Chop Wood, Carry Water 6/2
Taking action towards a better future.
Hi, all, and happy Monday.
Happy Pride month, too! This is one of my favorite months, because it means so much to my kid and their community. It’s come to mean a whole lot to me, too. If you’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ community I wish you all the best today—and always—and promise to keep trying to demonstrate my allyship with action. Anyone, after all, can put a rainbow on their profile picture in June. It’s what we do every day to show that we stand with the queer and trans community that proves that we care. So let’s show up! Especially at a time when this beloved community is under such relentless attack.
Speaking of attacks, I’m heartbroken over the horrific events in Boulder yesterday. If you are a member of the Jewish faith—or if you live in Boulder—I offer my deepest condolences. It’s just awful. Our world is so deeply troubled right now, and to watch antisemitism rise in what is supposed to be a safe harbor for the Jewish community is deeply upsetting.
It’s not just that, of course. We have suffering almost everywhere we turn. There’s massive suffering overseas —in Gaza, Sudan, and so many other places, and massive suffering here. Especially amongst our immigrant community. We’re seeing ICE raids ramp up and grow more violent, the culture of fear increase, and the instinct for cruelty in the Trump administration swell. It’s a tough, scary, and heartbreaking moment for any feeling person.
And yet feel we must. Because the only solution to this disease of hatred, I’m convinced, is the nurturing of more compassion. We must insist on leading with love, and exhibit a ferocious determination to create more community. We must remember for whom—or what—we fight, and then remember that that thing always involves love. Love is at the heart of all of this, and we must remember that it is more powerful than hate.
As painful as it was, then, to watch videos of the ICE raid in San Diego, it was the sight of community members standing courageously together against those thugs that gave me a small glimmer of hope. The collective outrage from Americans across the country, too. And the marches and protests against ICE we’re seeing every day.
When we unite against this evil and provide a better alternative we can and will beat it back. So while resistance is a huge part of what we do here, the other part of our two-pronged approach must be the development of more ties with our community, more love, more empathy. Because when our arms are linked, figuratively and literally, and our voices raised together, we are unbeatable.
OK, all. I’ll be doing a Substack Live today at 4PMPT / 7PM ET to go over where we are with the reconciliation bill, what’s happening with the tariffs, and what new polling tells us about how Americans view the “GOP Murder Bill;” (the answer may surprise you.) I’m going to send an email out to the whole list when I go on, because that’s the only way to alert you that it’s happening. I promise the extra emails will remain only a Monday thing—I’m trying hard to be conscious of not overloading your inbox.
We’ve got lots to do so let’s stop talking and start calling. After all, this stuff works…but only when we work it!
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I want the Senator to oppose the GENIUS Act until it includes basic rules so government officials can’t use stablecoin ventures to line their own pockets and so that foreign governments and giant corporations can’t use stablecoins to pay bribes to the President of the United States. If it doesn’t include those things I demand a NO vote. [H/T]
Also, I have a comment about the reconciliation bill.
[If Democrat]: I want the Democrats to ask for a so-called “Byrd bath”
for every single provision that they can. First, so many of the provisions clearly don’t belong in a reconciliation bill and should be stripped out under Byrd, and second, Democrats’ one job right now should be to slow down this process in every way we can. Don’t make ANYTHING easy for Republicans. Delay, block, and call them out on everything, please. Thanks.
[If GOP:] I oppose this awful piece of legislation and expect the Senator to as well. Cutting aid for the poorest Americans to give tax cuts to billionaires is repugnant. Adding 4T to our debt—and this bill will, no matter how Republicans try to pretend otherwise—is unbelievably irresponsible. Also, I’m hearing rumors that Republicans may ignore the Parliamentarian if she rules that certain provisions violate the Byrd rule. If they do that I will encourage Democrats to do the same when they regain power, and to use reconciliation to pass every bit of liberal legislation they can dream of. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Abide by the Byrd rule or we won’t, either. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling because I heard that Trump is sending a rescissions package to Congress this week that contains about 9B in cuts, mostly to foreign aid, NPR and Public Broadcasting. I oppose all of these cuts, but today I really want to focus on the cuts to USAID. They have been absolutely catastrophic and I don’t want to see them codified. Pro Publica reported this week that the cuts have led to violence and instability while undermining anti-terrorism initiatives. Boston University estimates that because of them nearly 300,000 people have died to date. This is unacceptable. It’s terrible for our national security, for our global standing, and for humanity. These funds must be restored, not cut. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Rachel Cohen, the lawyer who left her law firm over its decision to comply with the Trump administration, has created a fantastic action to hold the law firms that are caving to Trump accountable.
The idea is to send emails to organizations where these lawyers sit on the boards and ask them to remove those lawyers from their board. This creates specific individual consequences for the lawyers who decided to cave.
She’s created a tool kit that allows you to send emails automatically, by clicking on a link—this will work for everyone EXCEPT for those with VPNs. If it doesn’t work for you she also provides all of the letters as separate docs so you can copy and paste them into an email or print them.
(I’m linking to her TikTok about this action, although I know you’re not all on TikTok. It doesn’t seem to be on any other platforms.)
I sent about twenty emails this morning. It’s addictive! Just make sure you proofread the first paragraph and add your name at the end!
Get Smart! 📚
Join Vote Save America for a virtual training on how to Get Your People to a No Kings Event! It’s tonight, June 2 at 8pm ET/5pm PT.
We all have a role in promoting this mass movement. The training will set you up to help recruit for your protest online and in your community.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
Fair Share America has put together two great talking point docs to help you respond to Republicans’ lies about their tax and Medicaid cuts. They’re really helpful; FSA will keep updating them as new information comes out.
Give 💰!
Tomorrow night, I’m speaking at a fundraiser to help send the awesome Isiah Martin to Congress—some of you will remember him from the Substack Live we did together a month or two ago. Please come to this Instagram and YouTube Live event to help elect Isiah Martin to Congress in Texas. Join me and a bunch of great political content creators at 7PM CST on Isaiah’s Instagram or YouTube page (handles below).
Get in the Streets! 🪧
On June 6—D-Day—veterans and allies from across the country will gather on the National Mall for the Unite for Veterans rally.
The focus: stopping the dismantling of the federal workforce, halting the privatization of the VA, and holding policymakers accountable for actions that harm veterans and military families.
Speakers will include Senator Tammy Duckworth, AfghanEvac’s Shawn Vandiver, former Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Conor Lamb, federal worker veterans, and Afghan SIV recipients. The Dropkick Murphys will also perform during the program.
More information is at www.unite4veterans.org, and here’s a toolkit for anyone looking to help amplify: https://bit.ly/shareunite4vets
Grab Your Wallet! 💳
From the folks at Tesla Takedown:
Elon's businesses bring in billions of dollars a year from government contracts and investments. We're working to stop him from profiting from our tax dollars. The campaign is already making big strides—and we want you to get involved!
This should be a really good call. Hope some of you can make it!
Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥
Citibank is one of the worst funders of fossil fuels in the world. In fact, they’ve contributed more money to fossil fuel expansion since 2016 than any other bank in the entire world.
Unlike Citibank, Costco is committed to climate action. As the third largest retailer in the world, Costco is also a critical client to Citibank. Banks care about retaining their clients, especially ones as large as Costco. If Costco urges Citibank to clean up its act, or threatens to leave all together, then Citibank will be forced to pursue better climate policies.
Please sign this petition to urge Costco to clean up its co-branded credit card with dirty Citibank.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T Coleman Rogers] [Text SIGN PBYWFC to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram or sign here]
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
The actions taken by the Trump regime in its first 115 days are a blatant abuse of power and an assault on core democratic principles. By weaponizing government agencies to target and retaliate against perceived enemies, the administration has shown a dangerous authoritarian impulse that undermines the rule of law and the constitutional system of checks and balances.
The scope of the retaliation campaign is staggering - over 100 individuals and organizations face criminal investigations, firings, security clearance revocations, funding cuts, and other punitive actions, not for any lawbreaking, but purely for exposing wrongdoing or expressing dissent. This includes career officials like Chris Krebs, who was fired for refuting false claims of election fraud, as well as lawyers like Mark Zaid, stripped of his security clearance for representing the Ukraine whistleblower.
Investigations have even targeted judges, universities, media outlets, and Democratic politicians on the flimsiest of pretexts. These reprisals serve no legitimate government interest. They are transparently motivated by the president's personal grievances and desire for vengeance, as he has made clear through his long history of threats against critics and political opponents.
A federal judge rightly called the regime's conduct regarding law firms "a shocking abuse of power." Another judge ruled the White House violated the First Amendment by retaliating against the Associated Press over a naming dispute.
If allowed to continue unchecked, this retaliation campaign will profoundly chill free speech, undermine an independent judiciary and press, and make the United States more autocratic than democratic. The president took an oath to faithfully execute the laws and defend the Constitution - not to weaponize the Justice Department as his personal Praetorian guard against adversaries.
Congress has a constitutional duty to rein in these authoritarian excesses and uphold America's democratic values and institutions. Urgent action is needed through vigorous oversight, restricting funds, legal challenges, and impeachment to stop these abuses before they further undermine our republic.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
I love the Rachel Cohen effort! And the Costco/Citi petition. Thank you for sharing! And thank you for being you.
Quick story. This morning was my first call to Sen Booker following his vote to advance the genius act. When I called this morning, I unbelievably got a young lady live on the phone (I was so excited. That’s so rare at his ofc). I told her I had three topics I wanted her to relay to the Senator. Topic one was the genius act. And as soon as I said that I could hear a literal groan. Lol. That told me that she’s been fielding a lot of calls from my fellow NJans about his vote last week. And that made me happy! My other two topics were the budget as well as Kilmar. It was great to have more than 60 seconds to leave a message! And she was lovely. See you all at 7 ✔️
Hi, While overall helpful, I think the Resistbot letters are getting waaaay too long. Are they meant to preach a sermon or be read by Congress staffers? Not looking for an argument, just seems practically speaking they should state an opinion briefly that one would like to have logged. I can't think a staffer can get through reading one of these multi-page ones, much less thousands of us sending the same thing. They're starting to sound like op-ed pieces to me rather than a bite sized concern that will be processed, counted, and hopefully influence a member of congress. Just my two cents meant to help, respectfully submitted.