Every week we put our faith in action. This week we are writing our members of the new 119^th Congress convening on Friday, January 3^rd, urging them to advance the cause of justice by addressing the issues and concerns of the poor, working and middle classes of this country.

We are presenting the following agenda, which is not in any particular order:

• No More American Troops in Foreign Wars: but Aid to Those Countries Fighting Invasion.
• Voting Rights: Get Money Out of Politics; End Gerrymandering; End Long Waits in Line; Universal Access to Mail-In Voting and Early Voting; A Federal Obligation to Provide People a Secure ID.
• Universal Access to Affordable Health Care: Expand Medicare, the Affordable Care Act and Veterans Benefits; Negotiate All Drug Prices; Protect Reproductive Rights and Bodily Autonomy.
• Expand Social Security: Reestablish the Expanded and Improved Child Tax Credit from the American Resue Plan; Provide Paid Family Leave, Child Care and Elder Care
• Affordable Housing: Expand Public Housing and Raise the Income Limit for Participation; Incentivize States and Localities to Build More Housing and Control Rent Increases; Ban Private Equity from Buying Residential Properties.
• Higher Wages: The Minimum Wage Should Be a Living Wage; Workers Should Be Able to Join or Form Unions
• Common-Sense Gun Safety: Background Checks; Red Flag Laws; Ban Automatic Weapons
• Protect Civil Rights for All Regardless of Race, Ethnicity, Age, Gender or Sexual Orientation.
• Provide and Promote Investment in High Quality Public Education (Pre-K through College) for Life-Time Learning.
• Provide and Promote Investment in High Quality Public Infrastructure for Every Location: Highways, Railroads, Airports, Seaports, Public Transit, Water Systems, Electrical Systems, Telecommunication Systems.
• Address Climate Change and the Environmental Crisis: We Need a Sustainable Economy Built upon a Sustainable Eco-System; People Should Not Have Their Lives and Health Threatened by Environmental Pollution and Degradation.
• Reform the Tax System: Tilt It Back Towards Those with the Greatest Ability to Pay; All Wealth Should Be Taxed Before Being Passed On to the Next Generation; End the Privileged Position of Capital Gains.
• Reform the Criminal Justice System: Decriminalize What Should Not Have Been Made Criminal in the First Place; Provide Adequate Resources for the Creation and Control of Professional Police Forces; Provide Adequate Resources for Prosecutions and Defense; Provide Adequate Resources for Humane Prisons; Remove Unnecessary Barriers to Employment, Housing and Education for Those Transitioning from Prison back to Civilian Life.
• Reform the Immigration System: We Need a Secure Border; We Need a Pathway to Citizenship for DACA individuals and for Those Who Have Demonstrated a Commitment to This Country by a Long Period of Residence and the Building of Businesses, Careers and Families; We Need to Provide for an Adequate Number of Immigrants to Serve the Economic Needs of the Country; We Need to Fulfill the Historical Obligation of the Country to Provide Refuge for the Persecuted.

We believe we can and will create a government and economy that works for all, and not just the few. We can and will create a society which enhances human health and well-being. A lot of the above agenda enjoys large, bi-partisan support among the public. It should be possible to get a few things accomplished.

Options to Take Action:

1. 1. 1. Sign a letter at the Action Table on Sunday.
      2. Click here to download the Action Letter to sign and mail:    Within California    Outside California

Resource materials for the letters:

1. A New Year’s Resolution from Bernie Sanders 241227
2. Congressional Progressive Caucus Proposition Agenda Executive Summary
3. Patriotic Millionaires On Inequality December 2024

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As we mourn all those lost to violence in the Middle East, we continue to pray for peace in the Holy Land and for our Episcopal Relief & Development partners who are working to serve all people who come to them seeking treatment and safety. Your generous support of the ERD Middle East Fund will help to address immediate and long-term needs created by the Israel-Hamas war through locally-led partnerships. Donate to the ERD here.

Contact the White House at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ or leave a phone comment at 1-202-456-1111.

If you ever need to look up your member of the U.S. House of Representatives or your U.S. Senators check here: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

To find contact information for your California State Senator or California State Assemblymember check here: www.senate.ca.gov and www.assembly.ca.gov.