Rogan's List

7/26/17

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STATE & FEDERAL legislative rep phone numbers.

1. Despite our best efforts, the Senate passed the motion to proceed and now the health care bill that no one has seen will be debated, and then voted on yet this week.  http://www.npr.org/2017/07/25/539270923/senators-to-vote-on-whether-to-proceed-with-health-care-debate Here’s what happens next: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/24/16019984/obamacare-repeal-republican-flow-chart However, “Late Tuesday night, the Senate voted 57-43 to block a wide-ranging proposal by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell replacing Obama's statute with a far more restrictive GOP substitute.”  GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Bob Corker (Tenn.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Mike Lee (Utah), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Rand Paul (Ky.) voted against the repeal-replace proposal on the procedural hurdle. No Democrats voted for it. http://time.com/4874112/health-care-vote-gop/ Don’t let up now.  Keep contacting senators.  We want the ACA to be fixed so more people can get quality care at affordable prices.  Here’s some ideas from Indivisible on what to do:  https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resource/what-happens-now-on-trumpcare/  They also want our help making calls.  We can sign up here: https://www.indivisibleguide.com/hubdialer-signup/  The next two days are crucial

2. Republican US Congressman Blake Farenthold of Texas managed to get three strikes at once with his un-democratic, sexist, violent comment about the female US Senators from the "North East" (Maine, West Virginia, and Alaska!) whose efforts to impede the progress of repeal and replace are "repugnant". He went on to say that if they were men, he would challenge them to a duel: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40711882  Let's let him know that his comments have no place in 2017: https://farenthold.house.gov/contact/  or 2331 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515

3. Damien Schiff, Trump's nominee to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, is infamous for his extremist opinions both in and out of the courtroom. On his anonymous blog, Schiff called Supreme Court Justice Kennedy a "judicial prostitute," accused a California school district of "teaching 'gayness' in public schools," and opposed both Lawrence v. Texas (the landmark Supreme Court ruling that decriminalized homosexual sex) and the legalization of adoptions by same-sex couples. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/26/trump-judicial-nominee-justice-kennedy-slight-damien-schiff-238874 There should be no place for him on one of the highest courts in the country. Let’s join 5Calls.org in letting our senators know they should vote no when Schiff comes up for confirmation: https://5calls.org/issue/recOy7I82l5NqBw8Y.

4. Representative Don Beyer has submitted an amendment to four sections of the House spending bill, disallowing reimbursements to be made for if/when the U.S. Government stays at Trump-owned properties http://reut.rs/2uutpZu This would essentially prevent Trump from profiting off of his presidency, as he has still not divested his businesses. Let's send Rep. Beyer a "thank you" for taking action against Trump's unethical practices: 1119 Longworth H.O.B.Washington, DC 20515 and/or (202) 225-4376    

5. American air strikes have significantly increased under the Trump presidency, increasing civilian casualties from approximately 80 per month when Obama was president, to about 360 per month currently http://bit.ly/2uUtsiy Trump has made it clear that he will not listen to reason. Let's give our MoC a call and ask them to put a stop to these deadly attacks.

6. Trump’s need for constant adulation prompts him to organize rallies just for that purpose.  Last night, there was one in Youngstown, OH.  Voters in every state, however, are concerned about actual issues, not his mental health.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/steel-valleys-youngstown-is-much-more-complicated-than-trump-portrays/2017/07/25/6d0d5a78-6fb4-11e7-8839-ec48ec4cae25_story.html?utm_term=.a740e7b5f8s27  Let’s contact the White House and ask that Trump concentrate on finding ways to help other Americans, of all us.

7. The judicial nominee to lead the criminal division of the DOJ, Brian A. Benczkowski, has Russian ties which he has disclosed.  http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/343489-trump-doj-nominee-used-to-represent-russian-bank-with-ties-to-putin  Let's tell our Senators to oppose Benczkowski. Right now we have too many open questions about people with links to Russia to add another one to the mix.

8. The Trump administration has okayed arctic offshore drilling.  http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/341833-trump-admin-approves-oil-companys-arctic-drilling-plan We can use this tool from the National Resources Defense Council for a quick and easy way to send letters to our MoC's asking them to oppose arctic drilling. http://on.nrdc.org/2p6OgMz

9. Three Democrats introduced a bill on Tuesday to boost the cyber-security workforce. The "New Collar Jobs Act" would establish tax breaks for employers offering cyber-security training, increase funding for a cyber scholarship program and establish a student debt relief program for cyber-security job takers. http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/343635-dems-introduce-cyber-workforce-bill  Let's tell our own representative to support the New Collar Jobs Act.

State Actions

1. TX:  "Senate Bill 8 would ban private insurance plans in Texas from covering abortion, without any exception for cases of fetal anomaly, like Ingram’s. If a person wants abortion coverage, the proposal says it “does not prevent” him or her from buying supplemental coverage outside of a qualified health plan. But the bill does not require that such plans exist. Ingram and her husband, Ross, wanted a baby. But a screening when she was 16 weeks pregnant found Potter syndrome, a rare condition in which fetal kidney failure prevents the lungs from developing. Knowing that the chance of survival was extremely low, the Ingrams decided to terminate the pregnancy." It would have cost the family $10,000 if not covered by their insurance.  https://www.texasobserver.org/abortion-insurance-ban-texas/  Let's tell the Texas Senate that women need insurance coverage for their personal choices and that government does not get to dictate what a woman and her doctor choose.  Contacts here:  http://www.senate.state.tx.us/members.php

2. ALL:  Colorado recently joined a dozen other states in a climate alliance, signing an executive order for the state to meet the standards of the Paris Accord http://reut.rs/2eLjklz Let's find out if our own state has signed on to the climate alliance, and if not, encourage our governors to do so http://read.bi/2uxSvp1

Other Actions

1. Republicans control the Washington state senate by exactly one seat – and they’ve used it to obstruct a progressive agenda led by Democratic Governor Jay Inslee. This November, we’ve got a real shot at flipping control and creating another Democratic trifecta thanks to a special election in the 45^th Senate district. Hillary Clinton won this area by more than two-to-one, and it’s represented by two Democrats in the state house. Our help can push Manka Dhingra, a prosecutor who has fought for therapeutic courts for the mentally ill and an activist against domestic violence, over the top. (http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/national-spotlight-shines-battle-control-washington-senate) Let’s join Code Blue in phone banking for Manka. We can find a virtual phone bank link here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ccwYsPZ-4tRyc18ROcQZcpeuDL2yfKXv8yFS9ByYFt8/edit. And find more information and answers to our questions about virtual phone banking at this link.

Petitions

1. Let’s join Issue One, an American nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which seeks to reduce the role of money in politics, in demanding that Trump remove all corporate ties from his cabinet:  http://act.issueone.org/page/s/trump-corporate-cabinate

2. So many children, disabled, elderly, and veterans will all have their lives shaken if this health care bill is passed.  Let’s join Vote Vets in telling Congress to make sure there is a plan to protect everyone’s healthcare:  http://action.votevets.org/page/s/veterans-aca

Marches/events to attend/organize

1. Saturday, July 29, all over the country, there are “Our Lives are on the Line” rallies being planned in opposition to the health care bill.  Let’s see if there is one near us and attend, or if not, let’s plan one:  http://ourlivesontheline.org/

2. If we are in/near LA today, The ACLU is hosting a phonebank to save the ACA. Here's a link to their site:  https://go.peoplepower.org/event/action/8280

Reading/Watching

1. What Life is Like at $7;25 Per Hour:  http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-minimum-wage-life-20160405-story.html

2. Let's check out this interview between Salon's Chauncey Devega and historian and Yale professor Timothy Snyder on the possibility of a staged coup.  http://www.salon.com/2017/05/01/historian-timothy-snyder-its-pretty-much-inevitable-that-trump-will-try-to-stage-a-coup-and-overthrow-democracy/  Let's continue to be aware that this could happen and that we must act in measured, considered ways if it does.

3. A Dear John Letter to CNN:  https://www.northernexpress.com/news/opinion/a-dear-john-letter-to-cnn/

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