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Insider News from the Political Revolution!

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HEADLINES: Chairman Bernie Sticker | One Fair Wage: NY Kickoff! | Taking on The ‘Other NRA’ | Sinema’s Challenger | 2024 Senate Outlook | Strategy Inside the Party | & MORE!

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Folks! We’re releasing a new commemorative sticker celebrating Bernie Sanders’ new position as Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).

This is a big deal and gives Bernie the power to expose corporate greed, take on Big Pharma, and support workers and their unions!

As Chairman, Bernie will be taking the HELP Committee on the road and he has big plans for this year, so Our Revolution is ramping up our organizing to have his back.

Claim your Chairman Sanders sticker with a one-time donation of $10 — or with a $5 recurring gift to invest in our work to carry out Bernie’s vision.

CLAIM YOUR STICKER

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Founded by Bernie in 2016, Our Revolution is America’s largest grassroots-funded political organizing group. In this new year, we’re building on our work, expanding our grassroots organizing, and growing our influence in the party.

With a Republican House, we’re pushing President Biden to deliver for working people through executive action ahead of 2024. And, we’re backing up Bernie as he takes on corporate power as Chair of the HELP Committee.

We’re also training our focus at the state and local level — where we have amazing opportunities this year to elect powerful progressives and pass life-changing legislation like higher wages for millions.

We have a lot of exciting work planned for 2023, and we welcome you to get engaged in our actions and become an Our Revolution member today.

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MEDICAL DEBT



This issue of Medical Debt is a uniquely American problem among the so-called “developed world" — and a big one that has been largely neglected by politicians and the media.

Bernie put it into focus in his recent address on the State of the Working Class, noting that half of all bankruptcies in the U.S. stem from medical debt and 38% of Americans are putting off healthcare because they don’t want to go into debt.

We are compiling the stories of real people to bring pressure to bear on this great healthcare injustice. Do you owe a hospital money for care you needed but couldn't afford? If you are one of the many who owe money to a hospital, please speak out and tell your story!

SHARE YOUR STORY

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ONE FAIR WAGE

A top issue for Our Revolution members is raising wages. That’s why we’re partnering with One Fair Wage to pass legislation in 10 states this year to eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers — and put it on the ballot in AZ, OH, and MI in 2024.

We will pass #OneFairWage because feeding your kids shouldn't depend on the kindness of strangers.



On Monday, our team introduced the bill in New York — the first of our 10 states for 2023 — where we rallied and lobbied NY lawmakers to raise the wage and not leave tipped workers behind!

Our coalition of workers and activists was joined by dozens of NY lawmakers, folks like NY Sens. Gustavo Rivera and Robert Jackson who we worked to help elect in November!

NY would be the 9th state to End the Subminimum Wage for tipped workers — on Monday, we’ll launch the bill in Colorado, and on Feb. 8 do it again in Illinois!



Our Revolution-NYPAN’s Jenny Almanzar spoke at the One Fair Wage event about her experience in the restaurant industry. “I’ve come out of shifts making less than the minimum wage,” she said. “Most workers at the establishment have quit.”

We need to hear from you! If you’ve ever worked in the food service industry and experienced low wages, we encourage you to speak out — and we’ll have your back!

Leaders like Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna are bringing these issues to the forefront, and we can help bring change by sharing our horror stories in the industry.

SHARE YOUR STORY

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THE ‘OTHER NRA’ vs. WORKERS



Not only are we organizing to pressure elected officials, but we’re also going after the National Restaurant Association — because lobbyists shouldn’t be able to use workers’ money to keep their wages low!

On Thursday, Our Revolution activists protested in NYC and Maryland against the ‘Other NRA’, which the New York Times recently exposed has taken millions from low-wage workers and used it to fund lobbying against wage increases.



All elected officials must reject dirty money from ‘Other NRA’ which has used this scheme to stagnate the federal minimum wage at $7.25/hr since 2009 and the federal tipped wage at $2.13/hr since 1991!

US Rep. Ro Khanna was the first to sign our NO NRA Money pledge, and we need his colleagues in Congress to follow suit!

CALL YOUR REP!

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Raising the Wage is popular — and necessary! Last year restaurant workers won the fight to make Michigan the 8th state to end the subminimum wage for tipped workers. And, in DC, 76% voted to raise the wage to $16.75.

This year we’re working with One Fair Wage to end the subminimum wage in NY, MD, MA, CT, RI, VT, HA, CO, PR, and CA. We’ll also be collecting signatures this year to put the measure on the ballot in AZ, OH, and MI in 2024.

Sign up to be part of our Raise the Wage Team chance to help millions of workers in each of these 13 states win higher wages.

JOIN OUR RAISE THE WAGE TEAM

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With a Republican House, we must also push President Biden to deliver on through the Power of the Pen.

Our Revolution’s Federal Action Team members zeroed in on the following top three issues areas: Combat the Climate Crisis, Lower Healthcare Costs, and Expand Worker Power.

Just some things Biden can do include giving sick leave to rail workers, ensuring union rights for federal contractors, and closing tax loopholes for the wealthy!

JOIN OUR FEDERAL ACTION TEAM

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SINEMA OFFICIALLY HAS A CHALLENGER!

Progressive US Rep. Ruben Gallego is officially running against Kyrsten Sinema for the US Senate in Arizona — and Our Revolution is all-in to make sure the Senate has one less corporate villain.

For too long Sinema has used her power to help those who already have it all — standing in the way of raising the minimum wage, protecting voting rights, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and more.

Gallego came directly at Sinema for repeatedly selling out working people, saying, "The rich and the powerful, they don't need more advocates."

However, corporate Democratic leadership has not yet come out in support of Gallego and has even refused to rule out endorsing Sinema! Which means we have work to do.

With Sinema raking in big money rewarding her for her obstruction of progress, it’s going to take a historic grassroots effort to win. Donate now to our Stop Sinema Fund to jumpstart this work!

STOP SINEMA

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2024 SENATE RACES

Looking ahead to the 2024 Senate races, Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese told The Hill that “the progressive voting bloc in the Senate is poised to become stronger.”

“Look, it’s a very tough map. It is going to be difficult for Democrats to hold the majority,” Joseph explained, “but even if Democrats don’t do well, progressives will, and we’ll have more influence.”

Democrats didn’t win the House in 2022, but the Congressional Progressive Caucus got stronger, which shows that “economic populists, candidates who put bread-and-butter issues at the center of their campaigns, can win,” Joseph said

“I think that’s incredibly encouraging,” he added. “We need more Bernies and Warrens — and Fettermans.”

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While we prepare to take out Kyrsten Sinema in 2024 — unlike other groups — we’re not skipping critical races in 2023.

Power is up for grabs this year in major cities all across America, and we plan to elect progressive city leaders in St. Louis, Chicago, NYC, Philly, Nashville, Dallas, and more.

Join Our Revolution’s Elect Progressives Team to give us insight into what’s happening in YOUR city or town, and help us make key endorsements!

JOIN OUR ELECT PROGRESSIVES TEAM

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Ahead of the DNC winter meeting in February, Our Revolution Board Chair Larry Cohen penned an inside look at progressive work to transform the Party for In These Times.

We have more progressive reformers inside the party than ever before, and they’ll be re-submitting the resolution to get dark money out of primaries at the meeting.

Disgraced crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried funneled nearly $40M to ‘centrist’ Democrats in the primaries — and he was one of many. “Getting this kind of corrupt corporate cash out of primaries is critical if we want to elect grassroots challengers,” Larry said.

“For those of us who believe we must fight in every possible way to advance progressive issues and win real power, we ignore party reform at our peril,” Larry said.

“Without change within the Democratic Party, we won’t win the advances in healthcare, childcare, workers’ rights, and climate change that are desperately needed,” he explained. “Progressive party-building requires a dedicated inside-outside strategy.”

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