Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/25

Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!

Biden is running again! Of course we knew he would, but there’s a certain relief at having the thing become official. As for my feelings about it, they’re expressed perfectly by this Jonathan Last piece. He’s done a great job so far—Willow notwithstanding; he’s the right man for the moment, and he’s the only person I want running against Trump. Now let’s move on!

Because there’s a LOT to do to keep our democracy alive and thriving right now.

And you—yes YOU—are exactly the person needed for the job.

So let’s get to it.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I understand that the Senate is expected to vote this week on a bipartisan resolution, SJ Res 4, that would recognize the ERA as a valid amendment to the Constitution, removing the arbitrary deadline of 1982. I’m assuming the Senator will vote yes? The Equal Rights Amendment has never been as necessary and urgent as it is today. It’s time to guarantee equal rights to all Americans under the law, regardless of sex. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

[If GOP] I am calling to demand that the Congressmember vote no on the debt limit bill that Speaker Kevin McCarthy is planning to bring to the House floor this week. This bill is awful. Among other things it would slash funding for the Social Security Administration, closing field offices and increasing wait times. That’s unacceptable. Also, my district is benefiting from the Inflation Reduction Act and other laws passed in the last few years. Jobs are coming to our state. Does the Congressmember want us to have jobs? If so I’m assuming I can count on him/her to vote no on McCarthy’s bill. Thanks.

[If Democrat] I understand that Fox News is going to be able to write off their $787 million settlement with Dominion, costing taxpayers around $213 million. That is obscene and infuriating. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) has promised to introduce legislation to fix this loophole. I want the Congressmember to sign on as a co-sponsor right away. No way do I want my tax dollars going to Fox News. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

The EPA recently announced four clean air proposals to ensure the US meets its climate and clean air goals:

1. Stronger limits on mercury and other toxic pollution from coal-fired power plants

2. Stronger Clean Car Standards, which would be a significant step forward in the transition to zero-emission vehicles

3. Stronger standards for climate pollution from heavy-duty trucks and buses, which would help us avoid 1.8 billion tons of carbon emissions

4. Stronger protections from the hazardous air pollution emitted by more than 200 of the largest, most toxic petrochemical manufacturing facilities in the country     

Moms Clean Air Force has provided an excellent tool with which we can send the EPA official comments about each rule. Please personalize your comments slightly or they’ll be discarded. (I usually just rewrite the first sentence but the more you customize the better.)

TAKE ACTION HERE

Get Smart and Spread the Word! 📣 📚

This Swing Left Peninsula training looks great!

As Simon Rosenberg says, we progressive grassroots are powerful – now, let’s be proud and loud!” Everything gets better under Democrats. We’re out to confront the Republican echo-chamber of lies, projection, and gaslighting by “getting loud” and spreading the news about how people’s lives are better when Democrats are in power. Attend this workshop series to learn how to create effective messages (and not reinforce our opponents').

This workshop has three parts:

• April 27: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Pacific

• May 4: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Pacific

• May 11: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Pacific

When you sign up, please plan to attend all three sessions. There will be helpful assignments between meetings and they'll send a message with two items to read before the first session.

RSVP for Apr 27, May 4 and 11 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. Please plan to attend the three sessions!

Win Races! 🗳

So today at 6PM EDT I’ve signed up to make more calls with The Democratic National Committee into Lincoln, Nebraska because it’s fun, easy, and important! Mayoral races matter! Are you free to join me? Use this link to sign up. They will train you!

And Thursday at 7PM EDT I’ve signed up to make calls with the Environmental Voter Project into El Paso, TX. The El Paso Climate Charter is a really big deal—passing it would be HUGE. Read more about it here then please sign up to come call with us here!

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

[to President Biden] [H/T Sierra Club] [Quick send: text SIGN POBKVS to 50409]

I’m writing both in light of your announcement that you will run for re-election, and as someone who is deeply concerned about the climate crisis.

In your first term in office, you undertook efforts to address the three main pillars driving the climate crisis: vehicles, methane, and power plants, while protecting millions of acres of public lands and waters. In your “whole of government approach,” you upheld your commitment to center environmental justice and prioritized the communities that have shouldered the brunt of pollution for decades. Additionally, you helped usher transformative climate and clean energy legislation through Congress, including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act. For all of this I thank you.

However, your first term in office saw the failure to clamp down on the leasing of public lands to the fossil fuel industry. You granted approval of the “carbon bomb” Willow project, and supported the expansion of the LNG industry. These were devastating blows to our climate goals and breaches of promises that you made.

Addressing the climate crisis does not allow for half measures or to take three steps forward, one step back. If you expect me to support you, I look forward to hearing about your plans and agenda to finish the job to transition the country to a 100% clean energy economy that protects our wild spaces and creates a livable future for us all. This should include reversing your decision on the Willow project. Thanks.

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

Talk soon.

Jess