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1.
Lest we forget, Trump is still under investigation as
is Russian interference in the 2016 election. Here’s an up-to-date
timeline: http://billmoyers.com/story/trump-russia-timeline/
Now we learn that Trump thought it was
the job of others to protect him from such investigation. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/22/16186502/trump-mcconnell-russia-scandal
Let’s let our MoCs know that we want all investigations to continue and that our
country cannot move on until these are completed.
2.
After intense
pressure following President Trump’s responses to the events in
Charlottesville, Virginia, in mid-August, several of the president’s advisory
councils have disbanded or seen their members resign. But one of the
most troubling councils remains: Trump’s voter suppression commission. This
commission’s entire premise is false, and intended to justify blocking access
to the polls for people of color. (http://time.com/4736959/voter-fraud-trump-matthew-masterson/) For these reasons, as well as the President’s
refusal to unequivocally condemn neo-Nazis and white supremacists, it’s time
for the members to #QuitTheCommission. Let’s contact the remaining members of
the commission and demand they stand against Trump’s cavalier attitude toward
bigotry. We can find their contact info at this link: https://medium.com/@CAPAction/post-charlottesville-these-leaders-still-sit-on-trumps-voter-suppression-commission-bba7a5c925ec.
3.
The Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a program championed by Ted Kennedy and
Hillary Clinton that helps millions of kids from low-income families get health
insurance, is in trouble. It will run out of funding in a matter of weeks
unless Congress acts to reauthorize it (https://www.statnews.com/2017/07/28/chip-medicaid-congress/). With all the deadlines Congress is facing in the next
few weeks, we need to make sure they know we won’t let our kids slip through
the cracks. Let’s call our members of Congress and tell them we don’t want to
see any brinksmanship with CHIP, but we want them to secure continued funding
to protect our children’s health care well beforeSeptember 30th.
4.
In
May, Senators Tim Kaine and Jeff Flake introduced bipartisan legislation which
would require Congressional approval for "military force against al-Qaeda,
the Taliban, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" http://bit.ly/2wALNkU Now, it seems, would be the time that we could
especially use this piece of legislation, as Trump has announced that he will
be increasing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. We can use the call
script at 5Calls as we contact the Chairman Corker (202-224-3344) and Ranking Member Cardin ((202) 224-4524) of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where the bill
is currently sitting https://5calls.org/issue/recA07pwi1ELp71oL Let's also make sure that we're
contacting our MoC, asking that they cosponsor and support S.J.Res.
43: Authorization for Use of Military Force Against al-Qaeda, the Taliban,
and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
5.
Speaker Paul
Ryan hosted his long-awaited Town Hall on Monday evening and acknowledged
that Trump “messed up” on Charlottesville but he does not support censuring
him: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/347427-ryan-says-trump-messed-up-on-charlottesville-rejects-censure Let’s let Ryan know what we
think about Trump’s remarks and the leadership he needs to be showing as
Speaker of the House: http://www.speaker.gov
6.
"The
Trump administration’s decision to reverse a ban on the sale of plastic water
bottles in some of America’s most famous national parks, including the Grand
Canyon, shows “the corporate agenda is king and people and the environment are
left behind” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/20/trumps-decision-to-allow-plastic-bottle-sales-in-national-parks-slammed The comments come after the
administration ended a policy that allowed parks to ban the sale of plastic
bottled water in an effort to curb pollution. The Guardian reports that: "The policy change came after just a few
months of lobbying by the International Bottled Water Association, which began
its campaign in January, after Donald Trump’s inauguration, and spent $80,000 arguing against the “bottle ban”.
National parks fall under the Department of Interior’s umbrella, an agency now
headed by the Trump appointee Ryan Zinke. One of Trump’s most recent
appointments to the Department of the Interior is the deputy secretary David Bernhardt, a Colorado-based lawyer, previously
with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, who specialized in water-related
litigation. Some lawmakers raised concerns about Bernhardt during his
confirmation hearings, just a few weeks ago." Let's tell the
Department of Interior and Ryan Zinke that we want them to reverse this
decision: US Dept of Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington DC 20240 or
call 202-208-3100.
7.
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative
is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to afterschool
programs. “This program serves 1.6 million children from high-poverty and
low-achieving schools with safe, quality afterschool programs that encourage
literacy, STEM education and provide nutritious food.” This initiative is set to be eliminated in
Trump’s budget and it will negatively affect 1.6 million of our children. https://newfoodeconomy.com/trump-budget-school-food-nutrition/ Let’s sign on to this letter from Save the
Children asking this program be spared: http://action.savethechildrenactionnetwork.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/
8.
“The Trump
administration has decided to disband the federal advisory panel for the National Climate
Assessment, a group aimed at helping
policymakers and private-sector officials incorporate the government’s climate
analysis into long-term planning.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/20/the-trump-administration-just-disbanded-a-federal-advisory-committee-on-climate-change/?utm_term=.43ee5400770a Let’s let the White House and our legislators know that
we value science and question the disbanding of this important group of
scientists. Contact: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
9.
From Indivisible Ventura: “Why Do I Need to Call? My Representatives Are All Democrats”
https://indivisibleventura.org/why-do-i-need-to-call-my-representatives-are-all-democrats/
Even if we know they see things the same way we do, they need our calls for
tally reasons as well as encouragement and thanks. Let’s call!
State Actions
1.
KY: The
Interior Department has suddenly halted a study of how surface mining
hurts health. “Science isn’t going to hurt us. What we don’t know very
well could,” said Dee Davis, president of the Center for Rural Strategies in
Whitesburg. http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/article168602482.html Let's tell
the Department of Interior and Ryan Zinke to restart this important study: US
Dept of Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington DC 20240 or call 202-208-3100.
2.
AL: One of Governor
Kay Ivey's first acts was to sign the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act which
effectively prohibits the removal of Alabama's confederate monuments. http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/08/alabama_gov_kay_ivey_says_the.html State representative Juandalynn Givan
(D-Birmingham) plans to sponsor three (3) bills that would repeal the current
law. Let's contact our AL state legislators to let them know we
support Givan's proposed bills. https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/ We can send our support to Representative Givan
at: Juandalynn Givan, Alabama Legislature, 11 S Union St Ste 528E, Montgomery
AL 36130-2950.
3.
FL, NC, ND, RI, TN, TX:
“The death of Heather Heyer in
Charlottesville, Virginia, has renewed focus on bills that surfaced this year
in a half-dozen state legislatures that proposed limited protections for
drivers who cause injury or death to protesters.” http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/18/us/legislation-protects-drivers-injure-protesters/index.html If we live in these states, let’s
contact our legislators and tell them how we feel. Life is precious.
4.
MA: The
Raise Up Massachusetts coalition is working to get two questions on the 2018
state ballot. One question would raise the state’s minimum wage to
$15/hour. http://raiseupma.org/campaigns/the-fight-for-15/ The other question would provide
for a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program for most Massachusetts
workers. http://raiseupma.org/campaigns/paid-leave/ Raise Up Massachusetts must
collect 120,000 petition signatures for each measure from voters across the
state. The petition drive starts Labor Day and ends in November. If we’re in
Massachusetts, let’s help to build an economy that works for all of us
participating in this important petition drive. Training sessions are being
held across the state. Find one near you by clicking here: http://raiseupma.org/signaturetrainings/
5.
MI: The Progressive Women's Caucus in Michigan has
identified five specific health-related bills that have been introduced and
referred to committee. Four of them have
been referred to the Health Policy Committee:
1) HB 4760 - Prevent Political Interference from Delaying Abortions, 2)
HB 4762 - Keep Politics Out of the Exam Room, 3) HB 4763 - Prevent Double
Standards (placing burdens on abortions), and 4) HB 4765 - Patients Right to
Abortion Information. Let’s write/call
the committee chair, Rep Hank Vaupel (R) to advocate for the bills’ passage: PHONE: 517-373-8835
EMAIL: HankVaupel@house.mi.gov . Another bill, HB 4761 - Repeal the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act. has been referred to the Insurance Committee. Let’s call the chair is Lana Theis (R) in support of the bill: PHONE: 517-373-1784 EMAIL: LanaTheis@house.mi.gov
EMAIL: LanaTheis@house.mi.gov In addition, HB 4307 and SB 212, bills that would allow workers to take earned paid time off to recover from an illness or care for a sick family member, have been referred to committee and could use our support. HB4307 was referred to Committee on Commerce and Trade, Chair is Rep Leutheuser: PHONE: 517-373-1794 EMAIL: EricLeutheuser@house.mi.gov and SB212 was referred to Commerce Committee, chair is Wayne Schmidt: http://www.senatorwayneschmidt.com/
EMAIL: HankVaupel@house.mi.gov . Another bill, HB 4761 - Repeal the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act. has been referred to the Insurance Committee. Let’s call the chair is Lana Theis (R) in support of the bill: PHONE: 517-373-1784 EMAIL: LanaTheis@house.mi.gov
EMAIL: LanaTheis@house.mi.gov In addition, HB 4307 and SB 212, bills that would allow workers to take earned paid time off to recover from an illness or care for a sick family member, have been referred to committee and could use our support. HB4307 was referred to Committee on Commerce and Trade, Chair is Rep Leutheuser: PHONE: 517-373-1794 EMAIL: EricLeutheuser@house.mi.gov and SB212 was referred to Commerce Committee, chair is Wayne Schmidt: http://www.senatorwayneschmidt.com/
Other Actions
1.
The
Republican Party wants to know what we think of Trump's job performance. Let's
let them know what we think via this one-question poll: https://gop.com/rate-trump-job-performance/
2.
Sometimes,
positive acts of resistance can help us keep up our endurance for the long
haul. NPR is reporting that there are now at least twenty organizations who
have canceled events at Mar-a-Lago http://n.pr/2x8QjFa and The Palm Beach Daily News is
keeping an updated list of organizations who have withdrawn available http://bit.ly/2g2ADza Let's use this list to send out some "thank
you's" from the Resistance. A little positive reinforcement can go a long
way!
3.
As the
August Recess comes to a close, the focus in Congress will be on the next steps
for health care in the U.S. http://bit.ly/2wAV3pd Let's make sure that we're keeping
a close eye on our own MoC, holding them accountable for their actions, and
letting them know what we're looking for in our health care. We can brush up on
health care concerns and check out available call scripts in the Indivisible
Guide's August Recess Health Care Toolkit: http://bit.ly/2vflA9a
4.
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has released a document with “9
Steps to Dismantle White Supremacy and Islamophobia”: http://cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14546-cair-issues-9-steps-to-dismantle-white-supremacy-and-islamophobia.html Let’s take a look and see
which items we can be in action on right away.
5.
No doubt some of us now have solar eclipse glasses we
no longer need. Many of these expire
after three years so will not be good for the next US solar eclipse in
2014. One option we may want to consider
is donating them to Astronomers Without Borders who will pass them on to
students in South America and Africa for the 2019 solar eclipse they will
experience. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-should-you-do-your-used-eclipse-glasses-180964584/#jxM3hb8zAAJSVrJ1.01 Let’s see what use we can make of our leftover
glasses.
6.
August
26th is Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the addition of the 19th
amendment to the US Constitution. The 5calls.org team has created a simple website with a basic history
and 3 easy actions everyone can take to honor the day. Let’s take a look and see what we can do: https://womenwillvote.com Here are also
some resources and ideas from the National Women’s History Project: http://www.nwhp.org/resources/commemorations/womens-equality-day/10-ideas-for-womens-equality-day/
Petitions
1.
These belong in museums where their history can be
taught. Let’s sign this petition to
remove all Confederate symbols: http://action.genprogress.org/action/takethemdown-remove-every-confederate-symbol-america
2.
“… no federal law
explicitly requires fair and equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgender individuals in employment — or other critical arenas like housing
and education.” Let’s join the National
Women’s Law Center in telling Congress it is time to close that gap in the
law: https://act.nwlc.org/onlineactions/rxrK2dDRHkmpRnBfOGMzDw2
Marches/events/teleconferences
to attend/organize
1.
"This Thursday, Women’s March and partners invite you to join
an online workshop on facilitating “Daring Discussions” about white
nationalism, bigotry and violence, with community members who hold different
political views. Please register here for a webinar workshop with Women’s March
this Thursday, August 24, at 8pm
ET/5pm PT https://www.crowdcast.io/e/daring-discussions/register
Reading/Watching
1.
“Why I’m Celebrating Donald Trump Right
Now” - https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/08/why-im-celebrating-donald-trump-right-now/
2.
“Ugly History Shouldn’t be Beautiful: What Germany can teach the U.S. about
remembering an ugly past without glorifying it” - http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/war_stories/2017/08/what_the_u_s_can_learn_from_germany_about_remembering_a_dark_period_of_history.html
3.
“Why Do You Hate Me? A Brown Woman Talks to a Former
White Nationalist” - http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/18/politics/questions-for-a-former-white-nationalist/index.html
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
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