Chop Wood, Carry Water 7/27
#CancelRecess. Period.
Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!
We got an intriguing message from a fellow Indivisible group leader on Slack yesterday. I can’t reveal all of what it said, as we were asked not to, but I will say this: voting rights is about to come to the forefront again; we may actually see a vote soon on a bill that contains a lot of the provsions we want, and it’s critically important that we push the Senate to cancel their recess and get it done. Thus the below calls.
If everything in the Slack message is true then the next two weeks could be more satisfying than we’d hoped.
Either way, our calls are wildly important right now. We must keep the heat on.
Fortunately we know how to do that very well. So let’s get to work.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I want to ask the Senator to prioritize passing voting rights legislation NOW. If we lose our right to vote we can’t fix anything else. The Senate should cancel recess and get a voting rights bill done. [If Dem add:] Democrats should absolutely reform the filibuster to make it possible.
Second, I want the Senator to support a big, bold climate bill, that invests at the scale of the crisis, including a Clean Electricity Standard, directing 40% of funding to frontline communities, no more subsidies for fossil fuel corporations, and a Civilian Climate Corps that puts people to work. We’re in a climate emergency. Let’s act like it. Thanks. [H/T]
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling to ask the Congressmember to prioritize strengthening Medicare in the Infrastructure bill. I want it to include hearing, dental, and vision benefits, as well as an out-of-pocket expenses cap. We should also lower the eligibility age and enable Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for everyone. Thanks.
Extra Credit
Let’s call Chuck Schumer at 212-486-4430 or 518-431-4070 or 202-224-6542 and say:
“Hi my name is _____, I live in _____, and I’m calling the Senator in his capacity as Senate Majority Leader to ask that he cancel the upcoming Senate recess until the Democrats have passed voting rights legislation and their big Infrastructure package. We’re in a voting rights emergency and a climate emergency. No one should be going on vacation. Thanks.
Get on the Phones! ☎️
Ohio’s special Congressional election is coming up soon and it’s closer than we’d like it to be. A Democrat will likely win, but which Democrat matters, too. That’s why I signed up to phonebank for Nina Turner—a Climate Hawk—today and Thursday. Join me? If we ever needed aggressive climate protectors in Congress, it’s now.
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here!)
[to your Senators] [H/T]
Workers’ rights are under attack.
Our outdated labor laws have been chipped away and weakened by anti-worker legislators. Every day, we hear about corporations openly union-busting and retaliating against working people without consequence.
That’s why we need the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The PRO Act is the most significant worker empowerment legislation since the Great Depression. If it passes, it would:
Empower workers to form unions and bargain over wages and work conditions.
Hold corporations accountable for union-busting.
Repeal “right to work” laws, which were created during the Jim Crow era to divide Black and White workers.
Strong unions mean higher wages, safer working conditions and dignity for all people who work. Passing the PRO Act is our first step to getting there. Please do it ASAP. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
This was so empowering. A few minutes making calls emphasizing your very valid remarks. Thanks!