Sign Robert Reich’s petition: Let Medicare and Medicaid negotiate lower drug prices

Donald Trump's new drug plan omits the critical step needed to truly reduce prices: Taking on Big Pharma.

In 2003, Big Pharma got a U.S. law prohibiting the government from using its considerable bargaining clout under Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate lower drug prices.

During his campaign, Trump promised to reverse this law. But the plan he revealed Friday doesn’t touch it. Trump’s plan seeks only to make it easier for private health insurers to negotiate better deals for Medicare beneficiaries.

In reality, private health insurers don’t have anywhere near the clout of Medicare and Medicaid -- which was the whole point of Big Pharma’s getting Congress to ban such negotiations in the first place.

To truly reduce drug prices in America, we need to release Big Pharma’s stranglehold on the U.S. government.

Sign Robert Reich's petition with Democracy for America calling on Congress to allow Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate lower drug prices.

Add your name: Stand in solidarity with Oklahoma teachers now

First, it happened in West Virginia. Then it spread to Kentucky.

Now, a new, radical push for economic justice is taking hold in Oklahoma -- one of the "reddest" states in the country. And it's being driven by teachers.

More than 30,000 Oklahomans showed up at the Capitol to fight for school funding, led by teachers who are among the worst paid in the nation and are fighting to keep their public school system alive. They're vowing to keep protesting and striking until their Republican legislature raises the revenue necessary to give Oklahoma students the quality education they deserve.

Democracy for America stands with workers, period. We're ready to do everything we can to support these brave teachers as they fight GOP legislators who would rather give tax breaks to the rich than fund public schools.

Republicans are trying to drive a wedge between striking teachers, students and the community. That's why our support is so important right now. Many DFA-endorsed candidates including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Randy Bryce are already standing in solidarity with the teachers:

Will you add your name to stand in solidarity with the Oklahoma teachers, and all of the teachers across the country who are fighting the GOP for fair wages and public school funding now?

Tell Democrats: No more funding legislation until a clean DREAM Act becomes law!

Photo: Pax Ahimsa Gethen

In a stunning display of moral and political cowardice, Senate Democrats sold out more than 700,000 Dreamers by handing Donald Trump and the GOP the funding they asked for, despite their refusal to pass a clean DREAM Act.

Sign our petition and tell Democrats to stop playing games with people's lives: No more votes on Republican funding legislation until they pass a clean DREAM Act.

"We were not born in this country, but we grew up here and we’re fighting to earn our place. Please give us our chance to serve the only country we consider home. Please find a way to allow us to work and stay right here where we belong."

Those are the words of Zion Dirgantara, a soldier in the U.S. Army who was brought to this country by his mother when he was only 12 years old. He has served this country faithfully -- but because Donald Trump cancelled DACA, he now lives in fear of deportation.

If Democrats will not stand up for someone like Zion -- or for overwhelmingly popular legislation like the DREAM Act -- why should we trust them to stand up for any of us?

This isn't just a matter of work permits or bureaucracy. Peoples' actual lives are on the line. It is morally reprehensible that Democrats think it is more important to appease the Freedom Caucus and mythical centrist voters than to protect our families, friends and neighbors.

Sign our petition and tell Democrats to give Dreamers the security they deserve by demanding a clean Dream Act before any passing additional GOP funding bills.

When Donald Trump and Republicans rejected any possible solution for Dreamers and set up the government shutdown late last week, it looked like Democrats had finally decided to stand up for what is right.

But in less than 72 hours, they caved, all because chronic liar Mitch McConnell "promised" to allow debate on immigration legislation at some point -- a promise that doesn't guarantee any sort of protection for Dreamers.

Luis V. Gutiérrez, Chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, was livid about the Democrats’ spectacular failure to stand up for immigrants:

"If the Republicans said we are ending same-sex marriage, but we promise Democrats a vote later; or we approve of oil drilling in every national park, but you’ll have a vote later – do you think the Democrats would say yes? This shows me that when it comes to immigrants, Latinos and their families, Democrats are still not willing to go to the mat to allow people in my community to live in our country legally."

Democrats have gotten away with breaking their promises to Dreamers for way too long. The continuing resolution passed this week sets up a budget deadline on February 8th. Democrats must use the leverage they have to push Congress to finally fulfill its commitment to protect these young Americans.

No more games. No more deals. Sign our petition and tell Democrats no more passing GOP funding legislation until a clean DREAM Act becomes law.

Thanks for helping us hold Democrats accountable for this terrible decision.

Protect the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Thousands of children across the country will be unable to play basketball, join the dance team, or cheerlead this year, because they can't get an annual physical.

Thousands more will forgo dialysis, surgery, or chemotherapy, because their parents won't have the money available to fund their treatment.

All of this because Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch is having...

"...a rough time wanting to spend billions and billions and trillions of dollars to help people who won't help themselves -- won't lift a finger -- and expect the federal government to do everything."

Since its creation in 1997, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has provided medical care for millions of children throughout the country. Children who, without the program, would have gone without medical treatments for cancer, broken limbs, or even annual physicals.

Now, Republicans in Congress are refusing to reauthorize funding for CHIP, leaving millions of vulnerable children at risk of losing their healthcare.

Congress has an obligation to provide for the healthcare and safety of all Americans, but especially so when it comes to protecting the lives of our kids.

That's why Democracy for America is calling on Republicans in Congress to reauthorize the CHIP program now -- and not use it as political football during short-term spending bill negotiations that could end in a government shutdown this Friday.

Sign the petition to Congress: Demand they reauthorize CHIP now and stop playing games with the lives of more than 8 million children who need critical medical care.

MEDICARE FOR ALL: Become a public co-sponsor of Bernie’s new bill

The time is now to address one of the great crises our nation faces.

It is not acceptable that 28 million Americans have no health insurance and that even more are under-insured with high co-payments and deductibles.

The time is now for a Medicare-for-All, single-payer system. Health care must be a right, not a privilege.

Please add your name as a citizen co-sponsor of my Medicare-for-all, single-payer health care bill.

Sign up: 10 Days to Defeat Trumpcare

Americans of all political affiliations are disgusted with Senate Republicans' efforts to force a vote on their Trumpcare bill. The lack of transparency is an abuse of power, and insulting to the 24 million Americans whose health care is threatened by the Trumpcare bill.

Senate Republicans hope to pass the bill as soon as possible. 

DFA members know this is extremely urgent. That's why we're asking you to join other DFA members and commit to spending the next 10 Days to Defeat Trumpcare.

Here's how 10 Days to Defeat Trumpcare works. A DFA staffer will send you an action to take -- such as contacting Senators, and organizing your friends and family to participate to defeat Trumpcare.

Together we will demand that Republican Senators listen to their constituents and refuse to vote for Trumpcare. We will also encourage Democratic Senators to resist by delaying the votes as much as possible.

College For All Act: Become a Citizen Co-Sponsor

Hundreds of thousands of talented, smart, hard-working young people simply can't afford to attend college and pursue a degree that will help them achieve their dreams. And millions of others who do find a way to pay for college end up graduating with a crushing mountain of student loan debt.

It's unbelievable that America -- one of the wealthiest nations in the world -- refuses to invest in our young people's education. In response, Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Pramila Jayapal are announcing a bill they've been working on together. This bill will eliminate undergraduate tuition at four-year public colleges and universities. We're calling it the College for All Act.

Will you sign on to be a citizen co-sponsor of Bernie Sanders and Pramila Jayapal's bill to make college tuition FREE at four-year public colleges and universities? 
 

Tell Congressional Democrats: Fight for Medicare for All

Even if the ACA remains intact under Trump's Republican Party, the Congressional Budget Office predicts that 28 million Americans will remain uninsured, a disproportionate number of whom are people of color. And millions more will continue to struggle with sky-high deductibles and co-pays that they can't afford.

Some Democrats claim that a single-payer system is politically impossible. But recent polls show that the fight over Trumpcare has actually increased support for government taking a more active role in the health care system.

A new Pew Research Poll out this week found that 60% of Americans think that it is the responsibility of government to guarantee affordable health care for all Americans, including a stunning 56% of GOP voters who make less than $30,000 a year.

Embracing universal coverage wouldn't just be the right thing for Democrats to do -- it would be a smart way to win new voters and build the majority we need to defeat Donald Trump, all while remaining true to our values.

Democrats have a choice to make. They can do the bidding of corporate donors, or they can offer voters a real alternative that would provide universal access, reduce consumer costs and create a healthier country for everyone.

Tell Democrats to stand up to right-wing extremists: Sign the petition to impeach Maine Gov. Paul Le

Before there was Donald Trump, there was Paul LePage.

Maine's Tea Party governor has a trail a mile long of saying and doing horrible, bigoted things -- and, so far, he's getting away with it.

And now -- with Donald Trump's election -- LePage has been emboldened.

On Election Day, Maine voters approved an increase in the minimum wage to $12 an hour, a major step forward in the fight against income inequality. But LePage told his Department of Labor not to enforce the new $12 minimum wage law.

Defying the voters of his state, LePage won't punish employers who won't comply. If the government doesn't enforce the minimum wage, employers will simply not pay workers what they've earned. He's even calling the initiative a "recommendation" -- which, under the Maine constitution, it isn't. It's law that must be enforced to benefit workers.

This is outrageous. This is lawlessness. And it's grounds for impeachment. LePage was nearly impeached twice in 2016 -- but legislators let him off the hook. Until they act, LePage will continue to say and do terrible things.

It's time for Democrats everywhere to stand up to right-wing extremists -- from Donald Trump to Paul LePage. Sign the petition and tell Maine legislators: Impeach Gov. LePage!

STOP TRUMP: Tell Democrats to protect Medicare now

The battle to protect Medicare from Donald Trump and Paul Ryan is heating up fast -- and Paul Ryan is already feeling defensive. Just yesterday he claimed we have nothing to worry about:

"This is the latest wave of Democratic talking points to try and play 'Mediscare' politics, which is what they typically do every other Tuesday." -Paul Ryan, quoted in The Hill, 12/1/16

Don't believe him. Paul Ryan has spent his entire career in Congress trying to destroy Medicare. He has repeatedly said he wants to cut benefits, privatize Medicare, and make it harder and more expensive for people to get health care. Seniors would have to spend money they don't have getting the care they need.

Donald Trump has already proven he'll help Paul Ryan destroy Medicare -- and he picked Tom Price, an extremist anti-Medicare zealot to become the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Price has already suggested Republicans could act quickly in 2017 to destroy Medicare.

We know we can stop them -- because we stopped George W. Bush when he tried the same attack on Social Security. The secret: mobilize the public to unite Democrats against any attack on Medicare, and go on offense against Republicans. That's exactly what DFA plans to do.

Sign Robert Reich’s petition to Congress: Don’t let Republicans stop overtime pay

Because of a new overtime regulation issued this week by the Labor Department, over 13 million workers will get a raise. Starting on December 1, most salaried workers earning up to $47,476 a year will receive time-and-a-half overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours during a week. The previous cutoff for overtime pay, set in 2004, was $23,660.

Unfortunately, the battle is not over yet.

Republicans and their corporate allies have already begun their effort to overturn the new rules. Paul Ryan has said he is "committed" to passing legislation in Congress to stop Americans from getting this raise. President Obama will veto it. Then Congress will try to override it.

That's where DFA members like you come in. Your activism has helped make this expansion of overtime pay possible. Now we need you to defend it against Republican attacks. Please sign my petition today.

Join Elizabeth Warren: Become a citizen cosponsor of the SAVE Benefits Act

Social Security just announced that there will be no increase in benefits, for only the third time in the last 40 years. At the beginning of each year there is usually a cost of living adjustment, giving seniors and veterans more money in their pocket to afford basic needs.

This year, gas prices are low and because of the way the government calculates inflation, they're saying there's no need for a Social Security benefit increase. But we know that rent keeps rising. So does the cost of groceries, health care, medicine, and more. Without a cost of living increase, many people on Social Security will struggle to pay their bills.

We have to do something about it before January 1. And Elizabeth Warren has an answer: the SAVE Benefits Act. We don't have a lot of time. 

Will you join DFA and help Elizabeth Warren build public support for an emergency boost to Social Security benefits? Add your name and become a citizen co-sponsor of the SAVE Benefits Act!

Stand with Keith Ellison and DFA: Tell Paul Ryan to support paid family leave

The United States is the only developed nation in the world that does not provide mandatory paid family leave, and only 13% of Americans have it through their employer. This has to change.

If Paul Ryan is entitled to this right, so are all hardworking Americans.

Join Congressman Keith Ellison and Democracy for America and demand action on paid family leave now.

BREAKING: DFA says any budget deal including SS cuts is “declaring a holy war on working families”

Reports suggest that Congress and the White House may be near a budget deal that could include cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits.

Statement from Democracy for America Chair Jim Dean on the unacceptability of any budget deal that includes earned benefit cuts:

"If talk about Social Security benefit cuts in an upcoming budget deal is a trial ballon, it must be popped right now.

"The White House needs to know that any budget deal that cuts Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits or eligibility for those benefits is unacceptable to the American people and roughly equivalent to declaring a holy war on struggling working families near the kick-off of the 2016 election.

"Over the last three years, the American people have said in poll after poll that we should be expanding Social Security benefits, not cutting them, and earlier this year nearly every single Senate Democrat voted for legislation that supported that popular idea.

Founded in 2004, Democracy for America is a people-powered PAC with 1 million members who have raised and contributed more than $32.7 million and made more than 10.1 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 831 progressive candidates nationwide.

DFA has been one of the leading progressive voices in the fight for the incredibly popular idea of Social Security expansion -- including pushing it forward as a key idea in the 2016 presidential election.

DFA warns Dems, vote Fast Track and we will “search for opportunities to primary you”

Ahead of today's votes on the Medicare-cutting Trade Adjustment Assistance Legislation and Fast Track bill, Democracy for America wanted to lay out the stakes for those Democrats still contemplating voting for it.

Statement from Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy for America to members of Congress about today's votes:

"Ahead of today's votes we wanted to be very clear to Democratic members of Congress:  If you vote for either Medicare-cutting Trade Adjustment Assistance legislation or Fast Track Authority for the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership, we will not lift a finger or raise a penny to protect you when you're attacked in 2016, we will encourage our progressive allies to join us in leaving you to rot, and we will actively search for opportunities to primary you with a real Democrat.
 

"Those primaries could happen next year or they could happen in election cycles to come, but, make no mistake, today's vote to cut Medicare and fast track the destruction of American jobs will be remembered and will either haunt you or make you a hero." -- Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America

Stand with Elizabeth Warren: Sign on to support debt-free college

Democracy for America and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee are teaming up to support Brian Schatz, Elizabeth Warren, Raul Grijalva, Keith Ellison, and other progressive leaders in Congress to get the debt out of college. These progressive champions are launching a new resolution to build support for debt-free college:

"Resolved, that Congress supports efforts to ensure that, through a combination of efforts, all students have access to debt-free higher education, defined to mean having no debt upon graduation from all public institutions of higher education."

Our goal is simple: Get Congress on record in support of debt-free college and spark a movement to make it a reality. This resolution can be the start of something big -- but we need your support to blow it wide open. Are you with us?

Sign Elizabeth Warren's petition: Support the debt-free college!