Racism is a public health issue. African American women are 4x more likely to die from childbirth than white women and African American men are dying from police brutality at alarming rates. We must acknowledge and fight institutionalized racism before any more lives are lost.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 30, 2019
Using Technology to Deepen Democracy, Using Democracy to Ensure Technology Benefits Us All
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Good Labour Rhet
It's just common sense. pic.twitter.com/ULko6MjPXW
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) April 29, 2019
Wish Labour was more consistently anti-Brexit, but won't quibble when their ads are this effectively educational. Also wish business school undergrads (if they must exist) watched this and skipped the libertopian macroeconomic miseducations they receive too often instead.
Monday, April 29, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
There is not a single place in the US where the minimum wage can cover basic living expenses. That 👏🏾 is 👏🏾 not 👏🏾 ok 👏🏾 #RaiseTheWage https://t.co/cnfkeyf3BW
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 26, 2019
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Sounds About Right...
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
The housing crisis is real and affecting cities across the country, especially in California. The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act is the bold action we need to help expand affordable, accessible housing for all.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 28, 2019
Sunday Walk and Brunch
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Actually, it’s quite simple: no one should ever be discriminated against because of who they are or who they love. https://t.co/jEF9tsY4wy
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 27, 2019
Corpse Compost
Friday, April 26, 2019
Insomniac Attack!
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Our teachers don’t need guns. They need leaders who will stand up to the NRA and pass real gun safety reforms to protect our classrooms.https://t.co/EBnUriWz8a
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 26, 2019
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Five years ago the #FlintWaterCrisis began and this community along with many others across the country still face a water crisis. As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it’s downright shameful we can’t guarantee everyone access to clean water.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 26, 2019
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Today's Random Wilde
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Title X ensures that everyone, regardless of income, has access to basic care like birth control, cancer screenings, and HIV tests. Trump’s Title X gag rule would strip this essential care from millions. I’m fighting to end this administration’s dangerous attacks on women.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 24, 2019
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
The federal minimum wage hasn’t changed from $7.25/hour in almost a decade. Americans deserve better. We must #RaiseTheWage to $15/hour now.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 22, 2019
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Sunday Walk And Brunch
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you. pic.twitter.com/Nef3r5IfVs
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 21, 2019
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
On #420, millions will gather to celebrate marijuana. But for many, it’s just another painful reminder of our nation’s discriminatory practices. My Marijuana Justice Act would reform our outdated marijuana laws while providing restorative justice to communities of color.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 20, 2019
Friday, April 19, 2019
Endorsing This Not-Yet Endorsement
I'm not endorsing a candidate yet because it's too early. But Elizabeth Warren keeps impressing me with her moral clarity, practical plans, and willingness to tackle corruption head on. Pay attention to Elizabeth Warren -- not just for 2020 but for today.
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 19, 2019
Same. Same. Same.
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
To recap:
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 18, 2019
-Mueller needs to testify.
-Barr needs to resign.
-Trump needs to be held accountable.#MuellerReport
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Don’t let this get lost in the headlines today. Under Trump’s reign, Border Patrol is forcing immigrants to stay in filthy conditions without places to sleep. It’s inhumane. https://t.co/m0JH4hPrsn
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 18, 2019
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Green New Deal Futurism
This is a story from the future. It's the story of the world we won by fighting for a #GreenNewDeal. Written and narrated by Representative @AOC.
— Sunrise Movement 🌅 (@sunrisemvmt) April 17, 2019
Watch: pic.twitter.com/URFcHgHB3n
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
The US’ participation in the Saudi-led war on Yemen is unconstitutional and wrong. Trump’s veto undermines Congress’ constitutional power on matters of war and peace, and will only serve to continue one of the world’s greatest humanitarian crises. #YemenCantWait https://t.co/j479yCPvba
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 17, 2019
How About All Of Time And Space?
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
: Despite dozens of states legalizing some form of cannabis, thousands of people continue to be criminalized for possession. It's critical we do more than just legalize – we need to address the legacy of the failed War on Drugs too. #MarijuanaJustice https://t.co/2nwpQsoHvK
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 16, 2019
Monday, April 15, 2019
Ten Theses On Taxes And Democracy
OneHostility to taxes is commonplace among self-styled anarchists, as well as for right-wing "conservatives" whose advocacy of "smaller" or "more limited" government might as well be anarchism, since always only advocating ever smaller, ever more limited government without ever indicating what good government actually should be and alone can accomplish is substantially equivalent to blanket anti-governmentality in principle. Exploitation of discontent over taxes is also commonplace among neoliberal/neoconservative right-wing politicians and thinkers who want to ensure taxes subsidize primarily the fortunes of incumbent elites through extractive-industrial-financial corporate-militarism backed by complacent consumerism and organized violence. I for one do not want to smash states, but to democratize them. And an understanding and championing of taxes should be no less indispensable to the work of democratization as its obfuscation and demonization is indispensable to the work of anti-democratization.
TwoTaxes are not really the price we pay for a civilized society -- in Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.'s, influential phrase -- for civilization is priceless. This is just to say that commonwealth is not a private commodity but a public good. Taxes are not, for example, fees for discrete services that might be provided otherwise, nor are taxes a price for which there might be discount alternatives. Perhaps the true spirit of Holmes' phrase is captured best in a negative formulation: anti-tax zealots would appear to believe that civilization is the only free lunch.
ThreeCertainly taxes are not theft, as anarchists of the right and the left are so pleased to declare, since taxation is a precondition for the constitution and ongoing intelligibility of the claim to ownership on which notions of theft depend in the first place.
FourNeither should taxes be mischaracterized as forced contributions to what might instead be charitable causes, since the basic rights secured through taxation cannot be regarded as matters of charity else they are not truly rights but mere favors bestowed by privileged elites.
FiveTaxes are not, however annoying they may seem, burdens on our freedom so much as essential enablers of freedom. Taxes, government bonds, and public fees support the public investments maintaining the legal, infrastructural, and administrative material conditions alone within which political freedom can abide.
SixTaxes ameliorate undemocratic concentrations of wealth and authority to secure sufficient equity among citizens of diverse fortune. The equity valued by democracy ensures that the diversity also valued by democracy does not disable the demanding and costly democratic processes facilitating collective responsibility, expression, criticism, problem-solving and the interminable reconciliation of the aspirations of all the people with whom we share and contest the present world.
SevenTaxes pay for the maintenance of institutions providing nonviolent alternatives for the adjudication of disputes. Taxes pay to secure basic needs to ensure that the scene of consent to everyday association is reliably informed and is non-duressed by the threat of deprivation, inequity, or insecurity. And taxes pay for the accountable administration of commons and public goods without which they are inevitably violated and exploited for short-term profit-taking by minorities to the cost and risk of majorities. Far from representing quintessential state violence, taxes are the enabling condition of a democratic state facilitating nonviolence.
EightTaxes coupled to representation itself ("No Taxation Without Representation") tie the maintenance of government as such -- an organization invested with legitimate recourse to force with all the clear dangers inhering in that state of affairs -- inextricably to public accountability and democratic legitimacy.
NineTaxing more those who profit more by their personal recourse to the shared inheritance of human knowledge and culture, to the shared substance of precarious environmental resources on which we all depend for our survival and flourishing, and to the ongoing benefits of collaboratively maintained infrastructure, institutions, norms, trust, legitimacy, and security is not unfair in the least. Progressive taxation follows quite simply from a recognition of the indisputable fact of our radical inter-dependence as both productive and vulnerable beings in the world. This same recognition, of course, is also the foundation for fairness.
TenWhenever a right wing politician declares all government wasteful, criminal, or corrupt you should pay close attention, because he is revealing his intentions. Wherever government is meant to be of by and for the people, to be anti-government always means to be against the great majority of the people.
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
At the same time the House was holding hearings about combating #WhiteSupremacy, people were burning black churches to the ground. The American people need to grapple with our country's legacy of racism before more people are hurt. #EndHate https://t.co/Go3yZbCbTh
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 14, 2019
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Sunday Walk And Brunch
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily (#IStandWithIlhanOmar Edition)
The vile, hateful expressions by this president while he mischaracterizes the words of @Ilhan are shameful and beneath the dignity of the office of president. #IStandWithIlhanOmar
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 13, 2019
Friday, April 12, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
It seems there is no limit to how far Trump will go to degrade the office he holds. By the way, here in California, we’re proud of our #SanctuaryCities. https://t.co/4wmu4OOteQ
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 12, 2019
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
It’s outrageous that Republicans are warning pharmaceutical companies to not comply with investigations into skyrocketing drug prices. As usual, Republicans are siding with Big Pharma and their seven-figure checks over everyday Americans.https://t.co/3uyL3rMdne
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 10, 2019
Today's Random Wilde
Tuesday, April 09, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
We're seeing more and more violent crimes inspired by white nationalist rhetoric. Last year alone, hate crimes across America rose 17% – the third consecutive year that such crimes increased. #EndHate https://t.co/RZUz0l2itl
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 9, 2019
Monday, April 08, 2019
Pennyversary!
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Our criminal justice system is deeply flawed. It’s one in which for-profit prisons depend on mass incarceration to churn a profit. It’s discriminatory and wrong and must end now.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 8, 2019
Sunday, April 07, 2019
Sunday Walk
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Winning the war on poverty is going to take work. A lot of work. We must revamp our education system, invest in public assistance, extend public transit, raise the minimum wage — and above all, we must level the playing field so everyone can succeed. But this fight is worth it.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 7, 2019
Saturday, April 06, 2019
Today's Random Wilde
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
The American people deserve truth, transparency, and accountability. Every presidential candidate since Nixon has released their tax returns. If Trump is so unwilling to release his own, it begs the question: what is he trying to hide?
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 6, 2019
Friday, April 05, 2019
Teaching Day
Barbara Lee Speaks For Mee Daily
46 states have some legalized some form of cannabis. Yet far too many people still face federal prosecution and roadblocks in their daily lives — especially people of color. I’m proud to support the #STATESAct to stop federal interference in legal cannabis enterprises. pic.twitter.com/lhjTHB1Sft
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 4, 2019
Thursday, April 04, 2019
Today's Random Wilde
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Today, I voted to end the United States’ unconstitutional role in the war in Yemen. The humanitarian crisis facing millions of Yeminis grows worse by the day -- and our complicity in their suffering is immoral and inexcusable. #YemenCantWait pic.twitter.com/3JYEX6DVuD
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 4, 2019
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
I was there and saw first-hand children in prison, sleeping on cement floors, crying for their parents. All while you’re insisting nothing is happening. Shame on you! https://t.co/LR3H4YYmsp
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 2, 2019
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Immigrants often seek shelter in the United States because they’re fleeing from violence back home. If the GOP truly wanted to curb immigration, they would focus on supporting and uplifting countries abroad. https://t.co/CgZtMaEi4h
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 2, 2019
Monday, April 01, 2019
Teaching Day
Barbara Lee Speaks For Me Daily
Until our country guarantees paid family leave, affordable child care, and equal pay for equal work, we cannot pride ourselves on family values. Plain and simple.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) March 31, 2019