Rogan's List

6/22/17

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STATE & FEDERAL legislative rep phone numbers.

1. Emotions and actions continue to run high about the Senate health care process: http://amp.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/06/the_senate_s_health_care_secrecy_will_hurt_millions.html  Senate Democrats held the floor recently to shine light on the flaws of the closed process: http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-healthcare-senate-idUSL1N1JH1XV  If you have a Democratic Senator, please thank him/her as appropriate for standing up and let’s all thank Minority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer for navigating these unprecedented times: 322 Hart SOB, Washington, DC 20510

2. Months after abruptly firing half of our U.S. attorneys, Trump has finally begun the process of replacing them. He has announced names he would like to fill eight of the 93 open positions.   http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2017/06/12/trump-us-attorney-nominations-239457 Given Trump's pattern of demanding loyalty to himself above loyalty to the rule of law from government officials, it is crucial that the Senate not just rubber stamp these nominees. Let's call our senators and make sure they do not vote to confirm any U.S. attorneys unless they affirm under oath that they have made no promises of loyalty or special treatment to the administration in exchange for their position, and that they will put the law first.

3. The Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are questioning why the White House didn't suspend the security clearances of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and presidential adviser Jared Kushner, after questions arose about their contacts with Russian officials. Kushner, the president's son-in-law and close adviser, failed to disclose his own contacts with the Russian ambassador on his security clearance forms, the letter said.  Moreover, Kushner "failed to correct the public record after President Trump and other White House officials repeatedly made public statements denying contacts between the Trump team and Russian officials, even after the scandal surrounding General Flynn." Democrats are asking why the White House has not pulled his Security Clearance. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/top-democrat-asks-why-jared-kushner-still-has-security-clearance-n775221 Let's join the democrats in the house and ask the White House to pull his security clearance to safeguard our classified security information:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

4. Rep. Nunes (R-CA), in a recent radio interview is blaming democrats for fake news, and hate speech. "Nunes said Scalise was out of critical condition but suffered damage to “quite a few” organs from the bullet passing through his pelvis. He then shifted to the shooter, who has been linked to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and other left-wing causes. “It was almost predictable,” Nunes said. He went on to say that “more and more activity of fake news and fake media,” as well as statements from his Democratic colleagues, have continued to incite protests and threats against those in public office.  http://www.fresnobee.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/political-notebook/article157049854.html#storylink=cpy Let’s tell Nunes that his comments don't bring us any closer to making government work. Stop the rhetoric and extend your hand across the aisle so we can all move forward. Both sides are guilty of inappropriate comments and crazy people with guns is a national gun control issue.  Contact him here:  https://nunes.house.gov/contact/

5. We can have outrageous inequity, or we can have a stable constitutional democracy, but we can't have both. http://www.businessinsider.com/us-inequality-is-worse-than-you-think-2017-6 Let's direct our state and national elected officials to this report and ask them what they plan to do about it. 

6. Representative Sean Patrick Maloney and 35 other Members of Congress sent a letter to the Indonesian ambassador in response to Indonesia's government-sponsored violence against the LGBTQ community http://bit.ly/2qNYB4s Let's thank Representative Maloney for speaking out 202-225-5441 We can also check the letter to see if our MoC signed it, then thank them as well http://bit.ly/2rJD6n8

7. House representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) introduced H.Res.395 yesterday which reaffirms the leadership of the United States in promoting the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons. The resolution has 62 co-sponsors already. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-resolution/395/cosponsors  We can read the full text of the bill by clicking the "text" tab at the top of the cosponsor list.  Let's contact our own representatives and ask them to support HRes395 if they have not already. 

8. We don’t yet know the details of the secret Senate Republican version of the AHCA, but Trump’s executive order on drug pricing, now available in draft form, “looks as if the whole thing were basically written by big pharma . . . . Nothing for the American people; everything for the American corporations”: http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-drug-pricing-executive-order-2017-6  We can’t stop Trump, but the White House needs to hear a roar of objection, particularly from those whose health is or will be compromised by unregulated drug prices: 202-456-1111.  If we have a story, we should tell it to the White House, to our local newspapers, to our representatives!

9. Senate Republicans plan to unveil a “discussion draft” of their healthcare bill today [Thursday]. McConnell claims it will not be brought to a vote until the Congressional Budget Office has assessed its cost—next week, he thinks: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-idUSKBN19B2OP   Now is the time for us to bring as much pressure as possible on wary conservatives—Mike Lee (UT) , Ted Cruz (TX), Rand Paul (KY),  and Tom Cotton (AR) have all expressed reservations of one sort or another—and on moderates who have voiced their concerns—like Susan Collins (ME), Bill Cassidy (LA), Dean Heller (NV), Rob Portman (OH), Cory Gardner (CO), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), and Lisa Murkowski (AK).  THREE Republican “no” votes will kill this disastrous bill.

State-level actions

1. If you live in NJ’s 3^rd district, your current representative in Congress is Tom McArthur who was a “key architect of Trumpcare” in the House. The good news is that Andy Kim is running against him in 2018!  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/andy-kim-announces-congressional-run-against-ahca-architect-tom-macarthur/ Let’s learn more about Andy and how we can help him win this seat and be part of good changes in D.C.  . https://www.andykimforcongress.com/

2. From one of our own:  On Tuesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation raising the minimum age of consent for marriage from 14 to 18.  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-york-ends-child-marriage-raising-age-of-consent-from-14-to-18/ However, child marriages are still legal in 27 other states.  http://family.findlaw.com/marriage/state-by-state-marriage-age-of-consent-laws.html Let’s start by thanking Amy Paulin, the New York State Assemblywoman who sponsored the legislation: http://nyassembly.gov/mem/Amy-Paulin/contact/ Then, if our state’s age of consent is under 18,  let’s contact our own state legislators and tell them it is time to fix that.

3. The 85th Annual Meeting for the United States Conference of Mayors will take place this weekend, June 23rd-26th. Among the issues to be discussed is the 100% Renewable Energy in American Cities resolution. Let's see if our mayors have already committed to supporting this resolution, then give a call to either thank them for doing so, or ask that they vote to support the resolution http://bit.ly/2oxWlyy We can also edit and send Sierra Club's form letter http://bit.ly/2tNtFjt

Other Actions

1. “Getting to know them, she said, made her forget all the things that divide them…When you really get to know them, we’re so much alike that it’s like, why would I hate someone that I’m so similar to?”  When students from a conservative rural and an liberal urban high school see each other’s lives and interact they learn important lessons.  https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/blue-state-students-take-a-red-state-field-trip/e282b298-437e-4016-97fc-0860da986b32 Let’s find ways to bring different people together in hopes of diminishing our differences.

2. Identifying questionable, unreliable sources while we are online is difficult for all of us. Fortunately, the Self Agency LLC has developed a little gem called BS Detector, that we can use with our Chrome or Mozilla-based browsers to show us just what sources might be just that.  It’s a freebie, but priceless!  Check it out here:  http://bsdetector.tech/ 

3. Yesterday morning, an airport police staff, Lt. Jeff Neville, was stabbed at the Bishop Airport in Flint, MI in what is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack.  http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/06/21/flint-airport-attack-act-terrorism-bishop/417948001/ Let’s send good wishes to Lt. Neville as he recovers.  We can send them in care of the airport: Bishop International Airport, G-3425 West Bristol Road, Flint, MI 48507-3183   

4. The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation has built a water park for people with disabilities.  http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/health/worlds-first-fully-accessible-water-park-trnd/index.html  We can thank them for showing what is possible and how it is done: Gordon and Morgan Hartman, The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation, 1202 W Bitters Bldg 1 Ste 1200, San Antonio TX 78216 

5. Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck publicly supports California senate bill SB54 for a sanctuary state.http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-eric-holder-charlie-beck-kevin-deleon-sanctuary-state-bill-20170619-story.html We can thank him for taking a stand at: Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), 100 W 1st St, Los Angeles CA 90012. 

6. As posted in Postcards for America, we can send letters and postcards Postcards of Support to the crew of the USS Fitzgerald who lost 7 of their sailor family in recent collision.  More info here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HM3KmTzsJcl_el-L91P0Zz5p9wjpmWy7ihPHcNAdxMs/mobilebasic

Petitions

1. Petition from Win Without War to South Korean President Moon to promote further diplomacy with North Korea:  http://act.winwithoutwar.org/sign/support-diplomacy-not-war-north-korea/

2. The morning of the Alexandria shooting, the House was preparing to hold a hearing on a bill that would in part make it easier to buy gun silencers. They're trying to sneak this in with an unrelated bill. (http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/12/gun-silencer-restrictions-house-jeff-duncan-239440) This would threaten public safety and make it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs. Let's join Gabby Giffords and Americans for Responsible Solutions and send a message to our members of Congress that we want them doing more to keep us safe from gun violence, not less: http://action.americansforresponsiblesolutions.org/page/s/share-act

Marches/events to attend/organize

1. Several groups, including MoveOn.org and Indivisible, are supporting an initiative ... to celebrate the achievements of the Resistance thus far. Call it self-care, call it community building, call it networking, or whatever you like, but it's time to kick off this "Summer of Resistance" with a cookout! Check for a get-together near you, or start your own event, here: https://act.moveon.org/event/cookouts/search/

2. On July 29, Americans are coming together all over the country to say “Our Lives Are On the Line” if Republicans pass Trumpcare and strip our health coverage.  Partnering with this effort are Planned Parenthood, CAP, OFA, Women’s March, among others.  We can find an event we can join here:  http://ourlivesontheline.org/ and we can find the Facebook event here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/803371079813922/

Learning

1. Another look at Megyn Kelly’s interview:  http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/megyn-kelly-vivisects-bloated-conspiracy-hog-alex-jones-w488787

2. As a follow up to her moving of NASA shirts from the boys' section to the girls' section, Katie Hinde wrote an essay addressing the criticisms she received.  Among those criticisms were the important issues of intersectionality and white feminism, and Hinde cites some helpful articles on each issue. In Hinde's words, "the combination of a white woman, seemingly impacting low-income workers (who are more likely to be women and in many states more likely to be WoC) for a performative bit of low stakes issue is pretty classic white feminism." As we see other problematic gendered clothing in stores, let's ensure that our activism is inclusive and that we are not disparaging others in our actions. Next time we see an opportunity, let's take pictures of the clothing items that cause concern (without physically moving them), then call out those specific companies/CEOs/marketing teams on social media. Let’s read her article here:  http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/because-i-moved-5-shirts-portrait-of-an-unexpected-twitter-storm/

3. From one of our own concerning the Georgia run-off election this week:  I grew up in the 6th and live here now and am a democrat. We were never going to win this election, especially once it went into a runoff. The 6th is a very strong republican district and gerrymandering has made it even more so. But I can tell you that this campaign has changed what it means to be a democrat in a very red area. During the presidential election I felt hugely silenced. I was 1 of 2 houses in my neighborhood (500+ houses) with a Hillary sign. Democrats in the area were so alone and felt like we were few and far between. After this grass roots movement with the Ossoff campaign we have begun to find each other and our voice. We aren't so quiet anymore. I've found people in my community who have similar beliefs and because of that, it's a lot easier to make a stand. That's powerful. If it can happen in the 6th district of GA then Republicans should be scared of elections to come.

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