The Gov Hub: December 4, 2023

Welcome to The Gov Hub Newsletter by Girl and the Gov®. This weekly pop of politics is designed to share action items, resources, and quick links to civic engagement tools and topics to inboxes far and wide. Typos are included free of charge. 

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THE ACTION ITEMS

Jump right in

ACTION 1: 

The Ask: Tell the EPA to ban TCE [Trichloroethylene], a highly toxic chemical. 

The Action: Send the EPA this pre-written digital note from the Environmental Defense Fund.

The Background: TCE is bad to the bone and known to cause at least three different types of cancer, fetal heart defects, and a long list of other health risks. The chemical itself is used to degrease metal products during manufacturing and is released during that process into the air, soil, and water. It’s also used in consumer products such as stain removers. No matter, the use, it’s more toxic than your ex.

ACTION 2: Massachusetts

The Ask: Tell your state reps to support H.3633.

The Action: Send your MA state reps a digital note here via Clean Water Action.

The Background: Lead exposure is a no-go, with its ability to decrease cognitive ability and increase neurological disorders amongst those exposed. Lead, despite that fact, is also still found ‘poisoning the well’ if you will via lead service lines, contaminating water connecting water sources to homes and businesses. These pipes need to go, and H.3633 would help get that process moving by banning partial replacement of lead service pipes, requiring muni’s to have a publicly available database with a lead lines inventory by October 2024, and would require notice to owners and tenants if a lead service line is present.

ACTION 3: SPONSORED BY COHERUS BIOSCIENCES

The Ask: Tell Congress to streamline the process of adding FDA-approved biosimilar medications to the VA’s National Formulary to ensure veterans have access to affordable and accessible treatment.

The Action: Send your [federal] reps this pre-written digital note.

The Background: Coherus Biosciences is taking on Big Pharma, offering life-changing FDA-approved biosimilar medications at a fraction of the cost. The global biosimilar company strives to offer patients affordable medical treatment, and they’re hoping that their latest release, Yusimry, will help the 5 million veterans currently battling arthritis. Despite the VA expressing support for biosimilars in the past, they’ve been dragging their feet with adding new options to their National Formulary. Remind Congress that limited options mean longer wait times for veterans, and it's time for them to get the care they deserve.

Looking for more action items? Check out our library of past Gov Hub’s.

SOMETHING TO HIT TUNE INTO

Fact-checking 101 comes to the pod with EIC of PolitiFact, Katie Sanders

“Hot girls love being media literate” – a groundbreaking quote from the Girl and the Gov® team. Understanding how to synthesize and digest media’s many and ever-evolving mediums is a challenge, especially when today’s platforms push information out at speeds that even Usain Bolt couldn’t beat. And to that end, the latest eppy of the pod is here to help via an interview with PolitiFact Editor in Chief Katie Sanders who is a whiz at fact-checking and journalistic practices. She shares the essential nature of fact-checking and strategies for identifying info that does not meet the smell test. She also provides listeners with methods, tools, and what’s next on the horizon in the fight against misinfo. Get a few quick tips for the road here, and then dive into the full eppy on YouTube:

Or tune in via Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 

FULL SEND…TO A FRIEND

Just about guaranteed to make it to the group chat

• George Santos finally made a smart biz move and has made himself a Cameo account, selling vids for $200 a pop. An example of his work aka art which might just be a Bravo audition tape. Oh, and Fetterman bought corrupt-guy-still-in-office-somehow Senator Menendez a cameo from George.

• Liz Cheney shared that this coming election is about whether democracy will continue and that we’re in a very dangerous moment on the Today Show. She also discussed what a vote for Trump means, specifically saying, “because a vote for Donald Trump may mean that’s the last election you get to vote in.”

• The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife has the best Christmas gift idea for your honey that’s bound to hit it out of the [state] park.

• Kelsea Ballerini shared what went into her decision to include drag queens in her CMT performance and what she learned from the response to it.

• Politico spotted a new marketing war of words, with MAGAnomics being contrasted with Bidenomics in this memo. Will either of these terms make Merriam-Webster’s words of the year in ‘24?! 

• Paternity leave can literally change a dad’s brain. No, literally – paternity leave is a game changer and a brain changer.

A SPECIAL MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU FROM FOSSI

Calling all future STEM professionals-in-training!

If you’re a high school senior thinking about college applications, check out the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative’s [FOSSI] scholarship! FOSSI is offering $40,000 scholarships to students applying to STEM programs at HBCUs! Applications are now open, and you can learn more by following this link [and sharing it with a friend that’s excited to begin their career in STEM].

BACK ON OUR BILLSH*T

Bills, bills, bills

FEDERAL: A new bill has entered the villa chat related to gun reform. The bill is the GOSAFE Act and would…

• It would regulate weapons based on their internal mechanisms as opposed to the cosmetic and external. In other words, it really gives new meaning to the phrase “what’s on the inside is what counts.”

• It would ban the sale and transfer of assault weapons. Possession would not be impacted, however.

• The capacity of a gun would need to be ‘permanently fixed’ meaning if you bought the weapon with a specific capacity, it must stay that way. In a similar vein, it would ban converting a gun to a military weapon through conversion means, ex: a bump stock. 

• And in addition, it would create a voluntary buy-back program for gun owners to receive compensation for guns that they would no longer be able to sell in the case that the bill becomes law.

The bill was introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich [NM-D.], Senator Angus King [ME-I], Senator Mark Kelly [AZ-D.], and Senator Michael Bennet [CO-D]. It’s also been endorsed by Brady United, Giffords Courage, Everytown, March Fourth, and March For Our Lives.

FEDERAL: It’s ‘ring the bipartisan bill bell time’ folks, because the COPE Act is exactly that. The bill, introduced by Rep. Jen Kiggans [VA-R] and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan [PA-D], would increase mental health resources for caregivers of veterans. Specifically, if passed, the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement [COPE] Act would create VA programs for orgs whose mission is to support the health and well-being of caregivers. The idea is domino style – if the caregiver’s mental health is supported, the care that’s provided to veterans will then be positively impacted. Various research and reporting requirements are also included in the bill.

GOOD NEWS BEARS

Positive political reads and achievements [yes, those do exist]

WOLVERINES GET FEDERAL PROTECTIONS VIA ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT: On the bad hand, wolverines are in danger because of climate change. On the good hand, they’ve finally made it onto a list of endangered species that are provided federal protections. The news comes from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service following a comprehensive update to the species’ status assessment, which found that reduction in snow cover, amongst other issues warranted wolverines' addition to the list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a year to designate a critical habitat area, along with a full court press wolverine management plan. In the meantime, there’s an interim rule related to research, trapping, and so on, and a 60-day period where stakeholders can add their two cents on said rule. 

JUDGE SHANLYN A.S. PARK BECOMES THE 1ST NATIVE HAWAIIAN WOMAN CONFIRMED AS FEDERAL JUDGE: Representation is important in everything – judgeships included, making the confirmation of Judge Shanlyn A.S. Park to be a U.S. district judge for the District of Hawaii, a huge win. The appointment to the lifetime position garnered a 53-45 vote in the Senate, putting Biden in the running to outdo Obama’s record of the number of women nominated and confirmed to the federal bench. Judge Park comes to the bench with prior experience as a state circuit judge, a role she’s been in since 2021. The Hawai’i native also worked at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Hawai’i and in private practice according to Hawai’i Public Radio.

WAIT, WAIT UPDATE ME

ICYMI, political ongoings in no particular order

US TREASURY LAUNCHES COUNTER-FENTANYL STRIKE FORCE: Hot off the presses, the U.S. The Department of Treasury announced today the launch of a Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force. The Strike Force will bring together more than minds, but also the Treasury’s resources across offices to create a comprehensive plan of attack to combat the trafficking of deadly fentanyl across the US. As one might guess with the Treasury being involved, a key part of its role will be identifying and countering financial crimes, such as money laundering, that are connected to the global supply chain of drugs, including fentanyl; sanctions and other measures of note are also under their JD umbrella. The Strike Force will also be looked to for the consolidation of info across investigations, and be communications whizzes in connecting various counternarcotics partners.

GEORGE SANTOS MOVIE “IN DEVELOPMENT:” The George Santos saga may move to a place it belongs more – in a movie form, far away from Congress.  The rumor mill has been alive with chatter that HBO Films has optioned the rights to the new George Santos book – The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos. That very news has been confirmed and Frank Rich, the man behind Veep and Succession is in the mix for the film’s production. While the film obvi will take a while to come to be, it gives us plenty of time to perfect our game “ Count the George Santos Lies Bingo,” which we expect to be an instant classic.  

MONTANA’S TIKTOK BAN BLOCKED: The first in the nation TikTok ban, which was set to begin in less than a month, was preliminarily struck down by a federal judge. The law was deemed unconstitutional, and in violation of the first amendment, by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy who said that the law “oversteps state power and infringes on the Constitutional right of users and businesses.” In addition, Judge Molloy argued that the bill over- and hyper-focused on going after China’s connection to the app, rather than protecting the state’s consumers [which is what the legislature that passed the bill claimed was the intent]. This decision on TikTok regulation will not be the last, as challenges to the decision continue through the courts. It also has opened the door to discussion of the validity of other potential bans, including one at the federal level. 

KEY STORIES TO HAVE ON YOUR RADAR

Additional stories to tune into from around the USA

• The Hill: House passes bill to freeze $6B in Iranian funds

• CNBC: Alaska Airlines agrees to buy Hawaiian Airlines in $1.9 billion deal

• Politico: House Judiciary set to unveil new spy powers bill with broad warrant requirement

• AP: Former career US diplomat charged with secretly spying for Cuban intelligence for decades

ATLAS

Stories from around the globe - section background avail here

• Reuters: Sudanese women describe being gang-raped in ethnically targeted attack by Arab forces

• NBC News: When her husband was taken hostage, she was told to keep quiet. More than a year later, she’s speaking out.

• AP: Venezuela’s government wins vote on claiming part of Guyana, but turnout seems lackluster

• CNN: One dead, two injured in Paris knife and hammer attack near Eiffel Tower

THE DEAL THAT’S A TOTAL STEAL

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Dropping every Tuesday, #VIRAL shares content ideas that work specifically for the political space, along with how they can be executed. Paired with platform tutorials, updates, social media news, and how-to’s, the newsletter is a digital team’s BFF, and the ultimate upgrade for those looking to create content that informs and resonates with their audience [voters]. Get a subscription for the team, yourself, or the social media aficionado on your list at a special cyber Monday rate – 15% off the first month – by using this link. 

Offer valid through December 31, 2023

CANDIDATE WATCH ‘24

The following Dems have said put me in coach for….

• WISCONSIN: WI Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard has announced that she’s running to be the next Dane County Executive. Learn more about her campaign here.

• MARYLAND: MD State Senator Clarence K. Lam has announced that he’s running for Congress in Maryland. Learn more about his campaign here.

• CALIFORNIA: Indio, CA Mayor Oscar Ortiz has shared that he plans on challenging a congressional incumbent in ‘24. Learn more about his campaign here.

• TEXAS: Rhonda Hart has announced that she’s running for Congress in Texas. Learn more about her campaign here.

• VIRGINIA: Virginia Delegate Elizabeth Guzman has announced that she’s running to fill Rep. Spanberger’s congressional seat who is running for governor. Learn more about her campaign here.

Inclusion does not indicate an endorsement

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