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Hello Democrats,

Welcome to days 24-40 of our 100 Days of Action series with updates and actions you can take around the first 100 days of the new administration and our 2025 state legislative session. Your elected leaders need to hear from you and we'll help you get loud by keeping you informed and empowered with the tools you need to make your voice heard. It's time to protest! ([link removed])
Since Inauguration Day, Donald Trump and his Florida-based White House appointees have broken the law and betrayed our communities. Despite pledging not to weaponize the Justice Department, Pam Bondi has orchestrated mass firings, ignored court orders, and set the stage for a constitutional crisis.

Marco Rubio’s spinelessnessly abandoned Venezuelan refugees by ending TPS status, struck a deportation deal with the Maduro regime and sat by idly as President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance attempted to to bully Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Volodymyr Zelensky, at left, tries to have a conversation with ignorance and arrogance, at center and right.

If there were any doubts about Trump and Vance's hostility toward Ukrainian President Zelensky, they were put to rest at the White House on Friday when, in a stunning appearance before reporters in the Oval Office, Trump and Vance bullied, berated, and ganged up on Zelensky.

After Vance lamented that the former Biden administration had relied too much on “thumping their chest” in its approach to the Ukraine war—and asserted that it’s time to try diplomacy instead—Zelensky challenged Vance by noting that ceasefires agreed upon with Russia after its 2014 invasion of Ukraine were followed by more Russian aggression.

Clearly offended, Trump and Vance insulted Zelensky by saying his country is losing the war and admonished him for not saying “thank you” enough to their liking. “You don’t have the cards,” Trump told Zelensky. “You’re gambling with World War III.”

Zelensky was treated to a scolding lecture about why his country should be content with the current situation, and at this point, Ukraine should simply surrender land to Russia. Zelenski was beaten and berated, and forced to defend himself in a non-native language, for his failure to express sufficient gratitude to the United States for its support in Ukraine's war effort—gratitude Zelensky has expressed on countless occasions.

The exchange in front of television cameras was one of the most dramatic moments ever to play out in public in the Oval Office and underscored the radical break between the US and Ukraine since Trump took office. Having come to Washington intending to sign a deal on mineral rights, Zelensky and his team quickly left the White House soon after the heated, hostile exchange.

For Trump, Ukraine policy is personal. Zelensky did not give in to Trump’s pressure to launch an investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden, the matter at the center of Trump’s first impeachment trial. Trump attempted to do an illegal thing and he was thwarted by Zelenski.

Stopping Trump’s descent into fascism starts at home. We can’t afford to sit back while he turns America into Florida.
Last week, House Republicans passed H. CON. RES. 14, ([link removed]) the highly flawed, overly optimistic, and politically motivated congressional budget resolution for fiscal year 2025. The resolution presents a deeply flawed approach to federal spending, deficit reduction, and economic growth. Instead of offering a balanced approach that combines measured spending reductions with revenue reforms, the resolution overwhelmingly focuses on reducing government expenditures, cutting taxes, and expanding defense spending.

The resolution disproportionately prioritizes defense spending while targeting social programs for cuts. Defense spending is set to increase from $888 billion in 2025 to over $1.1 trillion by 2034, while the resolution simultaneously calls for $2 trillion in mandatory spending cuts without providing details on where these cuts will be made. Reductions could disproportionately affect Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other essential programs that millions of Americans rely on. Instead of finding a fair and balanced way to address long-term fiscal concerns, Republicans are prioritizing military expansion at the expense of critical domestic programs.
We won't remain silent! Before President Trump addresses a join session of Congress on Tuesday, Democrats across Indian River County will be protesting the Trump Administration's executive overreach. Join us Tuesday as we take direct action to alert our community to our support of Ukraine. We will also protest GOP efforts to defund Medicaid, Meals on Wheels and more. Complete details for the Tuesday, March 4 protest will be shared when you RSVP HERE ([link removed]) .
Join Tuesday's Protest HERE ([link removed])

Citizen-led Amendments Under Attack Florida already has the most stringent process for getting citizens-led amendments on the ballot and passing them. Now an attack on citizen-led amendments is embodied in newly filed HB 1205 ([link removed]) by Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R- Fort Myers). This bill creates anti-democratic barriers to qualifying and winning citizen-led amendments and will make it extremely difficult for grassroots and people-powered efforts to amend our state constitution. The bill has received its first committee of reference in the House of Representatives but the bill could be killed if Representative Linda Chaney does not schedule the bill.

TAKE ACTION: Call Rep Linda Chaney at (850) 717-5061 and urge her to oppose HB 1205 and NOT schedule the bill in the Government Operations Subcommittee ([link removed]) she chairs. Say the following....
"Hello my name is [INSERT YOUR NAME]. I am calling today to ask Representative Chaney NOT to schedule HB 1025 in the Government Operations Subcommittee. Through the citizen-led amendment process, Floridians have had the freedom to vote on the laws that govern their lives, even if we don’t agree with every amendment on the ballot. Please do not limit the process, attacking our ability to participate."

SEND YOUR EMAIL: After you call, use this link ([link removed]) to email our Representative, Robert Brackett, to ask him to protect the citizens-led amendment process.

Share Your Story Congressional Democrats have created a portal website to field complaints from constituents who believe they have been hurt by the policies of newly elected President Trump and his administration.

“If you lost your job, been denied important services, or face other impacts because of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s extreme, illegal, and unconstitutional actions, we need to hear directly from you,” said Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz in a statement ([link removed]) . “This is one key way we can fight back, by sharing our story and standing together,” she said.

Anyone interested in sharing their story with Democrats in Congress can visit the website — [link removed]. It is managed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Previously Shared Calls to Action
House Republicans have introduced bill HR899 ([link removed]) to terminate the Departments of Education. Our Congressman, Mike Haridopolos has not yet joined the bill's 30 cosponsors.

TAKE ACTION: Urge your Congressman to withhold his support for HR899 "To terminate the Department of Education."

Call Rep. Haridopolos' DC office at (202) 225-3671 and read the following script:

"Hi my name is _______ and I am a constituent calling from zip code ________. I'm calling to urge my Congressman to withhold his support for the bill to devastate our local public schools and eliminate critical student programs. The bill is HR899 to terminate the Department of Education.

Will my Congressman be declining to cosponsor this bill?"
ALERT! Our Congressman is doing the bidding of the US arms industry by engaging in a full assault on public safety. Haridopolos has cosponsored bills to both abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and to repeal the National Firearms Act ([link removed]) .

The National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934 imposed taxes, registration requirements, and restrictions on certain firearms, including short-barreled rifles and shotguns, machine guns, and silencers, with the primary goal of discouraging their circulation due to their association with violent crime.

His support of this bill does not reflect the will of his constituents.
* H.R. 221 ([link removed]) - Abolish the ATF Act
* H.R. 335 ([link removed]) - Repeal the NFA Act

TAKE ACTION: Call Rep. Haridopolos' DC office at (202) 225-3671 and urge him to rescind his support of both HR221 to abilish the ATF and HR335 to repeal the NFA.
The Farmworker Association of Florida spoke during the Indian River County delegation meeting about the plight of the American farmworker. One highlighted concern was the lack of water, shade and access to bathrooms and the desire for safer working standards for the people that feed our community and our children.

TAKE ACTION: Call Representative Brackett and urge him to cosponsor the bill to protect Florida's farmworks from heat illness. Call Brackett's Tallahassee office at (850) 717-5034 and read the following script:

Hello my name is __________ and I live in zip code __________. I am a constituent calling to urge Representative Brackett to respond to the concerned farmworkers that spoke during the Indian River Delegation meeting by cosponsoring HB 35. This is the Heat Illness Protection bill. Can I count on my Representative to support this bill?
Republicans have introduced a state concealed carry reciprocity bill in both the House and the Senate. This bill would infringe on states' rights to set their own gun laws and override all state large capacity magazine bans. Our Congressman Mike Haridopolos has already cosponsored the bill in the House. In the Senate, Rick Scott has cosponsored the bill but Senator Ashley Moody has not. She needs to hear from you.

TAKE ACTION: Call Senator Moody's D.C. office at 202-224-3041 and use the following script:

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______. I’m deeply concerned by the bill S.65 which tramples on states' rights to set their own gun laws. Please let my Senator know that, as a Florida constituent, I'm urging her to withhold her support for this bill. Again, it is S.65.
(leave a message if you get a voicemail)
House Republicans have introduced a bill ([link removed]) to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This Act saves older Americans billions in health care costs. As of now, our House Representative Mike Haridopolos ([link removed]) has not yet cosponsored this bill. He needs to hear from us!

TAKE ACTION: Call Rep. Haridopolos' DC office at (202) 225-3671 and read the following script:

My name is ______. I live in zip code ________ and I urge my Representative to withhold support for HR191. This bill would significantly increase costs for millions of Americans. HR191 would overturn the cap on insulin costs and the $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket precrription drug copayments for millions of older Americans. Floridians simply cannot afford for this bil to pass or for our Congressman to support this bill. Can I count on the Congressman to vote NO on HR191?

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