7/27/17
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- Yesterday,
the Senate voted to reject (45-55)
the repeal without replacing the ACA.
Seven Republicans
voted against the measure — Senators Shelley Moore Capito of West
Virginia, Susan Collins of Maine, Dean Heller of Nevada, John McCain of
Arizona, Rob Portman of Ohio, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Lisa
Murkowski of Alaska. http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-set-vote-straight-repeal-obamacare-n786691
Let’s look again at the flow chart to see where we are in the
process: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/24/16019984/obamacare-repeal-republican-flow-chart The next big Senate event is the
vote-a-rama to push a "skinny repeal": http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/what-s-next-health-care-vote-rama-end-game-n786776 KEEP CALLING. We all deserve better healthcare and legislation-making than
this.
- Protect Our Care is gathering stories
to email to Senate healthcare staffers.
We can tell our story via video, photo, text. We can submit our stories here: https://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycbzUoQztRS8wit3vfdhV5Cd6xevw-c-aEXKZDvKD1yvwED3OdtR_/exec
- Again,
we know it is purely distraction, but despite that fact that in early July
Gen. Mattis, defense secretary, moved to delay the admission of openly
transgendered persons into the military for further study and the fact
that he is currently on vacation, and that thousands of transgendered
persons are already serving, yesterday, Trump tweeted that they would no
longer “accept or allow” them to serve due to the burden of the cost and
disruption . http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/343847-trump-calls-for-ban-on-transgender-individuals-in-military
This announcement serves as a huge
set back for transgender rights, and does not detail what will happen to
those service members who have already come out as transgender. This
discriminatory policy is cruel and stigmatizing, and even Republicans have
condemned it. But words aren’t enough.
Let’s contact our reps and tell them to add language to the
“security-bus” spending bill to overturn the ban, then let's make sure the
White House, Secretary of Defense, and our members of Congress understand
that banning openly transgender individuals is unacceptable and ask how
they plan to handle other expensive or disruptive situations among our
service members. White House:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis:
Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-1000 703-571-3343
- The head of the Immigration and Customs
Enforcement unit in charge of deportations has directed his officers to
take action against EVERY undocumented immigrant they cross paths with,
including those with zero criminal history. Congress has traditionally
used its annual spending bill to instruct the Secretary of Homeland
Security to prioritize the deportation of convicted immigrants based on
the severity of their crimes… but that language was left out of the
omnibus spending bill for the current fiscal year, paving the way for
broader enforcement. https://www.propublica.org/article/ice-officers-told-to-take-action-against-all-undocumented-immigrants
But we’re about to enter a new fiscal year, and congressional
Republicans are busily trying to finalize the language for new spending
bills. Let’s contact our members of Congress and ask them to restore this
instruction, so that our friends and neighbors will be a little less
vulnerable to Trump’s deportation machine.
- The Republicans have made it
clear that their priority is cutting taxes for the wealthy, and they’ll
happily hurt regular Americans to do it. With the Resistance having beaten
#Wealthcare, they’re focusing explicitly on a new package to make the 1%
pay less. But to do it, they’re going to have to pass reconciliation
instructions in the next budget so that Democrats can’t block them in the
Senate. http://www.npr.org/2017/07/19/537959833/heres-whats-in-the-house-republican-budget-and-why-it-matters Their budget proposal is bad
enough on its own, and our reps should oppose it. But they also need to
know we’re onto their game, and that as far as we’re concerned if they
vote yes on the budget they’re voting yes on whatever package of tax cuts
for millionaires and billionaires the GOP comes up with. Let’s call them
and tell them so.
- Now
that both the Senate and the House have passed the Russian sanctions bill,
Trump is in a tough spot between wanting to please Congress and wanting to
please Russia, but he can’t have it both ways. http://www.newsweek.com/trump-hillary-clinton-hostage-congress-moscows-reaction-sanctions-641974
Let’s encourage Trump to side with Congress: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
- From
Indivisible: There are many things to deplore in Trump's proposed budget,
but here's one item that stands out because of the funding splurge he
wants. "Call your MoCs today and let them know that no budget
that includes increases to Trump’s deportation force or any funding for
Trump’s mass deportation agenda should get their support, even if that
means withholding the votes needed to avert a government
shutdown. Tell them you want a federal budget that invests in
families, not fear." Here's more information on this part of Trump's
budget request: https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resource/defund-trumps-mass-deportation-machine/
- The Trump administration is working on
undoing an overtime pay rule which was initially set to go into effect
December 2016 http://reut.rs/2tZfWFX Under the new rule, the maximum
salary one could receive in order to qualify for legally mandated overtime
pay would have increased to $47,000, double the current threshold. The
current salary limit for mandated overtime pay is simply not sufficient;
it does not account for different costs of living across the country, and
has not been adjusted for inflation since the threshold was set, in 2004.
The Labor Department has just put out a Request For Information, where we
can share our thoughts on the current minimum salary threshold; all
comments will be due by September
25th. Let's be sure to read through the Department of
Labor's eleven concerns with a very critical eye, then share our thoughts
by leaving a comment https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=WHD-2017-0002-0001
- Religious extremist Amy Coney Barrett is
a judicial nominee for the US Court of Appeals. http://www.wisconsingazette.com/news/group-asks-trump-to-withdraw-wisconsin-judicial-nominee-who-says/article_edb9c39a-6ff6-11e7-8fb7-5f13d109a205.html The Alliance for Justice (AFJ) is
calling for Trump to withdraw this nomination after Barrett declared that
the bible takes precedent over the Constitution. Let's join the AFJ in
asking the White House to withdraw Barrett's nomination and also let our
Senators know that, if the nomination goes ahead, we oppose Barrett for US
Court of Appeals.
State Actions
- ALL: From one of our own: The MA Supreme Judicial Court has ruled
that state and local court officials & police CANNOT cooperate with
ICE by complying with immigrant detainers when criminal charges have not
been filed. http://www.wbur.org/news/2017/07/24/sjc-ruling-sreynoun-lunn-case Let’s advance this same kind of program
in our own states.
- TX: The Texas Senate okay'd transgender
bathroom-restriction bill SB3. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/07/25/follow-live-texas-senate-debates-called-bathroom-bill
Now this bill goes to the Texas House. If we are Texans, let's
contact our Texas state house representative to let them know that we
oppose SB3.
- UT: This Saturday, July 29, Utah's largest unions will join
with political advocates to stage a march in downtown Salt Lake City in
support of public education. http://www.sltrib.com/home/5549228-155/responding-to-policies-from-trump-and The
event is scheduled to begin at the downtown City Library, 210 E. 400
South, at 10 a.m. before moving across
the street to the City and County Building. If we are Utahn's for public
education and we can fit this march in our plans, let's try to
attend.
- AL: Former Alabama
Supreme Court Chief Justice and current US Senatorial candidate Roy Moore
says that "Islam is a false religion." http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/alabama-candidate-u-s-senate-islam-false-religion-article-1.3354486
The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 15 and
the primary run-off will be on Sept. 26.
The final election to fill the Senatorial seat vacated by AG Jeff
Sessions will take place on a December 12, 2017 special
election. We can read about all of the candidates at
ballotopedia: https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Alabama,_2017
Let's show up for the primary and the election and vote for someone other
than Roy Moore.
- MI: LGBTQ activists have called on the
Michigan Civil Rights Commission to clarify what is meant by the word
“sex” in the State’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act that lists attributes people can’t
discriminate for – like race, religion and sex. They want it to now include sexual orientation and gender
identity. http://michiganradio.org/post/lgbtq-activists-call-clarity-state-s-civil-rights-law A period of public comment is now open
until Aug. 15. MI residents can email comments to MCRC-Comments@michigan.gov.
Other Actions
- Here, we can find more
actions we can take to stand with our trans friends and neighbors
here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vb_0FK4T_mcKLP2BJkxtd-FiTOnUHyaYCzxhRwNh_Xw/edit?usp=sharing
- If we participated in the
Tony the Democrat postcard writing campaign for Kevin Cavanaugh in the
State Senate of New Hampshire, Cavanaugh pulled off an upset: http://amp.wmur.com/article/democrat-cavanaugh-pulls-upset-in-state-senate-special-election/10360495 Let’s pat ourselves on the back and
keep writing! There are other
elections coming up! We can all join in here: https://goo.gl/mqgwvx
- Senator
Mazie Hirono (D-HI) is recovering from her second surgery for stage 4 kidney
cancer. She went to the senate on Tuesday, July 25th and voted NO to
protect the health insurance of 20+ million people. She did not get a
standing ovation or time to make a speech with Television coverage.
She made a speech against the health care bill on June 27 before her own
cancer surgery. https://www.attn.com/stories/18493/other-senator-fighting-cancer-who-voted-against-tuesdays-motion Let's send a note of thanks and/or a
card to wish her well in her battle c/o her Hawaii Office, 300
Ala Moana Blvd. Rm. 3-106, Honolulu, HI 96850
- From
one of our own: The Boy Scouts of
America (BSA) organization apparently condones Trump’s words and behavior
at their annual Jamboree earlier this week. Their silence concerns many. However, it seems that the president of the BSA, Randal
Stephenson who is also the chairman of AT&T, has been courting the
Trump administration for a merger with Time Warner. https://qz.com/1038359/boy-scouts-president-randall-stephenson-has-been-lobbying-donald-trump-to-approve-the-att-time-warner-merger/
Let’s continue our pressure on the BSA to do the right thing for our
youth. Contact BCA by on their
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theboyscoutsofamerica/
or emailing them: myscouting@scouting.org or tweeting them @boyscouts or
writing to them: PO Box 152079, Irving, TX
75015-2079
- Here’s
yet another way we can help the #resistance: Rapid Resist is
a non-profit stopping Trump's agenda by helping organizers in conservative
areas by text-banking. We can sign
up here and be assigned to a group.
Every time that group has a live target, you'll get a notification to
start texting people to recruit!
We can sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZeZzukCxzvvDTDALdPk_NGqkbn5c1JLuFnC31f9tOSq7UpA/viewform
- "Indiana has purged
nearly a half-million registered voters from its rolls since Election Day.
The purge is part of a massive effort to update the state's voter rolls
after years of improper maintenance and neglect, Indiana Secretary of
State Connie
Lawson said.
Since the November elections, 481,235 registered voters have been taken
off the list." http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/329659-indiana-purges-nearly-half-a-million-from-voter-rolls
This
article is from April but a great reminder to all of us to check that we
are still registered to vote in our own states. If we missed voting in an
election, let’s check that we are still registered and if not, register
again before the 2018 elections. Let’s remind our friends and family. We
need all of our voices and use our votes. If we have family in Indiana, let’s
advise them to check out their voter registration.
- From one of our own: Last week, the Department of
Homeland Security sent private contractors to the National Butterfly Center (NBC), where they began to
survey the land and to clear trees to build Trump's border wall--all
without the permission of the NBC, which is located on privately-owned
property. Trump's border wall threatens 30 million square feet of
vegetation along a 38-mile swath of land that includes the National
Butterfly Center, the 2,000+-acre Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, and the
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. Support the
National Butterfly Center's legal defense fund by following the link below
and making a donation. No donation is too small to help protect the
wildlife that calls this land home
https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/stop-trump-s-border-wall
Petitions
- Let’s
sign VoteVets.org petition supporting the rights of the transgendered to
serve in the American military: http://action.votevets.org/page/s/trans-ban
- Sen.
Stabenow (D-MI) wants us to join her in telling Senate Republicans to vote
no on anything that takes health insurance away from anyone: https://stabenow.bsd.net/page/s/Tell-Senate-Republicans-To-Vote-No
Marches/events to attend/organize
- 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/
Reading/Watching
- The
Skinny on the GOP’s Last Resort on Health Care: ‘Skinny Repeal’: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-gops-last-resort-on-health-care-skinny-repeal-w494379
- If we’ve been wondering what
the Magnitsky Act and Russian adoptions have to do with the current state
of affairs with Russia (and Trump’s campaign) here is financier Bill
Browder’s written testimony for his Wednesday appearance
before the Senate Judiciary Committee and he walks through the history
(and his personal connection to Magnitsky) of how we got to today and who
the players are in the Don Trump Jr., Kushner, Manafort meeting in Trump
Tower: https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/534864/
- Photos
that bear witness to modern slavery: https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_kristine_glimpses_of_modern_day_slavery
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
