Hi, all, and happy Wednesday!
Thank you so much to the folks who upgraded to paid subscriptions yesterday—it made the $150 post-office bill for the first batch of mailers a bit more palatable 😳😂—and thanks (and welcome) to my new free subscribers. Seeing this army grow every day gives me an enormous amount of hope.
You know what else is hopeful? This work. I know it’s exacting, and sometimes enraging, and periodically terrifying, and often draining. But it matters. It’s meaningful. It’s moving the needle.
Also? Imagine where we’d be if we didn’t do it.
Then imagine what it’ll be like when we win. Because we will. And it’ll happen even faster if we all visualize it regularly.
So let’s do that. And then 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 am calling once again to ask the Senator to support two antitrust bills, S 2710, the Open App Markets Act and S 2992, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. These bills would give Internet users more control over the products and services they use and create a better Internet that preserves our democracy. This is really important to me.
One more thing: the Senate needs to quickly confirm Steve Dettlebach as head of the ATF. We have a huge gun problem in this country. We must have a qualified ATF head now. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I am calling again to ask the Congressmember to support two antitrust bills, HR 5017, the Open App Markets Act and HR 3816, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. These bills would give Internet users more control over the products and services they use and create a better Internet that preserves our democracy. This is really important to me. [H/T]
One more thing: is the Congressmember yet a co-sponsor on HR 2489, the Martha Wright Prison Phone Justice Act? It would give the FCC more authority to regulate predatory prison telecom companies — which would reduce the financial harm Black families are experiencing every time they call an incarcerated family member. Please support!
Extra Credit ✅
Y’all this is so easy and satisfying!
A network of activists, organizations, financial experts, and more has come together to launch a new global campaign: Vanguard S.O.S. 🆘 Its purpose is to call Vanguard out on their atrocious investments in fossil fuel companies and pressure them to divest.
This morning they’re asking us to take a few minutes to leave comments on Vanguard’s Instagram. I just did it—took two seconds and felt great! 👇🏼
Vanguard is a well-known and trusted brand, and the firm’s marketing and communications teams work hard to portray that image online. The purpose of this action is to disrupt Vanguard’s brand image as a trustworthy company and help make it widely known that Vanguard is one of the world’s biggest investors in the climate crisis.
Here are clear and easy instructions for leaving your comments. Have fun!
Get Smart! 📚
Tonight at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT join Third Act’s monthly call and learn what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine and what you can do to help from Svitlana Romanko, Ukrainian climate scientist and environmental lawyer.
You’ll also get inspired to take action by Lillian Fortuna, an 11-year old activist organizing around heat pumps for peace; and hear highlights from the Third Act Nevada working group and their efforts to protect our climate and democracy in the Silver State.
Chop Wood, Write Postcards! 💌
Still hungry for postcards?
There are just a few days left to request addresses from Postcards to Swing States to write to voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, or New Hampshire. These cards need to be mailed by May 31st, and in this case you do need to provide your own cards. Also, the minimum number of addresses to request is 100—but before you let that put you off, why not ask a few friends to help?
This is really important. These cards will remind voters in key states that Democrats deliver. Can you help?
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)
[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Quick send: text SIGN PIIUNT to 50409]
I’m writing to ask you to fight for dramatically increased funding for the National Labor Relations Board.
I know that more than 140 members of Congress are asking for the same—they’re calling on House leaders to end eight years of flat funding for the NLRB, saying—correctly—that the agency isn’t equipped to handle a surge in workplace organizing at companies like Starbucks and Amazon.
In a letter to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, these lawmakers have warned that a “dramatic increase in labor activity” could swamp the underfunded board, which has lost roughly 30% of its staff since 2010 due to attrition and a lack of money.
They’ve called for a labor board budget of $368 million next fiscal year, a vast increase from the current level of $274 million, which hasn’t budged since 2014. The stagnant funding in recent years means the agency’s budget has gone down in real dollars.
A similar letter with the same $368 million proposal has been circulating in the Senate, led by Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo). Good!
As your constituent, I would like to know whether you have signed on to one of these letters. If not, I’d like you to. Unions and worker protections are incredibly popular with American voters—for good reason. If Congress fails to fund the Board responsible for bolstering them then we will have to change Congress. Period. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
May I suggest that every person who requests a mailer package should reimburse you at least for the postage? This is not to mention the cost of the paper and envelopes.
Love the print of Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, retired executive director of Network lobby for Social Justice, champion of the Affordable Care Act, leader of Nuns on the Bus, and ongoing advocate for a just and equitable society.