Our Revolution
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Predecessor | Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, 2016 |
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Founded | 2016 |
Location | |
President | Nina Turner |
Key people | Bernie Sanders, Jane Sanders, Jeff Weaver, Bill McKibben, Nina Turner |
Website | ourrevolution |
Our Revolution is an American progressive political action organization spun out of Senator Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign to continue its work.[1] The organization's mission is to educate voters about issues,[2][3] get people involved in the political process, and work to organize and elect progressive candidates. Our Revolution is also the title of a book by Sanders released in November 2016.[4][5]
Launch and focus
The organization officially launched on August 24, 2016, designated as a 501(c)(4),[6] with a presentation that was live-streamed online via YouTube to meetings across the country and shown by Free Speech TV.
Our Revolution's three main goals are:
- to revitalize American democracy by engaging millions of individuals in the political processes;
- to empower the next generation of progressive leaders;
- to elevate political consciousness by educating the public about issues confronting the United States.[7]
More specifically, the organization aims to create, support, promote and elect progressive candidates from school board to US Senate; support and help pass progressive ballot measures; create, train and mobilize activists; and protest things such as oil pipelines and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.[8] The progressive issues Our Revolution promotes are almost identical to those of Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign: reducing income and wealth inequality, working for single-payer healthcare, reducing the price of prescription drugs, instituting a $15 minimum wage, expanding Social Security, creating jobs, and making public colleges and universities tuition-free.[9] The organization will support minority rights, specifically African American, Latino and Native American rights, including government respect of treaties with Native Americans. Organizations that support Our Revolution include People for Bernie, National Nurses United, and the Communications Workers of America, among others.[10]
Staffing
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Bernie_Sanders_%2824541608326%29.jpg/220px-Bernie_Sanders_%2824541608326%29.jpg)
The organization's staff include chairman Larry Cohen and president Jeff Weaver.[11][12][13] Erika Andiola, the Sanders campaign's Latino press secretary, has joined the organization's communications staff.[14] Our Revolution's 501(c)(4) designation prevents Sanders from playing a role in the organization because he is an elected official.[15]
On August 29, 2016, the board of Our Revolution was announced as:
- Larry Cohen (Chairman) – Labor
- Nina Turner – Former Ohio State Senator
- Deborah Parker – Native American Leader
- Ben Jealous – Civil Rights Leader
- Jim Hightower – Political Leader, National Radio Commentator & Writer
- Jim Zogby – Arab American Human Rights Leader
- Huck Gutman – Former Chief of Staff for Senator Bernie Sanders
- Jane Kleeb – Environmental Activist
- Lucy Flores – Former Nevada Assemblywoman
- Jonathan Daley – Immigration, Reproductive Justice and Trans Queer Liberation Activist
- Shailene Woodley – Actress and Environmental Activist[16][17]
At the start, the organization faced a significant staffing challenge as eight of its initial 15 staffers left before the launch when Weaver was chosen as president. They objected to the way he had handled Sanders' presidential campaign and to his decision to make Our Revolution a 501(c)(4).[18][19] Some staffers also left in protest of a lack of diversity among the organization's leaders.[10] The remaining staff was subsequently joined by an additional three staffers, bringing the total to ten.[11][20][21]
2016 election
During the 2016 election, the organization supported several ballot measures and candidates, with $1.3 million raised.[22] Of the 106 candidates and 34 ballot initiatives Our Revolution supported, 58 candidates and 23 ballot initiatives won in 2016.[23][24] Our Revolution, like Sanders, opposed the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump. After Trump's election, Our Revolution issued the following statement:
We will do everything in our power to ensure that the president-elect cannot ignore the battles Americans are facing every single day. Our job is to offer a real alternative vision and engage on the local and national level to continue the work of the political revolution in the face of a divided nation.[23]
Sanders himself announced, "I intend to work with President Trump on those issues where he will, in fact, work for the middle class and working families of this country. I will vigorously oppose him if he appeals to racism or sexism or some of the other discriminatory measures that he brought up during his campaign."[25]
Chairman Larry Cohen cited populist sentiment and cautioned that political and economic elitists may face backlash in upcoming elections.[26]
2017 Political activism
In January 2017, Our Revolution activists worked in local elections in California to advance Sanders' populist agenda. Executive director Shannon Jackson said, "We are going to continue to do this around the states."[27]
Summer for Progress
Several progressive organizations, including Fight for 15, Justice Democrats, Democratic Socialists of America, National Nurses United, Working Families Party, and Brand New Congress, announced in July 2017 a push to encourage House Democrats to sign on to a #PeoplesPlatform, which consists of supporting "eight bills currently in the House of Representatives that will address the concerns of everyday Americans."[28] These eight bills and the topics they address are:
- Medicare for All: H.R. 676 Medicare For All Act[29]
- Free College Tuition: H.R. 1880 College for All Act of 2017[30]
- Worker Rights: H.R.15 - Raise the Wage Act [31]
- Women’s Rights: H.R.771 - Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act of 2017 [32]
- Voting Rights: H.R. 2840 - Automatic Voter Registration Act[33]
- Environmental Justice: Climate Change Bill - TBD
- Criminal Justice and Immigrant Rights: H.R. 3227 - Justice is Not For Sale Act of 2017[34]
- Taxing Wall Street: H.R. 1144 - Inclusive Prosperity Act[35]
References
- ^ "Bernie Sanders will launch organizations to spread progressive message". USA Today.
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(help) - ^ Hensch, Mark (August 3, 2016). "Sanders fundraising 'to transform American society'". The Hill.
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(help) - ^ "Bernie Sanders seeks contributions for 'Our Revolution'". USA Today.
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(help) - ^ "Bernie Sanders Writing Book With Policy Ideas, Primary Reflections". Hollywood Reporter.
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(help) - ^ "Bernie Sanders wrote a book that's out in November". ew.com.
- ^ "Our Revolution". ourrevolution.com. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ "BERNIE SANDERS LAUNCHING POLITICAL GROUP CALLED OUR REVOLUTION". Newsweek. August 24, 2016.
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(help) - ^ "No rest for Sanders supporters on TPP". POLITICO. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "What's Next for the Revolution?." In These Times. (September 2016 ): 554 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2016/10/21.
- ^ a b "WHOSE REVOLUTION?." In These Times. (October 2016 ): 1427 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2016/10/21.
- ^ a b Weigel, David; Wagner, John (August 24, 2016). "Bernie Sanders launches 'Our Revolution' with electoral targets — and a few critics left behind". Washington Post. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ Tracy, Abigail. "Bernie Sanders's Post-Campaign Political Revolution Is Imploding". Vanity Fair.
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(help) - ^ "Larry Cohen: Stop the TPP". Democratic Underground.
- ^ "Bernie's Best-Known Latina Staffer Set To Join Post-Campaign "Our Revolution" Group". BuzzFeed.
- ^ Linda Feldmann Staff, writer. "Bernie's revolution revs up for 2016 election and beyond – without him." Christian Science Monitor 26 Aug. 2016: N.PAG. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.
- ^ "Statement of Our Revolution Board of Directors". Our Revolution. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "Our Revolution Announces Formation of Board". Our Revolution. August 29, 2016.
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(help) - ^ Pritt, Pamela. "Sanders announces 'Our Revolution' with national event." Register-Herald (Beckley, WV) 25 Aug. 2016: Newspaper Source. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.
- ^ "Democracy Now!". democracynow.org. August 25, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ "Bernie Sanders' new group is already in turmoil". Politco.
- ^ "Bernie Sanders's New Political Group Is Met by Staff Revolt". The New York Times. August 25, 2016.
- ^ "Bernie Sanders's Our Revolution Faces Its First Big Test". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ a b "Sanders-Backed 'Our Revolution' Scores Major Victories on Election Day". IVN.us. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "Our Revolution LiveTracker". Our Revolution.
- ^ "Bernie Sanders: "I Intend To Work With President Trump"". www.realclearpolitics.com. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ Reporter, Cora Lewis BuzzFeed News. "Here's How Labor Activists Are Reacting To A Trump Presidency". BuzzFeed. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "Sanders Backers Look to Sway Democratic Politics From Inside". Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ "Summer for Progress Petition". Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ 115th Congress (2017) (January 24, 2017). "H.R. 676 (115th)". Legislation. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 115th Congress (2017) (April 4, 2017). "H.R. 1880 (115th)". Legislation. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
College for All Act of 2017
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 115th Congress (2017) (May 25, 2017). "H.R. 15 (115th)". Legislation. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
Raise the Wage Act
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 115th Congress (2017) (January 31, 2017). "H.R. 771 (115th)". Legislation. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act of 2017
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 115th Congress (2017) (June 8, 2017). "H.R. 2840 (115th)". Legislation. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
Automatic Voter Registration Act
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 115th Congress (2017) (July 13, 2017). "H.R. 3227 (115th)". Legislation. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
To improve Federal sentencing and corrections practices, and for other purposes.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 115th Congress (2017) (February 16, 2017). "H.R. 1144 (115th)". Legislation. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
Inclusive Prosperity Act of 2017
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)