The Amp

There are several pieces of legislation and resolutions that have been proposed by the new Congress to create jobs and promote good wages.

The Paycheck Fairness Act updates and strengthens the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to ensure that it provides robust protection against sex-based pay discrimination. The Raise the Wage Act would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2024. When discussing this legislation, be sure to talk about the values of Economic Security and Community.

• Take Action: Sign and share this petition. In D.C., join the action today (see below)
• Messaging and communication tools: National Women’s Law Center’s Raise the Wage Act factsheet and Paycheck Fairness Act factsheet; Economic Policy Institute’s Raising the federal minimum wage; The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking About Economic Justice
• Hashtags: #NoMoreTwoThirteen; #1FairWage; #RaisetheWage; #PaycheckFairness

Last week Senator Ed Markey and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released their plan for the Green New Deal to create millions of jobs with family-sustaining wages by transitioning the U.S. to clean and renewable energy. Serious attention is being paid to the resolution with several presidential candidates signing on. When discussing this resolution, cite the values of Economic Security and Community.

• Take Action: Sign and share this petition.
• Messaging and communication tools: Center for American Progress’ CAP’s John Podesta, Neera Tanden Praise Green New Deal Resolution; The New Republic’s The Story Behind the Green New Deal’s Meteoric Rise
• Hashtags: #GreenNewDeal; #GND

The Trump administration’s proposed rule to impose reporting requirements on SNAP recipients could result in 750,000 people losing food assistance. We now have until April 2 to challenge it by commenting. Cite the values of Economic Security and Community when discussing this proposal.

• Take action: Join the tweetstorm on Thursday, Feb. 12 below. Also encourage your networks to submit comments via Center for American Progress’ Hands Off SNAP and Feeding America’s platform.
• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about Economic Justice; The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Trump SNAP Proposal Would Cost Many of Nation’s Poorest Their Food Aid; Center for American Progress’ #HandsOffSNAP: Don’t Let Trump Take Food Away from Struggling Workers and Families
• Hashtag: #HandsOffSNAP

Black History/Futures Month provides the opportunity to tell an affirmative story about racial justice in the United States. Cite the values of Voice and Community.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s The Opportunity Survey; Ten Lessons for Talking About Race, Racism and Racial Justice; Improving Opportunity for Black Men and Boys - Messaging Guidance; Color of Change's A Dangerous Distortion: Representations of Our Familes, By Race, in News and Opinion Media
• Hashtags: #BlackHistoryMonth; #BlackFuturesMonth

At 2:30pm in Washington, D.C., there will be a a rally in support of both the Raise the Wage Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. Join other advocates on the Capitol South Lawn (across from Cannon). Cite the values of Economic Security and Community.

• Take action: Sign and share this petition.
• Messaging and communication tools: National Women Law Center’s social media toolkit for the rally; Raise the Wage Act factsheet; and Paycheck Fairness Act factsheet; Restaurant Opportunities Center’s #NoMoreTwoThirteen Social Media Kit; Raise the Wage Talking Points and Facebook Livestream of Congressional hearing; The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking About Economic Justice
• Hashtags: #NoMoreTwoThirteen; #1FairWage; #PaycheckFairness

This Valentine’s Day launches Revolutionary Love: Weekend of Resistance for Migrant Justice. Activists have been taking action outside the migrant youth detention camp in Tornillo, Texas in support of migrant youth and families detained by the U.S. government. Discuss these actions by referring to the values of Community and Economic Security.

• Messaging and communication tools: Tornillo: The Occupation’s Media Kit; Faith in Public Life's No Wall on Our Watch social media toolkit; The Opportunity Agenda’s Save Flores; Five Questions to ask when Crafting Messages about Refugees in the Current Climate and Supporting Child Migrants
• Hashtags: #RevoLove; #FreeThem; #LibérenLos; #HungerStrike; #AbolishICE; #WaterIsLife; #HumanitarianAidIsNeverACrime; #Liberty4Patricia; #NiUnaMas; #NoWallOnOurWatch

From 2-3pm EST, The Opportunity Agenda’s Immigration Research Consortium will host a webinar on the health effects of family separation by law enforcement. Guest speakers will be John-Michael Torres of LUPE and Martha Ockenfels-Martinez of Human Impact Partners who will discuss the issue in the Rio Grande Valley. Sign up to become a participant in the consortium.

Today is also the deadline for Congress and the president to avert another government shutdown by passing new government funding and a border agreement. With his rally in El Paso earlier this week, President Trump showed that he’s not backing down from his demand for a border wall. Residents of El Paso demonstrated in opposition, reminding the nation that the southern border is a place of hope and opportunity, not fear and conflict. A new stumbling block in budget negotiations is a cap on immigration detention beds proposed by Congressional Democrats. We must continue to amplify our values of Community and Economic Security.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking Border Issues Amidst the Government Shutdown and 5 Tips for Talking About Border Communities Without Talking about A Wall; Vox’s Congress’s deal on immigration detention, explained; United We Dream’s The Truth About ICE and CBP: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Devastating Human Impact of the Deportation Force By The Immigrant Youth & Families Who Know It Best
• Hashtags:#nobannowall; #noborderwall

It’s the 10-year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Barack Obama signed into law in 2009. As a response to the Great Recession, the act provided relief for those effected by the economic downturn and an investment in infrastructure, education, health, and renewable energy. In talking about this anniversary, cite the values of Economic Security and Community.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Economic Recovery and Equal Opportunity in the Public Discourse and Ensuring Equal Opportunity in Our Nation’s Economic Recovery Efforts
• Hashtag:#RecoveryAct

Today is the birthday of two influential African-American writers/activists: Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde. They were born a few years apart and throughout their careers they explored intersectional issues of race, gender and sexuality. Lorde passed away in 1992 at the age of 58 after years of outspoken activism. Morrison (now 87 years old) won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993 and recently released a new book. Use their birthdays to raise the values of Voice and Equality.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Ten Tips for Putting Intersectionality into Practice; AndAction’s Pop Culture Works
• Hashtags: #ToniMorrison; #AudreLorde

From 1-2pm EST, the Center for American Progress will hold a #HandsOffSNAP tweet chat to engage specific communities, as part of efforts to raise awareness and drive public comments on the proposed SNAP rule. This week’s theme is Communities of Color. Tweet chats will continue every Tuesday until the April 2 public comment deadline.

• Hashtag: #HandsOffSNAP

Day of Remembrance: On this day in 1942, the War Relocation Authority was established to relocate Japanese-Americans to internment camps. Today, activists refer to the internment as a shameful precedent for the Trump administration's Muslim travel ban. Discuss the significance of this anniversary by emphasizing the values of Community and Voice.

• Communication tools: Japanese American Citizens League's Power of Words Handbook: Understanding Euphemisms and Preferred Terminology; Densho's Learning Center; American Public Media’ Order 9066 podcast
• Hashtags: #DayofRemebrance; #NoMuslimBanEver

World Day for Social Justice was established by the United Nations through the International Labor Organization (ILO) to “guarantee fair outcomes for all through employment, social protection, social dialogue, and fundamental principles and rights at work.” The theme for this year is If You Want Peace & Development, Work for Social Justice. Cite the values of Community and Economic Security when talking about this day.

• Take Action: Watch and share the ILO’s webcast at 1:15pm EST on UN WebTV.
• Messaging and communication tools: United Nation’s World Day for Social Justice; The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about the Importance of Unions and Economic Security; 
• Hashtags: #SocialJustice; #ILO100; #DecentWork

From 1-2pm EST, the Center for American Progress will hold a #HandsOffSNAP tweet storm about how the administration’s proposed SNAP rule of work requirements will effect communities of color.

• Hashtag: #HandsOffSNAP