Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/3
Hi, all, and happy Wednesday!
I got an email from an activist friend this morning. She was reaching out about an event, but started by talking about how dispirited she felt. She mentioned the horrific killing of the World Central Kitchen workers yesterday, the continued, flagrant Republican assaults on our rule of law, and other happenings she felt overwhelmed and depressed by.
But then she told me what she was doing about it. She’d made a donation to World Central Kitchen (something we should all consider doing if we can), written some postcards for Jamaal Bowman, and worked on a fundraiser she was helping to plan.
She wasn’t, in other words, only agonizing. She was organizing, too.
Look. It’s a very challenging time. What’s happening in the Middle East is devastating. (I’ll be sending out a new call script on that subject in my other newsletter, Chop Wood, Carry the World, a little later today.) Trump’s behavior is increasingly unhinged, his acolytes are frightening, and the press is still fumbling the ball on covering the election. Every headline that comes in seems to carry more worrying news, and the wins feel few and far between.
And yet they’re really not. They’re there! More every day! The progress is there. The hope IS THERE. We need only look around at each other—and at the countless courageous lawmakers, election workers, justices, journalists, activists, Substack authors, chefs, artists, clergymembers, servicemembers, parents, content creators, former Republicans, young people, academics, candidates, and more who are dedicating their time and energy daily to saving and recreating democracy, both here and elsewhere. It’s overwhelming. It’s beautiful. We stand not just on the shoulders of giants, but amongst them, every day. What a gift. What an honor. What a privilege!
Remember: Bad actors rise to the top of the news feed. Always. That’s the way algorithms work. It doesn’t mean they’re the only ones succeeding.
So let’s take a break from doom scrolling, regather our determination, and remind ourselves that FEAR is “False Evidence Appearing Real.” No one knows what will happen tomorrow, let alone in 7 months. All we can control is what we do to shape the future.
So let’s turn to that right now. Thanks for being the remarkable role models and inspirations that you are.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I want the Senator to support the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024 (S.3565). It’s stuck in committee with only three co-sponsors and I don’t understand why—this program is wildly popular, much-needed, and about to run out of funding. Please ask the Senator to co-sponsor this bill and save the ACP!
Second, I just read that in the last three months of 2023, corporate profits reached an all-time high of $2.8 trillion. This is because of corporate price-gouging, pure and simple. President Biden has released a proposal that would raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% and raise the minimum tax for corporations with $1 billion in profits or more from 15% to 21%. I support these proposals—if these companies won’t stop price gouging they should at least be forced to pay more for the privilege. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
First, I know Congressional Democrats just introduced a bill called the Protected Time Off Act, (as yet unnumbered), which would require compensated workers to get two weeks of paid annual leave per year. I want the Congressmember to co-sponsor it. It’s an embarrassment that we’re the only wealthy country in the world that doesn't ensure people can take time off from work without risking their livelihoods.
Second, I just read that in the last three months of 2023, corporate profits reached an all-time high of $2.8 trillion. This is because of corporate price-gouging, pure and simple. President Biden has released a proposal that would raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% and raise the minimum tax for corporations with $1 billion in profits or more from 15% to 21%. I support these proposals—if these companies won’t stop price gouging they should at least be forced to pay more for the privilege. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Your extra credit today is easy: just read this! So good, and so important!
Get Smart! 📚
Later today Big Tent is hosting a webinar called: Immigration Reform and Next Steps with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Political Strategist Lis Smith.
From them:
BigTent is thrilled to host Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) in conversation with political strategist Lis Smith. Senator Murphy was the lead Democratic negotiator of the breakthrough bipartisan border reform agreement. He had a firsthand view of both Republicans coming together for immigration reform and then Republicans’ stunning about-face on border security. The bill was filled with tough, conservative policy, including an ability for the President to shut down parts of the border to asylum claims when the system is overwhelmed. It was endorsed by the Border Patrol Union, Wall Street Journal Editorial Board and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Heading into the final seven months of the 2024 election, there is no issue with greater importance than border security. The Harvard CAPS-Harris poll showed that immigration had overtaken inflation as the top issue for 2024 voters. Polling in swing states in a recent Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll showed that in states that will decide the Electoral College, immigration and the economy are the two top issues for voters, and for key independent voters.
What both sides agree on is that any immigration reform bill must prioritize strong and fair border policies, and one that supports legal immigration and a pathway to citizenship. Senator Murphy and Lis Smith will discuss immigration reform, what went wrong and where we go from here.
Spread the Word! 📣
Please read this NPR piece about how the Biden campaign is using the Reach app to make contact with hard-to-access voters. Then please consider downloading the app here and giving it a try! It’ll help you contact friends and family with important info about voting—we call this “relational organizing”—give you regular content to share, and even invite you to trainings about how to use the app!
Give 💰!
Let's talk about state legislatures!
Markers For Democracy hopes you will join them on Zoom at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 8, for what is certain to be an important and informative evening. First, The States Project's founder, Daniel Squadron, will discuss their critical work to turn state legislatures blue and maintain Democratic majorities where they already exist. (If you haven’t heard him speak you must!)
Then you’ll be treated to a freewheeling discussion between two podcast and media stars: Molly Jong-Fast, Vanity Fair special correspondent, Fast Politics podcast host, and MSNBC political analyst; and Tim Miller, author, host of The Bulwark and Next Level podcasts, and MSNBC political analyst. Sounds fun!
Register here. It is a fundraiser for MFD’s Giving Circle, but you’re not obligated to give if you attend.
Win Races! 🗳
Write postcards for a Michigan House Special Election with Postcards to Voters!
From them:
PTV has been asked to play a key role in Democrat Mai Xiong's Get Out The Vote plan for her April 16 Special Election for State House.
Her team has been hard at work on a comprehensive field plan. They provided a short list of targeted voters that we can easily finish by this Thursday. Your postcards will be the cherries on top of carefully prepared GOTV "sundaes."
With so few addresses and this email message going to over 155,000 Inboxes, it is possible the list of Michigan voters in her district will run out tonight. That's okay. We want the cards written and mailed by Thursday (Friday at the latest). Only request Michigan addresses tonight if you have postcards and postage stamps on hand since we have a very tight window.
If you do not see Mai's campaign listed when you ask Abby the Address Bot, it means we've assigned all of the addresses. Feel free to write for our Florida Vote By Mail enrollment campaign in that case. NOTE: Abby the Address Bot is temporarily unable to TEXT. You can request addresses via SLACK and EMAIL. Step-By-Step help can be found HERE.
Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥
The terrific website climatechangeresources.org has been building a Shopping section for a few years now. Although their mantra is to reduce, reuse and recycle, the next best thing is to recommend items which are the healthiest for the planet. There are now hundreds of curated items in various subsections—check them out!
House and Home (broken down into Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom, Cleaning & Laundry, Home Office, Pets, Garden, Celebrations, and Building A Home)
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: your Senators] [H/T] [Text SIGN PWBBDA to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
Women—especially women of color—are the backbone of our nation’s economy. But they are consistently underpaid and their work is undervalued. Action on equal pay is sorely needed to address these inequities, but Republican Senators have blocked vital legislation, S. 728, the Paycheck Fairness Act, that would achieve critical progress.
The median annual earnings for women working full time, year-round in 2022 was $52,360, or just 84 cents for each dollar earned by men, with much wider gaps for most women of color compared with white, non-Hispanic men. All women—regardless of the number of hours worked during the year—typically made $41,320, or 78 cents for each dollar earned by all men. Discrimination is one of the factors contributing to this gap, leading to thousands of dollars in lost wages for women over the course of their careers. That’s why we need the Paycheck Fairness Act.
The Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen existing equal pay protections, prohibit retaliation against workers who discuss their pay or challenge pay discrimination, limit employers’ reliance on salary history, and much more. These robust measures would bring us one step closer to equal pay.
Women and families cannot afford to wait for equal pay. We need to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act now.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Judd Legum wrote in his substack today about the horrific bombing, famine and deaths in Gaza while the U.S. continues sending money and materiel to Israel; https://popular.info/p/a-humanitarian-catastrophe r=2gp6p&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I have written to my 2 senators to join Sen. Van Hollen's group organized to withhold offensive weapons until Israel stops restricting aid. [from a comment on Judd's substack today]. I also sent link to substack to the President Biden at the White House.
As an American Jew long opposed to Israel's policy of allowing settlements to encroach on Gaza territory, my heart hurts for all Gazans suffering while we send bombs and money to Israel.
If dispirited or overwhelmed, absolutely follow Jessica's prescriptions ... and another idea is that in New York, go to "Suffs", a fabulous musical arriving on Broadway. It's about Suffragist history, powerfully calling for women (and everyone) to vote now and make a difference. They will fill all the 1000 seats every day for a long time (Hillary Clinton is one of the producers). Another addition to the tsunami of energy on Women's Rights, really uplifting.