There’s always been a false note to the celebrations in a country when white supremacy continues to stain our institutions, and our nation’s fundamental sin of slavery lives on in mass incarceration, policing, and economic inequality. If you haven’t had a chance to watch five young descendants of Frederick Douglass read and respond to excerpts of his famous speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" here’s a link. Our national motto of independence and self-sufficiency denies what we as the church fundamentally know. We are connected to one another and the decisions we make from wearing a mask to voting have not just an impact in the here and now, but will echo through generations. And when we deliberately choose to ignore that interdependence, it is most often the most vulnerable who are disproportionately negatively impacted. So we gather ourselves as community to remember our interconnectedness, that one kindness begets another and that love of our neighbor looks like a lot of different things. Including the work of justice.
On many of these issues below you’ll see that the House has passed legislation that is now languishing in the Senate. Just a brief editorial note, the Senate has effectively been rendered useless by a majority who controls the Senate calendar, but is uninterested in the messy work of compromise and governing. The House of Representatives has always moved more swiftly and then been countered by a more deliberative Senate, but this Senate isn’t deliberative it is catatonic. This makes things really hard but that doesn’t mean we give up, it means we keep bringing up the issues and making it really uncomfortable for people who want to get reelected to move on and forget the issues we care about.
Police Brutality
You might be wondering where Congress is? Trust me, as an advocate I’m wondering that too. So, what happened to legislation on police violence. In June the House approved the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by a vote of 236-181 one month to the day the bill's namesake was killed. Three Republicans supported the legislation. We as the UCC joined with other civil rights organizations calling for sweeping changes, some but not all of which were included in the House package. In the Senate a bill that paralleled the President’s executive order was released focusing on limited reforms, which in non-political terms Senate Democrats called a great big nothing-burger that ignores many of the demands of the Black Lives Matter movement. Here’s a helpful comparison document showing the House vs. Senate vs. Executive order. Learn more about one of the major sticking points for legislative action which is qualified immunity here and here.
National Defense Authorization Act
The Senate is planning to vote on its version of the 2021 defense authorization bill (S. 4049) in the near future. This year’s package authorizes $741 billion for the military, which is outrageous at a time when our nation needs to spend more on health and other priorities. Senators Sanders, Markey, and Warren in the Senate and Representatives Lee and Pocan in the House have introduced an amendment that would cut the topline Pentagon budget by 10%, which we support, but more significant cuts are needed.
Curious about how and why police departments around the country have access to military grade equipment? Meet the Defense Department’s 1033 program. The Defense Department program provides excess military equipment to law enforcement agencies for only the cost of shipping and maintenance. This makes it possible for even smaller departments to possess sometimes exorbitantly expensive items like mine-resistant vehicles or aircraft. Sen. Brian Schatz (HI) introduced an amendment to the NDAA (amd. 2252) on June 29 that would stop civilian police departments from receiving unnecessary military equipment from the Pentagon. This equipment transfer, authorized under the 1033 program, has fueled the militarization of American policing. There’s also a provision in both the House and Senate versions to require DoD remove confederate names/displays from DoD property. The President has said he’ll veto the bill if it includes the provision on military bases and confederate names.
COVID Relief Legislation
Way back in May the House passed the HEROES Act - nearly two months later the Senate has yet to act, but it is going to after the July 4 recess (they took three weeks off, will be back on for two and then out again for August). That leaves very few days before the $600 per week Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments and the eviction moratorium expire. Of the 110 million Americans living in rental households, 20 percent are at risk of eviction by Sept. 30, according to an analysis by the Covid-19 Eviction Defense Project. African American and Hispanic renters are expected to be hardest hit. We’re just seeing the edge of a housing and hunger crisis as Congress moves to limit who gets financial assistance, eviction protections and access to social services. Advocates keep working to push Congress on these issues with meetings and grassroots organizing. The severity of current economic conditions and the surging number of COVID-19 cases around the country have pushed both Majority Leader McConnell and the administration to express more openness to another relief bill but we know the Senate won’t consider anything remotely as comprehensive as HEROES, but it is looking likely there will be another more limited round of direct payment assistance. The Senate’s bill will likely focus more on liability protection as businesses and other institutions open back up - which is remarkably cynical.
DACA
The Supreme Court decision on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)means that for now at least, will allow the 700,000 Dreamers who benefit from DACA to remain in the country. More than 200,000 Dreamers work in industries deemed essential during the current pandemic; that includes 27,000 Dreamers who work on the front lines as medical professionals. The administration is poised to file new paperwork to end the program again. We’re pushing for a permanent fix to pass in Congress. Read this piece by actor and activist Bambadjan Bamba who reflects the intersection of the fight for immigration reform and an end to anti-Black racism. Bamba is both Black and undocumented and says, “Immigrant communities, Latino communities, and African American communities suffer the same plight as far as police brutality is concerned, as far as the numbers of people who are locked up in prisons. To me, we’re kind of fighting the same fight,”
World Health Organization Following months of threats to cut funding, the Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations that the U.S. will withdraw from the World Health Organization, effective July 6th 2021. This decision comes amidst a global pandemic in which the WHO’s leadership and coordination is desperately needed. The U.S. has historically been one of the largest sources of funding for the WHO (~$553 million) and it must still meet its financial obligation for the current year. President Trump has blamed WHO for the global failure to respond more effectively to COVID-19, and its response to China specifically. The UCC issued an action alert earlier this Spring calling on the President to reverse his position https://p2a.co/oYuWt9y
Human Rights
ICC Sanctions: President Trump signed an executive order on June 11th authorizing sanctions against officials from the International Criminal Court who may be involved in investigations of U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan and human rights violations by Israel. Legal experts oppose this move as it further undermines the court at a time when human rights violations continue and accountability is needed to end mass atrocities. The Washington Working Group on the ICC has issued a statement opposing the executive order, which the UCC has signed.
On June 19th, the U.N. Human Rights Council ordered a report on systemic racism against people of African descent in the U.S. following the many examples of violent policing that occurred after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson led the drafting and circulation of an ecumenical statement in support of UN action. “Anti-black racism and all forms of racism are global problems that call for the intervention of the global community to ensure human rights and dignity for all. Our hope is that the members of the Human Rights Council will address the need for strong inquiries into racism, racial violence and the killing of African descendant people in the U.S. and globally.”
On Wednesday 7/8, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, released a report that concludes that the U.S. drone attack of Iranian General Solemani in Iraq violated international law. The report alleges that the U.S. violated Iraq’s right of national sovereignty enshrined in Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter.
On Friday, July 3, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed an "Anti-Terrorism" law that would allow the authorities to classify political opponents as terrorists, further constraining free speech and opening up the possibility of more human rights abuses and de-facto Martial Law. A UCCP pastor has already been arrested, as faith and human rights groups push for the introduction of a Philippine Human Rights Act in congress.
This week, Reps. McGovern and Pocan circulated a letter to Secretary of State Pompeo addressing human rights violations and the peace process in Colombia. 94 members of Congress signed the letter, which was supported by UCC and other Colombia advocates.
In light of the continued suffering of the Palestinian people, and in anticipation of annexation of land announced by Israel to possibly take place this month, the Kairos Palestine movement has issued a new “Cry for Hope” statement and website which has been endorsed by hundreds of faith leaders and institutions. According to the writers, the “Cry for Hope is rooted in the logic of love which has as its goal the liberation of both the oppressor and the oppressed. To bring an end to the suffering and bloodshed and to bring peace in the Holy Land…”
Great American Outdoors Act
In late June, the Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act by a wide bipartisan margin, 73-25. This amazing win for conservation will pave the way for billions of dollars to alleviate a national park project backlog and permanently fund the nearly sixty-year-old federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which pumps oil and gas revenues into efforts to expand and protect park areas. This is a big win to celebrate!
No Pipelines
After four years of protests and legal battles, the Dakota Access Pipeline has been ordered to be shut down by August 5th. The pipeline has been carrying oil from North Dakota to Illinois for three years, despite concerns from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe regarding potential water pollution from pipeline spills. This would not have been possible without the hundreds of Indigenous Tribes and Nations, and thousands of activists who refused to give up. Despite this monumental win, the owners of the pipeline, Energy Transfer, have said they don’t intend to follow court orders and have continued moving forward with their projects. An outright violation of a federal court order could result in fines or jail time. On the same day, the Dominion Energy and Duke Energy announced they were no longer moving forward with the Atlantic Coastline Pipeline, a 600-mile pipeline that would have carried fracked gas from West Virginia to North Carolina and threatened rural Indigenous, Black and Brown communities. Two big wins for environmental justice!
Our Faith Our Vote
Traci and Sandy had a conversation with Senator Warren about faith and politics which is part of an ongoing series about how we can connect the work of justice with engagement in the political sphere. Watch the conversation here. Check out other OFOV resources here.
Thanks,
The DC Team