Chop Wood, Carry Water 3/14

Graphic from Into Action

Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!

I know many of us are still licking our wounds from Biden’s betrayal on the Willow Project, so I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to see so much engagement with yesterday’s newsletter. That’s what I love about y’all. You know in your hearts what Winston Churchill famously said: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

You are warriors, every one of you, because you have the courage to continue. Not because you always feel brave, I know, but because you know that courage is an action. And actions can be taken no matter how en-couraged or dis-couraged we feel.

It’s a simple formula for success, indeed. And y’all have mastered it. Thanks for that.

Now let’s go use it one more time.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

First, I am in full support of every provision in President Biden’s budget—it invests in our communities and creates a much fairer tax system. Please ask the Senator to support it, too.

Second , I urge the Senator to prioritize passing the Afghan Adjustment Act immediately. Nearly 80,000 Afghan refugees are at risk of losing their legal status and Congress has a duty to protect them. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

First, I am in full support of every provision in President Biden’s budget—it invests in our communities and creates a much fairer tax system. Please ask the Congressmember to support it, too.

Second, I know President Biden is visiting Monterey Park, California today—this is where a gunman killed 11 people at a dance studio in January. The President will call for tougher gun control measures, including an assault weapons ban. Will the Congressmember co-sponsor HR 698, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023? This bill is a top priority for me. [Include a personal comment about how gun violence is affecting you.] [H/T and full toolkit]

Extra Credit ✅

Let’s call Biden at the White House comment line 11AM-3PM. 202-456-1111. It’s open Tuesday-Thursday.

Say:

Hi, my name is ______ and I’m calling from _____. I’m outraged that President Biden approved the Willow Project, a disaster for our climate and the Arctic. At this point in the climate emergency, any new fossil fuel project will drive us further into assured climate destruction. The president has the power to withdraw this decision, and reject Willow and all fossil fuel projects. He must use that power immediately. Thanks.

[H/T People vs Fossil Fuels]

Extra Extra Credit ✅✅

I’m working with Moms Clean Air Force—they’re an arm of the Environmental Defense Fund—to drive letters to President Biden and the EPA about methane pollution. Apparently the EPA has just closed a public comment period on proposed safeguards that would significantly reduce this very damaging pollution, and we want to get this rule finalized.

In light of his TERRIBLE decision on the Willow Project let’s push Biden and the EPA to “finish the job.” (We’re not going through the public comment form, which is closed, but will write to them directly.) In addition to limiting methane pollution, the rule would reduce associated harmful toxic chemicals from oil and gas development. Let’s get it DONE!

Please personalize and sign the letter here. And please share!

Get Smart! 📚

Interested in student debt relief? How about Court reform? 🤚🏼

Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases that will decide the fate of President Biden's plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt for millions of Americans.

Join Demand Justice on Wednesday, March 15 at 1pm ET, to hear from experts from the NAACP, the National Education Association, and the Student Borrower Protection Association. They’ll discuss why student debt cancellation is so important, what the Supreme Court might do in this case, and how you can make your voice heard.

RSVP here

Spread the Word! 📣

Breaking news! Please help amplify these two big deals happening today!

Washington Post: Biden to sign new executive order aimed at gun violence

“President Biden on Tuesday, during a visit to Monterey Park, Calif., where 11 were shot dead earlier this year, is planning to sign an executive order that aims to increase the number of background checks before firearms sales.”

and

Reuters: Novo Nordisk to slash US insulin prices, following move by Eli Lilly

“The moves follow the passing of President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act last year that capped insulin prices for Medicare recipients at $35 per month, but does not include patients without insurance.” 

Give 💰!

Please consider posting this (personalized, of course) on your social media, and please give if you can! Let’s see how much money we can raise for MVP and Wisconsin!

As many of you likely know we have an INCREDIBLY important election coming up on April 4th. The most important election, in fact, of 2023.

It's a must-win Supreme Court race in Wisconsin that could give Democrats a 4-3 majority on the highest court. This would not only let us draw fair maps and pick up as many as two House seats in Wisconsin — which would help win back Congress and build a bigger majority--but would restore abortion rights in the state--right now it has one of the harshest bans in the country.

Perhaps most importantly, Wisconsin is set to be a top 2024 Presidential & Senate battleground state. The GOP presidential candidate will likely try to steal the election, and it ALL may come down to Wisconsin's Supreme Court! 😬

I'm helping to raise money for the Movement Voter Project's WI fund--all the money raised will go to grassroots orgs in the state doing the most effective work at registering and turning out our voters. If you can donate anything at all, please do. At the moment this is possibly the single best place you can give if you want to save our democracy. And spread the word to anyone you know in Wisconsin to vote for Janet Protasiewicz on April 4th!

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wisconsin2023?refcode=cwcw

Win Races! 🗳

Working America’s data-tested letter writing program into Wisconsin will conclude next week on March 21st, with the goal of sending letters to all of their members in Wisconsin's CD-1 (30,000). Hitting this target number is critical as it will help determine the legitimacy of their new topic experiment. Can you please help by writing a few of these easy letters? There’s very little hand-writing involved as yu get to type your personalized comment. I just “adopted” 25 letters. Join me!

Sign up by going here.

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

[to all 3 reps] [H/T] {quick send: text SIGN PGYBAW to 50409]

I'm a constituent and a voter.

I'm writing to urge you to support, when it is reintroduced, the Fostering Overseas Rule of Law and Environmentally Sound Trade (FOREST) Act. When enacted, the FOREST Act will increase efforts to protect and restore forests globally and for governments to work together to reverse and eliminate illegal deforestation.

Nearly half of all tropical deforestation is estimated to be the result of illegal conversion of forest for commercial agriculture. Just four commodities—beef, soy, palm oil, and wood products—drive most of the deforestation. Agricultural commodities produced on illegally deforested land enter international markets and unfairly compete with products produced legally. Illegal deforestation is also often associated with corruption, organized crime, and human rights abuses, including violence against indigenous peoples and other environmental defenders.

The FOREST Act prohibits access to U.S. markets for commodities that originate from illegally deforested land—reducing the long-term incentive to sacrifice productive forests for agriculture uses. The bill also uses this market leverage to bring all interested parties together to improve laws, monitoring, and enforcement in countries experiencing illegal deforestation. Companies and governments are increasingly making commitments to end deforestation within their supply chains and borders. Yet the clearing of forests is accelerating, often in violation of a producer country’s laws, and companies are consistently falling short of their goals.

Elimination of commodity-driven deforestation is good for the environment and good for business. This bill creates the roadmap for how countries can use trade access to directly address deforestation internationally.

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

Talk soon.

Jess