Truth and Action Roundup 11.20.24

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, a reliable source of information, inspiration, and action for the post-election period. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it. Today is Wednesday, Nov. 20, 61 days before Inauguration Day. In today’s Truth and Action Roundup, we share alarming news about how President-elect Donald Trump is testing democratic norms and the rule of law in the United States even before he assumes the powers of the presidency for a second term. We also report on a vote in the Senate to limit certain arms sales to Israel and offer some positive news about a Missouri referendum. In addition, we provide a resource for preaching on the biblical call to protect migrant people as well as a toolkit for making calls to Congress. Finally, we provide some spiritual sustenance for the road ahead. – Rev. Adam Taylor and Rev. Moya Harris, Sojourners In the News Here’s what we know at the time of writing: 1) As Trump prepares to assume the presidency, he and his team are delaying or refusing cooperation with several government agencies that normally aid in a smooth transition of power. For example, he has shut the State Department out of calls with foreign heads of state, rejected FBI assistance with security checks of potential nominees for key positions, and has refused to turn in required ethics pledges that would allow the General Services Administration’s preparations for handing over control of hundreds of federal agencies to begin. One of his key allies, Mike Davis, has described Trump’s approach to the transition as “a hostile takeover.” 2) The United States Senate will vote today on several joint resolutions of disapproval filed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), which would block the Biden administration’s sale of several types of offensive munitions to Israel, including mortar and tank rounds, among others. While the measures are unlikely to pass, they signal that the height of support in the U.S. for unlimited military support for Israel may be in decline. One concern regarding the incoming Trump administration is that the large number of advocates against the violence in Gaza, many of whom are young voters, may be some of the first to face crackdowns under Trump’s proposed use of the Insurrection Act and his stated desire to use the U.S. military to put down internal dissent. 3) In one of the more hopeful results from this month’s elections, Missouri voters approved a referendum to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by Jan. 1, 2026 (and to $13.75 by Jan. 1, 2025) and adjust the state’s minimum wage thereafter based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The referendum also requires most Missouri employers to provide paid sick leave. Take Action Learn about the biblical call to protect migrant people. This repository of sermons focused on the biblical call to immigrant justice can help you engage with this critical justice issue, particularly given the cruel pledges and dehumanizing rhetoric of the incoming Trump administration. You can also sign up here to receive monthly updates and resources on immigration justice. Call your members of Congress. There are lots of issues during this time that demand our attention and action. One of the most effective ways to make your voice heard on important justice issues is to call your legislators. Check out Sojourners’ step-by-step guide detailing what you need to know before calling and how to make the biggest impact. Deep Breaths “And God stepped out on space, / And He looked around and said: / I'm lonely— / I'll make me a world.” – “The Creation” by James Weldon Johnson It cannot be overstated that community is essential for individual thriving. God created us as relational beings. In “The Creation,” James Weldon Johnson paints a powerful, anthropomorphic vision of God’s loneliness, so deep and profound that God created the world and all who inhabit it. This act of creation reflects the sacredness of community, showing that we are meant to live, learn, and love together, not in isolation. Isolation is a tool of autocratic forces. Unchecked isolation can create fertile ground for the growth of oppressive ideologies. Prolonged separation from others fuels distrust, polarization, fear, and anger. Our response to this is simple: gather with those who strengthen. If God, in divine creativity, filled loneliness by creating a world full of life and connection, how might we tend to the lonely spaces in our own hearts? Who will you reach out to? Which friend have you been meaning to meet for coffee or a meal? Get them on your calendar today. Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other, but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NRSVUE) — Rev. Moya Harris, Director of Racial Justice, Sojourners The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor Director of Racial Justice: Rev. Moya Harris Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson Senior Adviser and Director to the President’s Office: Elizabeth Denlinger Reaves Director of Campaigns and Mobilizing: Sandy Ovalle Martínez Director of Congregational Outreach & Education: Rev. Andrea Saccoccio Digital Communications Associate: Lexi Schnaser Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2024 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Sojourners | 408 C St. NE | Washington, DC 20002 Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842