Chop Wood, Carry Water 1/19

Action is the antidote to anxiety!

Jan 19, 2024

Hi, all, and happy Friday,

One of my readers from Birmingham, AL, sent me the above pictures of an MLK day event she held at her home. It was a gathering of about twenty friends who came together to write Civics Center letters into Arizona. Her group, made up of regular Americans worried about the state of our democracy, intends to start doing some kind of letter or postcarding writing activity once a month. Good!

My subscriber said the event was a great one. Everyone who attended felt better for doing something. And she added that “if anyone doesn't know how to get started I'd be happy to provide logistics advice (google form template, etc) for anyone who wants assistance in arranging an EASY one hour event.” Yay! I encourage you to avail yourselves of her offer! Please reply to this email if you’d like me to send you her email address.

The Civics Center campaign is still active, by the way, as are several postcarding campaigns and a new Greenpeace letter writing campaign. There are links to all of them in this google document.

Remember, just as her sign says, action IS the antidote to anxiety. Nothing works better to calm my worries, at least, and it has the added benefit of changing outcomes!

On that note, let’s get to work now before the weekend commences.

P.S. — I’d love to highlight more of your work in this newsletter, my friends. So if you host or attend an event, or go canvassing, or join a phonebank, or write some pretty postcards, send me pictures and I’ll try to share them here! You inspire me every day. You deserve to inspire each other, too.

P.P.S—Hoping to see a few of you Angelenos at our Blue Voter Guide fundraiser in Los Feliz tomorrow!

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m calling about two separate issues:

First, I know the Senate has been considering S. 1149, the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which would offer $1.4 billion annually for states and tribes to protect threatened species. Please ask the Senator to support it. I’m worried about biodiversity loss. Congress needs to act.

Second, I want Congress to approve Ukraine funding. I’m outraged that it hasn’t yet. Russia’s aggression endangers all of us. We either help defend Ukraine now or our own service members will end up fighting there. No way. Please tell the Senator this needs to be a top priority. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

First, I know the Senate has been considering S. 1149, the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which would offer $1.4 billion annually for states and tribes to protect threatened species. Please ask the Congressmember to introduce companion legislation in the House. I’m worried about biodiversity loss. Congress needs to act.

Extra Credit ✅

Let’s hear it for Resistbot! Their great Director, Jason, and Bob Morgan, one of my enterprising subscribers, have collaborated to create an easy tool for writing your Senator to ask them to push Senator Menendez to resign! If you live in NJ, it enables you to ask him to resign directly!

Just text MENENDEZ to Resistbot at 50409 or whichever other way you usually contact them! It’ll walk you through the rest!

Get Smart— North Carolina! 📚

Meeting with NC Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs and Cheri Beasley

At All in For NC’s first meeting of 2024, on Monday, January 22, 2024, 4-5 pm EST, they'll be joined by NC Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs, the youngest woman ever to serve on the court. She is up for a full term in November and she’s amazing! Holding her seat is also critical.

Riggs will be joined in conversation with former Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court, Cheri Beasley - who is currently Sandra Day O'Connor Professor at Elon Law School and a partner at a Raleigh law firm.

You can register here:
Meet NC Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs

Get Smart—Filibuster Reform! 🧑🏽‍⚖️

I went to a version of this talk two weeks ago and it was absolutely fantastic.

Sen. Jeff Merkley on How to Fix the Filibuster on Wednesday, January 24, 3–4 p.m. ET.

Come to a live virtual event featuring the authors of the new book, Filibustered! How to Fix the Broken Senate and Save America, in which Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and his former chief of staff Mike Zamore make the case that Congress’s decline began 50 years ago with the introduction of the “no-talk” filibuster. They argue that returning this tool of legislative debate to its original, rarely used form would do much to restore order to the legislature. With moderator Kimberly Atkins Stohr of the Boston Globe, they will discuss the obstacles facing a cohesive, functioning Congress, as well as the surprisingly simple fix that could stem the disorder and restore faith in this vital governing body.

RSVP today.

Spread the Word! 📣

This week marks the three-year anniversary of the Biden-Harris administration. Please use these resources to share some of what they’ve accomplished. It’s a LOT!

Also, if you’re looking for a good list of everything major Biden has done so far, this recap from Tangle, which is a rigorously non-partisan (and great) publication, is pretty amazing. Scroll down to the section called “The Traditional Metrics” and start there. Again, bear in mind that the Tangle has a broad readership from all sides of the political spectrum, so the author’s praise is, to me, even more meaningful.

Do Voter Protection in Wisconsin! 🗳

From VoPro Pros:

The first election of 2024 is just six weeks away and we are kicking off this year’s Voter Protection Program on Tuesday January 23rd, at 6pm CT on Zoom. We’ll be joined by WisDems Chair Ben Wikler to talk through what you can expect this year and why Voter Protection work is once again at the forefront of our fight for democracy in Wisconsin.
Join us (and invite your friends!): sign up here for our virtual kickoff on January 23rd!

Unable to make their kickoff event but interested in volunteering with Team VoPro Wisconsin? Fill out this form to let them know which of their programs you’re interested in this year. They’ll follow up with you as training opportunities come up!

Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥

Y’all, I am moderating this event. Please come!

If the Electoral College returns the world's leading climate denier to the Oval Office, the consequences will be dire. On day one, President Trump has promised to "drill, drill, drill." He will go on to frustrate the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act while seeking its repeal, unwind critical regulations, give air cover for the fossil fuel industry, and setting an example that too many other world leaders will be tempted to follow. And that's just for starters. We cannot allow this to happen.

Climate Action Now is working with the Environmental Voter Project to help turn out the environmental vote. Whether you are familiar with this extraordinary organization or not, we urge you to join this Action Party and see what you can do to help. We can't get started too soon!

Tuesday, Jan. 30, 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET
Registration required

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

[To: all 3 reps ] [H/T Social Security Works] [Text SIGN POJNVK to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]

As your constituent, I am deeply concerned about the potential threat that a closed-door fiscal commission poses to Social Security and Medicare.

These essential programs are lifelines for millions of seniors, veterans, disabled persons, and children in our country. Any cuts or changes to them should be made openly and with thorough discussion and public input.

The fact that the commission's proceedings would be closed-door raises suspicions that these bills’ supporters have something to hide from the American people, who overwhelmingly prefer to see these programs expanded, not cut.

I strongly urge you to reject any proposals for a closed-door fiscal commission and support bills like Rep. John Larson’s Social Security 2100 Act which strengthen Social Security over the long term and expand benefits.

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

Talk soon.

Jess

Chop Wood, Carry Water