Chop Wood, Carry Water 10/23
Hi, all, and happy Monday.
Hope you had a restful weekend. I took a bit of time away from my devices and it helped; it was becoming necessary for my mental health. One can’t spend much time on social media or reading the news right now without falling into the proverbial “slough of despond.” Short breaks are medicinal—especially if we want to come back reinvigorated and ready to help.
Yet one can’t stay away forever—not if one wants to help preserve democracy. So here we are again, on a Monday morning, facing a week that makes the word “momentous” look inadequate. From the horrific unfolding events in the Middle East to the seemingly endless speaker battle to the deep divisions we’re seeing domestically to the massively important elections across the country in two weeks, there’s just a lot to worry about.
Or, we can try to set the worry aside and do what we can. So that’s what we’ll do here today.
Look, I wish I could say with certainty that this is all going to be fine. I can’t. All I can say is I believe it will because we are here and we can make a difference. We have power. We have agency. We are capable and seasoned. We can move the needle, and we must.
Because if we throw up our hands and give up it is absolutely certain not to be fine.
So let’s stay in the day, take deep breaths, and do what we can, remembering to center unity, justice, and love in our actions. In so doing, we can’t lose.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
The period of partisan infighting we’re witnessing in the House right now is frustrating and infuriating. It also makes our country look weak and unstable. Republicans need to stop trying to elect MAGA extremists for the speakership. We need a Speaker of the House who can work across the aisle. We have a few short weeks until our government runs out of funding. We have wars overseas. We have a climate crisis to respond to. We need a functioning government, and we need a consensus candidate in the House to accomplish that. Choose a moderate speaker and get to work. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Fantastic news—the FCC voted this week to launch a rule-making process as the first step to restore net neutrality. The rule now advances to an open comment period where we can submit our thoughts to the FCC.
Learn more about what net neutrality is and why it matters here, then personalize and send a comment supporting it!
Get Smart!
Join BigTentUSA for a discussion between Professor Heather Cox Richardson and Katie Couric on Wednesday, October 25th at 7:00 PM Eastern. They will discuss Professor Richardson’s new book Democracy Awakening: The State of America; how we got to this perilous point, what our history really tells us about ourselves, and what the future of democracy can be. You know I’ll be attending!
Get Smart and Give 💰 for North Carolina!
Movement Voter Project is co-hosting a briefing tonight on their local partners' North Carolina 2024 plans — featuring gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein. You don’t have to give money to attend, and it should be very informative. If you’ve been following NC’s new maps fiasco you know there’s loads to discuss.
Here's the full invite page:
https://movement.vote/nc-briefing-invite
Chop Wood, Save the Planet—in VA! 🔥
I’m squeezing in a plug for one last Zoom fundraiser for Virginia tonight at 7:00pm ET because it’s climate related.
This event will focus on what's at risk to Virginia's important Clean Energy bills if we don't hold at least one VA chamber. The two speakers helped create the bills and will talk about what happens if Republicans try to dismantle them. In 2020, Democrats in Virginia passed bills that made the state a national clean energy leader, and the only southern state with a climate plan. Youngkin wants to undo all that! Here is the link to RSVP and read more about it.
This was organized by four States Project Giving Circles working in Virginia - Purple to Blue, The Wednesday Group, Chop Wood, Carry Statehouses (that’s mine!), and Markers For Democracy.
I really hope anyone who cares about climate—and Virginia!—can attend!
Win Races—MAKE CALLS! 🗳
You guys, I’m so scared about Virginia. SO SCARED. Just not feeling enough engagement there. We need more volunteers!
Fortunately you can join Sister District at upcoming phonebanks pretty much every day! See all the shifts here.
Or come join me today at the wonderful Monday phonebank I attend at 2PM PT / 5 PM ET. They use a dialer and it’s awesome! Sign up here.
Or come tomorrow to the phonebank I run from 3-5PM PT / 6-8PM ET. Sign up here.
Win Races—Cure Ballots! 🗳️
The VA Dems are doing ballot curing in VA and they need more callers badly. This is so easy, so pleasant—you’re talking only to Democrats whose ballots haven’t been counted for some technical reason—and SO IMPORTANT! Remember Shelly Simonds’s VA Delegate race in 2017—she lost by ONE VOTE! YOU could be the person to find the single vote that swings a race—and a chamber—our way!
Sign up here for a ballot curing shift.
Win Races—Send Postcards! 💌
Consider this your last chance to save abortion rights in Ohio with the stroke of a pen. The deadline to request postcard lists from Activate America is this Wednesday, October 25th, and they still have 20,000 voters to reach. Can you take 10 or 20 names? Sign up HERE.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text SIGN PZRUJH to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
As your constituent, I am urging you to do everything possible to avert a government shutdown in November, while maintaining critical funding for programs and services we all need, and that are especially vital for low-income people and families.
It’s unconscionable that a small, extremist faction is holding up important legislative work while pushing steep cuts to human needs programs. They’re also prioritizing policies that harm immigrants and their families―instead, we need a humane approach at our southern border and a real solution to our broken immigration system.
A shutdown would harm our nation’s overall economy, the financial security of individuals and families, government efficiency, and the public’s access to needed services by delaying or interrupting services to millions―whether food and preschool for children and families, public health services during flu season, air safety and travel needs, or protecting our communities’ safety. It would disrupt the jobs of over a million federal workers and make it harder for people to put food on the table, a roof over their heads, and stay safe and healthy. The shutdown would affect employees of federal contractors even more acutely—unlike workers directly employed by the federal government, they do not receive back pay. Their ranks include security guards, carpenters, electricians, cafeteria workers, cleaning crews, and more.
Overall, a shutdown would make vulnerable communities, including people of color, more at risk and result in their disproportionate harm. What we need is responsible bipartisan funding bills that reject cuts to needed services. It’s time to reject the harmful demands of extremists.
I am urging you to do everything in your power to avert a government shutdown and to fund services without cuts before the continuing resolution expires on November 17th. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
I found out they only need 7-10 Republicans to stay home (not vote) to lower the needed count to 210. Then Jeffries would win!
So the conservatives who didn’t want to vote for a MAGA extremist could just stay home.
McHenry’s office is calling me back with the exact number.
Way back in 1849, the House had been in session so long without being able to elect a speaker – 19 days – that members voted to elect their speaker with a plurality rather than a majority. Members ultimately confirmed the plurality election with a majority vote. For the sake of our country, shouldn’t we do this and let Jeffries be Speaker? It’s been about a month!
CNN
Jess I hope it is okay to add this - there are multiple opportunities to textbank for GOTV for VA and PA (Supreme Court race) with Next Gen at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/584146/.
I plan to do as much as I can between now and election day. I will also look into ballot curing this weekend if they have available shifts.
I just signed up to send 25 post cards. Thanks for the info on this opportunity. Often, you have to choose to accept 100 or more and I just can't do that many right now. Thanks for the info!