Rogan's List

5/27/17

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STATE & FEDERAL legislative rep phone numbers. 

1. Next week—May 29-June 2—Congress is in recess.  Hopefully our MoCs will schedule town halls, be present in their local offices, or hold scheduled meetings with constituents. These town halls will be a “referendum,” some say, on public outrage at the House vote on Trumpcare.  Let’s make sure they are! The Town Hall Project maintains a list of town halls and other public events as these are announced:  https://townhallproject.com/ Ultraviolet offers a guide to recess 2017 resistance, with a particular emphasis on issues affecting women’s health: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.weareultraviolet.com/images/20170522-UV-recess-toolkit-web-v3.pdf

2. In an election where most of the voting was done early, Greg Gianforte has been elected to Congress within a day of assaulting a reporter: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/26/greg-gianforte-wins-montana-congress-race-body-slam-reporter Please take a moment to let Mr. Gianforte know what we expect of elected officials in the federal government: c/o Greg for Montana, PO Box 877, Helena, MT 59624

3. Trump embarrassed the American people at the NATO conference and then went on to call the Germans, one of our strongest allies, evil.  "Trump’s singling out of German carmakers for contributing to the nation’s lopsided trade surplus follows rebukes of Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp.and attacks on America’s own automakers for shipping cars from Mexico. The rhetoric overlooks that BMW AG, Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG operate some of their biggest factories in the world in southern U.S. states, and the impact that putting a stop to imports would have on the thousands of dealers who sell German vehicles." https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-26/trump-blasts-german-carmakers-u-s-sales-and-threatens-barriers Let's call the White House and let trump know, we care about our German allies and that many German car makers build their cars here and American dealerships sell them providing jobs to Americans.  Contact the White House here:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

4. Last year, the House developed the Climate Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan group of Representatives who focus their efforts on policies related to the environment and climate change. http://bit.ly/2qirVNV The group is kept strictly bipartisan, with an even number of Democrat and Republican members, and is continuing to grow. However, it can still be a struggle getting Republican Members of Congress to join. If we have a Republican Representative, let's encourage them to join the Climate Solutions Caucus! In addition to calling them directly, we can also edit and then send them Climate Parents' form letter: http://bit.ly/2r4r7gI

5. Supplying weapons to a country which continuously commits war crimes makes the U.S. complicit in those violations of law http://bit.ly/2r5NsNx We need Congress to block these deals and prohibit the selling of weapons to human rights abusers. Let's call our Senators and ask them to cosponsor and support Sen. Rand Paul's S.J.Res. 42. We can also sign CREDO Action's petition: http://bit.ly/2s4x2By

6. The Senate will soon be voting on the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 (S. 951). The RAA will effectively politicize regulations, making it easier for corporations to sidestep rules which have been put in place to keep us safe. For those of us whose MoC will be hosting townhalls, let's make sure we're asking about their stance on the RAA. The Indivisible Guide has sample Townhall questions available, which we could also use when we call our MoC's office: http://bit.ly/2r5Z8iw

7. Yesterday, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced S1242 for a National $15 minimum wage: http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/25/news/economy/minimum-wage-bill-democrats/ The bill must now clear the Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Members of this committee are:   https://www.govtrack.us/congress/committees/SSHR  The chairman, Lamar Alexander, determines whether or not further action is taken on this bill.  The quest for a $15 minimum will be a long one.  We need to make our voices heard at every opportunity to keep the momentum moving forward. Let's write to Chairman Lamar Alexander, Committee on HELP, 428 Dirksen SOB, Washington DC 20510 and let him know that we support S1242.  (We can also call the HELP committee at 202-224-5375)  If any of our own senators are on the committee we can call them as well.

8. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) introduced HR351 to condemn the LGBTQ persecution in Chechnya.   http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/bipartisan-resolution-condemns-anti-lgbtq-violence-chechnya-n764151   The bipartisan bill now has 66 co-sponsors (50 D, 16 R). Let's check to see if our representatives are among them and contact them if they are not: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hres351/details

9. Representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Ted Yoho (R-FL) have sent a letter to the House Foreign Affairs committee chairmain Ed Royce calling for a full committee review of last week's Saudi Arms' deal. http://thehill.com/policy/defense/335193-lawmakers-demand-hearing-on-saudi-arms-sale  Let's write to Ed Royce to let him know that we support a full committee review: Chairman Ed Royce, Foreign Affairs Committee, 2170 Rayburn HOB, Washington DC 20515.  (Committee phone number: 202-225-5021)

10. Attorney General Jeff Sessions did not disclose some meetings with Russians on his security clearance:http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/sessions-security-clearance-doesnt-mention-russia-meetings.html   This is the mission statement of the Department of Justice: “To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.”  (https://www.justice.gov/about) Please take the time to let Sessions know why we do not think he is positioned to uphold to mission of the DOJ: US Dept of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20530

Other Actions

1. On May 29, Texas organizations are coming together in Austin to denounce SB4, signed into law in early May by Gov. Greg Abbott and requiring all Texas law enforcement agencies to comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement “detainers,” requests from ICE to hold an arrested person in custody while ICE investigates their immigration status: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1z5VNJsX5lCOnqkqGnEukzFjUxFeg1hfoScqbqcucahI/viewform?edit_requested=true The vote on SB4 followed Abbott’s declaration naming the banning of “sanctuary cities” an emergency item. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-sanctuary-law-20170504-story.html The attack on “sanctuary cities” and their police is not limited to Texas; the success of Austin’s United We Dream resistance matters to us all.  They ask for our help:  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/uwd_may29?refcode=em_20170525

2. We're less than four weeks away from special elections for Congress in both the Georgia Sixth and South Carolina Fifth Districts. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/2017/05/20/4dbc06e6-3d7e-11e7-a058-ddbb23c75d82_story.html?utm_term=.3bcd7ad5fabe) These are BIG opportunities to send a message to Trump. We can put two more votes in the House to block his plans to take health care coverage from 23 million Americans, cut Social Security and take a sledgehammer to the EPA so that he can cut taxes for his rich friends... and we can help from wherever you are! We can sign up to make calls for to help Jon Ossoff #FlipTheSixth at this link. We can also sign up to text for Ossoff at this link. We can sign up to help Archie Parnell turn out South Carolina voters at this link, and make texts for Archie here.

3. Greg Gianforte's victory less than 24 hours after assaulting a journalist for asking him a question sends a very frightening message to the media as they attempt to do their critical job of holding public officials accountable - especially in this time, where Trump and Steve Bannon paint the press as "the enemy." (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/journalists-press-freedom-advocates-react-alleged-assault-reporter/story?id=47645384) Let's send them a message of our own that we stand by them, and we're outraged. Danny Carlson has set up a GoFundMe page to help Ben Jacobs replace the glasses that Gianforte broke - and Ben Jacobs asked him to direct all donations to the Committee to Protect Journalists instead. We can help them out by donating here: https://www.gofundme.com/help-ben-jacobs-buy-new-glasses.

4. There's a lot going on in the world right now, but we can't take our eyes off Trumpcare. Republican senators are continuing to plot how to take health care away from 23 million Americans behind closed doors, strategizing in secret. (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/what-does-mitch-mcconnell-want-on-health-care/527877/) Let's join the ACA Defenders team and call folks in key states to make sure their senators hear from them about the importance of stopping repeal. We can sign up at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMiCjyVEprsCak0eifPbNorKx-C86ygqSasdbbLaA4gX874g/viewform.

5. Sleeping Giants' latest efforts to call out Google include e-mailing the SVP of Thought Leadership at Fidelity Investments regarding the upcoming Google shareholder meeting. Let's use Sleeping Giants' e-mail and Twitter templates to urge the SVP, Jeanne Thompson, to help hold Google accountable for still serving ads on Breitbart: http://bit.ly/2rpCbaY

6. Sean Hannity is losing advertising after peddling the Seth Rich conspiracy theory. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/05/sean-hannity-vacation-seth-rich  While Hannity is on vacation, we can write to 3 more of his advertisers to ask why they are associating their brands with his propaganda. 1) Bausch & Lomb, 1400 N Goodman St, Rochester NY 14609.  2) Zenni Optical, 448 Ignacio Blvd #332, Novato CA 94949. 3) Marie Callender, 27101 Puerta Real Ste 260, Mission Viejo CA 92691

7. The 4^th Circuit of Appeals has upheld the ban on Trump’s travel restrictions: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/appeals-court-upholds-ban-enforcing-trump-travel-restrictions-n764701 and https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/international-refugee-assistance-project-v-trump-opinion  Let’s thank the ACLU for their tireless work fighting Trump’s Muslim ban: ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York NY 10004

Petitions to Sign

1. Let’s join in the Congressional Black Caucus PAC’s petition to restore the Voting Rights Act:  http://go.democrataction.com/page/s/voting-rights

2. People for the American Way wants us to join them in their petition to Congress to overturn Citizens United:  https://secure.pfaw.org/site/SPageNavigator/action.html?survey_id=10360

Learning

1. Flabbergasted by the widespread and aggressive denial of climate change? The blithe disregard for expertise and relevant experience? The pervasive belief that the media are lying? This article offers a trenchant and historically informed view of how and why we ended up with an administration that rejects knowledge and truth. Hint: it didn't happen overnight. http://www.publicbooks.org/how-conservatives-waged-a-war-on-expertise/

2. “Understanding and Resisting in Time for Recess”, this week’s United States of Resistance from Rise Stronger:  https://www.risestronger.org/newsroom/understandingandresistingrecess

3. And, our weekly dose of Small Victories:  http://www.peaceisloud.org/blog/small-victories-issue-21 

Rogan’s List is a participant in and strategic partner of the Action Alliance,

         a loosely-federated group of organizations that, in the wake of the

2016 election, are sharing daily or weekly calls to action.

Other member sites are listed here: https://www.actionalliance.co/  --scroll down and click through and you'll find many more opportunities to make a difference.

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Rogan’s List is also part of RISE Stronger’s United States of Resistance

https://risestronger.org/resist