News from the Frontlines of the Political Revolution!
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Join us on our Monday Night Organize to Win Call featuring
US Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, on our strategy to get progressive priorities passed in Congress; newly-elected San Antonio City Councilor Teri Castillo on turning Texas blue; and West Virginia union leader Joe Gouzd on our campaign to hold Joe Manchin accountable!
DON’T MISS MONDAY! SIGN-UP HERE.
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IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE: Read about how Our Revolution is …
(1) Mobilizing our nationwide network of grassroots groups to make sure President Biden and Democrats don’t backtrack on their progressive campaign promises;
(2) Holding our elected officials accountable to support ending the filibuster and passing the For the People Act;
(3) Electing progressive champions in Texas, Virginia, Iowa, New Jersey, and Oregon;
(4) Fighting for progressive policies like the PRO Act and the New York Health Act, and against fossil fuel infrastructure like the Keystone XL pipeline;
(5) Transforming the Democratic party machine in Arizona, New Jersey, California, and West Virginia…and MORE!
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Our Revolution is demanding that President Biden and Congressional Democrats deliver on progressive promises they made to voters last year on the campaign trail before next year’s midterm elections.
And this summer is the last best shot to get the job done.
That’s why Our Revolution is launching our Summer of Progress campaign. On the inside, we’re partnering with progressive champions like Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Sen Jeff Merkley on a winning strategy. On the outside, we’re ramping up our organizing in key states like Arizona and West Virginia, where we’re holding senators accountable to advancing a progressive agenda by ending the filibuster.
In a recent survey, our members were clear: We want progress on 5 key priorities: Protecting voting rights, expanding Medicare coverage and lowering prescription drug prices, protecting the climate and ending fossil fuel subsidies, making the wealthy pay their fair share, and passing a $15 minimum wage and labor reform.
SIGN HERE: IT’S TIME TO END THE FILIBUSTER & PASS PROGRESSIVE PRIORITIES!
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Our Revolution Board Member Jim Hightower joined our Monday National Organize to Win Broadcast to talk about how progressives led the Texas House Democratic minority to dramatically walk out of the capitol to stop a GOP voter theft bill from passage – and how we need to ramp up pressure on DC Democrats to take a stand and fight for our progressive priorities. “Even with a minority, we showed a heck of a lot more spine than the corporate Democrats allowing the filibuster to block all progress. There are too many weak-kneed Democrats willing to backtrack on their commitment to the voters who elected them. We can be the kiss-ass party of Joe Manchin, or we can be the kick-ass party of Bernie Sanders and Nina Turner.”
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“MANCHIN: YOU NEED TO GET OFF YOUR ASS!”
Our Revolution West Virginia joined with the United Steelworkers to call on Sen. Joe Manchin to stand-up and stop a Pfizer-owned pharmaceutical company in Morgantown from shipping 1500 jobs to India.
At a town hall this week, Our Revolution field director Mike Oles told workers that the “most powerful man in the United States right now is from West Virginia” and he can save this plant. “Joe Manchin talks about bipartisanship. The most bipartisan thing he could do is join with Sen. Capito and save these jobs.”
The plant manufactures billions of doses of generic drugs for the US Government, and has received billions of dollars in federal tax dollars.
Becky Friend, a truck driver at the plant, spoke about the shock of hearing about the closure. “Right before Christmas, my family was heading to Florida for the holidays. That’s when I heard the news. I cried all the way to Florida because I felt like they freakin’ gut-punched me. All I can say is Manchin, you need to get off your ass!”
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NO-SHOW SINEMA
Last week, Our Revolution Arizona joined with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades to host a worker’s town hall in Phoenix to call on Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly and to support the PRO Act – and eliminate the filibuster to make it law! The union invited both Senators to hear directly from low-wage workers – both were NO SHOWS.
Our Revolution Arizona organizer Kevin Loera pointed out on our Monday National Organize to Win Broadcast that “just as Sen. Sinema was absent for the January 6th Commission vote, she was absent for a town hall that elevated the voices and the struggles of Arizona workers who are the backbone of our state. This is a senator who we knocked hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of doors for.”
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“DON’T MESS WITH A MOM IN A MINIVAN!”
Our Revolution Board Member Jane Kleeb fought for years against the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, and when the company behind it announced this week that it was cancelling the project, she was “ebullient,” according to The Washington Post. Jane told the paper: “Hot Damn is probably not enough…nor is, ‘Hey TransCanada, can I get the white flag you just waved for my memory box?’’’ She also tweeted, “Goodbye TransCanada. I don’t want to see you in our state ever again bullying landowners and disrespecting Tribes. Don’t mess with a mom in a minivan. #NoKXL”
WHEN WE ORGANIZE, WE WIN!
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NY MARCH: “EVERYONE IN, NOBODY OUT!”
This week, Our Revolution New York / NY Progressive Action Network members joined a march and “die-in” organized by Campaign for New York Health at the state capitol to pressure lawmakers to pass the New York Health Act, which would create the first single-payer healthcare program in the U.S.
After the action, State Sen. Jabari Brisport joined our
Monday National Call to give us an update on the fight in Albany over health care for all. “This bill has been introduced again and again since 1992, but this is the first time it’s had a majority of cosponsors in both houses. We have never been closer to passing it — it’s anti-democratic that leadership isn’t bringing it to a vote.” Still, he remained optimistic: “We have built such grassroots energy — I believe New York can be the first to pass single payer, show that it works, and expand it nationwide.”
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Our Illinois Revolution’s Organize to Win Call was co-hosted by Vance Wyatt, a co-founder and board member of OIR Lake County who was recently elected treasurer of the city of North Chicago. Illinois State Rep. LaToya Greenwood, chair of the Healthcare Access and Availability Committee, spoke to Vance about her legislative efforts to combat bias in healthcare, including making implicit bias training mandatory for licensed healthcare professionals. “It’s heartbreaking, the total disparity in care. Sometimes the treatment you’re given is based on your insurance, or the color of your skin, or what healthcare workers perceive you to be when you walk into a doctor’s office or hospital. It shouldn’t be that way.”
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Our Revolution Prince George’s County Chair Suchitra Balachandran talked with Maryland Congressman Anthony Brown Wednesday night on Hey Prince George’s, Let’s talk Medicare-for-All. At the forum co-sponsored by Our Revolution Maryland, Rep. Brown thanked Suchitra and Our Revolution Prince George’s County for “its leadership in the fight to make healthcare a human right.” Rep. Brown continued: “We have to recognize that the status quo isn’t working for our communities and certainly not in Prince George’s County. It’s unacceptable that 355,000 Marylanders are uninsured and 73% of them are people of color. Access to quality healthcare translates to a social justice issue.”
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NINA: “OUR AGENDA IS WINNING!”
Sen. Nina Turner joined our Monday National Call to update us on her Congressional race as her campaign enters the final stretch. “It’s rare that the progressive candidate is the frontrunner, but that is happening in Ohio 11. We are at the top in the polling. Our agenda is winning – people understand that at times like this, we need bold leadership that is committed to changing the material conditions of people.” She noted that her campaign has received donations from every state and D.C. — with an average donation of $27 — and that 85% of Ohio donations are coming from her district. She thanked Our Revolution Ohio members and volunteers who have been working the phones, text banks, and doors, and sent 2,500 written postcards to CD-11 residents to get out the vote for Nina. “We could not do this without the grassroots.” It’s nine weeks til Election Day, with early voting starting on July 7th!
RSVP TO PHONEBANK FOR NINA HERE
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MAYA-MENTUM!
This week, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined Our Revolution New York / NY Progressive Action Network to endorse Maya Wiley for Mayor. Progressive momentum has been building behind Maya ever since Our Revolution rolled-out our endorsement last week with AOC, Elizabeth Warren and others adding their voice to support electing the first Black woman to lead City Hall!
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On Wednesday, the Queens Gazette interviewed Tiffany Cabán about Our Revolution’s endorsement of her bid for the New York City Council. Tiffany said, “I am so proud to receive the endorsement of Our Revolution. Our Revolution understands that we need leaders in our City government fighting for the things that will make our communities safe, healthy and equitable. That means divesting from a bloated police budget to invest in our communities, passing a Green New Deal for New York City, and ensuring a workforce that affords every single worker the dignity and pay they deserve. Our Revolution puts Bernie’s #NotMeUs slogan into practice and I know that revolutionary change is going to happen.”
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Our Revolution Texas’ Clayton Tucker reports in a Texas Daily Signal op-ed that “2021 was our best ‘off’ year election cycle of all time. In fact, we had 3x the number of victories this year as compared to 2019 and 2017 combined.”
Our Revolution members elected Teri Castillo and Jalen McKee-Rodriguez to the San Antonio City Council. Jalen will be the first openly gay Black man elected to office in Texas. Meanwhile, in Dallas City Council races, our members beat the police union by electing Jesse Moreno, Omar Narvaez, and Adam Bazaldua. We propelled Bernie delegate Alison McGuire to a surprise win in her conservative Denton City Council district, and we helped turn the Fort Worth City Council blue for the first time in a generation with the election of Chris Nettles.
And in Grand Prairie, Junior Ezeonu beat a city council incumbent who openly used dog whistles against him.
The victories of these progressive newcomers, Clayton noted, was due in no small part to our member-driven Get Out The Vote Operation which mobilized hundreds of volunteers to phone bank, text, and hit the doors!
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JIMMY’S BACK!
Our Revolution Maryland’s Jimmy Tarlau was sworn in as the newest member of the Mount Rainier City Council to fill the unexpired term of Celina R. Benitez, who was elected the first Latina Mayor in city History. But “newest” is misleading – Jimmy previously served on the council for 8 years, and also represented his community as a Maryland State Delegate.
“I am looking forward to helping Celina and the rest of the team make our city a better place to live. Local government is where the rubber meets the road. It’s nice to help your neighbors and you hear about it on a daily basis when things aren’t right.”
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LANDSLIDE!
In Tuesday’s election in Virginia, Delegate Elizabeth Guzman won her primary by more than half of all votes cast in a tough race against three challengers. Guzman, an immigrant advocate from Peru, served as Virginia co-chair for Bernie’s 2020 campaign. Our members are going to keep working to get Guzman re-elected in November, so she can continue representing us in the Virginia House!
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“I TAKE MY HAT OFF TO YOU!”
Our Revolution Iowa helped Jon Green win a landslide victory to become the next Supervisor of Johnson County, which is home to Iowa City. Jon, the former Mayor of Lone Tree, says that Bernie drew him back into politics because of his support for issues like Medicare For All, $15 Minimum Wage, College For All and wants to bring those policies to Iowa. At his victory party in Iowa City’s Deadwood Tavern, he thanked supporters saying “I take my hat off to all of you. It’s been a hell of an effort.”
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REVOLUTION IN RED BANK!
In Red Bank, New Jersey, Our Revolution-endorsed City Council member Kate Triggiano came in first place in a hotly contested primary to win re-election to her seat, without the support of the local party.
Kate joined us on our Monday national call on the eve of the election to talk about how Bernie’s campaign got her involved in local politics. As she got more active, she began to ask herself, “Do I want to beg the dais or do I want to be on the dais?” After winning the first contested nomination in over 25 years, she led passage of the first Medicare for All resolution in the state and an ordinance to get Red Bank to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2030.
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PEOPLE POWER TO MAKE BUFFALO PROGRESSIVE
Our Revolution has endorsed India Walton in her campaign to be the first woman elected as Mayor of Buffalo, New York. India is a single mother who has worked as a union representative and community organizer and is the founding executive director of the affordable housing nonprofit Fruit Belt Community Land Trust. She says that “the people closest to the problems are closest to the solutions” and that’s why she wants to make Buffalo a people-powered progressive city.
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DONATE TODAY and help us elect progressive champions up and down the ballot!
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Our Revolution West Virginia members aren’t just holding Joe Manchin accountable, they’re holding the West Virginia Democratic Party accountable, too! When the centrist, mostly white state party leadership recently adopted an affirmative action plan, they ignored the party’s own minority-led Affirmative Action Committee. “The uproar was swift and furious,” writes The Hill. “Leaders and activists have privately discussed plans to call on the state party chair to resign.” The outcry prompted top Democrats from the state House and Senate to call a meeting with the chair and ask her to apologize to Committee members for how the plan was approved and handled.
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DNC CUTS OFF NEVADA DEMS
The Nevada Democratic Party was recently taken over by a progressive slate led by Judith Whitmer. In response, the ousted staff emptied nearly $500,000 from the party’s coffers on their way out — but the newly elected leadership (with the help of Our Revolution members) was able to quickly fundraise and replace it.
This week, the establishment struck back. The DNC announced they will sidestep the state party and run Nevada’s 2022 Coordinated Campaign from a county party in a corner of the state, cutting the new leadership off from tens of millions of dollars in critical funding to elect Democrats in the midterms. Whitmer called the DNC’s decision “ill-advised, undemocratic, and profoundly dangerous” and emphasized that the Nevada Democratic Party “remains the only sanctioned Democratic Party in the state.“
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New Jersey’s primary elections this week proved once again that the “county line” ballot system is a powerful force that gives incumbents virtually automatic wins while insulating progressive challengers. Once again, no incumbents won off of the ‘county line’, and no candidates who had the county line lost. That’s why Our Revolution New Jersey joined with other progressive organizations to end this undemocratic voter disenfranchisement tool. “People are very supportive of the push for better ballots once you explain how ‘the line’ works. Voters loathe corruption, and that’s what our primary ballots do. They corrupt our democracy,” Joe Marchica, chair of Our Revolution Trenton-Mercer.
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SPECIAL SURVEY!
From the beginning, Our Revolution has been focused on transforming the Democratic Party so that it represents working people, not corporate donors. That means fighting for a progressive platform and it means working towards structural change within the party. After the 2016 election, we successfully organized to get so-called super or non-elected delegates out of the nominating process, open up primaries to unaffiliated voters, and allow vote by mail for both primaries and caucuses. We need to keep building on those wins, and that’s why Our Revolution, the Progressive Democrats of America, and the Bernie Delegates Network are identifying progressive party activists so that we can coordinate and share ideas.
ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE PARTY?
FILL OUT OUR SURVEY SO WE CAN CONTINUE WORKING TO MAKE OUR PARTY PROGRESSIVE
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THIS WEEK’S FEATURED EVENTS!
On Tuesday, Our Revolution is hosting award-winning journalist Alec MacGillis, author of “Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America” and labor leaders for a discussion about Amazon’s negative impact on our country.
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On Wednesday, join us for a massive virtual town hall and musical celebration with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Congressman Mondaire Jones to discuss the latest on the For the People Act.
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On Thursday, Our Revolution New Jersey and Public Citizen are leading a town hall with politicians, community organizers, unions, and medical workers to discuss how Medicare for All would’ve better prepared the state for the pandemic and why New Jersey is becoming the epicenter of our movement to
enact health care for all!
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