Chop Wood, Carry Water 5/3

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Hi, all, and happy Wednesday!

I’m delighted to report that Leirion Gaylor Baird, the Democratic incumbent Mayor from Lincoln, Nebraska, won her re-election bid last night. This, despite the fact that Republicans spent an unprecedented amount of money trying to unseat her. Her opponent was a right-wing extremist and a forced-birther; thankfully folks turned out in numbers to stop her from taking this seat.

As someone who worked on this race—I volunteered to call voters in Lincoln several times—I feel a heightened joy and ownership in this win. And if you volunteered for the DNC and made these calls, you should too! I’ll say it again: volunteering for an electoral campaign is an incredibly exciting and fulfilling pursuit. It sucks to lose, but when we win—and we often do—the feeling is absolutely top rate!

This win is yet another excellent example of the fact that the many almost always trumps the money. Never forget it. When we work together, when we show up, when we throw our collective energy into an effort, we’re unbeatable.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m calling to say that Congress needs to vote to raise the debt ceiling now. The global economy is at stake. No negotiations, no delays.

[If GOP add:] Americans understand that Republicans are holding our economy hostage. If it collapses we will blame them. We don’t want cuts to programs we need, we don’t want to roll back climate progress, and we don’t want to defund the IRS. We want the debt ceiling to be raised with no strings attached, and for Republicans to get to work actually helping us.

[If Democrat add:] And please ask the Senator not to agree to any cuts to climate spending, IRS funding, student loan assistance, or programs Americans need to get by. We want a clean debt ceiling increase. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

First, I understand that a bipartisan group of House lawmakers have unveiled a bill that would prohibit members of Congress from owning and trading individual stocks. It’s called the Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act of 2023—it’s as yet unnumbered. I’d like the Congressmember to co-sponsor it right away.

Second, Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling now. The global economy is at stake. No negotiations, no delays.

[If GOP add:] Americans understand that Republicans are holding our economy hostage. If it collapses we will blame them and only them. We don’t want cuts to programs we need, we don’t want to roll back climate progress, and we don’t want to defund the IRS. We want the debt ceiling to be raised with no strings attached, and for Republicans to get to work actually helping us. Thanks.

[If Democrat add:] No matter what please ask the Congressmember not to agree to any cuts to climate spending or to programs Americans need to get by. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Take Back the Court and Stand Up America have launched a new enterprise called Crooked Clarence. It’s an effort to get Congress to hold Clarence Thomas accountable. Please sign up to get updates from them and share this resource with friends. They have a full timeline of Thomas’s scandals on their homepage. It’s breathtaking.

Also, check out Just Majority—a coalition of about 30 organizations who have united to take on Supreme Court corruption. They just launched this week. Love to see it!

Get Smart! 📚

Care about the youth vote? Indivisible/Swing Left South Bay LA is hosting Gen Z activist, influencer and Biden delegate Victor Shi for a virtual meeting on Sunday, May 7th at 2pm PT. To be discussed:

- How Gen Z views this moment in history

- What we need to understand about Gen Z as compared to other generations

- What sort of message works when speaking to Gen Z voters

- How older folks can support Gen Z in their activism

It’s going to be really interesting. Sunday, May 7 from 2 – 3:30pm PDT

Sign up here!

Spread the Word! 📣

Here’s Biden’s new, excellent ad. Please share!

Win Races! 🗳

Y’all, the Democrats are running phonebanks into PA House District 163 almost every day in the leadup to the May 16th special election. The outcome of this race will determine which party controls the Pennsylvania House, so these calls are extra-important. Can you sign up for a shift? As I said above, it feels so good to help Democrats win!

Sign up here.

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

[to all 3 reps] [Source] [Quick send text SIGN PMTTJT to 50409]

I’m alarmed that there are proposals before Congress right now that would substantially cut vital programs such as SNAP nutrition assistance, Medicaid, and the full range of annually appropriated domestic and international needs.

These cuts would threaten our economy. Moody’s Analytics economist Mark Zandi and colleagues warn that deep spending cuts could trigger "a recession in 2024, costing the economy 2.6 million jobs at the worst of the downturn and pushing unemployment to a peak of near 6 percent." No way!

Instead of cutting, we must strengthen these investments. Putting the needs of people with the lowest incomes first is both a moral and an economic imperative. It is critical that policies do more to address longstanding disparities by race and income, including maternal mortality, food insecurity, and gaps in access to affordable and accessible housing, health care, and education, along with addressing challenges for women, children and youth, older adults, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA individuals, survivors of violence, veterans, rural communities, and others.

Deep cuts to anti-poverty policies will take us backwards and make us less able to sustain future economic growth. Responsible budget choices mean support for increasing revenues from wealthy individuals and corporations, both by collecting what they owe under current law and by fair new tax policies targeting the wealthiest and corporations. Responsibility also requires you to reduce wasteful spending. Congress can do this through strategies such as expanding drug price negotiations, reducing excessive payments for corporate military contractors, and limiting detention and incarceration.

With fair and adequate revenues plus well-targeted savings that do not reduce needed services, Congress can fund the investments we need and still make substantial reductions in the deficit. Please do that. Thanks.

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

Talk soon.

Jess