Sign the petition: ExxonMobil is trying to avoid taxes

 

Amazon had record profits in 2020 -- but paid just a fraction of it in federal income taxes.1 And ExxonMobil is busy lobbying against higher corporate taxes.2 These and other massive corporations want to report their gigantic profits to investors, so they can show off for Wall Street. But then they turn around and exploit all kinds of accounting gimmicks to report profit numbers to the IRS that are as low as possible, to make their tax bill as small as possible. That's why Senator Elizabeth Warren just introduced the Real Corporate Tax Act of 2021. If passed, this would stop the kind of double-dealing that lets these corporations avoid paying any federal income taxes and make them do their part!3 Sign the petition: Tell Congress to support the Real Corporate Tax Act of 2021! Even before the devastating COVID-19 pandemic hit, millions of Americans were already struggling to make ends meet. Now, with millions of workers without a good-paying job, families struggling to find affordable housing and child care, people afraid to go to the doctor in fear of what it may cost -- it is time to make corporations finally do their part to support hard-working people. For too long, some of the biggest, most profitable corporations in America have figured out a scheme to skip out on the bill. But Senator Warren’s new proposal -- which she partnered on with independent Angus King -- would fix this. We know that corporations like ExxonMobil, Amazon, and Big Pharma have a tight grasp on many of the Senators we'd need on board to pass the Real Corporate Tax Act. And that's why, with the conversation moving forward in the Senate, we need to show the grassroots movement behind this push to make corporations pay their fair share. Will you join us? Sign the petition: Support the Real Corporate Tax Act of 2021! Thanks for being in this fight, Maria and the team at Demand Progress Sources: 1. Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, "Amazon Has Record-Breaking Profits in 2020, Avoids $2.3 Billion in Federal Income Taxes," February 3, 2021. 2. Business Insider, "Here's Biden's tax plan that corporations like Apple, Disney, and ExxonMobil are scrambling to squash right now," September 7, 2021. 3. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, "Senators Warren and King, Representative Beyer Announce Legislation To Prevent The Biggest And Most Profitable Corporations From Paying Nothing In Federal Taxes," August 9, 2021. PAID FOR BY DEMAND PROGRESS (DemandProgress.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on Facebook or Twitter.

DeJoy awards his own company $120 million

 

The U.S. Postal Service has awarded a $120 million contract to a shipping company that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy used to run and still has financial interest in.1 And this contract is partly paid for by a hike in prices that took effect last Sunday.2 This is deeply unethical, but so far, the USPS Board of Governors has done nothing to stop DeJoy from destroying the mail—and profiting from it on its way down. Demand Progress is pressuring the Board of Governors to rid the USPS of Louis DeJoy and Congress to pass legislation to protect the post office. And we are working to ensure that personnel making the decisions in the federal government are doing so in the interest of the people, not to line their own pockets. The price increase that took place this week is part of DeJoy’s 10-year plan that he unveiled last spring, which includes sharply raising prices while simultaneously slowing mail delivery, making it significantly less competitive and harder to sustain.3 And while the plan calls for ending air transport for first-class mail, it still pays out hundreds of millions of dollars to contractors like XPO Logistics, DeJoy’s former corporation, which he still garners millions of dollars a year from.4 Making the mail more expensive won’t hurt most giant corporations, who are allowed to negotiate their own rates with the USPS.5 It hurts the individual in an urban center who has to pay $8 to mail a rent check certified to a landlord. It hurts the retiree in rural America who can’t afford the shipping costs to receive medication anymore. Demand Progress has mobilized the grassroots to send more than 100,000 messages to get rid of DeJoy and save the post office. Now we need your help to continue the fight, especially with DeJoy’s newly announced plans beginning to take effect. The Biden administration needs to be cleared of anti-government Trump appointees, starting with Louis DeJoy. Will you donate to Demand Progress? Thanks for standing with us. Robert Cruickshank, Demand Progress Sources: 1. The Washington Post, "DeJoy maintains financial ties to former company as USPS awards it new $120 million contract," August 6, 2021 2. USPS, "2021 Postage Price Changes," August 25, 2021 3. The Washington Post, "USPS chief DeJoy cuts post office hours, lengthens delivery times in new 10-year plan," March 23, 2021 4. The Washington Post, "DeJoy maintains financial ties to former company as USPS awards it new $120 million contract," August 6, 2021 5. ShipStation, "USPS, FedEx, & UPS Shipping Discounts," accessed September 2, 2021

Amazon under investigation

 

This is HUGE: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an investigation into Jeff Bezos and Amazon’s $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM studios.1 The MGM merger would add a catalog of more than 4,000 films and 17,000 episodes to Amazon’s Prime Video service and give it control of future production, increasing its monopoly over content, and allow it to control intellectual property rights that will stretch over other businesses.2 This comes along with news that Amazon is planning to open department stores across the nation to take over brick and mortar space. We need FTC Chair Lina Khan, an antitrust advocate, to block this merger as a critical first step to reining the mega company in. We’ve written a letter to Khan with more than 30 other organizations to ask the FTC to do just that, and now we need to publicize how terrible Amazon is to get grassroots energy on our side. If Amazon is permitted to own MGM, consumers will be more forcefully pushed into subscribing to Amazon Prime to access content that should be available across all platforms, and Amazon can use its Fire TV products to keep other streaming devices out. Two hundred million people worldwide are already members of Amazon Prime, the subscription that controls content, delivery of goods, and groceries.3 It’s just one part of the all-encompassing empire that Jeff Bezos, chairman of Amazon, has built. Millions of houses use the Ring security system, seventy-seven million people read the Washington Post, and one million websites—from Airbnb to NASA to Zillow—use Amazon Web Services.4,5,6 Amazon is even planning on opening department stores across the country.7 This kind of consolidation allows Amazon to dominate the market and abuse employees. A report by the House of Representatives found that the company was using AI technology to crush competitors.8 Amazon warehouses are pushing down wages in areas with union presence.9 And customers are paying more for lower quality products.10 Demand Progress has been a leader in the fight against Amazon. We’ve driven in tens of thousands of messages to Congress and federal regulators urging them to take on the company, and we co-founded the Athena coalition to unite the grassroots against Amazon’s power. We need the FTC to step up and start applying antitrust law to break up Amazon and stop its acquisitions of huge companies. Will you donate? Yes, I’ll chip in to help stop Amazon’s monopoly. Thanks for standing with us. Robert Cruickshank, Demand Progress Sources: 1. The Verge, "The FTC has reportedly opened an investigation into Amazon’s MGM acquisition," July 9, 2021 2. The Washington Post, "Amazon merger with MGM bolsters its Prime ambitions," May 27, 2021 3. Ibid. 4. Recode, "Amazon Ring sales nearly tripled in December despite hacks," January 21, 2020 5. The Washington Post, "Audience & Traffic," accessed June 2, 2021 6. Contino, "Who's Using Amazon Web Services? [2020 Update]," January 28, 2020 7. The Wall Street Journal, "Amazon Plans to Open Large Retail Locations Akin to Department Stores," August 19, 2021 8. The New York Times, "The House Antitrust Report on Big Tech," October 6, 2020 9. Fast Company, "What Happens When An Amazon Warehouse Opens? Lower Wages, No Increase In Jobs," February 5, 2018 10. The New York Times, "Welcome to the Era of Fake Products," February 11, 2020 PAID FOR BY DEMAND PROGRESS (DemandProgress.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on Facebook or Twitter.

The DOJ must prosecute law-breaking by Trump officials

 

The facts are clear: Donald Trump's secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, misled Congress, under oath. That’s a crime. He should be prosecuted.

So why isn't Merrick Garland doing it?!

Here's the backstory: In the run-up to the 2020 Census, Trump's political team instructed the Commerce Department to craft the census in a way that would reduce the number of congressional districts and electoral college votes awarded to Democratic states.

But when questioned about it by Congress under oath, then-Secretary Ross misled them.

Trump and his cronies aren't above the law. But there's a disturbing trend in the DOJ of refusing to go after the crimes that took place when Trump was president, which is setting a terrible precedent. The DOJ needs to step up.

This cannot stand. We're mobilizing a grassroots push to demand full accountability for Trump officials who broke the law. Will you sign the petition to demand that Merrick Garland stand up for progressive values and prosecute Wilbur Ross?

This isn't the first time that Merrick Garland has carried Trump's water and protected him from accountability.

Stunningly, Garland is defending Trump against E. Jean Carroll, one of dozens of women who have come forward with allegations of sexual assault by Trump.

Garland also refused to release documents that could prove that Trump Attorney General William Barr acted improperly during the Mueller investigation. The DOJ even wants to lock up the Mueller investigation documents until the year 2069.

These moves make us deeply concerned about how Merrick Garland's DOJ will handle the crimes committed during the Trump administration. We need accountability for the Trump years, not a DOJ that's all too willing to let bygones be bygones and criminals off the hook.

Merrick Garland shouldn't be protecting Trump or anyone in his cabinet who engaged in wrongdoing. Will you sign the petition to tell the DOJ to stand up for progressive values and prosecute Trump administration crimes?

Thank you for speaking out,

Robert and the team at Demand Progress

WTF, Merrick Garland?

 

The facts are clear: Donald Trump’s secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, lied to Congress, under oath. That’s a crime. He should be prosecuted.1 So why isn’t Merrick Garland doing it?! Here’s the backstory: In the run-up to the 2020 Census, Trump's political team instructed the Commerce Department to craft the census in a way that would reduce the number of congressional districts and electoral college votes awarded to Democratic states.2,3 But when questioned about it by Congress under oath, then-Secretary Ross lied.4 Trump and his cronies aren’t above the law. But there’s a disturbing trend in the DOJ of refusing to go after the crimes that took place when Trump was president, which is setting a terrible precedent. The DOJ needs to step up. This isn’t the first time that Merrick Garland has carried Trump’s water and protected him from accountability.5 Stunningly, Garland is defending Trump against E. Jean Carroll, one of dozens of women who have come forward with allegations of sexual assault by Trump.6,7 Garland also refused to release documents that could prove that Trump Attorney General William Barr acted improperly during the Mueller investigation.8 The DOJ even wants to lock up the Mueller investigation documents until the year 2069.9 These moves make us deeply concerned about how Merrick Garland’s DOJ will handle the crimes committed during the Trump administration. We need accountability for the Trump years, not a DOJ that’s all too willing to let bygones be bygones and criminals off the hook. Merrick Garland shouldn’t be protecting Trump or anyone in his cabinet who engaged in wrongdoing. Will you chip in to generate massive grassroots pressure on the DOJ to prosecute Trump administration crimes? Thanks for standing with us. Robert Cruickshank, Demand Progress PS: Your contributions are what keep us nimble and prepared to take on important fights like these as they happen. Will you become a monthly donor to keep our work going? Sources: 1. CNN, "Justice Department won’t prosecute Wilbur Ross for misleading Congress about attempted 2020 census change," July 19, 2021. 2. CNN, "Justice Department filing appears to contradict commerce secretary testimony to Congress," October 12, 2018. 3. Government Executive, "DOJ Will Not Prosecute Trump Officials After IG Referred Findings of False Testimony on Census," July 16, 2021. 4. USA Today, "Watchdog: Wilbur Ross misled on reason for 2020 Census citizenship question," July 21, 2021. 5. The New Republic, "Merrick Garland Is Not Your Liberal Firebrand," June 11, 2021. 6. Slate, "Why Is Merrick Garland Defending Donald Trump?," June 8, 2021. 7. E Jean Carroll, "Carroll v Trump (an Update)," June 7, 2021. 8. Washington Monthly, "Why Is Merrick Garland Defending Bill Barr’s Policies?" June 15, 2020. 9. The Washington Post, "Justice Department seeks 50-year bar to release of grand jury material," July 20, 2021.

Corporate lobbyists are freaking out

 

President Biden just announced a sweeping executive order to protect consumers and workers against some of the most egregious abuses of corporate power—policies that progressives like Elizabeth Warren and Katie Porter have been advocating for years. Cheaper generic prescription drugs. The right to repair your own iPhone. Refunds when a product or service doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. Who could possibly be against this stuff? The corporations profiting from these rip-offs, that’s who. The right wing is already launching an all-out campaign to strangle President Biden’s executive order in the crib, scaremongering about an “unbounded regulatory state” and the “creeping socialism.” We need to fight just as hard against the corporate lobbyists who are hell-bent on killing these consumer protections. President Biden’s executive order includes 72 specific initiatives that are so common-sense you won’t believe they aren’t already the law of the land. Here’s just a sample of what’s included:1 Make it easier for generic drugmakers in Canada to sell in the U.S., lowering barriers that cost the American health-care system billions every year.2 Allow restaurant workers and others to change jobs when they get a better offer, instead of allowing exploitative “noncompete agreements” to lock them into bad jobs. Ensure that everyone from farmers to iPhone owners can repair our own stuff when it breaks, rather than requiring us to bring it back to the manufacturer. Stop the anticompetitive practices that allow Big Tech giants like Amazon and Facebook to kill off small businesses and startups, including reinstating net neutrality. The best part is that the Biden administration has the power to do all of this on their own. Mitch McConnell can’t do a darn thing about it, if the Biden administration has the courage to follow through. But each one of these ideas must go through a detailed rulemaking process, and with an army of corporate lobbyists gearing up to kill or weaken virtually every single one of them, we can’t just sit back and assume it will happen. We can’t let this historic chance to crack down on corporate power slip away. Please donate today and help fight back against the corporate lobbyists who are trying to kill Biden’s executive order. Thanks for standing with us. Robert Cruickshank, Demand Progress Sources: 1. The White House, "FACT SHEET: Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy," July 9, 2021. 2. Federal Trade Commission, "Pay for Delay," accessed July 15, 2021 PAID FOR BY DEMAND PROGRESS (DemandProgress.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on Facebook or Twitter.