News you've probably been seeing about meetings between the President and House members underscore how important it is that House members hear from constituents, calling on them to vote for continued government funding and for authority to borrow - with no strings attached.  Please use the toll-free number below to call your Rep (or make the call any way you prefer! - but just call!).  And please forward this alert to everyone you know.

Call your Representative:  Tell him/her to end the shutdown and stop an economic meltdown

Call toll-free:  1-888-659-9562*  Thursday and Friday, October 10 - 11

Suggested message when you call: As your constituent, I want you to act NOW to end the government shutdown and prevent the economic catastrophe of a government default, with no strings attached.  Please vote to restore funding for all of the services that families count on and to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and food stamps.  

Please forward this widely! 

Why your call is so important:

• The House leaders have been trying to divide and placate public concerns by passing a dozen bills that would fund popular programs.  Representatives need to hear from constituents that this piecemeal approach is unacceptable.  We need all of government working.  A simple vote on a short-term spending bill with NO riders or conditions will do that.  Show your Rep you want a real solution, not a PR offensive.
   
• We are about 10 days away from catastrophe:  the federal government prevented from paying its bills and debts.  The Treasury Department and respected economists call that the road to economic catastrophe and deep, dark recession.  So far, the government shutdown has not stopped payment of Social Security checks or Medicaid/Medicare/food stamp benefits.  But if the federal government does not have enough money to pay its bills, no cuts are exempt.  Your Rep has to hear how strongly you feel that default MUST be prevented - NOW, with no conditions.

*Thanks to the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) fors making this toll-free number available!  

At the end of September, the government will run out of money and face a possible shutdown. On top of that, we will hit the debt ceiling by the middle of October.  Congressional Republicans and even some Democrats will want to put cuts to Social Security benefits on the table. That is unacceptable.

Every week we hear about corporations that cut the pensions they promised to workers. As a result, Social Security has never been more important. Now is the time to EXPAND Social Security benefits. We need to change the debate! Cuts should not even be part of the conversation. 

Senators Mark Begich and Tom Harkin have introduced bills to expand Social Security benefits. Both bills would increase cost-of-living adjustments for retirees. Senator Harkin's bill goes one step further and adds an average $800 per year to base benefits.

Both bills would "scrap the cap" in order to make everyone pay the same rate into Social Security, which both pays for increased benefits and extends Social Security's overall solvency.

Take action now!

Go to ExpandSocialSecurity.com and sign the petition to Congress, calling on them to expand Social Security -- not cut it.

Call your Senators and ask them to co-sponsor S.567, the Harkin "Strengthen Social Security" Act and S.308, the Begich "Protecting and Preserving Social Security" Act.

• We deserve a fully functional NLRB with five members.
• Vote yes on the full package of nominees.
• If the nominees are blocked, I urge you to vote for rules change to allow for an up-or-down vote on the NLRB and other cabinet-level nominees.

By midnight, March 1st, Congress must act to reduce the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion (over ten years), in order to avoid across-the-board cuts. Though progressives hope to increase taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals, Congressional Republicans will insist on spending cuts as well. Ultimately, this will require making a choice between cutting programs that 99% of us use and cutting unnecessary Pentagon spending.

The U.S. Senate is broken and it needs to be fixed. Back room deals, secret holds, and filibuster rules allow Senators to put their individual careers before the national interest of the American people. With the way the Senate works today, there is no accountability. Senators don't even get to debate legislation, let alone vote on them one way or the other.