Rogan's List

7/30/18 

Contact Federal Government Officials

  

Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Fax legislators for free: 

Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

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

or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/

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.       This week in Congress:  The House is on recess from Washington DC with District Work Weeks thru Tuesday, Sept. 4. (Source: House 2018 Calendar.) Let's try to see our representatives in person wherever they may be going. Let's check their websites and call their offices to find out when and where.  The Senate begins its Monday, July 30 session (Source: Senate Executive Calendar) by resuming consideration of the nomination of Britt Cagle Grant, of Georgia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit. While Grant has just over one year of judicial experience on the Georgia Supreme Court, her record working at the Office of the Attorney General, including as Solicitor General of Georgia, shows evidence of a narrow-minded, elitist approach to cases that raises serious concerns about undermining critical rights and legal protections. Let's read more in this background report from Alliance For Justice. Let's tell our senators that we are opposed to extremist Britt Grant. 

2.      We know that Russia interfered with our 2016 election and now we learn that they have tried to hack Sen. Claire McCaskill's (D-MO) computers.  

https://www.npr.org/2018/07/26/632890327/russians-unsuccessfully-tried-to-hack-computers-of-democratic-sen-claire-mccaski  This much time has gone by and we still do not have any person or agency actively overseeing our nation's election security.  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/trump-admin-has-no-central-strategy-election-security-no-one-n895256  Since the Trump administration is not addressing this, let's let our MoCs know that we think it should be handled legislatively.

3.      “A devout Republican commissioner in northwest Oregon says she can no longer stand by the party because of Trump's "racist tactics" and changed her political affiliation to become a Democrat.”  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/07/26/oregon-republican-lawmaker-becomes-democrat-citing-trumps-racist-tactics/845076002/  As the GOP continues to redefine itself, this is a positive move that members can make to help keep the democracy going.  Let’s thank Lori Stegmann:  https://multco.us/commissioner-stegmann/contact  Let’s also ask GOP members of Congress to do the same thing.  It could shift the balance of power and it would also let people know that country is more important than party. 

4.      Fortunately, the courts have made some good decisions in holding agencies’ feet to the fire regarding family reunification:  http://thehill.com/latino/399320-judge-in-migrant-reunification-case-says-government-at-fault-for-losing-several  Let’s let our MoC know that we are not losing focus on these human rights abuses being committed in our name and that we expect action yesterday. We can also continue to contact DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and HHS Secretary Alex Azar to let them know we expect their resignations: https://www.dhs.gov/contact-us and 

https://www.hhs.gov/about/contact-us/index.html

5.      "The vast majority of women in America give birth without incident. But each year, more than 50,000 are severely injured. About 700 mothers die. The best estimates say that half of these deaths could be prevented and half the injuries reduced or eliminated with better care.  Instead, the U.S. continues to watch other countries improve as it falls behind. Today, this is the most dangerous place in the developed world to give birth." 

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/deadly-deliveries/2018/07/26/maternal-mortality-rates-preeclampsia-postpartum-hemorrhage-safety/546889002  Let's ask our MoCs to enact legislation that corrects this national tragedy.

6.      Transgender women are reporting the State Department has been retroactively revoking their passports, with officials requiring them to submit new proof of a gender transition (https://www.axios.com/trans-women-passport-issue-state-department-trump-aa249a45-55aa-4923-8090-ad26ba220e98.html). The State Department has failed to answer press questions about why this is happening, so let's make sure our members of Congress are asking to. Let's contact our reps and ask them to make a formal request that the State Department clarify why this is happening, what purpose it is and what prompted any change in policy.

7.      The Defense Department is becoming increasingly secretive about America’s military activities. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/26/pentagon-media-access-restricted-743347 In addition to asking our MoCs what they plan to do about that, let’s tell Defense Secretary James Mattis that the Constitution puts a civilian, democratically elected president as Commander in Chief for a reason and the people, through the press, have a right to know what the military is up to. Secretary of Defense:  https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/u-s-department-of-defense

8.     “In a much-anticipated effort to reinstate net neutrality provisions, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) introduced a bill today that would codify free internet regulations into law. Titled The 21st Century Internet Act (H.R. 6393) , the measure would institute the basic outlines of the Federal Communication Commission’s 2015 Open Internet order, which banned the throttling and blocking of content as well as harmful paid prioritization practices.”  https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/17/17577490/net-neutrality-republican-congress-bill-mike-coffman  Let’s ask our representatives to co-sponsor and support this important piece of legislation.

9.      While the administration might be happy with Friday’s report on GDP growth, we need to remind ourselves and our MoCs that inflation rises have wiped out wage gains. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-inflation-rates-20180713-story.html. This means that the only people who are really benefiting from the expanding economy are those who are already at the top of the economic ladder. We should ask our MoCs what they are planning to do to guarantee working people their fair share during times of economic prosperity.

10.  The deadline to submit a public comment on whether to include a question on citizenship on the 2020 Census form is fast approaching. Censuscounts.org has a link to the official public comments page here, along with talking points that we can easily modify and submit. Let’s make sure to do this now.

11.   A group of Democrats is calling for an investigation over whether new EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler, violated ethics standards by meeting with former clients, despite his promise not to when he became EPA Deputy administrator. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/399271-dems-seek-investigation-into-epa-heads-meetings-with-former-clients. Let’s continue to press our MoCs on looking into whether Wheeler’s meetings with these companies constitute a serious breach of ethics.

Election 2018 – General

An election guide from Postcards for America:  In this Google doc (updated regularly), each State shows ALL Democratic Candidates running for Congress, Governor, Lt Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State (if applicable) with links to their websites and Twitter. Each has a link to a Twitter Thread, a Shareable Facebook Post and a Document. For most States, there are also Info & Links for Voter Registrations, Absentee Ballots, Early Voting & Voter ID, Age Requirements and being a Poll Worker.  Let’s check this out and use and share it:  

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit

1.       We have only eight days left until our next chance to flip a seat in the House. The special election in the Ohio 12th Congressional District on August 7th features young county official Danny O'Connor as the Democratic nominee against Republican Troy Balderson, a longtime member of the extremely conservative state senate (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/ohio-special-election-emerges-democrats-next-best-chance-stun-gop-n883916). Let's do what we can to help! Postcards to Voters is writing postcards to get out the vote for Danny O'Connor, and we can sign up to help here. We can also make calls with the campaign to help them identify their voters - the virtual phone bank is linked here, and instructions and scripts can be found here. 

2.      Postcards To Voters'  Campaign 97: Alessandra Biaggi for NY State Senate is still open. Leader Tony the Democrat anticipates that addresses will run out early this week. New campaigns, including another vote-by-mail campaign for Florida, will be launching this week. Studies have shown that registering someone to vote-by-mail increases the likelihood that they will vote.  Let's write 5 cards for Campaign 97 and check in with Postcards To Voters during the week to see the new campaigns.

3.      Some states are aggressively purging registered voters from the voting rolls,

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/voter-roll-purges-surged-after-changes-voting-rights-act-new-n893056 . Let’s make sure we haven’t been purged, and let’s urge our friends and family members to make sure they haven’t been purged as well:  https://www.vote.org/

4.      National Voter Registration Day is September 25, 2018. Let’s partner with the Day’s organizers to register voters: https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/

5.      Headline: “Puerto Ricans who fled to Florida after Hurricane Maria are not registering to vote,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/07/27/daily-202-puerto-ricans-who-fled-to-florida-after-hurricane-maria-are-not-registering-to-vote/5b5a82a61b326b0207955dcb/?utm_term=.bfde5266709a. Let’s contact the Florida Democratic Party and tell them it’s time for an all-out voter registration drive in this community, and let’s ask how we can help: Terrie Rizzo, Florida Democratic Party State Chair, terrie@floridadems.org, 850-222-2411

6.      From one of our own:  Be sure to check if your county is poised to change over to ExpressVote, or if your county is considering it. If so, make some noise. ExpressVote is inherently corrupt and easily hacked. The following article will provide you with talking points and ammunition to use in your argument against switching to the ExpressVote platform:  https://medium.com/@jennycohn1/georgia-6-and-the-voting-machine-vendors-87278fdb0cdf

Election 2018 – By State

1.       Upcoming voting dates and deadlines:

July 30	Arizona	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
July 30	Florida	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
July 30	Arkansas	Early Voting begins	State Senate Dist 8
July 30	Hawaii	Early Voting begins	Primary
July 31	Kansas	Early Voting begins	Primary
August 1	Arizona	Early Voting begins	Primary
August 2	Oklahoma	Voter Registration Deadline	Runoffs
August 2	Tennessee	Election date	Primary
August 6	Wyoming	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary (postmark)
August 6	Alaska	Early Voting Begins	Primary
August 6	Kansas	Early Voting ends	Primary
August 6	Ohio	In person absentee voting ends	Special-12th congressional district
August 7	Kansas	Election date	Primary
August 7	Michigan	Election date	Primary
August 7	Missouri	Election date	Primary
August 7	Ohio	Election date	Special-12th congressional district
August 7	Washington	Election date	Primary
August 9	Connecticut	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 9	Hawaii	Early Voting ends	Primary
August 10	Wisconsin	In person absentee voting ends	Primary
August 10	Wisconsin	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 11	Delaware	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 11	Hawaii	Election date	Primary

(source:  by date:  https://goo.gl/gjFv2u   by state:  https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)

2.      CT:  Connecticut 8/14 Primary: At a Glance

3.      HI:  Hawaii 8/11 Primary: At a Glance

4.      KS:  Kansas 8/7 Primary: At a Glance

5.      MI:  Michigan 8/7 Primary: At a Glance

6.      MN:  Minnesota 8/14 Primary: At a Glance

7.      MO:  Missouri 8/7 Primary: At a Glance

8.     TN:  Tennessee 8/2 Primary: At a Glance

9.      VT:  Vermont 8/14 Primary: At a Glance

10.  WA:  Washington 8/7 Primary: At a Glance

11.   WI:  Wisconsin 8/14 Primary: At a Glance

Other Actions

1.       The BAWS Impact Campaign is collecting video comments from women about having been denied care because of someone else's beliefs. The prompt is a Walgreens pharmacist recent refusal to fill a prescription for an Arizona women suffering a miscarriage because he decided his beliefs were more important than what she and her doctor decided was the best medical treatment. The video clips collected will be edited to produce a social media campaign encouraging votes for pro-choice candidates. Record your own video for this campaign here (password: Walgreens). Please also share this link with others. See how simple it is to create your own such video collection campaign.

2.      “Facebook has taken a stand against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, suspending him from the platform for 30 days. The action comes just days after YouTube pulled four Infowars videos and banned the outlet from livestreaming its shows for 90 days.”  http://fortune.com/2018/07/27/facebook-suspends-infowars-alex-jones-hate-speech/  Many of us have reported his accounts in both platforms.  Let’s continue to report items and/or people on social media platform that are counter to the truth and our democracy.

3.      If we need a three-minute pause and boost, we can watch this video from former Sec. of Labor Robert Reich about six reasons he feels hopeful (spoiler alert – lots has to do with folks like us!):   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4soui9GMU2g

4.      "Several of the nation’s airlines made headlines in June when they told Washington that they would not fly immigrant children separated from their families at the border. Now United is going one step further by donating flights to reunite children that have been separated from their immigrant families."  

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2018/07/26/united-airlines-donates-flights-reunite-families.html  Let's thank United for stepping up and using their position to provide this socially responsible humanitarian aid: 

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/contact/headquarters.html

5.      While Facebook is still tops with Millennials, Instagram is heating up, especially with College Students, higher income folks and women. We can find more data on this here.  https://www.emarketer.com/corporate/coverage/be-prepared-instagram?  Then, if we are trying to engage millennials for a campaign or advocacy project, we can check out The Campaign Workshop for some suggestions about getting started.  https://www.thecampaignworkshop.com/instagram-political-and-advocacy-campaign-tool

6.      From Grannies Respond:  We are delighted to share some BIG news with you.  Veteran Service Corps – you may know them as the veterans from Standing Rock - is joining with Grannies Respond to mobilize people to McAllen, Texas, on August 6th, and to bring compassion and human decency to how we treat refugees entering the US.  A VSC advance mission is on the way to the border right now to plan and set up for our arrival.  Who knows better how to do this than our beloved veterans? After all, they mobilized 8,000 vets to Standing Rock in 96 hours!  Grannies Respond and Veteran Service Corps invite ALL Americans to meet us in McAllen, Texas, on August 6th for 24 hours of action: rallies, vigils, volunteering, and more.  Click through for the full press release: www.tinyurl.com/vetsgrannies   Let’s thank the Veteran Service Corps and donate to their cause if we are able:  57 Main St, Eagle Butte, SD 57625 or (804) 274-0135

7.      "Protesters with the "Occupy Lafayette Park" movement have been rallying outside the White House, which they have dubbed the "Kremlin Annex," since July 16, the day President Donald Trump returned from his Helsinki summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin."  There is no sign that this protest will end soon.  https://www.newsweek.com/anti-trump-white-house-protests-near-two-week-mark-organizers-raise-more-100k-1044975  If we can't be in DC to be part of the effort, we can donate in one of two ways:   A)  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/occupylafayettepark# or B)  https://www.gofundme.com/occupylafayette-reinforcements (a group trying to keep the people fed and hydrated)

8.     From one of our own:  ACTION for INTROVERTS: If you want to be involved, but uncomfortable, here’s some activism for you! Just signed up!  https://resistancelabs.com/volunteer/text/

9.      Whether or not the president is ultimately found guilty of collusion or obstruction of justice, there is another key reason that he fears the Mueller investigation. The incidents of hacking already uncovered sheds even more speculation that the election was illegitimate. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-heffernan-trump-illegitimate-20180728-story.html. As we keep challenging the president’s policies, let’s make sure to keep this issue of illegitimacy in the limelight, as these root challenges to the president’s authority will continue to erode his effectiveness.

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       Movement Voter Project is holding two calls tomorrow, Tuesday July 31 to let people know how they can plug into becoming house party hosts and donor organizers! More information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1051862484963388/  We can join one of these calls to get more involved!  We can register for one of the two times here: 

9am PST/ 12pm EST: Register here  OR 6pm PST/ 9pm EST: Register here

2.      The immigrant-led activist group Cosecha is calling for us to take the next step, with a national day of action to end cooperation with ICE tomorrow, Tuesday, July 31st, demanding cities, counties, companies and all institutions stop working with them. Let's get involved. We can learn more here: http://www.lahuelga.com/abolishice#copy-of-call-to-action and we can check out the #WeWillNotBeComplicit Action Guide at this link.

3.      On August 4, March for Our Lives, Road To Change, and National Organization for Change are marching on the NRA.  The main march will be in Fairfax, VA at NRA headquarters.  We can find more information here:  https://www.marchonnra.org/ and we can find an even here:  https://www.marchonnra.org/findmymarch  If none are near us, we can register an event here:  https://www.marchonnra.org/regevent

States

Find elected state officials: https://openstates.org/

Reading/Watching

1.       Experts in authoritarianism advise us to keep a list of things subtly changing around us, so we’ll remember.  Amy Siskind is keeping that list for us. Amy writes, "As a court deadline for reuniting migrant families arrived on Friday, 711 out of 2,551 children ages 5 to 17, and 46 children of 103 children under 5 have yet to be reunited with their parents, while the Trump regime claimed their work is done."  Let's review Amy Siskind's list week 89.

2.     “The Disturbing Evolution Of 'Lock Her Up'” - http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2018/07/25/lock-her-up-jeff-sessions-steve-almond

3.      “Was the 2016 election legitimate? It's now definitely worth asking the question” - http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-heffernan-trump-illegitimate-20180728-story.html