6/30/17

Contact Federal Government Officials

Find your legislators here: https://www.theloyalopposition.net/rep-finder/

OR

Search all members of Congress here:  https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/current

OR

Fax your legislators for free:  Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

and Senate: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

OR

Find senators Twitter and Facebook Accounts here:

http://www.socialseer.com/resources/us-senator-twitter-accounts/

Find representatives on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/cspan/lists/u-s-representatives/members?lang=en

********************************

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. We’ve all heard that most Republicans say that the millions of people who will be dropped from Medicaid are people who don’t really want to have insurance in the first place.  Even Paul Ryan (R-WI) said so.  However, the facts do not bear that out.  http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jun/28/paul-ryan/paul-ryan-wrong-most-22-million-uninsured-would-be/ Let’s share this truth with Rep. Ryan:  https://paulryan.house.gov/contact/

2. The Orange Resistance warns us not to be fooled by McConnell’s Deke!  Let’s follow their advice to block the healthcare plan:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0k1qCMVpKZpYXdPM3hKWDQ3dUU/view

3. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has WARNED Republican Senators that they might be forced to reach across the aisle: http://abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/top-senate-republican-mitch-mcconnell-warns-bipartisanship-health/story?id=48336713 Yes, you read that right, the threat of bipartisanship is the stick McConnell is wielding. Let’s let McConnell know that bipartisanship is actually what we expect: 317 Russell SOB, Washington, DC 20510

4. It's important that we continue to hold our Senators accountable for their actions when they return to their states during the July 3-7 recess. One way we can do this is by making sure that our senators are having town halls to hear what their constituents have to say. Let's give them a call and ask when and where they will be hosting their town halls. 5Calls has a call script available: https://5calls.org/issue/rec5jkLPZfOmcKC1Z For those Senators who refuse to host town halls, the Indivisible Guide team has a Missing Member of Congress Action Plan we can check out: https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resource/missing-members-action-plan/

5. As some have wisely said, the Republicans are like the “dog who caught the car” with health care as it is possible for it to unravel from both ends: http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-healthcare-gop-politics-20170628-story,amp.html If you have a Republican Senator, regardless of his or her stance on this issue, please make sure your voice is heard. It is a horrible bill but it is horrible in so many ways that there are multiple avenues of influence among them. For example, this article calls attention to Senators Collins, Rounds, and Corker being less than pleased with the tax cuts for the wealthy aspect: https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-06-28/key-republicans-want-to-scrap-health-bill-s-tax-cuts-for-wealthyIf you are unsure what to say, consider using this number: https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/6/28/15881720/deaths-senate-health-care-bcra

6. In yet another unusual move, this week Trump hosted a fundraiser for himself for re-election campaign.  He held it as his own hotel (from which he would profit) and charged $35,000 a plate for attendance.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-28/trump-fundraiser-at-his-washington-hotel-renews-ethics-questions Again, let’s contact the Office of Government Ethics.  This is not right. https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/Organization/Contact%20Us?opendocument

7. By this account, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is frustrated by many aspects of his role in the Trump administration: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/28/tillerson-blows-up-at-white-house-aide-240075 Let’s remind Tillerson that he does not have to serve this president: U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520

8. Monuments aren't just above ground.  The Trump admin is targeting marine monuments and sanctuaries, too. "Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, signed on April 28, 2017, the Department of Commerce is conducting a review of all designations and expansions of National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments since April 28, 2007." Public comment is open, so we can submit our comments here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/06/26/2017-13308/review-of-national-marine-sanctuaries-and-marine-national-monuments-designated-or-expanded-since. For a more user-friendly description of what's going on, let's read this blog entry and share it on social media: https://blog.marine-conservation.org/2017/06/trumps-attack.html

9. While we are all focused on healthcare, the need for a Congressional independent investigation into the Russia/Trump situation remains.  Such an investigation will provide different outcomes from those of the special counsel.  http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-administration/340091-can-congress-access-evidence-uncovered-by-the-special  When we call our MoCs, let’s remind them that we still want an independent investigation.
   
   
10. Trump’s personal attack on news show host Mika Brzezinski on Thursday morning topped all of his other personal insults on news people and as usual, it's a woman he insults due to her looks. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/340023-morning-joe-host-responds-to-trump-attack-with-little-hands These remarks are also being condemned by some members of the Republican party http://ti.me/2s5vJCZ  But, Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) struck exactly the right tone, and touched on exactly the right themes, when she called out Trump for his deplorable use of Twitter. Here are her remarks: https://www.facebook.com/CBSNews/videos/10154788925570950/ Let’s thank her: 202-225-5802, or 1213 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. 

11. CREDO Action has offered another way of speaking out against the AHCA and BCRA healthcare bill; by submitting a public comment to the Department of Health and Human Services. We can do so through the CREDO Action website, and personalize the pre-filled comment box  https://act.credoaction.com/sign/trumpcare_public_comments

12. The Department of Homeland Security is restarting a grant program to counter violent extremism, but without explanation they have dropped Life After Hate from the list of grantees – despite the fact that they were supposed to receive $400,000 as of the end of the Obama Administration. (http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/23/playbook-dhs-extremism-life-after-hate-239889) Life After Hate helps combat white extremism far-right extremism by working with individuals who wish to leave a life of hate and violence or bystanders and family members who want to help someone they love disengage, and they’ve had a twenty-fold increase in requests for help since Election Day. Let’s call our reps and ask them to request the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs get an explanation from DHS why Life After Hate was dropped.

13. There is nowhere in the United States where you can work full-time on the federal minimum wage and afford a two-bedroom apartment, and only 12 counties where you could rent a one-bedroom apartment. (http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/12/nobody-making-federal-minimum-wage-can-afford-a-two-bedroom-apartment.html) Since Trump has no interest in raising the minimum wage or supporting more affordable housing, we’re going to have to ramp up the pressure for anything to change. Rep. Keith Ellison has proposed the Common Sense Housing Investment Act of 2017, which would eliminate the mortgage deduction tax break and use the savings to expand access to affordable housing. Let’s call our reps and tell them we want them to support this or other real solutions to this challenge.

14. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) has introduced legislation, S1441, to expand community health centers. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sanders-clyburn-announce-act-to-expand-community-health-center-funding/ Let's ask our own senators to support S1441.

15. The nice-sounding "Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act" (Senate bill S811 and House bill HR1881) would make it harder for LGBTQ children to be placed in foster homes. http://www.glamour.com/story/congress-lgbtq-kids-foster-homes-discrimination  Let’s tell our MoC's that we oppose this legislation that disenfranchises some of our most vulnerable children.   

16. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), who the day before was speaking out against the Senate healthcare bill, is recovering from surgery as part of her cancer treatment.  http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/35754534/hirono-to-undergo-second-cancer-related-surgery-tuesday  Let’s send her get-well wishes:  https://www.hirono.senate.gov/contact (scroll to bottom of page for addresses)  

17. Congressman Donald Beyer (D-VA) just introduced the Fair Representation Act, HR3057, to change the way we vote for members of the House to a system that will more fairly represent constituents. http://www.salon.com/2017/06/27/make-democracy-great-again-rep-don-beyers-revolutionary-bill-could-transform-how-we-elect-congress/  Let's tell our own representatives that we support HR3057 to give this voting-reform bill forward momentum.

State-level actions

1. NJ:  CALL for VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS to provide on the ground support at Newark International Airport. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision lifting the stay on part of the Muslim ban, there is an urgent need for attorneys to provide legal support at the airport. To sign up for a shift, please first sign up for the Google Group here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScERxNDPV9oxfdUCeqKjlSC62WI-JVewgl9ooB21Opj5sLu6g/viewform

2. Trump's Election Integrity Commission, which will meet in July and is chaired by Mike Pence, with Kris Kobach as vice-chair, is requesting full voter rolls, including names and party affiliations, from every single state.  The purpose of the group is to "promote fair and honest Federal elections", however most of the members believe that voter fraud is rampant and that voting guidelines need to be more stringent.  http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/29/534901343/white-house-panel-asks-states-for-their-voter-rolls  At least California and Virginia have already refused on the grounds that it would be costly and unnecessary. Let’s ask our governors, secretaries of state, and state MoCs to join in with other states and not comply with this request unless there is some validation of voter fraud. We can find our secretary of state here:  https://www.thebalance.com/secretary-of-state-websites-1201005 

Other Actions

1. In a chilling, shameful misrepresentation of the #resistance, the NRA has gone a step too far in their newest video ad that barely stops short of promoting violence.  https://www.vox.com/world/2017/6/29/15892508/nra-ad-dana-loesch-yikes  It was so inciteful that the Women’s March has penned an open letter to NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre: https://www.womensmarch.com/nra/   The NRA needs to hear from all us, we the people, that this is not acceptable:  https://contact.nra.org/contact-us.aspx

Petitions

1. The fear that Social Security and Medicare may be next on the cutting block should concern all citizens, as it has been the safety net for seniors and the disabled for many decades.  Let’s join the Democratic Governors Association in telling Republicans to stop attacking them:  https://surveys.signforgood.com/DA-SocialSafetyNet  This includes a survey with a request for a donation, but only give if you can.

2. Here is a petition demanding an independent investigation Into Russia's influence in American politics.  Let’s sign:  http://www.thepetitionsite.com/701/622/845/demand-a-bipartisan-investigation-into-russias-influence-in-american-politics/

Marches/events to attend/organize

1. July 2: there are Impeachment Marches all over the world.  Check here for details and to find sister marches:  http://www.impeachmentmarch.org/

2. August 26:  The Indivisible March  (http://indivisiblemarch.weebly.com/) is “different in that we want constituents, voters, to march on their own district. If you happen to live in Washington, D.C., by all means MARCH ON WASHINGTON. However, if your district is not in the State of Washington, D.C., your participation will make more of a difference by organizing and marching in your own district. As indivisibleguide.com has taught us, WE THE PEOPLE must hold Congress accountable by taking action within our own community. “  If we want to organize one where we are, let’s check this out:  http://indivisiblemarch.weebly.com/organizers.html  We can also follow their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/indivisiblemarch/

Reading

1. Beryllium is a toxic element.  The Obama administration issued a safety-exposure rule in January, 2017.  The Trump administration wants to roll back the rules. http://billmoyers.com/story/ever-wanted-know-beryllium/  Let's be informed about Beryllium.

2. Another look at just who voted for Trump:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/bowmanmarsico/2017/06/23/who-were-donald-trumps-voters-now-we-know/#7d3fd2d38942
   
   
3. If the horrifying fire at Grenfell Towers in London has taught us anything, it is to be afraid of deregulation and privatization, two of our president’s favorite things.  Food & Water Watch has a terrific website, on which we can find extensive information about Trump’s efforts to privatize and deregulate everything—as well as information about local issues and actions, state by state: https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/

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.

******

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

https://risestronger.org/resist

6/29/17

Contact Federal Government Officials

Find your legislators here: https://www.theloyalopposition.net/rep-finder/

OR

Search all members of Congress here:  https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/current

OR

Fax your legislators for free:  Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

and Senate: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

OR

Find senators Twitter and Facebook Accounts here:

http://www.socialseer.com/resources/us-senator-twitter-accounts/

Find representatives on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/cspan/lists/u-s-representatives/members?lang=en

********************************

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. Working quickly, Mitch McConnell is trying to get a new version of the healthcare bill to senators before next week’s recess. Some think he may even go for a vote.  http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mcconnell-revised-health-care-bill-friday-holdouts-contemplate/story?id=48335067 Let’s keep making those calls. 

2. No doubt that McConnell has been and will continue to be scurrying behind the scenes to pull together the needed votes by sweetening it for some questioning Republicans. “White House and Capitol Hill officials are exploring potential deals to divvy up billions of dollars to individual senators’ priorities in a wide-ranging bid to secure votes for the imperiled GOP health care bill.”  http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/26/republicans-obamacare-repeal-votes-239984  It is imperative that we keep up the pressure on GOP senators. 

3. Just as McConnell was delaying the vote, three Senators came out against it: Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS) – that one was a surprise, and Rob Portman (R-OH): http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/339713-sixth-gop-senator-announces-opposition-to-healthcare-bill  Are these our Senators? We need to keep the pressure up into and through the 4^th of July holiday. The pressure from constituents needs to exceed the deals they are being offered by GOP leadership.

4. Yet another way to speak up about the healthcare bill:  The Senate Committee on Finance has jurisdiction over "health programs under the Social Security Act, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and other health and human services programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund." The committee, chaired by Sen. Orrin Hatch, is taking messages and passing them on to senators regarding the healthcare bill.  Let’s help their phone ring off the hook! Phone:  (202) 224-4515  If the voicemail box of the Senate Finance Committee is full we can also call 1) for Orin Hatch: 202-224-5251 and 2) for Ron Wyden, the head Democrat on the Committee:  202-224-5244 

5. Sally Yates is pleased about the criminal investigation on Trump and his cohorts, but she thinks the bar for the president is not high enough. "Bob Mueller is going to be deciding whether or not crimes were committed, to be used for prosecution or impeachment,” Yates said onstage at the Aspen Ideas Festival today. “Surely that’s not our bar. That’s not the standard of conduct we’re looking for from our president or our administration. It shouldn’t just be whether you committed a felony or not. It should also be whether or not you’re observing the kind of norms that we’ve been talking about that are so essential to really the fabric of the rule of law.” https://qz.com/1015976/2016-election-hacking-sally-yates-says-the-us-needs-more-than-a-special-prosecutor-to-get-to-the-bottom-of-the-trump-russia-affair/ This is not a normal presidency following normal procedures." Congress and our Governors need to speak out and demand a transparent presidency, establish an independent investigation into the Russian connection, restore the White House news conferences with cameras, call a halt to the improper tweets and lies from the White House, and demand the proper dissemination of critical information through appropriate sources and agencies not tweets. We deserve our respected democracy back. Contacts:  1)  Governors:  https://www.usa.gov/state-governor, 2) Representatives: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/, 3)  Senators: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/

6. On Tuesday, over 30 senators sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, admonishing her for her and the Department's stance on civil rights issues http://bit.ly/2sR9vY4 Let's read through the letter, then thank those senators who have taken it upon themselves to hold DeVos accountable for her dangerous actions http://bit.ly/2t0KwA0

7. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt met with the CEO of Dow in March before deciding not to pursue a ban on chlorpyrifos pesticide, which has been shown to affect brain development in children:  https://apnews.com/2350d7be5e24469ab445089bf663cdcb/EPA-chief-met-with-Dow-CEO-before-deciding-on-pesticide-ban  Let’s take this opportunity to remind EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt that we do not have time to gamble with our children’s brains: EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20460 and let’s say the same to Dow CEO Andrew Liveris, 2030 Dow Center, Midland, MI, 48674

8. Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders went on a tear about the Russia “hoax” and then got in a kerfuffle with reporter Brian Karem (The Sentinel) about her assertions:  http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/27/sarah-huckabee-sanders-brian-karem-media-attack-240016  Let’s let Ms. Sanders know what we think about the “hoax”: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20500

9. As the Trump administration seeks to slash environmental and safety regulations across the federal government, the burning of London’s Grenfell Tower provides a tragic object lesson, as severe deregulation is blamed for the fire that has killed more than 100 people and left hundreds homeless.  https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/24/government-u-turn-over-fire-safety-controls-for-new-schools , https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/28/grenfell-residents-groups-compile-lists-of-victims-and-survivors . Let’s tell our MoCs that environmental and safety regulations are literally a matter of life and death, and that what we need when it comes to regulation is thoughtful, heartful rationality, not blind allegiance to corporate bottom lines.

10. Every day, we’re getting closer and closer to breaching the debt ceiling, and yet congressional Republicans take no action as they focus on taking away our health care. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/20/senate-republicans-debt-ceiling-239754 Let’s call our reps and tell them that we expect them to be responsible, not play games with our country’s economy, and pass a clean debt ceiling increase as soon as possible so there is no doubt that the U.S. can be counted on to pay its bills.
    
    
11. The State Department office to monitor and combat anti-Semitism is supposed to have a full-time envoy, and three full-time staffers. As of July 1st, there won’t be anyone working there. (https://www.jta.org/2017/06/22/news-opinion/politics/state-dept-s-anti-semitism-monitoring-office-to-be-unstaffed-as-of-july-1#.WU1Krha1jaI.twitter) At a time of rising anti-Semitism, the Trump administration is neglecting this issue. Let’s sign this petition from the ADL demanding that Trump and Tillerson move forward and appoint an envoy as soon as possible: http://adlaction.purpose.com/special-envoy/. And then let’s call our reps to ask them what they are doing to put the pressure on the White House to allow this office to function.

12. Three Democratic representatives are co-chairing the House's United for Climate and Environmental Justice Task Force. https://www.colorlines.com/articles/3-state-reps-announce-congressional-caucus-dedicated-environmental-and-climate-justice  Let's thank these three for their leadership on climate justice and let them know we support their on-going efforts, especially if they are are own representatives. 1) CA: Nanette Diaz Barragan, 302 W 5th St Ste 201, San Pedro CA 90731.  2) VA: A.Donald McEachin, 110 N Robinson St Ste 401, Richmond VA 23220. 3) WA: Pramilia Jayapal, 1904 3rd Ave Ste 510, Seattle WA 98101.  

13. The EPA is working to roll back clean water protections. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-regulation-idUSKBN19I2L0  We need to remind our MoC's and our local representatives that keeping our water safe and clean is important to us. 

14. The House unanimously passed House Resolution 351 (HRes351) condemning anti-LGBTQ atrocities in Chechnya. http://www.hrc.org/blog/u.s.-house-of-representatives-passes-resolution-condemning-atrocities-in-ch  Let's thank Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R-FL) for her leadership in sponsoring this resolution. Ileana Ros Lehtinen, 4960 SW 72nd Ave Ste 208, Miami FL 33155-5549.

15. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) pushed back against criticism from his own party against requiring men to pay for health insurance plans that cover maternity leave, telling reporters that "as best I can tell, women don't get pregnant without sperm.”  http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/339907-gop-senator-men-need-maternity-care-because-women-dont-get-pregnant-without  Let’s thank him for speaking up on this important issue:  https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/contact/office-locations

State-level actions

Other Actions

1. From The Resistance: Peaceful Action:  Tired of Senators who won't answer their phones or clean out their Voicemails so we can leave messages? Well, here is another way to get our voices heard. I propose that we email every staffer on the list and bury them in emails. Tell your story and let them know how repealing the ACA will affect you and your family. Keep it personal to you. We want to speak individually so each story is unique.  There are over 120 emails on the list and to do every one of them would be time consuming so - and this is very important - we do not want to CC or put all the email addresses in the "To" field. We want to put the email addresses in the BCC field  For those that aren't familiar - BCC means "Blind Carbon Copy" and means that no one that receives the email will see the other email addresses. It will also (and this is important) keep automated responses or bounces from looping and going out to everyone on the list - this could crash email servers and we do not want to do this.  Here’s the list of email addresses:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12AaIxtvT-US1dNl7eesseKueriMrHAKNxXZdPhAfnRg/htmlview

2. On Tuesday's White House briefing, reporter Brian Karem called Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders out for her continued attacks on the press http://bit.ly/2rZyNQW Let's thank Karem for holding the White House accountable for their treatment of the press corps. We can tweet him @BrianKarem or write to him in care of Montgomery County Sentinel, 22 W. Jefferson Street, Suite 309, Rockville, MD 20850

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger, yes, the Arnold Schwarzenegger, has come out strongly against gerrymandering and has set up a matching fund to help support Common Cause pay the legal costs to fight this issue: https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/207023/this-is-our-chance-to-make-gerrymandering-unconstitutional  Please consider a donation.

4. It actually started last fall, but on political candidate Facebook pages, there are endorsement tabs.  https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/19/facebook-political-candidate-endorsements/Let’s be sure to do them for those we support and tell our friends to do the same!

Petitions

1. Let’s join the Sierra Club in stopping Congress from overturning important climate regulations (i.e., protections):  https://sierra.secure.force.com/actions/National?actionId=AR0067415

2. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) launched a petition Wednesday to block the deportation of a Sept. 11 recovery worker, calling the possibility "shameful," https://www.change.org/p/president-donald-trump-stop-the-deportation-of-9-11-worker-carlos-humberto-cardona

Marches/events to attend/organize

1. This Thursday, Organizing For Action will be hosting an Issues Briefing Call, which will focus on ACA repeal, immigration, climate change, and preparation for the August Congressional recess. Let's listen in and learn about more ways we can fight back: http://bit.ly/2uijYtk  

2. Given the deportation threats under which our immigrant neighbors are living, perhaps it’s time to take instruction from the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) founded organization working for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world, on how best to help them.  On Thursday, July 13, the AFSC is holding a conference call, “How to Offer Sanctuary,” (in English and Spanish).   For details, click here:  https://secure.afsc.org/onlineactions/Ipg9UME4gUqVI7ManNVlhg2

3. On July 22 there will be a March for Public Education in Washington, D.C. with sister marches all over the country.  Why a march for public education?  https://medium.com/march-for-public-education/10-reasons-to-march-for-public-education-92b1dc918310  For more information and to find sister marches, let’s check here:  https://www.marchforpubliced.org/

Reading

1. On Monday, June 26, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the travel ban case. The final ruling will not happen until the fall. In the meantime, some portions of the travel ban will be upheld. Let's inform ourselves on how it will affect people:  http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/supreme-court-travel-ban-1.4177987. Let's also support the ACLU, who will continue pressing the case that the travel ban is really an unconstitutional Muslim ban. https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/clear-victory-president-trump-muslim-ban-20-hardly

2. When we work together, we can accomplish anything. From the storyofstuff.org, here's how one person in Oregon started a movement to keep Nestle out of their town.  http://storyofstuff.org/blog/the-reluctant-activist/

3. “U.S. Image Suffers as Publics Around World Question Trump’s Leadership”: a report from the Pew Research Center:  http://www.pewglobal.org/2017/06/26/u-s-image-suffers-as-publics-around-world-question-trumps-leadership

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.

******

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

https://risestronger.org/resist

6/28/17

Contact Federal Government Officials

Find your legislators here: https://www.theloyalopposition.net/rep-finder/

OR

Search all members of Congress here:  https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/current

OR

Fax your legislators for free:  Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

and Senate: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

OR

Find senators Twitter and Facebook Accounts here:

http://www.socialseer.com/resources/us-senator-twitter-accounts/

Find representatives on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/cspan/lists/u-s-representatives/members?lang=en

********************************

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. With pressure from the Resistance getting to Senate Republicans, Mitch McConnell is delaying the vote on Wealthcare until after July 4th. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-republican-idUSKBN19I11V This is very good news, and a big victory for us. Let's use the chance he's given us to stop Trumpcare for good. Keep fighting against this bill using these tools: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19kqrh5SFq3N_L1b9-8ddeid8ddKxPGSETRIhwTqWQAw/edit?usp=sharing

2. The Republican health care bill is deeply unpopular nationwide, with not a single state in support. Let’s send tweets using this resource to remind key Republican senators that the majority of their constituents oppose the bill and they should vote it down.  Details here:  https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0k1qCMVpKZpVGFqcG9Lc2phOVlYM2JJVHFWMXNQNDBKT0dj

3. The FBI has found that in addition to the thousands of local police departments failing to submit information to the national hate crimes database, at least 120 federal agencies aren’t either. (https://www.propublica.org/article/more-100-federal-agencies-fail-report-hate-crimes-fbi-national-database?utm_source=pardot&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynewsletter ) This is a violation of the law, and means we might be dramatically underestimating the true scope of hate crimes in the United States. Let’s help fix the problem. FIRST, let’s ask our members of Congress to request hearings on this problem at the federal level so they can understand its causes, and then move forward a legislative solution. SECOND, let’s ask our reps to co-sponsor Rep. Don Beyer’s NOHATE Act (H.R. 1566), which would help address the local law enforcement side by giving out grants to police forces to upgrade their computer systems in exchange for departments uploading their hate crime data. THIRD, let’s contact our own city and county elected officials, and ask them to determine if our local law enforcement agencies are submitting their data to the hate crimes database and to determine how to change that if they aren’t.

4. While the healthcare bill consumes us all, there is other dangerous legislation in Congress. The Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 (RAA) has passed the House and will be voted on soon by the Senate. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5 While it's being sold as friendly to small business, the flip side is really serious. "The RAA would drastically change how government agencies issue federal regulations. Republicans like to complain about regulations, but the truth is that many of these regulations are why we have clean air to breathe, can be protected against financial malfeasance, and are fighting the spread of communicable diseases. The RAA would prioritize corporate profits over public protections and paralyze the regulatory process, making it even harder for the government to keep American consumers and workers safe." https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resource/raa-worst-bill-youve-never-heard/ We can consult this page for questions/specific language we can use when telling our MoCs we oppose the bill. Let's just add it on when we contact them about the healthcare bill! 

5. Ivanka Trump took to Fox & Friends to say that she is trying to “stay out of politics”. This is an odd stance for someone advising the president: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-adviser-ivanka-trump-i-try-to-stay-out-of-politics/  Let’s ask her to really stay out of politics: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20500

6. People convicted of violent hate crimes should not own guns, yet it is still perfectly legal for them to do so. Let's change that. Sen. Casey' (D-PA) has introduced the Disarm Hate Act of 2017 (S. 1324).  https://www.pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives/2017/06/09/pennsylvania-sen-bob-casey-proposes-legislation-to-disarm-those-convicted-of-hate-crimes Let’s call our Senators, and ask that they cosponsor and support this bill.

7. We need to be all in with reaching our own Senators and encouraging “passive allies” to become “active allies” by directly asking people to take specific actions, particularly with the healthcare bill. If we live in a “red” state then this is the financial pressure our reps are feeling from the Koch brothers: https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/26/koch-network-piggy-banks-closed-republicans-healthcare-tax-reform Let's remind our Republican MoCs who they work for.

State-level actions

1. It's a small victory but the battle isn't over yet.  Yes, we got a reprieve, as the GOP will not call the healthcare vote before the July break.  This means senators will have to face their constituents over the July 4th recess.  Let’s make sure they are welcomed home in style!  Let’s find a town hall or public meeting near us and let our senators know that this is not the plan for us.  https://townhallproject.com  

2. Governors from both parties have asked for a bipartisan bill for healthcare.  "In a pointed letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Republican and Democratic governors called on senators to engage with them in the health care reform debate— arguing the current draft of the GOP's health care bill was insufficient to ensure adequate coverage and affordability."  http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/17/health-care-reform-bill-is-problematic-both-gop-and-democratic-governors-say.html.  Let's call and email our governors to put pressure on our state senators to withdraw this healthcare bill and work to improve the ACA act. We've been calling our senators, now let's call our governors and ask them to step up and help. Contact information:  https://www.usa.gov/state-governor

3. Vote Riders, http://www.voteriders.org/, an organization that works to get eligible citizens IDs so they can exercise their right to vote, has been seeking assistance from the Virginia State Board of Elections and has been studiously ignored. They’ve posted this open letter on Facebook and asked us to share. Details here:   https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gUvXpYUtgMtmZlma-pDHoQrojZ2f_KIQCv57kWH2D9U

4. A Texas mayor is suing the state of Texas because of the harm of the anti-immigration bill (SB4) to his constituents in El Cenzio: https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/im-suing-texas-because-legislature-passed-bill-discriminates-against-my-town Let’s all contact Mayor Reyes to say thanks for standing up: http://www.cityofelcenizo.com/office-of-the-mayor

5. The cladding that helped spread the Grenfell Tower fire in London is still used in some states in the US.  http://www.npr.org/2017/06/24/534100561/some-u-s-states-relax-restrictions-on-cladding-suspected-in-grenfell-tower-fire  If we live in DC, Indiana, Massachusetts or Minnesota let's contact our state representatives to ask for tighter restrictions on this type of cladding.

6. From Postcards for America:  Article 5 of the Constitution allows for a convention to be called by 34 States. 22 States have already passed resolutions for it, with an additional 5 States having already passed through one House. This would ostensibly be to push the Federal government into balancing their Budget, but once convened, there are NO limitations on which Constitutional issues they could address. Convening a convention would be “putting the whole Constitution up for grabs.”   With so much chaos in Washington, this is NOT the time to call a constitutional convention.  Let’s contact our state MoCs with details here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1STJpmhlSxYIhuuqNiS81980OSMaINcDlXdHZKIRWypc/edit

Other Actions

1. Sister Simone Campbell, of Nuns on the Bus fame, has long called Paul Ryan’s budget attempts immoral.  She is now taking on the “so called” pro-life Senate Republicans:  http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/339463-catholic-sister-time-for-moral-leadership-on-medicaid-from-so-called-pro   Let’s heed her words, and thank her as well:  Network, 25 E Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC  20001-1630

2. GuideStar, the world's largest source for information about charity groups, earlier this month added a new feature flagging organizations named as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center so that potential donors would be warned. After an outcry led by groups like the viciously anti-LGBT American Family Association and the famously Islamophobic American Freedom Defense Initiative - and threats against the organization and its employees - they removed the flags on Monday. (https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2017/06/26/guidestar-removes-banners-flagging-hate-groups/) A coder named Tom MacWright wrote a Chrome extension that adds back the tags on hate groups on GuideStar's site. Let's add this extension, and let our friends and family who use GuideStar know about it: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/identify-hate-groups-on-g/pfpjfllnpobfiaecgfkhoglmpbbgdpll

3. Yet again, the white supremacist anger Trump has given permission for people to express across the country has reared its ugly head in Mississippi, with yet another attack on a historical marker memorializing Emmett Till. (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/historical-marker-civil-rights-icon-emmett-till-vandalized-mississippi-n776991?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma) Let's show them we will not allow history to be erased by donating to the Emmett Till Interpretive Center: http://www.emmett-till.org/. And let's also donate to the Equal Justice Initiative to support their work to memorialize the victims of lynching across the South: https://eji.org/.

4. From one of our own:  I was always non-party affiliated and recently I registered as a Republican, to the horror of many people I know.  I'm calling myself a "progressive Republican" and it makes me take a different viewpoint. The Democrats seem lost right now so isn't the best way to undo the Republican Party to remake the Republican Party?  This is my "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy." I love starting my postcards and phone calls with "I'm a Republican...." I've also been shocked the extreme reaction I get when I tell liberal people. They recoil from me like I'm contagious. The response has not been generous. I live in a state without open primaries so I really do feel like I have a better ability to effect change as a Republican. 

5. Over 2300 companies have removed advertising from Breitbart, but there are still some who have not budged. Sleeping Giants is asking that we focus our efforts on Intel's Chief Marketing Officer Steven Fund, asking that they remove their advertising from a site which promotes hate speech filled with racism and homophobia. We can contact Fund through e-mail, or Twitter: Steven Fund CMO, Intel Corp., steven.fund@intel.com (Email), @stevefund (Twitter)

6. On Tuesday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a letter urging senators to vote for the Senate healthcare bill, claiming that the bill would repeal “the most egregious taxes and mandates” of the ACA and eliminate penalties on large employers that do not offer coverage to employees.  A separate letter was sent by a coalition of 28 business and employer groups including the National Association of Home Builders, the National Restaurant Association and the National Retail Federation, also in support of the bill—and standing to benefit from it: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/us-chamber-of-commerce-backs-senate-gop-healthcare-bill/article/2627200   These groups need to hear from us that their willingness to put tax breaks and profit ahead of the health of their workers—many of whom have health insurance only because of the ACA—has not escaped our notice:  U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 202-659-6000; Nat’l Assn of Home Builders, 800-368-5242; Nat’l Restaurant Assn, 202-331-5900; Nat’l Retail Federation, 202-673-7971

7. The U.S. Conference of Mayors have made their opposition to Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement clear—yet again—in a resolution passed this week in Miami:  https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26062017/mayors-conference-supports-100-percent-renewable-energy-electric-vehicles-climate-change  Might be time for a postcard letting them know we appreciate their doing the right thing—and we should make sure all of our mayors are on board:  U.S. Conference of Mayors 1620 I Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, 202-293-7330.

Petitions

1. Let’s sign with MomsRising telling Congress to support the Disarm Hate Act and keep guns away from people with a history of violent hate.    : http://action.momsrising.org/sign/DisarmHate/

2. Sen. Murray (D-WA) feels that the healthcare delay is so that there can be a week of wheeling and dealing out of public view.  Let’s join her in telling the Senate Republicans that we just don’t want it at all:  https://www.pattymurray.com/act/say-no-to-trumpcare-june

Marches/events to attend/organize

1. Ranked choice voting could be a critical improvement to how we pick our elected officials, and one that gives us more power to make our voices heard. (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865681641/Op-ed-Ranked-Choice-Voting-can-help-Utah-elections.html) The FairVote outreach team is doing a series of Facebook LIVE events, every Thursday at 1PM, to talk about how to get involved in the fight for RCV and to update supporters on developments. Let’s check it out at https://www.facebook.com/FairVoteReform. 

2. Adapt, a national grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action – the group that staged the sit-in outside McConnell’s office last week and were dragged away, some in wheelchairs, thinks it is time for the entire Disability Community to TAKE ACTION across our nation and demand that Senate Republicans stop their war on the Disability Community. ADAPT, NCIL and others in the Disability Community are coordinating this effort. Check here for a list of events in various cities:  http://adapt.org/bcra-an-attack-on-the-disabled-americans-call-to-action/

Reading

1. While the planned People's Filibuster, three days of Capitol protests to stop Trumpcare officially began yesterday afternoon, this happened on Monday evening on the steps of the Capitol and was captured by Ben Winkler, Washington Director of MoveOn:  https://mobile.twitter.com/benwikler/status/879546719830192129

2. Physician and author (Being Mortal) Atul Gawande has written a clear and powerful op-ed in The New Yorker about the Senate health care efforts: http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-senates-health-care-bill-threatens-nations-health/amp

3. Here’s some insight into what Medicaid really does:  http://time.com/money/4649499/donald-trump-wants-to-cut-medicaid-heres-what-the-program-actually-does/

4. And if things didn’t seem odd enough, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-time-magazine-with-trump-on-the-cover-hangs-in-his-golf-clubs-its-fake/2017/06/27/0adf96de-5850-11e7-ba90-f5875b7d1876_story.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

https://risestronger.org/resist