Rogan's List

7/12/17

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STATE & FEDERAL legislative rep phone numbers.

1. Today, organizations who support a free and open Internet are coming together for a Day of Action to oppose Trump's efforts to roll back net neutrality. They're encouraging as many people as possible to reach out to the Federal Communications Commission and their members of Congress so that we can urge them to stop big corporations from controlling what we see and do online. fortune.com/2017/04/25/trump-fcc-net-neutrality/)  Let’s watch this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIFBb3e3tFA&feature=youtu.be  then, all do our part! We can find a link to share our comments here and tips for how to do so effectively here: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/06/saving-net-neutrality-tips-for-writing-persuasive-comments-to-the-fcc/  We can also send a letter to the FCC, letting them know how we feel about net neutrality, fast/slow lanes, and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's plan to end the Title II classification ( http://bit.ly/1wDqTO7 ) for broadband services. Battle for the Net has a form letter that we can edit and send to both the FCC and Congress https://www.battleforthenet.com/

2. Day by day, the Russia story challenges our beliefs about the functioning of our republic. The details of the actions of Donald Trump Jr. are difficult to comprehend:  http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/341386-trump-jr-was-told-potential-info-on-clinton-was-coming-from-russian  and the White House says that Congress’ efforts to apply sanctions to Russia stifles Trump’s presidential power:  https://apnews.com/1f24fd033ec44f8dbc707ee7d973b80a/White-House-criticizes-Russia-sanctions-stalled-in-House  While we must keep our head in the health care game, we can pause to let our Members of Congress know how critical these sanctions are. We can also let Trump know what we think of his presidency: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20500 or https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

3. Since taking over the Department of Education, Betsy DeVos has rolled back important protections for students while siding with predatory companies that have a record of scamming borrowers. DeVos and the Trump Administration are trying to tear up multiple rules that hold schools accountable for cheating their students. http://www.npr.org/2017/07/08/536197364/19-attorneys-general-sue-devos-over-delay-of-borrower-defense-rule But DeVos is required to solicit public comment before she can begin the process of delaying and dismantling these protections, and TODAY is the last day we can weigh in! Find instructions on how we can submit our comments and tips on how to do it effectively from Americans for Financial Reform here: https://medium.com/@RealBankReform/18-states-sue-betsy-devos-b64aae2c93d9.

4. The Senate confirmation hearing for Christopher Wray, Trump’s nominee for FBI Director to replace James Comey, is today.  His nomination is questionable as he, too, has ties with Russia:  http://www.newsweek.com/trump-fbi-wray-russia-627587  Let’s let our Senators know that this ten-year position needs to be led by someone who does not have any type of ties to foreign governments. 

5. Majority leader Mitch McConnell has fast-tracked the Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017 (S. 1460), bypassing committee consideration so that the bill can go straight to the Senate floor http://bit.ly/2tARbTw  While S. 1460 is considered bipartisan (introduced by republican senator Lisa Murkowski and cosponsored by democrat Maria Cantwell), there are numerous areas concern within the bill. It would allow test projects to bypass environmental impact studies, explicitly requires coal use to continue, and focuses research and development on fossil fuels, rather than clean energy solutions. Let's call on our senators to reject this problematic energy bill.  

6. We need to remember that the Trump administration refused the customary ethics training for his staff.  http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-ethics-white-house-235586   It is clear that ethics was never was a value in the Trump family given what is playing out now.  https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/donald-trump-jr-emails-russia-congress/533262/  and https://www.vox.com/2017/7/11/15953204/donald-trump-jr-emails-russia  We need to let our MoCs know that we DO believe in maintaining ethical standards and that we are measuring THEM by those standards. 

7. Senate Democrats have identified new potential allies in their effort to scuttle the current health care proposal: Republican governors, particularly those who helped expand Medicaid in their states under the Affordable Care Act. Several GOP governors, especially those who took advantage of the law’s generous federal funding to expand Medicaid coverage to able-bodied adults, have raised concerns about the current Senate plan to not only cut $772 billion from Medicaid by over the next decade but make even deeper reductions after that through a revised spending formula. Those governors include Doug Ducey, Ariz., John Kasich, Ohio, and Brian Sandoval, Nev. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/senate-democrats-seek-to-ally-with-republican-governors-on-health/article_07674662-c314-5a9d-9680-fc0d61c8f83e.html  Let's help the democratic senators. This list contains the States that have expanded Medicaid. If your republican governor is on this list, please call them and ask them to encourage their senate reps to oppose the Republican Health Care bill. NO BILL! NO REPEAL! https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/resources/primers/medicaidmap

8. From Postcards for America:  We do not want concealed carry reciprocity in all states.  We want reasonable gun controls, not more leeway.  Stanford study that shows states with right-to-carry concealed handgun laws experience increases in violent crimes http://news.stanford.edu/2017/06/21/violent-crime-increases-right-carry-states/  Let’s contact our reps to vote against HR 38.  To see NRA contributions to cosponsors of HR38 - the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, let’s click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12q9Rl-ErNxaeARpzQzjwOpe4QUWf2uaC86UpAVmMnXw/edit   Let’s see how to help:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zp4XwlErTvtzYV38F6burxsW0NXeXHBNeVaDyST0KGE/edit#

9. A recent Pew Research study shows that the majority of GOP members feel that colleges are bad for the country.  http://www.newsweek.com/republicans-believe-college-education-bad-america-donald-trump-media-fake-news-634474 Let’s tell our MoCs that we value education and want all of our citizens to have access to affordable education – for the good of our country!

10. Citing unfinished business, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has announced that Congress will remain in Washington, D.C. for the first two weeks of the August recess.  http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/11/mcconnell-senate-will-work-through-first-two-weeks-of-august-recess-240407 Let’s make sure we keep them on task and working “ to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…”

11. The GOP and the White House want to get our opinions on a few things.  Let’s tell them:  https://gop.com/listening-to-america-surveys/

State Actions

1. AK, AL, AZ, CO, KY, LA, ME, NV, OH, PA, WV: A Washington DC-based volunteer group, Herd on the Hill, is collecting family photos for these states to blitz the senators from this states with photos of families whose healthcare may be in jeopardy.   http://herdonthehill.org/about/    If we are in this states: 1) Get a family photo or old holiday card. 2) In red permanent marker, circle the people who would be affected by the AHCA ("Trumpcare") On back of the picture write how the AHCA would affect you (eg: pre-existing conditions, reliance on Medicaid, pregnancy, any other ACHA issue that matters to you  3) Write your own name and address on the back too.  This is a necessity. Without a verifiable constituent name and address, your submission will not be counted.  4) Send ASAP to: Herd on the Hill, c/o Outrage, 2439 18th St. NW, Washington DC 20009, Attn: Senator _____ (put your Senator's name here).  Here are the same directions on the Herd website: http://herdonthehill.org/noahca/  The Herd volunteers will be delivering bags of our photos to our Senators.  If we're in the states they are focusing on with healthcare, let's help them out by contributing.

Other Actions

1. Using the title of her 2014 book, Sen, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has a new website called Off the Sidelines which is her “call to action to encourage every woman and girl to make their voice heard on the issues they care about. Raising your voice truly can change the world.”  Let’s take a look at her website and sign up to part of the action:  http://offthesidelines.org/

2. Bob Schneider has spent more than 40 years in politics, more than 20 years on the national level working in Washington, DC in a variety of roles. He has blog called Politics Now on the ChicagoNow website which is an online community created by Chicagoans for Chicagoans.  Last week, Schneider explained why, after 44 years as a Republican, he is now a Democrat:  http://www.chicagonow.com/politics-now/2017/07/44-years-a-republican-1-year-an-independent-today-im-joining-the-democratic-party/   Let’s thank him for his candor, clarity, and insight.  We can leave comments on his blog (and sign up to see how his transition goes!) We can tweet him: @Bobndc or email him:  rschneiderassociates@gmail.com or snail mail him:  Robert Schneider & Associates, 1753 West Route 113, Kankakee, IL 60901.  We can also find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoliticsNowIL/

3. Today, let’s change our Facebook profile pic to one that supports saving Net neutrality:  https://twibbon.com/Support/save-net-neutrality-4

Petitions

1. “The so-called "Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017" would increase fracking, allow the government to more easily approve dirty oil and gas pipelines and exacerbate the climate crisis even more. Mitch McConnell knows how unpopular this legislation is – so he's fast-tracking the bill without a single public hearing.”  Let’s tell the Senate to reject it:  https://act.credoaction.com/sign/dirty_energy

2. “The ACLU legal team filed a lawsuit demanding transparency and accountability from Trump’s Election Integrity Commission. The name of the case? ACLU v. Trump. This commission is a sham.”  Let’s sign here if we agree:  https://action.aclu.org/secure/sham-election-commission

Marches/events to attend/organize

1. This Friday and Saturday, July 14 and 15, Women’s March has organized a 17-mile march from NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, VA to the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.  Details here:  https://www.womensmarch.com/nra

2. From July 29th-September 29th, Swing Left will be hosting the Summer Challenge, where they will be focusing on Democratic neighborhoods, making sure that these voters are committed to voting in the upcoming elections. Let's sign up to either host or attend a canvassing event http://bit.ly/2t0qFEi

Reading/Watching

1. Produced by one of our own regular contributors, here's a short video offering a Canadian perspective on Trump's travel (i.e. Muslim ban). Residents and citizens of Vancouver, Canada share personal stories of how the ban has affected them in this short, 2-minute video. Please share it widely; it's important that we all understand the negative consequences of Trump's racist ban, and that the effects are felt in many places -- not just in the US. A reminder, too, that part of the ban is currently in effect and that the Supreme Court will hear the case in the fall.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bygv6Mtept4cY1ZId1hOWFNUZVU/view

2. Matt Latimer at Politico poses the question "What if Trump had won as a Democrat?" and imagines the same personality and talking style with different policy goals.  http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/07/08/what-if-trump-had-won-as-a-democrat-215351  We can consider what this scenario might have been like. If we have feedback or comments for Matt Lattimer: Politico, 1000 Wilson Blvd 8th fl, Arlington VA 22209.

3. This is a big part of what we are working against.  There are citizens like this in every state.  https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/10/15904600/trump-russia-investigation-michigan-supporters

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