Nex Benedict, Russian disinformation, register voters, and more!
FEB 22
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:
- REMEMBER NEX BENEDICTSixteen-year-old Nex Benedict (they/them), who identified as nonbinary, died the day after being attacked in an Oklahoma public school bathroom by fellow students. Supporting and advocating for Nex and others in the LGBTQ community is PFLAG, a nationwide alliance of LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones, with chapters across the country, including in Oklahoma. Let’s consider donating in Nex Benedict’s memory. Even $5.00 matters. Let’s also consider becoming a PFLAG member. Let’s also help vote out all elected officials who set the stage for this tragedy.
- RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION USED IN CONGRESS TO TARGET BIDENBoth the 2019 Mueller report and the 2020 Senate report found “numerous contacts between the Trump campaign and Moscow posed a “grave” counterintelligence threat.” We know that Trump kowtows to Putin and that Russian election interference is already at play for November. Now we learn that the provider of the single thread of evidence being used by the House Oversight Committee for Biden’s impeachment inquiry is an FBI informant who’s been charged with “lying to the FBI and manufacturing false records relating to the Biden’s business activities in Ukraine” and got the information from Russians intelligence. Knowingly or not, the committee chair fell victim to a disinformation campaign put in place for nefarious reasons, just as the perpetrators had planned. Committee Chair James Comer along with and Rep. Jim Jordan have been spouting this disinformation as truth. It is easy to wonder if they, too, had any deeper involvement with Russia in hopes of tanking Biden. When did they find out? Let’s ask the House for an investigation into this for Russian tampering with our elected officials and perhaps for our reps willingness to use it.
- FREE TEXTBANKING WITH FIELD TEAM 6Getting more Americans registered to vote is an essential part of winning in November. Field Team 6 sees that as its sole goal and has already helped register almost 2.9 million Democratic voters. They’ve created various ways to reach these folks by phone and text, postcard, email and targeted ad, and in-person too. They offer us training to become part of their effort. Tonight, and the next few Thursdays, they are offering their virtual Textbanking Bootcamp from 3-4 PST. Let’s join Field Team 6 and register new voters!
- EXCELLENT CIVICS LESSON ON THE ELECTORAL COLLEGEPolitical Charge, an outstanding blog worth subscribing to, has published this clear, excellent explainer: How the Electoral College Works: Do We Really Have to Use It? After covering the basics, the explainer goes on to inform us about the phenomenon of “swing states,” why third party candidates end up being nothing more than spoilers (typically to the detriment of the Democratic presidential candidate), why we do not, repeat, do not want the House of Representatives deciding the outcome of presidential elections, and more. Let’s read the Political Charge post, and let’s consider supporting activist groups like Swing Left, Center for Common Ground, and the Movement Voter Project that are strategically working in Electoral College swing states.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- IL, VA—FIREARM SAFETY LEGISLATIONAn email blast from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions is alerting us to firearm safety legislation pending in Illinois and Virginia. If we are in these states, here are ways we can help:
- IL: If passed, Karina’s Bill would “require law enforcement to promptly remove firearms while serving an order of protection if requested by the survivor and ordered by a judge.” Let’s tell our state legislators to co-sponsor Senate Bill 2633.
- IL: If passed, House Bill 2770, would create a grant program for microstamping firearms. According to the Johns Hopkins email, “microstamping is a ballistics technology that places a microscopic code on a discharged cartridge casing that allows law enforcement officers to quickly link cartridge cases found at crime scenes to the firearm from which they were discharged.” Let’s tell our state legislators to co-sponsor House Bill 2770.
- VA: The Virginia Legislature has passed several gun-safety bills and sent them to the governor’s desk. Let’s tell Governor Youngkin that we want him to sign into law these bills: (1) prohibiting the sale of assault weapons; (2) banning devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic firearms; (3) instituting a five-day waiting period for purchase of firearm; (4) requiring safe storage of firearms in homes with children and in vehicles.
Thanks for reading Rogan’s List! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
