Fight Fascism - Act Today on the Budget and to Stop Genocide
Charlie Cooper
Please read below. You can help stop Trump’s fascist takeover by contacting your senators about the budget. You can support strong action in the United Nations to save the people of Gaza by overcoming the U.S. veto in the Security Council. You can message members of the House of Representatives to vote against more weapons for Israel.
What Democrats Can and Should Do on the Federal Budget
In an important article by David Dayen of The American Prospect, he argues that Senate Democrats should not vote to pass the budget unless they win major concessions from Republicans. In March, Schumer let the Republicans off the hook when a majority of Democratic senators were willing to vote no on the budget. “Schumer was able to get nine other Democrats to vote with the Republicans, so the [budget] passed, 62 to 38, two more than the 60-vote minimum.” Schumer was afraid of being blamed for a shutdown, and he decided to let Republicans pass a horrible budget. Trump then refused to spend $410 billion in grants and agency spending from that austerity budget!
Dayen says the stakes are higher now: “Today, Congress is on the verge of being totally sidelined, as President Trump misappropriates emergency powers, violating the law and usurping congressional spending powers in a bid to reinvent American government as a personalist autocracy.” Thus, he argues Democrats must not only win tangible benefits for the public in exchange for passing a budget, they must also win a guarantee that Republicans will not let Trump sabotage any promises extracted by Democrats.
Dayen explains that Trump would have to sign the budget bill and that there are numerous provisions that Democrats could insist upon to restore power to Congress while it wins substantive concessions such as the reversal of Medicaid and Obamacare cuts:
Changes to existing language so that Trump would need bi-partisan approval to cancel authorized spending.
More stringent restrictions on executive branch authority to transfer funds within an agency. (Trump has moved FEMA funds to ICE, for example.)
In exchange for Democratic votes for the budget, demand release of the $410 billion that Trump has already refused to spend.
Authorize state attorneys general to sue when Trump withholds funding from states and bar Trump from using federal funds to defend the lawsuits.
Stop funneling agency appropriations through the Office of Management and Budget, where Director Russell Vought routinely defies Congress.
Include in the budget several Republican-sponsored provisions to limit Trump’s ability to abuse his power to declare emergencies.
Except in response to a natural disaster, bar any spending to coordinate National Guard deployments to U.S. cities
Various other measures could improve protections for whistleblowers, have courts instead of the executive appoint inspectors general, protect press freedom, and improve the Freedom of Information Act.
Strip the Supreme Court of jurisdiction to concede to Trump on budget matters of impoundment. Jurisdiction-stripping is explicitly authorized by the Constitution.
Contact your senators about the budget
Members of Congress are sensitive to messages from constituents.
Step 1: Your two senators are Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen
Step 2: Give your name and address and a very brief message:
Do not vote to approve the Republican budget unless substantial Obamacare and Medicaid funding is restored AND strong protections are included to prevent Trump from subverting Congressional appropriations.
The UN Can Act Powerfully to Stop Genocide
First, I encourage you to thank Sen. Chris Van Hollen. He and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D, OR) went to Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt and issued this scathing report showing in disgusting detail how Israel is blocking aid.
The United Nations issued an official finding that Israel is committing genocide. Although the report mainly confirms previous findings by others (including the International Association of Genocide Scholars) it should give courage to the nations of the UN General Assembly. The General Assembly has a procedure to override the Security Council – and thus nullify the U.S. veto of any measures meant to constrain Israel. The Uniting for Peace Resolution provides a path of action to:
Revoke Israel’s UN credentials
Require nations to initiate trade and military embargoes against Israel
Reactivate the UN’s long-dormant anti-apartheid mechanism
Establish an armed force to bring in and distribute humanitarian aid
Set up a criminal tribunal.
At this point 147 out of 193 countries have recognized the Palestine state. A one-year deadline set by the General Assembly for Israel to comply with the International Court of Justice rulings expires on Sept.18. Nations now need to find the courage to buck the United States’ economic and military power and pass a strong Uniting for Peace Resolution. With Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza, the situation is beyond dire right now. Here’s what to do.
Email Secretary General Antonio Guterres via his spokesperson, Stéphane Djarric, at duja...@un.org and message him on X at @antonioguterres: Please urge nations to pass a Uniting for Peace Resolution to stop the genocide, rush humanitarian aid, and save the people of Gaza.
Send an email to President Mahmoud Abbas and Ambassador Riyad Mansour, urging them to request a Multinational Protection Force Through Uniting for Peace. Click here to send your letter.
Send a letter to President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, expressing your support and gratitude for his willingness to initiate the United for Peace mechanism. Email him at gustav...@gmail.com.
For more information: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/08/how-the-un-could-act-today-to-stop-the-genocide-in-palestine/
And House Members Can Vote to “Block the Bombs”
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D, IL) has introduced H.R. 3565, to block shipment of certain weapons to Israel. The bill has 46 co-sponsors, but Jamie Raskin is the only Marylander.
Step 1: Click here to find the congressional district for your address
Step 2: Please contact your member of the House, give your name and address, and say:
Please co-sponsor Rep. Ramirez’ H.R. 3565, the Block the Bombs bill. It is the strongest and most effective action Congress can take to limit Israel’s ability to continue prosecuting its genocide against Gaza.
You can also ask Sen. Chris Van Hollen (contact info above) to introduce a “Block the Bombs” bill in the Senate.
Thank you for contacting Congress and UN staff/members!!
Charlie Cooper
I am sure you realize that the public charter of Hamas is to kill all Israelis (this was changed from killing all Jews in the world in 2018). Their strategy to accomplish this was and still is to attack, kidnap, and retreat into Gaza using their own indoctrinated population as a human shield to generate global outrage. The non-combatants in Gaza are fully cooperating with this plan and are empowered by the public outrage created by individuals in the West to stay the course. Genocide is all too common in the Middle East. You might struggle to ask the Orthodox Assyrian Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, or the Armenian Church because most of them have been obliterated from the earth (a real genocide). They have all died at the hands of radical muslim sects that will not stop till they control the next territory they declare is theirs. Ask Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Nigeria, all countries that used to be majority Christian. I think your pro-Gaza propaganda is misplaced. Israel is the only Democracy left in the Middle East, and they are doing everything they can to solve their problem internally and externally, the best they can.