Don't miss this important message from Rashida Tlaib, John!
Please read her message below and then add your name to support her call
to Congress: "Don’t expand national security powers at the expense of
our rights." - The DFA Team

Add Your Name: [link removed]

John,

In one of the darkest days for our democracy, a violent mob of white
nationalists attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. We must hold these
insurrectionists accountable, along with the government officials who
incited and encouraged them.

However, in the wake of the attack, some of my colleagues in Congress are
pushing to expand our laws to investigate and prosecute acts of domestic
terrorism -- measures which will further erode our human and civil rights.

Every time our country has increased its national security powers, they’ve
been used to disproportionately target, surveil, and criminalize
already-over-policed communities of color and religious minorities -- the
same marginalized groups targeted by white nationalists.

[ [link removed] ]Sign now to tell Congress: Don’t expand national security powers at the
expense of our rights. Use existing tools to hold white nationalists and
insurrectionists accountable.

Add Your Name: [link removed]

To expand the government's national security powers once again at the
expense of the human and civil rights of the American people would only
serve to further undermine our democracy, not protect it.

And because justice is not equal in this country, any new domestic
terrorism legislation would end up being used to profile
already-over-policed marginalized people.

We know this based on our country’s history, which is especially important
to reckon with as we start Black History Month. As long as white people
have been in this country, violent white mobs have inflicted terror as
part of maintaining the unjust status quo. And they’ve gotten away with
it.

The Department of Justice can already use over 50 federal statutes to hold
the people who participated in the insurrection accountable. However, such
laws have rarely been used against far-right extremists -- instead,
they’ve often been used against marginalized communities. (Given that a
number of law enforcement officers were among the violent mob that
attacked the Capitol, is this any surprise?)

As Diala Shamas, a staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional
Rights, noted:

"Anyone familiar with the scope of surveillance and targeting of Black
political dissent, or Muslim communities, knows that law enforcement has
all the tools it needs to aggressively disrupt and hold accountable
those who planned and participated in the storming of the Capitol. Why
they didn’t raises serious questions, but it was not because their hands
were tied. We don’t need new terrorism designations."

It’s true!

Our national government already has the tools, resources, and authority
needed to investigate and hold accountable the people who participated in
January 6th’s insurrection. It’s just a matter of political will.

That’s why over 150 civil and human rights groups sent a letter to
Congress opposing the creation of a new domestic terrorism charge, and
it’s why I led 10 progressive members of Congress to send a letter to
congressional leadership opposing any expansion of our national security
powers.

And now we urgently need members of the public to do the same. Can you
join us?

[ [link removed] ]Please sign now to tell Congress: In the wake of January 6th’s attack,
use existing laws, powers, and regulations to address white nationalist
and far-right extremist groups' threats to our national security. Do not
expand national security powers or laws, which would likely erode our
liberties and jeopardize our rights.

Join Me Now: [link removed]

Thank you for taking action!

In solidarity,

- Rashida

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib




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