Rogan's List

7/29/17

Just a reminder that there will be no Rogan’s List tomorrow.

The Rogan's List Team is on vacation from July 30 through August 13, but because of the extension of the Senate calendar we have decided to run a smaller list during this time. We look forward to being back to the full list on August 14.

Contact Federal Government Officials

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OR

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

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Find senators Twitter and Facebook Accounts here:

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Find representatives on Twitter here:

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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.

Correction:  On Monday, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) introduced two (2) amendments to the Make America Safe Appropriations Act (H.R. 3219) that would help protect state secrets and limit funds going from the Defense budget to Trump-owned properties http://thehill.com/homenews/house/343468-dem-amendments-target-kushner-trump-businesses Let's tell our reps that we support Lieu's amendments.  

Correction:  Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke picked up the phone to call Alaska Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski to threaten financial retribution to their state because of Murkowski’s health care votes: https://www.adn.com/politics/2017/07/26/trump-administration-signals-that-murkowskis-health-care-vote-could-have-energy-repercussions-for-alaska/?outputType=amp-type Let’s let Zinke know that this is not a Banana Republic and that his actions are out of bounds: https://www.doi.gov/contact-us  and https://twitter.com/SecretaryZinke

1. House is now on recess until Sept. 5.  The Senate is expected to start their recess on Aug. 7 and return on Sept. 5. We can keep contacting our MoCs during this time on issues important to us and we can also see if there are any Resistance Recess events we can attend:  https://www.resistancerecess.com/event/aug-resistance-recess-events/search/

2. Now that the repeal/replace of the ACA has failed again, we know that Trump is predicting and assisting the ACA’s failure.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-28/obamacare-survives-for-now-trump-may-try-to-kill-it-slowly and https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/19/us/what-trump-can-do-to-let-obamacare-fail.html Let’s make sure to let all three of our MoCs know that we are counting on them to maintain the ACA’s stability while they work on a bipartisan effort to repair what needs to be fixed so that more people have better coverage at better prices.

3. Kudos to the Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2017/07/22/Bipartisan-in-deed-Bravo-for-Problem-Solvers-Caucus-in-U-S-House/stories/201707220027 as they work on health care ideas:  http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/28/house-group-obamacare-repeal-meeting-241083  This is what democracy looks like.  Let's ask if our MoCs are part of this group and thank them if they are, and tell them to get on it, if they are not.

4. Donald Trump and his Republican allies are continuing their assault on the separation of church and state during the appropriations process. They added a measure to a government spending bill that prevent the IRS from enforcing a law prohibiting houses of worship from endorsing political candidates (http://thehill.com/policy/finance/340284-gop-spending-bill-would-ease-enforcement-of-political-activity-by-churches).  Let’s join Americans United for Separation of Church and State, contact our members of Congress and ask them to push for this provision to be removed: http://p2a.co/G8XZ7Le.

5. The EPA is moving forward with a Clean Water Act repeal. The 30 day public comment period is now open.  http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/343898-epa-to-seek-comments-on-obama-water-rule-repeal  Let's go to the Federal Register to submit our own comments. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/07/27/2017-13997/definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states-recodification-of-pre-existing-rules  Let's share this on social media and tell our friends. We want clean water! 

6. Habitat for Humanity offers us this site to ask our MoCs to support the programs that make decent housing a reality for Habitat partner families across the country.  https://secure.habitat.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=255

7. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) are working together on bi-partisan legislation to protect special counsels such as Robert Mueller.  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/07/27/sen-lindsey-graham-introduce-bill-protect-special-counsels-such-robert-mueller/517098001/  While this legislation has not yet been filed and does not yet have a number, let's go ahead and let both of our own Senators know that we support protecting special counsels.
   
   
8. Everytown for Gun Safety, a movement of Americans fighting for common-sense reforms to reduce gun violence, invites us to write a postcard to our MoCs about not gutting our gun safety laws.  They will deliver the postcards for us. http://act.everytown.org/sign/postcards-dont-gut-our-gun-laws/

9. So far this year, the Department of Education has not accepted any applications for student loan forgiveness for those who have been defrauded by their schools. Under the Borrower Defense Rule, students can apply to have loans forgiven in cases where the school used illegal measures to push students to borrow more money http://bit.ly/2v7P22Q Let's tell Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos that this delay of federal student loan relief is unacceptable and that she needs to process these applications ASAP https://twitter.com/BetsyDeVosED
   
   
10. Representative Labrador (R-ID) has introduced the Refugee Program Integrity Restoration Act of 2017 (H.R. 2826) which would place additional, unnecessary, restrictions on refugees attempting to enter the United States. The security screening and vetting process is already incredibly rigorous and effective, and is detailed in this helpful pdf from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants: http://bit.ly/2w81Seu Let's tell our Representatives to oppose H.R. 2826. 5calls has helpful background information and a call script https://5calls.org/issue/recOjzFukqfi0c3Dd
    
    
11. The House passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2017 (H.R. 3219), which included $1.6 billion for Trump's border wall http://bit.ly/2w4fur2 Let's be sure to see how our representative voted, then give them a call and hold them accountable  https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2017/h435   

12. “On Friday [yesterday], Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) introduced the American Hope Act of 2017, a bill to give those with DACA and others who arrived in the United States as children a path to permanent legal status and eventual citizenship.”  There were over 110 cosponsors at the time the bill was introduced.  https://gutierrez.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/american-hope-act-introduced-protect-immigrant-youth-and-those-daca The bill has not yet been numbered, but let’s keep an eye out for this one to make sure our rep know we support this.

State Actions

1. UT: Primary Ballots are on their way to Utah mailboxes for the August 15 primary election.  http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865685480/Primary-ballots-on-their-way-to-Utah-mailboxes.html Early voting starts Aug. 1.  Let's check out this article for important election dates and other information. GOP primaries are closed in Utah so we must be registered as Republican to vote in the Republican primary. The deadline to switch parties has passed.  However, if we are unaffiliated, we can still register as Republican at the polls or online.  

Other Actions

1. From Center for American Progress:  Al Gore’s new film An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power http://www.npr.org/2017/07/27/539734176/-an-inconvenient-sequel-is-an-effective-cautiously-optimistic-i-told-you-so ) premiered yesterday. We can use Climate Reality Project’s social media toolkit to draw attention and raise public awareness on climate change. 

2. After helping Karen Gaddis to a 95-vote win to flip a state legislative seat in Oklahoma, Postcards to Voters is expanding its operations! (http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/karen-gaddis-sworn-into-the-oklahoma-house-after-winning-special/article_6e1f77d1-f7f1-58be-8ab7-2f70e3b0b6b6.html) They’ve just announced their next TWO campaigns – helping a progressive win a city council seat in Phoenix and another special election for the state house in Iowa. Let’s join them in helping get our voters out to the polls! We can sign up and get more info here: http://mailchi.mp/ind-d6/postcards-to-iowa-and-arizona-voters.

3. From 2 Hours a Week:  ACTION 187: Five Things You Can Do To Oppose Trump's Ban On Transgender People In The Military:  http://mailchi.mp/2hoursaweek/action-187-five-things-to-oppose-trumps-transgender-military-ban

4. Molly Ivins was an American newspaper columnist, author, political commentator, and humorist who was legendary.  There is a new documentary about her life being made called Raise Hell. Let’s check her to read more about Molly and how we can support this work: http://mollyivinsfilm.com/

5. Save EPA, a volunteer organization of former Environmental Protection Agency staffers, has recently published a guide for activists working against the Trump administration’s rolling back public protections issued by any federal agency. http://www.hillheat.com/files/GuidetoresistingEPADereg.2017.pdf Let’s use this guide to help direct our environmental efforts.

6. Yesterday, while in a speech in New York regarding gang-related deaths, Trump told the attending law enforcement officers that is was okay not to be too nice to their arrestees.  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tells-l-i-cops-dont-be-too-nice-when-dealing-with-gangs/ Immediately, the local police department came out with a statement refuting that advice saying that they “ do not and will not tolerate roughing up prisoners."  Let’s thank the Suffolk County Police Department for their quick and proper response:  John L. Barry Police Headquarters, 30 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank, New York 11980.  The International Association of Chiefs of Police also felt the need to address the situation:  https://theiacpblog.org/2017/07/28/statement-from-the-international-association-of-chief-of-police-on-police-use-of-force/ Let’s thank them, too:  44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314

Petitions

1. Let's join together to end the use of plastic straws. Urge McDonald's, and its 14K U.S. locations, to stop using straws and start saving wildlife.  http://www.thepetitionsite.com/669/846/505/mcdonalds-end-the-use-of-plastic-straws/   

2. Robert Reich and MoveOn.org have teamed up with a petition to denounce the Koch brothers and their negative impact on our country.  This explains what is happening:  https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/videos/1652270574785532/ Let’s sign the petition:  https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/we-denounce-the-koch

Marches/events to attend/organize

1. Today, 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

1. Here’s this week’s United States of Resistance from RISE Stronger:  https://www.risestronger.org/newsroom/healthcarevictory

2. Leave God Out of Our Hate:  http://www.dirtysexyministry.com/2017/07/leave-god-out-of-our-hate.html

3. And, our weekly dose of Small Victories, thanks to Peace is Loud:  http://peaceisloud.org/small-victories-issue-30/

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