Posted on June 5, 2019
CREDO Tip: How to Stop Robocalls
Heard from any robots lately? You’re not the only one. Robocalls are exploding. There were 4.9 billion robocalls placed nationwide in April 2019 alone (up from 2.6 billion the previous year). That’s around 14.9 calls to every person in the United States – in one month! In fact, almost half of all calls made on any given day are robocalls.
Many of these calls are legitimate, of course. Like maybe your dentist calling to remind you of that root canal. But many are worse. Worse than a root canal? Yes. Many robocalls – and live calls from people you don’t know – come from scammers trying to swindle you.
The Senate is trying to crack down on robocalls and recently passed the TRACED act, a bill that allows fines as high as $10,000 per call from robocallers who knowingly disregard the rules. The bill also seeks to increase the statute of limitations from one year to three years. It’s a great first step, but regulatory action alone will not stop robocalls. Regulators are up against the combined forces of internet technology, profit motive and geography (a lot of robocalls come from outside the United States) – and they’re losing.
The problem is robocall scammers are getting better. Techniques like “neighbor spoofing,” which makes it appear that a robocall is from a number in your area and, therefore, perhaps a call with an honest purpose. Maybe it’s your kid’s school or your car mechanic – so you answer. A lot of people do. And some of them are cruelly scammed. Some lose their life savings.
Take measures to protect yourself. Here’s what you can do.
Register your number in the National Do Not Call registry
This is a good first step. Once your number is listed here, most legitimate companies won’t call you anymore. But the Do Not Call registry prohibits only sales calls. You may still receive calls from political campaigns, charities, debt collectors and survey takers. And some think robocallers have outwitted the government, rendering the National Do Not Call Registry ineffective.
In addition, a company can call you if it has recently done business with you. Although if you ask a company not to call you again, it must stop. Make sure to record the date of your request if this happens.
Dismiss calls you don’t recognize
If your number is on the Do Not Call Registry for more than 31 days and you get a sales call or any kind of robocall, the simplest approach is to ignore it.
This is not always easy to do, of course. What if it’s important? If you do answer a call from a number you don’t recognize and it does turn out to be spam, don’t interact in any way. Don’t press a button to be removed from the call list or to speak with a live person. Doing this will flag you as a target and likely lead to more calls.
Instead, hang up and report the call to the FTC.
Get a call-blocking app
(Standard disclaimer: App creators’ views and values are their own and are not endorsed by CREDO Mobile. Before downloading any app, please confirm that it meets your personal standards for corporate ethics and protection of privacy.)
There are hundreds of call-blocking apps on the market now. Most work a similar way: They check incoming calls against a robocall database and block them. But they can only stop calls from known robocallers, so calls from fresh numbers may still get through.
One highly rated free app is Hiya, which is available for Android and Apple phones. Other free apps to check out include YouMail, Mr. Number and Truecaller. If you don’t mind a small subscription fee, there are paid apps that claim to do more, like Nomorobo ($1.99/month) and RoboKiller ($2.99/month).
One fun app is the Jolly Roger Telephone Co., which has the tagline “our robots talk to telemarketers so that humans don’t have to”. It’s 99 cents a month, but that small fee might be worth the satisfaction of sticking it to the scammers. For a few laughs, go to the Jolly Roger blog and listen to the remarkably lifelike Jolly Roger bots give clueless scammers the runaround. Score one for our side.
AT&T and Robocalls
While we’re on the topic of robocalls, we’d like to tell you about a 2018 robocall campaign by AT&T that was aimed at stopping California’s landmark bill to preserve net neutrality. The bill that AT&T was against would have ensured that California residents had access to a free and fair internet, without Big Telecom’s throttling and price gouging by.
Specifically targeted at senior citizens, the AT&T robocalls spread misinformation and claimed that California’s net neutrality legislation would increase cell phone bills and slow down data connections.
If you’re an AT&T customer, you should be angry. Do you really want to send a monthly payment to a company that wants to interfere with your internet so it can make more millions?
Instead, consider CREDO Mobile, the only carrier fighting for your rights and a free, open internet. For more than a decade, CREDO has been fighting for strong net neutrality protections. We’ve mobilized hundreds of thousands of CREDO members to take millions of actions, including petitions and phone calls to key decision makers and protests in Washington and across the country.
Are there other tips to block robocallers that have worked for you? We’d love to hear about them!
This is an update to a previously published article.
Posted on June 4, 2019
Our May grantees thank CREDO members for their support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible organizations. Those small actions add up – with one click, they help fund groups fighting for economic justice, net neutrality and workers’ rights. In May, CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation to the Center for Media and Democracy, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, and Movement School.
These donations are made possible by CREDO Mobile and CREDO Energy customers and the revenue they generate by using our products and services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our May grant recipients thank you.
Center for Media and Democracy
“Thank you for your generous support and partnership with CMD. CREDO members like you make possible our breakthrough investigations into the hidden influence of big corporations and billionaires distorting our democracy. You’ve helped shine a light!”
-Arn Pearson, Executive Director, Center for Media and Democracy
To learn more, visit www.exposedbycmd.org.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières
“Thank you CREDO and its members for your support of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Your generosity helps doctors, nurses, midwives and many others provide life-saving medical care to people in urgent need around the world.”
To learn more, visit www.doctorswithoutborders.org.
“We are so appreciative of CREDO’s support at this critical and early stage of Movement School, and look forward to many more years of close collaboration with you and your members.“
-Gabe Tobias, National Training Director, Movement School
To learn more, visit www.movementschool.us.
Now check out the three groups we are funding in June, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and CREDO Energy and join our movement.
Posted on June 1, 2019
Vote to fund Free Speech For People, Friends of the Earth Action and MPower Change this June
Every month, CREDO members help us decide how to distribute our monthly donation among three great progressive organizations. This June, you can help groups holding Trump accountable, defending the environment and standing up for the American Muslim community by casting your vote for the Free Speech For People, Friends of the Earth Action and MPower Change.
Free Speech For People works to challenge big money in politics, the unprecedented corruption of the White House and unchecked corporate power. The organization envisions a democratic process in which all people have an equal voice and an equal vote.
Support from CREDO members would help to expand the group’s campaign for an impeachment investigation of Donald Trump, fight the corruption of the current administration and work to end the dominance of big money in our elections.
A close ally of CREDO in the fight for environmental and climate justice, Friends of the Earth Action defends the environment and champions a healthy and just world. The group works at the nexus of environmental protection, economic policy and social justice to fundamentally transform the way people and the environment are valued.
Support from CREDO members would help Friends of the Earth Action defend the environment from the Trump agenda by exposing corruption by Trump and his appointees, fight for the Green New Deal and making sure it is strong enough to address the true threat of the climate crisis, pressure corporations to protect the environment and help pass new laws at the state level to protect bees and other pollinators from pesticides.
MPower Change is a grassroots movement of U.S. Muslims organizing for social, racial, and economic justice for all. The organization coproduces campaigns, both online and in the streets, that reach millions of people and train hundreds of organizers around the country.
With the relentless attacks on the American Muslim community by Donald Trump and his administration, funding from CREDO members is more important now than ever. CREDO support would help the MPower Change team to rapidly respond to political and community emergencies with high-profile campaigns and invest in training and support for local Muslim community organizers, groups and networks.
Your vote this month will determine how we divide our monthly donation among these three progressive groups. Be sure to cast your vote to support one, two or all three by June 30.
CREDO members who use our products and services everyday are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and CREDO Energy and join our movement.
Posted on May 30, 2019
5 Things Every Smartphone User Should Know
Let’s be honest, the world without smartphones seems like eons ago. Today, we rely on them as the Earth relies on the moon. Our smartphones serve as clocks, alarms, memory collectors, health monitors, children trackers or financial advisors…the list goes on. There are so many things our phones can do for us, in fact, that the possibilities can easily turn into distractions.
Need directions? There’s An App For That™. Need to know where the nearest public restroom is? There’s An App For That™ too. Need to order groceries and have them delivered to your door as soon as you get home? There are several apps for that!
Here are 5 things every smartphone user should know to get the most out of their mobile experience.
(Note: App creators’ views and values are their own and are not endorsed by CREDO Mobile. Before downloading any app, please confirm that it meets your personal standards for corporate ethics and protection of privacy.)
Protect yourself in case of an emergency.
Smartphones offer two really important features that you should set up immediately. The first is the Health App available on the iPhone or Medical ID for Android users. This feature can save your life in an emergency by providing EMTs and health care professionals with vital information about your medical history in the event that you are unconscious or unable to respond to questions.
Additionally, the Bsafe app, available for both iPhone and Android users, makes walking alone a whole lot safer. The app features an SOS button that will immediately alert your family or friends with location and real-time video that automatically begins streaming. The service can be voice activated and includes additional features like Sirene, which creates a loud siren-like alarm to deter attackers with one touch.
Easily record your screen
Sharing phone tips just got a whole lot easier with the iPhone’s ability to record your screen. Simply access the control panel by swiping up from the bottom of your screen (or down from the top right corner if you have the iPhone X). Click on the circle record button, wait for the countdown and begin using your phone. This feature is a huge time saver if you’re like me and people are always asking “How do I customize my control center?” Once you’re done recording you just swipe down and click stop recording. Then locate the file in your Photos App and send it off!
Android users can download Mobizen form the Google Play Store and perform the same functions.
Hang a picture or measure a space
Unless you’re an interior decorator or architect, chances are you don’t carry a measuring tape or leveler with you wherever you go. Except now you do! Apple’s new Measure App is built into your iOS and uses the augmented reality technology in your device to automatically detect the dimensions of rectangular objects.
And with the leveling feature in the app hanging pictures has never been easier. Simply open the app, choose “level” and use as you would a regular leveler!
For Android users, Bubble Level has the same features.
Let your phone ease you into bedtime
Apple calls this feature Downtime. Under Settings > Screen Time > Downtime. You can customize the app by day and time, then choose what apps will not be available during that time. This will prevent you from falling down a YouTube, Twitter or Instagram rabbit hole right before it’s time for some shut eye.
Google’s version of this is called Wind Down and you can find it under Settings > Digital Well Being.
Salvage a wet phone
Because many of us are attached to our phones – we take them everywhere – and because water covers 71% of the earth’s surface, our phones are bound to meet water at some point or another. So this last tip is here to help give you peace of mind.
We’ve all been here. Rex, the family’s new Chihuahua rescue, is afraid of water and uses the pool to drink rather than swim. But it’s a hot day and out of the corner of your eye, you catch him dip his toe in timidly before taking a gleeful plunge. Your heart swells with pride as you grab your phone and fumble for the camera. The next thing you know, your phones at the bottom of the pool and the screen has gone black. Your phone is dead.
But it might not be! You might actually be able to save it (and that video you just took) by following a few simple steps. (Note: This advice will not always work, so we suggest keeping your phone away from water if possible!)
- Do not turn it on. If you have an Android, open the back and pull out the battery. If you have an iPhone, leave it intact.
- Fill up a bag with uncooked rice.
- Put the phone (and its pieces) into the bag. Seal it. Leave it overnight. If your phone was in the water for longer than a minute, consider leaving for an additional day.
- Be patient! Don’t try to turn it on after a few hours or speed up the process by blow drying it, or sticking it in the microwave or oven.
- After 24 or 48 hours, put your phone back together. If it turns on, you’re in business.
Be safe, redecorate with ease, save time and reduce your stress levels so you can get back to doing the things you love like scrolling through endlessly entertaining cat videos on YouTube (during appropriate daylight hours).
Posted on May 24, 2019
Stop Trump’s Iran War – Watch Sen Murphy and Win Without War
A crisis in the Middle East is escalating. Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton is frantically trying to make war with Iran a foregone conclusion. A war with Iran would be devastating, but Congress has the constitutional authority to make – and stop – war.
We were honored to hold a panel discussion about Trump’s dangerous war build-up with Sen. Chris Murphy, Erica Fein of Win Without War and Alex Lawson of Social Security Works to discuss the Trump administration’s march to war with Iran and what both Congress and the public can do to stop it.
If you’d like to join us and urge Congress to pass S.1039 and H.R. 2354, the Prevention of Unconstitutional War with Iran Act of 2019, click here to sign our petition.
Posted on May 23, 2019
Six groups fighting to protect reproductive freedom from Republican attacks
Republicans are relentless in trying to control women’s bodies and take away our freedom. We have to continue being relentless in defending it.
In states across the country, including in Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Arkansas, Mississippi and North Dakota, Republican lawmakers are pushing through extreme and unconstitutional bills to strip women’s rights, control their bodies and ban abortions. And Republicans aren’t even hiding their ultimate goal: to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that affirmed a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion.
As Republicans feel emboldened with a misogynist in the White House and anti-choice activists on the Supreme Court, our allies and partners on the frontlines who are fighting to protect abortion access, especially for women of color, women living in poverty and LGBTQ people in the reddest of states, now need our support more than ever.
We’d like to highlight six groups fighting in the trenches for abortion access and economic and reproductive freedom. CREDO donated $1,000 to each of these groups, and if you’d like to join us, you can click here to make a donation today.
Access Reproductive Care – Southeast
ARC-Southeast aims to help individuals in the South in accessing safe, compassionate and affordable reproductive care through advocacy and abortion funding.
- Learn more about Access Reproductive Care – Southeast: https://www.arc-southeast.org/
- Follow Access Reproductive Care – Southeast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arcsoutheastinc/
- Follow Access Reproductive Care – Southeast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARC_Southeast
Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund
The Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund is an organization led by low-income, working-class women of color and femme volunteers who are dedicated to working toward reproductive justice. The Fund offers financial assistance and practical support to people seeking abortion as well as free emergency contraception and community-based comprehensive sex education.
- Learn more about the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund: https://msreprofreedomfund.org/
- Follow SisterSong on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fundMSabortions/
- Follow SisterSong on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fundmsabortions
Planned Parenthood Southeast
Planned Parenthood Southeast provides comprehensive reproductive health care services in settings that preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual. It also advocates for public policies that guarantee these rights and ensure access to health services and educational programs for all.
- Learn more about Planned Parenthood Southeast: https://www.plannedoarenthood.org/planned-parenthood-southeast
- Follow Planned Parenthood Southeast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ppseadvocates/
- Follow Planned Parenthood Southeast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PPSE_Advocates
SisterSong
SisterSong’s mission is to strengthen and amplify the collective voices of indigenous women and women of color to achieve reproductive justice by eradicating reproductive oppression and securing human rights.
- Learn more about SisterSong: https://www.sistersong.net
- Follow SisterSong on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SisterSongWOC/
- Follow SisterSong on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SisterSong_WOC
Urge – Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
URGE envisions a world where all people have agency over their own bodies and relationships and the power, knowledge, and tools to exercise that agency. URGE builds this vision by engaging young people in creating and leading the way to sexual and reproductive justice for all by providing training, field mobilization and national leadership for a youth-driven agenda.
- Learn more about URGE: https://www.urge.org
- Follow URGE on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/URGEorg/
- Follow URGE on Twitter: https://twitter.com/urge_org
Yellowhammer Fund
The Yellowhammer Fund provides funding for anyone seeking care at one of Alabama’s three abortion clinics and will help with other barriers to access (travel, lodging, etc.). The Yellowhammer Fund is also committed to collaborations, advocacy and programming that further the goals of reproductive justice.
- Learn more about Yellowhammer Fund: https://www.yellowhammerfund.org
- Follow Yellowhammer Fund on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YellowFund/
- Follow Yellowhammer Fund on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yellowfund
Posted on May 23, 2019
CREDO Tips: 5 Twitter accounts fighting for peace
This Memorial Day, follow these 5 Twitter accounts fighting for peace
For many of us, Memorial Day weekend has become the unofficial kick-off of the summer season. But Memorial Day was established to remember those who died while serving in the U.S. military.
With Donald Trump ratcheting up the rhetoric and threatening war with Iran, it’s important that we support our allies fighting for peace. That’s why today we’d like to recognize five groups working for a more peaceful world and urge you to learn more about them and follow their work on Twitter.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a global grassroots movement and one of the world’s foremost defenders of human rights. With millions of activists worldwide, the organization works tirelessly toward the fair treatment for people everywhere. Amnesty International has helped to free tens of thousands of people from unjust imprisonment for exercising their human rights.
Since 1986, CREDO members have donated $1,294,273 to Amnesty International.
Follow @amnesty on Twitter
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch, which investigates and reports on human rights abuses all around the globe, is comprised of lawyers, country experts and journalists from across the globe working to expose human rights abuses, report the stories of vulnerable communities and hold governments, armed groups and businesses accountable to ensure they change or enforce existing laws and policies.
Since 1995, CREDO members have donated $831,288 to Human Rights Watch.
Follow @hrw on Twitter
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee’s mission is to “help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.” The organization responds within 72 hours to some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises by delivering aid that saves lives and helping pave the way for long-term recovery. In all of its work, it focuses on breaking down barriers faced by women and girls.
Since 2015, CREDO members have donated $83,599 to the International Rescue Committee.
Follow @theIRC on Twitter
Win Without War
Born out of the movement against Iraq War, Win Without War has for more than a decade helped lead the effort to promote peace and a more-progressive national security strategy. WWW knows our progressive values don’t stop at our borders, and the organization unites people-powered campaigns and advocacy with a national partner network to reject violence-first U.S. foreign policies and build a more peaceful and just world.
Since 2017, CREDO members have donated $108,633 to Win Without War.
Follow @WinWithoutWar on Twitter
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. It empowers people in over 40 countries to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. The organization has provided $4 billion in lifesaving assistance to over 220 million people just in the last 39 years.
Since 1999, CREDO members have donated $321,732 to Mercy Corps.
Follow @mercycorps on Twitter
Posted on May 16, 2019
CREDO Tip: 15 ways to save energy and money this summer
People were cooler in the ’80s. Literally. The last time the global monthly temperature was below average was February 1985. Which means that if you were born after that date, you have not enjoyed a cooler-than-average month in your entire life.
Climate change is the most urgent existential problem facing our planet. That’s why we mobilize our millions of CREDO members to take action on climate justice issues and support groups like 350.org, Rainforest Action Network, and Earthjustice through our CREDO donations program.
Of course, we also try to do our part at home by conserving energy where we can to shrink our carbon footprint. As an added benefit, when we reduce our energy use, we can also save money on our energy bills.
Here are 15 suggestions for saving energy and money this summer.
Use a programmable or smart thermostat.
Programmable and smart thermostats can help regulate energy use by offering pre-programmable settings depending on the time of day. The goal is to realize energy and cost savings without sacrificing comfort. You program in the desired temperature depending on the time of day. Some smart thermostats can also “learn” your heating and cooling habits and adjust the temperature in your home. Here’s a guide on how to use programmable thermostats properly.
Close your curtains.
Shut your curtains or blinds to keep out the heat during the day. Doing this can cut home heat gain by 45%, according to the Department of Energy. Curtains are not as effective as blinds, but even a medium-color curtain with white plastic on the back can cut heat gain by 33%.
Set your AC higher.
If you use air conditioning, set it at the highest temperature you can tolerate comfortably. You’ll save 10% a year on your cooling bill by setting your thermostat 10 to 15 degrees higher for eight hours each day.
Also: AC will not cool a space faster if you crank it to the maximum when you get home. Dialing the thermostat down to 60 won’t get you to 70 any quicker. You’ll just waste extra energy and money.
Get a fan.
If you don’t have a ceiling fan at home, a floor fan will also do a great job of keeping you cool. If you use air conditioning, a good fan will allow you to raise your thermostat 4 degrees with no reduction in comfort, according to Energy.gov, though your personal results may vary.
Make a personal AC.
Put a bowl of ice in front of an electric fan. The fan will blow the cold air in your direction and keep you cool. This uses a lot less energy than air conditioning. And it really is a thing, we didn’t make it up! It actually does work, if only for a short while.
Close doors and vents.
Don’t waste energy cooling rooms you don’t spend time in. Close the doors to these rooms and shut the vents that supply them.
Check seals on windows and doors.
Make sure the seals around your windows and doors are in good shape and provide an air-proof seal. Check the weather stripping and the caulking around the doors and windows, the glazing (the substance that holds the panes of glass in place) and the threshold under each door. If any of these are damaged or are not tight, have them repaired.
Plant trees.
If you have a house, plant more trees, shrubs, and bushes around the edges. They not only provide shade, but they also cool the air before it penetrates your walls and windows.
Line dry your clothes.
Clotheslines are making a comeback. And summer, of course, is the best time for line drying. The sun is available and you’ll keep radiant heat from the dryer out of your home.
Also: Air dry your dishes if you have a dishwasher.
Turn off bathroom and kitchen fans.
To keep your bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans from pushing cooled air out of your house, you’ll want to turn them off about 10 minutes after their job is done.
Wash in cold water.
A whopping 90% of the power consumed by your washing machine is used to heat the water for warm-water washing, according to Energy Star. Switch to the cold-water setting and you’ll save energy. But look for a cold-water detergent next time you’re shopping. They actually are formulated to work better in cold water, and the claim is not just marketing.
Turn down your water heater.
Water heating accounts for 15% to 25% of energy consumption in the average home, says the Department of Energy. Turning down the temperature 10 degrees Fahrenheit on your hot water heater saves 3% to 5% on energy costs, so a drop from 140 degrees Fahrenheit to 120 degrees Fahrenheit saves you 6% to 10%.
Use solar lighting outdoors.
Outdoor solar lights have improved markedly from the dim, short-lived lights of years past. Bright LEDs have replaced conventional bulbs and better photovoltaic cells have boosted efficiency. LEDs create light without generating heat, so they run on far less energy and last longer. The lights are simple to install and virtually maintenance free and provide free light for your yard.
Keep your electronics away from your thermostat.
Electronic devices, be they lamps or laptops, generate heat. If you place one of these near your thermostat, it registers the temperature of the room as hotter than it actually is. Consider clearing electronics away from your thermostat. And since all electronics generate heat, make sure you turn them off when not in use. Even better, unplug them!
Clear debris around your air conditioner.
Check the outside area around your air conditioner and make sure it is clear of any debris. Maintaining clean and clear vents ensures the best possible ventilation.
Finally, remember to check out CREDO Energy, the new progressive power in renewables. Sign up and you’ll help the environment by offsetting your home’s carbon footprint with clean, renewable energy credits.
Posted on May 15, 2019
Rep. Pramila Jayapal Discusses Medicare for All
New Video: Medicare for All discussion with progressive champion Rep. Pramila Jayapal
Our health care system is broken. Tens of millions of people in our country remain uninsured or underinsured, and millions more can’t afford coverage. Many people are one illness away from bankruptcy. Health outcomes in the United States continue to be among the lowest of all developed nations, yet we spend the most on health care – all the while insurance companies, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies rake in billions each year.
Progressives in Congress have a popular, common sense solution to fix our broken system: Medicare for All. I was honored to host a great panel with one our biggest champions for Medicare for All in the House of Representatives, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, along with Alex Lawson of Social Security Works, where we discussed why profit has no place in our health care system and why Medicare for All is the best plan to ensure all people have health care.
Rep. Jayapal recently introduced an incredibly detailed, 125+ page Medicare for All bill to ensure all people receive health care under the Medicare program. Under her Medicare for All plan, if you’re sick, you get to see a doctor. There are no co-pays, premiums or deductibles. You get to keep your doctor, and there are no issues with certain providers being “out of network.” Additionally, her plan covers long-term care for the first time in any universal health care legislation.
Right now, predatory insurance companies and Big Pharma stand between people and their doctors and use monopoly power to rob us blind. Medicare for All would replace the for-profit leeches that drive up costs without making us any healthier. Medicare for All would result in more health care coverage and better outcomes while reducing overall U.S. medical costs. Medicare for All would also improve the program for today’s seniors by including younger people and adding dental and hearing coverage into Medicare.
During the discussion, Rep. Jayapal explains that the crowdfunding site GoFundMe is, unfortunately, one of the fastest-growing health “insurance” programs available. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have set up fundraising pages on the site to solicit donations just to afford insulin. Here’s the exchange:
Support for Medicare for All is rapidly growing, yet it still faces opposition by Republicans in Congress and a well-funded health industry lobby. But we know Medicare for All is a winning issue. The 2018 midterms revealed that voters in red states demanded the expansions of Medicaid that Republicans once blocked. Republican members of Congress were punished for trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And a new wave of Democrats was swept into office while openly declaring their support for Medicare for All.
CREDO is building grassroots support for Medicare for All, and we need your help. Please join us and sign our petition today demanding that Congress break the stranglehold of insurance companies and Big Pharma by passing bold Medicare for All legislation. Click here to add your name today.
Posted on May 15, 2019
If Brown v. Board is Not Sacred, What is?
Since the Supreme Court’s momentous decision in Brown v. Board of Education 65 years ago, there has been universal consensus within the legal community that the opinion striking down de jure segregation in our schools was correctly decided. As the most important civil rights ruling in our nation’s history, it has been undebatable, affirmed time and again by judicial nominees, attorneys, scholars, and politicians on both sides of the aisle. That is, until the Trump Administration.
During his recent confirmation hearing to serve as Deputy Attorney General, Jeffrey Rosen refused to state that the Court’s unanimous opinion was rightfully decided. “I don’t think that it would be a productive exercise for me to go through the most – thousands of Supreme Court opinions and say which ones are right and which ones are wrong,” Rosen told Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn). This answer is astounding for countless reasons, but chief among them is that it ignores that Brown is not just any Supreme Court precedent. It ended legal apartheid in this country, it redefined what equality means in the eyes of the law, and it touched the lives of every single American in the process.
With his disturbing answer, Rosen joined a growing chorus of Trump’s judicial nominees – starting with Wendy Vitter – who have demurred on this question. Roughly 30 nominees for the federal court have failed to unequivocally support the decision in Brown, with their responses ranging from, “I don’t think it is appropriate to comment on whether a Supreme Court case was correctly decided,” to “Brown v. Board was a landmark decision, but I cannot say if any Supreme Court decision was rightly decided.” Neither response is acceptable. Brown, like Marbury v. Madison, is an essential part of this country’s legal canon.
The refusal to acknowledge Brown serves as a dog whistle. It’s a signal of a candidate’s amenability to reassessing key tenets of our democracy. It is dangerous that judicial nominees for lifetime appointments to our federal courts would be unwilling to acknowledge and affirm Brown.
Rosen is not a judicial nominee. He would serve in the second-highest position at the Justice Department and if confirmed, his job will be to enforce the law, including Brown. The Deputy Attorney General is tasked with the day-to-day management of the department, including overseeing the Solicitor General’s Office and the Civil Rights Division. How can we trust Rosen to enforce our nation’s civil rights statutes if he is unwilling to affirm the bedrock opinion upon which they are based?
At his hearing, Rosen said, “I have views about lots of Supreme Court cases, but I’m not being nominated for this position to be the Solicitor General.” If Rosen is willing to concede that the Solicitor General’s view on Brown would be relevant, shouldn’t the views of the person to whom the Solicitor General reports also be germane?
Ultimately, it’s irrelevant whether Rosen is being considered for a position as a line attorney or in the highest echelons of Justice Department leadership. The rule of law remains a crucial pillar of our society, now and always. If he cannot affirm this landmark decision, he has no business serving in any role at the department or anywhere else in the federal government.
Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote in the Brown opinion that, “in the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place.” Sixty-five years later, it should be axiomatic that the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place in any field.
Lisa Cylar Barrett is the Director of Policy at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund is the country’s foremost civil rights law organization, working to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society. The organization is a close ally of CREDO, and CREDO members have donated $206,428 to help fund their important work.
