Hi, all, and happy Thursday!
First, some good news. I’m terribly honored to report that on Saturday I will be the inaugural guest on Robert Hubbell’s new podcast. I’m confident that most of you have long since discovered Mr. Hubbell’s endlessly informative and calming newsletter, but if you haven’t, do subscribe. You won’t be sorry.
Now, about Saturday. I’ll quote from Hubbell directly so I can be sure the instructions are correct:
The podcast interview with Jessica Craven will be live to users of the Callin app on Saturday, December 18, 2021, at 11:00 AM. If you download the Callin app, you can join the conversation live. The episode will be recorded, and a link will be included in next Monday’s newsletter. Anyone who receives the newsletter will be able to listen to the recorded podcast merely by clicking the link in the newsletter. Download the app here. (The app is currently available only on Apple devices.)
This is going to be so fun!
OK, now on to less fun news. Sigh. It sounds like we’re hitting logjams again. It’s unclear what, if anything, will be passed before recess. Feelings of frustration are running high. (Having said that, I’m on my Progressive Mobilization call right now and White House reps who are on don’t sound pessimistic at all, so 🤷🏽♀️.)
On days like today it’s entirely understandable to feel exhausted and/or dispirited. I know I do. But the good news is, my feelings aren’t super relevant to what happens next. The only thing that matters is what I do.
As organizer Mariame Kaba says in this wonderful interview:
When I would feel overwhelmed by what was going on in the world, I would just say to myself: ‘Hope is a discipline.’ It’s less about ‘how you feel,’ and more about the practice of making a decision every day, that you’re still gonna put one foot in front of the other, that you’re still going to get up in the morning. And you’re still going to struggle.”
I’ve said for years that “hope is an action,” but the idea that it’s a discipline goes one step farther. A discipline, according to Merriam Webster, is an “orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior.”
Hope is a pattern of behavior. It is acting, day in and day out, over the long haul, whether we feel hopeful or not. It is a repeated set of actions, a system of rules governing our conduct.
Those rules?
That our voice matters. That democracy is worth fighting for. That our contributions make a difference. That inaction is not an option. That the future is determined by what we do, not what we think.
Remember, courage is not the lack of fear; it’s feeling fear and acting anyway.
So let’s be courageous and disciplined today. In so doing, we will eventually find hope. That’s how it works. 💙
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
[If Democrat other than Manchin or Sinema:] As your constituent, I'm asking you to vote in favor of the Build Back Better package and to urge all your colleagues to commit to passing it as soon as possible. You need to pass something before the holiday break. And please make sure the Medicare expansion pieces, the child tax credit extension without the work requirement, and the climate provisions are kept in. And please amend it to ensure that no one pays more than $35/month for their insulin.
Finally, please do whatever it takes to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act now. Without them our democracy is truly at risk.
[If your Senator is Sinema or Manchin:] Please let the Senator know how deeply frustrated I am with their obstruction of both the Build Back Better Act and the two good voting rights bills we’re trying to pass. All are extremely popular with their constituents. All are totally necessary. And please don’t tell me the Senator isn’t willing to reform the filibuster for voting rights—s/he just did it for the debt ceiling. Or that they’re worried about spending and inflation—they both just voted for an NDAA that is many times larger an expenditure than Build Back Better. This is a make or break moment for our democracy, our planet, and American workers. The Senator is putting our futures at risk. Please ask him/her to agree to a rules change so that we can get voting rights passed, and ask them to support the full Build Back Better Act. Thanks.
[I have nothing for GOP Senators today, sorry.]
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I support the Judiciary Act, HR 2584, and want the Congressmember to as well. The Court derives its legitimacy from the people, and it’s clear that the American people no longer believe this stolen Court is legitimate.
[If Dem add:] Second, I’d like to ask the Congressmember to put pressure on President Biden to cancel student debt. This is not only the right thing to do, and will help millions of people, but it will boost the President’s and Democrats’ poll numbers with young people, who understandably feel frustrated and ignored right now. Thanks.
Extra Credit
Fox News is trending right now, so let’s take advantage of that by posting this on all of our social media:
A friendly reminder that the most powerful personal action you can take to fight #FoxNews is to stop subsidizing them through your cable subscription.
Because right now, if you have cable *at all* you're paying Fox $24/year.
Find out how to stop below.
https://www.stopdisinformation.org/2-for-truth
Extra Extra Credit
Please join in a “social storm” to deliver voting rights before the Senate goes on recess! Either use this toolkit to easily and quickly post on your preferred platform or, if you prefer twitter, use this easy and fast tool (I did this) to tweet at both Senators, POTUS and VP Harris. It’ll tailor the tweets to your individual Senators—pretty cool.
Get on the Phones! ☎️
Join Joan’s Democracy Café as they phone-bank to protect voting rights! They’ll support two different campaigns, both run by their partner End Citizens United / Let America Vote (ECU/LAV):
The first asks Michigan voters to Decline to Sign a diabolical petition that implements voter suppression without a vote of the people, and invite them to a virtual educational event (run by Voters Not Politicians)
The second asks Arizona and West Virginia voters to tell their Senators to reform the filibuster to pass the Freedom to Vote Act (FTVA) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (JLVRAA); we can connect the voter to their Senator’s office while we talk to them (called “patch through”).
They’ll train first-timers before you make calls – no worries! They’ll make sure you feel prepared before you begin, and remain available to answer your questions.
Their goal is to provide a great phone-banking experience for you … supporting their volunteers in becoming motivated and confident callers.
Sign up here.
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here!)
[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Resistbot quick send: text SIGN PDRFGG to 50409]
While workers and families struggled to keep roofs over their head and put food on the table during the pandemic, American billionaires accumulated more than $2 trillion in wealth. Economic inequality is growing at breakneck pace and our failure to make sure the top 1 percent pay their fair share in taxes diverts critical funds needed for healthcare, education, housing, and more.
I support a tax system that's equitable, simple, and doesn't let millionaires avoid their responsibility. I also support rolling back the Trump tax cuts, closing tax loopholes exploited by the wealth and corporations, and leveling the playing field for working people. I was deeply disappointed that some of these provisions were dropped from the final Build Back Better package over the objections of a handful of Senators.
If wealthy heirs do not contribute more to support national investments, then working-class Americans, especially low income and those of color, will continue to fall further behind. That is why I’m glad that Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep Jimmy Gomez introduced H.R. 2576/S. 994 - the For the 99.5 Percent Act. Their bill would ensure the wealthiest 0.5 percent of estates start to pay their fair share of taxes by establishing a new progressive estate and gift tax rate structure, ending tax breaks for dynasty trusts, and closing loopholes. The 99.5 percent of estates worth $3.5 million or less will be completely unaffected by this legislation.
I would like to see you co-sponsor this legislation. And please continue to push for raising taxes on billionaires and corporations. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess