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8/12/17

The Rogan’s List Team is on vacation through tomorrow, but because of the extension of the Senate calendar we have decided to run a smaller list during this time. We look forward to being back to the full list on Monday.

Contact Federal Government Officials

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Search all members of Congress here:  https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/current
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Fax your legislators for free:  Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php
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Find senators’ Twitter and Facebook Accounts here:
Find representatives on Twitter here:

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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 their contact information.

1.      As Trump's rhetoric against North Korea continues to escalate, let's make sure that he is legally bound against taking military action without congressional approval (http://cnn.it/2uuUOYT). 5Calls has a call script we can use as we contact our members of Congress here: https://5calls.org/issue/recP3XRP4IFDvaCgF.

2.     Sixty-two (62) US representatives are asking Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to encourage restraint with respect to North Korea (http://thehill.com/policy/defense/346096-dems-to-tillerson-do-everything-in-your-power-to-rein-in-trump-on-north-korea). Let's thank our representatives if they signed this letter.  If they are not on the list, let's contact them to let them know we want them to join their colleagues in applying pressure to Rex Tillerson and the State Department. 

3.     Trump had an earful for reporters on Thursday while vacationing (http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/10/trump-vacation-press-241509). His rants included thanking Putin for expelling U.S. diplomats because it will save on payroll (which it won’t); saying that perhaps his “fire and fury” tweet about North Korea might not have been strong enough; and continuing to do battle with the GOP. We clearly need the supposed “adults in the room” to start making their voices heard if they have any power to get things under control. Let’s reach out to them to share our deep concerns: A) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, US Dept of State, 2201 C St NW, Washington DC 20520; B) Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of Defense, 1000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1000; C) General John F. Kelly, Chief of Staff, The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20500; D) Lt. General HR McMaster, Nat. Security Advisor, The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20500; and E) Vice President Mike Pence, The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20500.

4.     Trump’s multi-billion dollar budget will not only fund the wall, it will fund more deportations and expanded detention camps that extremists hope to use against over 800,000 immigrant youth who will be in vulnerable for deportation if Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are repealed (http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2017/05/23/trump-justice-department-immigration-238738). Let’s make sure our members of Congress know we want them to #DefundHate and vote against the budget unless funding for the wall for Trump’s deportation machine is eliminated.

5.     The Trump administration, led by Scott Pruitt at the EPA, is trying to take away clean water protections for one in three Americans (http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/343898-epa-to-seek-comments-on-obama-water-rule-repeal). But if they want to make this happen, they have to go through us first. We have until the end of the month to submit public comments in support of these common sense protections. Let’s join the Sierra Club and make our voices heard at this link: https://sierra.secure.force.com/actions/National?actionId=AR0082625.

6.      Democrats in Congress have put forward a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and allow us to make progress on getting money out of politics (http://krwg.org/post/udall-introduces-constitutional-amendment-overturn-citizens-united). H.J. Res 113 would allow Congress and individual states to regulate contributions and expenditures in political campaigns, and would allow (but not require) public financing of elections. Let’s call our members of Congress and tell them we want them to support this measure.

7.     Under President Obama, the Department of Transportation issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) which proposed screening truck drivers and train engineers for obstructive sleep apnea. While it may seem fairly straightforward that we would want those who are operating highway and rail transportation to not also suffer from sleep disorders, the Department of Transportation under Trump has withdrawn the ANPRM as part of his ongoing effort to eliminate critical protections (http://theatln.tc/2hIg6Ak). Let's contact the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration to let them know how we feel about that: 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590,  (202) 366-4000.

State Actions

1.      UT: Utah has approved signature-gathering for getting a medical marijuana initiative on the 2018 ballot (http://www.sltrib.com/news/health/2017/08/10/utah-approves-signature-gathering-for-2018-medical-marijuana-initiative/). The Utah Patient Coalition is coordinating the signature gathering. They need 113,143 signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. Let's help them get this initiative on the ballot by being proactive in adding our own signatures. We can find out more and contact them at https://www.utahpatients.org

Other Actions

1.      Attorney General Jeff Sessions is determined to accelerate civil forfeiture efforts where citizen are relieved of their property when they are merely suspected of a crime, without due process.  Nebraska and New Mexico have already ended civil forfeiture (http://journalstar.com/legislature/a-positive-step-forward-both-sides-find-good-in-nebraska/article_0185c306-4211-5b42-b372-98364b98b8ae.html). Let's work this issue at a state level and contact our state legislators to them know that we want them to follow the models set by Nebraska and New Mexico: www.openstates.org/find_your_legislator.

2.      As we get closer to the 2018 midterms, it's important to remember how gerrymandering plays a role in our elections so that we can more effectively fight back. Indivisible Austin has written a helpful primer on gerrymandering that explains what gerrymandering is, how it works, and why it's an issue (http://bit.ly/2uNzlKk). We can also check out the Princeton Gerrymandering Project to see how our state measures up (http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/) and those of us living in states where partisan gerrymandering is still the rule can contact our state legislators and ask them to transition to an independent redistricting commission before the next census (www.openstates.org/find_your_legislator).
Marches/events to attend/organize

1.      This weekend, Black Lives Matter and its allies plan an entire weekend of action in Charlottesville, Virginia in response to the “Unite the Right” rally on Saturday, August 12: https://medium.com/@lifeofDVS/august-12th-facing-the-alt-right-and-everything-after-a077cf41bbaf  If we are in VA, we should join them: http://solidaritycville.com/Call-to-Action/.

2.      United We Dream, the largest youth-led organization in the US fighting for the fair treatment of young immigrants, is planning a national day of action on August 15th, the fifth anniversary of the legal protections offered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). By September 5, attorneys general from 10 states are demanding that the Executive branch rescind its June memorandum and end DACA (https://www.texastribune.org/2017/06/29/texas-leads-10-states-urging-trump-end-daca/). At risk too is the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of over 300,000 refugees from Haiti, Africa, and Central America. Let’s join United We Dream in DC or in many other locations nationwide: http://defenddaca.com/.

3.      Overseas voter concerned about voting rights? Join this webinar being hosted by Democrats Abroad. "Join Election Assistance Commission's Tom Hicks as he speaks about U.S. citizen voting rights and answers your questions and concerns, on Friday, August 18 at 2pm EST (Washington D.C. time)." For more information how you can join this online meeting and ask questions, RSVP here: http://www.democratsabroad.org/voting_rights_webinar_da_speaker_series?utm_campaign=glb811rsvotam&utm_medium=email&utm_source=democratsabroad.

Reading/Watching

1.     President Carter’s statement on current situation with North Korea: https://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/north-korea-081017.html.


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


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