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NEWSLETTER: Save Democracy By Making It Work

Insider News from the Political Revolution!
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HEADLINES: Defending Democracy | ORNC vs. Cawthorn | 14Point3 | Khanna on Policy | Starbucks Unions Brewing | CalCare | NY Governors’ Forum | SC Town Hall | & MORE!

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What happens politically impacts each of us personally - from the health of our child to the health of our democracy and the health of the planet itself. Become a member today to join progressives across the country in the fight for a better world.

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DEFENDING DEMOCRACY

We save democracy by making it work.

A survey of our members showed their top issue for 2022 is Defending Democracy – and we have a lot of work to do as we face obstruction by corporate Dems, the Republican war on voters, and a far-right push for insurrection.

We need Build Back Better to show voters that democracy can work for their lives and The Freedom to Vote Act to make sure everyone can participate in democracy.

Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema now oppose any filibuster reform and even the $1.7T budget bill compromise. President Biden must use the power of the presidency to get a deal and use executive orders to bypass these rotating villains.

This week in the The Guardian, Bernie called on the Democratic Party to make “a major course correction” and deliver for the working class before it’s too late.

Austerity breeds despair and powerlessness, which bad actors like Trump exploit to stoke division, outrage, and violence. As John F. Kennedy famously said 60 years ago: “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

As proponents of the status quo shut off the proper mechanisms for change, our job is to engage one another to use all the tools of democracy - from voting to direct action - to advocate our priorities and demand representation.

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The struggle for justice is not easy — but it’s worth it. We must grow this movement and amass the resources to overpower the opposition. You know who and what we’re up against. Please become a recurring monthly donor, a volunteer, or help a friend sign up as a member!

Let’s double our coalition and our impact in 2022.

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REMEMBERING MLK

On Monday, we will observe MLK Day, but the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is with us always. We remember that his life was taken as he stood in solidarity with Memphis sanitation workers, and we continue his legacy in fighting for economic justice for all people.

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OUSTING OATHBREAKERS

Five Our Revolution North Carolina members took a courageous stand on Monday, filing a legal challenge against the candidacy of Rep. Madison Cawthorn for his role in the Jan. 6th Insurrection.

“Free Speech for People and Our Revolution announced last week that it would urge state election administrators to bar Trump and members of Congress from appearing on future ballots,” the Associated Press reports.

Our Revolution activists also protested outside the Hendersonville Courthouse in North Carolina this week, calling on local election officials to abide by The Constitution and keep Cawthorn off the ballot.



While dangerous, self-styled “patriots” on the far right are shredding the Constitution, it’s progressives standing against them to actively defend democracy. Our Revolution members Dr. Jay Walsh and Claude Boisson talked about why they signed the legal challenge on our Live Monday Night Broadcast.

"When I joined the Navy, I swore an oath to defend the U.S. from all enemies foreign and domestic,” Dr. Walsh told us. “When I saw Rep. Cawthorn egging on the insurrection, I knew I had no choice. Standing up like this — of course, I have fear, but I have greater fear for the loss of our democracy.”

Boisson, a Haitian immigrant who grew up under an authoritarian regime, said he’s “seen this movie before.” He explained: “There’s always going to be fear, but you have to overcome it. When enough is enough, change comes from the bottom up.”



14.3: IT’S BEEN USED BEFORE, WE CAN USE IT AGAIN

Our Revolution is excited to announce our joint campaign with Free Speech For People, a legal nonprofit serving as the lead legal counsel, to uphold 14.3 — Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

John Bonifaz, co-founder and president of Free Speech For People, joined our Live Monday Night Broadcast to explain how Amendment 14.3, which was enacted in the wake of the Civil War, is applicable again today.

“The amendment says very clearly that if you’ve taken an oath of office to defend The Constitution and you turn around and engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States - or give aid or comfort to those who have - you are forever barred from holding future public office again,” Bonifaz said.

By inciting a violent attack on Congress in an effort to prevent the certification of his own electoral defeat, Donald Trump engaged in insurrection, violated his oath of office, and disqualified himself from holding public office.

Likewise, Reps. Madison Cawthorn and Marjorie Taylor-Greene and others, having violated 14.3, no longer meet the qualifications to run for office — and we are going to hold them accountable.



Bonifaz said 14.3 applies to officials at every level of government – local, state, federal, and including the office of the president — and the challenge against Cawthorn is only the first to be filed.


“Election officials will have the courage to uphold 14.3 when they hear they’re being pressed by the voters in their state to defend our republic,” he said.

That’s why we’re not only launching a series of complaints and doing litigation, we’re driving a citizen-powered campaign to reach elections officials in all 50 states.

“It will take organized people to get those chief election officials to take action,” said Alexandra Flores-Quilty, FSFP campaign director. “If you have an insurrectionist running for office, you can organize against them — but in every state, we can call on our election officials to bar Donald Trump from the ballot.”

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You can help keep insurrectionists off the ballot!

We’ll Help You:
Identify the chief election officials in your state
Identify local candidates who violated 14.3 (and Trump)
Plug-in with others organizing petitions, call-in days, social media actions, or in-person demonstrations.

SIGN UP NOW!

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RO KHANNA ON POLICY FIGHTS

On our Live Monday Night Broadcast, Ro Khanna talked about ways Dems can deliver on policy and voting rights — issuing executive orders, carving out the filibuster, and pushing for separate votes on each popular provision of Build Back Better.

“I agree with Sen. Sanders,” Ro said, pointing to Bernie’s interview in The Guardian. “We need a working class agenda. Let’s have living wage week and vote, childcare week and vote — fight, and get clarity on who’s standing in the way. Otherwise, it looks like the entire party is feckless.”

Ro zeroed in on expanding Medicare to include dental, hearing, and vision, and having Medicare negotiate lower prescription drug prices. “Why would Democrats take the two most popular things in the entire bill and say, ‘Well, we shouldn't include that?’ It’s mind-boggling to me how they know these are the right policies and they’re at 75-80% approval — I mean, why wouldn't you pass that?”

In terms of climate, Ro said the IPCC report calls for carbon removal, but “we have no shot if we don't even get to Net Zero. If we don’t get the basic climate policies in Build Back Better, we're going to fall further and further behind.”

Ro echoed progressive calls for Joe Biden to effect change through executive action. “If you have the power to pause student debt payments, you have the power to stop them permanently.”

In terms of voting rights, Ro said “we need our Senators to support at least a carve-out in the filibuster. This is a moral issue and a necessity. Put it up for a vote.”

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UNIONS BREWING AT STARBUCKS

CONGRATS! to Buffalo, NY Starbucks baristas, who have now successfully unionized two locations in the Queen City! The Genesee St. shop joined Elmwood Ave. to become the second ever unionized Starbucks this week — and more union drives are percolating across the country!

Our Revolution stands with Starbucks union organizers in Cleveland, OH - Hopewell, NJ - Mesa, AZ - Seattle, WA - Knoxville, TN - Broomfield, CO - Eugene, OR - and two locations in Boston, MA!

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CALCARE CLEARS FIRST HURDLE

Our Revolution has signed on in support of CalCare – California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act! State-based single-payer healthcare is one component of achieving national, comprehensive Medicare for All.

CalCare cleared a critical hurdle this week, advancing through the California Assembly Health Committee with a vote of 11-3. The bill must pass an Assembly floor vote by Jan. 31 to head to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“As the single-payer movement continues to gain momentum, we signal to corporate interests that enough is enough,” said California Assemblymember Ash Kalra, who authored and introduced the bill. “Health care is a human right and it’s high time we reform our broken healthcare system.”

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MEDFORD SLATE IN ACTION - PERSONNEL IS POLICY

The Our Revolution Medford (MA) slate of progressive city councilors is now sworn into office, and they’re already showing how important local politics is to getting things done.

“It was a quiet revolution. But by the end of the first Medford City Council meeting of the year Jan. 4, there was no doubt the coalition of four councilors, two returning and two newly-elected — all running on the Our Revolution ticket — will be instrumental in deciding the city’s direction for the next two years,” Wicked Local reported.

After electing and swearing in a new Council President Nicole Morell and VP Zac Bears, the city’s legislative body voted to approve about a dozen positions Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn has been requesting for several months.

Newcomers Councilors Kit Collins and Justin Tseng voted in solidarity with Morell and Bears to use federal money from the American Rescue Package grant to fund needed positions in areas of food security, epidemiology, health equity and outreach, and more.

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NJ MASK MANDATES

Members of Our Revolution Hillsborough (NJ) were met with curses about ‘motherf***ing masks’ from a township committeeman at a recent meeting.

In a video of the meeting, Hillsborough Committeeman Frank Delcore can be heard whispering, “Oh Jesus, same thing, motherf***ing masks” as ORH members Didier Jimenez and Tiffany Fowler addressed the committee about masks and public safety, NJ 101.5 reports.

“I come here to advocate for reasonable safety measures — that I believe and other Hillsborough workers strongly believe in,” Jimenez, a worker at Hillsborough ShopRite, said in delivering public comments at the meeting.

On Tuesday, NJ Gov. Phil Murphy reinstated a public health emergency, which extends COVID emergency directives such as required masking in school and daycare settings.

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GOTV FOR CHITO VELA IN AUSTIN TX!
We are excited to announce our first endorsement of 2022 — Chito Vela is on the ballot right now for City Council District 4 in Austin, Texas!

Chito is a proud member of Our Revolution running a progressive campaign focused on affordable housing, improved public transit and accountable public safety.

This is a special election to fill the city council seat left by Greg Casar, another Our Revolution member, who stepped down to run for Congress!

Early voting is underway now through Friday, Jan. 21, and Election Day is Jan. 25! We are reaching out to thousands of Our Revolution members in the district to get out the vote. SIGN UP HERE to get Chito over the finish line!

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NY GOVERNORS’ TOWN HALL

On Thursday, Our Revolution-NY Progressive Action Network hosted the state’s first Gubernatorial Forum of 2022!

Candidates joining the discussion included NY Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Rep. Tom Suozzi. NYC Councilmember Gale Brewer stood in for Kathy Hochul, who was appointed Governor after Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace.

Williams called for deep investment in public housing and said “you can’t have an eviction moratorium end in the middle of a pandemic.” He also advocated for “investments in new systems if we want to truly reduce crime and the harm of the criminal justice system at the same time.”

On the issue of housing, Suozzi said he seeks to “strike a balance between landlords and tenants.” He warned against chasing Wall Street out of NYC with a stock transfer tax, and expressed concern about too many people moving out of the state.

WATCH HERE

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SC GOVERNORS’ TOWN HALL

Our Revolution South Carolina hosted a virtual forum hearing from three Democratic candidates for Governor on Saturday.

State Senator Mia McLeod said she is running for governor to make a difference after watching her state suffer “three decades under one-party (Republican) rule — where political courage doesn't exist and self-preservation trumps the needs/will of the people.”

Joe Cunningham, former Congressman, spoke of his legislative accomplishments, such as passing the “Great American Outdoors Act - which has been called the greatest environmental legislation in half a century.” Cunningham’s priorities include: “expanding Medicaid, legalizing marijuana, fixing our roads, and paying our teachers more.”

Healthcare advocate Gary Votour laid out his plan to “expand Medicaid and increase provider payment rates at rural healthcare centers” since many South Carolinians do not currently have a relationship with a primary healthcare provider — during a pandemic. Votour also plans to eliminate property taxes for the poor, disabled and elderly.

WATCH HERE

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2022 must be a HUGE year for the progressive movement. We’re making ground, but everything we love is on the line.

Become a sustaining member of Our Revolution today to join the fight against corporate interests and rightwing authoritarianism.

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Our Live Monday Night Broadcast will resume on January 24th, with special guest Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Austin City Council Candidate Chito Vela & more!

RSVP HERE

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School Board Recall Ballots in San Francisco are being mailed out this week and need to be returned and postmarked by February 15, 2022. If you are a voter, vote No on All Recalls.
Join SF Berniecrats and our Revolution for a town hall to learn more about how we can protect and improve public education in SF and beyond.

RSVP HERE

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Please join Our Revolution Massachusetts for a lively discussion with key leaders of the anti-Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) movement to learn how this test continues to undermine our public education system, how you can support bills that call for a moratorium on MCAS, and how to get involved with education justice issues and your local school committee.

RSVP HERE

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Our Revolution is proud to endorse Chito Vela, the progressive choice for Austin City Council, District 4. We know that people-powered campaigns can succeed, but we need your support to make it happen- sign up here to volunteer!
SIGN UP HERE

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You can help keep insurrectionists off the ballot!

We’ll Help You:
Identify the chief election official in your state
Identify local candidates who violated 14.3 (and Trump)
Plug-in with others organizing petitions, call-in days, social media actions, or in-person demonstrations.

SIGN UP NOW!

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