Chop Wood, Carry Water 2/19
Trust in us.
Hi, all, and happy Wednesday.
I’m going to do a full newsletter today—even though it’s my “off” day—since I never got around to posting yesterday. Sorry about that! The event I spoke at in San Francisco—a joyous gathering at Club Fugazi sponsored by Commit to Democracy—took up more of the day than I’d expected. Afterwards I simply didn’t have it in me to sit down and write. Instead, I went to San Fransisco MOMA and saw my favorite video installation, “The Visitors.” Having filled myself up with activism, community, and beauty, I headed for the airport and came home.
Yesterday’s event with CTD was notable for a few reasons—first, what a venue! The Fugazi was built in 1916 and has been in continuous use as a performance space ever since. Some terrific musicians and poets have walked its stage; I’m not sure how many Substack authors have, but yesterday there were two—Robert Hubbell and myself.
The two of us gave remarks to a packed crowd of mostly grassroots activists—people who work tirelessly and with great dedication in service of our democracy. Such a delight! The event was billed as a “thank you” to them, but it felt like a big gift to us speakers, as well. Not only did we have the pleasure of being surrounded by selfless and patriotic people, but after our remarks were done all of us were treated to a performance of “Dear San Francisco,” a show with which I was utterly unfamiliar and that turned out to be a total delight.
“Dear San Francisco” is performed by a group of young people who do stunning (and occasionally terrifying) feats of acrobatics with no nets, no sets and few props. One or more of them is constantly flying through the air while others wait to catch them, which they always do. Between these acts of physical prowess these young people sing, dance, juggle, and express a joie de vivre and camaraderie, that I, for one, found deeply moving. As the emcee pointed out before the show began, the cast must trust each other completely to successfully do what they do, and they must be trustworthy as well.
So, he pointed out, should it be in politics as well.
A lofty goal indeed. And while we may not be able to trust in our politicians—or much of anything—right now, I am certain of one thing: that we can trust in each other. Really. This movement and the people in it may not be as young and nimble as those performers, but the community we make up has proven itself to be nimble, and committed, and totally reliable. We show up, we do the work, and we simply don’t quit.
So while most of our “leaders” seem to have vanished at this moment of trial, it is not our leaders who were meant to catch us anyway. It is us. It always has been.
Let the trust among us, then, grow, and the fellowship created here feed us. It’s tough out there, it’s true, but we’re together and we’re here for each other. We have lots of practice at this. We’ve been in the trenches together for a long time. We will not let each other fall now.
That means something.
It also makes wonderful feats possible.
So let’s get to work one more time.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling in strong opposition to the Trump administration’s plan to gut the U.S. Department of Education and slash federal funding for public schools. This plan would devastate millions of students—especially those in underserved communities. It would strip 26 million vulnerable kids of critical educational services, deny 7.5 million students with disabilities special education support, make college unaffordable for 10 million working-class families, and cut career and technical education for 12 million students. Exactly what about that does the Senator support? If none of it please fight this plan tooth and nail. Thanks. [H/T Randi Weingarten]
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
[H/T Indivisible]
[If your rep is a Republican:]
Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City/State]. I know House Republicans are pushing one big funding bill that slashes access to health care, public education, and food assistance while giving massive handouts to billionaires. It also includes poison pill riders attacking abortion rights, LGBTQ+ protections, and immigrant communities. AND it lets Trump and Musk hijack federal funds and override congressional spending decisions. This is not responsible governance—it’s corruption. Will the Congressmember commit to rejecting any budget that allows Trump to override government spending and attack working families?
[If yes:] That’s good to hear. I expect to see a public statement rejecting these extremist attacks.
[If no or unclear:] It’s outrageous that [Representative’s Name] is more focused on helping Trump and billionaires than protecting working families. I won’t forget it. Neither will voters in this district.
[If your rep is a Democrat:]
Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City/State]. I’m calling to ask the Representative to play hardball in the upcoming funding fight. Refuse to vote for any bill that hands Trump and his billionaire allies a blank check. Republicans can’t pass a budget without Democratic votes, and that means Democrats have real power—but only if they use it.
That means: No vote for any funding bill without real, enforceable protections to stop Trump from overriding the budget. No poison pill riders attacking abortion rights, LGBTQ+ protections, or immigrant communities. No cuts to Medicaid, Social Security, or food assistance.
Will the Congressmember commit to using every tool available to stop MAGA sabotage, including voting NO on any bad funding deal?
[If yes:] That’s great to hear! I’ll be watching for strong public action on this. Thank you!
[If no or unclear:] This is a make-or-break moment. If Democrats don’t hold the line now, Trump will hijack the budget and Republicans will keep forcing crises. Please pass along my message. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Right now, the GOP is trying to slash vital programs. To fight back, Center for American Progress Action is collecting stories of:
People who once benefited from Medicaid or SNAP and those who currently do
People who are impacted by DOGE decisions. Were the funds for your Headstart facility frozen? Are you scared of flying now with the increased crashes? Has a grant you relied on for cancer treatment been cut?
Share your story here. A member of the team will be in touch ASAP. Your story will NOT be used anywhere without them talking with you first.
Get Smart ! 📚
Care about public education?
AFT President Randi Weingarten and a coalition of pro-public education organizations invite you to a webinar tonight at 7PM ET designed to equip us all with the tools and resources to help protect public education. Learn how to:
Mobilize locally to defend public schools and the vital services they provide to kids and families.
Urge federal representatives: Don’t cut kids for tax cuts—oppose education funding cuts and block grants.
Push state leaders: Say NO to block grants and NO to cuts in federal aid for schools.
Register for the webinar here.
Spread the Word About the GOP Tax Scam! 📣
As we head into the House recess week, I know a lot of you are doing actions and events in districts. Families Over Billionaires has put together a simple one pager on the Republican House Budget proposal for you to use and share. (I promise this link works).
Please read it over and share with others so you’re armed with facts when you talk to your reps. Now that we know that Trump is backing the House’s “one big bill” (as opposed to the Senate’s two bills) we need to get to work spreading the word about how awful this proposal is.
If it’s any help, I made a video breaking down the proposal as simply as possible. You can see it here.
Finally, if any of you are on TikTok, I’m doing a Live with Catherine Rowland from the Progressive Caucus Center on Friday at 4PM PT / 7PM ET. She writes the Unrig the Rules newsletters I post here that break down what’s happening in Congress. She’s going to talk all about this budget and what its prospects are for passage. Come if you can! And if you’d like me to do a Substack Live with her let me know in the comments.
Give 💰!
At the Fugazi event yesterday Robert Hubbell and I were asked to whom (or what) we recommended giving money right now. In case you’re interested in the answers, I’ll provide them here.
Robert recommended the ACLU, Democracy Docket, Public Citizen, Lawyers Defending American Democracy, the Brennan Center, and Democracy Forward for those who want to support the legal fight to stop MAGA (important!).
My recommendations are more electoral in nature, and remain the same as always: the Movement Voter Project, Run For Something, and the States Project. You can read my full explanations for why here.
Hope this is helpful!
Win Races! 🗳
Wisconsin Voter Education Phone Banks!
Join the VoPro Staff in their efforts to empower and educate voters ahead of the critically important Spring 2025 State Supreme Court election! In these phone banks, you will reach out to voters in groups that likely need extra support to cast their ballot. This is proactive outreach to the voters who likely need our help the most. At the start of each phone bank, we'll give you a detailed breakdown of who we're calling and how to approach the calls. All you need is your computer, a phone, and a passion for voting rights!
Sign up for Voter Education Phone Banks!
Save Voting Rights!
Make calls to protect voting rights and defeat the SAVE Act on Thursday evenings. Common Cause is leading this effort to defeat dangerous legislation that will make it harder for students, seniors, veterans, and others to cast their ballot.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text SIGN PSZUWY to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
As your constituent, I am writing to ask you to ensure the government is protecting our privacy by demanding a stop to DOGE's unauthorized access to our most personal information.
DOGE's access to databases at Treasury, Health and Human Services, and other agencies raises serious concerns about their compliance with legal requirements that ensure executive agencies are responsible stewards of our data. I am also concerned about the Trump administration’s flouting of long-standing legal requirements and how this could break down the checks and balances that protect our rights.
DOGE must not illegally access, analyze, or misuse our private financial, medical, and personal records for political purposes. I am deeply concerned that this agency might have forced its way into the government’s most tightly protected databases and systems, without consideration of the longstanding privacy safeguards mandated by the Privacy Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code, and other laws.
Abuse of data and governmental procedures opens the door for wider abuses, including unconstitutional impoundment of funds, dismantling programs that help everyday Americans, corrupt use of sensitive confidential information for personal gain, and mass government surveillance.
As your constituent, I urge you to conduct immediate oversight into DOGE’s actions and fight back against these intrusive privacy invasions. Please write to tell me what you’re doing about this. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
All great stuff. But I wonder if not buying from corporate America would be a doable and more powerful weapon. No more fast food, no more Amazon, buy from Costco, dinner out at locally owned restaurants, produce from local farms and co-ops. Ice cream from Ben and Jerry's. Don't put money into the hands of oppressors, as far as possible.
I made my phone calls and submitted my story with Center for American Progress Action. I am a 29 year flight attendant and 32 year employee at Southwest Airlines and I’m furious at the Trump administration slashing and gutting jobs at the FAA. This is affecting my job security and our company’s bottom line. 16.8 million domestic flights a year take off and land safely. I do not worry about going to work three days a week, week after week with the amazing pilots that we have. I trust them 1000% with my life and the lives of our customers. It is irresponsible what the Trump and musk regime is doing to the FAA. There are safeguards in place and heightened scrutiny. We don’t know the cause of the DCA crash because the NTSB report has not come out yet and even in normal times it can take months for the report to be finalized . It may or may not have something to do with staffing levels at that tower when it happened. Regulations are still in place that govern the safety of air traffic. Hundreds of thousands of employees are dedicated to the safety of air travel. It is embedded in our lives, the freedom to fly, and knowing that you flew to San Francisco and back along with Robert Hubbell and his wife Jill just this week shows how common place and how often air travel is a part of everyone’s lives. What Trump and musk are doing is unconscionable and needs to stop!