Chop Wood, Carry Water 6/26

In the thick of it.

Download and share this graphic here. It’s accurate.

Hi, all, and happy Thursday.

I didn’t mention it yesterday—I was in a rush—but what a thrill about Zohran Mamdani, eh? We needed a dose of hope at this moment, and this young, dashing, brilliant Muslim man delivered it! I know not everyone shares my enthusiasm for him, but I hope those who have, until now, withheld their support will give him another look. There is so much about this young human we should celebrate, even if he wasn’t everyone’s first choice.

Mamdani ran one of the most effective and exciting campaigns I’ve ever seen, but it’s his policies that have me over the moon. If he can deliver on even some of them it’ll be a bright new day in New York City—and maybe the country! He has at least the potential to be a modern day Fiorello H. LaGuardia, and that’s something we haven’t seen in New York in a long, long time.

Best of all, Mamdani ran unapologetically against oligarchy, establishment Dems, and Trump. Assuming he wins in November—and I think he will—he will staunchly defend New York’s immigrant community, fight for, not against, the working class, and support progressive goals like actual rent stabilization, free bus fare, and accessible childcare. How thrilling!

Will Mamdani make mistakes? Definitely. Could he disappoint us? Of course. Most politicians do at some point. But I have high hopes for this young man, and for the political wave that brought him to his primary victory. To see the enthusiasm for him among young people was a truly remarkable thing—but it wasn’t just them, of course. The generally high turnout in this election proves, again, that if we recruit exciting, relatable, progressive candidates, ones who fearlessly reject the status quo, voters will go to the polls!

And on that note we have more good news: According to Amanda Litman of Run For Something, since Zohran won the primary on Tuesday more than 1100 young people have reached out to explore a run for local office -- one of their biggest spikes of the year yet. Incredible! If you have any extra money I’d urge you to send it to Run For Something so they can onboard all of this new talent! THIS is how we win!

Finally, for a long and excellent breakdown of why Mamdani’s win is so momentous I highly recommend this Ross Barkan piece, “When Zohran Won.” He captures the seismic nature of the moment well. Also if you haven’t yet watched Mamdani’s victory speech please do. It’s masterful. (Speech starts at about the 12 minute mark.)

In other news, the Senate parliamentarian ruled out the Medicaid provider tax provision in Trump’s Big BS Bill this morning. This is a big deal. Those provisions, while unpopular with “moderate” Republicans, were crucial to Thune’s securing the votes for the bill. Senate Republicans must now go back to the proverbial drawing board and find those cuts elsewhere. While I’m sure they’ll work something out eventually, the delay, again, works in our favor.

Why? Because nearly two-thirds of Americans now oppose this bill’s health care cuts— even 3 in 4 Republican voters now support Medicaid! This leaves Republicans divided and facing a political disaster as they advance legislation that they know will cause them massive electoral pain. So keep making noise. As Zohran Mamdani himself said (quoting Nelson Mandela), “It always seems impossible until it's done.”

We must redouble our efforts to stop this legislation from passing, folks. True, it won’t be easy. True, we may fail. But if we do succeed it’ll be because we left it all on the field. So let’s not just pray for a miracle. Let’s work for one.

When we consider the stakes that’s the only thing to do.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

First, I want the Senator to vote no on Emil Bove’s nomination. He has voiced his intent to disobey court orders. He’s totally unfit. He cannot be confirmed.

Second, I want the Senator to do everything in his/her power to remove the AI moratorium from the reconciliation bill. This moratorium hands Big Tech a decade-long free pass to experiment on the American public without oversight. It’s also terrible for workers. It violates states’ rights. Finally, forcing states to choose between broadband access and consumer protections is wrong. Make a priority of getting this provision out of the bill, please! Thanks.

[If GOP add] And please tell the Senator to vote no on the entire bill, please. I will be furious if the s/he supports it. And I won’t be alone. Americans HATE this bill. If s/he supports it s/he will lose his/her seat. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m calling to say that I’m upset and outraged by the ICE raids happening all over the country. It’s pure insanity! These men are masked, they are refusing to identify themselves, they are violent—and now people are impersonating them just to commit crimes. ICE’s attacks on law-abiding immigrants—and Republicans’ immigration policies in general— are making us profoundly less safe. They’re hurting local economies. They’re fueled by racism. They violate due process. They’re disgusting and wrong. Congress must make it stop. And please deny any more funding to ICE. They’re out of control. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a podcast on Monday that there are certain situations in which she’d consider becoming an independent and caucusing with Democrats.

Do you remember when we wrote her and asked her to do just that? LET’S DO IT AGAIN! I’m just going to send a postcard but a letter would work, too.

Address: Senator Murkowski, 510 L Street, Suite 600, Anchorage, AK 99501

Here are some sample messages:

1) Please be our heroine, put country before party! Become an Independent and caucus with Democrats! We need you and would welcome you with open arms!

2) It would only take you and a couple of your Republican colleagues to stop this madness. Millions of Americans would cheer you on, we are with you! Have courage, change the course of history, and put country before party!

3) Please make a stand, put country before party and begin to end the madness. Millions of Americans will support you. Have faith & courage!

You can sign it, “your fellow American, ______” and add your state and zip code.

Get Smart! 📚

Join the Progressive Caucus Center on Thursday, July 10th at 3pm ET for “Due Process Denied: How the Trump Administration’s Immigration Policies Threaten Our Civil Rights.”

They’ll examine the ongoing harm caused by Trump’s enforcement regime, its lasting impact on families, and the Republican reconciliation bill that would further entrench this dangerous system. Their panelists will also share the powerful work their organizations are doing to defend civil rights and justice for all.

RSVP here (you can put Chop Wood, Carry Water as your organization.)

Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣

A content creator I know just wrote a Substack fact-checking Republicans claims about the budget bill. It’s quite helpful and comes with sources. Please use it when talking to friends and family.

The Republican Game Plan: One Big Beautiful Bill Edition

Give 💰!

Considering the awful Supreme Court ruling this morning (ugh!) it might be a good time to send Planned Parenthood some money. You can do so here.

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

[To: all 3 reps] [H/T

Coleman Rogers

] [Text SIGN PUNDGT to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]

The Supreme Court's decision to allow swift deportation of migrants to locations other than their home countries is an egregious violation of human rights and due process. Deporting individuals to unsafe third countries like South Sudan, which is plagued by violence and turmoil, exposes them to grave risks of torture, persecution, and even death.

Justice Sotomayor rightly condemned this order, warning that it puts "thousands to the risk of torture or death." This callous disregard for human life and dignity is unacceptable. The government's actions defy basic principles of justice and fairness. Denying migrants a meaningful opportunity to challenge deportations to potentially dangerous third countries tramples on their legal rights.

As Justice Sotomayor stated, the Trump regime feels "unconstrained by law, free to deport anyone anywhere without notice or an opportunity to be heard." This arbitrary exercise of power cannot be tolerated in a nation built on the rule of law. Congress must act swiftly to counter this miscarriage of justice.

Passing legislation to ensure robust due process protections for all deportation proceedings, including the right to contest removal to third countries, is imperative. The human cost of allowing these deportations to proceed unchecked is simply too high. Lawmakers have a moral obligation to rein in this unconscionable policy and uphold America's commitment to human rights and fair treatment under the law.

(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.)

---

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

Talk soon.

Jess