Twas the night before Christmas when all through the House
Not a critter was stirring, not even a mouse
A president’s tantrum over funding a wall
Had shut down the government, for jobs big and small
Eight hundred thousand federal workers
Across this great land, Texans to New Yorkers
Will work not at all or will work without pay
And hope that their checks arrive post-Holiday
And let’s not forget thousands more sub-contractors
Janitors, servers, cashiers, and plate-stackers
Whose pre-Christmas paychecks just won’t ever come
Because Trump’s GOP is unspeakably dumb
In just a few days, the House becomes ours
And Pelosi and friends will check Trump’s power
On Flores! On Chip! On Williams and McCaul!
On Carter! And Cornyn! Dash away all!
Your caving to autocrats truly is stunning
But voters remember… 2020 is coming
Take action: Trump’s latest temper tantrum and the showdown over the wall >>
Shining a Light on Christmas in Tornillo
This Christmas, 2,500 immigrant migrant children will remain incarcerated in a government-run facility in Tornillo, TX. In Rep. Bill Flores’s hometown newspaper, pastor T. Carlos Anderson and Jim Harrington of the Texas Civil Rights Project remind us of the lesson of the Christmas story:
“Retelling this biblical story should remind us of our moral responsibility to provide shelter, care for those in need, and not let our society’s current heightened polarization impede our efforts…”
“The best of our traditions require that we live together under just laws. Religious and moral teachings help infuse our society with compassion: to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, demand equal treatment for all, welcome the migrant, and dialog constructively with those whom we disagree. The only question about these practices is how we do them, not whether we do them.”
Activists from all over the country are holding vigil in Tornillo this Christmas, and we’ll be reporting on their efforts next week. Support them through organizations like RAICES and the Texas Civil Rights Project.
How your voices are making a difference
- Congress passed a bipartisan bill revamping the criminal justice
- The Justice Department banned bump stocks on guns
- Paul Ryan’s gone
Congress Critter of the Week: Rep. Roger Williams
“The biggest issue in my district is: build the wall.”
That’s what Rep. Roger Williams told reporters when asked about temporarily funding the government while the debate continues over Trump’s stupid wall.
If Williams ever—ever!—spoke to constituents in his district, he would know that this is not true. Not even a little bit. We asked Julie Oliver, who ran against Williams and has actually spoken to thousands of Texans in TX25—from across the political spectrum—whether “the wall” was ever mentioned even once as an issue regular folks care about. Her response:
I traveled thousands of miles in #TX25. No one I spoke to (R or D) wanted this wall — built on Texans’ private land, seized by the federal govt, paid for with taxpayer money, at a time of record border security.
— Julie Oliver (@JulieForTX25) December 21, 2018
The wall is a metaphor for GOP racism and xenophobia. Williams knows that and exploits it nonetheless. That is despicable. If you are in his district, give him a call and let him know what you think about “the wall.”
Your Moment of Zen
"STAND-IN SANTA": Former Pres. Barack Obama played Santa Claus for all the kids at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. https://t.co/NkJuIoh4fP pic.twitter.com/KrQ5zpfelo
— ABC News (@ABC) December 19, 2018