Chop Wood, Carry Water 10/9

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Hi, all, and happy Wednesday,

First, I hope those of you living in its path have evacuated and are safe as Hurricane Milton approaches. I’m thinking of everyone in Florida—especially the Tampa area—as well as those of you in other Southern states still recovering from Helene. What a couple of weeks! I truly hope Milton somehow manages to be less awful than we fear it could be—but wow, what a storm.

Sadly, it’s a stormy moment in our politics as well. Every time I think team MAGA has hit bottom they manage to find a trap door. Their behavior surrounding FEMA and the government’s hurricane response has been, frankly, appalling. It’s deeply disheartening to watch Trump and his cronies spread hate, fear, and misinformation in a moment that should bring out the best in people. I’m aghast; we all should be.

What can we do about it? A lot! We can share the website that debunks Trump’s lies, use the toolkit I’ve posted below to share videos of Republican governors pushing back on MAGA disinfo, and make sure we’re talking to everyone we know about the incredible work being done by everyone involved in the recovery and preparedness efforts. For more information on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to respond to Helene and prepare for Milton, please see these fact sheets:

1. As Federal Assistance for Hurricane Helene Exceeds $210 Million, FEMA Prepares for Dual Response with Hurricane Milton Strengthening as it Moves Toward Gulf Coast of Florida

2. FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration’s Pre-Landfall Preparations for Hurricane Milton

Remember, we’re powerless over bad actors who feed on division, but we’re not powerless when it comes to sharing the truth, highlighting good works, and amplifying stories of unity and service. So let’s do that!

OK, my friends. We knew it would be nuts, and it is. Fortunately we’re keeping our hands busy so we don’t have time to wring them! Let’s get to work saving our democracy, our planet, and our freedoms one more time! We’ve got this!

Thanks for all you’re doing. You’re a part of history, and it’s a huge deal.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) and your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m really upset about the misinformation being spread by some Republicans in the wake of Hurricane Helene—and in the leadup to Hurricane Milton. This disinformation is being spread for the most cynical reasons imaginable—to score political points—and frankly it’s repugnant. I want to know what the Congressmember/Senator is doing about it. Have they made a statement condemning it? Have they contacted their constituents letting them know what the Federal government is actually doing? This sort of disinformation campaign is irresponsible and dangerous. If there isn’t a law against it there should be. Please ask the Senator/Congressmember to push back on it, hard. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Landfills release dangerous methane pollution that accelerates the climate crisis. Let’s use Moms’ Clean Air Force’s tool to ask the EPA to propose new standards to cut methane from landfills and safeguard families. Be sure to personalize!

Get Smart! 📚

Join the Cancel Comstock Coalition and the Progressive Caucus Action Fund on Thursday, Oct. 10th at 1pm ET/10am PT for a virtual briefing on the Comstock Act, one of this country’s oldest zombie laws. Extremists claim they can use this Victorian-era “anti-obscenity” law to ban abortion nationwide without a single vote in Congress.

We’ll hear from special guest Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT), author of the Stop Comstock Act, and experts in law, policy, and public health on the Comstock Act’s potential impact on our health and rights. The panel will discuss anti-abortion extremists’ attempt to “resurrect” this outdated unconstitutional law - and what we can do about it. 

Register for this special virtual briefing here.

Spread the Word! 📣

🚨URGENT!🚨 Amplification needed!

The disinformation about the Biden-Harris Administration’s response to Hurricane Helene is getting really dangerous. VP Harris’s team is urging us to help spread the word about what is actually happening, and they’ve got a toolkit for us to use when doing so. I found the video on the top right to be really effective, but they’re all really good. Please share them on your social media! I can’t overstate the importance of our all pushing back on this.

Give 💰!

To win in Montana, where elections are often decided by fewer than 5,000 votes, 
we need to turn out infrequent Democratic voters.

Force Multiplier recommends supporting four Voter Empowerment Groups who are on the ground engaging youth, Native, and rural voters in Montana: Forward Montana, Western Native Voice, Montana Rural Voters, Montana Public Interest Research Group.

DONATE TO THESE MONTANA VOTER EMPOWERMENT GROUPS HERE.

I’m told by a Montanan subscriber that Montana Conservation Voters is also good. You can donate to them here.

(And don’t forget to check my Adopt Montana doc for other ways you can help!)

Win Races—Flip Seats in CA! 🗳

California Grassroots Alliance is holding a “BALLOT JOY: Zoom Voting Party” tonight, Wednesday the 9th, at 7PM PT. They will have fun videos of their Sweep Six House candidates, plus celebrity videos about why to vote early, and how to use Blue Voter Guide to vote fast, smart and blue. (I just used Blue Voter Guide to fill out my own ballot yesterday, by the way. It’s really fantastic!)

They’ll also screen the Alliance’s three-minute video Firebreak that tells how California is the nation’s firewall for the House.

Register here.

Win Races—Make Calls with SBA!

The Swing Blue Alliance team carefully selects under-resourced campaigns where grassroots organizing can tip the scales between winning and losing. By joining their phone banks, you’ll be working directly in races where your efforts matter most.

You’ll receive training and support throughout, and many of their phone banks use predictive dialers to maximize efficiency—so you’ll have 8-10 or more meaningful conversations with voters every session. With just 25 callers, that’s at least 200 voter contacts in a single session!

Every call helps—especially in tight races. The margin of victory is razor-thin in many districts, and the more calls we make, the greater our chances of making an impact. The time to act is now!

Here are their upcoming phone banks:

MONDAYS

• 4:30-6 PM ET: Recruit GA Poll Observers

• 6-8 PM ET: Make Calls for Rebecca Cooke WI-03

TUESDAYS

• 5-7 PM ET: Fight for Bucks County PA

WEDNESDAYS

• 6-8 PM ET: Bilingual (Spanish/English) Phone Bank to Reading PA

• 6-8 PM ET: Recruit for Mecklenburg County NC Dems & Safiyah Jackson

THURSDAYS

• 4-6 PM ET: Recruit for Congressman Chris Deluzio PA-17

• 6-8 PM ET: Make Calls for Janelle Stelson to Flip PA-10

• 6-8 PM ET: Kamala Harris for the Win: Maine-02

• 6:30-8 PM ET: Recruit GA Poll Observers

SATURDAYS

• 3-5 PM ET: Make Calls for Rebecca Cooke WI-03

SUNDAYS

• 4-6 PM ET: Make Calls for Janelle Stelson to Flip PA-10

• 4-6 PM ET: Bilingual (Spanish/English) Phone Bank to Reading PA

The margin of victory will be small, but with your help, we can make the difference that turns the tide. Join a phone bank today and help bring home a win in November!

Win Races—Call or canvass with Indivisible!

1. Call Florida Voters for Kamala on Tuesday, October 15 at 6pm ET/3pm PT. Florida is home to one of the most competitive red-to-blue Senate pickup opportunities of the election and could very well decide control of the chamber -- help us reach out to Sunshine State voters in support of Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Kamala Harris.

2. Indivisible and Gaslit Nation Phone Bank October 17 at 7pm ET/4pm PT. Join Indivisible and Andrea Chalupa of Gaslit Nation for a phonebank into key states like Montana and Missouri. 

3. Call Ohio Voters for Sherrod Brown and Kamala Harris on Monday, October 21 at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT. If we hope to hold our Senate majority, it's critical we do everything we can to re-elect Sherrod Brown this November! Join our phonebank into Ohio and help us reach out to voters in support of Sherrod Brown for US Senate and Kamala Harris for President.

4. If you’re eligible, sign up for Neighbor2Neighbor. Neighbor2Neighbor is the most effective form of voter contact that we’ve seen. Connect with your community while ensuring that your democracy-aligned neighbors get out to vote this year. There’s not much time left, sign up now and let’s bring home the win! 

Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥

How to Talk About Climate in This Election
Thursday, October 17 at 8pm ET (5pm PT)
RSVP now.

We’re four short weeks from Election Day, and it’s up to us to get every voter we can out there to the polls to vote for our freedoms and our future.

Here’s the next way you can plug into this fight: RSVP right now to join Climate Power on Thursday, October 17th for their virtual Climate Core briefing. They’ll be sharing helpful tools and guidance for how you can have crucial conversations with your own friends, family, neighbors, and networks. After all, these conversations can make a real difference in turning out the climate vote.

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

[To: all 3 reps] [H/T Alan Unell’s Healthcare Advocacy] [Text SIGN PQYYVJ to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]

I am your constituent and I am livid that the US Supreme Court has decided that the federal EMTALA (Emergency Medical and Treatment Act) does not apply to pregnant persons who show up in crisis at a hospital in Texas. We have three problems here and I want you to get in gear and get them fixed:

The first is that women are not full citizens with bodily autonomy in 21 states where abortion is banned so pass the Women’s Health Protection Act and get it legalized everywhere.

Second is that the US Supreme Court has refused to enforce the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act in Texas with respect to a pregnant person in crisis - essentially allowing hospitals in that state to tell pregnant women in crisis to be ready to die and then they will think about care - if at all.

Third, we have a problem that religious hospitals are refusing to treat pregnant women who present in crisis - even in states where abortion is legal. It doesn’t go well for the women. Sepsis and the risk of death are very real for them. A woman with an unviable pregnancy in California was just turned away and was hemorrhaging (a clot the size of an apple) and given towels and a bucket and told to go away. 

I mention this because states have shield laws that protect them from lawsuits if they don’t want to perform treatment that they view as objectionable.

I want you to craft and support legislation that makes EMTALA superior to ANY state law and that includes the shield laws that protect religious hospitals from saving the lives of pregnant people in crisis.

Lives are at risk every day that you don’t act—so act. I will be watching for your response and your public statements and I will vote accordingly. Thanks.

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

Talk soon.

Jess