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7/17/17

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1)      This week in Congress:  Eleven (11) bills are scheduled for a vote in the House this week: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/#docket 

2)      Remember Trump's border wall?  Preparations are quietly underway by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Texas to put up the first segment in the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, the "crown jewel" of the national wildlife refuge system.  https://www.texasobserver.org/trump-border-wall-texas-wildlife-refuge-breaking/  If the proposed levee is constructed, it will destroy the refuge.  Let's contact our senators and representatives to remind them that we do not support using our tax dollars for a border wall and we do not support destroying the wildlife refuge. For those of us in TX, let's also make some noise to our state and local representatives. 

3)      “The White House is launching a three-week "Made in America" messaging campaign on Monday to refocus President Trump's public agenda.”   http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/342235-white-house-announces-new-campaign-promoting-trumps-agenda  We all want more things made in America again.  Let’s all ask Trump if that means that he and his family will bring their manufacturing operations back home.  https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

4)      The Senate health care bill vote has been delayed a week, ostensibly due to the absence of John McCain following surgery:  http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/342206-mcconnell-delays-healthcare-vote-after-mccain-surgery  Let's use this time to continue to be in touch with our Republican Senators (and also governors who are closer to the impact of Medicaid slashing than Senators) about the harm that the bill sets in motion.  http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-bcra-20170714-story.html We have an unbelievably large military budget to protect us but are on the brink of an action that causes widespread harm to our people. We can wish McCain well ( https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form ) while also hoping that this time allows the Congressional Budget Office to score the revised bill.

5)      If you are having trouble getting through to your MoCs or you’d rather not talk on the phone, please check out Resistbot https://resistbot.io/, which turns your texts into faxes.  No downloads or apps required.  The more you use it, the more features are rolled out for you.

6)      Since Don, Jr.’s email exchange and meeting with Russians is the first clear evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, it’s time to renew our cries for an independent commission on Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trump-Russia ties.  Special Counsel Robert Mueller handles the criminal investigation, but an independent commission could examine it from a non-criminal perspective (financial ties between Trump and Russia, non-criminal conflicts of interest, etc.), would be less partisan than congressional committees, and would be beyond Trump’s power to fire or disband. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/07/12/trump-jr-russia-emails-show-we-need-independent-commission-eric-swalwell-column/469944001/  Let’s call our senators and congressional representative in support of the creation of an independent commission on Trump-Russia.  

7)      In the midst of people concerned about the safety of our personal data being given to the Pence/Kobach Election Integrity Commission which is investigating alleged election fraud, the White House” has released 112 pages of unredacted emails of public comment, raising further privacy concerns.”  http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/14/537282309/vote-fraud-commission-releases-public-comments-email-addresses-and-all Let’s tell the White House that this is the perfect example of why we do not trust them with our personal information.  https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

8)      A professor at Columbia Law School thinks that the Russia scandal will force Trump's resignation. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-russia-columbia-philip-bobbit-collusion-emails-jared-kushner-donald-jr-a7842496.html?amp  This is a nice thought but in the meantime, let's let Trump know that we expect him to resign now due to his degradation of our nation: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington DC 20500  You can also reach him here https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact but since the White House released 100+ pages of comments about the voter election "integrity" work without redacting writers' contact information, you might not want to trust their discretion.

9)      Lawmakers are getting serious about renewing the U.S. government’s Internet spying powers, so we need to get serious about stopping their bad proposals. Sen. Tom Cotton has introduced legislation (S. 1297) that would not just reauthorize, but make permanent the expiring measure that the government says justifies the warrantless surveillance of innocent Americans’ online communications. (http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/330284-gop-senator-pushes-for-clean-reauthorization-of-foreign-intelligence-law) Having a president with little respect for the rule of law makes it even more important that we not allow this to go forward. Let’s contact our members of Congress and tell them to oppose the permanent reauthorization of “Section 702” spying.

10)  Congress has yet to reschedule the hearing on legislation that would deregulate the sale of firearm silencers — the one that was canceled on the morning of the mass shooting targeting members of Congress (http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/35665172/jeff-duncan-backs-gun-silencers-after-share-act-hearing-canceled). But it’s likely to come soon, and our reps need to know we recognize that they’re making it easier for criminals to get away with crimes. Let’s call them and tell them we want them to reject any legislation that would put our public safety at risk by deregulating firearm silencer sales.

11)  The Congressional Budget Office (which the Republicans are trying to get rid of) has also released its analysis of Trump’s 2018 budget; the news is not good for Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney, whose projections about the future of the economy it called into serious question: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/13/cbo-releases-analysis-of-trumps-budget.html This budget proposes deep cuts in social services, health, environmental protections, and international affairs in order to enable its huge military spending and corporate handouts.  We should tell Mulvaney AND our congresspeople that we want our needs and interests to take precedence in the spending of our tax dollars:  Mulvaney, 202-395-3080 or Office of Management & Budget, 725 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20503.

12)  In February, in a little noticed vote, the House Administrative Committee voted to disband the Election Assistance Commission,  created after the disastrous 2000 presidential election as part of the Help America Vote Act: https://www.thenation.com/article/house-republicans-just-voted-to-eliminate-the-only-federal-agency-that-makes-sure-voting-machines-cant-be-hacked/ More recently, we have been reassured by the news that 44 states have refused to supply private voter information demanded by Kris Kobach’s “election integrity” commission.  We shouldn’t be naïve; it is now clear that, using the publicly available voter rolls, Kobach’s plan to compare these against federal databases will result in thousands of false positives and wildly distort the potential for voter fraud: https://www.propublica.org/article/election-experts-see-flaws-trump-voter-commissions-plan-to-smoke-out-fraud Let’s make sure Kobach knows that we understand and deplore his commission’s strategy—Kansas Secretary of State, Memorial Hall, 1st fl, 120 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66612-1594 or 785-296-4564—and remind the nominal head of the commission, Mike Pence, that we are prepared to fight voter suppression—The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC 20500 or 202-456-1111.

13)  "Pence, speaking at the National Governors Association summer conference in Providence, R.I., said that "far too many able-bodied" adults were placed in Medicaid under Obamacare. I know Gov. Kasich isn't with us, but I suspect that he's very troubled to know that in Ohio alone, nearly 60,000 disabled citizens are stuck on waiting lists, leaving them without the care they need for months of even years," Pence said. The vice president has been making a case for a Republican healthcare bill that would repeal parts of Obamacare, which would also make changes to Medicaid." The VP's false statements were corrected by a spokesperson for Governor Kasich.  "There is zero connection between those asking for support services and Medicaid expansion," Keeling said in an emailed statement. "In fact, after we expanded, the governor signed into law the largest investment in the system for the developmentally disabled in the history of the program, $286 million. To say Medicaid expansion had a negative impact on the developmental Disabilities system is false, as it is just the opposite of what actually happened." http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/john-kasich-spokesman-calls-out-mike-pence-comments-on-medicaid/article/2628763 Let's continue our support for Governor Kasich and his opposition to the trumpcare health bill.  You can drop him a note of thanks as well as tell Pence that he needs to educate himself and stop insulting governors who oppose the "healthcare" bill with his use of false and incorrect statements.  To contact Kasich:  http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Contact/ContacttheGovernor.aspx and to contact Pence: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

State Actions

1)      RI: Governor Gina Raimondo has signed a bill to protect scientific and academic researchers.  http://www.ricentral.com/narragansett_times/legislation-to-protect-scientists-signed-by-raimondo/article_76ed8dd4-5db1-11e7-8576-735f106dec15.html  We can send our thanks to: Governor Gina Raimondo, 82 Smith St, Providence RI, 02903  or use her web contact form: http://www.governor.ri.gov/contact/

2)      CA: If we are California residents, let's support CA bill SB562, The Healthy California Act: http://www.healthycaliforniaact.org/home/   Let's keep the conversation moving forward by sending photos and holiday cards of the people who will be helped by the bill to our state senators and assembly members and telling our stories.  

Other Actions

1)      The most effective act of resistance with the most serious consequences is the act of voting. That’s why they’re trying so hard to suppress our votes, gerrymander us out of electoral relevance, and purge us from the voter rolls. Let’s vote in every election—national, state, and local—without fail, no excuses (and yes, not liking any of the choices is an excuse). Let’s check this website and get all elections that we’re eligible to vote in on our 2017 and 2018 calendars. http://www.mytimetovote.com/  Extra credit for adding a 3-week advance alert for an absentee ballot! 

2)      Shep Smith at Fox News took a much stronger stand than most of his colleagues by calling out the lies of the Trump administration: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jul/15/shepard-smith-host-fox-news-trump-lies  Let's take a moment to say thanks to Smith and ask him to keep standing up: 1211 Avenue Of The Americas, New York, NY, 10036

3)      In honor of the 35th week of Trump: if we haven't already, let's follow Amy Siskind's blog, "The Weekly Authoritarianism." For every week since Trump was elected, Ms. Siskind had published a comprehensive list of odd, unusual, and alarming political happenings. Why? "Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember." Her list is a great reminder to not normalize what shouldn't be, and to resist in every way we can. It's so good, her list is now being archived by the Library of Congress!  https://medium.com/@Amy_Siskind. We can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

4)      Due to the fear of many citizens concerning what may happen with their personal data, many are unregistering themselves from voting, nearly 3500 in Colorado alone.  http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/342107-nearly-3500-colorado-voters-cancel-registration-over-trump-voter  Let’s join together with Let America Vote to encourage voter registration and voting:  https://www.letamericavote.org/

5)      The Coffee Party began in 2010 in response to the creation of the Tea Party.  We all should have joined them then.  Let’s take a look at what they are up to and join up now:  http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/home

Petitions

1)      Let’s join United We Dream , the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation, and sign this petition to attorneys general and members of Congress to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:  https://action.unitedwedream.org/petitions/keep-the-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca-program

2)      The Electronic Freedom Foundation, an international non-profit digital rights group, invites us to sign with them in telling Congress not to make Internet spying powers permanent:  https://act.eff.org/action/tell-congress-don-t-make-internet-spying-powers-permanent

Marches/events to attend/organize

1)      Today and tomorrow, The People's Filibuster to Stop #Trumpcare will be held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. More info here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1641278722550274

Reading/Watching

1)      A hopeful op-ed in the LA Times about the effect of Mueller's appointment as special counsel:  http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-litman-the-special-counselor-is-already-getting-the-truth-out-20170714-story,amp.html

2)      “We have expressed our opinion on a phenomenon,” that of “a strange form of ecumenism” uniting “fringe groups of Catholic integralists and some groups of evangelical fundamentalists” in the political field. That is what Antonio Spadaro, S.J., one of the co-authors of “Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism,” an article that has sparked much discussion in the United States and elsewhere, told America in an exclusive interview in Rome, the day after its publication.”  https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/07/14/exclusive-interview-antonio-spadaro-his-article-about-ecumenism-hate-us

3)      An op-ed from a former Congresswoman who is sick and who would be adversely affected by the Senate bill:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OPzpbbhf66VmRZeUlGS3E3TXM/view?usp=drivesdk


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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