Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/27

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Hi, all, and happy Thursday.

So the bad news is that Republicans passed their terrible, awful, not-so-good spending plan yesterday. The vote would have been unanimous, but four Republicans voted against it because—and I kid you not—it didn’t go far enough. The depth of their depravity is truly stunning. I have more details on the plan below—it’s important that we understand just how much Republicans are willing to take away from us in order to not raise rich people’s taxes.

But first let’s get to the good news: this plan will be defeated. Why? Because we worked our butts off and elected Joe Biden. We defied all predictions and expanded our Senate majority. We gave the House GOP only the slimmest imaginable majority. These things matter now, and deeply. The GOP wants to hurt average Americans, but for now, at least, they can’t.

Unless, of course, they tank the economy. But in so doing they will also guarantee their own destruction.

This is a high stakes battle, y’all, and there will be severe consequences if we lose. I take a great deal of comfort in knowing that a) we are fighting for common sense, deeply decent and just policies, b) these policies are widely popular, while our opponents’ ideas are the opposite, and c) Republicans seem determined to remain in a political death spiral from which they cannot emerge intact. So as bad as things may get before we defeat them, I know—beyond the shadow of a doubt—that we will, in the end, do exactly that.

Your help, engagement, and participation in this fight all but guarantees it, friend. So thanks for that.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m calling to find out whether the Senator is yet co-sponsoring both the Supreme Court Ethics Act (S. 325) and the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act of 2023 (S. 359).  The first would create a binding judicial code of ethics for the Supreme Court. The second would require the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct for justices and employees and more rigorous financial disclosure rules for justices, clerks, and parties who submit briefs to the Court. I expect the Senator to co-sponsor them both. Americans have lost faith in our highest court. It’s a major problem. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m furious that Republicans passed such a terrible, cruel, and destructive budget bill yesterday. This plan is wrong in so many ways—it hurts veterans, people on Medicaid, hungry children, students—I could go on. The fact that Republicans are tying this terrible bill to the debt ceiling is unconscionable. Americans want a clean debt ceiling increase and we want it now.

[If GOP add:] If the economy tanks we will blame Republicans. Period. Stop holding our economy hostage and raise the debt ceiling now.

[If Democrat add:] Stand strong. Do not give in to these tyrants. Fight for a clean debt ceiling increase and against Republicans’ draconian cuts. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Shortly after I published yesterday the Montana House did end up voting to silence Zooey Zephyr for the rest of the session. I’ve made a click to send email so you can quickly write House Speaker Matt Regier and tell him how you feel about it—you can send it by clicking on https://tinyurl.com/standwithzooey (it won’t work if you have a VPN. See this doc for the suggested text and email address).

And if you know folks who are wanting to help push back I’ve created a document with yesterday’s phone script, today’s email, and a petition demanding that GOP lawmakers stop attacking trans healthcare. Feel free to share!

Get Smart! 📚

Y’all, I’m moderating a very cool event next week, and I’d love for some of you to be there!

On Tuesday, May 2nd, at 12:00pm ET, Sylvester Johnson III, National Volunteer Manager and Voter ID Coalition Coordinator at VoteRiders is coming to Big Tent. He’ll provide results from the 2022 elections, discuss which voter ID states they’ll be focusing on in 2023, the disenfranchisement of youth voters that’s happening across many states, and what we can do to help.

Please come! This issue is going to be huge in 2024. Register here and bring a friend!

Spread the Word! 📣

The MAGA “budget” plan is a disaster for poor and working Americans. Please read this press release from Accountable US and/or this one from Protect Our Care and use their talking points to really underscore to your friends and family how cruel, stupid, and dangerous this plan is.

If videos are more your thing I made a TikTok —it’s here (and on IG here).

And if full-length articles are your preference this Salon piece sums it up quite well.

Give 💰!

Y’all, if you have any money to give right now I’d ask you to throw it at one of the two States Project Giving Circles raising money for the PA House race coming up on May 16th. You’ll remember we have a one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House for the first time in 12 years and it’s in danger again since a Democrat resigned unexpectedly. Sigh.

These two Pennsylvania-based Giving Circles have activated to raise critical funds over the next two weeks to fuel evidence-based tactics that will give us the best chance of holding the seat, and the majority. Please give if you can.

Win Races—Call! 🗳

I’m joining two phonebanks today—please come see me at one!

At 3PM PT / 6PM ET I’ll be making calls with the DNC again into Lincoln, Nebraska to make sure their Dem Mayor wins re-election. Nebraskans are REALLY nice and these calls are incredibly pleasant. Please join us! Sign up here.

At 4PM PT/ 7 PM ET I’m hopping off of the above and joining an Environmental Voter Project Phonebank into El Paso. This is to help pass the El Paso Climate Charter but because this is an EVP phonebank you won’t talk about specifics at all. You’ll simply call known environmentalists and give them the logistical info they need to vote. Non partisan calls! The easiest! Sign up here.

Win Races—Postcard! ✍🏼

PostcardsToVoters.org just launched postcards for the abovementioned PA State House Special Election on May 16th. If you have never written postcards via PTV before, they supply you with a script and addresses, so it's really easy. You just need postcards and stamps.

To help, text “join” to Abby the text bot at 484-275-2229 or email join@TonytheDemocrat.org. If you already joined, just text Abby the Bot.

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

[To POTUS] [H/T 350.org] [Quick send: text SIGN PIPEHE to 50409]

I am writing to ask you to reverse your approval of the Alaska LNG Project.

The science is clear. Our planet needs rapid decarbonization, which can only be achieved by stopping ALL new fossil fuel infrastructure, including LNG, and moving forward with the transition to clean energy.

The Alaska LNG Project will put America further behind in reaching our climate goals, and emit ten times the amount of greenhouse gases as the Willow Project.

The climate crisis is here and the United States is not immune to it. Approving the Alaska LNG Project will only worsen the devastating impacts of climate change, and millions of people across Alaska and the U.S. will suffer because of this disastrous project.

As the President of the United States, you have the power to stop the Alaska LNG Project. We need you to put people before profit - say no to LNG now. Thanks!

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

Talk soon.

Jess