Options as of November 17, 2025

Some good news this month–voters across the country loudly rejected the policies of Trump and the Republican Congress. Consider these helpful takeaways from G. Elliott Morris’ substack.

Options for action

We like 5calls.org because you can choose the issues most important to you. This week in particular, we recommend specific calls:

1. Urge Foxx, Budd, and Tillis to release the Epstein files.

The abuse connected to Epstein, Maxwell, and their circle of friends is horrifying. Any cover-up of such crimes is unacceptable. 

Contact Representative Virginia Foxx by phone (202) 225-2071 or webform https://foxx.house.gov/connect/default.aspx-- "Support H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and release the entirety of the Epstein investigation files."

Tell Senator Budd and Tillis: "Support S. 2557, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and release the entirety of the Epstein investigation files."

Senator Ted Budd phone: (202) 224-3154 or webform:https://www.budd.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Thom Tillis phone: (202) 224-6342 or webform: https://www.tillis.senate.gov/

2. Tell our state representatives to pass a budget that bolsters Medicaid and education funding, especially for hard-hit rural schools.

Call or email our state representatives with this possible script: “We need to stop being the only state in the nation still without a budget, especially when the absence of a budget has resulted in harmful Medicaid cuts in our state. Support a budget that increases Medicaid funding and blocks cuts to provider payments. The budget must support our public schools, especially our rural schools because our state's rural schools ranked high in need in a national report, especially alarming in a state in which 78 out of 100 counties are rural, and more than 1 in 3 students attends a rural school.”

NC Senator Ralph Hise phone: 919-733-3460 email ralph.hise@ncleg.gov

Either NC Representative Ray Pickett 919-733-7727 email ray.pickett@ncleg.gov Or NC Representative Destin Hall 919-733-3451 or destin.hall@ncleg.gov

3. Support organizations that serve the most vulnerable among us.

We don’t know if continuing the government shutdown could have been a successful tactic for outnumbered Democrats in Congress to force the Republican majority to quit harming the American people. One thing is clear–Democrats did not want people to go hungry any longer,whereas Trump and the Republicans were dead set on inflicting pain. All this because the Republicans are extremely committed to limiting access to healthcare! Also, as summarized in NC Newsline, the Republican budget passed this year undermines states' abilities to provide food benefits (SNAP) as well as healthcare. 

If you add everything together–the Republican budget cuts, the disruption of the shutdown, tariffs, and the rising costs of food, housing, and heating, this will be a tough winter, especially for the most vulnerable among us. Keep in mind that our Republican-gerrymandered county commission eliminated its support for the Hospitality House, a regional nonprofit which supports those experiencing homelessness and poverty. Our local Hunger and Health Coalition provides a comprehensive listing of area services serving those in need at https://www.hungerandhealthcoalition.org/resources. 

One option for action: if you haven’t already done so, make a donation or volunteer for one or more of these local organizations. The worst people in our country want to hurt us and tear us apart. Let us respond by finding more ways to help one another.

Upcoming Events

The gerrymandered Watauga County Commission meets this Tuesday, November 18 at 5:30 pm in the Commissioners' Board Room at the Watauga County Administration Building.

Worth reading

Bullies in masks are assaulting harmless people, including U.S. citizens, in Charlotte, North Carolina. ICE and the Border Patrol are undermining trust in law enforcement, ignoring the fundamental concept of “innocent until proven guilty,” and disrupting our state economy, which benefits from immigrants as community members, workers, taxpayers, and consumers. SiembraNC continues to take the lead in finding ways to counter these injustices, including a new website to monitor this egregious behavior. Learn more in this NCnewsline article.

We highly recommend today's substack post from Heather Cox Richardson.