Three Wins Today: May 12, 2025

Tomorrow is going to be the real start of the budget fight, as in, the bill is no longer a blueprint and it now heads to amendments and hearings in the majority of committees. Our job is going to be to get the word out about as much of it as possible and if you have Republican electeds, try to make them see reason with calls and letters etc.

So, tonight is a good time to do some self-care and hear some wins before things start getting a bit overwhelming.

1. The Episcopal Church is cutting ties with the US government immigration program after DT announced that pro-apartheid Afrikaners will be getting refugee status. Reverand Sean Rowe, the presiding Bishop of the church wrote a letter to the Church members:

   Since January, the previously bipartisan U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in which we participate has essentially shut down. Virtually no new refugees have arrived, hundreds of staff in resettlement agencies around the country have been laid off, and funding for resettling refugees who have already arrived has been uncertain. Then, just over two weeks ago, the federal government informed Episcopal Migration Ministries that under the terms of our federal grant, we are expected to resettle white Afrikaners from South Africa whom the U.S. government has classified as refugees.

   In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step. Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government.

   This is one huge reason I am so against people saying religion is evil. Even Christianity isn’t evil, there are just some really awful denominations, but this one, the Episcopal Church, is so very clearly not one of them.

   ---

2. Rob Sands is the current State Auditor of Iowa and the only Democrat in the Iowa executive branch. A few weeks ago I commented on one of his Threads

   

   So I knew this was coming, but that didn’t make it any less exciting when I woke up to his announcement. He’s running for Iowa Governor.

   Blue Sky | Threads

   And I’m not the only one over the moon, this morning, the seat was considered Solid Republican by Cook Political Report, but hours after he announced his candidacy, the race went all the way to Lean Republican. If you want to help make that even more blue, donate to his campaign!

   Blue Sky | Threads

   ---

3. DT chose his acting Librarian of Congress, his former personal attorney, Todd Blanche, who, probably couldn’t care less about books or libraries. But he was barely allowed in the building. The Library of Congress staff put their collective foot down and said he would only be allowed in if and when he was confirmed by Congress. Here’s some of what went down, as told by The New York Times (archive link):

   Paul Perkins, an associate deputy attorney general, would serve as acting register of copyrights and director of the Copyright Office, the letter said, and Brian Nieves, a deputy chief of staff and senior policy counsel, would be the acting deputy librarian. Mr. Trump fired the previous director of the Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter, over the weekend, one of the people said.

   Staff members at the library called the U.S. Capitol Police as well as their general counsel, Meg Williams, who told the men they were not allowed access to the Copyright Office and asked them to leave, one of the people said.

   There was no fight or anything, they left willingly. After Dr Carla Hayden was fired, the staff recognized her 2nd in command, Robert Newlen as the acting Librarian of Congress, and they will continue to do so until Congress votes otherwise. Bravo to this incredible group of staff members. But I’d expect nothing less from a group of librarians.

   ---

Some nice wins today, no?

As always, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!