Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/4

Apr 04, 2025

Hi, all, and happy Friday!

We did it again—we survived another week. And what a week! We saw incredible wins (in Wisconsin), breathtaking losses (in the stock market) and a continuation of the Three C’s of the Trump administration: chaos, cruelty, and corruption.

But we saw something else, too—Democrats rising to to the occasion in all kinds of new and long-desired ways. It wasn’t not just Senator Booker’s history-making speech or Senator Schiff’s hold on Ed Martin, either—although those were great. There’s more: DNC Chair Ken Martin just announced the “People’s Cabinet,” a new project that will “leverage a deep bench of qualified policy experts, national and local leaders, and community voices who will cut through the lies and speak directly to the American people about the Trump administration’s reckless and dangerous agenda.”

You asked for it! You finally got it!

From the DNC’s press release:

In order to reach the American people, the Cabinet will conduct briefings with media and coalition partners, speak directly with Americans across the country at town halls as part of the DNC’s People’s Town Hall initiative, produce digital content to reach Americans across the platforms where they get their news, engage in rapid response to counter the lies and disinformation from the Trump administration, and serve as thought leaders for the Democratic ecosystem on effective strategy and tactics in countering the worst of the Republican agenda.

Good!

Their initial programming includes a Jobs Day and economic press briefing today with former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and Former Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su to highlight the Trump administration’s reckless economic agenda and attacks on labor. I haven’t seen a link to watch it yet, but if I do I’ll pin it in the comments of today’s newsletter.

In other good news, Georgetown University Law Center students have created a Google doc detailing which law firms have caved and which have stood up to the Trump regime. I’d like to continue to organize actions to thank the firms who stand up. If anyone knows the folks putting the Georgetown list together please urge them to include contact info on the document so we can do so!

Finally, a recommendation for you: please read Josh Marshall’s piece “These Tariffs Won’t Stand; Make Political/Electoral Hay Now.” Marshall is one of my favorite writers in politics; he is consistently smart, factual, and trenchant—the human antithesis of click bait. Yet his take on trending topics is more sound than pretty much anyone’s I know. His recommendation that we use these tariffs to absolutely pummel Republicans is exactly right. Read the piece—it’s short. Then get loud—I know I did.

I also recommend Marshall’s piece on Trump’s threat to run for a third term, by the way. It’s not just reassuring; it’s spot on. I can’t recommend Talking Points Memo enough in general. It’s a wonderful publication and well worth supporting.

OK, folks. Make sure you drop a line in the comments about which Hands Off protest you’ll be at tomorrow. I’ll be in Downtown L.A. — hope to see some of you there!

Now let’s get to work.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I understand that Senators Grassley and Cantwell have introduced a bill that would claw back some of Congress’s power over tariffs. It’s called the Trade Review Act of 2025. I expect the Senator to support it. Trump cannot be allowed to continue his catastrophic attack on our economy. Congress has the power to stop it. They’d better do so.

Also I am really upset about the Venezuelan immigrants who’ve been deported to El Salvador with no due process. I’m especially upset about Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the young father from Maryland who was abducted while at a Target with his 5-year-old son. The Trump administration has admitted his arrest was a mistake but won’t do anything to get him back. It’s horrific. What is the Senator doing to stop these atrocities and to help this poor man?

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

I understand that a bipartisan group of Senators has introduced a bill that would claw back some of Congress’s power over tariffs. It’s called the Trade Review Act of 2025. I want the Congressmember to introduce a companion bill in the House. I also want him/her to vote yes on the Senate-passed resolution to revoke Trump’s Canadian tariffs. Trump cannot be allowed to continue his catastrophic attack on our economy. Congress has the power to stop it. They’d better do so.

Also I am really upset about the Venezuelan immigrants who’ve been deported to El Salvador with no due process. I’m especially upset about Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the young father from Maryland who was abducted while at a Target with his 5-year-old son. The Trump administration has admitted his arrest was a mistake but won’t do anything to get him back. It’s horrific. What is the Congressmember doing to stop these atrocities and to help this poor man?

Extra Credit ✅

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule CMS-9884-P would eliminate federal protections requiring ACA marketplace plans to cover gender-affirming care, jeopardizing essential, life-saving treatments for trans individuals nationwide. Advocates for Transgender Equality are launching a campaign to drive comments opposing this harmful rule before the April 11 deadline.

Please submit a personal comment using their individual comment portal. YOU MUST PERSONALIZE A FEW SECTIONS. Sharing personal stories is a powerful way to emphasize the harm this rule would cause but obviously it’s OK to make a comment even if you’re not trans. We almost all know someone who is. Let’s support the trans community!

Individual Comment Portal

Extra Extra Credit! ✅✅

Nobody Is Above the Law did a great Resistbot letter about the Trump administration's wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. It’s called “Secure release from CECOT prison, rectify deportation injustice.” You can read the letter here and then sign it on that page or by texting SIGN PTBCPK to 50409.

Get Smart! 📚

Lael Brainard wrote a great Washington Post Op-Ed explaining how the combination of tariffs and tax cuts will bring all the “pain” to the middle and lower classes, while all the “gain” goes to the top 1%. It’s handy to have around for anyone who tells you that costs from the tariffs will be offset by tax cuts. Read it here. (I used archive.ph to get past the paywall, so that’s the version you’ll see.)

Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣

Navigator just published a short guide on how to correctly talk about the tariffs. Find it here.

They also published Trump and the Economy: A Guide for Advocates. It’s got some really important guidance as well. Fascinating stuff!

Get in the Streets! 🪧

Hands Off is tomorrow! Find your protest here!

Want tips on de-escalation? Watch MoveOn’s short video on de-escalation and disruptions!

There’s also a pro-Ukraine march in DC on Sunday. More info is here.

Win Races! 🗳

Elections aren’t over! Sign up for a Virtual Environmental Voter Project phonebank calling voters in Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas:

Please sign up! EVERY ELECTION MATTERS!

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

[To: your HOUSE rep] [H/T] [Text SIGN PDVYDP to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]

I oppose all efforts to delegitimize court orders, threaten judges, and erode constitutional safeguards. These things fundamentally threaten American democracy. The fact that Republican congressmembers are now attempting to codify these authoritarian power grabs disgusts me.

I want you to vote NO on the following pieces of legislation:

—The Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act (H.R. 1702) would grant President Trump authority to appoint 22 new lifetime district court judges, enabling him to stack federal courts with loyalists who would rubber-stamp his agenda and shield him from accountability.

—The Promptly Ending Political Prosecutions and Executive Retaliation (PEPPER) Act (H.R. 1789) would dramatically expand executive power by allowing current and former executive branch officials to move cases against them from state to federal courts and requiring federal courts to dismiss virtually all cases against presidents and vice presidents—effectively placing them above the law.

—The No Rogue Rulings (NORRA) Act (H.R. 1526) would prevent judges from granting relief beyond the parties directly before the court—impeding judicial relief for unconstitutional executive actions.

—The Nationwide Injunction Abuse Prevention Act would similarly ban nationwide injunctions by district court judges.

I urge you to stand firm against the assaults on our democracy by rejecting the JUDGES Act, the PEPPER Act, and the NORRA Act. I’ll be watching your vote closely. Thanks.

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

Talk soon.

Jess

Chop Wood, Carry Water