Hi, all, and happy Tuesday.
Another day, another phone call. It can feel redundant; it can feel monotonous. It can feel pointless.
The latter it is not.
Robert Hubbell recently linked to an article I found especially gratifying. It was about Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis’s U-turn on gun laws after she received a deluge of phone calls from constituents post Uvalde. The Senator said:
“I've been a little surprised at the phone calls we've been getting and how receptive Wyoming callers seem to be to address guns in some manner….I am of the opinion that it's more of a mental health issue than a gun issue. But, you know, I'm listening to what people from Wyoming are saying.”
I’m listening to what people from Wyoming are saying.
Most of your representative are like Lummis. When the noise gets deafening enough, they’ll listen. And those few who won’t? They are still hearing. They may choose to ignore you and millions like you, but trust me, they’re aware of your words and your opinions. If they insist on turning their backs on them let them do so with the uneasy knowledge that they are enraging and activating a lot of their own constituents by shutting out their demands.
We are making progress. It is a pivotal moment. Don’t stop. Don’t let fear or cynicism wear you down.
Hope is an action.
Be hopeful.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I want the Senator to support Chris Murphy’s bipartisan gun bill. I wish it went much further, but it’s an important first step.
Second, I’m outraged that Ginni Thomas, wife to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, made even more extensive efforts than we previously knew to overturn the Arizona election results. The fact that Justice Thomas then failed to recuse himself on election-related cases is unacceptable. I believe he needs to be impeached, but in the meantime I want the Senate to immediately pass S. 4177, the Judicial Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act of 2022. Americans have utterly lost faith in the impartiality of the Supreme Court, and for good reason. This law will help us begin to regain faith in them. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling to ask if the Representative is yet a co-sponsor on H.R.7061 - the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act? [If yes thank. If not add:] A windfall profits tax would take away a portion of Big Oil’s recent profits and redistribute them to consumers. It’s one of the only ways we can get gas prices down and help with oil and gas price gouging. The Conservative government in Britain has implemented such a tax and it’s putting real money in citizens’ pockets. It’s a no-brainer. We need to do it here. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
President Biden’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has a proposal to make companies disclose—and protect investors against—climate change risk. It would be a HUGE deal if passed.
But the rule isn’t final, and we only have until Friday to send in comments supporting it. Banks are fighting back hard. If you haven’t yet commented, please do now—and be sure to personalize!
Get Smart! 📚
The Center For Common Ground is partnering with Operation BlackOut, a project helmed by Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones, which works hand in hand with dozens of partners across the state to increase voter turnout among Black and brown voters through vote-by-mail.
Join them this Thursday at 5pm PT/ 8pm ET for a discussion with Senator Jones about why he is working to engage Black voters to vote by mail and the challenges of absentee voting as Florida passes restrictive voting laws.
They will also talk about their strategy to engage Black voters in Florida through vote by mail and early voting during the primaries this August and the fall midterms. (Spoiler alert—they have a postcarding campaign! You can help!)
Give 💰!
Y’all, I’m co-hosting a fundraiser on Saturday here in L.A. in support of the Movement Voter Project -- specifically the work their grassroots groups are doing in Texas. Does anyone want to come (if they’re in L.A.) and/or donate (if they’re not)?
If you’re not aware of MVP they are an amazing organization that basically seeks out and vets grassroots organizations in key states and, if they find them to be particularly effective, fundraises for them. They’re essentially helping the next group of Stacey Abramses do in other states what she and her amazing partners did in Georgia. GREAT GRASSROOTS GROUPS ARE ALWAYS UNDERFUNDED. To our detriment. They are without doubt the most effective tool we have in our kit.
If you come on Saturday you'll hear about the kind of work MVP’s partner orgs in Texas are doing from some of the people doing it, and you’ll have the chance to ask about MVP's work in every key state. And you can say hi to me!
RSVP here. Make a donation (whether you can come or not) here. Learn more about MVP here. Seriously. They’re fantastic.
Win Races! 🗳
Are you ready to do more than vote? Want to help us turnout the voters we need to win in November? The most effective thing you can do is to talk to your friends and family and get them to the polls – this is called relational organizing. Red Wine & Blue is forming a team of thousands of suburban women who will get their friends out to vote.
Become part of this Great Troublemaker Turnout team – they will make sure you have all the tools, resources and support you need. Join one of their 30 minute training sessions this week on Wednesday, June 15th at 7:30 pm ET (sign up here) or Friday, June 17th at 10:30 am ET (sign up here!)
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)
[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Quick send: text SIGN PJQSVC to 50409]
I am writing to express my support and encourage your vote for the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 2773, S. 2372).
This legislation will allow us to pass on our nation's wildlife heritage to future generations and protect the natural biodiversity that we depend upon and hold dear.
We can’t miss this opportunity to help at-risk wildlife by giving state and tribal wildlife agencies the resources they need to take collaborative conservation actions to conserve species.
The benefits of protecting our nation’s wildlife will be felt everywhere, from urban to rural communities, through our economy with expanded outdoor recreation and tourism, and through the positive effects that conserving biodiversity has on our health and well-being, agriculture and local ecology.
America has a proud history of coming together to bring wildlife back from the brink of extinction. The challenges facing wildlife today are daunting, but we can build on our nation’s conservation legacy by passing the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
I am Executive Director and co-founder of National Voter Corps and am working on ways to lift the filibuster to stop the sabotage of voting rights in America. You and your contacts might help our goal to petition the US Senate to put the Freedom to Vote: John R Lewis Act back on the floor of the Senate to discuss and vote. Chief Justice Roberts in Rucho and in Arizona Redistricting Commission cases, to name just 2, opined that if Congress failed to exercise its power under Article 1.4 of the US constitution, the Supreme Court would not interfere with the SOVEREIGN STATE LEGISLATURES which are entitled to set Times, Places and Manner of elections unless Congress otherwise amends or act. Kagan in her minority opinion cited 1st, 14th and 15th Amendments to not permit Partisan Gerrymandering, Racial Gerrymandering, and allowing Native Americans to facilitate voters' rights in rural AZ (Brnovich). 19 states are depriving citizens of their voice: their vote by onerous measures and now State Legislatures becoming the election boards.. I implore you to help right this imbalance: HELP PETITION OUR US SENATE TO DO ITS DUTY AND PROTECT OUR VOTING RIGHTS: https://chng.it/Y566b4B6dh