Rogan's List

7/3/17

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If your senators and reps aren't saved in your phone yet,

text your US postal address to (520) 200-2223 and get a text back with your

STATE & FEDERAL legislative rep phone numbers.

1. While Trump is posting distracting, juvenile, hateful tweets, the GOP is wheeling and dealing trying to make the healthcare bill more attractive to its membership.  http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/02/republicans-health-care-repeal-240185 Congress may be on recess, but we are not.  We need to keep making calls and working against the Senate healthcare bill.  We can use this to help us:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/19kqrh5SFq3N_L1b9-8ddeid8ddKxPGSETRIhwTqWQAw/edit

2. Trump, who decried Kathy Griffin’s inappropriate photo last month, has sent out a tweet in which he himself is inciting violence.  Ana Navarro, who has become the voice of reason on the right, speaks eloquently that it is time for the GOP to stand up to him. http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/trumps-tweet-cnn-incitement-violence-ana-navarro/story?id=48401702 Let’s tell our legislators that it is time for them to stand up for what is right and decent and that freedom of the press is still valued in our country. 

3. As of the weekend, more than twenty states have signaled that they will not comply with the Election Commission request for voter data (http://www.brennancenter.org/latest-updates-fraud-commissionP and Trump has replied directly on Twitter to ask what these states are hiding:  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-vote-tweet-idUSKBN19M3JN  If our Secretary of State/Governor/Election Board has stood up yet, let’s say thanks. If not, let’s ask them to get involved. Here is a great example of a response from Gov Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania: https://mobile.twitter.com/GovernorTomWolf/status/880893706517315584. We can also a) Contact the White House and demand that Trump release his tax returns, because, you know, what is he trying to hide, b) Send a letter to the editor of our local or regional newspaper asking the same, c) Urge our state representatives to file legislation requiring all presidential and vice presidential candidates who want to appear on the state ballot to release their tax returns.

4. Jobs for vets: There’s a shortage of commercial truck drivers in the US. At the same time, back at stateside, vets who drove trucks and heavy vehicles during their military service encounter onerous barriers to getting their Commercial Driver’s Licenses. A bipartisan bill (Senators Warren (D-Mass), Cornyn (R-Texas), Duckworth (D-Ill), and Tillis (R-NC)) would streamline the process for servicemembers to get their CDL’s. A similar bill has recently passed the House:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/veteran-jobs-bills-pass-us-house  Let’s reinforce bipartisanship and help vets get jobs by telling our sentors to pass the ADVANCE Act: Active Duty Voluntary Acquisition of Necessary Credentials for Employment

5. The National Low Income Housing Coalition, a group of housing advocates dedicated since 1974 to preserving existing federally assisted housing, expanding the supply of low income housing, and establishing housing stability (http://nlihc.org/about), is calling for a national housing week of action July 22-29.   The combination of HUD Secretary Ben Carson—who apparently thinks poverty is “a state of mind”—and Trump’s proposed budget cuts does not bode well for the millions who do not have an affordable place to call home, much less the 500,000+ who sleep in the streets, in shelters, or in their cars on any given night in the wealthiest country on earth.   Let’s join them in persuading our MoCs to invest in affordable housing: https://www.ourhomes-ourvoices.org/about

6. Even Kris Kobach, the co-chair of Trump’s “voter fraud” commission, is defying the unprecedented White House request that states turn over voter registration data, including partial Social Security numbers, party affiliation and military status to the commission: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-than-20-states-reject-voter-fraud-commissions-request-for-data/ In his role as the Kansas secretary of state, Kobach admitted that Kansas does not, and would not, make voters’ social security numbers publicly available.  Eleven states, representing 30.2% of the population, have outright refused to comply with Trump’s demand—not all of them blue states—while another 27.4% of Americans reside in states that will only partially comply.  We should be appalled that this information is even being sought, especially when no voter fraud has been demonstrated anywhere.  Those of us in “undecided”  or “partial compliance” states should make sure our representatives know that we expect our personal information to be safeguarded.  A list of the states and their responses to Trump’s demand is here: http://www.thestate.com/news/business/national-business/article159189399.html

7. Keeping in mind that no one from any of the six countries currently affected by Trump’s travel ban has committed a deadly terrorist attack in our country, we are currently keeping away many who cannot claim a “bone fide relationship” to someone in the US but who need to be here anyway.  For example, what was the value of keep out the six Afghanistani teenaged girls who were scheduled to come here for a week-long international robotics championship?  https://www.forbes.com/sites/hilarybrueck/2017/06/29/denied-afghanistans-all-girl-robotics-team-cant-get-visas-to-the-u-s/#63b408ca367f Let’s let our MoCs know that we know there is no basis in fact for this travel ban:  https://www.vox.com/world/2017/1/27/14412420/terrorism-muslims-america-islam-trump  Let's ask the State Department to better honor those who served in Afghanistan by not blocking this team: https://register.state.gov/contactus/contactusform
   
   
8. Steven Bradbury has been nominated as General Counsel to the Department of Transportation. Bradbury has been outspoken in his support of torture, and his only relevant experience is as an industry insider  https://risestronger.org/newsroom/stevenbradburycta Let's contact our senators and ask that they oppose Bradbury as General Counsel to the DoT.

9. A recent Pew study has found that the majority of Americans believe that the government should be responsible for providing healthcare coverage http://pewrsr.ch/2s4BMXy In order to to start making any steps forward in the fight for universal healthcare, the Democratic Party should be on the same page. For those of us with Democratic representatives and senators, at both state and federal level, let's give them a call and tell them we support healthcare for all.

10. Donald Trump has proposed deep funding cuts to global health programs for research and treatment of HIV/AIDS, cuts that researchers and advocates say could cost 1 million lives. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/world/africa/cuts-to-aids-treatment-programs-could-cost-a-million-lives.html This is not something we can stand by and let happen. Let’s call our reps and tell them that as the appropriations process moves forward, we want them to reject proposed cuts to HIV/AIDS programs.

11. Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) has introduced an amendment, HR1229, to repeal the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) Act.  This would put the power of authorizing military force back in the hands of Congress. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/29/congress-vote-authorize-war-islamic-state-240095 She has been working to repeal the AUMF since it was put in place in 2001.  Let tell our own representatives to support HR1229.  Let's thank the congresswoman for her leadership and persistence: Barbara Lee, 1301 Clay St Ste 1000N, Oakland CA 94612-5233.

12. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL) started naming 5,950 gun victims on the House floor last week, one for each dollar that Speaker Paul Ryan received from the NRA. http://time.com/4837914/congress-representative-robin-kelly-gun-violence/  Let's thank the congresswoman: Robin Kelly, 9204 S Commercial Ave Ste 415, Chicago IL 60617-2197.

13. A House Appropriations subcommittee has approved a bill that would allow churches to endorse political candidates.  http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/house-gop-bill-churches-endorse-politicians-48377151 The full Appropriations Committee will consider the bill after the July 4th recess.  Let's contact our own representatives particularly if they are on the Appropriations Committee and tell them we do not want to erase the line between church and state.  https://appropriations.house.gov/about/members/

14. If you entered the US as a legally adopted child, but were never naturalized, you can be deported as an adult to a country where you know no one, where you don’t speak the language, where you have no support of any kind. Phillip Clay was adopted from South Korea at age eight. His bipolar and addiction problems got him involved with the law as he grew older.  Because his parents never applied for his naturalization, he became a victim of deportation, after nearly 30 years in the U.S.  Losing everything, he committed suicide there earlier this year.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/world/asia/south-korea-adoptions-phillip-clay-adam-crapser.html   The Child Citizenship Act of 2000, effective February 27, 2001 grants an adopted child, immigrating to the United States, "automatic" citizenship.  All children adopted before that date must go through the naturalization process.  Let’s tell our MoCs that we want them to reintroduce and pass the Adoptee Citizenship Act and make citizenship retroactive for all these others as a matter of simple justice. http://adopteerightscampaign.org/aca/ 

State-level actions

1. MA:  Let’s ask our state reps to support S. 365, An Act Restoring Financial Transparency in Presidential Elections. https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/S365

2.     The Minneapolis city council has approved a $15 minimum wage that will be phased in through 2024. http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-city-council-to-take-final-vote-on-15-minimum-wage-friday/431761843/#1.  We can encourage our own local governments to consider this measure in the future. Let's get the conversation started.

Other Actions

1. While our senators are in-state for the congressional recess, let's write a letter to the editor of our local newspaper in defense of the ACA/universal healthcare and in opposition to the AHCA and BCRA healthcare bills. MomsRising has simplified the process with an easy walkthrough on their website: http://action.momsrising.org/lte/SenateHealthcare_LTE

2. In response to the NRA's incendiary video ad, the Women's March team has written a letter, with specific demands, to the NRA's Executive Vice President and CEO, Wayne LaPierre http://bit.ly/2tyD9Cu  Let's join the Women's March and demand that the NRA apologize and remove the video immediately, and finally speak out in support of Philando Castile's rights as a legal gun owner https://www.womensmarch.com/nra NRA contacts info: (800) 672-3888 https://contact.nra.org/contact-us.aspx

3. The Nation has been fighting for progressive causes since the Civil War, and they’re stepping up as always during the Trump era. They’re launching a new feature called “Take Action Now” where every Tuesday they’ll send you three actions to do – a quick one, one that will take a few hours, and a deep-commitment action. These will be curated by their editors to make the biggest impact. You can sign up here: https://www.thenation.com/sailthruform/take-action-now.

Petitions

1. Let’s let our Democratic MoCs know we are for Medicare for all:   https://act.credoaction.com/sign/dems_medicare

2. Police killed Zachary Bearheels, a Native American young man with mental health issues, while he was in handcuffs and not resisting.  Let’s show our agreement that this is wrong and that the officers involved be terminated and prosecuted:  https://www.change.org/p/nativelivesmatter-terminate-prosecute-the-officers-responsible-for-zachary-bearheels-death

Marches/events to attend/organize

Reading/Watching

1. When women challenge Trump politically, he insults them physically.  https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-logic-of-trumps-sexist-attacks/532329/

2. Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein has said we are now in a "malignant presidency":  http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/340398-watergate-reporter-we-are-in-a-malignant-presidency

3. We all know that Trump, unlike previous presidents, has not made his tax returns public. We also know that he did not really divest from his businesses properly and continues to profit from them. But most of us probably don't have a full grasp of the nature and extent of Trump's conflicts of interest. This serious article spells them all out and explains why they are a problem. Let's get a cup of coffee before we read it because It's a long, long list. https://www.justsecurity.org/42728/mixing-politics-business-master-list-trumps-conflicts-interest/

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