redrogue18-blog

[redrogue18-blog]

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Russians...

The news this week has been filled with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the connections between the Trump campaign and Russia.  There is a good timeline of activities around the role of Russia in the 2016 election and when Senator (now Attorney General) Sessions met with Russian envoys in the New York Times.  The story was broken by the Washington Post  and alleges that Attorney General Sessions met with Russia Ambassador to the Untied States, Sergey Kislyak, during the Trump campaign and then failed to disclose that communication during the Senate confirmation hearings including in the written questions requested by the Senators.  In response to the disclosure, Senator Kamala Harris has called for the Attorney Generals resignation.  Senator Dianne Feinstein, along with the other 9 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee called on the Attorney General to either recuse himself or to resign.  The National Review and Hugh Hewitt wrote good opinion piece on the calls for resignation and specifically the National Review requests that the House and Senate Intelligence Committees conduct a full investigation prior to calling for his resignation.  Since the disclosure, Attorney General Sessions has recused himself from the FBI investigation into ties between the Trump Campaign and Russia.  If you are interested in adding your voice to this issues, Senator Feinstein and Harris are the primary points of contact.

[redrogue18-blog]

Judge Neil Gorsuch and the United State Supreme Court

Judge Neil Gorsuch has been nominated to the United State Supreme Court.  His hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled for March 20, 2017.  According to the American Bar Association the process for approval of a new Supreme Court Justice is:

1) Nominated by the President of the United States

2) Hearings held by the Senate Judiciary Committee (Senator Feinstein is the ranking member).

3) The Judiciary Committee then votes on the candidate.  If they don’t vote the candidate out of Committee the President must recommend a new nominee.  If the candidate is voted out of Committee by a majority they go before the full Senate for a vote.

4) The full Senate votes on the candidate.  The candidate must receive a ‘cloture’ vote, which means that 60 members must vote to close the debate, and then the candidate must have a majority vote (51) to be approved.  If the candidate does not receive a majority vote the President must nominate a new candidate.

5) Upon approval from the Senate, the acting Supreme Court Justice must then take 2 oaths of office, the Constitutional Oath and the Judicial Oath.

The Senate confirms the nominee so outreach to Senators Feinstein and Harris is paramount in making your voice known.  Senator Feinstein is the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee and this is an opportunity for you to share your questions regarding Judge Gorsuch prior to the hearing.  Click here to go to the Advocacy Education page on our website for more information on how to reach out to our elected officials.

There are a number of resources to learn more about Judge Gorsuch.  

New York Times Articles:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/04/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/04/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-nominee.html

Alliance for Justice: http://www.afj.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/The-Gorsuch-Record.pdf

The Hill: http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-judiciary/318051-judge-neil-gorsuch-will-bring-needed-perspective-to-supreme

Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Neil_Gorsuch

Hugh Hewitt: Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society Interview - http://www.hughhewitt.com/leonard-leo-federalist-society-nomination-judge-gorsuch/

[redrogue18-blog]

Executive Orders

There have been a slew of Executive Orders and Presidential Memorandum coming out of the White House that have caused quite an uproar.  What are Executive Orders and Presidential Memorandum how do they work?

According to the United States Government Information page, Executive Orders are directive issued to federal agencies, department heads, or other federal employees.  Further, thirty days after being published in the Federal Register, executive orders take effect. While they do bypass the U.S. Congress and the standard legislative law making process, no part of an executive order may direct the agencies to conduct illegal or unconstitutional activities.

Presidential Memorandum are executive actions that are informal proposals or moves by the president. The term executive action itself is vague and can be used to describe almost anything the president calls on Congress or his administration to do. But many executive actions carry no legal weight. Those that do actually set policy can be invalidated by the courts or undone by legislation passed by Congress.

Since taking office, President Trump has issued 12 Executive Orders and 12 Presidential Memorandum.

All 24 of these concern me and each one has a different set of actions around them so stay tuned for action items on each as time permits.

[redrogue18-blog]

Supreme Court

Judge Neil Gorsuch has been nominated to the United State Supreme Court.  His hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled for March 20.

According to the American Bar Association (click the name for the source) the process for approval of a new Supreme Court Justice is:

1) Nominated by the President of the United States

2) Hearings held by the Senate Judiciary Committee (Senator Feinstein is the ranking member).

3) The Judiciary Committee then votes on the candidate.  If they don’t vote the candidate out of Committee the President must recommend a new nominee.  If the candidate is voted out of Committee by a majority they go before the full Senate for a vote.

4) The full Senate votes on the candidate.  The candidate must receive a ‘cloture’ vote, which means that 60 members must vote to close the debate, and then the candidate must have a majority vote (51) to be approved.  If the candidate does not receive a majority vote the President must nominate a new candidate.

5) Upon approval from the Senate, the acting Supreme Court Justice must then take 2 oaths of office, the Constitutional Oath and the Judicial Oath.

There are a number of resources to learn more about Judge Gorsuch for you to determine your views on if he should be confirmed to the bench.  

Outreach is the same as for Cabinet positions.  The Senate confirms the nominee so outreach to Senator Feinstein and Harris is paramount in making your voice known.  Senator Feinstein is the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee and getting her good questions to ask during the Hearing is good.

So who is Judge Gorsuch?

New York Times Articles: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/04/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/04/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-nominee.html

Alliance for Justice: http://www.afj.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/The-Gorsuch-Record.pdf

The Hill: http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-judiciary/318051-judge-neil-gorsuch-will-bring-needed-perspective-to-supreme

Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Neil_Gorsuch

Hugh Hewitt: Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society Interview - http://www.hughhewitt.com/leonard-leo-federalist-society-nomination-judge-gorsuch/

As more resources become available I will share them for your review...

[redrogue18-blog]

Update on Cabinet Nominees

We still have 9 Cabinet Nominees that need to work through the Senate Confirmation process.  If you have concerns regarding any of these candidates, you can reach out to Senator Feinstein and Harris by clicking on their names and voicing your thoughts.  The Senate is scheduled to go back in session on Monday 2/27 and Wilbur Ross is scheduled for a vote, so this weekend is a good time to get your thoughts in to your Senator regarding the candidate.

As a reminder (from NPR) this is the process for confirmation:

1. Nominated by president/president-elect

2. Senate hearings before relevant Senate committee

3. Voted out of committee — if a majority of the committee votes for the nominee, it goes to the Senate floor for a vote by the full body. (A caveat here: the Senate majority leader can bring a nominee to the floor for a full Senate vote even if they do NOT get the approval of the relevant committee. It's rare, but it's happened in the past.)

4. Confirmed by full Senate in floor vote

Before the full Senate for Confirmation:

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Dr. Ben Carson  - Unanimous approval from the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs

Secretary of the Interior - Ryan Zinke - Voted 16-6 out of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

Secretary of Commerce - Wilbur Ross before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation - Positive voice vote out of Committee

Secretary of Energy - Governor Rick Perry Voted 16-7 out of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

In Committee Hearings:

Secretary of Agriculture - Sonny Perdue before the Senate Committee on on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry - no dates set on committee hearings

Secretary of Labor - R. Alexander Acosta is a new nominee as the previous nominee dropped out.  Acosta will go before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Director of National Intelligence - Dan Coats before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (Senator Feinstein & Harris) - No Committee hearing set.

United State Trade Representative - Robert Lighthizer before the Senate Finance Committee - No Committee hearing set.

Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors - no nominee selected

[redrogue18-blog]

Cabinet Nominations

My primary concern are the nominations for Cabinet selection.  If you live in California, our 2 Senators are our primary points of contact on the nominations. See previous post for their contact information.  Here is a link to the listing of Senate Committee.

Senator Dianne Feinstein serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Judiciary Committee.

Senator Kamala Harris serves on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Committee on Intelligence, Environment and Public Works & Budget.

There are 2 good websites that are tracking progress on Cabinet nominations:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html

I also found this one on NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2017/01/24/511291979/the-status-of-trump-s-cabinet-where-everyone-is-in-the-process-and-how-it-works

Frankly neither one gave me all the information I needed so I ended up doing a search for the specific Committee that was moving the nominees through the confirmation process and then checked the daily schedule for when decisions were going to be made.  As of today 2/13/2017 here’s where we are at:

Before the full Senate for a vote:

Commerce Secretary - Wilbur Ross before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation - Positively voted out of Committee and is up for a vote before the full Senate.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Dr. Ben Carson before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs - Voted positively out of committee and is now before the full Senate for confirmation vote.

Director of the Office of Management and Budget - Mick Mulvaney before the Senate Committee on Budget - Voted positively out of committee and is now before the full Senate for confirmation vote.

Is going through Hearings on one of our Senators committee:

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator - Scott Pruitt before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (Senator Harris) - No Committee vote set.

Director of National Intelligence - Dan Coats before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (Senator Feinstein & Harris) - No Committee hearing set.

Not on one of our Senators Committees:

Treasury Secretary - Steve Mnuchin before the Senate Finance Committee - No date set on a Committee vote.

Interior Secretary - Ryan Zinke before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources - No date set on a Committee vote.

Agricultural Secretary - Sonny Perdue before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry - No date set for a Committee Hearing

Labor Secretary - Andrew Puzder before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions - Hearing scheduled for 2/16/2017.

Secretary of Energy - Governor Rick Perry before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources - No Committee vote set.

Secretary of Veteran Affairs - David Shulkin before the Senate Committee on Veteran’s Affairs - No hearing set.

Small Business Administration - Linda McMahon before the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship - No Committee vote set.

U.S. Trade Representative - Robert Lighthizer before the Senate Finance Committee - No Committee hearing set.

[redrogue18-blog]

How to communicate with your elected representative

When communicating with your elected representative there are a few pieces of advice that will help get your message across in a more effective manner.  This was culled from former Congressional Staffers myself included.

1. Give your name, city, and zip code, and say "I don't need a response." That way, they can quickly confirm you are a constituent, and that they can tally you down without having to take the time to craft a response to you.  If you want a response, let them know.

2. Please contact your own representative.  Your opinion will not be taken into consideration if you are outside the District.

3. Please be nice! The people responding to constituents on Capitol Hill have the lowest paid and hardest job in DC. Thank them for their hard work, because without them our elected officials could not represent us.

Specific for phone calls:

 When calling your caller ID shows up on the phone.  May staff members know the area codes in their district so that’s their first indication if you are a constituent.  

State the issue and state your position. "I am opposed to a ban on Muslims entering the US." "I am in favor of stricter gun control legislation including background checks." "I am in favor of the Affordable Care Act." That's it. It doesn't matter why you hold that opinion. The more people calling, the less detail they write down. Help them out by being simple and direct.

What does this sound like?

"Hi, my name is Dan, I'm a constituent from Napa, zip code 9455*, I don't need a response. I am opposed to any ban on Muslims entering the United States and I encourage the Senator to please oppose implementation of any such ban. Thanks for your hard work answering the phones!"

Letters:

Try and keep your letter to one page.  When I worked for a Member of Congress, we would average 100 letters and postcards a day. That’s a lot of letters to get through if they are long.  The Congressman took his constituent mail very seriously and spent a lot of time reviewing the letters and crafting responses. Keep your message direct and to the point.  Be clear what you are asking for and let them know if you want or don’t want a response. 

Here’s a sample of a letter I recently sent to Senator Dianne Feinstein:

February 5, 2017 Senator Dianne Feinstein United States Senate

Dear Senator Feinstein,

Please vote no on the appointment of Senator Jeff Sessions as the United States Attorney General.  Thank you for your work in opposing his nomination in the Judiciary Committee.

I do not need a response to this email.

Thank you, Name City, Zip Code

[redrogue18-blog]

CA Congressional District 5 & Napa County

If you live in California Congressional District 5 and Napa County here is the contact information for our elected officials:

Senator Dianne Feinstein United States Senate 331 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3841 Fax: (202) 228-3954 TTY/TDD: (202) 224-2501 Link to online submission form: https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me

Senator Kamala Harris United States Senate 40B Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone (202) 224-3553 Fax (202) 224-2200 Link to online submission form: https://www.harris.senate.gov/content/contact-senator

Congressman Mike Thompson Unites States House of Representatives 231 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone (202) 225-3311 Fax (202) 225-4335 Link to online submission form: https://mikethompsonforms.house.gov/contact/

Here is the contact information for State elected officials:

Senator Bill Dodd California State Senate State Capitol, Room 5114 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4003 Fax: (916) 651-4903 Link to online submission form: http://sd03.senate.ca.gov/contact

Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry California State Assembly State Capitol, P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249 Tel: (916) 319-2004 Fax: (916) 319-2104 Link to online submission form: https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=AD04

Here is the contact information for our County elected officials:

County of Napa Board of Supervisors phone: (707) 253-4386

Supervisor Diane Dillon Email: Diane.Dillon@CountyofNapa.org

Supervisor Brad Wagonknecht Email: Brad.Wagonknecht@CountyofNapa.org

Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza Email: Alfredo.Pedroza@CountyofNapa.org

Supervisor Belia Ramos Email: Belia.Ramos@CountyofNapa.org

Supervisor Ryan Gregory Email: Ryan.Gregory@CountyofNapa.org

Here is the contact info for the Mayors:

Mayor Leon Garcia City of American Canyon Office Phone: (707) 647-4369 Email: lgarcia@cityofamericancanyon.org

Mayor Jill Techel City of Napa Office Phone: (707) 258-7876 Email: jtechel@cityofnapa.org

Mayor John Dunbar Town of Yountville Office Phone: (707) 948-2637 Email: JDunbar@yville.com

Mayor Alan Galbraith City of St. Helena Office Phone: (707) 968-2742 Email: AGalbraith@cityofsthelena.org

Mayor Chris Canning City of Calistoga Office Phone: (707) 942-2807 Email: ccanning@ci.calistoga.ca.us

[redrogue18-blog]

What do we do next?

That was the question posed to me as I was standing in line for a glass of wine...It was a good question.  What do we do next?  As I’ve been putting my thoughts into action, I had a number of folks ask me what I was doing.  So here we are, on a blog, putting our thoughts and words into action.  

I have a number of thoughts on how to proceed but my guiding principle is that we have to re-learn how to disagree without being disagreeable and that many of the issues that I thought we were progressing on were not.

In my action, I propose asking hard questions, being respectful, understanding both sides and engaging with our elected decision makers with kindness.  Let’s get started!