Chop Wood, Carry Water 12/14

You can't win if you don't play.

Hi, all, and happy Thursday!

I’ve been on back to back meetings today so I’m going to keep this brief.

I hope some of you were able to make it to this morning’s gathering with Dan Osborn, the Navy veteran, union leader and mechanic running for Senate in Nebraska. I was there, and while I started out skeptical—Osborn’s running as an Independent, which always raises warning flares for me—by the end of the call I was pretty excited about the race. Not just because I liked Dan personally, although I did, but because the polling shows he has a good shot at winning. And although he won’t commit to caucusing with either party he is pro-choice and anti-filibuster, so I think he’s way more on our side of things than the other.

Also his deeply unpopular opponent, Deb Fischer, is anti-abortion in all circumstances. No exceptions. Unseating someone like her would be wildly satisfying, to say the least.

If you want to check out more of Dan’s platform—or make a donation— you can do so here. And if you live in Nebraska or know someone who does I encourage you to get involved in his race! There will be abortion and paid family leave ballot measures on the ballot in Nebraska 2024, too, which greatly improves a non-Republican’s chances.

Remember, we can’t win if we don’t play, so playing in every race possible is really, really important. Especially when the stakes are this high.

I remain indescribably proud to be in this fight with you, folks. Let’s get to work!

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m calling because I oppose warrantless surveillance of Americans. I know Congress just extended Section 702—which has been abused by national security agencies to spy on Americans—in the Defense bill and I’m mad about it. We cannot continue to allow the FBI to spy on the American people, to surveil them, without a warrant. FISA must be overhauled—please ask the Senator to prioritize that in January. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

[If GOP] I’m horrified that the Congressmember voted to authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Biden yesterday. This whole thing is a waste of time and our taxpayer dollars. House Republicans are focused on the wrong priorities. We want you to focus on helping our families, not attacking the President, who is a good and honorable man. Republicans are pushing these lies to try to smear him for political purposes. It’s repugnant. I’m angry and I will remember his/her vote on Election Day. Thanks.

[If Democrat] I’m calling because I oppose warrantless surveillance of Americans. I know Congress just extended Section 702—which has been abused by national security agencies to spy on Americans—in the Defense bill and I’m mad about it. We cannot continue to allow the FBI to spy on the American people, to surveil them, without a warrant. FISA must be overhauled—please ask the Congressmember to prioritize that in January. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

I don’t usually recommend calling reps who aren’t ours, but this call is too good to pass up. James Comer, who is going after the Biden family hard for having shell companies, has a shadowy shell company of his own. Read about it here, and then give him a call! (202) 225-3115 (you have to hit the key to talk to a staffer on the Oversight committee, but then you’ll get a VM) or 270-487-9509 or 270-408-1865.

My name is ______ and I’m calling Congressman Comer in his capacity as chairman of the House Oversight committee. I know that he is aggressively pursuing Biden family members, including the president’s son Hunter, over their use of “shell companies.” And I know that Congressman Comer says he’s working to “deliver the transparency and accountability that the American people demand.” In that light I’m wondering why he decided to put some of his land in a shell company called Farm Team Properties that he started with a major campaign contributor. I’d also love to know what other assets Farm Team Properties may hold—it’s worth a million dollars. He hasn’t disclosed more about it so it all seems a bit shadowy and, frankly, corrupt. America would like to know. Thanks.

Get Smart! 📚

More reasons not to freak out about polls!

Keep Calm and Listen to the Signal

Spread the Word! 📣

Activate America posted some great new facts to amplify on Biden’s economy:

Reflecting the impact of the Biden Administration’s policies, the U.S. created 199,000 jobs in November, while the unemployment rate dropped from 3.9% to 3.7% -- both exceeding economists’ expectations. Pursuing a key objective, the Biden Administration has now added 14.1 million jobs,  a record number that exceeds job creation by any other president in a single term.

Highlights:

• The November numbers represent the 22nd straight month with an unemployment rate under 4% -- a record not seen since prior to 1970.  

•  Wages are continuing to grow at a steady pace. Year-over-year average hourly earnings rose by 0.2% in October and 0.4% in November – bringing the total 12-month average increase in hourly earnings to an impressive 4%.

•  The reduced inflation numbers have also raised consumer confidence, which jumped sharply in December to 69.4%, easily surpassing economists’ predictions of 62.4%. This reverses months of declining confidence and indicates that easing inflation is allowing Americans to feel more positive about their ability to afford necessities and plan for the future.

•  The jobs numbers have widely been interpreted by analysts as indicating that the economy could achieve that elusive “soft landing” without causing a recession.  

Give 💰!

I’m really thrilled with the response to our Run For Something fundraising drive, you guys. I’m going to keep it open for a few more days and then announce the results on Sunday. If you know anyone who wants a smart place to give money right now—and it is SMART—please ask them to give here before Sunday! Remember, RFS is going all in to win school boards, election clerk races, mayors’ races, supervisor races, statehouse races, and more. It’s some of the most important downballot (which helps upballot) organizing work happening right now. It needs to be funded!

Win Races! 🗳

Activists in Florida have gathered close to 700,000 signatures to get abortion on the ballot in 2024—they need about 891,000 by February. They’re making a big final push, and you can help by donating to Floridians Protecting Freedom or encouraging folks you know in the state to sign. (Fun fact: voters overwhelmingly support the proposed amendment, including a majority of Republicans.) [H/T]

Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥

Please watch this 30 second video and then send Congress this letter—personalized, of course—opposing “advanced” plastic recycling.

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

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

As Congress deliberates tax priorities, I am writing as your constituent to strongly urge you to prioritize reducing child poverty via an expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) in a potential end-of-year tax package.

There are currently 19 million children excluded from the full credit because of the structure of the CTC. Some do not understand that the vast majority of children whose families are left out of the full CTC are working—but their families do not make enough to get the full CTC.

In fact, under current law, families with 2 children do not receive the full $2,000 CTC if they earn less than $28,000 - $35,000, denying the full credit (or any credit) to families who need it most. Ensuring that the full Child Tax Credit reaches the lowest-income children who need it most will have immeasurable benefits to families and our society for generations to come. Will you make expanding the CTC, and ensuring it reaches the lowest income families currently left out of the full benefit your top priority—not more tax breaks for large, profitable corporations?

Children are our future and investing in them now means continued prosperity for generations to come. The expanded Child Tax Credit cut child poverty in the U.S. by 46%. But when Congress let it expire, child poverty more than doubled, from 5.2% to 12.4%. Just before Thanksgiving, 16% of households with children reported sometimes or often not having enough to eat in the past week, up from 10.4% in the summer of 2021 while families were getting support from a temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Keeping children out of poverty means better school performance, better health outcomes, and more mentally and emotionally well-adjusted children. Research shows that most low-income families spent the expanded CTC on basic necessities like food, utilities, and rent or mortgage payments, as well as education expenses—and families need that help now.

I strongly believe we should focus on tax policies to address child poverty. In contrast, if Congress makes the bonus depreciation rule permanent as some policymakers are proposing, the American public would lose out on $325 billion in revenue over the next decade. That’s money that can be used to fully fund critical programs like childcare, early childhood education, essential nutrition programs, and expand access to health care.

Children and their families are our future; investing in them must be Congress’ top priority. Any tax package you consider must include the expanded Child Tax Credit, focused on directing its help to the lowest-income households. Will you voice support for expanding the Child Tax Credit to reduce child poverty with colleagues and your party’s leadership?

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

Talk soon.

Jess