Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!
I’m typing—sort of—with my left hand! This is a very big development in my house—for any of you who are new here I broke my wrist just over a week ago. Modern medicine is an amazing thing—a week ago I was incapacitated; I now have working fingers and a titanium plate in my wrist!
This plate will make me stronger at the broken part. It’s a good metaphor for our nearly-broken democracy. Where it is wounded we can fix it, and make it more durable than ever. We have the ability, the plan, the wherewithal.
We have laws that, once passed, will act as titanium plates holding the bones of our Constitution in place.
All we need is the will to pass them, and to hold lawmakers who won’t pass them accountable.
That’s where you and I come in.
I know we’re all tired. I know the Christmas holiday is coming. I know we’re all multitasking within an inch of our lives. We can take a week off next week—hopefully.
But this week we double down.
Your voice matters and so do you. Never forget it.
P.S. The Senate Democrats are having a critical Caucus meeting later today to discuss filibuster reform—although we’re apparently not supposed to call it that anymore, but rather “Senate rules changes”— so let’s make sure to get our calls in as soon as possible.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I know the Democrats are meeting today to discuss rules changes that will enable them to pass legislation we literally need to save our country. I am glad, and I very much hope they will decide to reform the filibuster so they can immediately pass the Freedom to Vote Act, the Judiciary Act, the Women’s Health Protection Act, the PRO Act, and the Equality Act, among others. Americans are tired of a Congress that doesn’t work for it.
[If Democrat add:] Please get this done before the recess. And for God’s sake pass the Build Back Better Act as well. We need everything in it desperately. Especially the climate provisions. Thanks.
[If GOP add:] I’m incredibly saddened and disappointed that Republicans are unwilling to actually work to help people like me. I hope the Senator will change course, but if s/he won’t I will do everything in my power to replace him/her with a Senator who will actually legislate and not just obstruct. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m furious to learn that the Biden Administration was actually NOT required to sell off huge swaths of the Gulf of Mexico—an area larger than the state of Delaware—for oil and gas drilling. Yet it did. What can be done to reverse this horrible decision? I know 3 members of Congress have filed a brief with the federal court calling for a halt to the gulf lease sales. Will the Congressmember do the same? This decision will exacerbate the climate crisis, undermine US credibility abroad and contradict a campaign promise by Biden. Please push back hard. Thanks.
Extra Credit
Send this to President Biden today via Resistbot (quick send— text SIGN PILWTF to 50409), the White House portal, or—better yet—calling during the comment line hours at (202) 456-1111. I’m livid about it—maybe you are, too. [H/T]
I've been incredibly distressed to hear about the huge tracts of the Gulf of Mexico that your administration has leased for oil and gas drilling, despite promising you would be a “climate President.” Climate change is a top issue for me—it is for so many Americans—and selling these permits seemed a catastrophic decision.
I wanted to believe the argument that you were legally required to do this, but now I’m reading that your administration admitted that a court decision did not compel it to lease these tracts. A memo filed by the US Department of Justice before the lease sale acknowledges that this judgement does not force the government to auction off drilling rights to the gulf.
Why would you do this? Every day we see new articles telling us that climate change is even more dire, destructive, and far along than we feared. I am inutterably disappointed. We worked so hard to help you get elected, and you have betrayed us with this decision.
You can make it right by cancelling these leases, and I hope you do. Otherwise this decision will cost us immeasurably— in the midterms, in 2024, and in our childrens’ futures.
Get the Message Out!
For everyone who’s complained about Democrats’ messaging—and let’s face it, that’s all of us—here’s a great opportunity to BE the change!
The DNC is organizing phonebanks to voters to explain how President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help each state and each voter directly. That’s it! Simply spreading the good word! I love this idea, and plan to make some calls today. These will be easy and feel good, and we can’t complain about a lack of messaging if we’re not going to…help message!
Sign up for a shift anytime today, tomorrow, or Thursday here.
Get on Your Laptops! 💻
Working Families Party is running a textbank later today for two fantastic Texas Congressional candidates—one of whom I have a particular “candidate crush” on. If you’re free from 3-5 PDT/6-8 EDT please consider showing up to text for Jessica Cisneros (my crush, running to unseat the awful Henry Cuellar) or Greg Casar (running in TX 35.) WFP will train you up and give you all the info you need to do a great job!
For those of you who are reluctant on get on the phones, this is an excellent way to help. And of course your phone number will never come up. The whole thing is done through a computer program.
The primaries are sooner than we think, and these races will be determined then, not in November. So…
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here!)
[to your Senators] [quick send text SIGN PSKXLO to 50409] [H/T]
Now that the House has passed the Build Back Better Act, it is time for the Senate to take this up and pass it before the recess. The Build Back Better Act is transformative legislation for our nation making major investments including the Child Tax and Earned Income Tax Credits, paid leave, home and community-based services and child care, affordable housing, climate action, environmental justice, universal pre-kindergarten and college assistance, relief for immigrants, and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.
The last expanded monthly Child Tax Credit payment arrives December 15 and must be extended before the end of the year to give families the certainty that the payments will keep coming. The IRS has reportedly stated that Congress must act no later than December 28 to ensure January’s payments will go out on time to tens of millions of families. If the bill does not pass by the end of the year, we risk throwing nearly 10 million children back below the poverty line or deeper into poverty in 2022. Overall, 65 million children will lose out unless Congress acts with urgency.
Passing the Build Back Better Act provides a historic opportunity to reduce childhood poverty and continue support to the most vulnerable children, particularly in Black and Latino families. This legislation also makes the most significant investments in climate and environmental justice in history and makes transformative improvements in our nation's care infrastructure.
When the Build Back Better Act reaches the Senate floor, we strongly urge Senators to reject all amendments including those that would weaken the racial equity impacts of the Child Tax Credit.
The Senate must not recess until this critical legislation is passed. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess