Chop Wood, Carry Water 11/23 🦃

Hi, all, and happy Wednesday.

I have, indeed, contracted COVID, so I’m going to keep this intro brief, and the newsletter itself a little short than usual.

Mostly, I want to send out a virtual hug to everyone reeling from the second mass shooting in a week. We are living in extremely challenging times, and the fear and pain I, for one, feel with every new event like this is almost overwhelming.

And yet. I feel cautious optimism that we are reaching a tipping point. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but sometimes great change seemingly comes from out of nowhere—kind of like COVID, but in a good way. Yes, we will see more carnage, and every single death at the muzzle of a gun is one too many. But look at what we just did! We are proving ourselves to be a formidable force. And nearly every young person coming of age and getting registered to vote will add to our numbers.

This is a brutal patience and perseverance game, but it’s one we can win. I know it. So once again, let’s remember the tools that help us get through such anxiety-provoking times:

1. The mantra “chop wood, carry water.” Let’s focus on doing the next right thing in front of us and trusting that the results will take care of themselves if enough of us keep moving.

2. Gratitude. Robert Hubbell’s piece from last night’s

   Today's Edition Newsletter
   reminds us, yet again, that focussing on the marvelous things we have accomplished in the recent past will fortify and encourage us going forward. So let’s do that.

3. Love. Being present with family. Being present with friends. Setting down our phones and enjoying moments of real connection. It’s our secret weapon, our rocket fuel, our spiritual nutrition.

4. Taking things one day at a time. The future feels like a scary place, which leads to despair, which leads to inertia. The present is easier to handle, especially if we use the tools above. So let’s stay out of the “wreckage of our future” and in the day we’re in, which we are well equipped to handle.

5. Lots of pie. This speaks for itself.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all, or whatever you choose to call tomorrow’s holiday. I am staggeringly grateful for all of you, and certain that, with you at my side, we cannot fail.

Now a few quick actions before this newsletter takes a break for the weekend:

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

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

I’m calling to say, simply, that I’ve had it. The mass shootings have to stop. The collective trauma we are experiencing because of our gun vile epidemic is going to scar us for life. This is not freedom. It’s the opposite. Congress needs to pass an Assault Weapons ban, a safe storage bill like Ethan’s Law, and a Comprehensive Background Check bill NOW. During lame duck. Failure to do so will result in more incomprehensible carnage and even less so-called freedom. Will the Senator make this a top priority?

Extra Credit ✅

Call Senator Schumer at (212) 486-4430 or (518) 431-4070 or (202) 224-6542

Say:

I’m calling the Senator in his capacity as Majority Leader because I want him to prioritize the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and bring the bill to a vote in November. 

If we do not pass PWFA this session and control of the House changes hands, this bill will likely die and the Senate will have missed the opportunity to protect the health and financial security of millions of pregnant and postpartum workers. You cannot let this happen. 

It has the 60+ votes needed to pass. I am asking that PWFA be a top priority and you bring it to a vote before the end of the year. We cannot wait any longer. Thanks.

Give 💰 For Georgia! 🍑

This sounds fun!

GEORGIA RUNOFF: A Night of Comedy and Politics to Support Movement Voter Project’s Georgia Partners. This event is going to to be fabulous and fun, with The Daily Show’s Roy Wood, Jr.; Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me’s Alonzo Bodden; and comedian/pundit Keith Price.

Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT

RSVP

Text For Georgia! 🍑

[Don’t forget, the whole “Help Us Win in GA” doc is here.]

On Tuesday, November 29th at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT Vote Riders will be texting young voters of color across Georgia who are already registered to vote to remind them what ID they need to bring to the polls! Get trained and continue to send texts through Election Day on your own time. 

Sign up below!

RSVP

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

[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Quick send text SIGN PLWOOV to 50409]

Corporations are enjoying record profits from inflated prices. And they are paying record low income tax rates while they price-gouge consumers. They don’t need even more tax breaks that enrich wealthy shareholders while starving public services of critically needed funds that help working families afford healthcare, housing, childcare, utilities and more.

As Congress considers an end-of-year spending bill, I urge you to raise, not cut, corporate taxes.

In 2017, the Trump-GOP tax scam gave corporations a 40% federal income tax cut, which is helping to fuel a nearly $2 trillion addition to the federal deficit over 10 years. Now, some in Congress are doubling down on this scam, trying to give major corporations up to $600 billion in new tax cuts by making the Trump-GOP tax law even more generous to corporations. I urge you to reject efforts to expand these three major tax loopholes: the Research and Experimentation tax deduction, Net Interest tax break, and 100 percent Bonus Depreciation.

Instead, Congress should raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to at least 28% (the corporate tax rate was 35% just 5 years ago); close offshore corporate tax loopholes, which encourage large corporations to shift operations and jobs offshore and profits to tax havens; and strengthen the corporate minimum tax so it applies to far more than 100 corporations making over $1 billion a year.

The nearly $2 trillion these progressive tax reforms would raise could be used to improve the lives of working families: making healthcare, childcare and housing more affordable; expanding the Child Tax Credit to lift millions of children out of poverty; shoring up Medicare and Social Security; and more.

I urge you to raise, not cut, corporate taxes during the lame-duck session.

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

Talk on Monday.

Jess