November 1, 2023
What’s the IRS got to do with it, health care for the homeless, Starbucks strike, and more!
*** SUBMITTING YOUR ACTIONS TO ROGAN’S LIST ***
We’ve set up a “tip line” so Rogan’s List subscribers can send in their ideas or submissions for action items at roganslisttips@gmail.com. Please don’t hesitate to email and pass on your suggestions. We look forward to hearing from you!
Contact all members of Congress:
- By phone: (202) 224-3121
- By email: democracy.io
- By US mail: Representatives / Senators
- By fax: Representatives / Senators
- By Resistbot: Resist.bot
Contact White House or other federal agencies:
- CONGRESS: SUPPORT NATIONAL SECURITY AND STOP TAX CHEATSOn October 20, the Biden administration requested supplemental funding from Congress to uphold US national security interests: security assistance to the people of Israel and Ukraine, humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, US military readiness in a time of heightened tensions, and more. In response, House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to cut off aid to Ukraine and Gaza, and wants to “offset” a $14.3 billion aid package to Israel by cutting $14.3 billion from the IRS—a move that will increase the deficit and allow tax cheats to act with impunity. The White House has called this a “nonstarter.” Let’s tell our Members of Congress that it is their job to ensure our national security, that we want serious consideration given to the Biden administration’s supplemental funding request—decoupled from the issue of IRS funding—and that we want the IRS fully funded and not hampered by a weakened MAGA Republican budget.
- AN ANTI-UKRAINE SPEAKER
Among the most direct and immediate impacts of replacing Kevin McCarthy with Mike Johnson: Rep. Johnson has a record of opposing aid for Ukraine. While significant majorities in both the Senate and the House continue to support our allies, with Rep. Johnson setting the schedule there is real danger assistance will not get a vote on the floor. Let’s reach out to our members of Congress and let them know we still stand with Ukraine, and we want them to use every tool at their disposal – including the discharge petition – to ensure Ukraine aid passes expeditiously.
- SUPPORT HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESSA reader informs us: Doctors and nurses can now get paid for “street medicine,” thanks to a new Biden administration policy. Before, medical professionals who provided care for people in encampments, tent cities, or under freeways rather than in clinics or hospitals were volunteers. Now, Medicaid and other insurers can reimburse them. Let’s make sure our local officials know about this opportunity. We can also contact our representatives to tell them to cosponsor H.R.5387, the bipartisan DIRECT Care for the Homeless Act, a pilot program to expand street medicine and help unhoused people transition to safe, stable housing.
- STARBUCKS WORKERS UNION TO STRIKE NOVEMBER 16TH
In the face of intense pressure and numerous labor law violations by corporate, the Starbucks Workers Union has now organized more than 360 stores. Their next major push will be a Red Cup Rebellion one-day strike on November 16th, and union members are asking customers and allies to hold solidarity actions outside non-union stores to support the effort. Let’s attend a November 16th event near us, or organize one if no one else has. Student organizers and organizers on campus can also sign up for a planning call on November 9th at 8PM here.
- REJECT CITIZENSHIP QUESTION FOR 2030 CENSUSRepublican groups like the Heritage Foundation are already thinking ahead to including a citizenship question on the 2030 census form. This would likely dissuade many people from filling out the form, leading to an inaccurate population count that will distort how legislative districts are drawn, make it harder for cities and towns to plan for the future, and interrupt the reasonable distribution of federal funds to localities. The effort was attempted under the Trump administration, but ultimately defeated. Let’s tell our MoCs that there is no way we want to see a citizenship question included and ask them what they and we can do to make sure this does not happen.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- PA: USE SWIPEBLUE FRIEND TO FRIEND TEXTING APP TO INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT Our upcoming Nov 7 election is a very important one for our country as well as our state. With election deniers running for Election Commissioner in several counties, and voting by mail and ballot curing policies to be decided differently by each county, the future of free and fair elections is very much at stake. Pennsylvania election policies change from county to county. Can we trust that GOP-majority boards and election officials will resist pressure in a close 2024 election? Can we trust them to make sure every voter gets a chance to vote and every vote counts? Now is the time to get out the vote and one of the best ways to do that is through our own networks. A Columbia University study showed that texts between friends were over 8 % more effective in getting out the vote than traditional outreach efforts. The SWIPEBLUE app gives us an easy way to try this for ourselves, increase progressive turnout, and win! We can download the SWIPEBLUE App here, enter the partner code PA, follow the prompts to match our contacts with the voter file, then start swiping + texting our contacts to remind everyone to vote!
- KY: USE TEXTING APP TO TEXT OUR FRIENDS AND INCREASE VOTER TURNOUTNow is the time to get out the vote and one of the best ways to do that is through our own networks. A Columbia University study showed that texts between friends were over 8 % more effective in getting out the vote than traditional outreach efforts. The SWIPEBLUE app gives us an easy way to try this for ourselves, increase progressive turnout, and win! We can download the SWIPEBLUE App here , enter the partner code KY, follow the prompts to match our contacts with the voter file, then start swiping + texting our contacts to remind everyone to vote!
