Chop Wood, Carry Water 3/23

Hi, all, and happy Thursday!

I know it’s a tough time—a time in which it’s hard to keep our spirits up. But I say it all the time, and I’ll say it again:

We don’t need to wait to feel hopeful to take action.

We take action in order to feel hopeful. When we act, we gain hope. That’s the way it works. It’s a formula that never fails.

Better yet, in so doing we show others—those who are mired in fear or depression—that they, too, can find relief through getting up and doing something.

This is how we create momentum. It’s how we create progress. It’s how we create strength.

Ultimately, it’s how we create victory.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

[To your DEMOCRATIC Senators]

I’m calling because I know there are a slew of President Biden’s judicial nominees stuck in a backlog in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and that Republican Senators are using Blue Slips to slow their confirmations down. They are weaponizing an outdated custom that was also weaponized by segregationist politicians opposed to the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling. It’s time for Blue Slips to go. Please ask the Senator to support the abolishment of this Jim Crow relic. Thanks.

[To your GOP Senators]

I want Congress to investigate Jared Kushner's business dealings with Saudi officials. It is the responsibility of our elected officials to ensure that our leaders and government officials are acting in the best interest of the people. Republicans in the House are calling for investigations into Hunter Biden, the FBI, Covid—they say they’re just “fighting corruption,” but how can Republicans claim to be doing that when a GIANT scandal is playing out before their very eyes? Investigate this deal now. Thanks. [H/T]

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

I want Congress to investigate Jared Kushner's business dealings with Saudi officials. It is the responsibility of our elected officials to ensure that our leaders and government officials are acting in the best interest of the people. Corruption can’t become business as usual, and we deserve to know if the 2B Kushner received from the Saudis was a potential kickback.

[If GOP add]

Republicans in the House are calling for investigations into Hunter Biden, the FBI, Covid—they say they’re just “fighting corruption,” but how can they really be doing that when a GIANT scandal is playing out before their very eyes? Republican House members need to investigate Kushner’s dealings with the Saudis or stop pretending they care about corruption. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Vinyl chloride spilled and burned in the East Palestine chemical disaster, releasing toxic petrochemicals into the air. As you’ll see below, the residents there are not OK. This shouldn’t be allowed to happen again. Let’s tell Michael Regan at the EPA to ban vinyl chloride. You can do so using this Moms Clean Air Force letter template or by emailing him directly at regan.michael@epa.gov. (You can use the letter template as a basis for your email)

Please personalize so your comment isn’t rejected. (You might find it helpful to watch the below video before you do this.)

Get Smart! 📚

This video about the Norfolk Southern derailment, a joint effort by the Holler and More Perfect Union, is really worth the 12 minute watch. It’s angering, and doesn’t paint anyone in government in a flattering light, but it reminds us of why we must keep fighting and holding all of our representatives’ feet to the fire.

Spread the Word! 📣

House Freedom Caucus' Extreme Budget Proposal Ships Jobs Overseas and Undermines Workers: 

The extreme MAGA Republican House Freedom Caucus has made their priorities clear: imposing devastating cuts and increasing costs for working- and middle-class families, all to protect and extend tax breaks skewed to the wealthy and big corporations. Read more from the White House.

Win Races—Text #1! 🗳

[H/T the Union]

Join Human Rights Campaign (HRC Wisconsin) to remind voters, one-to-one, why the Supreme Court election matters so much, and why we need them to vote ASAP. Sign up below. If today doesn’t work there are three more shifts between now and April 4.

Phone and text bank with Wisconsin HRC!

A brief training is provided at the beginning of each shift.  The Human Rights Campaign fights for LGBTQ+ equality alongside lawmakers at the local and state levels across the country.

Win Races—Text #2

Black Voters Matter is sending a series of texts through election day to get Wisconsin residents out to vote. The first set of texts are going out this week to let residents know that early voting has started. Help them send over 100k texts today by logging into Impactive and signing up for Signal Text Group.

1. Sign up for their Signal here.

2. Sign up for Impactive to start texting:

• Web Join Link: https://links.impactive.io/t/tmhmisx1

• App Join Link: https://links.impactive.io/t/xxpvjuf8

• BVM Campaign Join Code = 905083

• Look for the Wisconsin campaign.

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

[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Quick send: text SIGN PSNLLJ to 50409

As a constituent, I am grateful for the many farmers, growers and farm workers who feed our country and are part of the movement to end hunger. Please support them and people facing hunger by passing a strong 2023 Farm Bill that:

- Includes robust nutrition and agriculture funding.

- Maintains the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) funding and authority to support U.S.-grown food through food purchases when the market is disrupted.

- Strengthens The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to help food banks keep up with the rising need for food assistance and food costs.

- Supports the USDA in balancing the need to be flexible and act swiftly in making food purchases with the need for stakeholder engagement, particularly in the face of rapidly changing agricultural markets.

Thanks!

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

Talk soon.

Jess