March, 18 2016, 02:45pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Brian Stewart, MoveOn.org | press@moveon.org | 319-936-3901
Josh Nelson, CREDO Action | jnelson@credoaction.com | 202-550-6175
NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION MONDAY: Constituents Will Call on Senate Republicans to "Do Your Job" and Commit to Voting on President Obama's Supreme Court Nominee
Constituents Will Unite to Pressure or Support Senators, Depending on Whether They Are Doing Their Job, in 50 Events Outside Local Senate Offices Across the Country
WASHINGTON
On Monday, March 21, the first workday home for senators during their March recess, voters across the country will participate in a national day of action calling on Senate Republicans to "Do Your Job" and uphold their constitutional obligation to give fair consideration to to U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland. The day of action will include more than 50 demonstrations at local Senate offices with constituents uniting to pressure or support senators, depending on whether or not they are doing their job.
At the events, constituents will offer to enroll Republican senators in a "Civics 101 Refresher" by offering to reimburse them for the cost of a basic American government course at a local college; clearly many Republican senators need a refresher as they appear to have forgotten key language from Article II of the Constitution. Attendees will carry an oversized enrollment form filled out for the Senators and copies of Article II, which describes the power of the president to nominate and the job of of the Senate to advise and consent in judicial appointments. The gesture is inspired in part by the late American author Harper Lee who, in 1966, offered to enroll an entire school board in the first grade after its members attempted to ban To Kill a Mockingbird.
Flagship events include:
- In Des Moines, Iowa voters will rally outside Senator Chuck Grassley's office at 210 Walnut Street at 12 p.m. local time. Coinciding with the action, a plane will fly a banner over the rally reading "Sen. Grassley do your job! #FillTheSeat." For more information, click here.
- In Cleveland, Ohio voters will rally outside Senator Rob Portman's office at 1240 E 9th Street at 1:30 p.m. local time. Coinciding with the action, a plane will fly a banner over the rally reading "Sen. Portman do your job! #FillTheSeat." For more information, click here.
- In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania voters will hold an action outside Senator Pat Toomey's office at 228 Walnut Street at 12 p.m. local time. Coinciding with the action, a plane will fly a banner over the rally reading "Sen. Toomey do your job! #FillTheSeat." For more information, click here.
- In MIlwaukee, Wisconsin voters will rally outside Senator Ron Johnson's offices at 200 E. Wells Street at 11 p.m. local time. Coinciding with the action, a plane will fly a banner over the rally reading "Sen. Johnson do your job! #FillTheSeat." For more information, click here.
- In Austin, Texas voters will demonstrate outside Senator John Cornyn's office at 221 West 6th Street at 12 p.m. local time. Coinciding with the action, a plane will fly a banner over the rally reading "Sen. Cornyn do your job! #FillTheSeat." For more information, click here.
Find if there is an event in your city here: https://act.moveon.org/event/sc_mar21/
Additionally, voters will gather outside offices of Senate Democrats to thank them for standing with President Obama and standing up to Republicans' partisan attempts to ignore their constitutional obligations.
The morning of the day of action, organizers will launch a Thunderclap urging senators to do their jobs, and in the afternoon, organizers will seed a #DoYourJob Twitter storm that includes images from the events and other content. Organizers will also generate phone calls to Senate offices.
Nearly 40 national public interest organizations have coordinated to help organize the the day of action--including progressive groups MoveOn.org Civic Action, CREDO Action, Democracy for America, Organizing for Action, and the Progressive Change Campaign Commitee. More than 1.8 million Americans have signed petitions calling for the Senate to do its job and give a fair hearing to President Obama's Supreme Court nominee.
CREDO Action, part of CREDO Mobile, is a social change network of over five million activists, sending tens of millions of petition signatures and hundreds of thousands of phone calls to decision-makers each year. CREDO Action members also participate in meetings, protests and other direct action for progressive change.
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