Paying Tribute - Action Alert, May 25, 2026

beachesactivistmov
9 minutes ago
4 min read

"I am an American.

Fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life.

I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

- U.S. Military Code of Conduct, Article 1

Memorial Day: More Than the First Day of Summer

Over America's 250-year history, tens of millions of men and women have answered the country's call to arms. Some died in battle, some in captivity or from their wounds; more than a million never came home. People of patriotism and goodwill can debate the merits of any given war, police action, or humanitarian mission. But there should be no debate about our debt to the hundreds of thousands of our citizens who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Today rightly belongs to the men and women whose willingness to leave homes and families and risk their lives over an ideal of honor or duty, or simply to protect the soldiers next to them should inspire us all. Their courage deserves our attention and respect. To leave a tribute to a fallen veteran you know, click here.

Stop the Trump Slush Fund

“So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong – Take your pick.” When you wake to find yourself agreeing with Senator Mitch McConnell, the world feels truly upside down. But we can all hope this has been a step too far into corruption for 47.

It's been another hard week for the American public, but perhaps a harder one for Trump. First, the release of a new financial disclosure revealed that, during the first quarter of this year he made 3600 stock trades worth as much as $750 million. The Senate Parliamentarian pulled requested ballroom funding out of the Budget Reconciliation package (thanks for your outraged calls). And then the DOJ announced their $1.7 billion "settlement" of Trump's case against the IRS in the form of a slush fund to reimburse victim's of Biden's "weaponization" of the Justice Department, with a belated addendum officially barring any future audits or prosecutions related to tax returns of any members of the Trump family or businesses, prompting an uncharacteristically scathing editorial by the NYT and other media, and outspoken criticism from both sides of Congress.

Reduced to its eye-popping but simplest form: Trump sued the IRS, an agency of the government he controls, for $10 million over the leak of his tax returns by an IRS contractor. In essence, he sued himself, and then "settled" with himself for 170 times more than his original demand. On top of that, Trump's efforts to sabotage GOP Senators he regarded as disloyal succeeded this week at the polls, but alienated what has up to now been a stunningly compliant Congress. Despite Trump's June 1 deadline for passage of the budget Reconciliation bill, the Senate set it aside, and passed a War Powers resolution to rein in the Iran conflict. When it looked like Speaker Johnson couldn't block a similar measure from passing in the House, both bodies simply went home for the holidays.

They will be back Tuesday - and they need to keep hearing from us. Congress has the power to block this truly staggering abuse of power. Use this script from 5 Calls and contact Senators Moody & Scott, and Representative Rutherford.

Choosing to Win - In Florida!

This Tuesday, May 26, from 5:30-7 pm join a Zoom sponsored by SWIFT with a focus on the candidates running for Governor and U.S. Senate. Join like-minded voters from across the state for this informative presentation by Darrick D. McGhee, Sr., President & CEO of Strategic Inflection Point, LLC. Click here to register.

The Never-ending Florida Legislature

As Tallahassee's special session on the budget continues this week, we have a chance to weigh in on at least two critical issues:

Get Highway Patrol Out of ICE. The current FL Highway Patrol budget proposal includes $7 million for immigration enforcement-related expenses. According to SWIFT (the Statewide Indivisible Florida Taskforce), the working coalition of Florida Indivisible groups, FHP should be focusing on making our roads safe, not terrorizing immigrants with our money! Especially since ICE has already provided more than $14 million to FHP this year. This week call Rep. Kiyan Michael and Sen. Clay Yarborough and the budget committees (see below) to demand they get FHP out of the 287(g) agreement and spend no more of our money on things the FHP shouldn't even be doing. Click here for more info and committee contacts.
Support Public School Funding. Florida lawmakers ended last week without final agreements on several major issues, including public education funding and transparency around private school voucher programs. One key issue still being debated is whether the state will clearly identify how much funding is going toward voucher programs. Public pressure during this stage of the process is vitally important. Please take time today to advocate for funding decisions that put students before politics. Click here for more background from Families for Strong Public Schools and a quick link for communicating with lawmakers.

Join the Beaches Library Saturday Protest

At the end of a tough week, many of us are discovering one of the best ways to shake off the gloom of the national news is to pour our frustrations or hopes into a sign and join the crowd at the Beaches Library (10 - 11:30 a.m.) It's a great way to meet like-minded people and encourage our neighbors to think twice about policies they may not like - and join us in objecting. Thanks to the Neptune Beach Coalition for organizing!

RAISE HOTLINE: 1-888-600-5762

Have you recently seen, interacted with, been detained, or know someone impacted by ICE? Call the hotline. Alert local Legal Observers and connect detainees with assistance and resources. Email us to learn more about how you can help!