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Contact Federal Government Officials

Find senator’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/RLiotu

Find representative’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/5i7SXC

Fax legislators for free:  Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

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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 House approved a short-term spending bill.  It moves to the Senate at noon today.  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/gop-leaders-race-keep-party-together-avoid-government-shutdown-n838851  However, the Senate appears to have to the votes to block it saying that it is time to get real and address the needs of the country:  https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/senate-democrats-republicans-votes-block-spending-bill Let’s remind our MoCs that we want the following addressed and funded in any spending bill:  A) CHIP, B) DACA, C) Federally Qualified Health Centers, and D) Puerto Rico

2.      The Republican administration announced an overhaul of the HHS civil rights office that would establish a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, focusing on allowing physicians and health care workers to opt out of procedures when they have religious or moral objections: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/16/conscience-abortion-transgender-patients-health-care-289542  This is essentially a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people and others using religion as a shield.  H.R.2282/S. 1006., which amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation in places of public accommodation, has many co-sponsors and is stuck in committees.  Let’s contact those House subcommittee members where this bill sits and tell them to get this bill moving:  https://judiciary.house.gov/subcommittee/subcommittee-on-the-constitution-and-civil-justice/  Let’s do the same with the Senate Judiciary Committee members:  https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/members  All citizens deserve these protections.

3.      Let’s also tell these others what we think of this sanctioned discrimination:  A) White House, B) Don Wright, Acting Secretary of Health & Human Services HHS, 200 Independence Ave., SW, Washington DC 202011-877-696-6775/, and C) Roger Severino, Director, Office for Civil Rights. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, D.C. 20201/Toll-free: (800) 368-1019 or TDD toll-free: (800) 537-7697.  We can also contact the regional HHS Civil Rights offices here:  https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.html

4.      From the Nasty Women Action Network:  The stop-gap measure to stave off a government shutdown STILL doesn't include DACA http://bit.ly/2ESGr5C  1) Call YOUR Senators and tell them to #SHUTITDOWN until there is a resolution for the Dreamers. 2) Call Senator Lindsey Graham and thank him for not voting for a stopgap without protection for Dreamers. Tell him to stay strong and to work to bring other Republicans over to the side of reason. Phone: (202) 224-5972

5.      In an attempt to rush through less-than-ideal nominees for federal judge positions around the country before a possible government shutdown, Sen. Grassley is getting some heat:   http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/369425-grassley-under-fire-for-planning-vote-on-17-judicial-nominees  The fact that so many of these nominees are anti-civil rights is also alarming:  https://www.lambdalegal.org/blog/dc_20180117_gop-leaders-jam-through-nominees Let’s contact the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/members), as well as our own senators to tell them we do not want any more judicial confirmations until resolution of Mueller investigation.

6.      Here is an example of the above:  The Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday advanced Thomas Farr’s nomination for a federal judgeship on a party-line vote. This vote came over the objections of the Congressional Black Caucus, who highlighted his record of defending voter suppression in court and carrying it out on the campaign trail (http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article195344959.html). Let’s tell our senators that we want them to oppose Farr’s confirmation when he comes before the full Senate. (And after we make the call, let’s join progressives on Twitter in letting everyone know we want #FarrOut!)

7.      Buried in the GOP's proposed budget are further cuts to the already underfunded Social Security Administration. They aren't cutting Social Security benefits (if only because they can't!), but they are planning to cut the budget that pays for the agency that manages an distributes those benefits, and handles questions and claims from citizens trying to navigate the SS system.  https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/more-cuts-to-social-security-administration-funding-would-further-degrade   Wait times and backlogs are already problems at the SSA due to chronic underfunding , and the new budget would make things worse, so let's tell our MoCs that this is unacceptable. 

8.     The GOP/Trump administration has ended Temporary Protection Status (TPS)s for Salvadoran, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Sudanese migrants. 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-to-end-provisional-residency-for-200000-salvadorans/2018/01/08/badfde90-f481-11e7-beb6-c8d48830c54d_story.html?utm_term=.9f00e1277e0f Many believe that their deportation will cause a humanitarian crisis. https://www.miracoalition.org/news/754-congress-must-act-to-right-the-wrongs-of-tps-termination. Let’s contact our MoCs and tell them that we want them to pass laws making it possible for TPS holders to apply for permanent residency.

9.      In her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Neilsen stated that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will be looking at their options, in order to press criminal charges against state and local officials of sanctuary states or cities http://nyti.ms/2BdrGrE http://bit.ly/2FRpABy While the ACLU asserts that these criminal charges would not have any basis in federal law (http://bit.ly/2Dudf7V), let's still contact Secretary Nielsen, as well as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and let them know how we feel about being bullied into compliance. We can call the DHS comment line (202-282-8495) or mail the Secretary directly: The Honorable Kirstjen M. Nielsen Secretary of Homeland Security Washington, D.C.  20528.  We can also contact the Department of Justice by phone: 202-353-1555 U.S. or mail: Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001

10.  “The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is warning of an increase in violence by white supremacists who the group says have become "emboldened" by the rise of the alt-right.” http://thehill.com/homenews/news/369552-study-murders-by-white-supremacists-doubled-in-2017 Let’s contact our MoC to ask them what they’re doing to thwart the rise of violent white supremacy.

11.   “The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is urging Congress not to pass the continuing resolution without funding for the Special Diabetes Program. “  http://www.13newsnow.com/news/health/diabetes-advocates-urge-failure-of-budget-deal-that-excludes-research-funding/509193181 Let’s join the JDRF:  https://www2.jdrf.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=500

12.  “A report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) on Thursday provides a stark portrayal of how the federal government's relationship with scientists has deteriorated since President Donald Trump took office.”http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/369520-study-white-house-abandoning-science-advice-at-unprecedented-levels Let’s contact our MoC to ask what they’re doing to promote science and the use of science-based evidence in governance.

13.  Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) put a hold on all of the GOP's trade nominees until U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is more responsive to his concerns. Scott said he had agreed to support Lighthizer because the former Washington trade lawyer had promised to be “open, transparent and available.” Let's read more at The Hill. Let's let Tim Scott know that he has our support on this: we support openness, transparency and availability by our government officials.

14.  Trump and Ryan Zinke started off the year with a late holiday gift to Big Oil, announcing they want to open huge swaths of our public waters to offshore drilling. This comes over the objections of Republican and Democratic governors alike (http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/04/politics/offshore-drilling-plan/index.html). The Department of Interior is now accepting comments on this destructive plan. Let’s find a public hearing about this drilling plan so we can attend:   here 

Election 2018 - General

1.       Although we can take a moment to revel in the use of words like “omen” and “tsunami” when discussing projections of the “blue wave” in the 2018 election, this is a wise caution:No doubt some of these lawmakers are seeing these statehouse and special election results and scurrying like animals reacting before an earthquake. The potential for a wave election is very real,” said Doug Heye, a former RNC official and GOP strategist. “The difference is we’re talking about it in January and have 11 months to deal with it, whereas in the past it didn’t become apparent until much later.” http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/369474-gop-sees-omens-of-a-dem-wave-in-wisconsin Now is the time for us to survey the landscape in our own communities to see what is ahead on the 2018 ballot: nationally, at the state level, and locally – and then figure out how to get involved whether by running for office or stuffing envelopes. The hoped-for blue wave cannot be taken for granted in any quarter.

2.      Our first chance to flip a seat in 2018 is just weeks away, with the March 13th special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th District. Conor Lamb, a Marine veteran and former federal prosecutor, is the Democratic nominee against Republican state legislator Rick Saccone, who proudly boasts that he was “Trump before Trump was Trump” (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-pennsylvania/pennsylvania-race-to-test-democrats-hopes-for-anti-trump-wave-idUSKBN1F61GC). Local resistance groups are recruiting volunteers to help Conor Lamb. We can do our part by joining in the virtual phone bank from home at:  https://www.openvpb.com/vpb_bycode/E90342E-1837.

Election 2018 – By State

1.       WI: “Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) warned Republicans to "wake up" after Democrats flipped a state Senate seat in a GOP-leaning district.  "Senate District 10 special election win by a Democrat is a wake up call for Republicans in Wisconsin," Walker tweeted.”  http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/369281-scott-walker-warns-gop-to-wake-up-after-dems-flip-deep-red-wisconsin  Let’s be sure our democrat friends in Wisconsin are registered to VOTE. Please call your friends, family and post in any Political Pages you are in for Wisconsin to remind them to register or check that their registration is still good.

2.      TX - Texas primaries will be the first ones in the nation on March 6, 2018. The last day to register to vote is February 5.  Let's find out more about voting in Texas at votetexas.gov.  We can check out which candidates are running for what office at Ballotpedia.  Let's make a plan to vote in the Texas primary on Tuesday, March 6.

3.      IL - Illinois will the second state to have primary elections in 2018.  The primaries will be on March 20, 2018.  The last day to register to vote is February 20.  Let's check out more Illinois voting information at the Illinois State Board of Elections.  Let's look for the candidates and seats for which they are running at Ballotpedia. Let's make a plan to vote in the Illinois primary on Tuesday, March 20.

Other Actions

1.       Trump’s State of the Union is scheduled for the evening of January 30.  As we know, he is concerned with ratings.  Let’s not watch.

2.      The Quaker’s American Friends Service Committee offers “5 Things Your Congregation Can Do to Support Immigrant Justice.” https://www.afsc.org/5-things-your-congregation-can-do-support-immigrant-justice Let’s take a look and see about organizing something in our houses of worship.

3.      Trump’s HHS is now authorizing discrimination against LGBTQ persons:  https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/01/18/578811426/trump-will-protect-health-workers-who-reject-patients-on-religious-grounds  Getting medical care is already difficult for our brothers and sisters:  https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/11/21/564817975/health-care-system-fails-many-transgender-americans Fortunately, the ACLU has stated, "Should the administration choose to move forward to implement a discriminatory policy, we will see them in court."  Let’s consider a donation to the ACLU towards this cause:  https://action.aclu.org/secure/donate-to-aclu

4.      From Postcards from Kate:  Lindy West writes essays on feminism, social justice, body image and pop culture. In her most recent essay, West takes on the conversation surrounding Aziz Ansari, and deconstructs the myth the rules of sex have changed.  //The notion of affirmative consent did not fall from space in October 2017 to confound well-meaning but bumbling men; it was built, loudly and painstakingly and in public, at great personal cost to its proponents, over decades. If you’re fretting about the perceived overreach of #MeToo, maybe start by examining the ways you’ve upheld the stigmatization of feminism. Nuanced conversations about consent and gendered socialization have been happening every single day that Aziz Ansari has spent as a living, sentient human on this earth. The reason they feel foreign to so many men is that so many men never felt like they needed to listen. Rape is a women’s issue, right? Men don’t major in women’s studies.  It may feel like the rules shifted overnight, and what your dad called the thrill of the chase is now what some people are calling assault. Unfortunately, no one — even plenty of men who call themselves feminists — wanted to listen to feminist women themselves. We tried to warn you. We wish you’d listened, too.// Read more here.  Write here:  Lindy West, New York Times Building, 242 W 41st St., New York, NY 10036

5.      NPR's Leila Fadel is reporting on The Women’s March. If we marched last year and are marching again, she wants to hear from us as she's curious to learn what we think has changed over the past year, and what we’re marching for this year. Our responses will inform her reporting and may be published online, or the audio may be used in one of her radio pieces. We can click this link to answer her questions here:  https://www.npr.org/2018/01/17/578585250/are-you-participating-in-this-years-women-s-march

6.      “Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) warned Republicans to "wake up" after Democrats flipped a state Senate seat in a GOP-leaning district.  "Senate District 10 special election win by a Democrat is a wake up call for Republicans in Wisconsin," Walker tweeted.”  http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/369281-scott-walker-warns-gop-to-wake-up-after-dems-flip-deep-red-wisconsin  Let’s be sure our democrat friends in Wisconsin are registered to VOTE. Let’s call our friends, family and post in any Political Pages we are in for Wisconsin to remind them to register or check that their registration is still good.

7.      A gay couple was excited to see the wedding programs they ordered from Vistaprint for their big day. But when the package arrived, the couple was horrified to instead find religious pamphlets with messages about temptation and sin. Let's read more at the Boston Globe. Some of us Rogan's listers use Vistaprint for the postcards we send to our reps and to voters. Vistaprint responded with this news release. Let's contact Vistaprint to find out what they are doing to make sure this never happens again. We can also consider purchasing our printed products locally or from another source if we are financially able to make such a change. 

8.     The Arena, a social welfare organization that train leaders and builds communities has started a job board, for activists. On it, we can find jobs from organizations like Indivisible, DNC, ActBlue, NGP VAN — and many new campaigns. We can filter by job type, location, and sign up for alerts:  https://jobs.thearena.run/

9.      When one of us has a medical marijuana card and is pulled over for speeding and is cited for impaired driving, minus any evidence in support of that, we should not have to amass outlandish legal fees to prove ourselves innocent.  Let’s join in this man’s defense fund to help the cause:  https://www.gofundme.com/dons-legal-defense-fund

10.   If we are not able to attend a Women’s March, there are ways we can still participate:  https://www.bustle.com/p/7-ways-to-support-the-womens-march-2018-if-youre-not-able-to-go-in-person-7954954

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       We can still partake in a Women’s March this weekend.  Let’s find out where and make plans to go:  http://www.powertothepolls.com/anniversary.html

2.      This Sunday evening, there will be a Ready to Resist - One Year Anniversary phone call live from the Women's March event in Las Vegas. Let's RSVP for the phone call, and help participate in the launch of the "Power to the Polls" campaign http://bit.ly/2mTU9yu

States

Reading/Watching

1.       Democratic gains in state legislatures fuel Republican 2018 anxieties” -  

2.      These 6 women went to the Women's March. Here's what happened after they went home” -

3.      With all that is coming out about Russian interference in the 2016 election, a young woman remains behind bars for trying to tell us sooner.  The Washington insiders are getting deals.  Where is hers?  https://shadowproof.com/2018/01/04/the-espionage-act-and-nsa-whistleblower-reality-winners-uphill-struggle-to-defend-herself/





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