Chop Wood, Carry Water 10/2 📚

Oct 02, 2023

Hi, all, and happy Monday!

Wow! What a weekend! The passage of a last-minute “clean” Continuing Resolution that avoided, at least for now, a government shut down was a pleasant surprise, indeed.

But let me be very clear, y’all: you made that surprise happen. Folks inside the Beltway are reporting that Kevin McCarthy was hearing from his swing district House members that they were hearing from their constituents that they would be “toast” if the government shut down. Do you understand what that means? The “unexpected” last-minute pivot by McCarthy was in large part due to the noise you’ve been making. And not just those of you in GOP districts—all of you. Noise is noise, and we’ve been creating a ton of it. It matters! Politicians hate blowback—they avoid it like a cat avoids a bath—and they knew the blowback in this instance would be unacceptably huge.

This is a big victory for us; it’s also confirmation that, while Kevin McCarthy may be afraid of his Freedom Caucus members, he’s more afraid of us. As he should be.

Of course we sustained a loss, too, in the form of Congress’s failure to pass funding for Ukraine. That’s why we’re getting back to work today. We will use the same tactics we just used on House members to get them to pass a CR to make them fund Ukraine. We can do this! When we organize, when we unify, when we amplify…we win. Never forget it.

There’s more big news: In California we have a new Senate nominee, and she’s amazing. Vice President Harris will swear her in tomorrow—remarkable! A female, BIPOC former Senator and now Vice President swearing in a Black, lesbian, female, labor organizing Senator. You gotta love it.

And there’s more: it’s the first day of the Supreme Court’s new term. While it’s unnerving and anxiety-producing to consider the damage they could do, let’s not panic about disasters that haven’t yet happened. Our job for now is to keep pressure on Justice Roberts about the Court’s ethical issues, keep demanding that Thomas and Alito recuse themselves from cases in which they have (glaring) conflicts of interest, and keep pressuring Congress to get court reform done.

Finally, it’s Banned Book Week. Since literary censorship is ramping up, and since it’s wildly unpopular with most Americans, let’s take the opportunity to hammer away at this noxious practice in every way we can. Little is more important.

Make no mistake, all—we’re fighting for the survival of democracy, the Constitution, our judiciary, and our freedoms. There’s no one who can save the day but us; thank goodness we’re also highly qualified to do the job. So let’s get to work one more time, knowing that no fight is more noble, necessary, or important than the one we’re waging.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

I’m glad the House passed a Continuing Resolution to temporarily fund the government and prevent a shutdown. But I was really disappointed that funding for Ukraine wasn’t included. It’s unacceptable to abandon our allies in their moment of need. Also, this is about protecting democracy everywhere. It’s our fight as much as Ukraine’s. We allow Vladimir Putin to gain the upper hand at our peril. Please ask the Senator to support Ukraine funding and push for a stand alone bill to be passed right away.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

I’m glad the House passed a Continuing Resolution to temporarily fund the government and prevent a shutdown. [Thank your rep if they supported it]. But I was really disappointed that funding for Ukraine wasn’t included. Kevin McCarthy needs to bring a bill to the House floor for an up or down vote to provide that funding immediately. It’s unacceptable to abandon our allies in their moment of greatest need. Also, this is about protecting democracy everywhere. We allow Vladimir Putin to gain the upper hand at our peril. Please ask the Congressmember to support Ukraine funding and push for a stand alone bill to be passed right away. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

PEN America has created an easy tool to enable Americans to write to their state legislators and ask them to oppose book bans. In honor of Banned Book Week let’s all send one, even if our state lawmakers are generally strong in this area. It’s important that everyone in office know that we want them to make this a central point of advocacy.

Send your letter here.

Get Smart! 📚

Big Tent has announced that Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, will join them for a virtual conversation with Rick Dresser, President of the Writers Guild Initiative, on Wed. Oct. 4 at 7pm ET. They will examine the current movement to ban books in public schools and libraries across the country, underscoring the impacts of increased censorship on students and schools, as well as authors and artists. With a lens to the past, Nossel and Dresser will discuss whether these threats to free expression are novel, as well as ways for individuals to use their voices in defending the freedom to read.

RSVP HERE

Spread the Word! 📣

This new Op-Ed by Jessica Valenti of

Abortion, Every Day

(which, by the way, is absolutely indispensable reading) is important and should be not only read but shared widely. It’s critical for Americans to understand the GOP’s increasing “word-smithing” around abortion and why it matters.

Again you can share it here.

Give 💰!

Tired of the House GOP sabotaging our government? Join Force Multiplier and political strategist Simon Rosenberg on Thursday, October 5, 7:00-8:00pm ET for an uplifting fundraiser to help flip the House.

Your donation will support the 13 candidates on FM’s Flip the House slate.

Suggested donation $100.
If you can give more, please do.
If not, please give what you can and join them.

Win Races—Write! ✍🏼

PostcardsToVoters.org launched postcards for Dave Calone for Suffolk County Executive! Not only is this race important because this seat is equivalent to Mayor for half of Long Island, the biggest suburban county in the USA, this campaign and slate is laying the infrastructure and generating the excitement to win back the four US House seats on Long Island that we need to win in 2024! Dave winning now is the beginning of dumping Kevin McCarthy and replacing him with Speaker Hakeem Jeffries! And Dave is a superb candidate! CaloneForSuffolk.com. Can you write some postcards for Dave?

Please note that Abby the Address Bot is temporarily unable to text. However PTV volunteers can request addresses several other easy ways which are linked in the new PTV Linktr.ee! The PTV linktr.ee also has a link for how to join PTV for the first time! Ohio is still up and Tony will be adding important Virginia campaigns soon too! So lots of help wanted! Thank you.

Win Races—Call! 📲

Indivisible is holding an Ohio phonebank tomorrow to protect abortion rights! Tuesday October 3, 6pm ET.

Join Indivisible members nationwide as we talk to Ohio voters about voting YES on Issue 1, an amendment to the Ohio State Constitution that would protect the right to abortion and reproductive care. This critical amendment would enshrine protections for the right to contraception, fertility treatments, and miscarriage care. Together, we can fight back against attacks on our reproductive freedoms.

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

[to all 3 reps] [H/T PEN America] [Quick send: Text SIGN PYXAAU to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]

I’m writing with grave concern about the book bans we’re seeing happen all over the country. I’d like you to support H.Res. 733/S. Res. 372: which expresses concern about the spreading problem of book banning and the proliferation of threats to freedom of expression in the United States.

According to PEN America’s most recent book ban report, there have been 3,362 instances of book bans in the 2022-23 school year, a 33% increase over the previous year.

I agree with Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Brian Schatz that the censorious efforts to remove books from our schools and libraries are a hallmark of authoritarian regimes. By speaking from the highest legislative body in the nation, Congress has a unique role to play in discouraging state and local policy makers from passing vaguely-worded legislation pushed by local and national extremist groups. These measures, whether intentionally or not, pressure school districts to remove more books from student access. Fear of penalties, legal liabilities, and criminal punishments are escalating book bans to new heights.

Please protect the first amendment and stand up for the freedom to learn. Cosponsor and help to pass H.Res. 733/S. Res. 372.

OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk soon.

Jess

Chop Wood, Carry Water