to call their Representatives! Your commitment to advocating for HJR 54 is vital to our movement. Every call you make helps amplify our message and brings us one step closer to our goal. Together, we’re making waves! 🌊

Oil and gas corporations are not only major contributors to the destruction of our climate and overall environment through the burning of carbon. They are also major contributors to the destruction of the limited amount of democracy in our country. 

The reason for both is the same: corporate constitutional rights. 

The granting of First Amendment "free speech rights" to corporations by the Supreme Court in the 1970s and expanded in the 2010 Citizens United ruling has legalized the ability of business corporations to contribute massive sums of funds to corrupt elections and public policies toward the extraction and burning of climate-destroying oil and gas over the mass conversion to renewable energy.

What follows are the the current totals of the 2023-2024 election cycle (which runs through the end of this year).

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What podcasts do you listen to?

Do you think any of them would be interested in discussing ending corporate rule, big money in elections and the We the People Amendment?

If so, we’d love to hear your recommendations.

We have fantastic news! 

Move to Amend is excited to share that Rep. Bennie G. Thompson from MS-2 and Rep. Mike Levin from CA-49 have joined our growing list of Congressional cosponsors for H.J.R. 54, the We the People Amendment. This brings our total to 87 cosponsors!

We’re just 13 cosponsors away from our goal of 100 for the 118th Congress, and your help is crucial. Here’s how you can get involved:

Join Us in the Fight for Real Democracy!

On International Democracy Day, it's crucial to acknowledge the growing divide between the ideal of democracy and the reality many Americans face. While the concept of democracy is celebrated worldwide, our current system is failing to live up to its promise.

NEW RESOURCE:

End Corporate Rule to End Wars & Occupations "bookmark"

Veterans for Peace and Move to Amend developed a "bookmark" originally for distribution during the VFP-sponsored and MTA-endorsed Walk for Peace & Planet, Justice & Democracy that took place from May 7 in Maine to July 5 in Washington DC.

One of the stated reasons for "Why we Walk": 

We are walking to expose and address the power of corporations destroying our environment, driving everyday people and communities into more poverty while they reap enormous profits and power. These corporate entities, given more rights than living, breathing people with none of the accountability or responsibility, have hijacked our democratic ability to establish peace, justice and a livable world.

The copied and cut bookmark can be distributed anywhere at any time -- including around Memorial and Veterans Day.

Download the bookmark HERE

The moderators of the ABC-sponsored Presidential debate offered questions on a range of issues. They ignored, however, a major set of questions.

If MTA instead of ABC had moderated the debate, here are 10 questions we would have made sure to include.

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"Good evening. Welcome former President Trump and Vice President Harris. We'd like to begin tonight's debate asking the both of you the following questions.