Chop Wood, Carry Water 7/11

Hi, all, and happy Monday!

You know what makes me happy? That I’m starting to see so many of you at my phonebanks, as well as at other events I post here. VERY exciting. I love knowing that you folks are not just contacting your reps, but jumping in and doing the work to help us win in November. 👏🏼

I also love seeing the smiles on your faces when you talk to your first supporter. It truly fills my heart.

Another thing that makes me happy? This twitter thread, which I put in “Extra! Extra!” yesterday. (For those who don’t know, that’s my every-Sunday digest of all the good news we had in the previous week. It goes out to paid subscribers only— if you want to join the fun and help support my work you can upgrade at the bottom of this email!) The Navigator poll cited in this thread is yet more confirmation that Dem fortunes are looking much better since Roe v Wade got overturned. As well they should.

More reason for hope: I’m being asked to do a ton of free Activism 101 workshops—I have three this week!—and the Adopt a State program is picking up new folks every day.

All of this tells me what I’ve known for a while: We. Are. Going. To. Win.

And you—all of you wonderful, decent, brave “average Americans,” folks who decided that you couldn’t watch your country burn to the ground without fighting back—YOU will be a part of it. I am so very proud of, and grateful to, every one of you.

Now let’s get to work one more time.

P.S. Thanks to all of you who gave to my States Project Pennsylvania fundraiser! We raised just over $3500! WOW! I have, of course, increased the goal to $5000, so there’s still time to donate if you haven’t given yet! ALL of the money raised will go to candidates running to flip Statehouse seats blue in PA. WOOT!

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

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

I want the Senator to vote to confirm Steven Dettelbach as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The fact that this agency has not had a confirmed director since 2015 is unacceptable. The ATF has a critical role to play in enforcing laws that protect us from gun violence and criminal activities, as well as investigating acts of terrorism and combating illegal gun trafficking. Steven Dettelbach is highly qualified and will be an excellent leader for this critical agency. Again, I urge the Senator to vote yes on his confirmation. We will be watching this vote closely. Thanks. [H/T]

Call Your House Rep (find yours here)

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

I’d like the Congressmember to co-sponsor and actively promote H.R.1366 - the Protect the Youth Vote Act of 2021. Youth voter suppression is real and getting worse—this legislation will reverse that trend. This is important to me. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Y’all, the Civics Center—my favorite youth-focussed voter registration outfit—is asking us to sign their letter to Congress asking them to pass the Youth Voting Rights Act. This bill will expand young people's access to voting by increasing voter registration opportunities at universities, requiring every state to allow preregistration beginning at age 16, and creating a grant program for youth participation in elections. Will you sign here?

Also, don’t forget the Civics Center still has both sticker-sending and postcarding programs to young people and they still need volunteers! Learn more here!

Spread the Message!

Post this on your social! If we want more folks to know about Biden’s accomplishments, it’s incumbent upon us to help spread the word!

Gas prices are falling, hugely. ⛽️💵⬇️

#ThanksPresidentBiden. 👏🏼

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-08/gasoline-prices-in-us-see-biggest-one-day-drop-since-2008

Get Smart! 📚

Y’all, there is an incredible webinar happening tomorrow. I can personally vouch for the speaker and the work she’s doing. It’s important and unique and may save the country.

The webinar is at 5 pm Pacific / 8 pm Eastern. It’s called:

Reproductive Rights and the Midterms post Roe v. Wade: Communicating to Win

And the speaker is Jackie Payne, Founder & Director of GALvanize Action.

Building support for reproductive rights requires careful messaging to women ambivalent about abortion. Jackie Payne, Founder and Director of GALvanize Action, is on a mission to persuade (mostly white) women who may have supported Trump in 2016 to "vote their values." Galvanize is the only organization targeting these voters, who are critical to holding the House and Senate in November and winning the Presidency in 2024.

Jackie will share with us how she has learned to shape messages that move these women to support reproductive rights. 

Jackie will be joined by Carrie Santoro, Director of Pennsylvania Stands Up. Carrie is on the front lines in a state where the election for governor is clearly defined between a pro-choice and anti-choice candidate. Carrie will share how PASU gets their message through to community members across the state to elect a governor who will work to protect access to abortions. 

This event is hosted by Airlift, one of my favorite volunteer-run groups raising money for progressive candidates and organizations. There will be a donation ask, but it’s optional.

I can’t recommend attending highly enough. The work Jackie is doing at Galvanize is GENIUS.

Register here

Win Races! 🗳

Y’all, Vote Forward is having another letter-writing party tomorrow, and you’re invited! This is one of the easiest ways to help us win in November, and with 10M letters to write, they need more volunteers!

The party is on Zoom, and it’s Tuesday, July 12th, 8 – 9pm EDT.

Join volunteers from across the country to learn more about the impact of Vote Fwd letters, receive tips and training on refining your message to voters, and have your letter writing questions answered by the Vote Forward team!

Vote Forward’s letter writing campaigns are designed to reach voters in the congressional districts and states where boosting turnout will have the biggest impact on election outcomes, with a particular focus on reaching historically underrepresented voters in Black, Asian, Latino, and Native American communities.

RSVP today, and they’ll let you know how to join this event.

Never written letters before? No problem! Visit votefwd.org and make an account, download twenty letters, and they’ll show you how to write and prepare them at their event! (You’ll need a printer to get started.)

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

[to President Biden] [H/T Save the Post Office Coalition] [Quick send: text SIGN PLFKPN to 50409]

Nearly two years after his appointment by the Postal Board of Governors, the United States Postal Service continues to languish under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s leadership. Despite the passage of the Postal Service Reform Act, DeJoy still plans to raise postage prices at “uncomfortable rates” around the country. Additionally, numerous post office locations are set to be shuttered under his 10-year restructuring plan, potentially impacting thousands of employees during a time of economic crisis. After DeJoy’s numerous failings at the helm, it is imperative that we have a strong, full, and reform-oriented Postal Board of Governors in place to hold him accountable to the true mission and public service goals of the USPS.

In your recent comments on the passage of the Postal Service Reform Act, you stated that “the Postal Service is fundamental– to our economy, to our democracy, and to our health, the very sense of who we are as a nation.” Given your stated commitment to defending the Postal Service, I am disappointed in your recent selections of corporate executives Derek Kan and Dan Tangherlini to serve on the Board of Governors, as their backgrounds are littered with close ties to the predatory private equity and real estate industries. Furthermore, neither Kan nor Tangherlini have demonstrated a credible commitment to defending USPS or ousting DeJoy.

With two more vacancies slated to open on the Postal Board this coming December, I urge you to nominate candidates who will hold the current Postmaster General Louis DeJoy accountable for his destructive leadership and advocate strongly for the expansion of USPS services. The Board as presently constituted has failed to play its fiduciary role as DeJoy has implemented chaotic delivery directives and advanced his 10-year plan. Adding two new, public interest-minded Board members at this crucial juncture is an essential step to removing DeJoy and defending what has long been the American peoples’ most respected public institution.

This is one of the last opportunities your administration has to appoint governors to the postal board. It is essential to select nominees who are wholly committed to the task of protecting and expanding our Postal Service, not allowing it to be destroyed under DeJoy’s “leadership.” Please do so. Thanks.

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

Talk tomorrow.

Jess