Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/8
Dems step it up!
Hi, all, and happy Tuesday.
There’s a lot going on, as always. We’re still in tariff chaos, the Supreme Court has given us more reason for outrage, and the stock market is still in dangerous territory. I could list a million more things, but instead I’m going to point to an encouraging trend I’m seeing: Dem lawmakers are stepping up their game!
Here are just a few examples:
Yesterday Senators Adam Schiff and Jamie Raskin led a bicameral spotlight hearing on the attacks by President Trump and his allies against lawyers, law firms and the courts. Democratic members of both chambers of Congress attended the hearing, which featured, among other things, incredible, brave testimony from Liz Oyer, a fired DOJ pardon attorney.
Hakeem Jeffries has announced a Steering and Policy Committee hearing for Thursday at 9:00 AM ET on Republicans’ attempts to cut veterans’ benefits. (You can watch it here.)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal has announced that he plans to place a hold on ALL Trump nominees going forward. This will force Republicans to hold individual votes to override each hold, which will greatly slow down their agenda.
My own Congressmember, Jimmy Gomez, announced a “Get Organized Town Hall,” co-hosted by SEIU-USWW, which promises to be a “powerful community conversation on organizing, action, and making our voices heard.” Good! We need more events like this!
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) is placing holds on over 50 Trump nominees. He has also placed holds on all nominations at the State Department, bringing his total to over 300 positions. Bravo!
The point is, Democrats are finally leaning into obstructionist and/or outside-of-the-box tactics to impede Republicans’ progress and highlight their flagrant failures and misdeeds. They’re also communicating with their constituents more effectively—or at least some are. If your lawmaker is doing the right thing please be sure to lavish praise on them. Remember, it’s like training a dog—we always treat for good behavior!
And remember this, too: they are doing this because you’ve pushed them to it! All the phone calls, letters, office visits, and even the marches have finally roused them to realize that there is, in our books, no such thing as fighting too hard against MAGA. You deserve much credit for their renewed vigor.
As for Trump? He’s getting sued by Leonard Leo over the tariffs. That’s how his day is going. Karma is a you-know-what!
Anyway. Our job isn’t just to engage in schadenfreude. It’s to create more reasons for it every day! So let’s do that, by taking our easy actions.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I understand that Sen. Ron Wyden just released a bipartisan privileged resolution that would repeal Trump's tariffs. It’s co-sponsored by Rand Paul. I want the Senator to sign on to it. These tariffs have been applied in an incoherent and disastrous way. I agree that our trade imbalance is a problem, but all Trump’s tariffs will do is send us into a recession. They’ll solve nothing. Reverse them, please.
Also Kilmar Abrego Garcia should be brought home immediately. He is an innocent man! His continued incarceration in a notorious torture facility is outrageous and violates every principle this country was founded on. I don’t care what the Supreme Court said. I want the Senator to call for his immediate return. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
There are three items coming up for a vote this week that I strongly oppose. I want the Congressmember to vote no on all of them, and I’ll be watching closely.
They are:
HR 22 the SAVE Act, a voter suppression bill that’ll disenfranchise 21 million American citizens with no birth certificate or passport and 69 million married women who’ve changed their names,
HR 1526 the No Rogue Rulings Act, a bill that would undermine the federal judiciary while tipping the scales of justice in favor of Republican attorneys general, and
the Republican Budget Resolution that orders cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, gives huge tax cuts to the mega-rich, and relies on the dishonest “current policy baseline” to make it seem like it wouldn’t be adding trillions to the deficit even though it would.
I expect a no vote on all of these. Thanks.
[P.S. if you are represented by Democrats Lauren Gillen, Josh Harder, Jared Moskowitz, April McClain Delaney, Kristen McDonald Rivet, Jared Golden, Donald Davis, Tom Suozzi, John Mannion, Susie Lee, Marcy Kaptur, Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar or Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, please make sure you underscore voting no on the SAVE Act. Per Indivisible they are undecided! Ugh]
Extra Credit ✅
Let’s contact the LA Dodgers and tell them how disgusted we were by their visit with Trump this week, which normalized a would-be dictator at just the time he should be being shunned.
They can be reached at fanfeedback@ladodgers.com
I said something like:
It was really awful to see the Dodgers, a team representing a city that Donald Trump despises and treats horribly, go to the White House and act like he is a normal President deserving of any level of respect. I’m so very disappointed. I once was a Dodgers fan. Now I will forever associate them with the American Hitler. Shameful.
But say what you want.
Get Smart! 📚
As we face the growing threat of autocracy in America, it's more crucial than ever that we come together to build a stronger, more united movement for freedom and democracy. We know many people are getting fired up to organize for the first time (or the first time in a while). Others aren’t sure what the rise of autocrats and billionaires means for their activism. The Rise for Freedom Training is a weekly training series focused on teaching attendees the skills needed to bring people together, grow & strengthen their local networks, and get ready to mobilize to demand democracy in this new, challenging environment. The next training is on Thursday, April 10 from 8 pm to 10 pm ET and will focus on Building to Critical Mass Locally.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
On Thursday, The SAVE Act will be up for a vote. This bill threatens to disenfranchise tens of millions of American women, so there is a #HandsOffHerVote social storm today.
Here is a social media toolkit. Please spread the word about this awful bill!
Give 💰!
The DCCC just announced their list of 2026 districts in play. According to them we’re starting the 2026 cycle with more pickup opportunities than in 2024.
To coincide with today's announcement, the DCCC is also launching nominee fund pages, providing a way for grassroots donors to contribute now so that resources are available to the eventual Democratic nominee in these districts. You can read the full list and/or donate here.
Get in the Streets (virtually)! 🪧
As Republicans mount attack after attack on our healthcare system, the fight to protect and expand Medicare is more important than ever.
Today at 5pm Eastern (sorry for the last-minute notice) you are invited to join Rep. Jayapal, Rep. Dingell and allies for a virtual rally for Medicare for All. The event will last from 5 – 5:45pm Eastern Time. To join, please register via Zoom.
The Offices of Congresswomen Jayapal and Dingell are currently circulating the 119th Congress version of the Medicare for All Act for cosponsors, in anticipation of a late April re-introduction.
Win Races! 🗳
Recently, the Cook Political Report quietly downgraded Republican Congresswoman Young Kim’s prospects of re-election from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican”. Her Orange County district, CA-40, is now one of 18 Republican-held seats that Cook thinks are “toss ups” or “lean Republican”. The map of swingable districts is already expanding, and it’s only April.
Activate America is seizing this moment by launching a new postcarding campaign focused on Young Kim’s vote to cut Medi-Cal/Medicaid by up to $880 billion. They’re also launching this campaign in CA-41 represented by Rep. Ken Calvert.
Interested? Sign up HERE.
Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥
Groups opposing the Line 5 Oil pipeline through the Great Lakes are hosting an attempt at a world record setting origami fish folding event to raise awareness of threats to one of the world's largest bodies of freshwater. One of the contractors set to build the pipeline through the straits of Mackinac was a major Trump donor so any opposition to the pipeline runs in opposition to Trump.
Organizers are encouraging people to hold fish folding parties, which sounds like a fun way to ... make a splash?
Find out more and pledge how many fish you will fold and deliver here.
[H/T subscriber Emily G]
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text SIGN PEPRLS to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
I'm writing to beg you, as my reepresentative, to defend our constitutional right to protest, and demand the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, Badar Khan Suri, Rumeysa Ozturk, and other legal immigrants being punished for political views. It is unconstitutional for these lawful residents to be detained without charges or due process for exercising their First Amendment rights. It makes me so upset. We don’t live in a totalitarian state. We are supposed to be the freest country in the world! This is not freedom!
The U.S. government is attempting to silence peaceful protesters by stripping them of their legal residency and deporting them. This is an attack on the First Amendment that sets a dangerous precedent.
The government must immediately release Khalil, Suri, and Ozturk, return them to their families, and stop violating the constitutional right to protest. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
There's insult added to the injury of the Dodgers' visit to the White House: They are Jackie Robinson's team. I mentioned this in my email just now: "How could Jackie Robinson’s team go to the White House and normalize what that man is doing to this country? Baseball is America’s game, and you’ve stained it. I’m beyond disappointed. I’m repulsed."
Hi Jess, do you (or anyone) know if there is a way to check in with Democratic grassroots organizations (like DCCC) to see who may be running for those targeted seats?
My representative is on their list and I have been thinking more and more about throwing my hat into the ring to challenge her. However, I don’t want to underscore or take away from a talented and potentially successful candidate if they have already announced their campaign and would rather support them.