Don’t miss our next National Organize to Win Call TONIGHT at 8:30pm EST featuring US Rep. Ro Khanna, who will give us a Capitol Hill update; Minnesota Attorney General and Our Revolution Board Member Keith Ellison and Open Markets Institute Executive Director Barry Lynn who will discuss fighting corporate monopolies; and DNC member Jodi Clemens on our work to transform the Democratic Party!
RSVP HERE
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Welcome to The Revolution Report — the weekly e-newsletter of our national grassroots organizing network!
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With Democrats in control of the White House and both houses of Congress, progressives have a strategic opportunity to advance our policy priorities - but only if we organize!
In 2021, Our Revolution is committed to strengthening our national network of grassroots groups to:
1. Hold Biden Accountable. President Biden has promised action on progressive policies. We’re holding him to his promises and pushing his administration for bold action on our priorities like cancelling student debt, universal healthcare, racial justice, and more.
2. Elect Progressive Champions. There are hundreds of key elections in 2021 - including state and local elections as well as special elections like Nina Turner’s - and we’ll be doing the work to help progressive champions win at every level.
3. Fight for Progressive Policies. From criminal justice reform to affordable housing, 2021 promises to be a year when our movement can make real progress in our communities and our capital!
4. Build a Progressive Party. We are committed to transforming the Democratic party by electing more progressives to party leadership positions, from local precinct captains to national DNC chairs.
READ MORE BELOW!
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As he works to clean up the mess left by Donald Trump, President Biden will need cooperation from the Senate on Covid relief, confirmation of his cabinet, and other urgent priorities that the American people elected him to accomplish. But minority leader Mitch McConnell, the “Grim Reaper” of Democratic legislation in the Senate, has already threatened to filibuster a routine resolution affirming that Democrats won the majority and can lead committees. The fact is, McConnell and his GOP minority are desperate to keep the filibuster as a weapon to prevent Joe Biden from delivering on the promises he made to voters.
That’s why Our Revolution has partnered with Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and the Fix Our Senate coalition to end GOP obstructionism and clear the way for progress on President Biden’s agenda for America.
JOIN US - DEMAND DEMOCRATS FIX THE SENATE NOW!
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We have a new Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and Bernie’s going to need our grassroots organizing to win the political revolution.
DONATE $5 NOW TO GET OUR NEW STICKER & INVEST IN OUR REVOLUTION'S 2021 ORGANIZING PROGRAM!
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Our Revolution and our allies are calling on President Biden to ban Big Tech executives from policing Big Tech at the Justice Department. The power of corporate monopolies - like Amazon and Google - are a threat to democracy and must be regulated. Names being floated to lead the DOJ Antitrust Division include Renata Hesse, a lawyer for Google and Amazon at the corporate law firm Sullivan and Cromwell. Our Revolution believes that Big Tech’s lawyers should be disqualified from overseeing the active DOJ investigations targeting the industry’s monopolistic practices. In short, foxes shouldn’t be hired to guard the henhouse.
READ MORE HERE
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Our Revolution is calling on President Biden to use his executive power to fight corporate monopolies.
JOIN US AND SIGN THE PETITION
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Former South Bend mayor and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is on his way to running the Department of Transportation under President Biden. But Our Revolution South Bend members are raising concerns about his appointment given his track record as Mayor. This week, Our Revolution Board Member Jorden Giger told The New York Times that Mr. Buttigieg’s downtown revitalization plan, along with a program to demolish or repair 1,000 of the city’s houses, had accelerated gentrification and contributed to reduced rates of minority homeownership. Our Revolution member Henry Davis Jr., a Black city councilor, summed it up - “If past behavior is an indicator of future behavior, then we kind of already know what’s going to happen.”
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One of the first actions that Biden took after assuming the presidency was to sign executive orders rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and canceling the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. These actions are steps in the right direction, but Biden can and should do more. Sen. Jeff Merkley recently wrote in The Washington Post, “We need bold executive action that treats this crisis — quite literally — as the emergency it is.” That’s why Our Revolution is urging President Biden to declare a climate emergency and unlock vast governmental powers that allow our nation to take significant, concrete actions regardless of congressional gridlock.
JOIN US TO CALL ON BIDEN TO DECLARE A CLIMATE EMERGENCY
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Our Revolution is organizing at the state and local levels to ensure progressives have a voice inside the Democratic Party. In California, where Assembly District Delegate (ADEM) elections are underway, Our Revolution California has recruited over 100 candidates to run for these influential positions. On our Monday Organize to Win Call, Amar Shergill, Chair of the California Democratic Party’s Progressive Caucus, said the ADEM elections “are about who’s going to control the future of the largest Democratic organization in the nation. Our Revolution-endorsed delegates are energized and looking to take over the party.“ CLICK HERE to learn more!
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Our Revolution is calling on President Biden to support progressive for open leadership positions inside the DNC, such as at-large seats and committee, caucus, and council chairs. On our Monday Organize to Win Call, Our Revolution National Board Member and Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb stressed the importance of progressives having a seat at the table. “Too often, our party has been run by only one shade of blue. We need more progressives inside the DNC because it’s important that our voices are represented.”
Sign here to tell Joe Biden to nominate progressives to the DNC! You can see the list of champions we support and nominate a champion you know!
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Our Revolution is proud to join Stacey Abrams and endorse Louisiana State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson in a special election to represent Louisiana’s 2nd district in Congress. If elected, she will be the first woman of color to represent Louisiana in Congress. Karen joined our Monday Night Organize to Win Call and pledged to “pass legislation to increase the federal minimum wage and end the tax breaks for the big corporations and the wealthiest one percent.” Karen’s election is on March 20th - SIGN UP HERE TO VOLUNTEER!
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Our Illinois Revolution endorsed Daniel Biss - a former Illinois state legislator who’s running for Mayor of Evanston - on our Monday Organize to Win Call. Daniel hopes to bring progressive values to the city of Evanston and believes local races offer an outsized ability to create change. “Reimagining public safety, building affordable housing, and even addressing climate change are things that can be done at the local level. Municipalities have the chance to lead, push the envelope, and move aggressively and swiftly. They're also a great place for us to win.”
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Our Revolution Ohio is going all out to send Nina Turner to Washington to represent Ohio’s 11th Congressional District! Since launching our Ohio GOTV Phone Bank in mid-December, our members have had hundreds of conversations with residents of the district. This week, the Cleveland Scene wrote about Our Revolution Ohio’s recent Democratic Party Candidate Forum and called out Nina’s opponent, Shontel Brown, for poor leadership in her role as Cuyahoga County Democratic Party chair. According to the article, Brown and her party insiders “aided and abetted” the return to power of one of the county’s “slimiest career politicians,” calling the party tactics used to secure his victory “nothing less than travesties.”
PHONEBANK FOR NINA! SIGN-UP HERE
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Our Revolution Virginia’s 2021 Kickoff Meeting focused on repealing Virginia’s anti-union “right to work” laws. Delegate Lee Carter, joined the call to urge local activists to support HB 1755 – a bill that would ensure that more Virginia workers finally have a seat at the bargaining table. The call highlighted the racist roots of “right to work” laws, which were designed to keep Black and white workers from organizing together. As a result, “the black-white economic divide is as great as it was in 1968,” Delegate Joshua Cole explained on the call, which was held just prior to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. King was murdered in 1968 while supporting African-American sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Our Revolution New Jersey is ramping up a campaign to urge President Biden to cancel all student debt. While Biden did sign an executive order to extend the pause on student loan payments to September 30th, millions of student loan borrowers need long-term relief. During the Our Revolution New Jersey 2021 Kickoff Meeting, Gabriella Ambroise - who has over $100,000 in debt - said, “Students like me should not have to suffer for the rest of their lives for wanting to pursue education that is almost a requirement to get most positions.” On the call, our members rolled-out a new #CancelStudentDebt video featuring the voices of Garden State students struggling to pay-off exorbitant amounts of debt.
TELL BIDEN: CANCEL STUDENT DEBT!
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To get ready for 2021, Our Revolution South Carolina hosted a strategy discussion with progressive allies during their Monthly Organizing Meeting moderated by ORSC Board leaders Jessica Bright and Keith Gray, Sr. Participating groups include the South Carolina Progressive Network, Charleston Democratic Socialist of America, and the Young Democrats.
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This week, members of Our Revolution Orlando joined with Black Lives Matter activists to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by delivering PPE, food and hygiene items to poor and underserved communities. Local organizer Corrine Daly said, “This is an example of how Our Revolution is working together with our allies to build strong alliances for the fights ahead.”
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Our Revolution Texas held its 2021 Kickoff Meeting this week with Medicare for All policy expert Michael Lighty on the significance of passing the Healthy Texas Act. “We've won the policy debate - what we lack is the political will at the top. Building single payer from the grassroots up is the solution, and state action is a real opening. If we can pass Healthy Texas, it would transform the country politically.” Our members also discussed advancing other progressive bills in the Texas legislature, including cannabis legalization and the George Floyd Act.
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Hello Somebody! We have an incredible opportunity to send our very own Nina Turner to Congress this year!
SIGN UP HERE TO PHONEBANK!
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Next Tuesday, Our Revolution/New York Progressive Action Network will hold their 2021 kickoff meeting that will include several candidates for New York City Council, as well as Jumaane Williams, who is running for NYC public advocate.
RSVP HERE
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Mixing art, politics and culture, Our Revolution Ohio and iLTHY (I Love the Hype) present: Stand Your Vote: a virtual music and activism festival streamed live via Facebook for free. Tickets to the musical portion of the event may be purchased HERE for $10 with all proceeds going to Our Revolution to help elect progressive candidates to office!
RSVP HERE
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Join Our Revolution Oregon as they put on a special briefing with U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley to discuss reforming our democracy and Senate Bill 1 - For the People Act, the first bill introduced in the Senate this Congress.
RSVP HERE
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Next week, Our Revolution Massachusetts will be holding its General Membership Assembly to establish its legislative and electoral priorities for the first six months of 2021.
RSVP HERE
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We have a new Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and Bernie’s going to need our grassroots organizing to win the political revolution.
DONATE $5 NOW TO GET OUR NEW STICKER & INVEST IN OUR REVOLUTION'S 2021 ORGANIZING PROGRAM!
