Chop Wood, Carry Water 5/1
Hi, all, and happy Monday!
Yesterday you saw that we’d racked up a particularly long list of wins in the previous week.
Today we’ll rise up, ready to work for more.
On Sunday we’ll celebrate our effectiveness once again.
As long as we keep going this pattern won’t change. Yes, there will be setbacks, but our progress will be ineluctable if we keep showing up and taking action. There are simply so many more of us than them.
So let’s lace up our boots and get to work one more time.
P.S. I try to avoid self-promotion but, in an effort to promote the podcast itself, I’ll say that last week I recorded an interview with Stephanie Gerber Wilson of the “What the Gerrymander” podcast, and this morning the episode dropped. You can listen to it here.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
New Fox News polling shows that Americans overwhelmingly support gun violence prevention measures — sadly over half of voters are concerned that they or a loved one will be a victim of gun violence [if you are one of them please say so].
I urge the Senator to prioritize preventing gun violence by cosponsoring and actively supporting S. 25 the Assault Weapons Ban Act and S. 173 Ethans Law. Seriously—doing something about guns is a top priority for me and I will vote accordingly. Thank you.
[Care about gun violence and want to do more? There’s an after hours Lunch and Lobby event with the Newtown Alliance TONIGHT at 7:00 PM EST.]
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
New Fox News polling shows that Americans overwhelmingly support gun violence prevention measures — sadly over half of voters are concerned that they or a loved one will be a victim of gun violence.
I urge the Congressmember to prioritize preventing gun violence by cosponsoring the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act. The bill is H.R. 1699 and your office can cosponsor today by contacting Jon Carter in Representative Maxwell Frost’s office. I’d also like the Congressmember to support H.R. 698 the Assault Weapons Ban Act and H.R. 660 Ethans Law. Seriously—doing something about guns is a top priority for me and I will vote accordingly. Thank you.
Extra Credit ✅
As we know, the House just passed a dangerous bill which the GOP wants to use as a bargaining chip in the debt ceiling debate. Unfortunately, the recommended cuts adversely affect many popular programs, including those that support children, farmers, veterans, health, food, climate programs, and more, while fully protecting the 2019 tax cuts to the rich that helped create our overwhelming debt.
Almost as alarming? MOST AMERICANS HAVE NO IDEA!
Let’s use this toolkit by Demcast USA to share info about all these proposed cuts.
[H/T
]Get Smart! 📚
This, I am VERY excited about!
On Thursday, 3pm EST please consider coming to:
Increasing Youth Registration - A Conversation With Simon Rosenberg and Laura Brill of the Civics Center
Join Simon Rosenberg this Thursday, May 4th for a deep dive on the youth vote with Laura Brill, who is working on a national campaign to “Make Voter Registration A Part of Every High School in America.”
Give 💰!
Friendly reminder: please join Airlift on May 4 as they proudly present Steve Phillips, founder of Democracy in Color and bestselling author. Steve will discuss his latest book, How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multicultural Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good. Phillips warns that we must recognize the true nature of the fight we're in--an existential battle between those who wish to make America a multiracial democracy and those clinging to the concept that this is fundamentally a white nation. Arizona, for example, has been a textbook state for voter suppression and election deniers. But as Phillips demonstrates, progressive grassroots groups such as Arizona's Living United for Change have learned how to engage people of color to get to the polls to defeat these efforts.
We can win the Civil War. To learn how, and to help benefit LUCHA, please join Airlift on May 4, 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT by registering here. Feel free to spread the word!
Win Races! 🗳
I’ve signed up to make calls into PA with Swing Blue Alliance today at 2PM PT. We will be calling Democratic voters to help keep the PA Statehouse blue. Please join me! Use this link to sign up.
At 3PM PT I’m hopping off and joining my second phonebank—I’ve signed up to make calls with The Democratic National Committee into Nebraska. Are you free to join me? Use this link to sign up.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[to President Biden] [Taken pretty much entirely from
's latest post] [Quick send text SIGN PNOJLP to 50409]Kevin McCarthy and his band of Republican radicals are demanding that in return for their agreement to raise the debt ceiling, the President and Democrats make drastic cuts in programs Americans rely on — in everything from from public safety to health care to education.
Mr. President, your oath to uphold the Constitution takes precedence. As the supreme law of the land, the Constitution has greater weight than the debt ceiling. Section 4 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution states that “The validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned.”
A debt ceiling that prevents the federal government from honoring its existing financial commitments violates the Constitution.
So, if House Republicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling, you are obligated by the U.S. Constitution and your oath of office to ignore the debt ceiling and continue to pay the debts of the United States.
The Constitution makes it clear that Congress’s power to borrow money does not include the power to default on such borrowing.
The original intent of the drafters of the Constitution in 1787 was to give Congress the power to tax and borrow to pay debts and to provide for the common defense and public welfare. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist No. 30, the power to tax and borrow was established to ensure payment of debt or to prevent a default.
The “Second Founders” who amended the Constitution after the Civil War explicitly forbade Congress, or anyone, from repudiating or defaulting on the debt.
The Republicans want to lure you into a cynical game, Mr. President. The nation needs you to play hardball by ignoring them. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Excited about Increasing Youth Voter Reg !
My Fl Rep sponsored a recently passed bill allowing 18 -years-old to own assault rifles.😡
During debate a Dem legislator said: ➡️ “The blood of people — not hunters, or animals or whatever … but human beings will be on your hands,”
Sounds very similar to the “lack of decorum” Montana legislature used to silence Rep Zooey Zephyr…
100% Thank you as always - so appreciate the list of wins which I always circulate on social media and to my community bc I think our biggest challenge is overcoming the sense (intentionally perpetuated by the media and unintentionally perpetuated by low information folks) that we haven't made progress when we have made so much in just two years. And when we considered how deep in the hole we were when Biden took office, the progress is truly historic. So a million thanks Jess!