Insider News from the Political Revolution!
HEADLINES: Building on TX Momentum | Endorsements for Reinforcements! | Actions for Peace | Taxing Big Oil | Postal Reform Passes Congress! | Local M4A Push in OH | NJ’s ‘Fixed Primaries’ | Progressive Party Reform | & MORE!
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Our Revolution candidates came out swinging in the 2022 primaries, delivering a major blow to the corporate establishment in Texas and setting the stage for more victories to come. With a monthly donation of $5 or $10, YOU can ramp up our volunteer-driven ground game and mobilize millions of progressive voters to put more allies in office!
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PROGRESSIVE POWER IN THE PRIMARIES!
US Rep. Cori Bush - one of our strongest partners in Congress - called on us during our Monday Live Broadcast to send more allies to fight alongside her in Washington.
Cori knows firsthand the need to grow our numbers and power on the inside. She was one of six House progressives to hold the line against corporate Dems in the fight to Build Back Better. To deliver a working-class agenda, we must change the composition of Congress.
In 2020, Our Revolution members and volunteers worked to help Cori defeat a 10-term corporate incumbent, and we’re fighting to re-elect her in Missouri’s 1st District.
And, we’re organizing to send her reinforcements, deploying our grassroots GOTV army with enough members in each district to make the difference.
We already got started with our congressional candidates in the Texas primary — sending Jessica Cisneros head-to-head against corrupt corporate Dem Henry Cuellar, advancing Jasmine Crockett to a runoff for an open seat, and clinching a decisive win for Greg Casar.
Greg also joined our National Organizing Call, talking about the impact Our Revolution had on his race — from laying the groundwork to mobilizing the ground game with “hundreds of thousands of calls, texts, and door-knocks.”
“We got 4x the vote, but we worked 40x as hard,” Greg said. “We worked for years on the ground here in Texas. It doesn’t just come on its own, it takes all of us working together.”
When you show up for people, the people will show up for you at the ballot box — and we’re showing that our working-class agenda resonates at the polls.
“Other candidates in our race tacked to the right and ran away from progressive policies — but we won and proved that even here in the heart of Texas, it’s people-oriented policies coming from the bottom-up that win,” Greg said.
Medicare for All was on the ballot, the Green New Deal, reproductive rights, the PRO Act — and they won because of our continued organizing work, he told us.
“Getting down and feeling like this democracy will never work for us is exactly what big corporate interests want,” Greg said. “They want us to give up, but this year we must do that extra work — and when we do, our people show up and we have big wins.”
Our work is just getting started! Become a monthly Our Revolution member right now to build our progressive voting bloc and fight for transformative change.
JOIN OUR MOVEMENT TODAY!
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NEW ENDORSEMENTS
Our elected allies are calling for reinforcements and we’re rolling out endorsements. Our Revolution members weighed-in and voted to back new progressive champions in important races across the country!
Our Revolution members voted to endorse Attica Scott for an open seat for Kentucky’s 3rd District in the U.S. House.
Attica was named for a famous prison rebellion for better living conditions and political rights in Attica, NY. She built on her long history of activism in Louisville to defeat a 34-year incumbent in 2016, becoming the first Black woman elected to the Kentucky General Assembly this century.
At the State House, she fought for the Green New Deal, and as a member of the Louisville Metro Council, she led and won an effort to raise the minimum wage.
“Together we can build a country that prioritizes equity, fairness, and justice... but we gotta organize,” Attica told us on our Monday Night Call. “A shift is happening all over our country, and now is the time to choose bold leadership over complacency.”
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Our Revolution members are throwing support behind David Campos for California Assembly, District 17.
David came to this country at age 14 as a Dreamer escaping political turmoil in Guatemala. He went on to earn scholarships to Stanford and Harvard law and became a fighter for working people.
As San Francisco Supervisor, he won important battles to provide healthcare for all, build affordable housing, pass eviction protections, and win back workers’ lost wages and benefits.
“Medicare for All — that’s what this fight is all about, ” David told us on our National Organizing Call. “I’m proud to be running corporate-free, and that terrifies the status quo. We’re going to show that in San Francisco, we’re not for sale. People-power over big money any day.”
David’s been a progressive leader as chair of the SF Democratic Party and as vice-chair of the CA Democratic Party — working to protect women’s right to choose and tax the wealthiest corporations to house the homeless.
Get ready to vote for David! Every active registered voter will be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot starting this week, and voting ends April 19th.
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We need all hands on deck to elect working-class fighters like Nina, Cori, Attica, and David in the critical 2022 midterms. Our Revolution-backed candidates are taking on corporate incumbents, fighting to flip red districts, and vying for open seats — and, you can help tip the balance.
Join Our Phonebank Force! We’re hitting the phones early and often — and we need YOU to SIGN UP!
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TAKING A STAND FOR PEACE
Our Revolution activists have been taking to the streets to take a stand against the War in Ukraine.
In Washington D.C., Our Revolution leaders stood up for peace in front of the White House with our ally Code Pink. Our Revolution Pennsylvania hosted an action in Philadelphia, calling for an end to war drums.
An anti-war rally by Our Revolution Hillsborough NJ was attended by the city’s mayor and councilman. “War is never the answer,” the organizers told Patch News. “We proudly stand with the Ukrainian local community during these hard times.”
Our Revolution Rutgers held a rally and forum on campus last week to support the people of Ukraine and condemn imperialism in all its forms.
Peace is not a radical concept. War is.
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TAXING BIG OIL
Big Oil thinks they have us over a barrel — but we’re taking action!
As Bernie said, “We can no longer allow big oil companies and the billionaire class to use the murderous Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing pandemic as an excuse to price gouge Americans and rake in record profits.”
Our Revolution stands with our progressive partners in Congress pushing for the Windfall-Profits Tax to put a stop to their war-profiteering, cap gas prices, and put money back in the pockets of consumers.
US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the bill this week, calling for a 50-percent tax on oil barons’ excess profits and for revenues to be distributed to regular folks in payments up to $360/yr.
Ro said, “money raised from a windfall profits tax should be used to provide relief for working families struggling to heat their homes and get to work — families who never got the benefits they were promised in the Democrats’ Build Back Better.”
This isn’t a radical idea. During WWII, FDR enacted tax rates as high as 90 percent on the excess profits of corporations. We know the tax will be opposed by the worst corporate Dems and Republicans — but like FDR, we welcome their hatred!
As Sen. Whitehouse said: “We must ensure oil companies don’t profit by billions off of Ukraine’s misfortune and Putin’s cruelty, and plow that money back into climate denial and political dark money, extending their vicious cycle of profit and corruption,” The Nation reports.
In recent days, the price per barrel of oil has gone down $15, but the price of gasoline has risen 21 cents to a national average above $4/gallon.
This increase is not justified by the cost of domestic production, but is driven by international markets controlled by fossil fuel cartels, Ro said. The American people are on our side, and progressives are organizing to put a stop to this dirty business.
Whitehouse said: “Over the longer term, speeding up the transition to renewables will lower energy costs, insulate consumers from price spikes, and reduce Western nations’ dependence on foreign despots and greedy fossil fuel companies.”
Sign here to demand a new windfall profits tax on Big Oil.
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The clock is ticking on the climate, and every day that goes by without action to reduce carbon foreshadows darker days ahead. Help us fight for a brighter future before we pass the point of no return.
Become a recurring donor to claim your smoking dinosaur sticker and take a stand against corporate greed! We can’t let corporate Dems like Henry Cuellar and Joe Manchin do Big Oil’s bidding while the world burns.
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With the midterms approaching, Our Revolution and the Congressional Progressive Caucus are organizing a push for President Biden to deliver for voters’ lives through executive orders, the Washington Post reports.
With his pen, Biden could declare a Climate Emergency, unlocking new presidential powers to ban new fossil fuel leasing on public lands and employ the Defense Production Act to ramp up renewable energy development.
The CPC has carefully crafted 55 recommendations that include lowering some drug prices, increasing wages for some workers, instituting some tax changes, and canceling all federal student loan debt.
We demand the administration buck corporate interests to govern effectively while Democrats hold the House, Senate, and the White House. It’s time to deliver — in ways voters will remember in November.
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CONGRESS PASSES POSTAL SERVICE REFORM
Victory! Last week, with the help of progressives we elected, Congress passed the Postal Service Reform Act to strengthen the USPS and relieve undue burdens on the agency.
The bill will save the Postal Service billions of dollars a year by ending the absurd Bush-era mandate to pre-fund 75 years of future retiree health benefits for employees that haven’t even been born yet. It also protects six-day delivery service and enables USPS to offer new consumer products and services.
“Is it enough to fix the problems of the Postal Service? No. But, it’s an important step forward for one of our nation’s most critical government agencies, its workers, and our communities,” Bernie said.
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LOCAL M4A PUSH IN OHIO
Our Revolution-endorsed Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren drafted a Medicare for All Resolution that passed with all seven members of city council co-sponsoring last week.
The resolution calls for universal healthcare, noting the urgency revealed by the pandemic. Kahlil said, “every bit of advocacy helps.” Our Revolution members helped power the new mayor’s campaign in November, getting an M4A advocate in executive power in Cleveland Heights.
Lisa Rapaszky of Our Revolution Ohio told Cleveland Scene that Kahlil’s advocacy honored the commitment he made on the campaign trail. “Furthermore,” Lisa said, “these unanimous resolutions signify what we already know — people want and need Medicare for All now.”
In Cleveland Heights, one of the City of Cleveland's largest suburbs, nearly 3,000 people are uninsured. About 9,000 people, close to 20 percent of the city’s total population, live in poverty.
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ENDING QUALIFIED IMMUNITY IN NY
Our Revolution-NYPAN hosted a town hall last week to chart a path to end qualified immunity, joining a grassroots-led coalition with End QI NY and VOCAL New York.
Facing roadblocks at the federal level, it’s now up to states like New York to act and give victims of state violence a fair chance at justice when a government official violates constitutional rights.
“Qualified immunity flies in the face of public safety,” said Kelly Young, Vocal NY civil rights campaign coordinator. “Victims and survivors of state violence deserve a shot at justice and accountability — and not just people who are wealthy enough to afford attorneys.”
The town hall explored the many consequences of this unjust doctrine — why it must be ended and how to pass the Bill to End Qualified Immunity. The event comes on the heels of a new poll commissioned by End QI NY, finding 58 percent of New Yorkers surveyed strongly or somewhat support eliminating the policy.
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FIXING THE NJ BALLOT LINE
Our Revolution New Jersey is fighting for democracy in the state’s primary elections – organizing to fix the ballot-line system by which the state party machine preordains winners.
The New Jersey Monitor published an op-ed by ORNJ’s Joe Marchica and Charlene Phelps, showing how “The Line” gives favorable ballot placement to county-picked candidates while others are listed multiple columns away, appearing less legitimate and confusing voters.
“Fair primary elections are critical. That’s where voters - not power brokers - should pick which candidates will advance to the general election in November,” the op-ed reads. “In 2020, congressional candidates gained a 35 percentage point advantage when granted the line.”
Join ORNJ and our Trenton-Mercer County Chapter to fight for Better Ballots in New Jersey.
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ORMD CANDIDATES FORUM
Our Revolution Maryland hosted a forum on Wednesday, featuring candidates and providing updates on our campaigns for universal healthcare and blocking insurrectionists from the ballot.
State Delegate Brooke Lierman remarked that as chair of the Joint Committee on Pensions she’s hoping to “pass legislation that says climate risk is pension risk.” Bowie Mayor Tim Adams said as founder/owner of one of the largest black-owned businesses, he has the skills to “build a budget and manage billion-dollar projects.”
State Senate candidate Raaheela Ahmed decried public-private partnerships, saying “privatization of school construction is costing Prince George’s County dearly.”
Ruben Amaya, running for State Delegate, said “we can revitalize our economy and tackle inequity, create tens of thousands of good union jobs, and end corporate influence over environmental policies.”
WATCH HERE
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2022 can be HUGE for our movement. We’re making ground, but everything we love is on the line.
WE CAN WIN a progressive policy agenda, but we need your help to defeat the enemies of progress. Become a sustaining member of Our Revolution today.
SIGN UP!
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Our Revolution leaders within the DNC are building a progressive voting bloc to make the Democratic Party more democratic and representative of the rank-and-file.
The top-down structure of the DNC - directed by party apparatchiks and a money-driven consultant class - maintains elite control and undermines changes aimed at empowering the grassroots following the 2016 presidential election.
“The core of this is not about more money. It is about transparency, democracy, and party-building,” Our Revolution Chair Larry Cohen told The Washington Post. We’re calling to get rid of superdelegates, make the budget more public, invest in state and local parties, and more.
Larry, who served as vice-chair of the 2016 Unity Reform Commission and represented the concerns of Bernie’s supporters, said “voting rights inside the party and in primaries matter just as much as voting rights in a general election.”
Our progressive bloc will vote later this year to set the 2024 DNC party rules and presidential primary calendar. Our Revolution leader and Washington state party chair Tina Podlodowski told The Post nearly 40 bloc members showed up at the DNC meeting last week — held early in the morning and not publicly announced beforehand.
About 100 DNC members have shown interest in joining the effort so far, and we’re recruiting more, Tina said, adding: “Honestly, we don’t think that 100 is where we stop.”
“This is us saying, ‘We are the DNC,’” Nebraska Democratic Party Chair and Our Revolution leader Jane Kleeb told The Post. “We’ve now been through several cycles kicking ourselves and saying we should have organized, so... we are organizing ourselves.”
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DEATRICK RE-ELECTED TO DNC CLIMATE COUNCIL
Victory! Our Revolution Michigan leader Michelle Deatrick won re-election to the DNC Council on Climate and Environmental Crisis in last week’s election.
Michelle, the first founder and chair of the council, was re-elected by voice vote because of our organizing within the party.
Our Revolution has worked to put people in leadership positions in the DNC, and they showed up to vote for Michelle, retaining the council seat for progressives!
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 SIGN UP to volunteer with Our Revolution to Get Jumaane on the Ballot! He’s the only progressive in the race for Governor of New York.
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Sign-up to help Elect Attica Scott to Congress! There will be several opportunities for you to be a part of sending another great progressive voice to Congress!
VOLUNTEER HERE
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MUST READ: TAKING CONTROL!
In his new book, Taking Control, author Anthony Barnett describes the crises we face with increasingly rightwing Republicans, a worsening climate crisis, and the dominance of the economy by the 1 percent.
As a leader of UK progressives for decades, Barnett creates a common framework in the book for the fight against autocracy globally.
Fundamentally, Taking Control asks if we can create a better democracy so we can actually govern vs. simply protest. Can we imagine racial justice, healthcare reform, climate justice, and more as distinct from the anger that injustices ignite in us? You can purchase this book at Powell’s Bookstore: the union alternative GET YOUR COPY HERE
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Join us as we make calls to help send Senator Nina Turner to Washington! Training is available and we offer support in our SLACK for the duration of the phone bank session. Help us tip the balance!
RSVP HERE
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A Night of Comedy and Music to Benefit Ukraine!
Join ORNJ Monmouth for a night of Ukrainian food and comedy entertainment to benefit Sunflower of Peace, whose mission is to support the people of Ukraine affected by the Russian military invasion.
RSVP HERE
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