Chop Wood, Carry Water 1/29
A mini-edition with a few things about RFK and a call for those with Dem Senators.
Hey, all.
The newsletter doesn’t come out on Wednesdays, but because the Senate hearings for RFK Jr. start today—and because everything is bonkers— I did want to send this out to offer you a few resources.
Stop RFK Jr.
First, here’s a video I made this week about RFK’s role in the Samoan measles catastrophe in 2019. I shot it after hearing a presentation by Hawaii Governor Josh Green, who also happens to be a physician. Green had a front-row seat to the Samoa debacle, which is why he is trying desperately to stop RFK Jr.’s confirmation. This video explains what he told us.
Now that you’re fired up, here’s a great call script from the amazing 5 Calls:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [zip].
I'm calling to urge the Senator to oppose the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has no scientific background and has promoted dangerous lies about vaccine and drug safety. He is a direct threat to public health and has no business running the world's largest public health agency.
Thank you for your time.
Here are a BUNCH more talking points if you want them. Yikes.
And if you want to watch the hearings today or tomorrow here’s some info on them:
Wednesday: Senate Finance Hearing
When: 10:00am
Where: 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Thursday: Senate HELP Committee Hearing
When: 10:00am
Where: 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Livestream: Nomination Hearing: Nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Service
Call Your Democratic Senators and say this!
Second, Indivisible is recommending we call or write our DEMOCRATIC Senators and say this and I agree:
Hi, my name is _____ and I want the Senator to fight Trump’s illegal actions with everything s/he’s got. Trump is shredding the Constitution, breaking the law and violating the separation of powers.
I want the Senator to use every tool available to grind Senate business to a halt until Trump stops attacking the constitution. This includes:
—Opposing all Trump administration nominees
—Denying any requests for Unanimous Consent
—Opposing all Cloture Votes
—Requesting a Quorum Call at every possible opportunity
Will the Senator commit to refusing any cooperation until this unconstitutional power grab is stopped? I’d like a response in writing, please.
OK, all. I know things are really crazy. Keep breathing, keep taking breaks, and keep surrounding yourself with love and beauty. Trump is not the whole world—he’s just a miserable speck in the vast scope of history and time. One day he’ll be utterly forgotten, and good riddance.
In the meantime, the world itself is a mostly beautiful place, and more so for having you in it. Remember that.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
Because I have grown so furious with Fetterman, one of my two foolish senators, my notes are starting to look like this. It's getting personal, because it is:
Dear John Fetterman.
Please. Please. You said that you went to Mar-a-Lago and found Trump to be "cordial and kind." How does that even begin to square with his deportation of LEGAL immigrants in degrading you-can't-go to-the-bathroom-while-stuck-on-a-plane fashion? Are you so easily duped? Do you believe what you are saying? Do you not care, at all, what is happening to this country?
Please show us that YOU are kind by not allowing Kennedy, who has already killed dozens with his anti-vaccine policy and will kill millions more. Please show us that YOU are being smart by not putting a Russian spy in charge of our national security. Please show us that YOU care by not allowing Trump to strip all hard working people of benefits they have earned or of rights that live in the constitution.
Please wake up. Every time I send a note to your office, I get, two weeks later, some email that has NOTHING to do with my note. NOTHING. I send a note about Hegseth and I get a letter about gun control. Etc.
You have to do better than this.
Millions of Pennsylvanians — many of them Republicans at this point — want you to end your love affair with Trump and do the work you were hired to do.
I called 4 senators yesterday - the 2 idiots from TX and Schumer and Jeffries and will call again today. Thank you for your call to action, I am trying to get the few Dems who live around me here in red, red E TX to get on the phone and make the calls. It's so easy to do, we all have to oppose and work forward.