Rogan's List

4/26/18

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

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

White House contact:  https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house

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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.       Correction (contact information): Though the unplanned teen pregnancy rate is at its lowest since 1990, Health and Human Services has announced a rule change that would favor “abstinence only” sex education programs—now rebranded as “sexual risk avoidance education”—and weaken the requirement for evidence of effectiveness—convenient, given that a 2007 HHS study found that abstinence programs have “no overall impact on teen sexual activity” and yield “no differences in rates of unprotected sex.” The HHS policy changes were overseen by Valerie Huber, now an HHS official but previously the head of the National Abstinence Education Association:  http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/377304-abstinence-only-education-making-a-comeback-under-trump  We should vigorously object to this rule change (and to the appointment of officials with no respect for scientific evidence) : Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar Office of the Secretary Health & Human Services 200 Independence Ave, SW, DC 20201 Phone: 202-690-7000 E-mail: Secretary@HHS.gov We can also contact Valerie Huber, who is currently serving as the Acting Director of the HHS Office of Public Affairs, via e-mail at valerie.huber@hhs.gov

2.      This morning, the Senate will be convening to consider Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State. Let’s brush up on why Pompeo should not be serving as our top diplomat (https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/555680/), then let’s make sure we call our senators and tell them we want them to oppose Pompeo’s nomination.  

3.      The EPA is looking to repeal the Clean Power Plan, and today is the last day for public comment. When it was unveiled in 2015, the Clean Power Plan was expected to cut power sector emissions 32 percent by 2030, relative to 2005. While many states are already shifting away from coal power for economic reasons, experts say scrapping the rule could slow that transition. We can learn more about the Clean Power Plan and why it is so important at the National Resource Defense Council: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-clean-power-plan-works-and-why-it-matters Then, let’s be sure to leave a comment opposing the repeal of the Clean Power Plan: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0355-14998

4.      The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act (S. 2644), meant to protect the Mueller investigation. As the committee works to find agreement on its wording, Senator Chuck Grassley has proposed an amendment: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/24/grassley-pitches-new-doj-mandate-mueller-protection-549197  This amendment contains both virtues and dangers of which we should be aware as we lend or withhold our support of this act:  https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/25/1759849/-Grassley-amendment-could-undermine-Mueller-investigation-protection-bill  Regardless of its final wording, once this act leaves committee, we need to insist that majority leader Mitch McConnell bring it to the Senate for a vote: 202-224-2541 or 317 Russell Senate Off. Bldg, Washington DC 20510.

5.      Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Budget Management and now in charge of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), outlined and seemingly advocated for pay-to-play politics in a speech to the American Bankers Association Tuesday (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/04/mick-mulvaneys-guide-to-navigating-the-swamp/558890/). He also announced that he intends to end public access to the database used by consumers to file complaints against financial institutions; according the Wall Street Journal, “It includes the names of the companies that receive complaints and detailed consumer experiences. Advocates say having the information available to the public makes the portal effective...Businesses say it spreads unverified negative information about them,” (https://www.wsj.com/articles/cfpb-considers-ending-public-access-to-complaints-about-banks-1524601779). Let’s defend our right to make our complaints public and thus pressure companies to respond to consumers: CFPB: 855-411-2372 or FAX 855-237-2392 or 1700 G St, NW, Washington DC 20552. We can also remind Mulvaney that we welcome his resignation from his position as Acting Director of the CFPB at any time: The Office of Management and Budget 725 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20503; Fax: 202-395-3888; Twitter: @MickMulvaneyOMB.

6.      U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson has introduced a legislative proposal which would triple rent for low-income families, and allow public housing agencies to implement work requirements for individuals and families (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/ct-hud-rent-changes-20180425-story.html). The bill, the Making Affordable Housing Work Act of 2018, will need congressional approval. Let’s contact our MoC and voice our opposition to this bill. We can also contact Secretary Carson and tell him what we think of this attack on low-income families. Office of the Secretary phone number: (202) 708-0417 Mailing address: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410

7.      Wendy Vitter, one of Donald Trump’s judicial nominees, was already marked with a long record of opposing women’s rights to abortion and access to contraceptive care. Then at her Judiciary Committee hearing, she was asked if Brown v. Board of Education was correctly decided – and refused to answer the question (https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/12/politics/wendy-vitter-brown-v-board-of-education/index.html). A nominee with these views does not belong on the federal bench. Let’s join progressive groups nationwide in calling our senators and telling them Wendy Vitter is #UnfitToJudge.

8.     Over a hundred generals recently sent a letter to the Senate expressing their serious concerns about CIA Director Nominee Gina Haspel’s past involvement with torture programs. http://time.com/5250440/gina-haspel-retired-military/. Let’s make sure our Senators know that we share these concerns and ask them to vote NO on her confirmation. We can find more information and a call script at 5calls.

9.      Cambridge Analytica whistleblower, Christopher Wylie, was interviewed by the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees about the information war being waged against our democracy, and the Republican committee members failed to show up (https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/24/cambridge-analytica-whistleblower-house-democrats-547674). Our representatives should not let partisanship prevent them from taking decisive action to protect our data and our elections. Let’s contact the committee members and ask them why they refused to attend the interview: https://judiciary.house.gov/subcommittee/full-committee/

Election 2018 – General

1.       Tuesday's special elections included six (6) campaigns for which Postcards to Voters volunteers sent cards to get out the vote. 1) AZ -US House District 8: Campaign 60-Hiral Tipirneni. Hiral lost this race but only by 5 points in a district that Trump won by over 20 points. We can read more at CNBC. Hiral plans to try again in November. 2) NY -State Senate D37: Campaign 58-Shelley Mayer. Shelly won her election! Read more at WSJ. 3) NY -State Assembly D102: Campaign 70-Aidan O'Connor Jr. Aidan lost by only a small percentage. More at The Daily Star. 4) NY -State Assembly D10: Campaign 71-Steve Stern. Steve wins and FLIPS a seat held by Republicans for almost 40 years. More at The Hill. 5) NY -State Assembly D74 (in Manhattan): Campaign 73-Harvey Epstein.  Harvey handily won this East-side seat. More at The Lo-Down. 6) NY -State Assembly D5: Campaign 75-Deb Slinkosky. Slinkosky lost her bid for this Islip-area seat. More about this and all of Tuesday's NY election results at: City&StateNY.  Our postcards are making a difference! To write cards for on-going and future campaigns, we can sign up as a Postcards to Voters' volunteer here. 

2.      There’s another special election right around the corner, and this one is particularly pressing. Flippable pick Helen Tai is running for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives that’s up on May 15th, and she has a solid opportunity to pick up a long-GOP held district and send a message to state Republicans that their attacks on the judicial branch won’t be tolerated (http://www.theintell.com/news/20180115/solebury-supervisor-endorsed-for-178th-district-special-election). We can help her win by making phone calls at this virtual phone bank link. (We can direct questions to volunteers@helentai.com).

3.      In June, Maine will hold the nation’s first statewide primary election using ranked choice voting, a rarely used system championed by political reformers whereby voters get to rank their candidate preferences, rather than simply choosing their favorite. If Maine’s favorable conditions allow the reforms to take root—and many elected officials have done their best to ensure they do not—the implications will likely be felt around the country. Let's read more at Politico.  Let's keep our eyes on what happens with this election and ranked-choice voting.

Election 2018 – By State

1.       GA: The organization Spread the Vote has put together some excellent Primary Voter Guides for: a.) Albany County: http://bit.ly/STVAlbanyGuide b.)Athens-Clarke County: http://bit.ly/STVAthensGuide c.) Cobb County: http://bit.ly/STVCobbGuide d.) Dekalb County: http://bit.ly/STVDekalbGuide e.) Henry County: http://bit.ly/STVHenryGuide Let’s use these resources as we register voters and get them to the polls.

Other Actions

1.       On Tuesday, a third judge ruled against the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program

(https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/24/third-judge-rules-against-trump-daca-550092). This time, however, Judge Bates took the ruling one step further, requiring the administration to provide justification for its ending of the program within ninety days, or else it may be required to begin accepting new applications. For a quick rundown of what the ruling means, we can check out United We Dream’s fact sheet here. For those of us who are able, we can also help support the DACA Renewal Fund.

2.      The dream of attending college is especially hard for Dreamers, who don’t qualify for federally-sponsored student aid and are not eligible for many scholarships, but there are several resources available to help find financial support. If we are Dreamers looking for scholarships and aid, or if we know some who are, we can check these out: Get Schooled has a list of scholarships that undocumented students can apply for. We can also search for aid at: https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/scholarships-for-undocumented-students/ Dreamers Roadmap is a national non- profit app that helps undocumented students find scholarships to go to college. If we are looking ahead to next year, we can take a look at TheDream.US , the nation’s largest college access and success program for DREAMers.

3.      Missouri governor Eric Greitens has been charged with his second felony, yet he remains in office and has stated that he has no plans to resign (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/20/604489073/missouri-gov-eric-greitens-charged-with-second-felony-computer-data-tampering). The Missouri House Special Investigative Committee on Oversight has noted that it may begin impeachment hearings after the regular legislative session ends on May 18^th, while other officials, including Senator Claire McCaskill, are urging Greitens to resign (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/11/601721502/missouri-house-to-consider-impeaching-gov-eric-greitens). We can add pressure to the call by contacting Governor Greitens and telling him that it is past time for him to resign. Mailing address:   Office of Governor Eric Greitens P.O. Box 720 Jefferson City, MO 65102 Phone: (573) 751-3222 Online form: https://governor.mo.gov/get-involved/contact-the-governors-office

4.      A 2016 Justice Department report found that private for-profit prisons were more violent for both inmates and guards than federally run prisons. The Obama administration was working on phasing out their use but due to pressure from lobbyists and campaign donors, the President and AG Jeff Sessions have reversed that policy and begun to transfer more inmates from federal prisons to private ones (http://www.newsweek.com/trump-private-prison-campaign-donors-leaked-memo-795681). Several cities, including New York, Philadelphia, and Portland, are beginning to address this issue by divesting from the private prison industry, a step already taken by many universities (http://www.newsweek.com/what-best-way-hold-private-prisons-account-745861). Let’s contact our mayor and city counselors and ask them to divest from the private prison industry. And if we have university affiliations, we can check our university’s position on this issue and ask them to consider divestment if they haven’t yet taken that step.  

5.      Today, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice opens in Montgomery, Alabama: https://eji.org/national-lynching-memorial “[It] will become the nation’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people, people terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow, and people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police violence.” We can learn more about the museum and memorial here.

6.      Greyhound bus passengers of color, who speak with accents or simply are “not white,” routinely are questioned and sometimes detained by Customs and Border Protection agents. Let's read this article at the Tucson Sentinel then join the ACLU in contacting Greyhound to tell them that we want them to ensure the safe travels of ALL of their customers. Let's write to Greyhound Lines, Inc
P.O. Box 660691, MS 470, Dallas, TX 75266-0691.

7.      The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Monday that four protesters can present an unusual "necessity defense" against criminal charges stemming from efforts to shut down two oil pipelines. Trials of other pipeline protesters in other states have yielded mixed results. Most have not been allowed to present full necessity defenses. Let's read more at ABCNews. For those of us who plan on attending protests and speaking out, let's use this information as we consider how environmental protests and protesters are being handled by our legal system. 

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       The organization behind the walkout on April 20th is looking to the future. "On May 19th, we want you and everyone who attends your walkouts to join us as our movement takes its next steps...We want every school to host a meeting where you’ll discuss the impact gun violence is having in your community, and create a list of what you want the student-led movement to tackle." We can sign up to host or attend a meeting here: https://www.nationalschoolwalkout.net/whats-next-1/. We can also help National School Walkout keep organizing by contributing to their crowdfunding campaign, here: https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/385239/fund-the-national-school-walkout-to-end-gun-violence The fight to end gun violence has just begun! Let's keep it front and center.

States

1.       CA: Moms Demand Action tells us that currently in California, you don’t have to undergo any kind of in-person test to prove you can operate a gun in order to get a concealed carry permit. Some counties require this, but not all do. AB 2103 is up for a vote next week, and would implement this common sense gun law. We can call our Assembly Member in support of AB2103 this week. We can find our Representative here. Then, we can use this script: Hi, I’m [name] and I’m a constituent from [city]. I'm calling on behalf of Moms Demand Action. I would love to see California join the other 25 states that require live fire training for a concealed carry permit. Please ask Assembly Member [name] to vote Yes on AB2103. [Optional: Do you know Assemblyperson [name’s] position on this bill?]

Reading/Watching

1.       "Most white Americans don’t realize our culture protects us from having to truly confront racial inequality, which gives us a major blind spot when it comes to understanding what the reality of systemic racism is for people of color or how complicit we may be in their oppression."  This video by RISE District provides a crash course in how to identify and overcome white fragility in order to a) improve our racial literacy, b) become better allies, and c) amplify black and brown voices in the interest of achieving equality and justice for people of color. Let's watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdFCRHhygHo&t=45s

2.      As the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice opens today, let’s take some time to read their 2015 report: Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror https://lynchinginamerica.eji.org/report/

3.      In this year in which women are running for office in unprecedented numbers, we might want to take heed of the NY Times’ Glass Ceiling Index, which just reported that “Fewer Republican senators are women than men named John — despite the fact that Johns represent 3.3 percent of the population, while women represent 50.8 percent. [And] fewer Democratic governors are women than men named John”: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/24/upshot/women-and-men-named-john.html (For those of us without access to the New York Times, we can check out Bustle’s synopsis of the article here).