Chop Wood, Carry Water 2/17

Hi, all, and happy President’s Day.

Of course, it’s not terribly happy, is it? Except in this one way: We are together in this fight, and it’s a fight that we will win. The fact that there are protests across the country today—protests many of you will be at—after a weekend full of other protests is further evidence of this fact.

Thank you to everyone who’s out in the streets today. If, like me, you’re unable to attend, (I’ll be on a flight to San Francisco), please remember that the legacy media will be loathe to cover the street actions. Sharing about them on social media, then, is doubly important. Please do so!

Since today is a holiday, and a protest day, and, for me, a travel day, I’m going to keep this newsletter short. Instead of writing more myself I’m simply going to pass on Indivisible’s latest message and accompanying ask, because it’s really important. Then I’ve got a great Mike Lux post for you to read, one extra credit action, and one helpful resource for you. Then that’s it for the day!

Indivisible’s ask is about the week ahead, during which everyone in Congress is on recess, and therefore home in their districts.

They say:

Why This Recess Matters

Trump and his billionaire cronies -- including Elon Musk -- are gutting democracy and looting the country while Republicans help them and too many Democrats hesitate.

And while all of this unfolds, House Republicans are trying to ram through an extremist budget that rips food off tables and puts education and healthcare out of reach -- while handing over control of government funding to Elon Musk. They’re slashing programs that help families afford rent, childcare, and healthcare and stripping resources from the very agencies that keep corporations in check. This isn’t governance; it’s outright theft.

They think they can get away with it because people won’t notice. That’s where we come in.

The Plan: Pressure. Disrupt. Expose.

This recess is about making Republicans sweat and making sure Democrats stand firm. We're showing up, speaking out, and refusing to let anyone dodge responsibility. They work for us, and they will hear from us. Here's how we fight:

🔥 House Republicans: No Hiding, No Dodging. Show up at their offices, their events, and anywhere they try to escape accountability. Force them to answer for slashing Medicaid and handing Musk control over government spending. If they refuse? We make their silence the story.

💪 House Democrats: No Weak Deals. No Bailouts. The GOP's dysfunction means Democrats have leverage -- if they use it. Republicans control the House. They can and should pass a funding bill on their own. But if Republican chaos means they can't keep the lights on, Democrats must not bail them out without critical safeguards. Democrats should vote NO on any funding deal with extremist cuts, or that lacks ironclad protections against the Musk coup. If they hold the line, we have their backs. If they fold, we hold them accountable.

🚗 Take the Fight to Musk Himself. Musk isn't just funding Trump -- he's consolidating power for himself. This isn't just about MAGA lawlessness -- he’s a billionaire seizing control of government power to drive authoritarianism. That’s why we’re bringing the fight directly to him with Tesla protests at showrooms, factories, and dealerships across the country.

How You Can Take Action

📍 District Office Visits: Demand answers face-to-face. They work for us. Let's remind them.
📢 Town Halls & Empty Chair Town Halls: If they show up, ask the tough questions. If they don't, make sure their constituents know about it.
📹 Birddogging & Visibility Actions: Get them on the record, in public.
🚗 Tesla Town Halls: Show up at Tesla locations nationwide and expose Musk's role in the Trump coup.

Not able to join in person? While Indivisibles are turning out in force, we need your help to keep office phones ringing off the hook to stop the GOP's extremist budget meant to bankrupt working families:

• If you have a Republican representative, make a call and force them to answer for supporting a budget that will slash lifesaving programs their constituents count on just to line the pockets of billionaires like Musk.

• If you have a Democratic representative, check whether or not they're part of the Courage Caucus. If not, give them a call and urge them to use every ounce of leverage they have in the funding right to stop the worst of their attacks.

Every Republican who backs this coup must feel the heat. Every Democrat who fights back must feel our support.

If you're ready to get started:

1. Dig into the Musk or Us Congressional Recess Toolkit to start planning your event

2. Register your event on Mobilize so we can help spread the word

Read this!

This Mike Lux piece was just what I needed to read this morning.

While we fight the good fight, take care of each other

Extra Credit ✅

[H/T Alan Unell Ph.D.]

There are 179 lawyers in the 119th Congress. Here is a list of all of them. Many of them are Republicans. Those Republicans support the lawless behavior of the Trump administration closing federal agencies authorized by Congress, illegally firing Inspectors generals and staff at the department of justice.

Lawyers are not supposed to take part in criminal behavior or to support the furtherance of a crime, which is what they are doing.

Here is an action you can take. If you have a Republican member of Congress or senator you can look them up at the above link and see if they are attorneys.

Then you can email/call your state Bar association and demand that they be investigated for complicity in the furtherance of a crime by actively supporting Trump in his illegal dismantling of federal agencies and firing of federal workers. Here is the contact info for all the state bar associations.

Here is a sample text for you to use.

My name is _________________- and I live in (state). I am shocked to see that Representative or Senator __________________, who is a licensed member of the bar in our state, actively supports the illegal dismantling of federal agencies, which only Congress can do. I am shocked to see that they support the illegal firing of federal workers including inspectors general and staff at the Department of Justice without cause. That is complicity in an ongoing crime and I want you to investigate their illegal behavior and suspend them from the bar.

Thank you.

Name, City

Get Smart! 📚

CAP Action has put together a great resource—a Google doc for each state with data on who and what will suffer from cuts if Republicans pass their tax plan. Click here to find your state! (There might be a couple of states missing but they intend to have them all up soon.)

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

Hope to see some of you in SF tomorrow. The rest of you will get a regular newsletter then. Thanks!

Jess