6-6-19
Beginning next week Rogan's List will be publishing on
Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer.
CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULES:
We can stay up-to-date on
Congress by checking out their schedules. a) The House publishes a weekly
schedule at The Weekly Leader (published and dated Friday)
as well as daily schedules at The Daily Leader. b) The Senate updates their
schedule daily at the Senate Floor Schedule.
MEXICAN TARIFFS: On Tuesday, Trump said the gradually escalating Mexican tariffs he has threatened are “likely” to go into effect next Monday and that his party would be unwise, “foolish,” to defy him; nonetheless it appears likely that Congressional Republicans—most interested, as always, in the corporate bottom line—will, for once, oppose him. Even the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity has said that “it is time for Congress to reclaim its constitutionally mandated authority to impose tariffs, and to prevent further unilateral tariff increases by the president”: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/04/trump-mexico-tariffs-senate-1353180 or https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/446912-trump-floats-new-emergency-declaration-to-impose-mexico-tariffs or https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/mexico-sees-80-percent-chance-of-a-deal-to-head-off-trump-tariffs/2019/06/04/53bdce08-86c4-11e9-98c1-e945ae5db8fb_story.html Trump wants Mexico to serve as his Wall: to “strengthen” its border with Guatemala, stop the bus caravans, and (though Mexico has said it won’t) accept asylum seekers rather than allow them to continue to the US border. Let’s encourage our MoCs, of whatever party, to oppose Trump’s latest fake “national emergency”.
ELECTION SECURITY: Despite Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s warnings that Russia indeed hacked our elections, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to let bipartisan election security bills come to the floor.
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/446257-mueller-remarks-put-renewed-focus-on-election-security-bills and https://politicalcharge.org/2019/06/05/why-is-mcconnell-blocking-election-security-bills/
Let’s put pressure
on our Senators to insist that McConnell allow a vote on the bi-partisan For
The People Act of 2019 (H.R. 1(passed
in House) /S. 949),
which the White House also seems to be intent on blocking. The American
people need to see where our senators stand on election security.
HOLD BARR ACCOUNTABLE: The House will hold a full floor vote on June 11th to hold AG Barr and Don McGahn in contempt for defying Congressional subpoenas.
HOLD BARR ACCOUNTABLE: The House will hold a full floor vote on June 11th to hold AG Barr and Don McGahn in contempt for defying Congressional subpoenas.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/03/house-dems-set-barr-contempt-vote-on-mueller-report-for-next-week-1352442. Let's call our House Reps to tell them we want them to vote in
favor of holding them both in contempt. No one is above the law.
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: Macon, GA District Attorney David Cooke (contact@maconbibb.us or
478-751-7400) is the latest prosecutor to say he will not bring charges under
what he deems the “unconstitutional” anti-abortion passed by the Georgia
legislature: https://www.npr.org/2019/06/03/729390565/georgia-prosecutor-says-he-wont-bring-charges-against-doctors-who-perform-aborti Others who will not prosecute women under this law are Paul L.
Howard, Fulton County District Attorney, 136 Pryor St. Atlanta, GA 30303;
Danny Porter, Gwinnett County District Attorney, Gwinnett Justice &
Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046; Sherry
Boston, Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney, 556 N McDonough Street,
Suite 700, Decatur, GA 30030; John Melville, Cobb County District Attorney, 70
Haynes St., Marietta, GA 30090.; Darius Pattillo, Henry County District
Attorney, 1 Courthouse Sq., McDonough GA 30253:
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/district-attorneys-from-across-metro-atlanta-say-they-wont-prosecute-women-for-abortions/85-1e28f2d7-188c-45ca-b136-31e7c1f917c5 In addition to thanking them, let’s tell the National District
Attorneys Association that we expect them to use what clout they have to let
the DOJ and Congress know that these anti-abortion laws—in 9 states as of
now—violate not just the rights of women but the US Constitution, and to fully
support state DAs in their unwillingness to prosecute: NDAA, 1400 Crystal
Drive, Suite 330, Arlington, VA 22202, 703-836-3195
ABORTION RIGHTS BILL: “A bill that establishes a “fundamental right” for women to get an abortion in Illinois cleared the state Senate late Friday night, sending the sweeping measure to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who already has signaled his support. As the clock approached midnight Friday, the Senate voted 34-20 in favor of the abortion legislation, which comes amid an increased sense of urgency among advocates looking to protect abortion access as a series of states have passed laws essentially banning the practice. “I believe, frankly, there’s a war against women’s rights going on,” Sen. Melinda Bush, the Grayslake Democrat who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said about the restrictive laws other states have passed.”
ABORTION RIGHTS BILL: “A bill that establishes a “fundamental right” for women to get an abortion in Illinois cleared the state Senate late Friday night, sending the sweeping measure to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who already has signaled his support. As the clock approached midnight Friday, the Senate voted 34-20 in favor of the abortion legislation, which comes amid an increased sense of urgency among advocates looking to protect abortion access as a series of states have passed laws essentially banning the practice. “I believe, frankly, there’s a war against women’s rights going on,” Sen. Melinda Bush, the Grayslake Democrat who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said about the restrictive laws other states have passed.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-met-illinois-abortion-legislation-senate-20190531-story.htm. Let’s ask our state reps to pass similar bills in our own states to
protect a woman’s right to choice over her own body.
ASK LOCAL DISTRICT ATTORNEYS NOT TO
ENFORCE ABORTION BANS: Color of Change is calling on District
Attorney's to refuse to enforce laws that criminalize women based on their
pregnancy outcomes and use their discretion to decline to prosecute. Laws like
this disproportionately harm women of color. For example, Black Mississippi
Mother Latice Fisher, is facing a 2nd degree murder life sentence and
separation form her children after having a still birth. The DA in her case
could have prevented all of this by following the Salt Lake County attorney’s
lead and refusing to charge her. We can click here to sign Color of Change’s
petition asking DAs to refuse to enforce abortion bans here, then share the
link with our friends and family:
IMMIGRATION--CHILD SEPARATION: Recent court documents from a suit challenging the Migrant Children’s Detention Center in Homestead, FL for violating the provisions of the Flores Act, reveals a grim, prison-like atmosphere, where children are being traumatized to the point of cutting themselves.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article231075518.html. We must tell our MoCs to insist on closing his facility down
immediately and holding HHS and DHS accountable. Pressure worked to close the
facility in Tornillo, Texas, and we can’t give up hope when children’s lives
are at stake.
CHILD DETENTION/SAFETY: Hurricane season began last weekend
and hurricane preparedness is a given for people in areas that may be hit.
However, there is no plan yet for the thousands of immigrant children
currently being housed in tents in the government detention shelter in
Homestead, FL, which is “is set in the second most vulnerable hurricane zone in
coastal South Florida, an area that bore the full fury of Category 5 Hurricane
Andrew, leaving it in utter ruin.” https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article231035753.htmlHaving
a plan for the safety of these children is imperative. Homestead is the only
immigrant child shelter that is run by a for-profit corporation, Caliburn. It is also the only one that
does not require state licensing and oversight. Let’s contact our MoCs
and ask them about the plans for safety on site and for evacuation. Let’s
also contact the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which oversees these child
immigrant detention centers: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/office-of-refugee-resettlement
IMMIGRANT CHILD ASSISTANCE: It seems as if funds are running low for the
care of and support for detained immigrant children. “The Office of Refugee Resettlement has begun discontinuing the
funding stream for activities — including soccer — that have been deemed “not
directly necessary for the protection of life and safety, including education
services, legal services, and recreation,” said U.S. Health and Human Services
spokesman Mark Weber.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/trump-administration-cancels-english-classes-soccer-legal-aid-for-unaccompanied-child-migrants-in-us-shelters/2019/06/05/df2a0008-8712-11e9-a491-25df61c78dc4_story.html?utm_term=.c3e2e131fbea
or https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2019/06/05/trump-administration/
While the Trump administration authorizes money to be taken from other accounts
to build a wall, one would think it could do the same to benefit children. Let’s tell our MoCs that this is yet
another injustice to these children and ask why they are doing about it. Let’s also ask the Dept. of Health and Human
Services to fully fund all that is needed for these children: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/u-s-department-of-health-and-human-services
READ THE MUELLER REPORT: Join the Mueller Book Club and read the report:
https://www.muellerbookclub.com/. Mueller Book Club FB Page is here:
https://m.facebook.com/muellerbookclub/. We can click this link to download a free audio book copy
from Audible, then share this link with our friends on social
media:
https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Mueller-Report-Audiobook/B07PXN468K. We can download a searchable pdf here:
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2019/images/04/18/mueller-report-searchable.pdf. Let’s tell our MoCs know that we’ve read it and tell them to read
it, too.
IMPEACH TRUMP: MoveOn.org is hosting a National Day of Action on Saturday, June 15th with nationwide protests with a unified message to “Impeach Trump”:
IMPEACH TRUMP: MoveOn.org is hosting a National Day of Action on Saturday, June 15th with nationwide protests with a unified message to “Impeach Trump”:
https://act.moveon.org/event/impeachment_day_of_action_june15/search/ Let’s join or host an event in our area to send a strong
message to Congress: Trump is not above the law.
REGISTER VOTERS BY MAIL: Vote Forward makes it easy for us to write letters from home to unregistered but likely Democratic voters in swing states and urge them to register to vote. This video demo shows how it works (it’s from 2018, but the basics still pertain): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCPb-SFWYB4 . Let’s watch it, and then let’s sign up and get started at https://votefwd.org/
GET OUT THE VOTE! Postcards to Voters volunteers write to Democratic voters year-round to get out the vote for local and special elections. If we are new to Postcards to Voters, let’s check it out and sign up. If we are already volunteers, let's request 5 addresses for one of the open campaigns. Either way, let’s check here: https://postcardstovoters.org/volunteer/
IMMIGRATION—DONATE FREQUENT FLYER MILES: Immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and attorneys providing immigration services free-of-charge are all in need of travel assistance. If we have frequent flyer miles to spare, we can donate them to the Travel Bank coordinated by Lawyer Moms of America here: https://www.lawyermomsofamerica.org/travel-bank, or Project Corazon (of the Lawyers for Good Government Foundation here:
REGISTER VOTERS BY MAIL: Vote Forward makes it easy for us to write letters from home to unregistered but likely Democratic voters in swing states and urge them to register to vote. This video demo shows how it works (it’s from 2018, but the basics still pertain): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCPb-SFWYB4 . Let’s watch it, and then let’s sign up and get started at https://votefwd.org/
GET OUT THE VOTE! Postcards to Voters volunteers write to Democratic voters year-round to get out the vote for local and special elections. If we are new to Postcards to Voters, let’s check it out and sign up. If we are already volunteers, let's request 5 addresses for one of the open campaigns. Either way, let’s check here: https://postcardstovoters.org/volunteer/
IMMIGRATION—DONATE FREQUENT FLYER MILES: Immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and attorneys providing immigration services free-of-charge are all in need of travel assistance. If we have frequent flyer miles to spare, we can donate them to the Travel Bank coordinated by Lawyer Moms of America here: https://www.lawyermomsofamerica.org/travel-bank, or Project Corazon (of the Lawyers for Good Government Foundation here:
https://www.lawyersforgoodgovernment.org/donatemiles
VOTING: The Movement Voter Project funnels donations to grassroots groups geared to get out the vote in their communities. Their mission is to “support the best and most promising LOCAL community-based organizations in key states with a focus on youth and communities of color…[that can] turn out unlikely voters AND organize communities to grow their power and create transformation – from policy to the streets.” This was the strategy that led to Doug Jones upsetting Roy Moore in the Senate Race in deep red Alabama, and it needs to be our strategy in 2020. Let’s visit their website and find out more about how we can help this important strategic initiative: https://movement.vote/
IMMIGRATION--HUMANITARIAN AID VOLUNTEER ON TRIAL: Scott Warren, a volunteer with “No More Deaths,” which provides food, water and medical assistance to migrants at the border, is going on trial for felony charges and facing 20 years in prison if convicted. https://tucson.com/news/local/smuggling-trial-for-border-aid-worker-comes-down-to-intent/article_09eb279f-29ed-5f7c-8726-c846661708b7.html. We have truly reached a new low when humanitarian assistance to prevent people from dying in the desert is a prosecutable offense. Let’s tell the Department of Justice to drop the charges against Warren (202-353-1555; 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 20530-0001; website form; Facebook; Twitter: @TheJustice Dept.) and let’s also visit the No More Deaths website to find out how we can help this important humanitarian effort.
READING, WATCHING, ETC.
Vox.com reminds us to be aware when watching the news: You're Watching Fox News. You Just Don't Know It. "This one idea – the hack gap – explains how and why conservative nonsense dominates American politics."
VOTING: The Movement Voter Project funnels donations to grassroots groups geared to get out the vote in their communities. Their mission is to “support the best and most promising LOCAL community-based organizations in key states with a focus on youth and communities of color…[that can] turn out unlikely voters AND organize communities to grow their power and create transformation – from policy to the streets.” This was the strategy that led to Doug Jones upsetting Roy Moore in the Senate Race in deep red Alabama, and it needs to be our strategy in 2020. Let’s visit their website and find out more about how we can help this important strategic initiative: https://movement.vote/
IMMIGRATION--HUMANITARIAN AID VOLUNTEER ON TRIAL: Scott Warren, a volunteer with “No More Deaths,” which provides food, water and medical assistance to migrants at the border, is going on trial for felony charges and facing 20 years in prison if convicted. https://tucson.com/news/local/smuggling-trial-for-border-aid-worker-comes-down-to-intent/article_09eb279f-29ed-5f7c-8726-c846661708b7.html. We have truly reached a new low when humanitarian assistance to prevent people from dying in the desert is a prosecutable offense. Let’s tell the Department of Justice to drop the charges against Warren (202-353-1555; 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 20530-0001; website form; Facebook; Twitter: @TheJustice Dept.) and let’s also visit the No More Deaths website to find out how we can help this important humanitarian effort.
READING, WATCHING, ETC.
Vox.com reminds us to be aware when watching the news: You're Watching Fox News. You Just Don't Know It. "This one idea – the hack gap – explains how and why conservative nonsense dominates American politics."
“The
NYT just published the biggest political news since the Mueller Report was
published: we now know at least 3 of the federal probes still ongoing
post-Mueller—and all involve election interference.” https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1135202383800262656.html
“Russia's infamous troll farm conducted a campaign
on Twitter before the 2016 elections that was larger, more coordinated and more
effective than previously known, research from cybersecurity firm Symantec out Wednesday concluded.” https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/05/study-russia-cybersecurity-twitter-1353543
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. Let's review the latest one: Amy Siskind's Weekly List: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-133/
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