JOBS POLICIES, ANALYSIS, AND RESOURCES
Latest Jobs Posts
Affirmative Action Challenged in Suit Against Harvard’s Admission Policies
An ongoing lawsuit alleging systematic discrimination against Asian-Americans applicants by Harvard, originally filed by Students For Fair Admissions (SSFA) in November 2014, has a trial date set for October this year. In the original complaint, SSFA claims that Harvard’s race-conscious holistic admissions policy violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Trump Administration Announces Sanctions Targeting Iran and Russia
The Trump administration has responded to perceived transgressions by Russia and Iran with two new sets of sanctions this past month. Following through on the cancellation of the Iran deal, Trump has announced that, starting August 7th, restrictions will be placed on the Iranian government’s ability to purchase or acquire US dollar banknotes, trade in gold and precious metals, sell or transfer to or from Iran of graphite and metals
Russian Election Meddling Illustrates Privacy Concerns of Data Collection and Retention; Data Privacy Proposals
On July 13, 2018, twelve Russian intelligence officers were indicted by a federal grand jury as part of the investigation by the Department of Justice’s Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III.
Federal Budget Deficit Rises Under Trump Administration’s Tax Cuts and Concerns
Tax cuts were one of the primary elements that Donald Trump used to garner voter support during his 2016 presidential campaign. He spoke of tax cuts that would improve the lives of citizens nation-wide, never alluding to the potentially negative effects that could also stem from such a maneuver. He pitched these tax cuts as if they were a solution that could easily fix the economic problems the U.S.
Switching Sides? Trump attacks NATO, Praises Putin.
President Trump’s July 16th meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki quickly became a source of significant controversy both at home and throughout NATO. In a shocking reversal of decades of presidential decorum, President Trump took the opportunity...
Update: Trump Administration Reunification of Families Proves Chaotic
President Trump was court ordered to reunify families by July 26, 2018
Trump Rolls Back Endangered Species Act
The Trump administration has rolled back the Endangered Species Act, a policy that has been in place for the last 45 years having been put in place by Richard Nixon
3D Printed Guns Face New Legal Challenges
After Cody Wilson settled a lawsuit with the government which allowed him to post blueprints online of how to print 3D guns, other states have retaliated in response. A plethora of states have begun attempting to make these blueprints illegal to post, and one judge from Seattle delayed the posting of the plans until the end of August. With the overwhelming flow of information and accessibility on the internet, however, it will be difficult to monitor these blueprints from appearing online.
TSA Monitoring and Documenting Innocent Behavior With Quiet Skies Program
At the end of July 2018, the Boston Globe reported that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had been conducting a surveillance program known as “Quiet Skies.”
The Charlottesville Demonstration and the Hate Crime and Domestic Terrorism Labels
Pending Department of Justice Investigation
Launched on August 13, 2017
Policy Summary
On August 13, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Department of Justice would launch an investigation into the events of a white supremacist rally and counter – protest in Charlottesville, Virginia that left one woman dead and scores of others injured. Heather Heyer, a white woman, was killed when James Alex Fields, Jr., a man with sympathies to pro – Nazi ideology, allegedly rammed his car into a group of counter – protesters. Mr. Sessions announced that the Justice Department would “take the most vigorous action to protect the right of people to…protest against racism and bigotry.” He also said that the Justice Department would prosecute anybody that violates another person’s ability to protest. In addition, Mr. Sessions said the incident “does meet our definition of domestic terrorism.” LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE
Analysis
The tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia has highlighted the debate as to the differences between hate crimes and domestic terrorism and the implications if it is a state court case or a federal court case. From a legal standpoint, Mr. Session’s announcement, which was intended to open the door for the FBI to get involved in the situation, that the incident was a domestic terrorist incident will only affect who is involved and the scope of the investigation and not the charges that will be brought against James Alex Fields, Jr. Susan Hennessey, in a blog post for LawFare, explains how there is no charge for domestic terrorism under federal law. The label triggers an FBI “enterprise investigation” which gives the Federal Government sweeping authority to investigate any groups or networks that James Alex Fields, Jr. may have associated. An investigation this broad and the involvement of the DOJ and FBI would not occur without the “domestic terrorism” label that Sessions has announced.
What is more likely is that the incident will be labeled as a hate crime at the state court level which, when added to the murder charge, will increase the penalties that will probably be handed down with a conviction. The case will not be pursued as a federal hate crime in federal court because the federal statutes on hate crimes have very strict requirements on protected groups, which would make a conviction difficult. Also, the federal law only applies if the victim is a member of a protected group such as race, religion, color or national origin. James A. Fields, Jr. did not appear to target any person specifically based on any of those criteria. The distinction between the two labels is hate crimes added to state charges already filed serve to increase potential penalties while a domestic terrorism label authorizes greater federal involvement with states in terms of investigations into hate groups. Some states do not have the resources to conduct multi – state investigations into various hate groups which is why bringing in Federal Government resources is vital in incidents like the one in Charlottesville. LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- LawFare – website with articles exploring legal terms of domestic terrorism and other legal topics.
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – webpage on the legal implications of domestic terrorism label.
- Anti – Defamation League (ADL) – webpage with suggestions to combat racism, bigotry and hate and how to get involved after the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia.
This brief was compiled by Rod Maggay. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief, please contact rod@usresistnews.org.
Steel Tariffs
Jobs Proposal
Proposed on June 30, 2017
Policy Summary
The White House has officially branded the 29th week of the year “Made in America” week. As a result of this, the administration continues to promote their America first theme by trying to prioritize the importance of American products. According to the Trump team, these policies will not only boost wages but also create a plethora of jobs for manufacturing communities. Trump claims that “We’re going to end up having a level playing field, I don’t want to say anything more than level, but if the playing field were slanted a little more toward us, I would accept that also, okay?”. One of the ways that Trump plans on doing this is placing a tariff on steel. According to Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Section 232, the executive branch has the authority to “place import restrictions or tariffs on steel for national security reasons.”
Analysis
Many different groups have shown their discontent with this proposal. One of the largest, is the E.U. Reports claim that the E.U. is ready with measures such as taxes on American exports (whiskey, rum, potatoes, tomatoes) to counteract the tariff on steel. As a result, any trade barrier can result in a tit-for-tat war that would not only damage the American economy but the global economy. Brian Coulton, the chief economist at Fitch claimed: “The U.S. and the countries directly targeted by the imposition of punitive U.S. import tariffs would see the largest losses of GDP, but global repercussions would be significant, as business and household confidence falls, asset prices weaken, and trade flows are affected more widely.” In addition, many companies and industries (agricultural, etc.) have shown their dislike for this proposition because they believe prices will increase instead of decrease. They also believe that “The potential for retaliation from these trading partners are very real.” This fear is also not unfounded because the last time there was a tariff placed on steel during the Bush Administration there was a loss of 200,000 jobs in manufacturing.
Engagement Resources
- Town Hall Project – This project compiles the open-to-the-public events held by state and local representatives. This provides a great opportunity to tell them that this executive order will do more bad than good. You can also dial 1-844-6-RESIST to be redirected to the office of your local member of Congress.
- US Senate – Contact your local representatives to take a stance against this proposed legislation. – https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
- US House of Representatives – Contact your local representatives to take a stance against this proposed legislation – http://www.house.gov/representatives/
This brief was compiled by Vaibhav Kumar. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact vaibhav@usresistnews.org.
Trump Declares Opioid Crisis a National Emergency
National Emergency Declaration
Announced on August 10, 2017
Policy Summary
On Thursday, August 10th at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, President Donald Trump announced the opioid crisis a national emergency. In addition to a symbolic gesture, this announcement allows the administration to allocate funding for expanding treatment facilities, waive some federal rules and restrictions, and supply police officers with anti-overdose strategies and equipment. The Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis recommended declaring the crisis a national emergency more than a week prior to Trump’s announcement. Trump’s delay caused some doubt as to whether or not he would make the call. LEARN MORE
Analysis
With an estimated 2.6 million addicts, most people agree that the U.S. has an opioid problem. However, not everyone agrees where to point blame or focus funding. Attorney General Mike DeWine filed lawsuits against five of the largest pharmaceutical companies for getting patients in Ohio hooked on prescription painkillers, which is often the start of an opioid addiction. Ohio is one of the states most affected by the crisis, along with New Hampshire, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Rhode Island. While most are hopeful that Trump’s announcement will be the beginning of the end of the opioid epidemic, some are concerned that his policies will focus too much on incarceration and not enough on getting addicts the treatment they need. LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- Fed Up – Learn more and rally for federal response to America’s opioid crisis.
- Network for Good – Explore different councils, advocacy groups, and education programs aimed at ending addiction in the United States. Donate, volunteer, and speak out against drug abuse.
This brief was compiled by Ann Furbush. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact Ann@usresistnews.org.
DeVos Signals Change in Sexual Assault Policies
Education Policy Shift
Announced on July 13, 2017
Policy Summary
Signaling that she will be revising the previous administration’s sexual assault policies, Education Sect. Betsy DeVos has left the public wondering how the Trump Administration will interpret the protections entitled by Title IX, the 1972 civil rights policy which among other things, protects victims of sexual violence at colleges and universities. In 2011 President Barak Obama issued additional guidances strengthening the protections of policy which included the loss of federal funding for colleges and universities who do not take a tough stance on rape. In addition, he asked that colleges adopt a “preponderance of evidence” standard—essentially a lower bar for evidence than the “clear and convincing” standard that many schools had previously required. Prior to her announcement, three groups met with DeVos to advise her on the issue— one meeting was with sexual assault survivors, one with college university officials and one with members of men’s rights groups. LEARN MORE
Analysis
One in five women and LGBTQ students are sexually assaulted during their time in school. The Obama administration’s guidances, while not perfect, were aimed at forcefully addressing the issue. Based upon the flippant manner in which her staff has addressed the issue thus far, many fear the DeVos’s potential “alterations” would make the process of reporting a sexual assault more of a burden for the victim. In the past months, DeVos has already had to apologize for comments made by her civil rights chief Candace Jackson, who said that “90 percent of [college rapes] — fall into the category of ‘we were both drunk.” Noting that these remarks made her fearful of this administrations “ engagement with the facts,” Fatima Goss Graves, CEO and president of the National Women’s Law Center, also expressed concern that DeVos had slotted equal time to hear from victims when being advised on the issue of sexual assault as she did for “extreme men’s rights advocates.” LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- National Women’s Law Center Through research, analysis, advocacy and public education, the NWLC works to achieve policy changes that improve the lives of women and families, including those who have become victims of sexual violence on college campuses
- End Rape on campus- Join the EROC’s Dear Betsy Campaign and send a video to Betsy Devos explaining why you value your Title IX protections.
- Feminist Campus – A project of the feminist majority foundation, Feminist Campus and its staff of National Campus Organizers works with students on college campuses across the country to effect change at the grassroots, national, and global levels
This brief was compiled by Cindy Stansbury. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact, cindy@usresistnews.org.
Department of Justice Policy on Media Leaks
Department of Justice Policy
Announced August 10, 2017
Policy Summary
On August 4, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that in order to combat “leaks” of highly classified materials threatening national security he has ordered a review of policies affecting “media subpoenas.” The Department of Justice policy currently in place regarding the obtaining of information from members of the news media seeks to strike a balance in protecting national security, ensuring public safety, promoting effective law enforcement and the fair administration of justice, and safeguarding the essential role of the free press in fostering government accountability and an open society. LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE
Analysis
The problem with Attorney General Sessions’ announcement is that [1] there is a strong likelihood that the Justice Department provides little guidance on what constitutes w well – researched articles that seek to hold the government accountable for its policies and [2] that new policies will not be limited to only matters of national security, which would be a direct challenge to the constitutional right of freedom of the press. Forty – eight states and the District of Columbia currently have “shield laws” in place that protects a journalist from revealing their sources for confidential information. The rationale for this privilege is that many sources would be deterred from coming forward and sharing information with the press that is of great public interest. If Sessions and Trump get their way and revise DOJ’s media subpoena policy, they would be able to harass reporters – in any case, not just national security cases – into divulging their sources. This would also allow them to indirectly intimidate anonymous sources from coming forward with information that could be used to hold the Trump Administration accountable.
Also, the national security argument is questionable because of the actions of the President himself. In May 2017, President Trump revealed classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador. His actions were deemed reckless and nearly jeopardized relations with the ally who provided the intel. And again in August 2017, President Trump re-tweeted leaked information that was classified. If the President was so concerned about national security and leaks he would not have carelessly divulged information that did not need to be revealed. What is becoming clear is that leaks are not necessarily the problem. It is a President who is careless in his social media habits. This President has always been hostile to members of the press who disagree with him and with his rhetoric of “fake news.”
Empowering DOJ with a new and revised “media subpoena” policy might in the short term help to stop leaks but the long term damage is likely the suppression of a free and unhindered free press. It is better to stand up now to President Trump and AG Sessions and say no to their attempt to sacrifice First Amendment press freedoms that serve their efforts to try and suppress legitimate press criticisms of the Trump Administration. LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- Society of Professional Journalists – society that seeks to improve and protect journalists.
- Digital Media Law Project – webpage with links to state shield law statutes.
- Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press – non – profit group dedicated to helping journalists.
This brief was compiled by Rod Maggay. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief, please contact rod@usresistnews.org.
Buy American, Hire American [UPDATED]
Executive Order
Issued April 18, 2017
Update: August 18, 2017
The impact of this executive order is starting to be seen on a widespread scale. Andy Berke, Mayor of Chattanooga said “I’m nervous,” in relation to this executive order being rolled out. He is traveling to Japan to try to convince car companies to continue to send manufacturing projects to his city. These projects have allowed for Chattanooga’s wonderful unemployment rate to stay cushioned at 3.6%. Mayor Berke is worried that this executive order could “could set off a protectionist spiral of tariffs and import restrictions, hurting consumers and workers.” This problem doesn’t only affect companies in the Chattanooga area but cities around the nation that are dependent on manufacturing projects from other nations.
Policy Summary
President Trump’s America First campaign theme was bolstered after the Buy American, Hire American executive order. This order will prioritize American companies for federal contracts and also reform the visa program for foreign workers.
Hire American
As a result of this order, the “Hire American” portion will decrease the overall amount of H1-B visas given. This is because the Administration has accused companies of “importing low-wage workers on H-1B visas to take jobs from young college-trained Americans” leading to the “theft of American prosperity”. There will be a complete overhaul of the lottery system used in the status quo to determine the sponsors of H1-B visas. Trump’s replacement is not set in stone, but will be complete after H1-B visa studies by the Departments of Labor and State. The Trump Administration has claimed that H1-B visa changes will be recommended as soon as the studies are complete.
Buy American
The “Buy American” portion will tighten the waivers and exemptions that agencies use to get around laws that favor American-made goods. It is intended to lead to more purchasing of US made goods by US companies. When enacted it will also include regulations requiring US companies to use American steel for domestic projects that are funded by the government.
Analysis
Hire American
Trump’s executive action has supported his campaign philosophy of economic nationalism, but it may prove to be burdensome for small businesses. Punit Soni, the chief executive of Learning Motors, said these visa changes will hurt small businesses. He claims that small companies cannot afford to pay high salaries and already struggle to attract talent in such a tight market. The order will impact the seasonal labor workforce as it intends to replace low-cost foreign workers who use H1-B workers to work in hotels and resorts with Americans, presumably high school and colleges students. This demand for higher wages by American college graduates will result in increased prices for all consumers. Under the new Executive Order, it is proposed that preference for H1-B visas (in an overall reduced H1-B Visa pool) be given to highly skilled foreign workers. This system would favor highest-paid foreign workers in already successful companies like Google.
Buy American
Trump’s belief that international commerce is harmful to America is not bolstered by the scientific community. One of the most basic tenets of economics claims that if a country can buy a product abroad for less than it is better off buying it. This is because costs will exponentially go up if the US uses its own resources to produce products, rather than purchasing these resources from abroad. If costs increase consumption will decrease as buyers can no longer afford items. As a result, the economy may suffer due to a lack of consumption.
Engagement Resources
- Nasscom Lobby – Lobby to persuade entities like Google, Facebook, and IBM along wt the government to allow for more H1-B visas.
- Town Hall Project – This project compiles the open-to-the-public events held by state and local representatives. This provides a great opportunity to tell them that this executive order will do more bad than good. You can also dial 1-844-6-RESIST to be redirected to the office of your local member of Congress.
- Amazon Lobby – One of the largest technology company lobbies in America. They continue to want access H1-B visas because of their skill and relative cheaper work.
- Forward US – Mark Zuckerburg along with other CEOs (Yahoo and Google) launched a project to reform the immigration system to allow for more H1-B visas. It aims to lobby and advocate for its version of immigration reform, changes to the US education system to improve science and technology education, and the facilitation of scientific breakthroughs with broad public benefits.
This brief was compiled by Vaibhav Kumar. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact vaibhav@usresistnews.org.
Bypassing Congress to Undermine Obamacare
Efforts to sabotage the ACA
Ongoing
Policy Summary
The Trump administration has been undermining public support for Obamacare through a public relations campaign led by Republican Tom Price, the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Price is using taxpayer dollars meant to encourage enrollment in the ACA to instead launch a social media and video campaign designed to weaken public support for the program. Using his title and authority, Price is bypassing Congress by voiding penalties physicians face under Obamacare for not following ACA regulations. These favors do not go unrewarded. Health care providers and groups donated almost $500,000 to Price’s leadership committees and 2016 campaign. These perks for doctors and physicians come from severe cuts to hospital payments such as funding for low-income patients and Medicare payments. LEARN MORE
Analysis
Now that repeal and replace efforts have failed, Republicans under Trump’s leadership are sabotaging Obamacare from within, disregarding Congress’s wishes and ignoring the Congressionally approved purpose of the allotted funds. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price’s job is to execute the law, not impose his own agenda on his department’s funds. Andy Slavitt, former acting administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services said about Price, “Congress appropriates funds for you to carry out laws that they passed, not to spend those funds on activities that counteract those laws.” Price is blatantly ignoring the wishes of Congress and instead encouraging the President’s health care “plan” to let Obamacare fail. Price’s strategy redistributes funds to give more money and power to physicians and less to hospitals and patients. LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- Pew Research Center – More and more Americans are supporting single payer health coverage. Learn what this means and how Republicans and Democrats feel about the government’s responsibility to provide health coverage.
- Adapt – This organization works to strengthen Medicaid and Medicare and support Disabled Americans.
- As always, contact your state’s elected officials and voice your concerns or support.
This brief was compiled by Ann Furbush. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact Ann@usresistnews.org.
Mueller’s Grand Jury, Manafort’s FBI Raid, House Intel Intrigue
This past week in the Russia investigations, news was dominated by previously undisclosed actions taken by special counsel Robert Mueller: first, that he convened a Washington, DC grand jury to review evidence gathered by his investigation; and later in the week that he had directed the FBI to conduct a raid last month on a home owned by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort in search of financial documents relevant to the investigation.
DoJ and Special Counsel
Last week news that special counsel Mueller impaneled a grand jury as part of his investigation into Russia and President Trump was made public. This Washington, DC grand jury reviews evidence presented by the special counsel, and can then empower the counsel to subpoena information and testimony, and eventually issue indictments if enough evidence is found. Mueller has also been working with another grand jury outside of DC, in Alexandria, VA, specifically regarding the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn. That jury has already issued some subpoenas for the Flynn case, so Mueller’s decision to call another grand jury in Washington seems to indicate that his larger probe into Russian election interference, the Trump campaign, and potential obstructions of justice, has been heating up. The Washington grand jury has reportedly already subpoenaed information related to Donald Trump Jr’s infamous Trump Tower meeting.
Media outlets also recently revealed that on July 26, the FBI conducted a surprise pre-dawn raid on Paul Manafort, at the direction of the special counsel. Notably, the raid took place only a day after Manafort was interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Manafort had also previously pledged to cooperate with the federal and congressional Russia investigations, and had already handed over some requested documents to both congressional intelligence committees. The FBI reportedly raided Manafort’s home in search of financial documents including tax and foreign banking records. This escalation in the special counsel investigation, given Manafort’s previous voluntary disclosures, could indicate that investigators suspected that Manafort was withholding something, or that Mueller wanted a show of force to encourage other witnesses and Trump affiliates to come forward and provide information to the investigation.
Amidst the continuing speculation surrounding President Trump’s harsh criticism of not just special counsel Mueller but also his own Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein said last weekend in an interview that Mueller has the authority to shape the scope of his investigation according to any relevant evidence of wrongdoing he finds. Recently Trump said he did not want Mueller to look into his family finances; Rosenstein’s comments affirm Mueller’s mandate to investigate any crimes he uncovers during the course of his investigation, even if they are not directly related to Russia or the election. As it is perpetually unclear what actions the president might take in response to the special counsel probe, given his ongoing criticisms of Mueller and others in the DoJ, a bipartisan group of senators also recently introduced legislation which would bar Trump from firing the special counsel.
Finally, last week the Senate officially confirmed Christopher Wray as the new director of the FBI.
Senate Judiciary Committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee has reportedly spent the week reviewing documents it received from members of the Trump campaign and current administration–including documents from Donald Trump Jr and Paul Manafort–about the Trump Jr meeting and other Russia-related matters. The committee has also reviewed the memos written by former FBI director James Comey about his interactions with President Trump leading up to his firing. Senate Judiciary chairman Chuck Grassley has been steadily vocal about his investigation’s progress and the importance of its independence, and he recently pushed back against the president’s criticisms of the Russia investigations and the DoJ, saying his committee would refuse to hold a confirmation hearing if Trump fired AG Sessions or otherwise tried to reshuffle DoJ leadership.
House Intelligence Committee
The congressional intelligence committees were shaken last week by news that two Republican staffers from the House Intelligence Committee were sent to London last month in search of Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence agent and the author of the controversial dossier claiming extensive connections between President Trump and Russia. The dossier was compiled while Steele was working with US research firm Fusion GPS, which Republicans have claimed is itself deeply connected to Russia. The dossier was published by BuzzFeed last summer shortly after the election, and its contents remain largely unsubstantiated, although the intelligence committees have been investigating its allegations since it began to circulate, and last month the Senate Judiciary Committee interviewed the co-founder of Fusion GPS; the continued focus on the dossier implies that at least some of its contents are relevant to the Russia investigations. The staffers’ trip, seemingly to find Steele and ask him to speak with the committee about the dossier, came as a surprise to Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, including ranking member Adam Schiff, who told reporters that he thought the committee’s Republican leader Mike Conaway was also unaware of the trip. Congressional and media speculation seems to point towards House Intel chairman Devin Nunes–who is supposedly still recused from the committee’s Russia investigation but somehow keeps popping back up–having directed the staffers to go looking for Steele; the staffers were sent by the committee staff director Damon Nelson, a close longtime employee of Nunes. It appears that neither House Intelligence Committee leadership, the Senate Intelligence Committee, nor the special counsel were notified in advance of the trip, which raises questions about its ultimate intention and about the role of Steele’s dossier in the future of the Russia investigations.
This blog was written by Stella Jordan. If you have comments on this blog, contact stella@usresistnews.org.
Scott Pruitt Reverses Decision to Delay Ozone Regulation
EPA Rule Implementation
Decision reversed on August 2, 2017
Policy Summary
On August 2, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt reversed the agency’s June announcement to delay implementation of a 2015 Obama-era ozone regulation for another year. The reversal came one day after 15 states and DC filed a lawsuit against the EPA Administrator over the delay. While the reversal was a win for health and environmental advocates, the EPA noted that it “may take future action to use its delay authority and all other authority legally available to the Agency to ensure that its designations are founded on sound policy and the best available information.” LEARN MORE
Analysis
The 2015 regulation set a new national standard for ozone, a smog-causing pollutant formed by chemicals from smokestacks and tailpipes that mixes with the air we breathe, reducing the acceptable amount from 75 parts per billion to 70 parts per billion. Ozone has been linked to childhood asthma, lower infant birth weights, and lung disease and exacerbates asthma attacks. While the rule is one of the most expensive regulations in history, with an estimated annual cost of $1.4 billion, the EPA estimated that those “costs would be vastly outweighed by annual economic benefits of $2.9 billion to $5.9 billion because of fewer premature deaths, missed days of school and work, asthma attacks and emergency room visits.” Though the agency examined nearly 2,300 scientific studies, considered more than 430,000 public comments and held three public hearings while preparing the standard, Pruitt’s delay relied on a provision of the Clean Air Act allowing the agency to delay standards for up to a year if they have “insufficient information.” Earthjustice attorney Seth Johnson argues that “the EPA’s hasty retreat shows that public health and environmental organizations and 16 states across the country were right: the agency had no legal basis for delaying implementation of the 2015 smog standard.” LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- Sierra Club – the nation’s largest environmental preservation organization; focuses include mitigating global warming and opposing coal; plaintiff in lawsuit over EPA’s delay
- American Lung Association – a voluntary health organization working to improve lung health and prevent lung disease through education, advocacy, and research; plaintiff in delay lawsuit
- Earthjustice – a non-profit public interest law organization dedicated to environmental issues; represented environmental and public health organizations in lawsuit over EPA’s delay
This brief was compiled by Conor Downey. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact conor@usresistnews.org.
Chicago Sues to Remain a Sanctuary City
Lawsuit filed by the City of Chicago against the Department of Justice
Filed on July 7, 2017
Policy Summary
On Monday, July 7th the city of Chicago’s sued the Department of Justice, over its threat to withhold federal funds to Sanctuary Cities. Specifically, the DOJ threatened to withhold funds from the Byrne JAG grant program, which provides federal funds for local police forces (I go into greater detail about this action in the previous Immigration brief). In announcing the lawsuit Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel derided the new Justice Department policies as “unconstitutional” and vowed that Chicago will “not be blackmailed by the federal government”. The case will be heard in the United States District Court for the District of Northern Illinois. LEARN MORE
Analysis
In this case, Chicago is arguing that complying with the new Justice Department guidelines would result in the erosion of trust between immigrant communities and the police, which in turn could lead to a myriad of problems such as a lower number of crimes being reported, and less cooperation. Additionally, Chicago is concerned that holding immigrants at its jails at the request of federal immigration authorities(which is required under the new DOJ guidelines), could result in detention times longer than is permissible by the Constitution. While the Trump Administration argues that cracking down on Sanctuary cities is necessary to prevent crime (the data says otherwise) it is putting itself in the awkward position of threatening to withhold funds for law enforcement agencies after previously stating that helping police forces was one of its highest priorities. LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- Take Action with United We Dream: United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation. They organize and advocate for the dignity and fair treatment of immigrant youth and families, regardless of immigration status.
- Get involved with the American Civil Liberties Union: The ACLU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose stated mission is “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
- Find a Congressional Town Hall Meeting Near You: Search by town and state or zip code to find a congressional Town Hall scheduled near you. Voice your concerns about the Travel Ban and other Trump Administration policies directly to your Representative or Senator.
This brief was compiled by William Lucier. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact william@usresistnews.org.
