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Tomorrow, November 11, Rogan’s List will be a year old.  We want to thank those of you who have been with us from the beginning, as well as those who’ve joined us along the way during the year.  We will continue to provide you with information and engagement opportunities as long as we need to do so.  Thank you for all YOU in turning these suggestions into real action and power!  Here is today’s list:
                   

Contact Federal Government Officials


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text your US postal address to (520) 200-2223 and get a text back with your
STATE & FEDERAL legislative rep phone numbers.

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Many newspapers, including New York Times and Washington Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles each month.  We can also check with our local libraries to find out how to get online access through them.

1.      Last evening the Senate passed a measure that institutes mandatory sexual harassment training for senators and aides.  https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/09/congress-sexual-harassment-training-senators-aides-244762 Let’s call to thank our senators for taking this stance, then contact our representatives to tell them that we want this to pass on their side, too. 

2.      Trump and some Republican U.S. representatives are trying to sneak a repeal of Obamacare's individual insurance mandate into the current House tax bill, but Ways & Means Committee chairperson Kevin Brady has so far been reluctant to add it. Brady, who is on record supporting a repeal of the individual mandate, cited recent failed Obamacare repeal efforts in the Senate as a reason for his reluctance (https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/03/tax-reform-plan-obamacare-repeal-244508). He fears that a tax bill including a repeal might not get 50 Senate votes, so let's encourage Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and John McCain to publicly oppose any stealth healthcare policy measures in a bill that is properly about tax policy.

3.      United We Dream's We Are Here to Stay immigrant youth organization held nationwide walkouts yesterday to support a clean DREAM Act http://weareheretostay.org/walkouts/ To help support the cause and push for a clean DREAM Act to protect DREAMers across the U.S., the organization is asking that we tweet at House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. We can follow the twitter links on the action page, which will take us to a scripted tweet: http://weareheretostay.org/#action

4.      Senator Bob Corker has announced that a hearing will be held next week on the authority of the president and congress to use nuclear force http://bit.ly/2jcpSMe Let's keep our eyes on this, and in the meantime, call our MoC to ensure that they support the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2017 (H.R. 669/S. 200).

5.      The news on the tax bill continues to support the notion that out lower and middle-class citizens will not be helped much or for long.  http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2017/nov/06/drew-ferguson/georgia-congressman-says-gop-tax-bill-will-save-ty/ Let’s contact our MoCs to tell them that we are against any tax reform plan that balloons our deficit, or makes cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, environmental programs, SALT deductions, adoption credits, mortgage deductions, or private activity bonds. The latter are critical, as they have been huge in the creation and preservation of affordable housing. (h/t to Chop Wood/Carry Water) We need them to correct the loopholes that the wealthy and corporations to pay less than our country needs from them.  http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2017/nov/06/drew-ferguson/georgia-congressman-says-gop-tax-bill-will-save-ty/

6.      Nominee for Dept of Defense - Health Affairs Dr. Dean Winslow said during a hearing that he thinks it’s "insane" that civilians can buy assault rifles in the United States. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) interjected, telling Winslow, "I don't think that's in your area of responsibility or expertise." Read the full story at The Hill.  Let's send emails and postcards of support for Dr. Winslow for DoD - Health Affairs to our Senators. 

7.      Officials in Puerto Rico have “acknowledged for the first time that 472 more people died this September compared with the same month last year.” But they insist that the official death toll from Hurricane Maria is just 55. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/08/us/puerto-rico-deaths-fema.html We can’t let officials cover up the death toll of their mismanagement. Let’s spread the truth on social media, and press our MoC to conduct an inquiry into mechanisms employed to measure the true impact of this administration’s ineffectual response to the hurricane.  Let’s tell them to help get all our citizens electricity again, too. 

8.      We've been told that corporations are people, but the new tax bill does not really treat them as such. At Monday’s markup, Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) quizzed a tax expert on this corporate exceptionalism: “Will a teacher in my district who buys pens, pencils and paper for his students be able to deduct these costs from his tax returns under this plan?” He will not.  “Will a corporation that buys pens, pencils and papers for its workers be able to deduct those costs from its tax returns?” It will.  “Will a firefighter in my district be able to deduct the state and local sales taxes that she pays from her tax return?” She will not.  Will a corporation be able to deduct sales taxes on business purchases?” It will. “If a worker in my district had to move because his employer was forcing him to relocate . . . can he deduct his moving expenses under this plan?” He cannot.  “Can a corporation under this plan deduct outsourcing expenses incurred in relocating a U.S. business outside the United States?” It can.  

9.      The Senate Judiciary Committee approved another disastrous group of Trump’s judicial nominees yesterday, including extremist conservatives Greg Katsas and Brett Talley
(https://www.courthousenews.com/gop-senators-push-divisive-judicial-nominees-toward-confirmation/). In addition to their reactionary, Federalist Society views, Talley has been found to be unqualified by the American Bar Association. Let’s contact our senators and tell them we want them to oppose giving lifetime appointments to turn-back-the-clock conservatives and people simply too inexperienced to be federal judges.

10.  Since late August, the military in Myanmar has driven more than 600,000 of the Rohingya people out of the country, and refugees report that thousands more are still trying to leave. The response from the Trump administration has been muted at best (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya/rohingya-row-to-bangladesh-as-myanmars-suu-kyi-runs-summit-gauntlet-idUSKBN1D918L). It’s time for the U.S. to take more concrete action against these atrocities. Let’s contact our reps and urge them to support the Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act of 2017, which would authorize desperately needed humanitarian assistance for refugees and impose sanctions on Burmese military officials who are playing key roles in the persecution of the Rohingya. 

11.  Much of our organizing is done online, but our ability to do so is grave danger from FCC’s    Chair, and former Verizon lawyer, Ajit Pai's plan to end Net Neutrality. Pai is pushing for a vote by November 22, the day before Thanksgiving to allow big cable companies, like Verizon and Comcast, to block, censor or control what we see and do online.  Some MOC's are concerned and want to slow down this power grab, but they need to hear from us before they take a stand. https://www.torchonline.com/opinion/2017/10/25/why-you-should-care-about-net-neutrality/ Time is short, so we must act now, and Demand Progress has a tool to help. We can click here to send an email to Congress. After we send the email, we'll be connected to our MOC's phone, so we can call as well.
https://savethenetfromtrump.com   A free internet is vital to our free society. Let's keep Net Neutrality alive!

12.  Another thing the tax bill will do is eliminates tax credit for electric vehicles: "The tax plan proposed by House Republicans has hiding in it the repeal of a $7,500 tax credit that has arguably been one of the main drivers of electric vehicle purchases. Removing the credit would almost certainly adversely affect sales of electric cars just as they are beginning to get affordable to the general public...You can be sure that the car industry has dedicated some of its immense resources to accomplishing this particular change." Read more at TechCrunch. For those of us who are environmental activists, this is a big deal. Let's tell our representatives: "Keep the electric vehicle tax credit."

13.  The Trump/Pence administration is anti-birth control as we have seen.  Generation Progress has given us a tool to share our stories of our use of birth control that they will share with Congress:  http://action.genprogress.org/action/hands-my-birth-control

Election 2017/2018

1.      VA:   If you cast a "provisional ballot" for Shelly Simonds (94th District) Joshua Cole (28th district) Larry Barnett (dist 27) Donte Tanner (dist 40) or Dawn Adams (68th) PLEASE go to your local registrar by Monday at noon to verify your vote. We're only a few votes away from flipping the House! PLEASE share this. ***It could mean control of the House of Delegates.***.  

2.      Indivisible is “building electoral power for the thousands of Indivisible groups in every one of the 435 congressional districts. The Indivisible movement’s fight against the Trump agenda has shown that there is a powerful progressive movement that reaches every corner of this country, and the elections we’ve seen so far in 2017 have shown that this movement has the energy to change elections and force candidates to reckon with us.  Indivisible 435 is an extension of that movement energy, supporting and working alongside our local groups to continue owning their constituent power in their turf and pushing the national conversation back to the interest of the people.”  Let’s check this out and sign up to help!  https://indivisible435.org/

State Actions

1.      VA:   If you cast a "provisional ballot" for Shelly Simonds (94th District) Joshua Cole (28th district) Larry Barnett (dist 27) Donte Tanner (dist 40) or Dawn Adams (68th) PLEASE go to your local registrar by Monday at noon to verify your vote. We're only a few votes away from flipping the House! PLEASE share this. ***It could mean control of the House of Delegates.***.  

2.      MI: SB 584, 585, and 586 passed, allowing individuals, including sex offenders and domestic abusers, to carry concealed guns in schools, daycare centers, bars, and other gun-free premises http://bit.ly/2Anf0i3 Loosening gun restrictions is the opposite of what we need to be doing right now. Let's make sure to call our state representatives and ask that they oppose Senate Bills 584, 585, and 586. We can find our representatives here:  http://house.michigan.gov/MHRPublic/frmFindARep.aspx We can also call Governor Snyder to voice our opposition to these bills: 517-373-3400

3.      WI: "Children of any age could go hunting in Wisconsin under a bill that passed the state Assembly [last week]. Its backers argued that parents -- and not the government -- should decide when children are ready to hunt while critics wondered incredulously why children as young as toddlers should be allowed to carry rifles through the woods. Under current law, a child as young as 10 can go on a mentored hunt with an adult in Wisconsin. The Assembly bill would eliminate that age restriction." Read more at Wisconsin Public Radio.   Let's contact our Wisconsin state assembly representatives to let them know we oppose this bill.

4.      FL: This week," the Florida House Judiciary Committee voted in favor (10-7) of anti-immigrant bill HB9, which aims to legalize racial profiling while punishing local municipalities for protecting its residents. Even though a similar bill approved in Texas earlier this year has received national backlash and constitutional concerns, Florida legislators moved forward to threaten public safety and undermine local democracy by bringing Trump’s anti-immigrant policies to our state. The bill, which was intentionally assigned to only one committee, limiting the opportunities for public comment, and sparking outrage in the community, can be taken up for a final vote on the House floor as early as January 9th the first day of the 2018 Legislative session."  If we are Floridians, let's call, email, and write to our Florida state representatives in opposition to anti-immigrant HB9. If we can, let's go to their local offices to discuss it.  Our voices have the most power at the local level.

5.      NJ:  From Action Together New Jersey: "On November 14 at 7 p.m. at the UFCW Hall 464A in Little Falls, NJ, come hear a panel of experts share uplifting news about advancements in renewable energy technology, work in reducing emissions, and the potential of new and developing projects! Hear what’s new in wind and solar power, how sustainability and efficiency are quickly becoming the new lens through which we view energy sourcing, and how we can all help #ActonClimate!  Reserve your seat today! http://atnj.org/CleanFuture! Hosted by Action Together New Jersey (www.atnj.org) and Jersey Renews (http://www.jerseyrenews.org), and co-sponsored by our friends at EDF Action (http://www.edfaction.org) and the NJ March for Science (www.njmarchforscience.com/action)!  If you would like your group included as a sponsor, please send an email to christinec@atnj.org."

Other Actions

1.      Our efforts to resist the Trump administration are one year old now and the news on the level of engagement and commitment is good:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/09/resistance-trump-blossoming-movement-la-kaufmann  As a way of honoring our efforts and reinvigorating our commitment to liberty and justice for all, let’s take a moment to thank someone who has helped keep our action and energy up over the past year: a friend, a neighbor, a journalist, an activist.

2.      Now that Maine voted for Medicaid expansion, Governor Paul LePage is refusing to implement it: http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/359387-lepage-refuses-medicaid-expansion-despite-ok-from-maine-voters Let’s let Gov. LePage know that it is time for him to respect the will of the people: Office of the Governor, #1 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0001 or http://www.maine.gov/governor/lepage/citizen_services/ideas-suggestions.shtml

3.      Here's an update from the LA Times: "The University of Notre Dame, in an abrupt reversal, says it will continue to allow its employees access to contraception under their insurance policies. Only a week ago, the university said it would cancel all birth control coverage for students and employees next year. That includes contraception provided to those recipients for free, under government auspices and at government expense.   We reported on Nov. 1 that the South Bend, Ind., university had become the first and most important employer to take advantage publicly of [this] administration’s Oct. 6 rollback of contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The act requires insurance plans to provide contraceptive services without charging a deduction or co-pay. ..The university left unclear how it would manage contraceptive access for students covered by its insurance policy, which was set to be removed on Aug. 15."  Our calls and emails of objection likely contributed to the change of heart. Let's thank Notre Dame for letting employees have an option for a plan with birth control coverage. Let's ask that they give their students the same consideration. We can use the contact form on their webpage.

4.      Twitter has “verified” the account of Jason Kessler (@TheMadDimension), the white supremacist responsible for organizing the march on Charlottesville in August that lead to the death of Heather Heyer.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/04/jason-kessler-charlottesville-protest-organizer-indicted-for-perjury/ According to Twitter, verification is worth having because it “lets people know that an account of public interest is authentic…An account may be verified if it is determined to be an account of public interest.”  https://support.twitter.com/articles/119135 Twitter argues that verification doesn’t mean endorsement 
https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/928654369771356162 But that’s not good enough. By verifying white supremacists, Twitter is helping white supremacists organize, helping to connect potential followers to leadership. Let’s tell Twitter that we object to them helping white supremacists spread their message by sending a tweet to @TwitterSupport

5.      Let’s sign the card sending congratulations to the 30+ Emily’s List women who won their elections this week:  https://secure.emilyslist.org/page/s/20171108_email_Congrats

Petitions

1.      According to a Washington Post investigation, Roy Moore sexually assaulted young girls in his past.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/woman-says-roy-moore-initiated-sexual-encounter-when-she-was-14-he-was-32/2017/11/09/1f495878-c293-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html?utm_term=.ceba34dc3cc9  We need to take these accusations seriously.  Let’s join in UltraViolet’s petition asking Roy Moore to drop out of the Senate race in Alabama.  We do not approve of sexual predators in Congress.  https://act.weareultraviolet.org/sign/Roy-Moore-drop-out/  

2.      “Billionaire Tom Steyer said Thursday that he is spending an additional $10 million on his impeachment campaign against President Donald Trump.” http://fortune.com/2017/11/09/tom-steyer-impeach-trump-petition-ads/  If we have not yet signed this impeachment petition, we can do so here:  https://www.needtoimpeach.com/

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.      “On November 14th, communities across the country will stand up as part of a Day of Action to demonstrate that state, local, and tribal leaders; businesses, activists and "ordinary" citizens alike are taking action on climate change.  This Day of Action is timed to coincide with COP23, the United Nations’ conference on climate change, in Germany. Our actions here at home will both amplify the work being done at COP23, and energize the local activists stepping up and taking action in the absence of presidential leadership. Now, we will voice our support of the Paris Agreement louder than ever before”. Let’s check this out to see if we can attend an event or host one:  https://www.wearestillin.com/DayOfAction2017

Reading/Watching

1.      Excellent piece about the activation of women since the 2016 election: 

2.      We've all heard about the so-called "Paradise Papers." What are they? "A leak of more than 13 million documents pertaining to wealth stored in offshore tax havens ...The documents... were obtained by German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared with almost 100 media partners around the world by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), an international consortium of journalists." http://time.com/5011000/paradise-papers-tax-havens-leak/  These papers show what the mega-rich worldwide share: an overabundance of power and a disregard of the law when it suits their financial interests. Scan this article from The Guardian to understand how some of prominent U.S. figures, including Trump advisers, are implicated in this massive leak: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/08/key-revelations-from-the-paradise-papers

3.      Will the Trump reversals on environmental regulations eventually lead to this? The capital of India is buried in smog, thanks to “heavy industry and car exhaust fumes, road dust, and agricultural field torching in neighboring states…exacerbated by slow winds and cold temperatures.” http://time.com/5014681/india-delhi-smog-pollution/

4.      An encouragingly positive assessment of the #resistance of which we are a significant piece:  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/09/resistance-trump-blossoming-movement-la-kaufmann

5.      To celebrate Rogan’s List first birthday, here’s a little musical number by the Resistance Revival Chorus:  https://www.facebook.com/ResistanceRevivalChorus/videos/294503567734546/






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